science

Xie of Shang

Xie of Shang is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Xie of Shang rather than just read about it. In short: Xie (Chinese: 契) family name Zi (子), was an ancient Chinese nobleman and ancestor of the kings of the Shang dynasty. He is the first known Shang ancestor and ruler of the Predynastic Shang.

Key takeaways

Xie of Shang belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Xie of Shang to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Xie of Shang from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Xie (Chinese: 契) family name Zi (子), was an ancient Chinese nobleman and ancestor of the kings of the Shang dynasty. He is the first known Shang ancestor and ruler of the Predynastic Shang. However, he is only mentioned in texts from after the Shang dynasty: He is not attested in oracle bone inscriptions.

Names In Records of the Grand Historian, he is given the family name Zi (子), matching those of Shang rulers in oracle bone inscriptions. In Guoyu, he is referred to by a leader of the State of Lu as the "Dark King" (玄王), referring to a legend in which he was born from a Xuanniao to found Predynastic Shang. Later generations post-Zhou refer to Xie as E Bo (閼伯). Additionally, some transmitted texts will use the character (契) for his name, which can be read as qì, appearing in some translations.

Family Xie's consort(s) is unknown, but it is known he was a father of Zhao Ming of Shang and grandfather of Xiang Tu. Xie's father was Emperor Ku, and Xie's brothers were Houji, Emperor Zhi and Emperor Yao. Xie's mother was one of Ku's consorts ‒ Jiang Yuan, Jiandi, Qingdu, or Changyi.

Reign Xie allegedly served as Minister of Instruction (司徒) under Emperor Shun during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, who said the following:

帝舜乃命契曰：「百姓不親，五品不訓，汝為司徒而敬敷五教，五教在寬。」

Emperor Shun gave the order to Xie, saying: "The people are wanting in affection for one another, and do not observe the five orders of relationship. You, as Minister of Instruction, should reverently inculcate the lessons of duty belonging to those five orders, but do so with gentleness."

As Minister of Instruction, Xie was tasked with upholding the five teachings (五品 or 五教). While these were not mentioned in Sima Qian's records, they are attested in other texts. In Zuo Zhuan, specifically the 18th Year of Duke Wen, Zuo Qiuming states they are the following:

父義 - Righteousness and justice in the father. 母慈 - Kindness in the mother. 兄友 - Friendliness in the older brother. 弟恭 - Respect in the younger brother. 子孝 - Filial conduct in the son. Additionally, as Minister of Instruction, Xie was enfeoffed with the Principality of Shang, which flourished under the rule of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun. After he died, Xie was succeeded by his son, Zhao Ming.

Xuanniao myth Xie is said to have been born as a result of Jian Di, the daughter of Yousong (有娀) and one of three sisters, consuming an egg from a Xuanniao (玄鳥). After consuming the egg, Jian Di became pregnant with Qi, gave birth to him, and raised him. When he grew up, he became the Minister of Instruction of Emperor Shun.

The myth of the Xuanniao is mentioned in an eponymous myth amongst the Sacrificial Odes of Shang (商頌) in the Classic of Poetry, opening as follows:

天命玄鳥，降而生商，宅殷土芒芒。

Heaven ordained a Xuanniao, which descended upon and birthed the Shang, settling in our desolate yet vast land of Yin.

Great flood myth Much of what is known about Xie comes from the Great flood involving Yu the Great, mentioned in myriad works after the Shang dynasty fell, most predominantly Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian. However, as there is little archaeological evidence for the flood as described, and the closest thing to the Xia dynasty it is associated with is the Erlitou culture, the story's legitimacy is questionable. In the 20th year of Emperor Yao's reign, the Yellow River blew its banks, causing a massive flood that engulfed much of China, swelling over hills and forcing the common man to flee to higher ground. Yao sought individuals who could assist with the flood. Gun failed, and so the task fell to Yu the Great, his son. He succeeded, and so Emperor Yao offered him office; he wanted to refuse in favour of either Xie, Hou Ji, or Gao Yao, but Yao was set and told him to attend to his duties.

Notes

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Xie of Shang

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Xie of Shang claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Xie of Shang before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Xie of Shang ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Xie of Shang

In research: Xie of Shang appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Xie of Shang in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Xie of Shang is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Asian people whose existence is disputed, Flood myths, Founding monarchs in Asia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Xie of Shang outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Xie of Shang in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Xie of Shang means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Xie of Shang out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Xie of Shang in simple terms?

Xie (Chinese: 契) family name Zi (子), was an ancient Chinese nobleman and ancestor of the kings of the Shang dynasty. He is the first known Shang ancestor and ruler of the Predynastic Shang.

Why does Xie of Shang matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Xie of Shang?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Xie of Shang.