Religion
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The Shang Dynasty existed before the creation of institutions such as Taoism and Buddhism, but they still had religious ideas that can be seen through many ancient societies.
The religious practices of the Shang Dynasty focused largely on respect of ancestors, because though dead, they were believed to still have control over the daily lives of their decedents. To appease and honor their ancestors, frequent animal sacrifices were made. It was believed these ancestors controlled prosperity or tragedy for crops and the family. The Shang also believed in a Supreme God, the emperor of the universe, Shang Di (pictured to the left). He ruled over lesser gods of the natural forces, such as the sun, moon, wind, and rain. Shang Di controlled all, and gave instructions to the ancestral spirits as well, so many rituals and sacrifices were made to honor him. |
Shang Burial Practices
Due to Shang belief in ancestor worship and the afterlife, emphasis was put on elaborate burial practices. The rich were buried with bronze vessels, jade, and weapons, along with human sacrifices-sometimes hundreds of dead servants There are a few possible explanations for the widespread human sacrifice in Shang times. Aside from being offerings to deities, the sacrificed people served as servants of kings in the afterlife. The riches and humans nobles were buried with were assumed to follow them into the afterlife. Funery tablets thought to contain the spirits of ancestors were kept in-front of the tombs.
Lower class people were buried in smaller pits then the nobles, and the peasants had no such extravagant burials; they were sometimes just thrown down wells.
Lower class people were buried in smaller pits then the nobles, and the peasants had no such extravagant burials; they were sometimes just thrown down wells.
Architecture
In the Shang dynasty, the cities were settled around the king, other noble's residences, and military and religious centers, all surrounded by a wall, and all replicas of the capital city. All buildings were made out of wood and mud and were typical arranged in rows. Peasants housing was often outside of the city in smaller villages, which little information is known about. In the far out country side people lived in caves or sod houses, and sometimes during the summer moved into tree houses. The palace's were elevated in the middle of the city, and were surrounded by pillars.