Archeologists discovered China’s first chariots while excavating the Shang capital of Xin Xu.
The archeological evidence shows the development of the war chariot from two horses to four for more horsepower.
The Shang Dynasty also had women warriors. Fu Hao, queen consort of King Wuding (Shang Dynasty’s 22nd king), was not only the mother to some of the king’s children but also a fighting general.
Fu Hao’s tomb was one of two discovered that had not been looted. Oracle bones revealed that she had led thirteen thousand troops into battle. Fu Hao was more than a military leader. She was also high priestess and oracle caster.
During the Shang Dynasty, The I Ching, The Book of Changes was written. This was the first book that attempted to explain the secrets of the universe, and Richard Wilhelm says it “is unquestionably one of the most important books in the world’s literature. Its origin goes back to mythical antiquity, and it has occupied the attention of the most eminent scholars of China down to the present day.”
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of My Splendid Concubine, Crazy is Normal, Running with the Enemy, and The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova.
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