Answer to Question #161926 in History for Feby Abraham

Question

What do Shang oracle bones documents reveal about the politics, religion, social structure, and gender relations in ancient China? Be sure to provide specific references to the documents. The answer should measure about 125 words.

Answer 1

The Shang Dynasty was a kingdom ruled by a sequence of sovereigns, 29 or 30 overall, over the progression of nearly 600 years. The monarch was aided by bureaucrats who held particular positions of power and purpose. The bureaucrats belonged to an inbred noble class of aristocracies, typically associated with the sovereign himself. The Shang Dynasty used bones to make essential decisions on religion, politics, gender relations, and maintaining the existing social order.

The rulers heated the oracle bones until they fractured and then 'read" to offer solutions to critical questions regarding the future. The Shang Kingdom rulers used the oracle bones to make meaningful choices, and the Shang understood that the lineages could also deliberate good prosperity. The Shang would turn to the ancestors via oracle bones to search for consent for any critical decisions and to learn about future accomplishments in battles, hunting, harvesting, or succession. It seems that there was credence in the life after death during the Shang empire.