What did the Shang people believe in?

People in the Shang Dynasty worshipped many gods. They believed in the gods of nature.

They believed that the spirits of their ancestors, family members from the past who lived before a person was born, could help or harm people. They wanted them to approve of their actions in life.

Priests would use oracle bones, animal bones covered in ancient writing, to communicate with gods and ancestors, and predict the future.

Important words about the religious beliefs and practices of the Shang people.

Watch this video to learn more about the gods the people of the Shang Dynasty worshipped.

The Shang religion was very well organised.

The Shang people believed in and worshipped many gods.

We know about dates, rituals, people and gods from writing on animal bones called oracle bones. These are animal bones covered in ancient writing.

Tombs, places where the dead were buried, have been found. They show skeletons laid out facing the same direction.

Shangdi was the leading god.

The Shang believed that he ruled all other gods.

They believed that Shangdi controlled:

• victory in battle
• the harvest
• the floods of the Yellow River

They thought that Shangdi controlled many of the things that could affect people's lives and whether they would be happy or troubled.

The Shang seem to have believed in an afterlife, a belief that there is another life after death.

Historians mainly think this because of how the Shang people treated people who had died. There wereburial tombs built for dead rulers.

As well as bodies, the tombs also contained chariots, carriages, religious relics and weapons.

A king's tomb could also include hundreds of people and horses.

Lady Fu Hao’s tomb was discovered and is an important site.

Her tomb contained many objects such as cowrie shells used as money, religious objects, and weapons.

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

• Why might people offer sacrifices to Shangdi?

• Why are tombs helpful to archaeologists studying the Shang Dynasty?

Click through the interactive to solve the Shangdi puzzle.

Let's see how much you remember about what the Shang people believed in.

Are you a parent, carer or teacher?

Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.