Why did the Shang need a powerful army?
Ancient China was not peaceful!
The Shang dynasty began by winning a battle and ended because they lost a battle.
They had to protect their lands from people trying to conquer them (to take control of someone or something by using force) and wanted to conquer new lands from other people.
They used many different weapons in battle and even made vehicles for war like the chariot.
Important words
Important words on how the Shang army fought.
| Keyword | Definition |
|---|---|
| Conquer | To take control of someone or something by using force. |
| Nobility | Very powerful people with a lot of money or followers. |
| Nomadic | When a person or group of people move from place to place instead of living in a permanent home. |
Watch: The Shang army
Watch the video to learn more about The Shang army.
Narrator: The Shang military was a powerful highly organised machine.
Most of the warriors were foot soldiers armed with bronze weapons such as daggers, spears and ji, a long stick with a bronze spear on the end.
Warrior: Charge!
Narrator: Next came the archers who could attack their enemies from a great distance.
Archer: Ready, aim, fire!
Narrator: They were an important part of any battle and would probably have stood behind the foot soldiers who would protect them.
Most deadly of all were the war chariots.
Fast and powerful, these were the most advanced of all the Shang military equipment.
Warrior: Faster, faster!
Narrator: Pulled by horses, they would have a driver to steer, a soldier to attack at close range and an archer.
Battles would be terrifying. There were almost no rules and hardly any medical treatment available to the wounded.
King: We’ve won, take the survivors as prisoners.
Narrator: The Shang people fought others dynasties competing for territory, resources and glory.
What were battles like?
Battles decided which ruler took power.
At the Battle of Mingtiao, the Shang dynasty took control under Cheng Tang, the first Shang king.
Shang soldiers often went to war with people nearby.
They also fought nomadic groups of people (who moved from place to place instead of living in a permanent home) from the Asian steppes – the grasslands.
Slideshow: What weapons did the Shang army use?
Click through the slideshow to learn more about what kinds of weapons the Shang Dynasty made.
Image caption, These are spear heads from the Shang Dynasty. Shang soldiers were armed with stone and bronze weapons, these included: máo (spears).
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Who fought in battles?
All sorts of people were in the Shang armies: Rich noble leaders, people from the towns, and workers from the country.
The nobility (very powerful people) and other state rulers had to supply their local army base with equipment, armour and weapons.
The Shang king had about a thousand soldiers and he would personally lead them into battle.
Armies ranged in size from 3,000 to 13,000 soldiers. They could be much larger than this though.
What happened at the Battle of Muye?
The last Shang king, Di Xin, was beaten at the Battle of Muye, by Wu of Zhou, after his army turned against him.
The Zhou dynasty then lasted for the next 800 years.
King Wu of Zhou led an army of around 50,000 soldiers. Di Xin had close to 170,000 soldiers.
At the start of the battle, many of Di’s soldiers refused to fight for him.
To show this they held their spears upside down.
Some of them decided to fight for Di Xin, though others joined Wu instead.
Wu’s soldiers were better armed and loyal.
They beat the Shang soldiers in a chariot charge, and forced Di Xin to retreat to his palace.
He fled to his palace and shortly died.
It was the end of the Shang dynasty.
Think like a historian
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 would it be a good tactic to place the archers behind the foot soldiers?
Why was bronze a good material to use for weapons?
Did you think about how bows are a weapon that can hit a target that's far away? Archers can fire arrows over the foot soldiers and the foot soldiers can protect the archers from chariots and other foot soldiers.
Did you think about how bronze is a type of metal? Bronze is a stronger material than wood, so would be useful in in making tools of war. It can also be melted, poured and cast into different shapes which is useful for making weapons and armour.
Activities
Activity 1: Name the Shang warriors
Click through the interactive to sort the Shang soldiers.
Activity 2: Shang army quiz
Grown-ups corner
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.
History KS2: The Story of China - The Rise and Fall of the Shang
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
History KS2: The Story of China - How the Early Chinese Made Bronzes
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
History KS2: The Story of China - How King Yu Controlled the Flood
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade game! game
Play Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade KS2 History
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