Wang Hai was the seventh ancestor of Cheng Tang, the founding emperor of the Shang Dynasty, and was an important figure among the fourteen tribal leaders of the Shang Dynasty.

The ancestor of the Shang Dynasty was called Qi. According to the research of , et al., the center of the Shang tribe's activities was in Shangqiu. The Shang tribe began to be an important part of it.

Wang Hai is the sixth grandson of Shang Qi, as he calls it in the oracle bones

"Gao and (Zu) Hai",

"Wang Hai",

"Gao and (ancestor) Wang Hai", also made in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: The Great Wilderness East Classic".

"Wang Hai", as Wang Hai or

"Hou Zihai", made

"The" or

"Vertigo". In the article "Yin Bu Ci Saw in the Examination of the Former Princes and Kings", it is said: "The divination is Wang Hai, which is the same as the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", and the sacrifice of Wang Hai, all of which are said to be Hai, then Hai is its authenticity, "Shiben" is the core, and "Ancient and Modern People's Table" is used as a wall, all of which are fake words. As a vibrating, it is false because it is close to the nucleus or the shape of the two. "In the royal lineage of the Shang Dynasty, the most important are Qi, Wang Hai, and Chengtang, and Wang Hai is one of the three ancestors called in the divination.

In the history of the development of the Shang Dynasty, Qi was the earliest leader of the Shang tribe, Cheng Tang was the founder of the Shang Dynasty, and Wang Hai and Shangjiawei father and son were the key figures in the process of the Shang clan's strength in the pre-Shang period.

"Erya Shigu" says: "King, king. The "Sayings" said: "King, the world is where it goes." That is to say, the descendants of the Shang dynasty called Hai Wang Hai, and Hai was called Gaozu or Gaozu Hai many times in the divination, which shows that the career and activities created by Wang Hai when he was the leader are worthy of commemoration by future generations and have had a significant impact on the history of the Shang people.

This has come up many times from this

The record of "Wang Hai worships me" can also be proved. At that time, the Shang Dynasty people used as many as 30 oxen, 40 cattle, even 50 oxen, 300 oxen to worship Wang Hai, and sometimes used the ritual of sacrificing to the heavens to worship Wang Hai.

Why did Wang Hai be so valued by the descendants of Yin Shang? This also starts from the era in which Wang Hai lived and the cause he engaged.

Wang Hai lived around the middle of the Xia Dynasty, at the same time as Shaokang. At that time, the Xia Dynasty was in the stage of slavery society, the production relations of slavery had been gradually established, and the social productive forces had developed rapidly.

This is the case, as stated in Anti-Dühring: "Only slavery made possible a greater division of labour between agriculture and industry." Therefore, the economy of the Shang tribe should have been one of the most developed regions during the period.

In the "Manuscript of Chinese History", it is said that the legend is that Xiangtu is used as a horse, and Wang Hai is used as a cattle, that is, cattle and horses are domesticated as a means of transportation.

"Guanzi Light and Heavy E" recorded: "The king of the Yin people, set up a silk (soap word mistake) prison, obeyed cattle and horses, and thought it was for the benefit of the people." ”

"Soap" to raise horses,

"Prison" to raise cattle. This shows that by the time of Wang Hai, merchants had tamed horses and cattle. However, Wang Hai's era was still in the early days of slavery, and although the level of agricultural production had improved, it was still relatively low, and raising livestock was undoubtedly an important measure to improve the living standards of the people.

The rise of animal husbandry of the Shang tribe not only improved the living standards of the Shang people, but also greatly promoted social progress.

Therefore, Hu Houxuan and others believe in the History of Yin Shang: "Wang Hai is the founder of animal husbandry in China. "With the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, with it came the creation of commerce.

As the economic strength of the Shang tribe increased and the number of surplus agricultural and livestock products increased, Wang Hai began an unprecedented business, which was to engage in commercial trading activities.

As Engels said in The Origin of Private Property in the Family and the State: "It created a class that was not engaged in production, but only engaged in the exchange of products - the merchants." Marx also said in his Critique of Political Economy: "The process of commodity exchange did not initially arise within the primitive commune. Rather, at its end, at its borders, at the few places where it came into contact with other communes. This was where the barter began, which penetrated into the interior of the commune and played a destructive role in it. As the leader of the Shang tribe, Wang Hai led the members of the tribe to trade with other tribes, which was no longer a simple exchange between individuals, but a trade activity between tribes on a certain scale.

Wang Hai led the Shang tribe and drove cattle and sheep to the outer tribes to trade, and the people of the outer tribes called them

"Merchant". Wang Hai's last trade was with the Yi clan north of the Yellow River. "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: The Great Wilderness East Classic" records: "Wang Hai entrusted Yu Youyi, Hebo served the cow, and it was easy to kill Wang Hai and take the servant cow." "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: The Great Wilderness East Classic" notes that the emperor leaked,

"In the twelfth year, the Marquis of Yin, Wang Haibin, was easy to kill, and let it go. He added

"Prince Yin Haibin is easy and lewd, and the king of Yi is killed and let go. It was the old Yin King Jiawei who pretended to be a teacher in Hebo, and killed his monarch Mianchen in order to cut down and destroy it. This means that Wang Hai was killed by the other party because he lived in Youyi for too long during the trade, which caused the other party to be dissatisfied.

At that time, when the Shang clan was becoming more and more powerful, Wang Hai's commercial trade behavior inevitably had a certain political color.

In addition to the disagreements between the two sides in commercial trade, Wang Hai's killing did not exclude political factors.

However, the killing of Wang Hai did not affect the strength of the Shang tribe, and the trading activities of the merchants did not stop.

After Wang Hai's death, his son defeated the Yi clan with the help of Hebo's force, killed the Yi clan's monarch Mianchen, and further expanded his power.

There are many reasons why Shang was able to replace the Xia Dynasty, but it can be said that it is an indisputable fact that the commercial trade engaged in by the merchants made it increasingly powerful, and the commercial trade activities of the merchants laid a solid material foundation for the Shang to destroy the Xia.

In the "General History of China", it is said: "Before Tang destroyed Xia, Shang was already a prosperous small country. "The Book of Poetry, Shang Song, Xuanniao" contains 'The Heavenly Destiny Xuanniao, descending to give birth to business, the house is vast. It also shows that the Shang country at that time was already in a state of housing and a large population. With the development of commerce, the number of goods traded must be increased, and the Xia Hou clan has long used slaves, and the merchants should have more slaves engaged in production. The Shang Kingdom's agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce were all more advanced than those of the Xia Dynasty. Hence the rise of substitution. "In the history of Chinese business, Yin people

The record of Wang Hai engaging in commercial trade and being killed is the earliest record of commerce and trade in ancient Chinese documents, and Wang Hai was the leader of the Shang tribe at that time, so Wang Hai can be said to be the first person in Chinese commerce, that is, the originator of Chinese commerce.

Therefore, it is no accident that Wang Hai was solemnly sacrificed by the descendants of Yin Shang. In the "Examination of the Ancestors and Kings as Seen in the Words of Yin Bu", it is said: "However, the dragon of the Wang Hai ritual is also used as the sage of the production, and it is not in vain that it is the ancestor." "In the "Yinxu Divination Comprehensive", there are as many as 96 divination words to worship Wang Hai.

The Yin people sometimes used the ritual of sacrificing to the heavens to worship Wang Hai, which shows that Wang Hai had a very high prestige in the hearts of the people of the Shang Dynasty.

It was Wang Hai's animal husbandry and the commercial trade activities he started that injected new vitality into the Shang tribe at that time, and the Shang tribe grew rapidly.

"Guanzi Light and Heavy Armor" records that during the Shang Tang period, the rulers were arrogant and lascivious, and there were 30,000 women in Xia Wei alone, and

"All of them are not satisfied with embroidered clothes". Shang Tang adopted the strategy of the prime minister Yi Yin, ordering the women of his tribe to weave

The "Wen Xiu Compilation Group", in exchange for a large amount of grain in the Xia Dynasty, prepared a material base for the destruction of Xia through these commercial trade activities.

It can also be seen that the strength of the Shang state should have begun with the economic revolution of commercial trade carried out by Wang Hai.

Through continuous commercial activities, the Shang people's food increased day by day, and the national strength became stronger and stronger, and the Shang State finally replaced the Xia Dynasty in Tang Shi and established the Shang Dynasty of great historical significance in Chinese history.

Tong Zhengjia, an expert in the literature and history of Danfeng County, Shangluo City, in the article "Discussion of the Ancient Shang Kingdom", I agree with the historical materials listed in principle, and discuss the changes of the ancient Shang Kingdom more objectively and fairly.

In this free kingdom far away from the emperor of the mountain, handicrafts, smelting technology and original goods trading were more active, and it was quite famous in that era

"Shang" has a deep memory, and this is Shang Luo's

The meaning of the origin of "business". Tong Zhengjia's article can see the general situation of the migration of the ancient Shang Kingdom, and can also be used as a blessing for me about the origin of the place name of Shangluo, which is as follows: Qi is the ancestor of the Shang family.

The father of the emperor and the mother of Jian Di, swallowed the Xuanniao (that is, the swallow) oviparous contract, so they are called the King of Xuan and the Emperor of Xuan. Originally a minister of Yu Shun, Ren

The office of "Situ" (in charge of the promulgation of political and religious decrees). "Chinese Lu Yu Shang" contains: "Qi for Situ and Minji".

"Historical Records: Yin Benji" said: deed

"Zuo Yu has a meritorious role in controlling the water. ...... Sealed in Shang (that is, the source of the Shang country - the author), given the surname. "In the past, there was Yu Situ Temple in Shangzhou City, and there was a deed temple in Longju Village, which has always been admired by the people of Shangdi.

However, the location of the ancient Shang country has different opinions, and it is specially examined. At present, the more popular Shangluo theory, Henan theory and Shandong theory.

Shang Luo said that the basis is the following: First, the "Kuodi Chronicles" said

"Shangluo County, 80 miles east of Shangzhou, this Shangyi, the ancient Shang country" (about the area of Fangyuan in the ancient city of Shangzhen to the ancient city of Shangyang);

"Sealed in business" that is

"Today's Shangluo Shang is also." Third, the "Notes on the Water Classic" also has: "The deed is sealed here, and the land is the country sealed by Situ."

In addition, "Shaanxi Tongzhi", "Zhili Shangzhou General Chronicle", etc., are more popular, all of which identify the Shang country in the commercial land.

Mr. Shi Quan, a well-known modern scholar (professor of the Department of Humanities and History of Wuhan University), once pointed out commercial land

"There was once a merchant state with a long history. "In recent years

"Yazhang",

"Jade Qi",

"Jade",

The excavation of ritual vessels such as "jade shovels" has provided material evidence for this theory. Shang Luo said that there is evidence in ancient and modern times. Regarding Henan, the most powerful is "Cihai" published by Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House.

"Cihai" said: Shang Wei

"The ancient place name, in today's Shangqiu, Henan, where the ancestor of Shang lived. From the name of the place to the name of the nation". However, in the third year of the Republic of China (1914), the Commercial Press published the "Chronology of World Events" edited by Fu Yunsen

"Fifteen years",

"The Shang Marquis Xiangtu rode a horse and moved to Shangqiu". In the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), the Commercial Press published the "Ciyuan", which is a copy of Fu Shishuo's (identical).

"Shiben Composition" is also called: "Xiangtu as a horse riding (transport carriage)". The grandson of the Xiang Tu deed.

With the most advanced means of transport at that time, the trade was more prosperous, so the business that the merchants were familiar with was called business.

After the fifteenth year of Xiangtu's reign in the Shang Kingdom, due to the invention of the horse-drawn wagon, the carrying capacity was increased, the commerce was more prosperous, and the country was becoming stronger.

There is no contradiction between the two sayings, one first and the other. As for Shandong, it is already the second

"In the 16th century before Gongwu, the slave state established after the Shang Tang destroyed the Xia Dynasty and built the capital (in the south of Cao County, Shandong)" has been moved many times, and the capital was moved to Yin (Anyang, Henan).

It also does not contradict Shang Luo's statement. It is normal for several theories to coexist, such as the dispute between Zhuge Liang's Nanyang Wochenggang in Henan and Longzhong in Hubei, and the dispute between Shaanxi and Henan provinces of Du Kangjiu.

In view of the shallowness of the author's knowledge, he specially begged to teach the Fang family. (Repost)