Question

How do the borders of the Shang and Zhou dynasties compare with those of present-day China?

Answer 1

The Shang clan ruled with a system of central government, while the Zhou established independent feudal states, allowing power to local rulers instead. The Zhou Dynasty focused on the success of their people in order to gain strength as a community.


The Shang Dynasty (also called the Yin Dynasty) succeeded the Xia Dynasty, and was followed by the Zhou Dynasty. It was located in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BCE. It featured a stratified social system made up of aristocrats, soldiers, artisans and craftsmen, and peasants.