| Di Yi 帝乙 | |
|---|---|
| King of Shang dynasty | |
| Reign | 1101–1076 BC |
| Predecessor | Wen Ding |
| Successor | King Zhou of Shang |
| Died | 1076 BC |
| Issue | |
| Father | Wen Ding |
| Di Yi | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 帝乙 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Thearch II" | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Di Yi (Chinese: 帝乙), personal name Zi Xian (Chinese: 子羨), was a king of the Shang dynasty from 1101 BC to 1076 BC. His capital was at Yin in modern-day Anyang, Henan, and his reign is preserved in oracle bone inscriptions and bronzeware.
Personal life
[edit]Di Yin was the older brother of Jizi and Bi Gan. He would have three sons: Weiziqi (微子啟), Weizhong (微仲), and Di Xin. Sima Qian records that due to Weiziqi and Weizhong being of lower birth, Di Xin became his heir, and would be the last last ruler of the Shang dynasty.[1] After the fall of Shang, Weiziqi was awarded the State of Song, and Weizhong succeeded him.[2]
Reign
[edit]Di Yi is recorded as having fought the Renfang 人方 according to oracle bone records in his 10th year,[3][4] something that Di Xin would continue until the end of the Shang dynasty.
Posthumous accounts
[edit]Most posthumous accounts of Di Yi were written from the perspective of the invading Zhou dynasty and an anachronistic perspective of the Mandate of Heaven being lost; ergo, they should be treated with caution.[5][6]
According to the Bamboo Annals, in the third year of his reign, Di Yi ordered Nanzhong (南仲) to fight Kun Barbarians and built Shuofang (朔方, roughly modern Ordos in Inner Mongolia) in the middle of Kun territory after winning a battle.
In the Book of Changes, Di Yi is twice recorded as having given his younger sister to King Wen of Zhou in marriage under the Tai ䷊[7] and Gui Mei ䷵ hexagrams.[8]
Sima Qian records that Di Yi's reign did not improve existing economic issues dating back to Wu Yi's reign.[2] However, Duke Dan of Zhou was comparatively charitable during his speech against drunkenness in the Book of Documents, citing the Shang not being addicted to drink as an example of common virtue.[9] The Book of Han records Di Yi as being infatuated with a deity and having died of shock.[10]
It is said that Di Yi is the origin of the surname hǎo 郝, citing a tale of Di Yi enfeoffing Haoxiang (郝乡, modern-day Taiyuan to Zi Qi (子期), who then took the placename as their family name.[11][12]
Sacrifices
[edit]
Bronzeware rubbing detailing a sacrifice made to Di Yi by Di Xin.
Di Yi is mentioned by name at least thrice in bronze inscriptions from Di Xin's reign, with the epithet "Civil and Military" 文武 attached both times. The first is from the 4th year of Di Xin's reign, where an yi sacrifice was performed to begin another ritual cycle;[13] the second is a rong sacrifice from the 22nd year of his reign marking the end of another cycle. In a second case, Di Xin rewarded the individual assisting him with cowry money, who would then produce a vessel inscribing to the matter.[14] Another sacrifice, was made during his 4th ritual cycle where yi and zhu sacrifices were made, and an individual assisting Di Xin named Bi Qi (邲其) was rewarded with cowry money, and the act recorded in bronzeware (rubbing pictured).[15]
Sources
[edit]- ^ Wu, 220.
- ^ a b Sima, Qian. "殷本紀". 史記 [Records of the Grand Historian]. Western Han: Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Di Cosmo, 1999: 908
- ^ 李学勤，《帝乙十祀征人方路程》，《殷代地理简论》第二章，科学出版社，1959年。
- ^ 徐明波, 彭裕商. 殷墟黄组卜辞断代研究[J]. 中国史研究, 2007(2):13.
- ^ 江雨德《国之大事：商代晚期中的礼制改良》，唐际根主编《殷墟与商文化(殷墟科学发掘80周年纪念文集)》，科学出版社，2011年11月
- ^ 《易》曰：「帝乙歸妹，以祉元吉。」https://ctext.org/book-of-changes/tai?searchu=%E5%B8%9D%E4%B9%99%E6%AD%B8%E5%A6%B9%EF%BC%8C%E4%BB%A5%E7%A5%89%E5%85%83%E5%90%89%E3%80%82&searchmode=showall#result
- ^ 《易》曰：六五：帝乙歸妹，其君之袂，不如其娣之袂良，月幾望，吉。
- ^ Ji, Dan. "酒誥 [Announcement about Drunkenness]". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 尚書 [Book of Documents] (in Literary Chinese and English). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 5 February 2026. 王曰：「封，我聞惟曰：『在昔殷先哲王迪畏天顯小民，經德秉哲。自成湯咸至于帝乙，成王畏相惟御事，厥棐有恭，不敢自暇自逸，矧曰其敢崇飲？越在外服，侯甸男衛邦伯，越在內服，百僚庶尹惟亞惟服宗工越百姓里居，罔敢湎于酒。不惟不敢，亦不暇，惟助成王德顯越，尹人祗辟。』
- ^ 《漢書·郊祀志上》：後五世，帝乙嫚神而震死。
- ^ 《通志·氏族略》
- ^ 《名贤氏族言行类稿》
- ^ 集成 Jicheng 05413
- ^ 新收殷周青銅器銘文暨器影彙編, NA1566
- ^ c.1000 B.C. 乙巳，王曰：文武帝乙宜，在召大庭，遘乙翌日，丙午，丁未煮。己酉王在梌，邲其赐贝。在四月，隹王四祀翌日。
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