RAS History & PhilologyВестник древней истории Vestnik drevney istorii

  • ISSN (Print) 0321-0391
  • ISSN (Online) 3034-5251

SHANG DYNASTY HOU-LORDS: THE CASE OF HOU BAO IN THE ORACLE BONE INSCRIPTIONS (13th-11th cent. BC)

PII
S0321-03910000338-7-1
DOI
10.7868/S10000338-7-1
Publication type
Article
Status
Published
Authors
Volume/ Edition
Volume 78 / Issue 2 (78)
Pages
215-233
Abstract

Bao (Leopard) was the hou-lord of (reading unknown). His domain presumably belonged to the south-west fringes of the Shang state (at the meeting point of the modern Henan and Shaanxi provinces). Consensus hasn’t been reached yet on the Shang period hou-lord’s authority: it could be either an appointed officer, or a dependent ruler of somewhat autonomous state, who was enfeoffed by the king or simply submitted to him. Neither of versions can be completely disproved due to the data scarcity, but the case of hou Bao seems to agree better with the latter interpretation: in the oracle bone inscriptions hou Bao plays the role of the Shang king’s loyal ally and vassal, but his domain must have enjoyed considerable level of autonomy from the central government.

Keywords
Ancient China, Shang dynasty, oracle bone inscriptions, chinese nobility, feudalism
Date of publication
02.04.2018
Year of publication
2018
Number of purchasers
8
Views
718

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At the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

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