Tang of Shang
| Shang Tang (Zi Lu) 商湯 (子履) | |
|---|---|
| Family name: | Zi (子) |
| Given name: | Lu (履) |
| Courtesy name (字): | Tai Yi (太乙) |
| Dates of reign: | 1617 BC–1588 BC |
| Temple name: | Gaozong (高宗) |
| Posthumous name: | Tang (湯) |
King Tang of Shang, in Chinese:"湯", born Zi Lu, in Chinese:"子履" (1617 BC - 1588 BC) was the first king of the Shang dynasty in Chinese history. He fought Jie, the last king of the Xia dynasty.
He was the leader of his tribe, or group of people, for more than 17 years. When he was a leader, he made many smart men officials to help fix his government.
When he saw that the Xia Dynasty was starting to be weak, Tang started 16 wars fighting the Xia Dynasty, getting many lands. Tang finally defeated the dynasty in 1600bc.
Many people of his country thought he was a good leader. He made taxes smaller and did not force his people to be soldiers for a long time. He affected many people from foreign places.