King Zhou of Shang
- Born, 1105 B.C. Died, 1046 B.C (age 59)
Why is he important?
King Zhou of Shang was born under the name of Di Xin. He was the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty and is known for being the cruelest. It was his unpopularity that lead to the fall of the Shang Dynasty.
In Di Xin’s early reign he conquered neighboring tribes to expand the Shang Empire, but the longer he ruled the worse he treated his people. He was said to have “abandoned his morals.” He created many new methods of torture, such as the “cannon burning torture” that was used on common criminals, and he implemented heavy taxes on the public. Because of his terrible ruling the Shang Dynasty began to fall apart and the Zhou Dynasty's army was able to defeat them. During the final battle Di Xin committed suicide within his palace.
Zhou's army defeats the Shang Dynasty at the battle of Muye