Ancient China · Founding King of Shang

Tang 湯

Tāng

Legendary antiquity

Passages: 4
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Tang was a Founding King of Shang.

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passages 96, 98

Events and relationships

Punished and replaced
Political · Dynastic founder · With Jie (桀) · Mode quotation Speaker Yuan Gu (轅固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 98

Assessments and attributes

Assessment did not receive the Mandate but committed regicide · Mode quotation Speaker Master Huang (黃生)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 96
Assessment received the Mandate acting with the hearts of all under Heaven · Mode quotation Speaker Yuan Gu (轅固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 98

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 96

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 121Biographies of Confucian Scholars · 4 passages

黃生曰：「湯武非受命，乃弒也。」 Master Huang declared: "Tang and Wu did not receive the Mandate of Heaven — what they did was regicide."

夫桀紂虐亂，天下之心皆歸湯武，湯武與天下之心而誅桀紂，桀紂之民不為之使而歸湯武，湯武不得已而立，非受命為何？」 Jie and Zhou were cruel and tyrannical, and the hearts of all under Heaven turned to Tang and Wu. Tang and Wu, acting in accord with the will of the people, punished Jie and Zhou. The people under Jie and Zhou refused to serve their rulers and turned to Tang and Wu instead. Tang and Wu had no choice but to take the throne. If this is not receiving the Mandate of Heaven, then what is?"

湯武雖聖，臣下也。 Tang and Wu, though sages, were still subjects in rank.

言學者無言湯武受命，不為愚。」 a scholar who declines to speak of Tang and Wu receiving the Mandate is not thereby a fool."