Predynastic Shang

Predynastic Shang or Proto-Shang refers to the state of Shang that is believed to have existed during the Xia dynasty in ancient China, before its conquest of the Xia in approximately 1600 BC that led to the establishment of the Shang dynasty. The Predynastic Shang started from Xie, a son of Emperor Ku and the first known Shang ancestor. Xie is said to have helped Yu the Great, the founder of the Xia dynasty, to control the Great Flood and for his service to have been granted a place called Shang as a fief. The period would last until Tang defeated Jie of Xia in the Battle of Mingtiao, eventually overthrowing the Xia dynasty.

During the period of the 14 predynastic Shang rulers before Tang, the capital had changed eight times. The area where early forms of Predynastic Shang culture are found include the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains in Hebei and the area around the city of Weihui in Henan, north of the Yellow River. These sites are close to places traditionally considered Xia dynasty sites, including the area of the Erlitou culture in Yanshi, although there are differences between the two cultures.

Six Spirits
Among Predynastic Shang rulers Shang Jia (1st generation) and the five other leaders including Bao Yi (2nd generation), Bao Bing (3rd generation), Bao Ding (4th generation), Zhu Ren (5th generation), and Zhu Gui (6th generation) were addressed the Six Spirits, the beings who dictated harvests, by the kings of the Shang dynasty who practiced a spiritual religion that includes veneration of deceased royal ancestors. Among of the six, Shang Jia was the highest, commonly interpreted to be identical with Di; meanwhile, the remaining five were commonly referred to as the "Lesser Spirits". The "Six Spirits" appear frequently on Shang oracle bones, where they receive considerable numbers of sacrifices.