Editing Yinxu (section)

==Traditional history==
According to the 2nd century ''[[Shuowen Jiezi]]'' dictionary (說文解字), the [[Chinese characters|Chinese character]] "{{linktext|殷}}" (''yīn'') originally referred to "vibrant music-making".<ref>See [https://www.shuowen.org/view/5229 ''Shuowen Jiezi'' 說文解字 entry 殷.]</ref> Although frequently used throughout written history to refer to both the Shang dynasty and its final capital, the name ''Yīn'' ({{lang|zh|殷}}) appears to have not been used in this way until the succeeding [[Zhou dynasty]]. In particular, the name does not appear in the [[oracle bone]]s, which refer to the state as ''Shāng'' ({{lang|zh|商}}), and its final capital as ''Dàyì Shāng'' (大邑商 "Great Settlement Shang").{{sfnp|Keightley|1999|p=232}}

Among surviving ancient Chinese historical documents, Yin is described as the final capital of the Shang dynasty. There is some disagreement, though, as to when the move to Yin took place. Both the ''[[Book of Documents]]'', (specifically, the "Pan Geng" chapter, which is believed to date from the late [[Spring and Autumn period]]), and the ''[[Bamboo Annals]]'' state that Shang king [[Pan Geng]] moved the Shang capital to Yin. The Bamboo Annals state, more specifically, that during his reign Pan Geng moved the capital from Yān (奄; present-day [[Qufu]], in present-day [[Shandong Province]]), to a site called Běimĕng ({{lang|zh|北蒙}}), where it was then renamed to Yīn ({{lang|zh|殷}}).<ref name="PanGengI">{{cite book |url=https://ctext.org/shang-shu/pan-geng-i |title=Pan Geng I |website=Chinese Text Project |access-date=29 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="BambooAnnals">{{cite book |url=https://ctext.org/zhushu-jinian/pan-geng |title=Pan Geng |website=Chinese Text Project |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="baiShouyi">{{cite book |last=Bai |first=Shouyi |title=An Outline History of China |year=2002 |publisher=Foreign Language Press |location=Beijing |isbn=7-119-02347-0}}</ref> (Conversely, according to the ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'' of [[Sima Qian]], Pan Geng moved the Shang capital from a location north of the [[Yellow River]] to Bo {{linktext|亳}}, the capital of Shang dynasty founder [[Tang of Shang|Tang]], on the south side of the river—a location inconsistent with the location of Yin.<ref name="AnnalsofYin">{{cite book |url=https://ctext.org/shiji/yin-ben-ji |title=Annals of Yin |website=Chinese Text Project |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>)

Regardless, Yin was clearly established as the Shang capital by the time of Shang king [[Wu Ding]]. Wu Ding launched numerous military campaigns from this base against surrounding tribes, thus securing Shang rule and raising the dynasty to its historical zenith.

According to the traditional accounts, later rulers became pleasure-seekers who took no interest in state affairs. King [[King Zhou of Shang|Zhòu]], the last of the Shang dynasty kings, is particularly remembered for his ruthlessness and debauchery. His increasingly autocratic laws alienated the nobility until King [[King Wu of Zhou|Wu]] of the [[Zhou dynasty]] was able to gain the support to rise up and overthrow the Shang.

The Zhou dynasty established their capital at [[Fenghao]] near modern-day [[Xi'an]], and Yīn was abandoned to fall into ruin. These ruins were mentioned by [[Sima Qian]] in his ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'', more precisely in the [[Battle of Julu]], and described in some detail by [[Li Daoyuan]] in his ''[[Shui Jing Zhu|Commentary to the River Classic]]'', published during the [[Southern and Northern Dynasties]] period (420–589 CE). Thereafter, the once-great city of Yīn was relegated to legend along with its founding dynasty until its rediscovery in the final years of the [[Qing dynasty]].
<!--=== Capitals ===
{{Confusing|section|date=June 2010}}
The Shang dynasty had a sequence of seven capitals through its history, with only the final one the largest and only true city.<ref name="Lin, 2007">Lin, 2007</ref> In chronological order,<ref>Schinz 34, 1984</ref> these capitals were: Fan, Bo, Shen (pre-dynastic); dynastic capitals: Xibo (also Bo of Tang, Yanshi, Honan), located in Xitazhuang township of Yanshi county at the Erlitou site; Ao (also Xiao), located in Zhengzhou prefecture, Henan province; Xiang, Xing, Bi, Bo, Yin (also Yinxu) located in Anyang prefecture, Henan province; Zhou Ge, Bo Gu and Yidu.-->