Tang of Shang
| Tang 湯 | |||||||||
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Depiction of King Tang by Ma Lin | |||||||||
| King of the Shang dynasty | |||||||||
| Successor | |||||||||
| Leader of the Predynastic Shang | |||||||||
| Predecessor | Zhu Gui | ||||||||
| Issue | Da Ding, Bu Bing | ||||||||
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| Tang of Shang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 湯 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 汤 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 太乙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cheng Tang (born Zi Lü), recorded on oracle bones as Tai Yi or Da Yi, was the first king of the Shang dynasty. Tang is traditionally considered a virtuous ruler, as signified by his common nickname Tang the Perfect. According to legend, as the last leader of the Predynastic Shang he overthrew Jie, the last king of the Xia dynasty.