Shi Ren of Shang
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| Shi Ren 示壬 | |||||||||
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| Ruler of Predynastic Shang | |||||||||
| Predecessor | Bao Ding[1] | ||||||||
| Successor | Shi Gui | ||||||||
| Spouse | Bi Geng (妣庚) [2] | ||||||||
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| Father | Bao Ding[1] | ||||||||
| Shi Ren of Shang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 示壬 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Spirit VIIII" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Part of a series on |
| Religion of the Shang dynasty |
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Shi Ren (Chinese: 示壬; pinyin: shì rén)[a] was the thirteenth ruler of Predynastic Shang.[3] He succeeded Bao Ding[4][1] and was regarded as one of the culture's Six Spirits (六示 (lìushì)). Little was known about him until oracle bones were noticed by academia in the late 19th century, where his veneration was recorded in inscriptions.[5] However, as he was only invoked, almost nothing is known about his life or reign. He was succeeded by his son, Shi Gui.
Shi Ren is known as Zhu Ren in Records of the Grand Historian, where Sima Qian records his father as Bao Bing.[1] This was proven incorrect by Wang Guowei in the early-20th century, on account of oracle bone evidence and comparison with Heavenly Stem ordering systems of the time.[5][6] Therefore, coupled with oracle bone evidence, the consensus is that Bao Ding was likely his predecessor.[3] However, arguments have been made that Sima Qian could be right, as the amount of sacrifices made seems to imply a ritual order of priority in the oracle bone Wang Guowei used, not a familial lineage.[7]
The ren 壬 in Shi Ren's name may describe the day in which sacrifices were to be made to him, being the 9th of the Heavenly Stems.[8]