Why did Pan Geng of Shang Dynasty move its capital?

The earliest recorded dynasty in China was Shang Dynasty, which moved its capital five times in 300 years. Under the rule of Pan Geng, the 20th emperor, the Shang Dynasty moved its capital four times. In order to develop the agricultural economy, curb the extravagance and consolidate the throne by weakening the aristocratic forces by moving the capital, Pan Geng decided to move the capital.

First, the economic development from nomadism to agriculture. Before Pan Geng's rule, businessmen were nomadic people with no fixed abode. The Shang Dynasty gradually declined from the sixth emperor, and with the annual flood, Pan Geng moved the capital four times before. It was not until Pan Geng that he gradually stabilized. Pan Geng was a diligent and efficient emperor. In order to let everyone live a better life, he decided to move the capital to North Mongolia, where the terrain is high and the land is fertile, so he vigorously developed agriculture, and all kinds of people developed from nomadic industry to agricultural economy, and gradually people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

Second, in order to practice thrift, luxury has always been a common problem of rulers in history, especially the rulers before Pan Geng, whose state affairs were corrupt and fragmented. In order to curb extravagance, advocate thrift and ease class contradictions, Pan Geng decided to move the capital to solve the problem. Before moving the capital, Pan Geng told the citizens all over the world that when the country was about to move the capital, the people had the responsibility to limit the industries among the greedy nobles. After moving the capital, Pan Geng warned his officials not to rush to search for property, but to dedicate their love to the people all over the world. Because moving the capital has the function of restraining extravagance and thrift.

Three. Repressing dissidents and consolidating the throne According to the research of historical scholars, during the Pan Geng period, the power of nobles was gradually expanding, threatening their status and power at any time, because Pan Geng decided to weaken the forces of all parties and consolidate his position by moving the capital. When he proposed to move the capital to North Mongolia, he was opposed by the nobles, but Pan Geng did not flinch. He said that moving the capital was a sorcerer's repeated divination, and that moving the capital was an act of god, which would be beneficial to the development of the national economy and the stability of everyone's life. Anyone who opposes it will be punished by heaven. In ancient times, everyone was afraid of ghosts and gods. So at Pan Geng's insistence, he moved the capital to Yin. Therefore, after the political reorganization in Pan Geng, it gradually became prosperous.

Pan Geng chose to move the capital for the development of agricultural economy, the prosperity of the country and the elimination of foreign countries. Under the rectification and governance of Pan Geng, the Shang Dynasty gradually moved from decline to revival. For more than 200 years after Pan Geng, the Shang Dynasty did not move its capital until the demise of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.