1064 BCE: The Fall of the Shang Dynasty in China

Background
The historical world is rife with interesting scenarios, but, as a historian examining other cultures, it is often fascinating to see how those cultures view their own histories. Fictional
histories are common across the world, with the most popular among modern audiences being the likes of the Odyssey, the Iliad, or the stories of King Arthur. Far to the east, however, there was another story of this type written far after the events it describes. This tale is known as Fengshen Yanyi, or, in English, Investiture of the Gods, and it is the semi-historical events of this novel that will be the focus of our committee.

Written during the 16th century CE in Ming era China, Investiture of the Gods details the
fall of the second Chinese dynasty, the Shang, in the 12th century BCE. The fall of the Shang occurs during the reign of the real historical figure King Di Xin, posthumously referred to as King Zhou, referring to the part of the saddle that is soiled the most. Because of the immense time between the events of the story and when they were written down, the account is almost entirely fictional. The main focus of the story is the conflict between King Di Xin and the first rulers of the Di Xin dynasty, the Ji family. Involved with this war are the many deities, spirits, immortals, and demons of Chinese folklore and mythology, who either throw their hat into the ring with either of the two sides, act as neutral observers, or fight as their own side in the war. Overall, the story provides a great deal of insight into how early-modern Chinese culture viewed its own history—a great scenario for a crisis committee.

Director Biography
Alexander Junxiang Chen

Calvin Osborne