Shang Jia (c=上甲), also known as Shang Jia Wei (c=上甲微), is one of the 14 predynastic Shang Kings cited in the Shiji. He was worshiped by the Shang kings as a spirit of the sun.
History
According to the Shang family tree, Shang Jia was a pre-dynastic ancestor of the
Shang dynasty.
He is listed on
Shiji as one of the 14 Predynastic Shang kings, being the son of Wang Hai (王亥) and the father of Bao Yi (报乙).
Shang Jia cult
According to the
sinologist Li Feng, he was probably important for the raise of Shang people to power, as he was the "first pre-dynastic ancestor to whom the late Shang kings made frequent sacrificial offerings".
He was the first of the Shang descendents to be called with one of the 10 cyclical
, symbolizing the day of the week he was worshiped.
The cult of Shang Jia grew on the year si (ਘ), and all the kings claimed to be his direct ancestor.
He was the spirit of the sun
and deemed to be very powerful, as he was one of the oldest descendents of the kings. Sacrifices for him were made for wars and harvests.
