Who was Fu Hao? | History for Year 6 PDF Download

Who was Fu Hao?

Fu Hao, also referred to as Lady Hao, was a consort of King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty, as well as a prominent military general and high priestess. Among Wu Ding’s 64 wives, Fu Hao rose to become the second most powerful. She lived around 1200 BC.

What did she do?

• Fu Hao possessed her own estate. King Wu Ding entrusted her with conducting significant rituals and sacrifices, as documented in oracle bone inscriptions. These inscriptions also confirm her role as a military general, leading Shang armies, with evidence from the weapons found in her tomb supporting this. 
• She commanded up to 13,000 troops and achieved numerous victories in battle. During the Shang dynasty, other women also served in the military, with approximately 600 women recorded in the oracle bones as part of the army.

What was in Fu Hao’s tomb?

Fu Hao’s tomb, discovered in 1976, is the only Shang dynasty tomb that remained undisturbed, likely because it was located away from the royal tombs across the river at Yinxu. The tomb contained:

• Over 700 jade objects
• More than 500 bone objects
• 400 bronze objects
• 16 dogs
• 16 human sacrifices

Some of the jade objects were antiques collected by Fu Hao during her lifetime. Additionally, her tomb included a significant number of weapons, such as large battle axes, reflecting her military role.