Shang Dynasty was a relatively developed slave society. Especially after Pan Geng moved to Yin, slavery prevailed. The main contradiction in slave society is the contradiction between slaves and slave owners. The king is the general representative of the slave owner class and the largest slave owner. There are kings, vassals, "Duosheng (surname)", "Duozi", "Bangbo teachers and hundreds of deacons" or "Bailiao" belonging to the slave owner class. Slave owners in Shang Dynasty were also nobles. The largest aristocrat, there are more than 20 branches in the literature. These nobles are always called "people". At that time, only slave owners and nobles had surnames, so the so-called "person" meant nobility.

In the area ruled by Shang dynasty, all the land and people belonged to the king in name. The king ruled the slave owners and nobles at all levels, giving them slaves and land to enjoy. The king and the country are one, and all major state affairs are called "king affairs". Slave owners and nobles at all levels should contribute to the "king's affairs."

Slaves in Shang Dynasty had various names, and they were put into all fields of social production and life, and they were the basic class to create wealth and culture. However, they have no place in political, economic and social life. In the eyes of the Shang dynasty slave owners and nobles, slaves were regarded as cheaper property than cattle and horses and could be disposed of at will. Many slaves were either tortured to death or killed.

Because slaves came not only from prisoners of war and criminals, but also from ethnic tribes and small countries conquered by Shang Dynasty. Therefore, most slaves in Shang Dynasty had families, and many slaves still lived in groups. Under the condition of this slave clan, the status of slaves is even lower and their lives are even more miserable. They want to be slaves for generations, not only to be oppressed and bullied by the slave owners themselves, but also to breed the next generation of slaves for the slave owners and act as tools to carry slaves.

The serfs in Shang dynasty were called "ten thousand people", which meant a large number. They were closely supervised by the Shang kings and slave owners at all levels in their work and had no freedom. In addition to being mainly responsible for agricultural production, "people" are also forced to engage in heavy and hard work such as hunting, road building and construction. In the frequent wars at that time, "people" were often recruited as soldiers and served in military labor.

Slaves were also widely used in the social life of slave owners in Shang Dynasty. Such slaves are called "ministers" and female slaves are called "concubines". Male and female servants are also called "servants". Male and female servants are the private property of slave owners, and slave owners can give, give or exchange them without any constraints. Even killing male and female servants is not a crime. Slave owners and nobles at that time were both paternal families. Each family is a unit of life and production. Male and female servants should not only serve the needs of this slave family, but also engage in various production activities within the family. Due to heavy labor and inhuman life, most male and female servants soon ruined their lives; Many of them were even killed or buried alive. Thousands of slaves became innocent victims, and the vast number of slaves who were exploited and oppressed constantly resisted the bloody rule of slave owners and nobles in various ways. At the end of Shang dynasty, a large-scale slave uprising finally took place, which led to the demise of Shang dynasty.

Slave society is a paradise for slave owners and a hell for slaves. Slave owners lived in extreme luxury, lived in tall palaces before their death, and built large-scale tombs after their death to continue to enjoy them. The hard work of slaves created a lot of material wealth and spiritual wealth for slave owners and nobles, but they themselves were deprived of all wealth and rights, and even their lives were not guaranteed. Slave owners not only forced slaves to do all kinds of heavy work under extremely harsh conditions, but also slaughtered them like livestock. When Shang kings and slave owners sacrificed ancestors and gods, they often slaughtered a large number of slaves as sacrifices, which was called "human sacrifice". After the death of the slave owner, the slave should be killed or buried alive. This is the so-called "human sacrifice". He asked these slaves to wait on them and guard them in the underworld.