Wang Hai was one of the rulers of Shang tribes before the establishment of Shang Dynasty and the founder of China commerce. It can be seen from the unearthed Oracle bone inscriptions that Wang Hai's father and son Wei (that is, Shang Jia Wei, Oracle bone inscriptions are called Jia Jia or Jia Jia) and Tang, the founding emperor of Shang Dynasty, are more valued by later generations. Shang Jiawei was valued because he was the son of Wang Hai, and because he was the first ancestor named after Ten Tiangan in Shang Dynasty. Moreover, Wang Hai's position is much higher than Shang Jiawei's.
In the eyes of Shang people, Wang Hai had great power. Shang people sometimes even worshipped Wang Hai with the etiquette of offering sacrifices to heaven. When people pray for good weather, they often sacrifice to Wang Hai, hoping to get Wang Hai's blessing. In Shang dynasty, only the sea was king. In the eyes of businessmen, he has the demeanor and status of a king. Wang Hai's word sea is from sea to bird. On the one hand, it shows that early businessmen regarded birds as totem relics, on the other hand, it also shows that Wang Hai has reached totem status in the minds of future generations.
Why is Wang Hai so solemnly worshipped by future generations? Because he attaches importance to animal husbandry, he is the founder of animal husbandry in China. Shiben: Riding a horse, the sea is a cow. Wang Hai not only raises pigs, but also horses and cattle. Wang Hai lived in the early days of slave society, mainly in agricultural production, and his living standard was low. During the period of Xiangtu and Wang Hai, Shang tribes were able to raise cattle and horses. From raising individual livestock to animal husbandry, it gradually developed, which not only improved people's living standards, but also promoted social progress. Wang Hai was worshipped by future generations. Wang Hai is the earliest businessman in China and the originator of business in China. Raising grazing livestock by Wang Hai can improve people's life, improve people's physique, and enhance their ability to resist natural disasters and wild animals, and production has developed greatly. When the Shang tribe reached Wanghai, it soon became strong and developed its power around it. Due to the surplus products, in order to develop and strengthen his own tribe, Wang Hai exchanged goods needed by slave owners and conducted barter trade with neighboring tribes. As a result, there was a conflict with the youyi distributed in Yishui area in central Hebei, and Wang Hai was killed by Mianchen, the king of Yi. It can be seen that some people in China are enemies of the rich and have long been enemies of the rich. Later, Wei Jia, Wang Hai's son, with the help of Hebo, destroyed the Yi family and killed Mianchen. After Wang Hai, merchants carried out commercial trade according to their traditions, and formed merchants specializing in long-distance trafficking of goods. Because these businessmen come from the Shang tribe, they are called "merchants", and their trading activities are "commercial" activities. As the earliest businessman, Wang Hai is the ancestor of "Shang", that is, the ancestor of businessmen.