I was reading about how the defeat of the Shang by the Zhou (despite apparently superior Shang numbers) led to the eclipse of the previous Shang cult of Di, and it's replacement with the vaguer concept of Heaven (as well asthe concept of the Mandate of Heaven that was so important throughout Chinese history.
If the Zhou were defeated and Shang survived, could we see the Zhou Heaven concept lose it's cultural force, and instead the central Shang god Di retaining it's position? Over time, it could become a more developed belief system, eventually forming a Chinese source of monotheism. Oracles and the intercession of the ancestors played a heavy role, worshipers could not interact with Di directly, though it is conceivable that a concept of personal god could develop later. Perhaps, the power of the oracles could be opposed by a new development, akin to Egyptian Atenism.
On the political front, if the Shang survive but are weakened, and the Zhou are knocked for a turn, this could delay the process of unification of the region under a single polity. This might have butterfly effects, perhaps allowing for greater cultural and political consolidation in the Sanxingdui culture of what is now Sichuan, which could develop into a rival to Chinese civilization.
In a longer view, a monotheistic China might be less susceptible to the appeal of Buddhism, which would have big effects later down the line. On the other hand, foreign monotheistic faiths such as Zoroastrianism or Christianity (or rather, their ITTL analogues) might have greater success due to being more culturally familiar in some ways.
Any thoughts?
If the Zhou were defeated and Shang survived, could we see the Zhou Heaven concept lose it's cultural force, and instead the central Shang god Di retaining it's position? Over time, it could become a more developed belief system, eventually forming a Chinese source of monotheism. Oracles and the intercession of the ancestors played a heavy role, worshipers could not interact with Di directly, though it is conceivable that a concept of personal god could develop later. Perhaps, the power of the oracles could be opposed by a new development, akin to Egyptian Atenism.
On the political front, if the Shang survive but are weakened, and the Zhou are knocked for a turn, this could delay the process of unification of the region under a single polity. This might have butterfly effects, perhaps allowing for greater cultural and political consolidation in the Sanxingdui culture of what is now Sichuan, which could develop into a rival to Chinese civilization.
In a longer view, a monotheistic China might be less susceptible to the appeal of Buddhism, which would have big effects later down the line. On the other hand, foreign monotheistic faiths such as Zoroastrianism or Christianity (or rather, their ITTL analogues) might have greater success due to being more culturally familiar in some ways.
Any thoughts?