On the role of religious cult in the formation of public administration in China (XVI-XI cent. b.c.)

This article is devoted to the analysis of the place and role of religious beliefs in China early in the formation of public administration in Shang-Yin period of its history. The attention is focused on the cult of ancestors that had a large regulatory significance and constituted the most important component of social control, both at the level of family and social relations. The ideological demand of Shang-di cult is considered.