The Shu Ching, also known as the Classic of History or the Book of Documents, is one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. It is a collection of rhetorical prose attributed to figures of ancient China and served as the foundation of Chinese political philosophy for over 2,000 years. The Shu Ching consists of 58 chapters, and 33 of them are considered by most scholars to be authentic works of the 4th century BC or earlier. The first five chapters of the Shu Ching purport to preserve the sayings and recall the deeds of such illustrious emperors as Yao and Shun, who reigned during China’s legendary golden age. Chapters 6 to 9 are devoted to the Xia dynasty, the historicity of which has not been definitively established. The next 17 chapters deal with the Shang dynasty and its collapse in 1122 BC. The blame for this is placed on the last Shang ruler, who is described as oppressive, murderous, extravagant, and lustful. The final 32 chapters cover the Xizhou (Western Zhou) dynasty that ruled China until 771 BC. The Shu Ching is one of the three pre-Confucian Classics and contains many important ideas given religious sanction by this.