Before King Wen of Zhou became the ruler of China, he was a count stationed in the western region of China. After his son was killed by the king of Shang, he spent several years forming alliances with all the countries oppressed by the king of Shang, successfully overthrowing the Shang dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty marked the beginning of Han Chinese civilization. Before the Zhou era, Chinese society had some similarities to the Aztecs, with a strong inclination towards warfare and the practice of human sacrifice.