According to the
Spring and Autumn period's
Guoyu (Discourses of the States), the
Han dynasty's
Shiben (Genealogy), and the
Tang dynasty's
Kuodi Zhi (Record of Geography), Dapeng was founded by
Peng Zu (lit. "Ancestor of Peng"), who was made a marquis by the kings of the Shang dynasty. After his death, the state declined under his descendants. Due to the lack of contemporary written sources, it remains impossible to verify this information. Archaeological excavations at Qiuwan, likely the kingdom's capital, have shown that the state was under strong Shang influence since the early
Yinxu period (c.1400 BC). According to the
Warring States period's
Yu Gong, the whole Xuzhou area, including Dapeng, regularly sent tribute to the Shang centres in the
Central Plain. Major tributary goods included pearls, shells, and rare woods. Archaeological findings seem to corroborate these records, as large quantities of shells have been uncovered from Qiuwan, and the Xuzhou area appears to have served as a major trading hub since the 3rd millennium BC. Under the rule of King
Wu Ding (1250–1192 BC), hostilities broke out, and the Shang dynasty possibly invaded Dapeng. According to
Sima Qian, Dapeng and its ruling dynasty were eventually destroyed by the Shang royal army in the 11th century BC due to the "unjust behaviour" of Peng Zu's successors. Modern historians such as
Chen Mengjia,
Li Xueqin, and Shima Kunio believed that this campaign against Dapeng is likely related to
King Di Xin's military expedition into the
Huai River valley that was recorded on oracle bones. A few decades after the destruction of Dapeng and the abandonment of Qiuwan, the state of
Xu emerged in its immediate vicinity. It remains unknown if there was any relation between these two polities. == Religion ==