Xia dynasty

Xia dynasty
Chinese	夏朝
Transcriptions Mandarin - Pinyin Xià cháo - Wade-Giles Hsia4 ch'ao2

The Xia dynasty is an era of Chinese history that preceded the Shang dynasty. The first of the traditional sequence of Chinese dynasties, and it is dated as c. 2070 BC – c. 1600 BC. The Chinese press describes the Xia as a historical, although Western scholars generally classify it as legendary. The rulers of the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC) used the supposed Shang overthrow of the Xia to justify their own overthrow of the Shang.

Shun, the last of the legendary three sovereigns, picked Yu the Great (c. 2200 - 2100 BC) as his successor. Yu was able to control a worldwide flood by building embankments. Yu's son succeeded him, making Yu the founder of a dynasty. There were sixteen Xia rulers. The last was Jie, who fell in love with a woman who was both beautiful and cruel. Outraged rebels led by Zi Lü overthrew the Xia and established the Shang dynasty.

History of China
Xia c. 2070–c. 1600 BC
Shang c. 1600 – 1046 BC
Zhou 1045–256 BC
Qin 221–206 BC
Han 206 BC – 220 AD
Three Kingdoms 220–280
Jin 265–420
Northern and Southern Dynasties 420–589
Sui 581–618
Tang 618–907
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907–960
Song 960–1279
Yuan 1271–1368
Ming 1368–1644
Qing 1644–1911
Republic 1912–1949
People's Republic 1949–present

Archaeological sites from the Xia period show mixed copper and stone use, a transition between the earlier neolithic culture and the bronze age culture of the Shang. The most notable of these sites is Erlitou in Henan Province. This site is very large for the period and can be thought of as a major city.

In Shang mythology, the Xia are described as dark and watery. The Shang and Xia lived side by side. There is no dynastic handover, nor is there any suggestion that the Shang were ever subordinate to the Xia. The Xia are associated with the time of the flood. After the flood waters receded, they grew weak. The Xia were vanquished by the Shang sun-kings and eventually departed. Shang records suggest that the Xia had a complex system of laws, as well as an unusual religion.

The Xia myth was reworked during the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou version of the myth emphasizes the shift of the "mandate of heaven" from the Xia to the Shang. This introduces a doctrine that legitimizes the overthrow of a dynasty. The last Xia ruler was said to be an immoral tyrant, much like the last Shang ruler. Zhou religion, including this myth, is the basis of Chinese Native Religion.

The following is the list of rulers of Xia dynasty as given by Sima Qian.

Table of Rulers
Order	Reign (years)	Chinese	Pinyin
01	45	禹	Yu the Great
02	10	啟	Qi
03	29	太康	Tai Kang
04	13	仲康	Zhong Kang
05	28	相	Xiang
06	21	少康	Shao Kang
07	17	杼	Zhu
08	26	槐	Huai
09	18	芒	Mang
10	16	泄	Xie
11	59	不降	Bu Jiang
12	21	扃	Jiong
13	21	廑	Jin
14	31	孔甲	Kong Jia
15	11	皋	Gao
16	11	發	Fa
17	52	桀	Jie