Xia dynasty
Xia dynasty | |||||||||
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Chinese | 夏朝 | ||||||||
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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.[3]
History of China | |||||||
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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.[4] 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.[5]
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 | |||
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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 |
Reference
- ↑ Chen Ning, "The Controversy of the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project" (2009). For China to have 5,000 years of history, the Xia must be treated as historical. The 5,000-year claim is one the Chinese government is much attached to.
- ↑ The legend of the the Xia can be compared to the legend of the King Arthur, which was created by Norman writers to justify the Norman Conquest.
- ↑ "Xia dynasty," Britannica
- ↑ "Stunning Capital of Xia Dynasty Unearthed", China Daily, Nov. 11, 2003.
- ↑ Allan, Sarah, "The myth of the Xia dynasty," The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, No. 2, 1984.