Xia Dynasty: An existential doubt, the Xia Dynasty has long been regarded as the first dynasty in ancient China and "the first slave state in the history of the mainland." However, little is known about this dynasty that has existed for hundreds of years, and there is relatively little documentation. This has made Western scholars question the existence of the Xia Dynasty, and even many scholars have a negative attitude towards the existence of the Xia Dynasty. So, did the Xia Dynasty really exist? Let's explore this together. From elementary school history textbooks to "dynasty songs", the Xia Dynasty has always appeared in the field of Chinese as the first dynasty. According to the "Bamboo Book Chronicle", the Xia Dynasty began with Dayu, passed down a total of 14 generations, experienced 17 kings, and existed for a total of 471 years (it is also said that it was 432). However, we know very little about what happened over the centuries. This is also the fundamental question of the existence of the Xia Dynasty by Western scholars. During the Republican period, Gu Jiegang, the initiator of "Ancient History Discrimination", boldly put forward some views, he believed that the well-known Dayu in history may not exist at all, and Yu is only a product of mythology, not a real figure.
He also pointed out that the figures and events of the Xia Dynasty, such as Xia Qi, Shaokang, and Taikang, were all fabricated by people in the pre-Qin and Two Han dynasties, and this view of history was a "layered view of ancient Chinese history." Gu Jiegang's views caused great controversy at the time. There is considerable disagreement between Chinese and foreign scholars about the existence of the Xia Dynasty. Many Chinese scholars believe in the existence of the Xia Dynasty, and they believe that some verification can be obtained from the logic of the literature. In the Shangshu Zhou Shu about the Xia Dynasty, Zhou Fenghan and other pre-Qin historians believe that the Xia Dynasty has been mentioned in early documents, and if the Zhou people fabricated a fictional Xia Dynasty to publicize the victory of the Zhou Dynasty over the Shang Dynasty, how could the Shang remnants believe it? In addition, the lineage of the Xia Dynasty in the Shiji has also been verified by oracle bones, which has led many scholars to believe that Sima Qian's account of the lineage of the Xia Dynasty is valid. In addition, the discovery of the Erlitou cultural site also provides some clues to the existence of the Xia Dynasty. The Erlitou cultural site is located in Dengfeng Yucun, Henan, distributed in the western and southern Yu regions, which roughly coincides with the area inhabited by the Xia Dynasty people described in the literature.
According to carbon 14 determination, the early site of the Erlitou culture dates back to about 2395 BC to 1625 BC, which is comparable to the age of the Xia Dynasty. The site covers a very large area, with a total area of 3 million square meters, and studies show that at its peak, the population reached a maximum of 30,000 people. Moreover, the scale of the buildings in the site is grand and the amount of work is very large, which makes many scholars believe that such magnificent buildings can only be built through unified management. Large-scale buildings such as "Palace No. 1" and "Palace No. 2" were also found in the site, as well as "slave owners' graves" rich in funerary goods. These discoveries have led many Chinese scholars to agree that this place should be an ancient capital. However, even with this evidence, Western scholars still do not believe in the existence of the Xia Dynasty. Their main reason was the lack of written records of the Xia Dynasty. Even in later oracle bones, there is no record of the Xia Dynasty.
Some scholars believe that the content of the Xia Dynasty in the Book of Shang and the Chronicle of the Bamboo Book is not credible, because the former was written in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and may have been invented to seek legitimacy for the Zhou Dynasty to destroy the Shang Dynasty; The latter was written in the middle of the Warring States period, at least more than 1,000 years after the Xia Dynasty, and is not very credible. In addition, there is currently no international consensus on the interpretation of Erlitou culture by Chinese scholars. Some scholars believe that the buildings in Erlitou are only temples rather than palaces, and the size and quality of the burial objects are not as large as other cultural sites. These views have led Western scholars to doubt the significance of the Erlitou site. To sum up, the existence of the Xia Dynasty is still controversial. Although there are some documentary records and archaeological finds that can support the existence of the Xia Dynasty, these evidences are not enough to convince everyone. We need more research and evidence to solve this historical mystery. For readers, what do you think about the existence of the Xia Dynasty? Please leave your comments and let's explore this together.
References: 1. The Existential Problem of the Xia Dynasty, Wikipedia 2. Qiu Lang, "A Study on "The Xia Dynasty is the Origin of Chinese Civilization", China Culture News, 2004.3. Xie Zongming, The Existence or Absence of the Xia Dynasty, Studies in Ancient Chinese History, 2007