The Song Dynasty painter Ma Lin's Dayu (Dayu) was about 4,000 years ago, and the current China region entered a transitional period. The early cultures mentioned in the previous section of this website continued to produce pottery for as long as their society existed. In addition, the primitive metallurgical industry also slowly began to develop. Copper, tin, and other metals were mined, and the development of smelting technology led to the birth of bronze around 2000 BC.
The sturdy and durable material of the Xia Dynasty Erlitou Culture Bronze Jue was used to make tools, weapons, and even beautiful objects with spiritual significance. This development marked the beginning of the first truly historical state in Chinese history, the Xia Kingdom, which we can study not only through its archaeological remains, but also through written records. However, the Xia Dynasty is unique in Chinese history in that we do not have the actual writing of Xia itself, and can only study later writings about Xia. As a result, much of what we know about the Xia Dynasty today is extrapolated from what we know about its successor, the Shang Dynasty, as well as from important historical documents such as the Shangshu (which has various names). Shu Jing, Shu King or Shangshu), Bamboo Book Chronicles, and Sima Qian's Shi Ji (known in Chinese as Shi Ji). English translations of all three historical works can be found online. The Book of Shang can be read online here, the Bamboo Book Chronicle can be read here, and the Records of the Historian can be read here. The latter is a historical chronology spanning about 2,500 years. It was written by the famous historian Sima Qian.
However, since no contemporary historical record of the Xia dynasty itself has been discovered to date, some experts still consider this dynasty to be merely mythical. Even if the Xia dynasty did exist (and there is constantly new evidence to confirm this view), it is currently impossible to determine exactly the dates of its beginning and end. In any case, a very important figure mentioned in the Book of Shang and the Records of the Historian is the legendary Dayu (c. 2200 BC - c. 2100 BC). In the English translation of the Shiji linked above, Dayu's Chinese name is translated as Emperor Yii, and the Xia Dynasty is transcribed as Hsia Dynasty. In the translation of "Shangshu", Dayu is called "Dayu". According to the literature, Dayu was the founder of the Xia Dynasty. The first dynasty in Chinese history also pioneered the Chinese hereditary succession system, and after Yu's death, Yu's son Qi inherited the throne after a three-year mourning period. Interestingly, this happened despite the fact that Dayu did not want his son to be the next ruler. Despite this, the system of hereditary succession lasted for thousands of years, until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
Yu died of illness while hunting near Huiji Mountain, and is rumored to be buried here. In the sixth century, at the foot of the mountain south of present-day Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, a temple and mausoleum were built to commemorate him. This Yu temple and Yu Mausoleum were the places where the emperors of the past dynasties worshiped Yu, and now they have become a popular tourist attraction.
Unfortunately, no contemporary historical evidence of Dayu's existence has been found so far. The oldest archaeological evidence of this person's existence comes from the inscription on the bronze tripod (hence the name "Dayu Ding"), which was made about a thousand years after Dayu's death. According to Sima Qian's "Historical Records", Dayu personally presided over and implemented flood control measures for the Yellow River, Wei River and other waterways. These include time-consuming construction of irrigation canals and dredging of riverbeds. Dayu is still revered in China today for his successful implementation of these measures. During the 13 years he was in charge of the water (Yu's father, Kun, who failed to control the water, there was a period of 9 years), it is said that he passed through the gate of his house three times without resting during the period. He went in to visit his wife. In the minds of many Chinese, this anecdote reflects Dayu's unwavering dedication to his duties and concern for the people of the Xia Dynasty.
But for a long time, historians could not find any evidence of large-scale floods during the Xia Dynasty. The first evidence of its kind was recently discovered in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. According to the scientific paper, a strong earthquake around 1920 BC may have triggered a major flood of the lake that formed within 6 to 9 months after a large landslide in the region blocked the Yellow River's channel. Researchers say the water control problems caused by the initial floods could last for about two decades. If this is the case, it supports the story of Dayu and his father Kun's long-term commitment to water control. However, the time of this flood is presumed to be about 200 years after Dayu's death.
Another important development that took place during the Xia Dynasty was the construction of large palace building forms. They are built on rammed earth platforms with wooden frames filled with earth and then tamped with flat stones to form a strong, compressed layer. The process is then repeated, layer by layer, until the desired height is reached. The emergence of this new type of architecture in the Xia Dynasty was a significant change from earlier building methods, and over time it became a feature of urban places in Chinese history.
Left: Xia Dynasty palace map Right: Erlitou palace map
The most striking of these early palace complexes was found at the Erlitou site in the western part of modern Henan Province. As a result, many scholars conclude that the Erlitou site was the capital of the Xia Dynasty. However, this conclusion is still widely debated, and some scholars even believe that the Erlitou culture was completely separated from the Xia dynasty state.
The palace-style building of the Erlitou site adopts the column-beam type building, and the columns stand on the rammed earth platform. Beams are then placed on top of these columns, and roofs are built on top of these structures. Very little wood is used in this type of construction, and wood is a scarce resource in northern China. Through the use of a column-and-beam system, it is possible to create a considerable interior space, ideal for use as a place of worship and a place of political activity. The walls of the building are filled with wattle strips and woven organic fibers, which are then painted with mud. The resulting walls are very light, so they don't have to bear a lot of weight (borne by the columns).
The excavated Erlitou site has been opened to the public in the Erlitou Archaeological Site Park, and many of the ancient artifacts unearthed there can now be seen in the nearby modern Erlitou Cultural Relics Museum.
The location of the Xia Dynasty
Of course, the ruling elite used these new palace buildings for ceremonial and ceremonial purposes or other public functions, while the common people continued to live in partially excavated buildings characteristic of the earlier period. The development of social hierarchies is possible only through the increase in agricultural productivity. For the first time, agricultural surpluses (grain) appeared, which allowed some people in society to focus on other tasks rather than farming. As a result, craftsmen, craftsmen, samurai, and spiritual and political leaders began to appear in society.
These emerging political elites used these large palace buildings for public activities aimed at legitimizing their leadership. The performance of certain spiritual practices has helped them achieve this. Although early Chinese culture embraced totem worship, a form of shamanism in which animal deities were associated with a particular tribe, clan, or family group, it was during this period that the totem worship of a particular family developed into a royal ancestor worship. Since then, the ancestors of the current rulers have been seen as divine forces capable of influencing life in today's world. The rulers seem to have held public sacrifices in honor of their ancestors, and they seem to have performed rituals to ask their ancestors for help and advice to solve the current problems of their world.
The next part of the Chinese History Digest Chinese History Summary will tell the story of how the Xia Dynasty was violently ended and replaced by the Shang Dynasty. We know much more about the Shang Dynasty than we do about the Xia Dynasty because it was the first written imperial dynasty in China.