Since ancient times, Dayu's great cause of water control has been regarded as the beginning of Chinese civilization. However, archaeological discoveries in recent years have raised new questions about this history. How did Dayu leap from a commoner to the founding monarch? Was he governing a flood or a turbulent national migration? What is even more puzzling is why there was a 200-year blank period between the Yaoshun era and the Xia Dynasty? These mysteries make us have to re-examine Dayu's legendary life and the process of establishing the Xia Dynasty. Let's find out and see the latest discoveries from archaeologists!
The motive and influence of Dayu's water control
In ancient times, the Yellow River basin has been the birthplace of Chinese civilization. However, this river, known as the "Mother River", has also brought endless disasters to the local population. Floods have flooded, farmland has been flooded, homes have been washed away, and people's lives have been threatened.
Legend has it that Dayu was born in an ordinary peasant family. Having witnessed the suffering caused by floods since he was a child, he was determined to harness the ferocious river. With the support of Emperor Shun, Dayu gave up his family and devoted himself to the work of water control.
"Dayu said: 'Oh! The flood is reversed, and the dredging will not stop. If you lose everything, you will be in the east, and you will not be in the east. So he migrated to Shule, starved of food for three months, and had no substitutes. This passage vividly describes the difficulties and obstacles faced by Dayu in the process of water control. He had to leave his hometown and wander away, not even having anything to eat. But Dayu never gave up, and he persevered in dredging the river, and finally the flood was calmed.
Dayu's motive for controlling the flood was not simply to solve the problem of flooding. In fact, by governing the Yellow River Valley, Dayu won the support of many local tribes, thereby improving the status and influence of the Xia Hou clan in the countries. Some scholars believe that this laid the foundation for the Xia Hou clan to unify the world in the future.
However, we can't exaggerate Dayu's achievements in controlling the water. Controlling the water is a great feat, but to establish a unified dynasty, many other conditions are needed, such as a strong military force and a sound political system. The merits of controlling the water alone could not directly lay the foundation for a unified dynasty.
However, it is undeniable that Dayu's deeds of controlling the water had a huge impact at that time. People admired his heroic deeds and regarded him as a national hero. Emperor Shun also appreciated Dayu very much, and finally designated him as his heir. It was in this context that Dayu finally ascended to the throne and created the legendary Xia Dynasty.
Chronological research of the establishment of the Xia Dynasty
There have always been many controversies about the founding of the Xia Dynasty. According to the Bamboo Book Chronicle, the history of the Xia Dynasty lasted for a total of 471 years. According to the estimation of later scholars, the Xia Dynasty should have been established around 2070 BC. However, this statement contradicts archaeological findings.
In recent years, archaeologists have discovered an important site in the Henan region - the Erlitou site. After years of excavation and research, scholars have come to an astonishing conclusion: the Erlitou site is likely to be the site of the legendary Xia Dynasty.
The culture to which the Erlitou site belongs is the Erlitou culture, and the peak period of this culture is around 1750 BC. Before the Erlitou culture, there was also the Xinqi culture, which existed between 1880 BC and 1740 BC.
It is worth noting that the Xinqi culture passed on many cultural characteristics to the later Erlitou culture, and there is an obvious cultural continuity between the two. Therefore, scholars speculate that the Xia Dynasty should be established during the Xinqi culture period, that is, around 1900 BC.
This speculation coincides with another important archaeological find. When studying human settlements in the Yellow River Basin, archaeologists found that around 1900 BC, human settlements in the region had declined dramatically, the size of the sites had shrunk dramatically, and the population had also declined dramatically.
This phenomenon is most likely due to a huge flood disaster. As recorded in the history books, the era of Dayu's water control should be in this period. Therefore, we have reason to believe that the establishment of the Xia Dynasty should coincide with the era of Dayu's water control, that is, around 1900 BC.
Of course, this is only an approximate chronology, and it is not yet possible to determine which year and month. However, through the in-depth study of the Erlitou site and the Xinqi culture, I believe that we will soon be able to clarify the exact date of the establishment of the Xia Dynasty.
Although there are disagreements about the exact year in which the Xia Dynasty was founded, archaeological finds have provided us with valuable clues and a clearer understanding of the time context of this significant historical event. In the future, with the continuous deepening of archaeological work, the veil of the Xia Dynasty will be completely unveiled.
The expansion of the Xia Dynasty's territory
The process of territorial expansion of the Xia Dynasty was a gradual historical process, not achieved overnight. Initially, the Xia Dynasty's territory was limited to a small area.
Archaeological discoveries show that before the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, there were cultural relics in the middle reaches of the Yellow River known as the "Wangwan Phase III Culture". In the early stages, the distribution of this culture extended to only about 20,000 square kilometers, roughly matching the boundary of present-day Xinyang City, Henan Province.
It can be said that the culture of the third phase of Wangwan is likely to be the cultural prototype of the Xia Dynasty. At the beginning of the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, its territory should be equivalent to the scope of the culture of the third phase of Wangwan.
As time passed, the Xia Dynasty's territory began to expand. According to the research of archaeologists, after the third phase of the Wangwan culture, the Xinqi culture and the Erlitou culture appeared, and the three constitute a coherent cultural development line.
It is worth noting that by the Erlitou cultural period, its distribution range had expanded dramatically, covering most of Henan, southwest Shanxi, northern Hubei and western Hubei, covering an area of more than 200,000 square kilometers.
This rapid expansion of territory was probably related to the growing political power of the Xia dynasty. As a new dynasty, the Xia dynasty was bound to expand its territory in order to consolidate its dominance.
However, the reason for the Xia dynasty's territorial expansion was not purely politically motivated. According to archaeological findings, at the beginning of the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, there was a huge flood disaster in the Yellow River basin. In order to avoid flooding, people had to move to safer heights.
Therefore, another important reason for the expansion of the Xia Dynasty's territory may be to seek a more suitable living environment. As the population continued to grow, the demand for living space also increased, which undoubtedly accelerated the pace of expansion of the Xia Dynasty's territory.
The territorial expansion of the Xia Dynasty was a gradual process, driven by both the need for political rule and the living environment. From the initial Wangwan Phase III culture, to the later Xinqi culture and Erlitou culture, the territory of the Xia Dynasty continued to expand, and eventually became a powerful unified dynasty.
The mystery of the 200-year blank between Yao Shun and the Xia Dynasty
In ancient Chinese history books, there was a gap of 200 years between the Yao Shun era and the Xia Dynasty. What major historical events occurred during this blank period has always been a hot topic of discussion in academic circles.
In recent years, with the deepening of archaeological work, some new discoveries have provided clues to solve this mystery. According to the research of archaeologists, around 2000 BC, the Chinese people experienced a large-scale migration movement.
The reason for this migration is likely to be due to an extreme climate change event. During that period, the global climate suddenly turned colder, causing the Laohushan cultural groups in central Inner Mongolia and central Shanxi to move south in search of a warmer living environment.
This huge wave of population migration has had a huge impact on the indigenous people in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. Archaeological discoveries show that the Taosi culture, which once flourished in the Linfen Basin, declined rapidly after this migration movement, and there are even traces of destruction on the site.
It is conceivable that in order to compete for the limited living space, fierce conflicts and wars will inevitably break out between the nomadic people who go south and the local farming peoples. It was this protracted war that led to a 200-year gap between the Yao Shun era and the Xia dynasty.
In this turbulent period, the legendary figure of Dayu is like a dawn, illuminating the dark times. According to historical records, Dayu was not afraid of difficulties, perseverance and firmness, and finally succeeded in controlling the flood and won the support of the people.
Some scholars believe that Dayu's great cause of controlling the water not only solved the problem of flooding, but more importantly, united the divided ethnic groups and laid the foundation for the establishment of the Xia Dynasty. Therefore, Dayu is regarded as the founding monarch of the Xia Dynasty and ushered in a new era.
Of course, there are still some disagreements in the academic community about whether Dayu is the founder of the Xia Dynasty. But it is undeniable that Dayu's dedication and influence played a key role in the birth of the Xia Dynasty. His deeds will always be remembered by future generations and have become a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation's unremitting self-improvement and indomitable spirit.