The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070 BC – c. 1600 BC), the first slave regime in China's long history, stemmed from the rise of clan power. The general view is that the Xia Dynasty has gone through 14 generations and 17 generations (the Xia ruler is called "Hou", and the death is called "Emperor"), the founder is Dayu or Qi, and the capital includes Yangcheng, Shenyi, Anyi and other places, with the Songshan area of Henan Province and the Yihe River and Luohe River basin as the main activity area.
Xia is a long-established tribal alliance in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, consisting of more than a dozen tribes with the surname Xi, of which the Xia Hou clan occupies a dominant position. During the Yao and Shun periods, it gradually grew, and Kun was killed due to the failure of water control. His son Yu inherited his father's business, successfully controlled the flood, won the support of many tribal leaders, became the supreme leader of the Zhuxia tribe, and gradually established the royal power of the Xia tribe. Yu originally wanted to pass the throne to Yi, but Yi gave way to Yu's son Qi, a move that is seen as the beginning of the "family world" in Chinese history.
The territory of the Xia Dynasty stretched from the western part of Henan Province and the southern part of Shanxi Province in the west, to the junction of Henan, Shandong and Hebei provinces in the east, to the northern part of Hubei Province in the south, and to the southern part of Hebei Province in the north. Its geographical center is located in the area of Yanshi, Dengfeng, Xinmi and Yuzhou in present-day Henan.
Origin of the Xia people
According to historical records, before the establishment of the Xia Hou clan, the Xia tribe competed with the surrounding tribes for the position of alliance leader, and wars broke out frequently. The Xia tribe arose after the legendary Zhuan Xuan in ancient Chinese history. Many ancient documents trace the Xia tribe back to Zhuan, such as "Historical Records of Xia Benji" and "Dadai Li Ji Imperial Lineage" called Kun the son of Zhuan, and believed that the second son of the Yellow Emperor, Changyi, gave birth to Zhuan, and the son of Zhuan Shengyu was Yu, and Yu was the father of Xia Qi.
However, the "Hanshu Legal Chronicles" cites the "Boyu Emperor lineage" as "the fifth generation of the Emperor". Regardless of the lineage, these records indicate that the Xia tribe is most likely a descendant of the Zhuan tribe, a tribe formed by intermarriage between the Gaoyang clan, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, and a Gonggong clan of the Yan Emperor, who originally lived in the lower reaches of Weishui and later moved east to the Yiluo valley in southern Jin and western Henan.
The territory of Xia is roughly in the area from the central and western parts of present-day Henan to the southern part of Shanxi, and the ancestors of Kun and Yu are respected. "Historical Records: Chronology of the Six Kingdoms" contains: "Yu Xing in Xiqiang. "Historical Records Collection Explanation" quoted "Imperial Century": "Mencius called Dayu Shengshiniu, Xiyi people. Recent research also shows that until the Han Dynasty, Wei and Jin dynasties, there is still a legend that Yu came from Xiqiang, calling Yu "Rong Yu", and the Qiang people also retain the worship of Yu.
Xu Zhongshu, a historian and oracle bone inscription expert, believes that the main tribe of the Xia Dynasty was the Qiang, and according to the legends of the Qiang people that circulated from the Han to the Jin Dynasty for 500 years, there is no reason to deny that Xia Feiqiang is not Qiang. Lin Xiang's "New Evidence of "Yu Xing in Xiqiang" uses archaeological evidence to prove the cultural relationship between Xia and Qiang. The Xiqiang (Jiang) Rong culture represented by Yu is integrated with the original culture of southern and northern Henan and constitutes the backbone of Chinese culture. Some scholars believe that the ancient city of Shiyuan was the capital of the Xia people, but the Shiyuan culture is closer to the "Di" system. The ancient book said that Yu came from Xiqiang, which seems to have nothing to do with Beidi. If the statement of Yu's exit from Xiqiang is understood in a broader context, that is, Yu has a "pan-northwest cultural system" or Rongdi background, then the association between Shiyuan and Xia cannot be ruled out.
Flood control
The earliest documented member of the Xia tribe is Kun. According to the Chinese Zhou language, Kun was once the leader of the Xia tribe and was sealed in Chongdi, so it was called "Chongbo Kun".
Kun is the leader of the Chong tribe and is located in the Song Mountains on the south bank of the Great River. Both Chong and Gonggong are good at water control. During the Yao Shun period, Kun and Gonggong fought fiercely against Yao and Shun in order to compete for royal power, but they all ended in failure. Yu succeeded to his position, called "Chongbo Yu". This indicates that the Xia people were active near Chongshan in the early days. At that time, the river was overflowing, and Kun was recommended by Siyue to control the water, which lasted nine years and failed. Failure to control the water or due to poor unity between the tribe and other tribes. According to the "Shangshu Yaodian", Yao opposed his water control because of the Kunfang's fate and the destruction of the good people, which shows that when the Kun controlled the water, the tribe was dissatisfied with it. The Shangshu Hongfan and Chinese Lu also mention its "flood of obstacles", indicating that its water control mainly uses civil engineering blockage, or as the cause of water control failure. After his failure to control the water, he was executed in Hayama, on the coast of the Yellow Sea in the east.
Yu is the son of Kun, after the death of Kun, Yu was ordered to unite the Gonggong clan and other tribes to control the water in the Yi, Luo, He, and Ji areas. Yu abandoned the method of "blocking" the cang, and changed to the main channeling, according to the terrain, to channel the water in the highlands, so that the plain is protected from floods. After the restoration, the residents moved to low-lying land to reclaim fertile land. The land of the servals, where the vegetation is lush and the birds and animals breed, has become a place where people are happy to settle.
Yu made great efforts to control the water, the Xia nationality increased its power, and the social productive forces were significantly improved, laying an economic foundation for the establishment of a hereditary state. "Historical Records: Xia Benji" contains, when Yu controlled the water, "worked hard and thought, lived outside for 13 years, and did not dare to enter the house", his hard work spirit was widely praised, and the process of water control also promoted the unity of various tribes.
Therefore, the direct cause of the establishment of the Xia Dynasty probably stemmed from the flooding of the Yellow River in the era of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors. Floods have long plagued the surrounding people, and Dayu's 20 years of water control work not only united the Chinese ancestors, but also enhanced their own prestige. After the flood was cured, the living environment improved, and the first unified royal power was established.
Defeat the three seedlings
Yu had a meritorious role in controlling the water, and then Shun sent Yu to crusade against Sanmiao. Yu repeatedly defeated Sanmiao and drove Sanmiao to the Danjiang and Hanshui valleys, consolidating the monarchy's power. In "Mozi Non-Attack", it is said that after Yu Ke Sanmiao, "Don't go up and down, the Qing system is great, and the gods and the people do not disobey, and the world is quiet." This shows that after Yu's victory in controlling the water and defeating Sanmiao, the Xia tribe has become the leader of the tribal alliance.
Establish a dynasty
It is said that during the Yao, Shun, and Yu periods, the tribal alliance implemented the system of "Chan Rang" and elected leaders. When Yao was old, he passed the position of "king" to the talented Shun.
Shun also handed over the throne to Yu, who convened a tribal assembly in Tushan and once again conquest Sanmiao. According to the "Zuo Biography", "all nations" participated in the Tushan Conference, which shows the influence of the Xia tribe. At the Huiji tribal assembly, the leader of the Fangfeng clan was executed by Yu for being late. It is also mentioned in ancient books that Yu stipulated the amount of tribute according to the distance of the princes' tribes, showing that the Xia clan controlled the economy of the surrounding tribes.
Yu once elected Gaotao, the leader of the Yan surname in the East, as his heir to show respect for the traditional Zen concession system. However, Gao Tao died before Chan Rang, and Yu appointed Boyi, the leader of Dongyi, as his heir.
After Yu's death, Boyi held a funeral for Yu for three years in accordance with the customs of the tribal alliance. Three years later, Bo Yi failed to gain power, and Qi, with the support of the people, took power.
There are different accounts of this period of history: the ancient book "Bamboo Book Chronicle" records that "after Yi ascended the throne, Qi killed Yi and seized the throne", and another version is that "after Yi succeeded to the throne, some tribes did not submit to Yi, but supported Qi, and launched a war against Yi's tribes, and finally Qi won and won the throne." After that, Yi led the Dongyi Alliance to crusade against Qi. After several years of struggle, Kei established his leading position in the tribal alliance", but they both believed that the "public world" had become the "family world".
Since then, the Zen concession system has been replaced by the hereditary system. This means that the primitive society was replaced by the society of private ownership, which can be said to be a great progress in history. However, the establishment of a new system will inevitably provoke some opposition. Subsequently, many of the traditional Zen-leaning tribes questioned the power of enlightenment. The Youhu clan on the outskirts of Qidu stepped forward and led a tribal alliance to attack Qidu, and engaged in a fierce battle with the Qi army in Gandhi. Before the war, Qi called his power "Gong Xingtian", which was the prototype of the later Zhou Dynasty's theory of the Son of Heaven. Qi won the support of the people of the Central Plains, occupied an absolute advantage in numbers, and finally defeated the Youhu clan and demoted him to a herd slave. This victory marked the transformation of the mainstream social concept in the Central Plains from the primitive Zen system to the hereditary system.
The original surname of the Xia clan was Xi, but from Qi onwards, they changed to the country name "Xia" as their surname. At the same time, Qi no longer uses the title of Bo and uses it instead, that is, "Xia Hou Qi". Kai is good at singing and dancing, and often holds feasts. One of the grandest ones is in Juntai, that is, the enjoyment of Juntai, and the song and dance are performed in the "Tianmu Field". "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Overseas Western Classics" records that Qi danced with "his left hand to manipulate the ring, and his right hand to exercise the ring, Pei Yuhuang." There are even some documents that say that Qi Zeng went to heaven to take music and dance. The ancient Chinese music and dance texts "Nine Arguments", "Nine Songs" and "Nine Strokes" all claim Qi as their original author.
During the reign of Qi, his son Wuguan often rebelled. "Han Feizi Says Suspicion" said that he "harmed the country and hurt the people and defeated the law", and was finally killed. In addition to the disputes within the Xia clan, in order to compete for the dominance of the tribal alliance, they also often fought with Dongyi.
Taikang lost the country
Xia Qi passed away and Taikang succeeded him. Taikang only wanted to enjoy himself and had no intention of government affairs, which made the authority of the Xia Dynasty weaken, and the poor tribes of Dongyi were ready to move. Yi, the head of the Dongyi Shan Shooting Tribe, led the army from his territory to the Xia Dynasty's territory of Poor Shi, and married with the Xia people to establish the Youqi clan. With the support of Xia Min, Yi seized Xia Zheng. Taikang fled to Shencheng and sought refuge.
Yi did not set himself up as the king, but set up Taikang's brother Zhongkang as the king, but the real power was in his own hands, causing many tribes to be dissatisfied. The He clan and the Xi clan openly resisted, and Yi ordered Yin to lead the army to fight on the grounds of disturbing the time sequence, and issued the oath "Yin Zheng" before the war, and finally won a complete victory.
Zhongkang died and was succeeded by his son. Subsequently, the two defected to the two clans with the same surname as Xia. At this point, Yi monopolized power. Yi is good at hunting, neglecting government affairs, like Taikang, indulging in hunting and abandoning state affairs. He deposed Wu Luo, Bo Qiang, Long Yuan and other loyal ministers, and reused Han Xun, who was expelled by the Bo Ming clan. Han Xun was expelled for spreading rumors when he was young, and was later adopted by Yi and became a member of the poor clan and was highly used. Han Xun's power grew stronger and stronger, and when Yi went out hunting, he killed him, dominated his power, took his wife, and gave birth to two sons. Han Xun gave Ge to his son and gave it to another son. He was ordered by his father to lead his troops to destroy the pro-Xia Guan clan and the Shen Yan clan, and killed the Xiang who took refuge in the Shen Cheng clan. Xiangzhi's wife was pregnant, and fled from the hole in the wall to You's family, and soon gave birth to Shaokang.
Shaokang Zhongxing
After the young man recovered, Ren You's still Mu Zheng. After pouring in, he sent someone to murder Youyu's family, and Shaokang defected to Youyu's family and took the position of Kuzheng. Yu Si, the leader of the Yu clan, has no children under his knees and only two daughters. He married his second daughter to Shaokang, gave him Tian Yicheng and Zhongyi Brigade, and handed over Luncheng to Shaokang to be in charge. Shaokang used this as a base to reorganize the Xia tribe and set up separate officials. Dispatch Nu Ai to infiltrate the court and plan the revival of the summer room.
At that time, the remnants of the Xia family, who were in the Youqi clan, learned that Shaokang wanted to seize power, so he personally led the remnants of the people of the Shen Guan and Shen clans to join forces with Shaokang to defeat Han Xun and support Shaokang as the queen of Xia. Shaokang then defeated Dou in Guodi, and then ordered his son Zhu to destroy Pig in Gedi. At this point, the Dongyi tribe that ruled the Central Plains for a hundred years was destroyed, and the forty-year "no king" period came to an end, and later generations called it "Shaokang Zhongxing".
This history of Taikang's loss of the country or at least Kang Zhongxing vividly shows the process of the Xia Dynasty pacifying the tribes of the Central Plains (especially the Dongyi tribe).
Shaokang's son 杼 (also known as "Yu") succeeded to the throne. He was well aware of Dongyi's dissatisfaction with the Xia Chamber, and in order to consolidate his power in the east, he moved the capital from the original east to Laoqiu. He attaches great importance to the research and development of weapons and the manufacture of armor, and there are often records in the literature of "杼 as armor" and "杼 as spear". He also sent troops to conquer Dongyi in the east (southern Shandong, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu). Legend has it that he was given a nine-tailed fox that symbolizes good luck. Under the rule of Zhu, the Xia Dynasty expanded its territory to the coast of the East China Sea (Yellow Sea). During the reign of Zhu, the Xia Dynasty reached its peak. The Xia people have great respect for Zhu and have held a "retribution" for it. "Chinese Lu Yu" praised: "杼 can be handsome Yu also, Xia Hou clan repays," believing that 杼 fully inherited Yu's career.
During the reign of Huai, the son of Zhuzhi, the Dongyi tribe and the Xia Dynasty achieved peaceful coexistence. Nine tribes, including Yiyi, Yuyi, Fangyi, Huangyi, Baiyi, Chiyi, Xuanyi, Fengyi, and Yangyi, often congratulate the Xia Hou. After Huai's death, his son Mang succeeded to the throne. After Mang's death, he was succeeded by his son Chu. During this period, the Dongyi and Xia people gradually merged. During his reign, he began to expand to the west. At the same time, he sealed the Fang tribes who obeyed the Xia Dynasty, which was the origin of the princely system centuries later. After his death, his son did not descend to the throne. He has led his army to conquer the Nine Gardens in the West many times.
Exile
Kong Jia had no children, and his younger brother succeeded him, and his grandson took the throne. However, he unfortunately died young and was replaced by Kong Jia's nephew, Kong Jia. Kong Jia changed the tradition of sacrificing ancestors to the emperor and respectful to the emperor. "Historical Records: Xia Benji" commented that he was "a good ghost and a god, and he was fornicated". Despite this, the Xia dynasty and the Dongyi maintained friendly relations, probably due to the high degree of assimilation between the two.
After Kong Jia's death, his grandson Gao changed seats. Gao died, and his son was enthroned. During this period, the relationship between the Fang tribe and the Xia family was tense, and internal strife intensified. From Kongjia to Xuqi (i.e., Ji), civil strife continued.
After the Kongjia rebellion, the Xia Dynasty gradually declined. After Fa's death, his son Lu Hui (Xia Wei) ascended the throne. Brave and brave, "hand to hand fight jackals, foot chasing four horses". During the reign of Ji, the relationship between the Xia family and the Fang tribes broke down, and the tribal tribes that paid tribute gradually decreased. As a result, he often crusaded against disobedient tribes.
According to ancient records, after defeating a certain tribe, he would choose a woman he liked and bring back to the palace. The Shi clan mentioned in the Chinese Jin language, the Minshan clan mentioned in the Bamboo Book Chronicle, and the Suki clan were all robbed. Among them, Yuxi, the concubine of the Moxi clan, had already had an affair with Yi Yin, but Ji took Yu Xi away in Luo, and Yi Yin angrily defected to Shang Tang.
His many expeditions angered many powerful tribes. The Youjin clan (the descendants of Shun) was destroyed because of disobedience. The sub-surnamed Shang tribe, which was active in present-day eastern Henan and southwestern Shandong Province, rose to prominence during this period. On the grounds that Shang was not satisfied, he crusaded against Shang leader Tang and defeated him. Tang was imprisoned in Xiatai (一作钧台) and later released. In addition to the deterioration of the Xia Chamber's foreign relations, the literature also mentions that Ji was inappropriately employed in the court.
In about 1600 B.C., Tang led the people to defeat him. After destroying the pro-Xia tribes Wei, Gu, and Kunwu, he fought a decisive battle with Ji. Tang was strong, but he was unable to resist, and fought while fleeing, and was finally defeated at the old site of the Youyu clan. He fled to Mingtiao (present-day Anyi, Shanxi), where Tang gave chase, and the two sides fought fiercely in Mingtiao. He was defeated again, exiled by Tang to Lishan (Yizuo Shan), lived with the Moxi clan, and finally fled to Nanchao Mountain (now Chaohu City, Anhui Province) and died here ("Huainanzi Xiuwu Xun" records a slightly different, saying that Tang "reorganized the army and sang the strip, trapped Xia Nanchao, and let it pass, let it go to Lishan").
After the Battle of Mingtiao, the Xia Dynasty fell, and Shang Tang was called "King" in Bo. At this point, the Xia Dynasty, the first hereditary regime in Chinese history, collapsed, with a total of 13 generations and 17 kings, which lasted for about 400 years. The time of his death was around 1600 B.C.
Descendants of the Xia people
After the fall of the Xia Dynasty, its remnants mainly settled in the Central Plains, while Ji led his troops to move south to Nanchao. King Shang Tang obeyed the will of Emperor Ning and canonized the nobles surnamed Yu Yu among the remnants of the Xia Dynasty to worship the ancestors and worship Dayu. According to the records of the Chen Qi family, the descendants of the Xia Dynasty were sometimes knighted and sometimes abolished in the Shang Dynasty. After King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty, he canonized Dayu's descendant Donglou Gong Yu, so that the Qi country could be continued, and was responsible for sacrificing Dayu. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius went to the Qi Kingdom to investigate because of his respect for the etiquette of the Xia Dynasty. In Yuling Village, Huiji Mountain, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, the descendants of Xia Yu's surname have guarded Yuling for generations.
Guo Moruo, Hu Houxuan, Cheng Jing and others believe that the earthwork in the oracle bone inscription is the Xia after the defeat. According to the Divination Records, Tufang was a powerful Fang state located in the northwest of Yin, and was the target of conquest by Wu Ding and the previous Shang kings. After Wu Ding conquered the earth, he established a large city "Tang" in the hinterland of "Tangtu" to suppress the people of the earth, and there is no record of the earthwork rebellion after that. At the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, King Cheng gave this place to Tang Shuyu, the ancestor of the Jin Kingdom.