Editing Xia dynasty (section)

== Traditional historiography ==
The Xia dynasty was described in several [[Chinese classics]], including the ''[[Book of Documents]]'', the ''[[Bamboo Annals]]'', and [[Sima Qian]]'s ''[[Shiji]]''. These sources make clear that the Xia was considered a historical dynasty in the first millennium BCE. The ''Shiji'' and ''[[Book of Rites]]'' say that [[Yu the Great]], the founder of the Xia dynasty, was the grandson of [[Zhuanxu]], who was the grandson of the [[Yellow Emperor]]. But there are also other records, like [[Ban Gu]]'s, that say Yu's father was a fifth generation descendant of Zhuanxu. Other sources such as ''[[Classic of Mountains and Seas]]'' mention Yu's father [[Gun (Chinese mythology)|Gun]] was the son of Luoming, who was the son of the [[Yellow Emperor]]. Sima Qian traced the origin of the dynasty to the name of a fief granted to Yu, who would use it as his own surname and his state's name.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |script-title=zh:史記 |via=[[Chinese Text Project]] |url=https://ctext.org/shiji|last=Sima|first=Qian|trans-title=Records of the Grand Historian|language=lzh,en}}</ref>

According to Sima Qian and other early texts, [[Gun (Chinese mythology)|Gun]], the father of Yu the Great, is the earliest recorded member of the Xia clan. He describes how when the [[Yellow River]] flooded, many tribes united together to control and stop the flooding and Gun was appointed by Emperor [[Yao (ruler)|Yao]] to stop the flooding. He ordered the construction of large [[levee]]s to block the path of the water. The attempts of Gun to stop the flooding lasted for nine years, but ultimately failed because the floods strengthened. After nine years, Yao had already given his throne to [[Shun (Chinese leader)|Shun]]. Shun ordered that Gun be imprisoned for life at Yushan ({{zhi|c=羽山}}, 'Feather Mountain'), a mountain located between modern [[Donghai County]] in Jiangsu, and [[Linshu County]] in Shandong.<ref name=":0" /> {{See also|Great Flood (China)}}

[[File:大禹治水圖.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Han dynasty]] stone relief rendering of Yu the Great]]
[[File:Nine Provinces of China.png|thumb|upright=1.35|right |Approximate location of Xia dynasty (in pink) in traditional Chinese historiography. Because of the lack of written records, the existence of Xia cannot be proven.]]
According to traditional accounts, Shun trusted Yu and appointed him to stop the flooding, which he did by organizing people from different tribes and ordered them to help him dig channels in all the major rivers and lead the water out to the sea. This was considered to have established the layout of the world's rivers. Legend says that in the 13 years it took him to successfully complete the work to stop the floods, he never went back to his home village to stop and rest, even though he passed by his house three times.<ref>{{Citation |last=Mark |first=Joshua J. |title=Ancient China |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/china/ |access-date=2017-10-15 |encyclopedia=[[World History Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>

=== Story of the Founding of the Xia dynasty ===
According to traditional texts, Yu's success in stopping the flooding increased agricultural production. The Xia tribe's power increased and Yu became the leader of the surrounding tribes. Soon afterwards [[Shun (Chinese leader)|Shun]] sent Yu to lead an army to suppress the Sanmiao tribe, which continuously abused the border tribes. After defeating them, he exiled them south to the [[Hanshui|Han River]] area. This victory strengthened the Xia tribe's power even more. As Shun aged, he thought of a successor and relinquished the throne to [[Yu the Great|Yu]], whom he deemed worthy. Yu's succession marks the start of the Xia dynasty. As Yu neared death he passed the throne to his son, [[Qi of Xia|Qi]], instead of passing it to the most capable candidate, thus setting the precedent for dynastic rule or the Hereditary System. The Xia dynasty began a period of family or clan control.<ref>{{Britannica|273749|Xia dynasty}}</ref> It is believed that [[Zhenxun]] (modern [[Gongyi]]) and [[Yangcheng (historical city)|Yangcheng]] (modern [[Gaocheng, Henan|Gaocheng]])<ref>{{Citation |title=The Dating of the Wangchenggang Walled-site in Dengfeng County and Related Issues |url=http://www.kaogu.cn/uploads/soft/Chinese%20Archaeology/7/The%20Dating%20of%20the%20Wangchenggang%20Walled-site%20in%20Dengfeng%20County%20and%20Related%20Issues.pdf |access-date=13 January 2020 |publisher=Chinese Archaeology |language=en}}</ref> were two of the capitals of the dynasty.

=== Interregnum ===
{{further|Hou Yi|Han Zhuo}}
According to Sima Qian, the third Xia king was [[Tai Kang]], described as an avid hunter but ineffective ruler. The ''[[Bamboo Annals]]'' describe the Xia capital at [[Zhenxun]] being attacked by [[Hou Yi]] while Tai Kang was on a hunt beyond the [[Luo River (Henan)|Luo River]]. The occupation of Zhenxun marked the beginning of a significant interregnum. In the eighth year of the reign of Tai Kang's nephew [[Xiang of Xia|Xiang]], Hou Yi was killed by his former chief minister [[Han Zhuo]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Yuan |first=Ke |title=Dragons and Dynasties: An Introduction to Chinese Mythology |year=1993 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-140-5865-34}}</ref> 20 years later, Han Zhuo's forces killed King Xiang and usurped the throne, but the royal family escaped.

Xiang's son [[Shao Kang]] was sheltered by a tribal chief, surviving for years as a fugitive despite the efforts of Han Zhuo to eliminate him and prevent any reemergence of the Xia. Upon reaching adulthood, Shao Kang began organizing with local lords who hated Han Zhuo's rule. Shao Kang emerged victorious in the military confrontation that followed, and Han Zhuo committed suicide. The reign of Shao Kang and his son [[Zhu of Xia|Zhu]] is traditionally characterized as one of the most prosperous periods in the Xia's history.<ref>{{Citation |last=Wu |first=Kuo-chen |title=The Chinese Heritage |year=1982 |place=New York |publisher=Crown |isbn=978-0-517-54475-4 |author-link=K. C. Wu |url=https://archive.org/details/chineseheritage00wuku}}</ref>

=== Overthrow ===
[[Jie of Xia|Jie]] is recorded as the final King of Xia, and as with many last rulers in Chinese historiography, he was said to be immoral, lascivious, and tyrannical. He was overthrown by [[Tang of Shang|Tang]], who inaugurated the new [[Shang dynasty]]. King Tang is said to have given the remnants of the Xia clan a fief comprising the small state of [[Qi (Henan)|Qi]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://zonghe.17xie.com/book/10826459/597233.html |title=夏朝遗民流布情况概说 |publisher=Zonghe.17xie.com |access-date=2014-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTOTAL-HBSS200503017.htm |title=夏代是杜撰的吗——与陈淳先生商榷 沈长云 |publisher=Cnki.com.cn |language=zh|date=2013-06-21 |access-date=2014-08-16}}</ref> This practice was referred to as "the two crownings and the three respects".