The Xia Dynasty was the first dynasty to emerge in Chinese history！Mystery and Exploration

The Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty recorded in Chinese history, has been controversial as to whether it existed or not, but scholars have gradually reached a consensus on its existence based on relevant documents and archaeological discoveries, and the influence and dominance of the Xia Dynasty has gradually been recognized. The establishment of the Xia Dynasty marked the transformation of China from a primitive society to a slave society. The Xia Dynasty existed between approximately 2070 BC and 1600 BC. It spanned nearly 500 years. It was founded by Dayu, with its capital at Yangtze, present-day Denfeng, Hunan Province. The Xia Dynasty had a total of Xia rulers were called Hou and Di after their death. As the first dynasty in Chinese history to implement a hereditary system, the Xia Dynasty marked a major shift in the power structure of the state. The hereditary system emphasized blood ties, and the throne was passed down within the family, which meant that the previous generation was strongly related to the next generation of rulers. In the last episode of the video, we talked about how Shen handed over the power of ruler to Dayu after his death, and then Dayu established the Xia Dynasty. After Dayu's death, Bo Yi, Bo Yi was the leader of the Dongyi tribe at that time, and had been credited with assisting Dayu in ruling the water. In accordance with the tradition of the tribal alliance, funeral rites were held for you, and he mourned for three years. After the three years of mourning, according to the system of abdication, Bo Yi did not get the power, while Qi, with the support of the people, got the power. Why did Bo Yi not get the power? It has to be said that Qi, the son of Dayu, was the first power mastermind and ambitious person in Chinese history. He created the first war over the throne in Chinese history. According to legend, Qi was a power-hungry man. In the fourth year after the death of Dayu, Qi, with the strong power of his family and the support of most of the tribal leaders, launched an attack on Bo Yi. Qi defeated Bo Yi at the foot of Mount Kei, present-day Songshan in Dengfeng City, Hunan Province, seized leadership of the Central Plains, and moved his capital to Xia, present-day Xia County, Shanxi Province. In about 2060 BC, Qi officially became the leader of the Xia dynasty, and one of the first things he did after becoming the leader was to organize a banquet, the enjoyment of Jun Tai. The main purpose of this banquet was to declare to the lords that if I died later, my son would continue to rule the world, and that my position could only be ruled by my descendants, and that you would continue to be submissive. From then on, the system of abdication was abolished, and hereditary succession to the throne was established, consolidating the kingship of the Xia dynasty. However the shift from the Zen system to the hereditary system, although supported by some nobles and tribes, also aroused the discontent and opposition of another group of forces. The Hu clan was a powerful tribe at the beginning of the Xia dynasty with a prominent position and greater power and resources. They questioned the legitimacy of Qi's succession and opposed the centralization policy of the Xia dynasty. This dissatisfaction eventually evolved into an open rebellion, the rebellion of the Hu clan. The Hu clan united several tribes that were dissatisfied with the rule of the Xia dynasty and launched a rebellion with the intention of overthrowing the rule of Qi. This rebellion was so violent that it posed a serious threat to the rule of the Xia dynasty. Qi, as the monarch of the Xia dynasty, quickly took countermeasures. On the one hand, he mobilized the Xia dynasty's army and personally led the elite troops to go to war. On the other hand, he solicited the support of other tribes through diplomacy in order to isolate the rebellious forces of the Hu clan. Qi showed great military talent in tactics and gradually weakened the rebellious forces of the Hu clan through skillful strategic deployment and decisive command. After many fierce battles, eventually, the rebellion of the Hu clan was suppressed, the rebel leader was executed, and other tribes involved in the rebellion were also suppressed. The quelling of the rebellion of the Hu clan made Qi's rule more secure. Through this victory, he demonstrated to the world the great power of the Xia dynasty and his leadership skills, and consolidated his throne and the centralized power of the Xia dynasty. In 1993 BC, Qi died and handed over his rule to his son Taikang, who inherited his father's throne, but his rule was a famous failure, known as Taikang's loss of state. After his accession to the throne, Taikang indulged himself in hunting and enjoyment and neglected political affairs. He went out hunting frequently and devoted a lot of time and energy to his personal recreational activities, neglecting the management and governance of the state. As a result, the people lost confidence and support for his rule. One day, when Taikang was out hunting, Houyi, the tribal leader of the Yuexiong clan, seized the opportunity and started a rebellion. He captured the capital city of the Xia dynasty, forced Taikang into exile, and took control of the Xia dynasty. With Taikang in exile and unable to return to the capital to exercise power, the centralized rule of the Xia dynasty was paralyzed. Houyi became the de facto ruler while Taikang became an exiled monarch. Up to this point, Taikang had only been a ruler for two years. But after all, it was a usurpation of power, and due to public pressure, Houyi, in order to alleviate the dissatisfaction of the other tribal leaders, he handed over the right to be the ruler to Zhongkang, Taikang's younger brother, in 1981 BC. Zhongkang was ostensibly the ruler of the Xia dynasty, but in reality, he was still manipulated by Houyi behind the scenes. Zhongkang was not willing to be a puppet, and did not want the world created by his ancestors to be taken away, so he was bent on regaining his power, but his own strength was weak, and then he was put under house arrest by Houyi, so he was depressed all day long, and in the end, he passed away due to illness. By about 1968 BC, Zhongkang's son, Cixiang, succeeded him and inherited the Xia dynasty, faced with a country that was in turmoil and internally divided in power. Cixiang attempted to restore order and authority to the Xia dynasty through a series of measures. Unfortunately, after being controlled by Houyi for two years, he exiled Cixiang to Chaozhou, near present-day Chao County, Shandong Province, China, and from then on, Houyi officially captured the Xia dynasty and became the true ruler. Houyi, who thought he had captured the Xia dynasty and swept away his enemies, gradually began to fall, never realizing that the one who sounded the death knell for him was his most trusted henchman, Han Zhuo. Originally the head of a small branch of the tribal leader of the poor clan, because in the Houyi attack Taicang process, became Houyi's right-hand man, from then on Houyi will bring him around, entrusted with important tasks. Han Zhuo secretly accumulated a lot of resources and strength by Houyi's side, and he slowly grasped the military power through skillful means and talent. Around 1963 BCE, Han Zhuo started a rebellion and killed Houyi, completely seizing the power of the Xia dynasty. Although he had seized the power of Xia dynasty, Han Zhuo did not slacken off, because he knew that as long as Cixiang was still alive, his power was not solid. Therefore, the first thing he did after seizing the power was to bring his troops to attack Cixiang, who was killed, and the direct descendants of the Xia dynasty were almost slaughtered. But what Han Zhuo did not expect is that, the Cixiang's wife escaped death and ran back to her family's clan, the Yuren clan, and was already pregnant, and then later gave birth to a baby boy named Xiaokong, who was smart from a young age and grew up to be the chief of the Yuren clan. The news of Xiaokong's life was found out by Han Zhuo. In order to escape from Han Zhuo's pursuit, Xiaokong defected to the Yu clan and took the chief's daughter as his wife. During his stay in the tribe of the Yu clan, Xiaokong began to build up his strength and actively prepared for the restoration of his country. He contacted some old and neighboring tribes loyal to the Xia dynasty and gained their support that he secretly searched for and organized the clansmen who had fled to form and develop their own forces. As the saying goes, if you know your enemy and know yourself, you will win a hundred battles. With the information being closed at that time, Xiaokong thought of a way, and the first female spy in Chinese history was born, her name was Niu Ai. Xiaokong sent Niu Ai to go deep into the inner circle of Han Zhuo turbulence to get the information, and when all preparations were made, Xiaokong launched a blitzkrieg war, broke through the capital city, killed Han Zhuo turbulence, and succeeded in reclaiming the throne. The war was called the Xiaokong Zhongxing, meaning the first battle for the restoration of the state in Chinese history. Around 1942 BC, Xiaokong officially took control of the Xia dynasty. He became the sixth monarch of the Xia dynasty since its founding. After the successful restoration of the state, Xiaokong was diligent in government and sensitive to the people's hardships, which led to the stabilization of the world, the people living and working in peace and contentment, and the rapid development of culture, which was embraced by the tribal lords and allowed the Xia dynasty to flourish once again. Xiaokong not only led the Xia dynasty to prosperity and flourishing, but also led the development of the brewing industry. Nowadays China's famous Dukang wine is brewed by Xiaokong. He also developed a whole set of theories on winemaking. By 1881 BC, Xiaokong died due to malaria, and his son Xizhu succeeded Xiaokong's rule and became the seventh monarch of the Xia dynasty. The first thing Xizhu did after he became the monarch was to continue to lead the wars of restoration, and he made great achievements, and was a fierce general, who attached importance to the development of weapons and the manufacture of armors, and the earliest spears and leather armors were researched by Xizhu, and thus he organized a group of elite troops to crusade against the Dongyi region in the southeastern coastal area, and the territory of the Xia dynasty expanded to the shores of the East China Sea under his rule. During his reign, he went around waging wars, so the territory of the Xia dynasty was greatly expanded. Although there were wars during the reign of Xizhu, Xizhu did not forget to govern the country at the same time. The Xia dynasty was well organized under his management. The people lived and worked in peace and happiness. In his old age, Xizhu moved the capital of the Xia dynasty to Liaoqiu, present-day Kaifeng, Hunan province. This move strengthened the Xia dynasty's control over the central plains and contributed to the stability and development of the Xia dynasty. Time came to 1852 BC, when Xizhu's son, Xihuai, succeeded to the throne and took control of the Xia dynasty. He fully inherited the good genes of his grandfather and his father, and was also a warlike person, leading the Xia dynasty's army to conquer all the nine barbaric tribes inhabiting the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, and ultimately realizing the further expansion of the Xia dynasty's territory. During the reign of Xihuai, he attached great importance to the internal governance of the country and strengthened the management of the tribes. At the same time, he also paid attention to the maintenance of external relations and resolved some border disputes through peaceful means. During the reign of Xihuai, the state power of Xia dynasty got a relatively stable stage. Xihuai also attached great importance to agricultural production. He believed that agriculture was the economic foundation of society, and through the construction of water conservancies and the promotion of agricultural technology, he ensured a stable supply of food and improved the living standards of the people. It is said that the three most prosperous periods of the Xia dynasty were the periods ruled by the three generations of Shaokang, Xizhu, and Xihuai. Shaokang ruled the Xia dynasty for 59 years, Xizhu ruled the Xia dynasty for 28 years and Xihuai ruled the Xia dynasty for 44 years. These three rulers fought for more than 100 years in order to consolidate the status of the Xia dynasty. This kind of thing is unbelievable when viewed today. Could the Xia dynasty's heyday last? And how was the Xia dynasty finally destroyed? Let's read on. In 1808 BC, Simeng, the son of Xihuai, officially succeeded to the throne and took control of the Xia dynasty, becoming the ninth monarch of the Xia dynasty. I don't know if you are familiar with the ancient ritual of sinking sacrifice, which means sinking various objects into the water to pray for the protection and blessing of the river god. The founder of the sinking sacrifice was Simeng. According to the legend, when Simeng ascended to the throne, he organized a grand sinking sacrifice ceremony. He ordered the sacrificial officials to throw 100 pigs, 100 cows, 100 sheep into the Yellow River, and finally, he also gave the commemorative plaque that Shun gave to Dayu for his success in curing the water to the Yellow River, and since then, the sinking sacrifice has been held in the Yellow River. Since then, the custom of immersing sacrifices has become uncontrollable. Until the modern period in China, fishermen would hold similar ceremonies before going out to the sea. During the reign of Simeng, as the previous monarchs, including Shaokang, Xizhu, and Xihuai, were striving to restore and consolidate the rule of the Xia dynasty, the foundation of the state was relatively solid and the society was relatively peaceful when Simeng became the monarch. However, he did not neglect the building of military power. He continued to maintain a strong army to deal with possible external threats and internal rebellions. This military preparation enabled the Xia dynasty to maintain peace and stability for a relatively long period of time under the rule of Simeng. In 1790 BC, Simeng's son, Cixie succeeded to the throne and became the monarch of the Xia dynasty. In the society at that time, besides agriculture, handicrafts and animal husbandry, there also appeared full-time merchants. Wang Hai, the leader of the Shang state at that time, often went out to other countries to do business in order to solve the problem of surplus of cattle and sheep, and was the originator of commercial trade in China. The word merchant was passed down from here. After a series of trade, Wang Hai accumulated a large amount of resources in his hands, which became a potential hidden danger for the destruction of the Xia dynasty in the later period. During the reign of Cixi, the Xia dynasty began to show some signs of decline. He was considered a relatively mediocre monarch, and his rule did not bring significant improvement or development to the Xia dynasty. During his reign, internal conflicts began to emerge in the Xia dynasty and some tribes began to question the authority of the central government. Although Cixie attempted to resolve these issues through force, his efforts did not have the desired effect. This led to his eventual rule for 26 years. In 1764 BC, Wu Jiang succeeded to the throne and became the monarch of the Xia dynasty. It is said that his father, also known as Si Meng, insisted on a policy of late marriage and late childbearing, and thus had a son, Si Bu Jing, only when Si Meng was 42 years old. During Wu Jiang's reign, the neighboring tribes had begun to show signs of rebellion, and it was not until the sixth year of Wu Jiang's reign that the located in the northeastern region of the Xia dynasty, revolted. From the point of view of blood relationship, the Yoxin tribe and the Xia dynasty tribes belonged to the same ancestor, both of whom were the descendants of the Great Diyu, which is considered to be an intra-family struggle, and eventually Bu Xian won. During the 59 years of Si Bu Jiang's rule, the Xia dynasty reached its largest territory. Although the country was well governed, Si Bu Jiang was very depressed about the choice of his successor. It is said that Si Bu Jiang had 13 sons, but none of them had outstanding ability, all of them were very mediocre. Si Bu Jing thought for a long time, and finally gave the right to rule to his younger brother, Si Jiu. According to later historical records, Si Bu Jiang was highly praised for his selfless behavior. So Si Jiu officially became the monarch of the Xia dynasty in 1706 BC. After getting the ruling power from his brothers, he lived up to the expectation and ruled the country with virtue and won the hearts of the people. He was accompanied by four very smart incapable assistants, namely, Qian Dou, Hou Cheng, Sua Fu, and Ru Bai. During the reign of Si Jiu, his brother Si Bu Jiang was a silent observer behind the scene, which was equivalent to listening to the government from behind the curtain, so the name of the Xia dynasty remained unchanged at that time, and then Si Jiu got his own kingly name after Si Bu Jiang's death. During his reign, successor vigorously constructed and maintained many water conservancy projects to improve the efficiency of irrigation of farmland and to ensure a stable supply of food. A series of ceremonial norms were formulated to emphasize the virtues of the monarch and officials in order to set an example and stabilize the social order. In 1684 BC, Si Qin, the son of Si Jiu, succeeded to the throne, a process that could be described as very tortuous, with quite brutal infighting before he was able to take the reigns. It was rumored that his cousin, Si Kongjia, was also a candidate at that time, and both sides enlisted a large group of military and political ministers. In the end, it was only due to Si Kongjia's concession and Si Qin's support from the previous monarch that he became the monarch of the Xia dynasty. In the first year of Si Qin's rule, he saw that the palace of the capital was already old, so he decided to move the capital, but the common people and the nobles had already gotten used to it, and there was opposition everywhere, but Si Qin insisted on moving it. However, Si Qin insisted on relocating the capital, and introduced a compensation policy, giving land and money to those who led the way, and detaining those who insisted on not leaving as slaves. Eventually, the capital was moved to Shihe, present-day Anyang city, Hunan province. This move led to discontent from all sides and intensified social conflicts. Meanwhile, a wolf-like state was budding, the Yinshang. In 1664 BC, Si Qin died of illness and handed over the ruling power to Si Kongjia, who has since become the official monarch of the Xia dynasty. It is said that Si Kongjia had three main hobbies, believing in ghosts and gods, enjoying beauty, and raising dragons. According to the historical record, a man named Lu Lei offered him two animals, which looked like dragons. Si Kongjia very much, he not only loves small animals, but also like artistic creation. Song of the Broken Axe is written by him, is said to be the earliest oriental music, but also like to cast swords, rain, often let the sword maker digging mine for him to create a sword. One can only say that Si Kongjia was not fit to be the ruler of the Xia dynasty. During the reign of the heir Si Kongjia, he was not good at governing the country, resulting in the Xia dynasty already beginning to show internal conflicts and lose rule. Kongjia's reign was one of the key periods that led to the decline of the Xia dynasty. His superstition, extravagance and poor governance led to increasing internal conflicts and external threats to the state, which eventually led to the gradual weakening of the ruling base of the Xia dynasty. In 1655 BC, Si Kongjia fell ill and died, and his son, Si Gao, succeeded to the throne and became the ruler of the Xia dynasty, a man with high hopes. Faced with the mess left behind by the previous monarch and the state of serious internal disintegration of the country, even though Si Gao tried his best, it was to no avail. Si Gao was an extremely economically and politically astute monarch. During his reign, he carried out a series of tax reforms, allowing merchants to operate across industries while vigorously developing animal husbandry and handicrafts. He also restored the fighting strength of the Xia army, building an elite force of 2,000 men. During the reign of Si Gao, the Yinshang tribe reappeared, and the leader was Zhu Kui. It was said that when Si Kongjia died, he thought it was a perfect time to defeat the Xia dynasty, and immediately organized his army to launch an attack on the Xia dynasty, but, unfortunately, he picked the wrong opponent. If it was during the reign of Si Kongjia, he might have been able to become the first Shang dynasty ruler in history. However, he was confronted by Si Gao. In the end, all the tribes of the Shang dynasty were wiped out and the leader Zhu Kui was beheaded and sacrificed to heaven. In the fall of 1644 BC, just as the Xia dynasty was beginning to reach its peak, Si Gao suddenly fell ill and died, having ruled the Xia dynasty for only 11 years. In 1643 BC, Si Fa, Si Gao's son, succeeded to the throne. Si Fa was a man of great ambition, who was determined to carry on his father's legacy and revitalized the peak of the Xia dynasty and fully selected talents. During his reign, he looked around for capable people to assist him. According to the legend, one day when Si Fa was out hunting, he encountered a heavy rain and ran to a nearby farmhouse to take shelter from the rain. There was a young man in the house, Si Fa chatted with him and learned that he was called Guan Longfeng, who was born in a slave-owning family, and his family had made a living by breeding horses for many generations, and his family was of average means. On his way home, Si Fa realized that Guan Longfeng was a talented man, so he ordered his men to bring him back to the military camp and appointed Guan Longfeng as a general. Guan Longfeng lived up to his name and assisted Si Fa in putting the Xia dynasty into good order. The Xia dynasty was about to return to its heyday, but unexpectedly, in 1631 BC, Si Fa suddenly fell ill and died. Since then, the last monarch of the Xia dynasty Xia Jia officially succeeded to the throne, Xia Jia is a famous tyrant in history. In his reign, the political corruption of the Xia dynasty reached the extreme, the unity and stability of the country was seriously threatened. Surrounding tribes, crisis, Xia Jia just came to power during the period, on the Xia tribe launched a large-scale war, Xia tribal invincible, so a large number of cattle and horses and beautiful women offered to Xia Jia, in the many beautiful women, there is a beautiful woman called Xiaoxi especially prominent, Xiaoxi is very beautiful, Xia Jia is quite obsessed with it. It is said that Xiaoxi has three major hobbies, like to live in tall palaces, love to drink, and thirdly, like to listen to the sound of tearing silk cloth. So Xia Jia ordered his men to spend a lot of manpower and resources to build tall buildings, brew a lot of wine and produce a lot of silk cloth. In the following days, Xia Jia indulged in beautiful women, wine and sex all day long, ignoring the government. At this time, the Xia dynasty was already faltering, and the Taisher Ling, the name of the official, who saw Xia Jia in such a state of desolation, advised Xia Jia, who was rebuked for meddling in the affairs of the state, and then defected to the Shantang tribe. General Guan Longfeng tried to persuade Xia Jia again, but he was executed for offending Xia Jia. In 1601 BC, Shantang had become a powerful tribe, and the leader of Shantang, Qin Tang, saw how corrupt Xia Jia was and was determined to eliminate the Xia dynasty. At this time, the Xia dynasty was already in a state of rebellion and infidelity. But Qin Tang's leadership was effective, and after the Battle of Mingtiao, he defeated Xia Jia. From then on, the Xia dynasty completely eliminated busyness and withdrew from the stage of history. Battle of Mingtiao, Qin Tang led a coalition army to fight Xia Jia at Mingtiao, near present-day Shangqiu, Hunan province. As Xia Jia lost the hearts of his people, his army was demoralized and was eventually defeated by Qin Tang in the Battle of Mingtiao. The Xia dynasty lasted for more than 470 years and gave birth to 17 monarchs. From the founding of the state by Dayu to the demise of Xia Jia, from the most virtuous Dayu to the most brutal Xia Jia, regardless of the merits and demerits, and regardless of the success or failure of the king, the Xia dynasty opened a wonderful chapter to the Chinese civilization. The fall of Xia dynasty was not an overnight event. The last straw that broke the back of the Xia dynasty was the rise and resistance of Qin Tang, which was caused by internal and external troubles. The flight and capture of Xia Jia after the Battle of Mingtiao marked the end of an era and heralded the rise of a new dynasty, the Shang dynasty. The next video will take you into the Shang dynasty, a dynasty full of amazing colors.