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• Introduction to the Mythical Period
• The Three Sovereigns
• The Five Emperors
• The Xia Dynasty (c. 2200 BCE-1760 BCE)
The Mythical Period (2852 BCE-c. 1760 BCE)
The First Chinese Dynasties > The Mythical Period (2852 BCE-c. 1760 BCE)
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• By 2000 BCE, cities developed in China, and the various cultures of the area
began to merge into a larger, more unified Chinese culture.
• Most of what we know about the first part of prehistoric China is from Chinese
mythology—that's why it's called the "Mythical Period." We cannot tell how much
of it is true and how much is fiction.
• The first part of the Mythical Period was under the rule of the Three Sovereigns,
the second part was under the rule of the Five Emperors, and the third part was
under the rule of the Xia Dynasty.
Introduction to the Mythical Period
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The First Chinese Dynasties > The Mythical Period (2852 BCE-c. 1760 BCE)
• The first period when prehistoric China was under unified rule is called the mythical Period because most of what we know about it is
from Chinese legend—we cannot tell how much of it is true and how much is fiction.
• The first part of the Mythical Period was under the rule of the Three Sovereigns, who were magical demigods: Fuxi, Nüwa, and
Shennong.
• Fuxi and Nüwa are sometimes described as husband and wife and sometimes as brother and sister.According to Chinese legend,
they created the human race out of clay and introduced the domestication and hunting of animals.
• Shennong, whose name means "divine farmer," introduced agriculture, the use of medicinal plants, and acupuncture .
The Three Sovereigns
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The First Chinese Dynasties > The Mythical Period (2852 BCE-c. 1760 BCE)
• The second part of the Mythical Period was under the rule of the Five Emperors,
legendary sage-kings who served as moral exemplars: Huangdi, Zhuanxu,
Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun.
• Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, is sometimes said to be the ancestor of all
Chinese people.
• The final of the five Emperors, Emperor Shun, chose Yu the great as his
successor.Archaeological evidence suggests that in 2205 BCE, Yu founded the
Xia Dynasty, which ruled during the final part of the Mythical Period.
The Five Emperors
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The First Chinese Dynasties > The Mythical Period (2852 BCE-c. 1760 BCE)
• Sima Qian's "Historical Records," the first comprehensive history of China, said
that the last of the Five Emperors, Emperor Shun, left his throne to Yu the Great,
who founded the Xia Dynasty.
• The Xia Dynasty was the first Chinese dynasty and ruled during the third and final
part of the Mythical Period.It is still not known whether this dynasty is only
mythological or really existed.
• According to mythology, when the last Xia king became corrupt and cruel, Cheng
Tang overthrew him in c. 1760 BCE and founded the Shang Dynasty.
The Xia Dynasty (c. 2200 BCE-1760 BCE)
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The First Chinese Dynasties > The Mythical Period (2852 BCE-c. 1760 BCE)
Key terms
• acupuncture The insertion of needles into living tissue, especially for remedial purposes.
• Huangdi The mythical Yellow Emperor, said in legend to be the ancestor of all Chinese people
• irrigation The operation of causing water to flow over lands, for nourishing plants.
• Mandate of Heaven The Chinese philosophical concept of the circumstances under which a ruler is allowed to rule.Good rulers would be allowed to rule with the Mandate of heaven, and despotic, unjust rulers would have the Mandate revoked.
• millet Any of a group of various types of grass or its grains used as food, widely cultivated in the developing world.
• urbanism The change in a country or region when its population migrates from rural to urban areas.
• Yellow River (Huang He in Chinese.) A river of northern China which flows for 5,463 km (3,000 miles) to the Yellow Sea.
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The First Chinese Dynasties
PanguPortrait of Pangu, the creator of the universe according to Chinese mythology.This portrait is from Sancai Tuhui, a Chinese encyclopedia published in 1609, during the Ming Dynasty.
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Wikipedia. "Pangu." Public domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pangu.jpg View on Boundless.com
The First Chinese Dynasties
Yu the GreatYu the Great, Color on silk at the National Palace Museum in Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Wikipedia. "King Yu of Xia." Public domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:King_Yu_of_Xia.jpg View on Boundless.com
The First Chinese Dynasties
Fuxi and NüwaAn ancient painting of Fuxi and Nüwa unearthed in Xinjiang.
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Wikipedia. "Fuxi and Nüwa." Public domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous-Fuxi_and_N%C3%BCwa.jpg View on Boundless.com
The First Chinese Dynasties
ShennongA 19th-century Japanese painting of Shennong tasting herbs to discover their qualities; this is the "iconic" pose in which he is often depicted.
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Wikipedia. "Shinno (Shennong) derivative." Public domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shinno_(Shennong)_derivative.jpg View on Boundless.com
The First Chinese Dynasties
Huangdi, the Yellow EmperorThe Yellow Emperor as depicted in a tomb from the mid second century AD. The inscription reads: "The Yellow Emperor created and changed a great many things; he invented weapons and the wells and fields system; he devised upper and lower garments, and established palaces and houses."
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Wikipedia. "Yellow Emperor." Public domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowemperor.jpg View on Boundless.com
The First Chinese Dynasties
Sima Qian's Historical RecordsThe first page of Sima Qian's Historical Records.
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Wikipedia. "Shiji." Public domain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shiji.jpg View on Boundless.com
The First Chinese Dynasties
