Yu the Great

Yu the Great

Yǔ (Chinese: 禹 (21st century BC), born Sì Wénmìng Chinese: 姒文命), often regarded with legendary status as Yu the Great (大禹 Dà-Yǔ), was the first ruler and founder of the Xia Dynasty. He was born the year 2059 B.C., said to be on the Year of the Tiger. Occasionally identified as one of The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, he is best remembered for teaching the people flood control techniques to tame China's rivers and lakes.

Yu established his capital at Yang City (阳城). According to the Bamboo Annals, in the second year of his reign, the prime minister of the previous king of Shun died. In the 5th year, he held the first meeting with all the leaders of the states (诸侯) at Tushan (涂山). In the 8th year, he held a second meeting with all the leaders of states at Kuaiji (会稽), and in order to reinforce his hold on the throne, killed one of northern leaders, Fangfeng (防风氏).

Yu and the flood

During China's Great Flood, Yu's father, Gun (鯀), was assigned by King Yao (堯) to tame the raging waters. Gun built earthen dikes all over the land in the hope of containing the waters. But the earthen dikes collapsed everywhere and the project failed miserably. Gun was executed by King Shun (舜), to whom Yao had handed the rulership. Shun recruited Yu as successor to his father's flood-control efforts. Instead of building more dikes, Yu began to dredge new river channels, to serve both as outlets for the torrential waters, and as irrigation conduits to distant farm lands. Yu spent a backbreaking thirteen years at this task, with the help of some 20,000 workers.

For this engineering feat, Yu has been remembered as an examplar of perseverance and determination and revered as the perfect civil servant. Stories continue to dwell on his single-minded dedication. In spite of passing his own house three times during those thirteen years, he never once stopped in for a family visit, reasoning that a personal reunion would distract him from dealing with the public crisis at hand.

King Shun was so impressed by Yu's engineering work and diligence that he passed the throne to Yu instead of to his own son, following King Yao's example in rewarding merit. At the end of Great Yu's life, however, his ministers favoured passing the throne to Yu's son, Qi (啟), instituting a hereditary monarchy. This created China's first hereditary dynasty, the Xia Dynasty (ca.2070-1060).

Death

According to historical texts, Yu died at Mount Kuaiji (south of present day Shaoxing) while on a hunting tour on the southern frontier of his empire, and was buried there. A mausoleum was built in his honor. A number of emperors in imperial times have travelled there to perform ceremonies in his honour, notably Qin Shi Huang. A temple, Dayu Ling (大禹陵), has been built on the traditional site where the ceremonies are performed. He ruled China for 45 years according to the Bamboo Annals.

Yu the Mythology Figure

In many versions of the Flood mythology, Yu seems to be in possession of god-like characteristics. For example, his brilliant engineering idea was, according to some, caused by the "Divine Favour" of the "responding dragon and turtle."

Yu is further mythologized when it is claimed that he was born from the corpse of his father, Gun (or Kun).

External links

• http://www.threekingdoms.com/history.htm#3_1