| At the later period of the Primitive Society, the Abdication
System was widely used by the tribes. When Yu
the Great became old, he had planned to abdicate his
throne to Boyi, who had assisted him in his great work
of flood control. However, after Yu died, his son Qi,
took advantage of his privileged situation and power,
killed Boyi and succeeded to the throne. The hereditary
dynasty established by Qi is known as the Xia Dynasty,
which was the first dynasty in China. From that time on
a Hereditary System replaced the Abdication System and
China became a society based on slavery.
However, from Sima Qian on, historians in later dynasties
mostly regarded Yu the Great as the founder of the Xia
Dynasty. The Xia Dynasty lasted over 400 years from
the 21st century BC to the 17th century BC. In total
there were seventeen kings over fourteen generations.
Although the ideal Society of Great Harmony was replaced
with an autocratic regime, the establishment of the
Xia Dynasty represents a huge advancement in the evolution
of China.
In this new kind of social system, the ruling class
inevitably lacked the necessary experience to govern
the country. During their four-hundred-year reign, internal
conflicts and power struggles continually caused trouble
for the dynastic rulers. At the end of the Xia Dynasty,
external aggression and internal conflict became ever
more serious. Upon his succession to the throne, Jie,
regardless of the chaos within the state, lived for
pleasure. He cavorted with his concubines all day and
night while ordering the construction of many gorgeous
palaces for his personal enjoyment. Tang, a small state,
led a revolution which resulted in the overthrow of
the despotic Jie. The Xia Dynasty was no more.
Due to a lack of historical records, there had been
some doubt about the existence of the Xia Dynasty. However,
discoveries relating to the
Longshan Culture and the Erlitou Culture provide
rich references for the study of the mysterious Xia.
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