Jie of Xia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jie 桀
Jie with a Ji, representing oppression, and sitting on two ladies, symbolizing his abuse of power. Rubbing of a relief from a Wu family shrine, Jiaxiang, Shandong.
King of the Xia dynasty
Reign	1728–1675 BC
Predecessor	Fa of Xia
Died	1675 BC
Spouse	Mo Xi Zhao Hua
Issue	Xunyu (獯粥)
Full name Chinese: Lu Gu (履癸)
Father	Fa of Xia
Mother	Consort of Fa

King Jie (traditionally 1728–1675 BC) was the 17th and final ruler of the Xia dynasty in China. He is often remembered as a very harsh ruler who caused the end of his dynasty.

Around 1600 BC, King Jie was defeated by Tang of Shang. This event ended the Xia dynasty, which had lasted for about 500 years. It also marked the beginning of the new Shang dynasty.

Understanding King Jie's Name

The name Jié (桀) originally meant "outstanding" or "hero." However, over time, it became linked with ideas of being fierce and violent.

Ancient writings suggest that the name Jié was given to rulers who caused great harm and suffering to many people. This shows how his actions changed the meaning of his own name.

King Jie's Early Life

King Jie is commonly known as Xia Jie or Jie of Xia. His birth name was Lü Gui. He became king in the year called Renchen.

His first capital city was Zhenxun. He lived there for three years and built a special palace called the Tilt Palace. During this time, he also put down a rebellion by the Quanyi people. His parents were Fa of Xia and his wife.

An old drawing of King Jie, often shown as a harsh ruler.

King of the Xia Dynasty

How King Jie Ruled

King Jie was known for living a very fancy and expensive life. He had many servants and treated his people with extreme harshness. His way of ruling was careless and focused on luxury and entertainment.

He did not like people who disagreed with him, and many were afraid to speak up. In his sixth year as king, he welcomed visitors from other kingdoms. In his 11th year, he called all his vassal leaders to his court. When the Youmin Kingdom did not come, Jie attacked and conquered them.

In his 13th year, he moved his capital from Zhenxun to 'South of the river'. Around this time, he started using a sedan chair, where servants carried him everywhere.

The next year, he traveled to Minshan. There, he met two beautiful, unmarried daughters of the King of Minshan, named Wan and Yan. He took them as his wives, renaming them Zhao and Hua. He then left his first wife, Mo Xi, and built a special pyramid on top of the Tilt Palace for his new wives.

King Jie's Lavish Meals

King Jie demanded very specific and expensive meals. Vegetables had to come from the northwest, and fish from the East Sea. Seasonings like ginger came from the south, and sea salt from the north.

Hundreds of people worked just to prepare his food. If anyone made a mistake with his meal, they were punished severely.

The Fall of the Xia Dynasty

The Rise of the Shang Kingdom

The Xia dynasty was the most powerful kingdom, ruling over many smaller ones. One of these was the Kingdom of Shang. During King Jie's rule, Shang began to grow stronger.

A leader named Tang of Shang gained support from many smaller kingdoms. Tang saw that Jie treated his people badly. He used this to convince others that Jie should be overthrown. Tang said he did not want to cause trouble, but Jie's harsh rule meant he had to follow the "Mandate of Heaven" and replace the Xia dynasty. He even pointed out that Jie's own military leaders were losing faith in him.

In Jie's 15th year, Tang of Shang moved his capital to Bo. About two years later, Shang sent his minister Yi Yin to visit Jie. Yi Yin stayed in the Xia capital for about three years before returning to Shang.

The Shang's power kept growing. In Jie's 26th year, Shang conquered Wen. Two years later, Shang was attacked by Kunwu, leading to several years of war. Despite this, Shang continued to expand, gathering armies from other kingdoms. The Shang army conquered Mixu, Wei, and attacked Gu, which was also conquered the next year. Around this time, Zhong Gu, Jie's chief historian, left the Xia court and joined the Shang.

Strange Natural Events

As King Jie's rule continued, historical records mention unusual and serious natural events. These began in his 10th year as king. Five planets were seen lined up in the sky, followed by a meteor shower and an earthquake.

In Jie's 29th year, he tried to dig a water tunnel through Qu mountain. But the next year, the mountain collapsed in a landslide. There was also a disaster in Linsui during the winter.

Later records from the Qin dynasty say that in Jie's last year, ice formed in the summer mornings, and frost appeared in July. Heavy rains caused buildings to fall, the weather was very unpredictable, and crops failed. Some scientists believe these events might be linked to a volcanic winter, possibly from the Minoan eruption of Thera around 1600 BC.

The Battle of Mingtiao

In the 32nd year of King Jie's rule, Tang of Shang sent troops to attack both Xia and Kunwu. Kunwu was quickly defeated. By this time, the Xia forces near the Yellow River were weakening, while the Shang forces were becoming much stronger.

Jie's army fought the Shang forces at Mingtiao during a heavy thunderstorm. Jie's army was defeated.

King Jie himself managed to escape to Sanzong. The Shang forces, led by their general Wuzi, chased Jie to Cheng. They captured him at Jiaomen and removed him from power, bringing the Xia dynasty to an end. Jie was eventually released and sent to Nanchao, where he later died of illness. Tang of Shang then became the new king, starting the Shang dynasty.

King Jie's Family

King Jie had a wife named Mo Xi. She was sometimes blamed for the fall of the Xia dynasty. However, he later left her for the King of Minshan's daughters, Wan and Yan, whom he renamed Zhao and Hua.

King Jie is not known to have had children with his wives. It is believed that Chunwei, who might be an ancestor of the Xiongnu people, was his son.

See also

• Mount Tai earthquake