Xia Dynasty

[YingZheng]

As the first slave dynasty in Chinese history, the Xia Dynasty
(21st-16th century BC) began with the reign of Qi, the son of the Great
Yu, and ended with the fall of Jie. With its capital located in Anyi
(north of Xia County in mid-west Shanxi Province), the Xia was ruled by
the descents of the Xiahou tribe. Altogether, there were 16 kings in 13
generations.
Formed on an alliance of a dozen closely related tribes led by the
Xiahou tribe, the Xia Dynasty carried out a system of hereditary
monarchy and nobility. Noble organizations at different levels kept
their original consanguinity and were strictly restricted to different
surnames. The king of the Xia practiced enfeoffment on lords. With the
patriarchy clan at the core of the social system, the nobles were
divided into different levels according to positions in the family
hierarchy and close or distant relationships between clans.
The Xia established its own army and penal code Yu Xing (penal code of
Yu). The Xia also created a calendar, which is said to be China's first
calendar, using the Big Dipper to determine months. Xia Xiao Zheng,
kept in Da Dai Li Ji (Book of Rites by Da Dai), is an important
existing document of the Xia calendar. It recorded the movements of the
sun, moon and stars in line with the 12 lunar months of the year and
also the seasons of stockbreeding and farming accordingly. Xia Xia
Zheng, to certain extent, reflects the development of animal husbandry
and agriculture in Xia, leaving an invaluable record of the earliest
scientific knowledge in ancient China.