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Qi of Xia

Qi (Chinese: 啟) was a Chinese king, the son of Yu the Great and the second sovereign of the xia dynasty. He ruled for approximately nine or ten years

Family

According to legend, Yu married Nu Jiao and stayed at home for only three days before going back to stop a flood. While Yu was stopping the flood, Yu's wife had a son. He named the boy Qi. After nine years, Yu had finished stopping the flood. When he finally went home, little Qi was very happy and rushed into his father's arms.

Reign

Yu died 45 years into his reign. Qi's succession to the throne is unclear.

According to the historian Sima Qian, Yu did not want his son to become king and intended to give the throne to Gao Yao, his Minister of Justice, but when Gao died Yu designated Yi, his former companion for thirteen years fighting the flood and his curent Minister of Animal Husbandry (Yi also is known as Boyi). But due to Yu's great influence, all the leaders of the Xia states came to admire Qi instead of Yi, so Yu had no choice but to pass the throne to Qi.

According to the Bamboo Annals, however, Yi took the throne and became the king of China, but later Qi assassinated him and assumed the throne. After Qi's rule, Tai Kang succeeded him as king - he was his son.

Qi got his throne in the year of Guihai, and he celebrated his inauguration with all his vassals at Juntai. He died sixteen years after he got the throne (some source say 10 years or 29 years).

Events during reign

In the second year of his regime, Prime Minister Boyi controlled the power.

Qi led his army to fight Youhu at Gan (background of the "Speech at Gan" chapter in the Shang shu).

In the sixth year of his regime, Boyi died, and Qi built a temple to memorialize him.

In the eighth year of his regime, Qi sent Mengtu, one of his minister to Ba.

In the tenth year of his regime, he created a dance named Nine Shao 九韶 in Damu.

In the 11th year of his regime, Qi banished his son Wuguan to Xihe.

In the 15th year of his regime, Wuguan rebelled at Westriver. Qi sent one of his ministers, Shou to lead an army to fight Wuguan, so Wuguan surrendered.

Last update 19-06-2012

References