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  The Blacks of China's First Civilization: The Xia

By

Clyde Winters

The first dynasty of China was Xia (She-ya). The Xia civilization of
ancient China. lasted from 2205 to 1766 B.C. According to the Guben zhu
Shu zhi Nien, the Xia dynasty "from Yu to Zhieh had seventeen kings...
and lasted 471 years". (Chang 1987)

Archaeologists believe that the major Xia sites are located in Shanxi
and Henan. According to Chang (1987) northern Henan towards the end of
the Longshan period was the eastern part of the Xia culture.

Xia was probably situated in the Yihe and Luohe river valleys, and along
the Yinghe and Ruhe rivers. The capital of Xia was located in the
Sangshan mountains.

The origins of Xia go back to the Longshan period. During the Longshan
period burial goods included a large number of weapons, including stone
lanceheads and arrows. This suggests that intersocial conflict was at
its height during the Longshan periods, and warfare may have played a
role in the rise of Xia. The Longshan neolithic is characterized by
wheel-made pottery, bronze working, ceramics, wheeled vehicles, writing,
rich grave goods and furnishings.

The Chinese histories tell us much about Xia. According to Chinese
tradition the Xia built their settlements near rivers, lakes and
streams. The Xia Dynasty is mentioned in the oracle bone records.

The leaders of Xia were granted rule based on their Ssu (clan)
membership. The Xia naming system employed the ten celestial stems the
same as the Shang people. (Chang 1980,p.353)

The national tree of the Xia li min was the pine. This tree was used in
the earth ritual.

Xia social organization, and life was based on the clan . The totems of
the major Xia clans were aquatic animals: fish, tortoise, turtle and
etc. This view is supported by the myth recorded in the Annals of the
Bamboo Books, which claims that Yu's mother swallowed a spirits pearl
before the birth of Di (Lord) Yu, founder of the Xia Dynasty. Moreover ,
the dragon motif is common at Xia sites. A pan vessel was found at
Taosi, with a red painted dragon motif.

The Chinese histories make it clear that the Xia had writing and
tortoise books. This view can be supported by the pottery marks on the
Longshan and Erlitou pottery. (Chang 1987, p.265)

Erlitou pottery is often inscribed with various signs and symbols. Fish
were incised on a piece of bone, but up to now, oracle bone inscriptions
have not been found. (Chang 1987, p.314)

Today archaeologists believe that the Erlitou culture is the Xia
Dynasty. This is supported by the fact that the historical text place
Xia in Henan and southern Shanxi. These Chinese provinces are the main
areas where Erlitou artifacts have been discovered. Chinese
archaeologists have suggested that the Henan Lungshan culture and the
Erlitou I-III periods are representative of the Xia Dynasty. (An 1986)

Xia is considered the first dynasty of the sandai (three Dynasties) of
ancient China: Xia, Shang and Zhou. There are many references to the Xia
people. The Xia people were recognized as westerners, because they
settled the middle Yellow river region of China. As a result they were
called the Hua Xia "the middle states people".

There are numerous textual references to Xia. Han Fei Tzu writing in the
third century B.C., in his Shih Guo, observed that:

"Yu made the ritual vessels painting the interior black and the exterior
in red."

The tradition recorded by Han, of the black-and-red ware for the Xia li
min suggest some relationship of Xia to the Yangshao culture which also
used BRW and analogous pottery signs.

Chang (1987) believes that the legendary sages and heroes of China,
probably lived during the Lungshan culture period. The Lungshan culture
had walled cities and evidence of rank and rituals. This clearly
illustrates how archaeology can compliment textual history.

The artifacts of Erlitou include BRW, red,black and buff wares. These
artifacts were made of stone, shell and bronze. The bronze instruments
found by archaeologists at Erlitou sites correspond to the descriptions
by Yuan Kang, in the Yueh Zhueh Shu, quoting the philosopher Feng Hu Tzu
of the tools made by the Xia. Yuan Kang wrote that:

"In the Age of Yu, weapons were made of bronze, for build -ing
canals...and..houses...."

The black-and-red ware (BRW) common to the Fertile African Crescent was
also used in China. There is affinity between the BRW from Nubia, and
the pottery from Yangshao sites in the Henan and Gansu sites of China.

The textual history of Xia is synthesized in the Chinese book Shih Zhi.
This evidence from the Shih Zhi, was used by Hsu Husheng , of the
Chinese Institute of Archaeology, to find the xu (ruins) of Xia: the Xia
xu. Hsu Husheng using this source hypothesized that the center for
traditional Xia Dynasty towns was the Loyang plains and the Dengfeng
river valley. This coincides with the Erlitou sites of this area which
date to 2100- 1800 B.C.

The Xia people were recognized as being different people from the
mongoloid Chinese they politically dominate China today as a people that
came from the west (i.e., Iran), before they settled the middle Yellow
river. A Zhou saying observed that :

"The rituals [or rules of] the Three Dynasties [sandai] are one".

The early Xia lived on mounds, in houses made of grass and mud. Pounded
earth walls surrounded Xia villages to protect the li mim from attack.
The Xia probably spoke a Manding language. This view is supported by the
earlier discussion of the analogy between ancient Chinese and Manding.

The major clan totem of the Xia as mentioned earlier was the dragon. The
zu (clan) or tsu was the basic point of social organization for the li min.

In China the dragon was regarded as the deified serpent. (Andersson
1973, p.7) It also denoted the symbol of perfect man, the son of Heaven,
the Emperor.

The clan emblem for the ancient Manding was the first lizard/dragon. A
dragon is nothing more than a giant lizard. This dragon motif was also
found in Iran and Babylonian Assyrian civilization and the Anau
civilization in Russia, which had similar painted pottery to the pottery
styles of Henan (Xia). (Winters 1983c)

The Xia li min built their settlements near rivers, lakes and streams.
They are mentioned in the Oracle bone writing. The sacred tree of the
Xia was the pine. The Xia naming system was the same as that used by the
Shang.

The founder of the Xia Dynasty was Yu. His father was Gun. Myths about
Gun are found throughout southwest Shanxi. Yu's son founded the Pa
culture. The Pa culture was a megalithic culture. Great Yu was the
regulator of the waters and builder of canals. He invented wetfield
agriculture.

Yu was born in Shihnew. His mother was Sewege (Seuge). She is alleged to
have become pregnant and swallowed a spirit's pearl.

Under the orders of Emperor Shun, Yu was to dredge the Yellow river. Yu
traveled the empire for 10 years draining the land of water. One
tradition claims that "but for Yu we should all have been fishes".

Beginning with Xia the fundamental political unit of this dynasty and
succeeding dynasties of China was the yi or walled town. These yi were
organized into small and large guo (states). Each guo, was known as a shih.

The administrator of the guo was a member of an agnati clan or xing. The
xing, ruled over members of their own clan and non- related clans living
in the various yi, forming the guo.

Emperor Shun, appears to have given Egeu, his son, the princi -pality of
Shang, and Yu the principality of Xia. After the death of Shun, Yu
became the leader of the confederation of Seihshin: the large guos of
Xia and Shang. According to Gu Tsu Yu, in the Du Shih fang yu Zihiyao,
written in the 1600's:

"It is traditionally stated that when Yu assembled the lords at Dushan
there were ten thousand states [cities] that came carrying jades and
silks".

The second great leader of the Xia Dynasty was Qi, the son of Di
(Emperor) Yu. According to the Guben zhu Shu Zhi Nien, the Xia dynasty
had seventeen kings and lasted 471 years.

The Xia Dynasty remained strong until the tyrant , Zhieh, came to power.
In 1766 B.C., Zhieh was deposed and exiled by Zheng Dang, ruler of Shang.

There are thirty references to the capital of Xia in the Zo Zhuan, Guo
Yu , and Guben zhu Shu Zhi Nien. Loyang plain in central Henan,
especially the region of Dengfeng and Yuxien in the upper Ying river
valley, and the area near the Fenhe river valley in southwestern Shanxi
south of mount Ho are usually mentioned in these sources as the area
where the Xia capital was established.

The first capital of Xia was Yangcheng. This city was in southwestern
Shanxi. Archaeologist believe that Taosi and Wangchenggang may be Xia
cities.

Taosi dates to 2500 to 1900 B.C. Here the people raised oxen, pigs and
sheep. They grew millet. Their homes were built half-way below ground.
They smelted copper . The coiled dragon motif is common at this site
along with crocodile skin drums.

The Taosi site is important because the artifacts excavated from the
more than 1,000 tombs, indicate that a hereditary system of chiefs and
class was already established.

The dragon motif at Taos may have been the totem of the Xia dynasts at
Taosi. This would correspond to Chinese legends of the Long (Dragon)
ethnic group.Huan Long (Dragon Breeding Clan) and Yu Long (Defend the
Dragon) clan. The dragon legends are associated with the Chinese sages
Yan, Yao, Shun and Yu.

The capital of Xia Yangcheng is believed to be the city of
Wangshenggang. As mentioned earlier the yi, or 'walled city', was the
basic political unit of Xia. These walls were built layer upon layer and
called hangtu. Chinese traditions allege that Yu's father, Gun, built
the first hangtu.

Wangshenggang site is 10,000 sq. meters . It is situated near the Wudu
river. This structure contains skeletons of all ages.

P>

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allan, S , "Sons of Suns:Myth and Totemism in Early China", Bulletin of
the School of Oriental and African Studies (BSOAS) XLIV,(1981) pages
290-326.

Allan, S , "Drought, Human Sacrifice and the Mandate of Heaven in a Lost
Text from the Shang Shu", BSOAS XLVII, (1984) pages 523-535.

An Jinhuai, "In Search of China's Oldest Capital", China Pictorial,
(1986) pages 39-41.

An Jinhuai, "The Shang City at Cheng-chou and related Problems", In
Studies of Shang Archaeology, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986)
pages 15-48.

Chang, K C , "Prehistory and Early Historic Culture Horizon and
Traditions in South China", Current Anthropology 5, no5

Chang, K C , The Archaeology of Ancient China, New Haven:Yale (1964),
pages 359-375.

Chang, K C , Shang Civilization, New Haven:Yale University Press,1980.

Lacouperie, T de , The Languages of China before the Chinese,
London:David Nutt, 1887.

Lacouperie, T de, "Origin from Babylon and Elam of the Early Chinese
Civilization:A summary of the Proofs", Babylonian and Oriental Record 3,
no5 (1989), pages 97-110

Ling Shun-Sheng , A Study of the Raft, Outrigger, Double and Deck Canoes
of ancient China, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, Taipei:Nankang, 1970.

Winters, Clyde Ahmad, "A Note on the Unity of Black Civilizations in
Africa, IndoChina, and China",PISAS 1979, Hong Kong :Asian Research
Service,1980b.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Are Dravidians of African Origin", P.Second
ISAS,1980,( Hong Kong:Asian Research Service, 1981b) pages 789- 807.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Further Thoughts on Japanese Dravidian
Connection",Dravidian Language Association News 5, no9 (1981c) pages 1-4.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Blacks in Ancient China,Part 1:The Founders of Xia
and Shang", Journal of Black Studies 1,no2 (1983c).

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Possible Relationship between the Manding and
Japanese", Papers in Japanese Linguistics 9, (1983d) pages 151-158.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Further Notes on Japanese and Tamil"
,International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics 13, no2 (June 1984c)
pages 347-353.

Winters, Clyde Ahmad, "The Indus Valley Writing and related Scripts of
the 3rd Millennium BC", India Past and Present 2, no1 ( 1985b), pages
13-19.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "The Far Eastern Origin of the Tamils", Journal of
Tamil Studies , no27 (June 1985c), pages 65-92.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Dravidian Settlements in ancient Polynesia", India
Past and Present 3, no2 (1986c)pages 225- 241.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad Winters ,"The Dravidian Origin of the Mountain and
Water Toponyms in central Asia", Journal of Central Asia 9, no2 (1986d),
pages 144-148.

Winters,Clyde Ahmad, "Review of Dr. Asko Parpolas' "The Coming of the
Aryans". International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics 18, no2 (1989) ,
pages 98-127.

Winters, Clyde Ahmad, "The Dravido Harappan Colonization of Central
Asia", Central Asiatic Journal 34, no1-2 (1990), pages 120-144.


          Other Afrocentric Links by C.A. Winters

    * Ekwesi's Afrocentric Homepage
      <http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/7051>
    * Mkubwa's Afrocentric Homepage
      <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/8919> 

Return to Winters Homepage <http://orion.it.luc.edu/~cwinter>