Tai Kang
| Tai Kang | |
|---|---|
| Parent(s) | Qi of Xia |
| Relatives |
Zhong Kang (brother) Yu the Great (grandfather) Xiang of Xia (nephew) |
Tai Kang (Chinese: 太康) was the third ruler or king of the Xia Dynasty. He was the son of the King Qi of Xia and paternal grandson of Yu the Great and Queen Nu Jiao.[1]
Biography
Tai Kang loved to hunt and did not rule well.
According to the Bamboo Annals, Tai Kang took the throne in the year of Guiwei. His capital was in Zhenxun. In his first year, while he went hunting beyond the Luo, Houyi came and occupied Zhenxun.
He ruled about 19 years and lost his regime, according to Records of the Grand Historian, or died 4 years later according to the Bamboo Annals, and was succeeded by his brother Zhong Kang and nephew Xiang of Xia.
In some sources, Tai Kang was drowned in a lake.[2]
In literature
The Book of Documents features Songs of the Five Sons (五子之歌) among the documents of Xia (Chapter 8). According to the introductory note, the document contains the pieces composed by Tai Kang's five younger brothers when he lost the country.[3]
Sources
- ↑ Bamboo Annals
- ↑ The Shape of the Turtle: Myth, Art, and Cosmos in Early China by Sarah Allan
- ↑ Book of Documents
| Tai Kang | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Qi |
King of China 2117 BC – 2088 BC |
Succeeded by Zhong Kang |