View source for Emperor Shun

{{Short description|Legendary ruler of ancient China, one of the Five Emperors}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name=Shun<br/>{{lang|zh|舜}}
|image=EmperorShun.jpg
|birth_date=
|birth_place=
|death_date= 
|reign=
|predecessor=[[Emperor Yao]]
|successor=[[Yu the Great]]
|spouse  = Ehuang ({{lang|zh|娥皇}}) <br> Nüying ({{lang|zh|女英}})
|issue=Shangjun ({{lang|zh|商均}})
|father =Gusou ({{lang|zh|瞽叟}})
|mother =Wodeng ({{lang|zh|握登}})
}}{{Infobox Chinese
| c = 帝舜
| p = Dì Shùn
| j = {{tonesup|Dai3 Seon3}}
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|d|i|4|.|sh|un|4}}
| y = Dai Seun
| w = {{tonesup|Ti4 Shun4}}
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|d|ai|3|.|s|eon|3}}
| bpmf = ㄉㄧˋ ㄕㄨㄣˋ
}}
'''Emperor Shun''' ({{lang-zh|c=帝舜|p=Dì Shùn}}) was a legendary leader of [[ancient China]], regarded by some sources as one of the [[Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Hui |date=2020-11-18 |script-title=zh:《五帝本纪》得与失：论司马迁的上古史观 |trans-title=The Gains and Losses of the Five Emperors' Chronicles: On Sima Qian's View of Ancient History |url=https://bnuhh.bnu.edu.cn/zgsxs/226151.html |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=Center for Studies of Historical Theory & Historiography of Beijing Normal University |language=zh}}</ref> being the last of the Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he lived sometime between 2294 BC and 2184 BC. Tradition also holds that those with the surname [[Hu (surname)|Hu]] ({{lang|zh|胡}}) are descendants of Emperor Shun. The [[Duke Hu of Chen]], {{zhi|c=[[:zh-tw:胡公满|胡公滿]]}}, a descendant of Shun, became the founder of the [[State of Chen]]. Later [[Chen dynasty]] emperors such as [[Chen Baxian]] would also claim descent from Shun.{{sfn|Yang|2003|p=121}}{{sfn|Han|2010|pp=2776–7}}

==Names==
Shun's clan name ({{lang|zh|姓}}) is [[Yao (surname)|Yao]] ({{lang|zh|姚}}), his lineage name ({{lang|zh|氏}}) is [[Youyu (surname)|Youyu]] ({{lang|zh|有虞}}). His given name was Chonghua ({{lang|zh|重華}}). Shun is sometimes referred to as the ''Great Shun'' ({{lang|zh|大舜}}) or as ''Yu Shun'' or Shun of Yu ({{lang|zh|虞舜}}), "Yu" being the name of his fief, which he received from [[Emperor Yao|Yao]].<ref>Wu, note 83, page 105</ref>

==Life of Shun==
According to traditional sources, Shun received the mantle of leadership from [[Emperor Yao]] at the age of 53, and then died at the age of 100 years. Before his death Shun is recorded as relinquishing his seat of power to [[Yu the Great|Yu]] ({{lang|zh|禹}}), the founder of the [[Xia dynasty]]. Shun's capital was located in Puban ({{lang|zh|蒲阪}}), presently located in [[Shanxi]]).

Under Emperor Yao, Shun was appointed successively Minister of Instruction, General Regulator and chief of the [[Four Mountains|Four Peaks]], and put all affairs in proper order within three years.<ref name="Shun 2">Canon of Shun, v 2.</ref> Yao was so impressed that he appointed Shun as his successor to the throne. Shun wished to decline in favour of someone more virtuous, but eventually assumed Yao's duties.<ref name="Shun 2"/> It was said that "those who had to try a lawsuit did not go to [[Danzhu]], but to Shun." Danzhu was the son of Yao.<ref name="Heiner Roetz 1993 37">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zNbsbDlIRkUC&q=shun+succeeded+yao+danzhu+lawsuit+procedure&pg=PA37|title=Confucian ethics of the axial age: a reconstruction under the aspect of the breakthrough toward postconventional thinking|author=Heiner Roetz|year=1993|page=37|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=0-7914-1649-6 |access-date= }}</ref>

After ascending to the throne, Shun offered sacrifices to the [[god]] Shang Di ({{lang|zh|上帝}}), as well as to the hills, rivers, and the host of spirits ({{lang|zh|神}}).<ref name="Shun 3">Canon of Shun, v 3.</ref> Then he toured the eastern, the southern, the western, and the northern parts of the country; in each place he offered burnt-offering to Heaven at each of the four peaks ([[Mount Tai]], [[Huangshan|Mount Huang]], [[Mount Hua]] and [[Mount Heng (Hunan)|Mount Heng]]), sacrificed to the hills and rivers, set in accord the seasons, months, and days, established uniform measurements of length and capacities, and reinforced ceremonial laws.<ref name="Shun 4">Canon of Shun, v 4.</ref>

Shun divided the land into twelve provinces, raising altars upon twelve hills, and deepening the rivers.<ref name="Shun 5">Canon of Shun, v 5.</ref> Shun dealt with [[Four Perils]]: banishing [[Gonggong]] to [[You Prefecture]], confining [[:zh:驩兜|Huan-dou]] ({{lang|zh|驩兜}}) on Mount Chong ({{lang|zh|宗山}}), executing or imprisoning [[Gun (Chinese mythology)|Gun]] a prisoner till his death on [[Feather Mountain]] ({{lang|zh|羽}}), and driving the [[Miao people|San-Miao]] into [[:zh:三危山|San-Wei]].<ref name="Shun 6">Canon of Shun, v 6.</ref> Gun's son, [[Yu the Great|Yu]] ({{lang|zh|禹}}), was subsequently appointed as minister of work({{lang|zh|共工}}) to govern the water and the land.<ref name="Shun 9">Canon of Shun, v 9.</ref> Later, Shun appointed Yu to be General Regulator (Prime Minister).<ref name="Shun 9"/> Yu wished to decline in favour of the [[Minister of Agriculture]], or Xie ({{lang|zh|契}}), or [[Gao Yao (Xia Dynasty)|Gao Yao]], but finally accepted upon Shun's insistence.<ref name="Shun 9"/> Shun then appointed Chui ({{lang|zh|垂}}) as the new minister of work ({{lang|zh|共工}}).<ref name="Shun 13">Canon of Shun, v 13.</ref> Shun also appointed [[Yi (husbandman)|Yi]] as Minister of Animal Husbandry to govern the beasts and trees of the land,<ref name="Shun 14">Canon of Shun, v 14.</ref> [[Yi (husbandman)|Bo-yi]] as Priest of the Ancestral Temple to perform religious ceremonies,<ref name="Shun 15">Canon of Shun, v 15.</ref> Hui as Director of Music,<ref name="Shun 16">Canon of Shun, v 16.</ref> Long as Minister of Communications to counter deceptions and false reports.<ref name="Shun 17">Canon of Shun, v 17.</ref>

According to the ''Canon of Shun'', Shun began to reign at the age of 30, reigned with Yao for 30 years, and reigned 50 more years after Yao's abdication, then Shun died.<ref name="Shun 20">Canon of Shun, v 20.</ref> The ''[[Bamboo Annals]]'' state that Yao chose Shun as his heir three years before abdicating the throne to him. Both sources agree that after abdicating, Yao lived for another 28 years in retirement during Shun's reign.

In later centuries, Yao and Shun were glorified for their virtue by Confucian philosophers. Shun was particularly renowned for his modesty and filial piety (xiao {{lang|zh|孝}}).

==Legends==
[[File:Portraits of Famous Men - Emperor Shun.jpg|thumb|As depicted in the {{circa}} 1900 CE album ''Portraits of Famous Men'', housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art]]
[[Sima Qian]] claimed in Annals of the Five Emperors ({{lang|zh|五帝本紀}}) that Shun descended from the [[Yellow Emperor]] through the latter's grandson Emperor [[Zhuanxu]]. The [[Bamboo Annals]] (048) recorded the name of Shun's mother as Wodeng ({{lang|zh|握登}}), and Shun's birthplace as Yaoxu ({{lang|zh|姚墟}}). Wodeng died when Shun was very young. Shun's [[blindness|blind]] father Gusou ({{lang|zh|瞽叟}}, literally: "blind elder") remarried soon after Shun's mother's death. Shun's stepmother then gave birth to Shun's half brother Xiang ({{lang|zh|象}}) and a half-sister ([[Biographies of Exemplary Women|Liènǚ Zhuàn]], Ch. 1). Shun's stepmother and half brother treated Shun terribly, often forcing Shun to do all the hard work in the family and only giving him the worst food and clothing. Shun's father, being blind and elderly, was often ignorant of Shun's good deeds and always blamed Shun for everything. Yet, despite these conditions, Shun never complained and always treated his father, his stepmother, and his half brother with kindness and respect.

When he was barely an adult, his stepmother threw him out of the house. Shun was forced to live on his own. Yet, because of his compassionate nature and his natural leadership skills, everywhere he went, people followed him, and he was able to organize the people to be kind to each other and do the best they could. When Shun first went to a village that produced pottery, after less than one year, the pottery became more beautiful than they had ever been. When Shun went to a fishing village, the people there were at first fighting amongst themselves over the fishing grounds, and many people were injured or killed in the fights. Shun taught them how to share and allocate the fishing resources, and soon the village was prospering and all hostilities ceased.

When Emperor Yao became old, he became distressed over the fact that his nine sons were all useless, only knew how to spend their days enjoying themselves with wine and song. Yao asked his ministers, the [[Four Mountains]], to propose a suitable successor. Yao then heard of Shun's tales. Wise Yao did not want to simply believe in the tales about Shun, so he decided to test Shun. Yao gave a district to Shun to govern and married his two daughters to him, with a small dowry of a new house and some money.

Though given an office and money, Shun still lived humbly. He continued to work in the fields every day. Shun even managed to convince his two brides, the [[Xiang River goddesses|two princesses]], Yao's daughters, named Ehuang (Fairy Radiance) and Nüying (Maiden Bloom),{{sfnp|Murck|2000|p=9}} who were used to good living, to live humbly and work along the people. However, Shun's stepmother and half brother became extremely jealous and conspired to kill Shun. Once Shun's half brother Xiang lit a barn on fire, and convinced Shun to climb onto the roof to put the fire out, but then Xiang took away the ladder, trapping Shun on the burning roof. Shun skilfully made a parachute out of his hat and cloth and jumped down in safety. Another time, Xiang and his mother conspired to get Shun drunk and then throw him into a dried-up well and then bury him with rocks and dirt. Shun's half-sister, never approving of her mother and brother's schemes, told Shun's wives about the scheme. Shun thus prepared himself. Shun pretended to get drunk, and when he was thrown into the well, he had already a tunnel pre-dug to escape to the surface. Thus, Shun survived many attempts on his life. Yet, he never blamed his stepmother or his half brother, and forgave them every time.

Eventually, Shun's stepmother and half brother repented their past wrongs. Shun wholeheartedly forgave them both, and even helped Xiang get an office. Shun also managed to influence Emperor Yao's 9 worthless sons into becoming useful contributing members of society.

Emperor Yao was very impressed by all of Shun's achievements, and thus chose Shun as his successor and put him on the throne in the year of Jiwei ({{lang|zh|己未}}). Yao's capital was in Ji ({{lang|zh|冀}}) which in modern times is also in Shanxi province.

Shun is also renowned as the originator of the music called Dashao ({{lang|zh|大韶}}), a symphony of nine [[Chinese instruments|Chinese musical instruments]].

In the last year of Shun's reign, Shun decided to tour the country. But unfortunately, he died suddenly of an illness on the journey near the [[Xiang River]]. Both his wives rushed from home to his body, and wept by the river for days. Their tears turned into blood and stained the reeds by the river. From that day on, the bamboo of that region became red-spotted, which explains the origin of [[spotted bamboo]]. Then overcome by grief, both women threw themselves into the river and drowned.

Shun considered his son, Shangjun ({{lang|zh|商均}}), as unworthy and picked [[Yu the Great|Yu]], the tamer of floods, as his heir.

== Descendants ==
According to tradition, the [[Hu (surname)|Hu]] people are believed to be descendants of Emperor Shun. [[Gui Man]], a direct descendant of Shun, became known as [[Chen Hugong]] or [[Duke Hu of Chen]], meaning Duke [[Hu (surname)|Hu]] who founded the [[State of Chen]]. Later [[Chen dynasty]] emperors such as [[Chen Baxian]] would also claim descent from Shun.{{sfn|Yang|2003|p=121}}{{sfn|Han|2010|pp=2776–7}}

{{lang|vi|Hồ}} is the [[Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary|Sino-Vietnamese]] pronunciation of {{lang|zh|胡}} {{Transliteration|zh|pinyin|Hú}}. {{lang|vi|[[Hồ Quý Ly]]}}, the founder of the [[Hồ dynasty]], also claimed descent from [[Duke Hu of Chen]] and thereby direct descent from Shun.<ref name="DaiNgu-ThuyetTran">{{cite book|last1 = Trần|first1 = Xuân Sinh|title = Thuyết Trần|year = 2003|page = 403|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X4JuAAAAMAAJ&q=%22%C4%91%E1%BA%A1i+ngu%22|quote=...Quý Ly claims Hồ's ancestor to be [[Duke Hu of Chen|Mãn the Duke Hồ]] &#91;Man, Duke Hu&#93;, founding meritorious general of the [[Zhou dynasty|Chu dynasty]], king Ngu Thuấn's &#91;king Shun of Yu&#93; descendant, created his country's name Đại Ngu...}}</ref><ref name="DaiNgu-VNSL">{{cite book|last1 = Trần|first1 = Trọng Kim|author-link1=Trần Trọng Kim|title = Việt Nam sử lược | year = 1919 | volume = I | chapter = I.III.XI. | url=http://vi.wikisource.org/wiki/Việt_Nam_sử_lược/Quyển_I/Phần_III/Chương_XI | quote=Quí Ly deposed [[Trần Thiếu Đế|Thiếu-đế]], but respected &#91;the relationship&#93; that he &#91;Thiếu Đế&#93; was his &#91;Quí Ly's&#93; grandson, only demoted him to prince Bảo-ninh {{lang|vi|保寧大王}}, and claimed himself &#91;Quí Ly&#93; the Emperor, changing his surname to Hồ {{lang|vi|胡}}. Originally the surname {{lang|vi|Hồ}} &#91;{{lang|vi|胡}} Hu&#93; were descendants of the surname Ngu &#91;{{lang|vi|虞}} Yu&#93; in China, so Quí Ly created a new name for his country {{lang|vi|Đại-ngu 大虞}}.}}</ref> The [[Hồ (surname)|Hồ]] family in Vietnam originated from China's Zhejiang province around the 900s.<ref name="Taylor2013">{{cite book|author=K. W. Taylor|title=A History of the Vietnamese|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2HP31kOSA4C&pg=PA166|date=9 May 2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-87586-8|pages=166–}}</ref><ref name="Hall2008">{{cite book|author=Kenneth R. Hall|title=Secondary Cities and Urban Networking in the Indian Ocean Realm, C. 1400-1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gyPjBevBHxcC&pg=PA161|year=2008|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-2835-0|pages=161–}}</ref>

[[Tian (surname)|Tian]] ({{lang|zh|田}}) and [[Yuan (surname)|Yuan]] ({{lang|zh|袁}}) also claim descent from the [[State of Chen]].

==Alternative biography==
{{Infobox Chinese
|image= Emperor-shun-70a1a2ad-1038-4f50-8ec2-92b0fad34b3-resize-750.png
|caption=Modern depiction of Emperor Shun
}}{{Cleanup|date=June 2024|reason=Grammar, spelling, and copy-editing.}}
It is thought by some scholars that [[Mencius]] asserted "Shun was an [[Dongyi|Eastern barbarian]]; he was born in Chu Feng, moved to Fu Hsia, and died in Ming T'iao and that emperor Yao came to his field's with oxs and married his daughters to him and appointed him and that he did not reign as emperor until after yao died because they cannot be two rulers.<ref>''Mencius'' [https://ctext.org/mengzi/li-lou-ii "Li Lou II"] quote "{{lang|zh|舜生於諸馮，遷於負夏，卒於鳴條，東夷之人也。}}" translated by [[D. C. Lau|Lau, D. C.]] (1970) p. 128</ref> Additionally, the [[Bamboo Annals]] and [[Han Fei]] paint a very different picture of Shun. Both the Annals and the book [[Han Feizi]] stated that Shun overthrew Yao and left him in prison to die. [[Danzhu]], Yao's son and rightful heir, was banished and later defeated in battle. In addition, Han Fei stated that [[Yu the Great|Yu]] then rebelled and banished Shun.<ref>Tian, Ye, & Qian ''Myths of the Creation of Chinese'' (2020). p. 108-109</ref><ref>''Han Feizi'' [http://www2.iath.virginia.edu:8080/exist/cocoon/xwomen/texts/hanfei/d2.44/1/0/bilingual Ch. 44 "On Assumers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814171224/http://www2.iath.virginia.edu:8080/exist/cocoon/xwomen/texts/hanfei/d2.44/1/0/bilingual |date=2021-08-14 }}" txt: "{{lang|zh|舜偪堯，禹偪舜，湯放桀， 武王伐紂。此四王者，人臣弒其君者也，而天下譽之。}}"; translation: "Shun intimidated Yao, Yü intimidated Shun, [[Tang of Shang|T`ang]] banished [[Jie of Xia|Chieh]], and [[King Wu of Zhou|King Wu]] censured [[King Zhou of Shang|Chow]]. These four rulers were ministers who murdered their rulers, but All-under-Heaven have extolled them."</ref> This account was referenced in [[Li Bai]]'s poem "Distant Parting" ({{lang|zh|遠別離}}).<ref>[https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%81%A0%E5%88%A5%E9%9B%A2 遠別離] line 7. text: {{lang|zh|"或言(云)堯幽囚，舜野死。}}" translation: "Some said: Yao was confined in darkness. Shun died in the wilderness."</ref>

Han Fei also mentioned that Shun personally settled land and water disputes among farmers and fishermen by cohabitating with them.<ref name="Heiner Roetz 1993 37"/>

==Events of Shun's reign==
{{prose|section|date=September 2011}}
*In the 3rd year of his reign, he ordered [[Gao Yao (minister)|Jiutao]] ({{lang|zh|咎陶}}) to establish penalties to deal with various criminals.<!-- for what exactly? -->
*In the 9th year of his reign, the [[Queen Mother of the West]] came to worship in China and brought [[jade|white jade]] rings and [[Jue (vessel)|Jue (玦)]] as gifts.
*In the 14th year of his reign, Yu of Xia was appointed to manage disasters caused by floods and winds.
*In the 15th year of his reign, he appointed Houshi ({{lang|zh|后氏}}) to build the palace.
*In February of the 17th year, dancing was first taught at schools.
*In the 25th year of his reign, envoy of the Xishen ({{lang|zh|息慎}}) tribe came and, as gifts, brought the bow and arrow.
*In the 29th year, he ordered Ziyi ({{lang|zh|子义}}) to serve as duke in Shang.
*In the 30th year of his reign, his wife Mang ({{lang|zh|盲}}) died and was honored with a tomb built for her at Wei (渭).
*In the 32nd year of his reign, he transferred military power to Yu of Xia.
*In January of the 33rd year of his reign, he rewarded Yu of Xia for his achievement in managing the floods, in the aftermath of which, nine provinces were re-established in China.
*In the 35th year of his reign, he ordered Yu of Xia to send troops to Youmiao ({{lang|zh|有苗}}).<ref name="Phan2009">{{cite book|author=Chu Trinh Phan|title=Phan Châu Trinh and His Political Writings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVclx5JdRPAC&q=vo+vuong+emperor&pg=PA127|year=2009|publisher=SEAP Publications|isbn=978-0-87727-749-1|pages=127–}}</ref> After Yu achieved victory, Youmiao sent an envoy with a request to join China.
*In his 36th year of his reign, he ordered the Great Wall (of Shun's time, not the current [[Great Wall of China]]) to be torn down.
*In the 42nd year of his reign, the Xuandu ({{lang|zh|玄都}}) people came to worship him and brought precious jade as gifts.
*The winter of the 47th year of his reign was very warm and the grass did not die.
*In the 49th year of his reign, he moved to [[Mingtiao]] ({{lang|zh|鸣条}}), a place later called Haizhou ({{lang|zh|海州}}) during the [[Warring States period]]. His death came the following year, after a rule described as having lasted fifty years.

==See also==
{{div col}}
*[[Cangwu County]]
*[[Chen (surname)]]
*[[Chinese mythology]]
*[[Emperor Yao]]
*[[Great Flood (China)]]
*[[Imperial examination in Chinese mythology]]
*[[Jiuyi Mountains]]
*[[Xiang River]]
*[[Xiang River goddesses]]
*[[Yu the Great]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==References==
*"Canon of Shun" ({{lang|zh|舜典}}), [[Classic of History]] ({{lang|zh|書經}}), traditionally first compiled and edited by Confucius ({{lang|zh|孔夫子}}), in about Fifth to Sixth Century BC, in what is now China. Available [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sacred_Books_of_the_East/Volume_3/The_Shu/Part_2/Book_1 at Wikisource in English] and [https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%B0%9A%E6%9B%B8 in Chinese]. 
* {{cite book |title=Shiji |script-title=zh:史记 |language=Chinese |editor-last=Han |editor-first=Zhaoqi |year=2010 |publisher=Zhonghua Book Company |isbn = 978-7-101-07272-3 |chapter=Houses of Chen and Qi}}
*{{cite book|last=Murck|first=Alfreda|title=Poetry and Painting in Song China: The Subtle Art of Dissent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1eGqk66tvsQC&pg=PP1|year=2000|publisher=Harvard Univ Asia Center|isbn=978-0-674-00782-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Wu |first=K. C. |year=1982 |title=The Chinese Heritage |location=New York |publisher=Crown Publishers |isbn=0-517-54475-X}}
* {{cite book |title = Xi Zhou Shi |script-title = zh:西周史 |trans-title=History of the Western Zhou |language = Chinese |last=Yang |first=Kuan |authorlink=Yang Kuan |year=2003 |publisher = Shanghai People's Publishing House |isbn = 978-7-208-04538-5}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120415045747/http://threekingdoms.com/history.htm#2_3_2 Outlines of Early China History by Li Ung Bing]

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