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Jie the Tyrant
Jie the Tyrant


Tales that have grown up about Jie, last king of the Xia dynasty (c. 21st-16th centuries BC), picture him as highly intelligent and immensely strong, able to subdue wild beasts and straighten hooks of - interestingly enough - iron with his bare hands. He made continual forays into neighbouring states.

In the state of Youshi (in today's southern Shandong province ) to the east of Xia was a woman named Meixi famed for her beauty. King Jie invaded Youshi and forced it's rulers to hand her over. Then he mounted an expedition against the state of Minshan to the west (in the north of Sichuan province) and made it pay him a huge tribute in gold and precious stones and give him two beautiful maidens, Wan and Yan. He also conquered the state of Min (southwestern Shandong), and enslaved its entire population.

In his own country, Jie made his subjects build lavish palaces and places of entertainment for him . One palace almost outstripped the technology of his day and, it is said, was built so high that it seemed on the verge of collapsing. So it was called Qinggong- the Tottering Palace. Later historical accounts describe its magnificence with corridors inlaid with ivory, beds of white jade, and painted pillars, carved beams and tapestry-hung windows in all of its innumerable chambers. To further embellish his palace, Jie ordered his vassals to gather and send him rare treasures, and to select the most beautiful women from among the populace to live in it. Of dancing girls alone, he had some 3,000.

The book Biographies of Famous Women written by Liu Xiang in the first century BC relates that Jie had a pond big enough for rowing boats dug in his garden and filled with wine. He ordered chunks of cooked meat stacked on the surrounding hillsides and tasty viands hung on the trees. Here he spent his days carousing with his beauties.

In his dissipation Jie paid no attention to affairs of state. He once spent more than a hundred days in the depths of his palace without seeing his ministers, who were highly incensed. One of them remonstrated with him, saying "The kings and emperors of old have always husbanded the strength of their people. Your luxury and extravagance will certainly bring about the downfall of the country". Jie merely laughed. "Everything under heaven belongs to me" he said. "I am like the sun in the sky. Will the sun ever be extinguished?" And he went on with his carousing.

Another minister named Guan Longfeng, sickened by his monarch's behavior, went to him a few days later with a scroll on which was painted a portrait of Yu the Great, founder of the dynasty, curbing the flood waters that had ravaged the land . King Jie should keep in mind how hard his ancestors had worked to establish the dynasty, the minister said, otherwise the country was doomed. Jie flew into a rage and ordered his attendants to wrest the scroll from Guan and throw it into the fire. Guan continued to argue with Jie until he was taken out and beheaded.

After that Jie became even more arrogant and self-willed. In fits of rage he would decree cruel punishments for innocent people, such as having their noses or feet cut off, simply to assert his absolute authority.

The people of Xia hated Jie. Since he had likened himself to the sun, they would point to the sun and say, "When will you perish! Let it be soon, even it means that we perish with you!"

Meanwhile the new and powerful Shang state had risen. Its ruler Tang, who is pictured as an upright man, had united several tribes. Jie's dissipation made Xia a prime target for conquest.

A great battle between Xia and Shang took place at Wutiao, north of today's Kaifeng in Henan province. Jie remained arrogant and autocratic up to the time of his demise. Believing himself to be invincible, he did not take the impending battle seriously. In fact, he took along many of his beauties and continued his revels at the front. On the day before the battle he told them: "This will be even more fun to watch than a hunt. I'll take you along. I've never been defeated ."

But things turned out contrary to Jie's expectations. Soon after the battle began, a heavy storm blew up and the Xia force, whose training has been neglected, fell into confusion. The Shang forces, on the other hand, fought with dogged perseverance. Jie, watching the battle from a mountain top, realized that he had lost and ordered a retreat. Tang pursued the fleeing Jie's army all the way to the Xia capital . Jie was forced to flee, but was captured by Tang and kept in exile till he died.

Legend adapted courtesy of Shanghai on Internet

UPDATE[ 2007-10-28 ]    HIT[ 4814 ]
 
 
 
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