Imperial Facts About Chinese Emperors
"If officials of the imperial court do not behave properly, how can you ask ordinary people to behave properly?"
—Emperor Shizong of Jin
Chinese history is, in many ways, the history of the world. Of all nations on Earth, the Chinese boast one of the longest continuous histories as a people—as well as one of the most diverse and engaging. Indeed, in one form or another, there has been an entity similar to modern China for thousands and thousands of years.
But while today's China becomes a more powerful player on the global stage, its historical influence over world affairs has waxed and waned over the years. That relative instability, combined with various other factors, has led to a strange amount of disinformation or disinterest in Western nations when it comes to Chinese history. Many otherwise well-educated and well-informed citizens of the world know next to nothing about the powers that shaped (and continue to shape) this massive nation.
So what sort of men and women have ruled China over the years? Who were some of its best and worst emperors, and how did they leave their mark on the world? Read more about them in these 42 facts.
Chinese Emperors Facts
42. Long-Lasting
Depending on how you count them, there have been at least 21 different dynasties that have ruled, at least in part, the land we currently call China.
These dynasties stretch from around 1600 BC to 1911 AD. That's no flash in the pan! And that amount of longevity can present certain challenges for anyone looking to learn more about Chinese culture. After all, any empire which has existed for so long will have no doubt gone through many phases, many cultural moments.
As with any nation on Earth, it's worth remembering that China (and Chinese history) is not one single, monolithic entity. It is the cumulative story of the countless millions who have made the country home.
41. Did It Exist?
Each of those 21 dynasties we mentioned left a mark on the land and the culture of modern China. They are remembered and studied by historians, archaeologists, and other experts.
They're stories and influence are, for the most part, inescapably factual.
But there may well have been another dynasty. One that exists primarily in legend, myth, and oral history.
The Xia Dynasty is said to have ruled China for 500 years, until about 1600 BC. But evidence of that claim is hard to dig up. Literally. Because a cohesive system of writing did not appear in China until well after the Xia Dynasty is supposed to have existed, the only possible record of their influence must be found in the archeological record. And when people have lived in one place for so long, digging up the remains of a civilization from 4000 years ago gets incredibly tricky.
Imagine going back to a sandbox you played in as a 4-year-old and trying to find some piece of evidence that you were there before. Then multiply the difficulty of that task by a factor of about a billion.
That's why the Xia Dynasty, at least for now, has to be considered to only a story. The evidence just isn't there.
Yet.
40. We’re Not Gonna Take It!
One aspect of the Xia dynasty which has been preserved (at least in the writing of those who lived long after) is the terrifying rule of its last emperor.
Xia Jie was said to be pitilessly cruel and indulgent in his own selfish desires. He was said to ride his advisors as if they were horses. His social manner was crude and unnatural. And it's even claimed that ordered the construction of a small lake, filled with wine instead of water, into which he also dumped men and women for who knows what end (we have some guesses though).
Jie's rule was so intolerable that he was eventually overthrown by a man named Tang, who founded the Shang dynasty. The legend of Xia Jie is so complete, in fact, that the Chinese continue to use his name as a shorthand for a necessary change of leadership due to cruel tyranny.
Sounds like a heck of a legacy...
