15. The Fall of King Taikang and the Comeback of King Shaokang
After Qi, the son of Yu the Great, founded the Xia dynasty with his military power, he set up a new rule of hereditary monarchy—power passed from father to son. But tying the fate of a dynasty to bloodline was like gambling: if the heir lacked wisdom or strength, disaster was almost certain. Indeed, when Qi died, the Xia dynasty quickly faced its first major crisis, one that nearly wiped it out. Historians call this period “The Fall of Taikang” and “The Restoration of Shaokang.”
Hidden Dangers in Peaceful Times
Toward the end of Qi’s reign, peace and stability led to arrogance and luxury. The hardships Yu endured taming floods, and the struggles Qi faced in the Battle of Gan, were forgotten. When Qi passed away, his son Taikang inherited the throne.
Unlike his grandfather and father, Taikang grew up in the palace, sheltered from hardship. He was obsessed with hunting and pleasure, and ignored state affairs. Records describe him as one who “wandered in hunting fields and cared nothing for the people.” He would leave the capital for months at a time, leaving the government paralyzed. Ministers had no direction, and the people’s loyalty weakened.
Hou Yi’s Coup
At this time, a powerful threat arose from within the Xia system itself: Hou Yi, leader of the Youqiong tribe in the east. Hou Yi was famed as an expert archer. Likely a vassal under Qi, he had grown influential and ambitious.
When Taikang once again left the capital for a long hunting trip—this time gone for a hundred days—Hou Yi seized the opportunity. He led troops to block Taikang from returning across the Yellow River. With his way home cut off, Taikang was stranded in exile at Yangxia (modern Henan’s Taikang County), where he eventually died. This event became known as “The Fall of Taikang.”
Hou Yi did not immediately proclaim himself king. Instead, he placed Taikang’s younger brother, Zhongkang, on the throne, keeping real power in his own hands. Zhongkang lived in sorrow, essentially a puppet emperor, until he died.
Han Zhuo’s Treachery
Hou Yi himself repeated Taikang’s mistakes. He enjoyed hunting and neglected government, handing power to his trusted minister, Han Zhuo, a cunning and ruthless man.
Han Zhuo betrayed him, killed Hou Yi, and even took his wife. He then carried out a brutal purge of the Xia royal family. Emperor Xiang, Zhongkang’s son, fled to allies in Diqiu (modern Henan). But Han Zhuo’s son, Han Jiao, led armies to destroy Xiang’s supporters, killing him as well.
For a time, it seemed the Xia royal bloodline had been completely erased. Han Zhuo declared himself king, and for decades, China entered what was called a “kingless period,” with the Xia dynasty’s legitimacy broken.
Hope in Despair: The Rise of Shaokang
Yet hope often hides in the darkest places. When Emperor Xiang was killed, his wife, pregnant at the time, escaped through a wall and fled to her family in the Youren tribe (modern Shandong). There she gave birth to a son: Shaokang, the future restorer of Xia.
Shaokang grew up among the Youren people and later became a herdsman. When Han Jiao heard rumors of a surviving Xia heir, he sent troops to kill him, forcing Shaokang to flee again. He found refuge in the state of Yu (modern Henan), where the ruler, loyal to the Xia line, sheltered him. Shaokang was given a small plot of land called Lun (about ten square kilometers), 500 followers, and even married the ruler’s daughters. For the first time, Shaokang had a secure base.
He used Lun as the seed of revival, governing wisely, spreading kindness, and secretly gathering support from Xia loyalists. Among them was an old Xia minister named Mi, who had fled after Hou Yi’s death and rallied survivors from the destroyed clans. Together, they prepared for revenge.
Meanwhile, Han Zhuo’s sons ruled harshly, provoking hatred from the people. The time was ripe.
The Restoration War
Shaokang carefully planned his comeback. He sent a spy named Nu Ai into Han Jiao’s camp to gather intelligence, and dispatched his son Ji Zhu to trick and weaken Han Zhuo’s younger son. Then, Shaokang himself led an army—backed by Yu, Mi, and other loyalists—against the Han family.
After fierce battles, Shaokang’s forces crushed Han Zhuo’s sons, killing them and ending their line. He marched back into Xia’s former capital, reclaiming the throne. When word spread, lords from across the land came to pay tribute, acknowledging him as the rightful king.
Shaokang’s Restoration and Its Legacy
Once on the throne, Shaokang ruled with diligence, learning from past disasters. He cared for the people, restored order, revived agriculture, and strengthened the dynasty. Historians call this period the “Restoration of Shaokang” .
The story carries deep lessons:
- The weakness of hereditary rule – An unworthy ruler like Taikang could nearly destroy a dynasty.
- The resilience of legitimacy – Even after decades of usurpation, people still saw the Xia line as the true authority, giving Shaokang the foundation for revival.
- The power of perseverance – Shaokang’s journey from a hunted child to a great restorer shows extraordinary resilience and determination.
With Shaokang’s victory, the Xia dynasty survived its first great crisis and continued for centuries, until it finally fell to the Shang. Shaokang’s comeback became one of the earliest and most famous examples of political revival in Chinese history.