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Yao
| Asian Mythology: Yao |
The legendary Chinese Emperor Yao (see Chinese Emperors) said to be the Han ancestor was unpretentious and diligent and remains of great importance to Confucianists (see Confucius). He wore simple clothes and during times of starvation and a great flood (see Chinese Flood) he stood firmly with his suffering people. The gods stood behind Yao, making rice out of his horses' straw and leading him to inventions, such as that of the calendar. In this latter endeavor he had the help of Xi and his two brothers and He and his two brothers (see Xihe). Each of these figures was assigned a cardinal direction and a season. Through his organization of time and space, Yao brought about a balance of Yin and Yang (see Yinyang). Many stories are told of the great Yao, including that of the bird with double eyeballs given him by one of his provinces. The bird looked like a rooster but sounded like a phoenix. It was capable of shedding its feathers and flying without them and it could defeat evil spirits. Yao lived for a century. Instead of choosing his evil son Dan Zhu to succeed him, Yao chose the wise Shun (see Shun).
| Wikipedia: Yao (ruler) |
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| Yao | |
|---|---|
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| Chinese Emperor Yao. Color on silk, Song Dynasty. National Palace Museum | |
| Reign | 2333 BC-2234 BC (100 years)[1] |
| Predecessor | Emperor Zhi |
| Successor | Emperor Shun |
| Full name | |
| Yi Qi Fang Xun 伊祁放勳 | |
| Dynasty | Tao Tang |
| Born | 2324 BC Gaoyou, Jiangsu or Tianchang, Anhui |
| Died | 2206 BC (aged 118) |
Yao (simplified Chinese: 尧; traditional Chinese: 堯; pinyin: Yáo; Wade-Giles: Yao) (2358 - 2258 BC)[citation needed] was a Chinese ruler, one of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors. Also known as Taotang-shi (陶唐氏), he was born Yi Fangxun (伊放勳) or Yi Qi (伊祁) as the second son to Emperor Ku and Qingdu (慶都). He is also known as Tang Yao (唐堯).
Often extolled as the morally perfect sage-king, Yao's benevolence and diligence served as a model to future Chinese monarchs and emperors. Early Chinese often speak of Yao, Shun and Yu as historical figures, and contemporary historians believe they may represent leader-chiefs of allied tribes who established a unified and hierarchical system of government in a transition period to the patriarchal feudal society. In the Book of History, (aka the Classic of History) one of the Five Classics, the initial chapters deal with Yao, Shun, and Yu. Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) said that Yao and Shun were the best of all men (section 5, The Sign of Virtue Complete).
According to legend, Yao became the ruler at 20 and died at 119 when he passed his throne to Great Shun, to whom he gave his two daughters in marriage.
Of his many contributions, Yao is said to have invented the game of Go, reportedly as an amusement for his slow-witted son Danzhu (丹朱). After the customary three year mourning period after Yao's death, Shun named Danzhu as the ruler but the people only recognized Shun as the rightful heir.
The Bamboo Annals offers a different story. Shun rebelled and imprisoned Yao where he is left to die. Danzhu is exiled and later defeated by Shun.
See also
External links
Notes
- ^ According to the Records of the Grand Historian
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Yao (ruler)
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Zhi |
Emperor of China c. 2358 BC – c. 2258 BC |
Succeeded by Shun |
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 | Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Asian Mythology. A Dictionary of Asian Mythology. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by David Leeming. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Yao (ruler)". Read more |
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