Mythological rulers In traditional
Chinese historiography, various models of mythological founding rulers exist. The relevancy of these figures to the earliest Chinese people is unknown, since most accounts of them were written from the
Warring States period ( BCE) onwards. The sinologist
Kwang-chih Chang has generalized the typical stages: "the first period was populated by
gods, the second by
demigods/
culture hero, and the third by the
legendary kings." The primordial god
Pangu is given by many texts as the earliest figure and is credited with
forming the world by separating heaven and earth. Other gods include
Nüwa, who repaired heaven;
Hou Yi, a mythical archer; and
Gonggong, a serpent-like
water deity. Demigod and hero rulers from hero myths—the largest group
Chinese myths—are attributed the invention of specific items, practices or traditions. Among the more important of them are
Fuxi, the inventor of hunting;
Suiren, who invented fire; and
Shennong, who invented both agriculture and medicine. The subsequent legendary kings began with the
Yellow Emperor (), known as
Huangdi, a major
culture hero of Chinese civilization whose reign was considered exemplary. Succeeding rulers include some combination of
Shaohao,
Zhuanxu,
Emperor Ku,
Emperor Yao and
Emperor Shun. Since the late Warring States onwards, early Chinese monarchs have traditionally been ground into the concept of the
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; however, the chosen figures of this grouping varies considerably between sources. Generally, most accounts include at least Fuxi and Shennong among the Three Sovereigns as well as the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun among the Five Emperors.
Xia dynasty The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period was followed by the
Xia dynasty in traditional historiography. Founded by
Yu the Great, both the dynasty and its rulers are of highly uncertain and controversial historicity.
Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) Unlike the Xia, the
Shang dynasty's historicity is firmly established, due to
written records on divination objects known as
Oracle bones. The oldest such oracle bones date to the
Late Shang (), during the reign of
Wu Ding (1250–1192), putting the exact details of earlier rulers into doubt.
Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE) ==Early imperial China==