Pre-Qin Figures and Stories (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Ma Yanhua et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: The pre-Qin period in Chinese history generally refers to the era from ancient times to the unification of China by Qin Shi Huang. Since the Shang Dynasty was the first to develop Chinese characters, the history before the Shang lacks written records, with most accounts being legends or speculations. For example, the alliance of the Yellow Emperor and the Flame Emperor to defeat the Chiyou tribe in the south, forming the Huaxia nation; the merit-based succession system of Yao and Shun; and Yu the Great controlling the floods while passing his own home three times without entering. However, traditional Chinese history textbooks treat the "Xia Dynasty" as a historical era, and we follow this practice by defining the pre-Qin period as spanning from the Xia Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty, encompassing the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties (21st century BC to 221 BC), a period of approximately two thousand years. The pre-Qin era was a turbulent time of significant changes in China's social system. Especially during the late Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Five Hegemons vied for power, and the Seven States engaged in annexation, with the rule of the Zhou already in name only. To compete for the position of unifying the empire, the feudal states strove to strengthen their national power, actively engaged in diplomacy, and welcomed talented individuals, creating a relatively open political environment. This period became a time of flourishing intellectual freedom in Chinese history, marked by and. A large number of figures profoundly influenced traditional Chinese culture emerged, such as Confucius and Mencius, the founders of Confucianism; Laozi and Zhuangzi, the founders of Taoism; Xunzi and Han Feizi, the founders of Legalism; the military strategist Sun Tzu; and the great poet Qu Yuan. They left behind many well-known and widely circulated stories, such as "Chicken Crowing and Dog Stealing," "Burning the Bed to Taste the Soup," "Returning the Jade to Zhao," and "Harmony Between the Minister and the General." Due to space constraints, we have selected only those historical figures who are relatively famous and whose stories are highly readable. Most of the character stories are adapted from official historical records, but some widely known folk tales that were not recorded in history, such as "Mengmu's Three Relocations," have also been included. This volume is part of the series "Stories of Ancient Chinese Historical Figures." To ensure historical completeness in reading, we have also included famous legendary figures from ancient times, such as "Nuwa Mending the Sky," "Pangu Creating the Universe," "The Battle of Yan Huang and Chiyou," and "Yu the Great Controlling the Floods."