Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-20-12 21:59
求人須求英雄漢,---Qiu2 ren2 xu qiu2 ying xiong2 han4,
濟人須濟急時無.---Ji4 ren2 xu ji4 ji2 shi2 wu2.
When in need, go to someone benevolent,
To lead a hand, to those in need.
-------------------------------------------------------
The 66th most common Chinese surname XIA 夏 (066)
Xia means: summer; the name of an ancient dynasty.
The surname Xia is about 3,000 years old.
The surname Xia originated in an area referred to during the Qin Dynasty
(秦朝 221BC to 207BC) as the Huiji prefecture (會稽郡). The present day
location of Huiji prefecture is near the city of Suzhou (蘇州 120.6 degree
East and 31.2 degree North on the world map) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省
).
According to the Chinese historical records, in about 2205BC Shun Di (舜
帝), the chief of federated tribes in ancient China, abdicated and Si Wenming
(姒文命) was elected as the new leader who was then known as Yu Di (禹帝
). Yu Di established his capital at Anyi (安邑 present day Xia Xian 夏縣
in Shanxi province 山西省). In 2198BC Yu Di died in Huiji (會稽 near the
present day Suzhou city 蘇州市 in Jiangsu province 江蘇省), while he was
on a tour cum inspection of the rivers there. His elder son named Si Qi
(姒啟) succeeded him as the leader of the Xia people.
According to the tradition the leadership was elected and not inherited
from the father. A tribe called Youhu (有扈), living in the area of present
day south of Luoyang (洛陽) city in Henan province (河南省), rebelled against
him and declared his leadership null and void. The leader of this tribe
proclaimed that his domain was independence and he pulled his tribe out
from the federation. Si Qi attacked Youhu and a battle was fought at Ganyi
(甘邑), in the present day south of Luoyang city in Henan province. The
rebellion tribe was defeated and its leader was killed in the battle.
Si Qi changed the rules of succession and decreed that from then on the
leadership of the federated tribe was to be passed down from the father
to the son. Si Qi proclaimed the he was the King of his Kingdom which was
to be called the Xia Dynasty (夏朝 2100 BC to 1600BC). Since the, the Xia
Dynasty had been in existence for about 440 years from 2205BC to 1766BC.
All in all there were sixteen rulers during this period until it was destroyed
by Zi Tianyi (子天乙) the leader of the Shang Clan (商族). Zi Tianyi founded
the Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC to 1122BC).
There were seventeen generations and thirty one kings, during the Shang
Dynasty which was in existence for more than six hundred years until in
1122BC when Ji Fa, (姬發) who was the leader of the Zhou Clan (周族), destroyed
it. Ji Fa established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC) and was known
as Zhou King Wu (周武王). Zhou King Wu inherited a vast country, but the
primitive communications at that time made it impossible to govern such
a big country from a central administration efficiently; instead, Zhou King
Wu delegated authority to people he trusted such as relatives, officials,
generals and aristocrats, to rule on his behalf.
An offspring of Yu Di, Dong Lougong (東樓公) had assisted Zhou King Wu in
destroying the preceding Shang Dynasty. Zhou King Wu delegated him with
authority to rule a place called Qi (杞 present day Qi county 杞縣 in Henan
province). Zhou King Wu also bestowed upon him the heritable title of Bo
(伯) or Earl. Dong Lougong renamed his new domain the State of Qi (杞國)
and he was known as Qi Bo (杞伯) or the Earl of Qi. His descendants inherited
his title and continued to rule Qi until during the Warring States Period
(戰國時間453BC to 221BC). In 445BC Qi was subjugated by the State of Chu
(楚國), which is in present day Jiangling county (江陵縣) in Hubei province
(湖北省).
The ruler of Chu who conquered Qi was called Xiong Zhang (熊章), the 29th
ruler, who ruled Chu from 488BC to 431BC. The last ruler of Qi was Qi Jianbo
(杞簡伯). After the extinction of the State of Qi, a younger brother of
Qi Jianbbo called Tuo (佗) fled to the State of Lu (魯國 present day Qu
Fu county 曲阜縣 in Shandong province 山東省). The ruler of Lu at that time
was Ji Ning (姬寧), the 26th ruler. Knowing that Tuo was a descendant of
Yu Di, Ji Ning appointed him to administer a place so that he could sustain
his family. In remembrance of the extinct Xia Dynasty that his ancestors
once reigned for over four hundred years, Tuo adopted XIA (夏) as his surname.
His offspring continued to use Xia as their surname.
The couplet of surname Xia
夏姓望族,---Xia xing4 wang4 zu2
居會稽郡.---Ju Huiji jun4.
The surname Xia originated and began
To proliferate from Huiji Prefecture.
.........................................................
Prominent persons produced by Xia clan
(1) Xia Yan (夏衍 1900 to 1995)
Xia Yan was born in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejian province (浙江省). He entered
Zhejiang First-rank Industrial College (浙江甲种工業學校, part of Zhejiang
University) in 1915. Xia Joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1927 after
completing his education in Japan. He helped to create the Art Theatre in
1929 and 1930 and became one of the leaders of the newly created League
of Leftist Writers. He also helped to create the Dramatists League. But
he worked as a journalist during the revolutionary struggle against the Japanese
occupation and continued his creative endeavours. He was a playwright and
screenwriter.
Amongst the dozens of plays and screenplays penned by Xia Yan, the most
renowned works was "Under the Eaves of Shanhai (1937) and The Fascist Bacillus
(1944)". He rose to the position of vice-minister for culture by the 1960s
but later spent eight years in prison following the Cultural Revolution.
Today the Xia Yan Film Literature Awards are named in his honour.
............................................................................
(2) Xia Gui (夏圭)
Xia Gui was born in the present day Hangzhou 杭州 in Zhejiang province 浙
江省) during the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD). He was an art lecturer
in an art school during the reign of Emperor Ning Zong Zhao Kuang (寧宗皇
帝趙擴 1195AD to 1224AD). Painting portrait, water and mountain was his
speciality. He was one of the four best known artists at his time. He had
compiled many of his paintings into books and best known one was "江山佳
勝 Jiang Shan Jia Sheng".
........................................................
(3) Xia Mian Zun (夏丏尊 1890AD to 1946AD)
Xia Mian Zun was born in the county of Shao Xing (紹興縣 in Zhejiang province
浙江省) during the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD to 1911AD). Xia Mian Zun was
an educationist and a teacher. However, he resigned his teaching post and
opened a bookshop called Kai Ming Bookshop (開明書店). He also established
a magazine called "中學生雜誌" for the high school students in the country.
He had helped the Education Department in compiling many school text books
for students. He was the co-author of the books "文心 Wen Xin". "文章 Wen
Zhang" and "文章作法 Wen Zhang Zuo Fa".
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiswind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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