Tai Kang () was the third king of the

Xia Dynasty The Xia dynasty () is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. According to tradition, the Xia dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great, after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors, gave the throne to him. In tradit ...

. He was the son of the king

Qi of Xia Qi () was a Chinese king, the son of Yu the Great and the second sovereign of the Xia dynasty. He ruled for roughly nine to ten years.戴逸, 龔書鐸. 002(2003) 中國通史. 史前夏商西周. Intelligence press. . p. 40. Biography ...

and paternal grandson of

Yu the Great Yu the Great (大禹) was a legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control, his establishment of the Xia dynasty which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and his upright moral character. He figures promine ...

and queen Nu Jiao.

Biography

Tai Kang loved to hunt and did not rule well. According to the ''

Bamboo Annals The ''Bamboo Annals'' (), also known as the ''Ji Tomb Annals'' (), is a chronicle of ancient China. It begins in the earliest legendary time (the age of the Yellow Emperor) and extends to 299 BC, with the later centuries focusing on the history ...

'', Tai Kang took the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mon ...

in the year of ''Guiwei''. His capital was in Zhenxun (斟鄩). In his first year, while he went hunting beyond the Luo river, Houyi came and occupied Zhenxin. Tai Kang died 4 years later, or according to the book Lushi, 10 years later. According to ''

Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese his ...

'', he ruled about 19 years and lost his regime. "Taiping Yulan" claims he was a tyrant who ruled for 29 years, then lost his regime and vanished. He was succeeded by his brother

Zhong Kang Zhong Kang () was the fourth king of the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in traditional Chinese history. Family Zhong Kang was a son of king Qi of Xia and thus the younger brother of Tai Kang. He was the father of Xiang of Xia. Reign According ...

and nephew

Xiang of Xia Xiang () is the name of a king of the semi-legendary Xia dynasty who is said to have reigned during the 3rd millennium BC. He was the fifth king of the Xia dynasty. Biography Xiang had been preceded on the throne of Xia by his father Zhong Kang ...

. In some sources, Tai Kang was drowned in a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

In literature

The ''

Book of Documents The ''Book of Documents'' (''Shūjīng'', earlier ''Shu King'') or ''Classic of History'', also known as the ''Shangshu'' (“Venerated Documents”), is one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. It is a collection of rhetoric ...

'' features ''Songs of the Five Sons'' (五子之歌) among the documents of Xia (Chapter 8). According to the introductory note, the document contains the pieces composed by Tai Kang's five younger brothers when he lost the country. Yongbieocheonga mentions the king as a person that should not be imitated.Chapter 125,"Your highness,you should know. Would you just rely on the care of your ancestors following the footsteps of tai kang who went on a picnic at the luo river because he believed his ancestors will take care of him?" (님금하, 아ᄅᆞ쇼셔. 낙수(洛水)예 산행(山行) 가 이셔 하나빌 미드니ᅌᅵᆺ가.)

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Tai Xia dynasty kings