Ancient China · Ruler

Jie 桀

Jié

Attested BC 1600 - BC 1600

Passages: 46
Chapters: 29
Histories: 10

Overview

The translated histories identify Jie as a royal family member and ruler. This record brings together 46 passages from 29 chapters across 10 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Jie	桀	Jié
Title	Emperor Jie	帝桀	Di Jie
Title	Emperor Lugui	帝履癸	Di Lugui
Title	Emperor Lügui	帝履癸	Di Lügui
Personal name	Gui	癸	Gui
Personal name	Jie	桀	Jié
Personal	Jie	桀	Jie
Posthumous	Jie	桀	Jie
Personal name	Jie	桀	Jie
Personal name	Jie	桀
Alternate name	Jie	桀	Jie
Personal	Jie	桀
Personal name	Jie of Xia	夏桀	Xià Jié
Title	Jie of Xia	夏桀
Given	Lugui	履癸	Lugui
Personal name	Lügui	履癸	Lügui
Personal name	Xia Jie	夏桀	Xià Jié
Epithet	Xia Jie	夏桀	Xia Jie

Identity

Historicity: Uncertain
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:051:s0042, liaoshi:078:s0063, shiji:002:s0252, shiji:003:s0045, shiji:053:s0099, shiji:065:s0110, shiji:088:s0089, xinwudaishi:002:s0144
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:076:s0300, hanshu:101:s0022, houhanshu:032:s0104, liangshu:016:s0109, nanqishu:008:s0057, shiji:025:s0015, shiji:080:s0098, shiji:082:s0067, zhoushu:009:s0001
Sex: male
Derived · xintangshu:172:s0211
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:022:s0015, hanshu:068:s0058, shiji:013:s401

Roles

Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Death

Manner: banished then died / 放而死 · Place: Mingtiao / 鳴條
Explicit · shiji:002:s0256

Attested activity

Qualitative: legendary antiquity
Explicit · beiqishu:050:s0051, hanshu:022:s0015, hanshu:025:s0067, hanshu:051:s0042, hanshu:068:s0058, hanshu:101:s0152, houhanshu:032:s0104, liangshu:016:s0109, liaoshi:078:s0063, nanqishu:008:s0057, shiji:002:s0252, shiji:002:s0253, shiji:002:s0254, shiji:002:s0255, shiji:002:s0256, shiji:002:s0257, shiji:013:s401, shiji:053:s0099, shiji:065:s0110, shiji:082:s0067, shiji:088:s0089, shiji:099:s0012, xintangshu:172:s0211, xinwudaishi:002:s0144, zhoushu:009:s0018
Source Date: Text: 夏桀、殷紂 · Western Year: BC 1600
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:025:s0015
Source Date: Text: 夏桀 · Western Year: BC 1600
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:003:s0045
Source Date: Text: 紂負桀暴之累 · Western Year: BC 1600
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:080:s0098

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Child of Fa (發)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Origins and identity

Label: Xia house / 夏氏
Explicit · shiji:013:s409, shiji:013:s410

Career and standing

Status: exile · Action: entered · Place: Mingtiao / 鳴條
Explicit · shiji:002:s0256
Label: imprisoned Tang at the Xia tower / 囚之夏臺 · Action: imprisoned · Other Person Id: Tang (湯) · Place: Xia tower / 夏臺
Explicit · shiji:002:s0254
Label: released Tang / 釋之 · Action: released · Other Person Id: Tang (湯)
Explicit · shiji:002:s0254
Action: acceded · Label: established as emperor / 立
Explicit · shiji:002:s0252

Places and affiliations

Polity: Xia / 夏 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · shiji:002:s0253, shiji:002:s0255, shiji:025:s0015, shiji:088:s0089
Place: Xia tower / 夏臺 · Relation: held-captive-at · Other Person Id: Tang (湯)
Explicit · shiji:002:s0254, shiji:002:s0257
Place: Mingtiao / 鳴條 · Relation: fled-to
Explicit · shiji:002:s0256

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Statement: I rue not killing Tang in the Xia tower when I could—now I am brought to this pass. / 吾悔不遂殺湯於夏臺，使至此。 · Provenance: Mode: quotation · Speaker Person Id: Jie (桀)
Explicit · shiji:002:s0257

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: ruler · Action: accepted-evil-counsel · Other Person Ids: Yu Xin (于莘), Marquis of Chong (崇侯)
Explicit · hanshu:022:s0015
Kind: legal · Role: ruler · Action: executed · Other Person Ids: Long Feng (龍逢) · Outcome: good counsel rejected
Explicit · hanshu:022:s0015
Kind: political · Role: ruler · Action: faced-rebellions · Note: From Kongjia onward many lords rebelled against Xia / 自孔甲以來而諸侯多畔夏 · Other Person Id: Kong Jia (孔甲)
Explicit · shiji:002:s0253
Kind: military · Role: defeated-ruler · Action: fled · Place: Mingtiao / 鳴條 · Other Person Id: Tang (湯)
Explicit · shiji:002:s0256
Kind: military · Role: defeated · Action: fled · Place: Mingtiao / 鳴條
Explicit · shiji:003:s0062
Kind: military · Role: defeated ruler · Action: overthrown and captured by Tang and King Wu · Other Person Ids: Tang (湯), King Wu of Zhou (武王)
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0087
Kind: military · Role: participant · Action: wrestled-beasts-and-chased-horses
Explicit · shiji:025:s0015

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: brave-but-authority-failed · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · shiji:025:s0015, shiji:025:s0016, shiji:025:s0019
Assessment: caused-fall-of-Xia · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · nanqishu:008:s0057
Assessment: did not cultivate virtue but injured the people by force · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · shiji:002:s0253
Assessment: Hated by ten thousand ages without needing demotion from kingship · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Speaker Person Id: yu (予)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:002:s0144
Assessment: practiced evil and received Heaven's punishment · Provenance: Mode: quoted-speech · Speaker Person Id: Gongsun Hong (公孫弘)
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0059
Assessment: utter folly: can join in evil but not in good · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report · Source Work: the Tradition / 傳
Explicit · hanshu:022:s0015, hanshu:022:s0016

Source notes

Historicity: legendary
Strongly inferred · shiji:002:s0252
Historicity: legendary
Explicit · shiji:003:s0045, shiji:082:s0067, shiji:088:s0089, shiji:099:s0015, xintangshu:172:s0211
Value: legendary
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0020
Statement: seventeen generations from Yu to Jie; twenty from Yellow Emperor to Jie
Explicit · shiji:013:s409

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 50Volume 50 Biographies 42: Favored by Nobles · 1 passage

至說世祖云：「自古帝王，盡為灰燼，堯、舜、桀、紂，竟復何異？ He even told Shizu, "Every emperor since antiquity ends as ashes—what difference between Yao, Shun, Jie, and Zhou?

Book of Han, Chapter 20Table of Ancient and Modern Persons · 1 passage

桀紂，龍逢、比干欲與之為善則誅，于莘、崇侯與之為惡則行。 By contrast, with Jie and Zhou, Long Feng and Bi Gan were executed for trying to do what was right with them, while Yu Xin and the Marquis of Chong were followed when they proposed evil.

Book of Han, Chapter 22Volume 20: Prominent People from the Past Until the Present · 1 passage

桀紂，龍逢、比干欲與之為善則誅，于莘、崇侯與之為惡則行。 By contrast, with Jie and Zhou, Long Feng and Bi Gan were executed for trying to do what was right with them, while Yuxin and the Marquis of Chong were followed when they proposed evil.

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 3 passages

故以桀攻桀，猶有巧拙； Even tyrant-against-tyrant conflict leaves room for tactical skill;

以桀詐堯，若卵投石，夫何幸之有！ But trying to defeat true sage rule by trickery is like hurling an egg at rock.

湯、武征伐，陳師誓眾，而放禽桀、紂，所謂善陳不戰者也。 Tang and Wu's legitimacy made victory decisive once forces were arrayed, minimizing prolonged combat.

Book of Han, Chapter 48Volume 39: Xiao He and Cao Shen · 1 passage

相國為民請吾苑不許，我不過為桀紂主，而相國為賢相。 Had I refused your plea for the people, I would have ranked with Jie and Zhou, while you stood as the good minister.

Book of Han, Chapter 51Volume 42: Zhang, Zhou, Zhao, Ren and Shentu · 1 passage

昌仰曰：「陛下即桀、紂之主也。」 Zhou Chang looked him in the eye and said, "You are a sovereign in the mold of Jie or Zhou—the last kings of Xia and Shang."

Book of Han, Chapter 65Volume 56: Dong Zhongshu · 7 passages

聖王已沒，鐘鼓管弦之聲未衰，而大道微缺，陵夷至乎桀、紂之行，王道大壞矣。 The sage-kings are gone, but pipes and strings still sound, even as the great Way has thinned and cracked, sliding all the way to the tyranny of Jie and Zhou Xin, when the royal order collapsed.

故堯、舜行德則民仁壽，桀、紂行暴則民鄙夭。 Under Yao and Shun’s virtue the people grew humane and long-lived; under Jie and Zhou Xin’s cruelty they turned coarse and died young.

故朕垂問乎天人之應，上嘉唐虞，下悼桀、紂，浸微浸滅浸明浸昌之道，虛心以改。 So I ask how Heaven answers man, praising Yao and Shun above, mourning Jie and Zhou below, tracing how states fade or flourish—hoping to mend my ways with an open heart.

冊曰：「上嘉唐、虞，下悼桀、紂，浸微浸滅浸明浸昌之道，虛心以改。」 Your rescript asked me to praise Yao and Shun, mourn Jie and Zhou, and trace how kingdoms wither or wax—so you may reform with an open heart.”

此唐、虞之所以得令名，而桀、紂之可為悼懼者也。 That is how Yao and Shun won praise, and how Jie and Zhou became warnings.

故桀、紂暴謾，讒賊並進，賢知隱伏，惡日顯，國日亂，晏然自以如日在天，終陵夷而大壞。 Jie and Zhou grew cruel and slack; flatterers swarmed while sages hid; evil mounted, the realm rotted, yet they lolled as if the sun would never set—then came the crash.

夫暴逆不仁者，非一日而亡也，亦以漸至，故桀、紂雖亡道，然猶享國十餘年，此其浸微浸滅之道也。 Tyrants do not fall overnight; Jie and Zhou clung to the throne years after the Way was gone—such is the slow slide to ruin.

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 2 passages

若湯之旱，則桀之餘烈也。 Tang's drought was the aftertaste of Jie's evil reign.

桀、紂行惡，受天之罰； Jie and Zhou did wickedness and bore Heaven's stroke;

Book of Han, Chapter 74Volume 64a: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 1 · 1 passage

於是王謝曰：「雖湯伐桀，文王伐崇，誠不過此。 Liu An bowed and said: "Tang's war on Jie and King Wen's strike at Chong were no finer than this.

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

先生對曰：「昔者關龍逢深諫於桀，而王子比干直言於紂，此二臣者，皆極慮盡忠，閔王澤不下流，而萬民騷動，故直言其失，切諫其邪者，將以為君之榮，除主之禍也。 The gentleman replied, saying: "Formerly Guan Longpeng remonstrated deeply with Jie, and Prince Bigan spoke straight with Zhou—these two ministers both exhausted thought and fulfilled loyalty, pitied that the king's grace did not flow downward while the myriad people were restless; therefore they spoke straight of his faults and cut remonstrance of his wickedness, intending thereby to be the lord's glory and remove the ruler's disaster.

Book of Han, Chapter 89Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi · 2 passages

雖桀在上，不能去民好義之心，而能令其好義不勝其欲利也。 even under Jie you could not stamp out regard for right, yet there gain drowned duty.

故堯、桀之分，在於義利而已，道民不可不慎也。 The gulf between Yao and Jie is simply righteousness against profit—governing the people demands care.

Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 1 passage

曰：「臣聞膠西王有諛臣侯得，王所為擬於桀、紂也，得以為堯、舜也。 Gong Sui explained: "He kept a flatterer named Hou De who masked conduct worthy of Jie and Zhou with praise fit for Yao and Shun.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

吊夏桀於南巢兮，哭殷紂於牧野。 I mourn Jie of Xia besieged at Southern Nest and Zhou of Yin defeated at Muye.

Book of Liang, Chapter 16Volume 16: Wang Liang; Zhang Ji; Wang Ying · 1 passage

稷召尚書右僕射王亮等列坐殿前西鐘下，謂曰：「昔桀有昏德，鼎遷于殷； Ji summoned Right Vice Director Wang Liang and others to sit before the western bell in the hall and said, "Of old Jie had dark virtue, and the tripod moved to Yin;

History of Liao, Chapter 78Volume 78 Biographies 8: Yelu Yilage, Xiao Haili, Xiao Husi, Xiao Siwen, Xiao Jixian · 1 passage

湯之伐桀也，數其罪曰「並告無辜於上下神祇」； When Tang attacked Jie, he recited his crimes: "You have together reported the innocent to the spirits above and below";

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 8Volume 8 Annals 8: Emperor He of Southern Qi · 1 passage

史臣曰：夏以桀亡，殷隨紂滅，郊天改朔，理無延世。 The historian says: Xia perished through Jie; Yin fell with Zhou of Shang; when sacrifices to Heaven were changed and the calendar revised, dynastic rule could not be prolonged.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 2Annals of Xia · 5 passages

帝發崩，子帝履癸立，是為桀。 Fa died and his son Lügui was established; this was Jie.

帝桀之時，自孔甲以來而諸侯多畔夏，桀不務德而武傷百姓，百姓弗堪。 Under Jie, lords had rebelled since Kongjia's day; Jie cultivated force, not virtue, until the people could bear no more.

湯修德，諸侯皆歸湯，湯遂率兵以伐夏桀。 Tang built up his virtue until the lords rallied to him, then led an army against Jie.

桀走鳴條，遂放而死。 Jie fled to Mingtiao, was driven out, and died.

桀謂人曰：「吾悔不遂殺湯於夏臺，使至此。」 Jie said to those about him, "I rue not killing Tang in the Xia tower when I could—now I am brought to this pass."

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 3Annals of Yin · 3 passages

當是時，夏桀為虐政淫荒，而諸侯昆吾氏為亂。 At this time Jie of Xia governed with cruelty and excess, and the lords of Kunwu raised disorder.

湯乃興師率諸侯，伊尹從湯，湯自把鉞以伐昆吾，遂伐桀。 Tang then raised an army of the lords, yiyin at his side, and himself wielded the axe against Kunwu before marching on Jie.

桀敗於有娀之虛，桀奔於鳴條，夏師敗績。 Jie was beaten at Yousong, fled to Mingtiao, and his army was routed.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties · 2 passages

帝履癸，是為桀。 Emperor Lugui was Jie

從禹至桀十七世，從黃帝至桀二十世。 Seventeen generations from Yu to Jie; twenty generations from the Yellow Emperor to Jie.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 25Treatise on the Pitch-Pipes · 1 passage

夏桀、殷紂手搏豺狼，足追四馬，勇非微也； Xia Jie and Yin Zhou wrestled the jackals and wolves with their hands, chased the four horses with their feet—their bravery was not small.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 53House of Chancellor Xiao · 1 passage

相國為民請苑，吾不許，我不過為桀紂主，而相國為賢相。 You petitioned for the park on behalf of the people, and I refused. That only makes me a tyrant like Jie or Zhou, while you are a worthy minister.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 65Biographies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi · 1 passage

夏桀之居，左河濟，右泰華，伊闕在其南，羊腸在其北，修政不仁，湯放之。 Xia Jie resided with the Yellow River on the left and Mount Tai on the right, Yique Pass to the south and Yangchang to the north. He practiced unbenevolent government, so Tang exiled him.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 80Biography of Yue Yi · 1 passage

故紂負桀暴之累，二子不失忠聖之名。 Thus, Zhou carried the infamy of Jie's tyranny, while those two men kept their reputations as loyal sages.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 82Biography of Tian Dan · 1 passage

今又劫之以兵為君將，是助桀為暴也。 Now you would coerce me with armed force to serve as your general — that would be to aid a tyrant in his violence.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 88Biography of Meng Tian · 1 passage

桀殺關龍逢，紂殺王子比干而不悔，身死則國亡。 The tyrant Jie killed the loyal Guan Longfeng, and the tyrant Zhou killed Prince Bigan without remorse. Both perished, and their kingdoms fell with them.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 99Biographies of Liu Jing and Shusun Tong · 1 passage

公劉避桀居豳。 Duke Liu fled from Jie and settled at Bin.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 1 passage

隴西李衡在坐，曰：「使桀、紂為之，不是過也！」 Li Heng of Longxi, who was present, remarked, "Jie and Zhou could hardly have outdone this!"

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 2Volume 2 Later Liang Annals 2: Taizu 2 · 1 passage

桀、纣，不待贬其王，而万世所共恶者也。 Jie and Zhou needed no demotion from kingship—the ages have condemned them of themselves.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 9Volume 9 Biographies 1: Empresses · 1 passage

雖辛、癸之荒淫，趙、李之傾惑，曾未足比其髣髴也。 Even the debauchery of Kings Zhou and Li of old and the seductive sway of Zhao Feiyan and Lady Li of Han barely approach this in likeness.