China: Yu the Great (c. 2123-2025 BCE), legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty (2205-1766 BCE). Song Dynasty hanging scroll painting by Ma Lin (1180-1256), c. 1225-1256. Da Yu, commonly known as Yu the Great, was a mythical king of ancient China, best remembered for teaching the people techniques to tame rivers and lakes during The Great Flood. He founded the Xia Dynasty, which was the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. His supposed reign well predates the oldest-known written records in China, and therefore there is controversy and debate about whether he truly existed.

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Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
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