China: Emperor Shun (c. 2294-2184 BCE), fifth and last of the legendary 'Five Emperors'. Han Dynasty mural, c. 151 CE. Emperor Shun, also known as Chonghua, Yu Shun and the Great Shun, was a legendary ruler of ancient China. Shun divided the land into twelve provinces, and dealt with the Four Perils, monsters and malevolent beings that plagued China. His successor, Yu, became the founder of the Xia Dynasty, and emperors from the Chen Dynasty claim descent from Shun. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are a blend of mythological rulers and cultural heroes from ancient China.
The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors (Sanhuang wudi; Wade–Giles: San-huang wu-ti) are a blend of mythological rulers and cultural heroes from ancient China dating loosely from the period from BCE. This represents the earliest period of recorded Chinese history and is regarded as largely mythological. In chronological terms it precedes the Xia Dynasty ( BCE). There are several variations as to who constitute the various Three Sovereigns and Seven Emperors. According to the Diwang Xishi or Record of Imperial Lineages, also called the 'Sovereign Series' in English, the Three Sovereigns were, in chronological sequence: Fuxi, Shennong and Huangdi. The same source lists the Five Emperors, again chronologically, as: Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Gaoxin, Yao and Shun.
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