China: Emperor Yao (c. 2356-2255 BCE), fourth of the legendary 'Five Emperors'. Song Dynasty hanging scroll painting by Ma Lin (1180-1256), c. 1225-1256. Yao/Tang Yao was a legendary Chinese ruler, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. According to the legends, he became emperor at the age of 20, ruling for 73 years before abdicating to Shun the Great, to whom he had given his two daughters in marriage. The Great Flood began during his reign. He died aged 119. 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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Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: 1225-1256, 13th, art, arts, asia, asian, century, china, chinese, dynasty, east, emperor, emperors, flood, great, gun-yu, hanging, heaven, historical, history, image, images, imperial, king, leader, legend, legendary, lin, ma, mandate, monarch, monarchy, myth, mythical, mythological, painting, pictures, regent, royal, royalty, ruler, sanhuang, scroll, song, sovereigns, tang, wudi, yao
