xia dynasty (c. 2070–c. 1600 bc),was an early Chinese dynasty mentioned in legends. According to legend, the founder was Yu, who was said to have engineered the draining of water from great flood. Yu allegedly made the rulership hereditary so it would run in his family, and that is the story of the founding of the first imperial dynasty in China. Tradition shows the names of that dynasty’s following 16 rulers, ending with Jie, who is said to have fallen in love with a beautiful but evil woman, who acted cruelly. This angered the people so they rose in rebellion, led by Zi Lü, who tradition says founded the Shang dynasty.