China & TibetAsia

Xia dynasty

c. 2070 – c. 1600 BCE · about 470 years approximate dates

The Xia is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese history, said to have been founded by Yu the Great after taming great floods. Its historicity is debated, though some archaeologists link it to the Erlitou culture.

Key facts

Dates	c. 2070 – c. 1600 BCE
Region	China & Tibet
Continent	Asia
Founder	Yu the Great (traditional)
Religion(s)	Chinese folk religion
Peak extent	≈ 0.45 million km² (c. 1800 BCE) – source

Note on dates: Historicity debated; dates are traditional.

Before & after

Followed by

Shang dynasty

Sources

Wikipedia – Xia dynasty
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.