This is the eighth in a series of articles by Epoch Times staff describing the foundations of Chinese civilization, and setting forth the traditional Chinese worldview. The series surveys the course of Chinese history, showing how key figures aided in the creation of China’s divinely inspired culture. This instalment covers the reign and legacy of Yu the Great.
After bringing under control the cataclysmic flood that had inundated China for decades, Yu the Great became a key statesman under Emperor Shun. Working with other vaunted officials such as Hou Ji, the agricultural minister, and Gao Tao, the administrator of law, Yu’s task was to manage the officialdom itself.
While the flood had been subdued, it remained to be seen how China might be unified. The ravages of the disaster were far from being repaired, and chaos reigned. In the regions populated by the San Miao people, for instance, a despotic rebel regime that Emperor Yao had vanquished had again risen to strength.
Yu the Great appealed to Emperor Shun for permission to quell the unrest among the San Miao. “My moral qualities are limited,” Shun said. “But force of arms is not the way.” Yu took this to heart and spent three years influencing the San Miao using virtue instead of violence.
