Four Criminals

Si Zui
Clockwise: Huandou as seen in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Gonggong at war with Zhurong, Gun in small seal script, and Chi You, the progenitor of the Sanmiao tribe.
Chinese name
Chinese四罪
Literal meaningFour Evildoers
Four Criminals
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSì Zuì
Japanese name
Kanji四罪
Hiraganaしざい
Transcriptions
RomanizationShizai

The Four Criminals (四罪) are a semi-legendary group of individuals who allegedly caused significant hardship for the Youyu clan during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period of Chinese history. They are mentioned prominently in the Book of Documents.

In the Book of Documents

Zhurong at war with Gonggong.

The Four Criminals (四罪; Sì Zuì) are a set of individuals who caused great trouble for the rule of Emperor Yao of the Taotang clan and Emperor Shun of the Youyu clan.[1][2] Three of the criminals are of the Sanmiao tribe: Huandou, Gonggong, and the tribe itself. The last criminal, Gun, was of the Youxia clan. Gun's son, Yu the Great, would go on to found the Xia dynasty with the Youxia clan, having fulfilled his father's legacy of controlling the floods.[1]

According to the Bamboo Annals, Gonggong was the first of several individuals tasked with managing the Great Flood. This occurred during Emperor Yao's 19th year.[3] He failed, and this forced Yao to consult the Four Mountains for advice. According to the Canon of Yao in the Book of Documents, Huandou was seemingly surprised at the inadequacy of Gonggong, and Gun was recommended instead. Yao begrudgingly agreed, and so Gun went to manage the cataclysm. After nine years, no progress was made. His son, Yu, would be recommended to finish the job, and succeeded, thus being named Yu the Great. Gonggong and Gun would be exiled far away from Emperor Yao's territory for their incompetence. In response, Huandou would rebel against the Taotang and Youyu clan's increasing influence over the region, which resulted in him being defeated several times by Yu the Great during Emperor Shun's reign, which would put an end to the Sanmiao tribe. After this, the three, and the broader tribe, would be labelled as the Four Criminals.[4][1]

Identification

Zhang Shoujie's Correct Meanings of the Record of the Grand Historian (史記正義; Shǐjì Zhèngyì) identifies Huandou with Hundun (渾沌), Gonggong with Qiongqi (窮竒), Gun with Taowu (檮杌), and the Sanmiao (三苗) with Taotie (饕餮).[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Book of Documents "Canon of Shun" quote: “流共工于幽洲，放驩兜于崇山，竄三苗于三危，殛鯀于羽山，四罪而天下咸服。”
  2. ↑ Shiji "Annals of the Five Emperors" "請流共工於幽陵，以變北狄；放讙兜於崇山，以變南蠻；遷三苗於三危，以變西戎；殛鯀於羽山，以變東夷：四罪而天下咸服。"
  3. ↑ Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). "帝堯陶唐氏". 竹書紀年 [Bamboo Annals] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. 十九年，命共工治河。
  4. ↑ Fu, Sheng. "堯典". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 尚書 [Book of Documents] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project.
  5. ↑ Shiji Zhengyi "Volume 1" Siku Quanshu version, Zhejiang university's copy p. 133 pf 156
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