"Xia Xiaozheng", this ancient popular science book, is the earliest phenological calendar in China.
What is a phenological calendar? To put it simply, phenology refers to the periodic phenomena of organisms, such as the germination of plants, the migration of migratory birds, the hibernation of animals, etc., which are closely related to agricultural production, and the phenological calendar is to record the relationship between these phenomena and agricultural production.
Although this ancient book is simple and simple, with about 400 words, the content is very rich, covering phenology and meteorology, agricultural activities, astronomical calendar, political affairs and other aspects.
In particular, major events related to production activities, such as farming, animal husbandry, fishing and hunting, gathering, sericulture, horse breeding, etc., are described in detail.
However, there is still controversy about the age of this document, and ancient scholars have lamented that "the text is simple and concise, and it is actually a book of three generations".
So, when was "Xia Xiaozheng" made? Let's explore the history of this precious document, which was the first to reflect the agricultural activities of our country.
Historically, some people believe that Xia Xiaozheng is the almanac of the Xia Dynasty because it has been used by the Qi Kingdom. Qi has a long history, is a descendant of the Xia Hou clan, was a prince of Yin, and later became a prince of Zhou.
Confucius wanted to investigate the political situation of the Xia Dynasty, but most of the documents of the Xia Dynasty had been lost, and he could only learn about the Xia Dynasty through Xia Xiaozheng. The Book of Rites also records a passage from Confucius, who said: "I want to observe the Xia Dao, which is a sacrifice for the past, but not enough to levy it."
I have to be in the summer. Taishi Gong said that "when Confucius was in the summer, scholars passed on "Xia Xiaozheng", and Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty said that "the book of the four seasons of Xia is also, and its survivor is "Xia Xiaozheng", thinking that the "summer time" obtained by Confucius is "Xia Xiaozheng".
The Bamboo Book Chronicle also said that "in the first year of Emperor Yu Xiahou's family, the emperor was in Hebei, and the summer was awarded in the state", and scholars of several later dynasties believed that it was "the testament of Xia", "Xihe relics", and "made for Yu Qi", but there was no basis.
In this regard, some people have put forward opinions, thinking that even if the Xia Dynasty has original writing, can it be written into a book "Xia Xiaozheng"? Therefore, it is believed to be an ancient book of the Xia Dynasty, which was preserved in the legend of the rufu, and was recorded as a book in the Spring and Autumn period.
It is also believed that it was written in the Western Han Dynasty, based on the fact that it first appeared in the Da Dai Li Ji compiled by Dai De of the Western Han Dynasty. Some modern scholars believe that it is the work of the early Zhou Dynasty, and some say that it is an appendix made by historians in the almanac, based on the contrast between the stars and the solar terms; Some people also believe that the calendar used in "Xia Xiaozheng" is an old classic issued on the occasion of the Yin Zhou Dynasty; Some people also say that it was formed between the Qin and Han dynasties, and the word "Xia" was added by later generations, and it was originally named "Xiaozheng".
Xia Xiaozheng records the calendar and solar terms of the Xia Dynasty, which is rich in content and has important value for us to understand the history and culture of the Xia Dynasty.
Xia Xiaozheng is a historical almanac, which records natural phenomena and agricultural activities in the order of the twelve months of the year, with a simple and primitive style.
From historical data and divination, it can be seen that the ancestors of the Xia Dynasty have begun to use the sexagenary branch to name it, which shows that as early as the Xia Dynasty, people have invented a more primitive calendar for observing time.
Xia Xiaozheng's "Dinghai Universal Admission" records the living and working conditions of people at that time, especially agricultural production, which has been quite developed, and the variety of crops has been prepared.
This document records the production and living conditions of the ancestors of the Xia Dynasty, including the construction of vegetable gardens and orchards, the existence of fishing and hunting, the importance of mulberry picking and silkworm raising, and the observation of astronomical phenomena.
Although handicraft production has not yet developed, the ancestors have accumulated a lot of astronomical knowledge and recorded a solar eclipse and a star-like event. In addition, the official and land system of the Xia Dynasty are also recorded in the literature.
In general, this document is the earliest document that reflects China's agricultural economy, and it is the accumulation of experience of the Xia Dynasty, which is of great significance for our study of the history and culture of the Xia Dynasty.