Shaohao

Shaohao, also known as Jin Tian, was a legendary Chinese sovereign, usually identified as a son of the Yellow Emperor. According to some traditions, such as that within the Book of Documents, Shaohao is one of the Five Emperors. His place in the mythical lineage of the Yellow Emperor has been subject to controversy. Members of the 19th–20th century Doubting Antiquity School of historians posited that Shaohao was added to the orthodox succession legend by Liu Xin as part of a politically motivated campaign revising ancient texts . Standard legend Though its provenance can only be reliably traced from the 1st century AD onwards, the traditional story of Shaohao posits him as a son of the Yellow Emperor., Furthermore, he ruled as the leader of the Dongyi for 84 years, during which he moved the capital to Qufu. He was succeeded by his nephew Zhuanxu, the son of his brother Changyi. However, the Shiji did not list an emperor between the Yellow Emperor and Zhuanxu. Shaohao is mentioned therein as a person living between the two fretting over an incompetent son, labelled as Qiongji. If Shaohao were to be identified with Xuanxiao—claimed by the Shiji to be the Yellow Emperor's eldest son—the incompetent Qiongji would be identified with Jiaoji, Xuanxiao's only known offspring. Jiaoji was also passed over to serve as emperor; however, his son Ku, as well as his grandsons Zhi and Yao, would all ultimately become emperors. The site traditionally claimed to be Shaohao's tomb is located in present-day Jiuxian village on the eastern outskirts of Qufu, most likely constructed during the Song dynasty. The site also includes Shou Qiu, a pyramidal monument marking the legendary birthplace of the Yellow Emperor.