Jie (Chinese: 桀), also spelled Chieh, was the last emperor of the Xia dynasty of China, and is blamed for its fall. He reputedly mistreated his people and became a tyrant. Records from the later Qin dynasty say that during the last year of Jie's reign, ice formed during the summer mornings and frosts occurred through July. Heavy rainfall toppled buildings, hot and cold weather arrived in disorder, and crops failed. Some scientists correlate this event with a volcanic winter, possibly due to the eruption of Thera c. 1628 BC.
Around 1700 BC, Tang, a leader of the Shang people to the east, succeeded in defeating Jie, bringing an end to the Xia dynasty and founding the Shang dynasty.
