Who is Da Yu / Yu the Great from Dragon Bones: A Novel and what is their importance?

Da Yu (Yu the Great) was the founder of the Xia dynasty in China. He was hired by King Shun to control the floods after his father, Kun, failed to do so. Yu was given a gui as a symbol of his task, and in legend, he then created mountains and gorges to guide the river to the sea, and in this way, he stopped the great floods. He was also credited with teaching the people of agriculture and animals, and with helping to replace the nomadic society with the feudal system.