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The document discusses the Mandate of Heaven in ancient China. Some key points: 1. The Mandate of Heaven justified the ruler's legitimacy and power, believing that heaven granted authority to just rulers. 2. Natural disasters and poverty were seen as signs the ruler had lost heaven's mandate and could be overthrown. 3. The concept originated during the Zhou Dynasty to legitimize their overthrow of the Shang, and was further developed by thinkers like Mencius.

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65 views2 pages

China

The document discusses the Mandate of Heaven in ancient China. Some key points: 1. The Mandate of Heaven justified the ruler's legitimacy and power, believing that heaven granted authority to just rulers. 2. Natural disasters and poverty were seen as signs the ruler had lost heaven's mandate and could be overthrown. 3. The concept originated during the Zhou Dynasty to legitimize their overthrow of the Shang, and was further developed by thinkers like Mencius.

Uploaded by

Bernadette
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHINA

Emperor
-son of heaven
Wang
-king
Mandate of Heaven
-legitimacy of the rulers
- sought to legitimize rule from divine approval
-heaven would bless the authority of a just ruler
-often founded by people of modest birth
-was first used to support the ZHOU DYNASTY
Poverty & Natural Disasters
- signs that heaven considered the incumbent ruler unjust and thus in need of replacement.
Duke of Zhou
-concept was first found in written records
Mencius
- later invoked the notion
Shang
-overthrowed by Zhou
-legitimized their rule by family connections to divine power
Shū Jīng
-book of records

The Mandate of Heaven is based on four leading ideas:

1. The right to rule China is granted by Heaven.


2. There can be only one legitimate ruler of China.
3. The right to rule is based on the virtue of the ruler and his good performance as a steward for
Heaven.
4. The right to rule may be passed down from father to son, but only on the conditions established
above. Once the Mandate is lost, the will of Heaven towards a successor will only be known by
the working out of the imponderable force of events in human history.

These four leading ideas have important implications:

1. Legitimization of the ruling house in the eyes of the people who come under its sway
2. Times of divided rule require some rationalization after the fact to establish which ruler can claim
truly to have the Mandate
3. The rulers put checks on their own behavior, and are encouraged to invest in the well-being of
their subjects.
4. The rulers necessarily fear rebellion, possibly because they believe in active intervention from
Heaven, and/or possibly because they know that misbehavior will give positive sanction to
attempts by others to overthrow them.
Chinese Scholar-bureaucrats
-encouraged to become administrators for the Emperor's court first, and then, when the time
was right, possibly become King, or Emperor. 
Temple of Heaven
-only Kings, or emperors are allowed to perform ritual prayers and make offerings to Heaven.
Shang Dynasty
-noted for wine, women & tyranny
Zhou Dynasty
-overthrew the Shang Dynasty, lead by Zhou Wu
- boasted an excellent military and technology mostly because of influence from annexed
countries
-excelled in shipbuilding, which made them excellent mariners because of their discovery of
navigating their ships to a precise destination by using the stars as their guide. 
-excelled in fields of literature and philosophy

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