Question

Zhou rulers were victorious over the Shang dynasty. What did they say they won due to this victory?

Answer 1

The Zhou rulers claimed that they were victorious over the Shang dynasty due to the concept of the "Mandate of Heaven." This ideology suggested that heaven granted them the right to rule because the Shang had become corrupt and tyrannical. The Zhou used the notion of moral righteousness and divine approval to justify their conquest, asserting that the Shang's loss of the mandate was a result of their failure to govern justly and benevolently. This claim helped to legitimize the Zhou's rule and reinforced the idea that rulers must maintain virtue to retain the Mandate of Heaven.