The Mandate of Heaven was first described by the Zhou Dynasty when they defeated the Shang Dynasty and took control of China. The Zhou used the Mandate of Heaven to justify why they had taken China from the Shang. They claimed that the Mandate gave them the authority to lead China.

Question

Early China experienced many different dynasties, each using the Mandate of Heaven to explain its rise to power. The rise and fall of these dynasties came to be known as the dynastic cycle, and the Chinese began to understand the dynastic cycle as an ordinary part of government.
22
What best describes the Mandate of Heaven?
A.
A government could rule only with the will of the people.
B.
Religious leaders had the authority to select emperors.
C.
The gods would only allow good and just leaders to rule.
D.
Those with the most powerful armies had the right to lead.

Answer 1

The option that best describes the Mandate of Heaven is:

C. The gods would only allow good and just leaders to rule.

This concept held that the legitimacy of a ruler's authority was granted by divine approval, and if a ruler became corrupt or failed to fulfill their duties, it was believed that they could lose the Mandate of Heaven, leading to their downfall.