Zhou rulers claimed that they had won the Mandate of Heaven because they

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The Zhou rulers claimed that they had won the Mandate of Heaven because they justified their overthrow of the Shang dynasty with the belief that the Shang had become corrupt and morally weak. The Mandate of Heaven was a key political and religious doctrine that held that the ruling class had the right to govern based on their ability to maintain order and virtue. The Zhou argued that they were chosen by heaven to rule because they offered a more just and moral governance. By claiming the Mandate of Heaven, the Zhou legitimized their rule and provided a framework for dissent against ineffective or tyrannical rulers, suggesting that if the rulers lost the mandate (i.e., failed to govern well), they could justifiably be overthrown.