Unit 5: Review

A Milestone Documents E-text
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Unit 5 Review
https://doi.org/10.3735/9781961844568.book.part.025

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Abstract

Mandate of Heaven was first used by the Zhou Dynasty to justify their takeover from the Shang. Heaven (the supreme god) was not happy with the corruption of the Shang and so withdrew its mandate to rule, giving it to the Zhou. The concept meant that heaven would bless the authority of a just ruler but not of a despotic ruler. The Mandate of Heaven has been used ever since the Zhou to legit-imize political rule in China.

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