The Mandate Of Heaven - Ancient China
The Mandate Of Heaven is a traditional Chinese Philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. The Shang and Zhou kings used the principle of the mandate of heaven to legitimise their authority.
They claimed that heaven had chosen them to rule China. This powerful idea meant that if you disobeyed the king, you disobeyed Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven also said the people were expected to respect and obey their kings and in return their kings were expected to act in a right way and rule for the benefit of the people. If a king was no longer thought worthy by heaven to rule the country, heaven would display signs on Earth to show the people that the king had lost it's approval.
They claimed that heaven had chosen them to rule China. This powerful idea meant that if you disobeyed the king, you disobeyed Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven also said the people were expected to respect and obey their kings and in return their kings were expected to act in a right way and rule for the benefit of the people. If a king was no longer thought worthy by heaven to rule the country, heaven would display signs on Earth to show the people that the king had lost it's approval.