The Mandate of Heaven is a political philosophy that originated in ancient China. It states that the right to rule is granted by Heaven to a ruler who is virtuous and just.

If a ruler loses the Mandate of Heaven, they can be overthrown by the people. This is because the people believe that they have the right to choose their own ruler.

In order to have the Mandate of Heaven, a ruler needs to be virtuous, just, and wise. These qualities are essential for a ruler to be able to rule effectively and to maintain the support of the people.

The Mandate of Heaven was first used to justify the rule of the Xia dynasty, which was the first dynasty in Chinese history.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Shang dynasty by the Zhou dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Qin dynasty by the Han dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Zhou dynasty by the Qin dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Han dynasty by the Three Kingdoms.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Three Kingdoms by the Jin dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Jin dynasty by the Northern and Southern dynasties.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Northern and Southern dynasties by the Sui dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Sui dynasty by the Tang dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Tang dynasty by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms by the Song dynasty.

The Mandate of Heaven was used to justify the overthrow of the Song dynasty by the Yuan dynasty.