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Mandate Of Heaven

Decent Essays

Tina Sang
Individuals and Societies
Ms. Zadoo
October 15th, 2015
Block D

The Chinese Revolution of 1911

It was only until 1949, when Mao established the People’s Republic of China, that the perspectives of the Chinese political system grew more realistic. Of the four thousand imperial years that existed beforehand, the majority was greatly influenced by a concept called the “Mandate of Heaven”. All of China’s principles, laws, ideas, and central government were propelled by the notion that Heaven, or the natural law, issued a command that decided when a dynasty was to fall and take on a new leader. The Mandate of Heaven expressed the importance of a just ruler that had the duty to take good care of his or her people. This essay will explore the significant role that the Mandate of Heaven played in history, specifically during the 1911 Chinese Revolution, when the last dynasty of China collapsed and a republic was formed. The Mandate of Heaven influenced this particular revolution because they believed in the concept of a greater force issuing the next ruler, and followed it accordingly. Starting with the time previous to the …show more content…

After the Qing Dynasty began to lose the Mandate of Heaven, it suffered crop failure, high taxes, and discontented citizens. During the rebellion, Yuan Shikai claimed the Mandate of Heaven and became the emperor of his dynasty, but lost it after showing signs of weakness as a ruler. The Mandate of Heaven may not have been a distinct being, but it was a concept that the Chinese believed, and it served as motivation for rulers to be kind and just to their people. It represented the rise and fall of dynasties, and influenced the decisions people made; Yuan Shikai would never have created his own empire if he had not followed the Mandate of Heaven, and the Qing Dynasty would not have fallen if they hadn’t lost

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