World History I

Chapter 4: Agrarian Centers and the Mandate of Heaven in Ancient China
5000-481 BCE

20: Mon, Nov 10, 2025

Please post in the forum for the day a short essay in response to this question:

What model for the powerful do the legendary Chinese sage kings provide? How did the later Mandate of Heaven both legitimize and limit the power of Chinese kings? When does the Mandate of Heaven first appear? How did the Mandate of Heaven help Zhou rulers justify deposing the earlier Shang dynasty kings? What are some strengths and weaknesses in the Zhou system of government?

Consider:

• the rural Zhou classes
• the problem of the merchant class
• late Zhou system of hegemony

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