Welcome back from our long weekend! Today is a half day, so time will fly!
1/21 Quick Write:
Today we will mostly review the Shang Dynasty. We will also look at why the dynasty ended and introduce a new concept: the Mandate of Heaven.
Basically, the Mandate of Heaven was the idea that the rulers of China were given the right to rule by god– they had “divine right” to rule. However, new clans kept overthrowing old rulers, which would start a new dynasty, or era. The Chinese explained this turnover through the Mandate of Heaven (see notes and chart below).
We will discuss the next clan to take power, the Zhou, and how the Mandate of Heaven was used to justify why the Zhou should overthrow the Shang.
Have a good short day, and remember we also have a short week! Cheers!