May somebody annote/ summarize this for 10 points?
The idea of the Mandate of Heaven fit with many ideas from Confucianism. This was a major religious tradition that started around 2,500 years ago. The ideas come from the teacher and leader Confucius. The Confucianists believed that the ruler must at all times lead his people with goodness, or jen.
Sometimes, China was hit by a flood and drought. This was seen as a sign from Heaven that the king wasn't ruling properly. If a disaster happened, it was considered appropriate for the people to protest their ruler, even take away his throne.
After Wen came the next king of Zhou, Wu Wang. It is said that because Wen was a good, fair ruler, Heaven helped Wu Wang conquer the mighty Shang Dynasty. The Shang had ruled China for hundreds of years.
Wu Wang created the long-lasting Zhou Dynasty. In his Announcement of Shao, the Duke of Zhou described the Mandate of Heaven. He explained that his new ruler was called to take over Shang and that the king would rule fairly over them. "Heaven has rejected and ended the Mandate of this great state of Shang," he said. The Shang had many wise kings, but people after them brought "misery" and ruled the people poorly. The Shang "let their Mandate fall to the ground," the Duke said.
The Duke said that Heaven no longer approved of the Shang rulers.
The Zhou rulers who followed Wen knew they had to rule well. Otherwise, they too could lose the Mandate of Heaven. If that happened, they would likely be conquered by a state that ruled better. If Zhou kings ruled well, that meant they were chosen by Heaven to conquer
