Practice question · Fill in the blanks
Complete the description of the Mandate of Heaven.
Heaven backs a ______ ruler and withdraws its mandate from a ______ one, which conveniently explains every dynasty’s fall as deserved, but only ever ______ the fact.
Word bank: just · cruel · after · before · foreign
Hints
- The theory can only be applied after the fact.
- It justifies whoever won and condemns whoever lost.
Show the answer
Heaven backs a just ruler and withdraws its mandate from a cruel one, which conveniently explains every dynasty’s fall as deserved, but only ever after the fact.
Why
The theory is a mirror that only reflects the past: it justifies every winner and condemns every loser, always retroactively, and so can never be proven wrong.
Practise Ancient China: Qin and Han
The app has 5 more questions on this lesson, and keeps your place in the course. History I is free to start.
More questions on Ancient China: Qin and Han
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