China's History: The Mandate Of Heaven Model
China’s history is arguably the richest and longest of all countries, fortunately for the scholars, this whole stretch of history was charted into different periods called dynasties. If China’s history was like a storybook and the dynasties were the chapters, then the “Mandate of Heaven” is definitely the essential concept to link the chapters together. However, the “Mandate of Heaven” model, like most philosophical concepts, actually provides a utopian representation of China’s historical reality due to its over-simplicity.
This is not, of course, to completely reject the “Mandate of Heaven” model as a way of understanding imperial succession and dynastic transmission. Originating in the Zhou dynasty (1045-256BC), the Mandate of Heaven …show more content…
In fact, most of time it was a messy and prolonged affair with no exact date or even year of “passing the baton”. Dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing regime or existing states, or continued for a period of time after they have been defeated, therefore the “Mandate of Heaven” model is unrealistic and inaccurate to assume China changed suddenly and all at once.
Sui Wudi assumed the Mandate and declared a new Sui dynasty in 581 (after the Northern and Southern Dynasties period). However, this dynasty was established before unification of China, and it overlook the fact that someone else had declared a Chen dynasty in South China as early as year 5575 (Cotterell, 2008). Thus, if the Sui dynasty declared in 581 only have authority and rule over North China, does the model of “Mandate of Heaven” still applies? Or does Sui only gained the Mandate in year 589 when it unified …show more content…
Chen dynasty was one example of a dynasty that did controlled a significant part of China for nearly 30 years, but not recognized as part of China’s dynastic succession. Therefore, imperial succession and dynastic transmission involves much more uncertainties and complexity than the model imagines.
As Chinese historian Mao Zonggang had so astutely observed, “this country when divided for too long will reunite, and when it is united for too long will go its separate ways”. The Northern and Southern Dynasties mentioned above was only one period when there was no single dynasty that unified China. Regional separatism was very common and significant in the history of China, which was divided for long periods of its history, with different regions being ruled by different groups each claiming to be the rightful ruler with the Mandate of
This is not, of course, to completely reject the “Mandate of Heaven” model as a way of understanding imperial succession and dynastic transmission. Originating in the Zhou dynasty (1045-256BC), the Mandate of Heaven …show more content…
In fact, most of time it was a messy and prolonged affair with no exact date or even year of “passing the baton”. Dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing regime or existing states, or continued for a period of time after they have been defeated, therefore the “Mandate of Heaven” model is unrealistic and inaccurate to assume China changed suddenly and all at once.
Sui Wudi assumed the Mandate and declared a new Sui dynasty in 581 (after the Northern and Southern Dynasties period). However, this dynasty was established before unification of China, and it overlook the fact that someone else had declared a Chen dynasty in South China as early as year 5575 (Cotterell, 2008). Thus, if the Sui dynasty declared in 581 only have authority and rule over North China, does the model of “Mandate of Heaven” still applies? Or does Sui only gained the Mandate in year 589 when it unified …show more content…
Chen dynasty was one example of a dynasty that did controlled a significant part of China for nearly 30 years, but not recognized as part of China’s dynastic succession. Therefore, imperial succession and dynastic transmission involves much more uncertainties and complexity than the model imagines.
As Chinese historian Mao Zonggang had so astutely observed, “this country when divided for too long will reunite, and when it is united for too long will go its separate ways”. The Northern and Southern Dynasties mentioned above was only one period when there was no single dynasty that unified China. Regional separatism was very common and significant in the history of China, which was divided for long periods of its history, with different regions being ruled by different groups each claiming to be the rightful ruler with the Mandate of