EAST 211 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Records Of The Grand Historian, Du Fu, Dunhuang Manuscripts
6 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Dynastic cycle: is an important political theory in chinese history. According to this theory, each dynasty rises to a political, cultural, and economic peak and then, because of moral corruption, declines, loses the mandate of heaven, and falls, only to be replaced by a new dynasty. The dynastic cycle was the means through which power was passed around to different rulers who each left a mark on china and contributed somehow to what it is today. The dynastic cycle really buttressed emphasis on the idea of heavens mandate. For it was believed that a dynasties fall only came when the mandate of heaven had left them and been bestowed upon another to be the ruler. Oracle bones provide us with one of the earliest forms of writing in ancient china. They have also given historians useful information about the shang dynasty. Used to help guide leaders in their decisions and to predict the future.
