Final answer:
The Mandate of Heaven referred to divine approval for a ruler to govern, contingent upon moral and virtuous leadership, forming a key aspect of Chinese dynastic rule and state ideology.
Step-by-step explanation:
Traditional Chinese rulers claimed to have received Mandate of Heaven, to exercise their power legitimately. This mandate was not only a right to rule granted by the gods but also a moral contract with the people, requiring the ruler to maintain virtue and righteous governance. The Mandate of Heaven was a foundational concept in the development of the Chinese state and its dynastic cycles, and it provided the ideological underpinning for the legitimacy of emperors. This divine approval necessitated the emperor to uphold moral leadership, which, if neglected, could result in natural disasters or social unrest, perceived as signs that the mandate might be withdrawn by the gods. A ruler's failure to meet these conditions would justify his overthrow, as was the case when the Zhou dynasty replaced the Shang, establishing a precedent followed by successive dynasties.