Final answer:
The Mandate of Heaven was a belief system developed by the Zhou dynasty, in which rulers claimed to have received the mandate from the gods to exercise their power legitimately.
Step-by-step explanation:
The traditional Chinese rulers claimed to have received the Mandate of Heaven to exercise their power legitimately. The Mandate of Heaven was a belief system developed by the Zhou dynasty, which stated that imperial rule must be sanctioned by a mandate from the gods. According to this belief, heaven selected a virtuous man to rule the world, and as long as his descendants remained virtuous and upheld their responsibilities as rulers, they would continue to hold the throne with the approval of heaven. However, if a ruler became wicked and neglected their duties, heaven would choose a new virtuous leader to take over.