Question: How did the Chinese interpret their divine power?
Answer: The Chinese interpreted their divine power by believing that their power was something temporary and they would base this on signs. The Chinese would look for signs that could indicate that the dynasty had lost heavens mandate. Sometimes these signs were very common events that could easily be interpreted as exaggeration.
Explanation: The Mandate of Heaven, also known as ''Tian Ming'', is a Chinese political and religious doctrine and it is used since ancient times. It justifies the rule of the King or Emperor of China and it is similar to the European's concept of the divine right of kings. Their concept of divine power had many different interpretations. Some were very extreme, for example: If a ruler was overthrown, it was interpreted as a sign from above that the ruler was unworthy to mandate. Also, if a natural disaster such as famine and flood were to occur, it was very common to believe that these were signs of heaven's displeasure with the King or Emperor.
