In imperial China, the emperor was a supreme ruler with unconstested power. He also presided over the most important state ceremonies and rituals. It was believed that his rule was an expression of the divine will. To rule over China and his subjects, the emperor had received a mandate of Heaven. In the long Chinese history, massive peasant rebellions, wars or palace coups put and end to the rule of emperors and dynasties. Another ruler replaced him, founding a new dynasty. In such cases, it was said the Heaven had withdrawn his favor from the previous dynasty and had conferred its mandate on the new emperor. Due to the ethnocentric character of Chinese civilization, no other nation nor ruler was the equal of China and its absolute monarch.
