Chinese kingship legitimation tied rule to divine moral surveillance

Evidence

When the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BCE) replaced the Shang, Lord on High became conflated with the Zhou High God tian (“Heaven”), as the two terms were used interchangeably in Zhou sources. Descriptions of Lord on High/Heaven reflect many characteristics of a Big God, controlling the natural world, having powers of omniscience, and caring about moral behavior. Moreover, the ability of the royal family to rule became dependent on possessing the “Mandate” of Heaven, which meant displaying righteous behavior and proper observance of ritual duties. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 436