What was the importance of the mandate from heaven in the transition from the Shang to the Zhou period?

Question

our professor has asked us to post several questions and we are to write a paper based on the difference in answers that we are to get only from outside sources; no text books or reference books

Answer 1

the mandate of heaven is the acceptance of the gods for a person to rule china. and a ruler can loose the mandate of haven when they rule china in a unvirtuous way. it is important in the transition from the shang to the zhou because the emperor of shang lost his mandate of heaven allowing the ruler of the zhou to get it, causing the end of the shang dynasty and the start of the zhou.