What is the name of the political theory used by the Zhou dynasty to justify its rule?

The political theory used by the Zhou dynasty to justify its rule was the Mandate of Heaven.

The Zhou claimed that Heaven had withdrawn its favor from the Shang because Shang rulers had become corrupt and oppressive. This doctrine presented the Zhou conquest as a morally justified change of dynasty, not merely a military takeover.

The mandate was conditional rather than an unconditional divine-right claim. A ruler had to govern justly, preserve social order, and protect the people. Natural disasters, famine, rebellion, or widespread suffering could be interpreted as signs that Heaven had withdrawn its approval.

This idea also created a theoretical right of rebellion: a successful overthrow could be treated as proof that the old ruler had lost the mandate. It therefore became both a justification for Zhou rule and a lasting framework for explaining China’s dynastic cycles. It should not be confused with the later European concept of the divine right of kings, which generally emphasized hereditary legitimacy.