the mandate of heaven was first described by the zhou dynasty when they defeated the shang dynasty and took control of china. the zhou used the mandate of heaven to justify why they had taken china from the shang. they claimed that the mandate gave them the authority to lead china.           early china experienced many different dynasties, each using the mandate of heaven to explain its rise to power. the rise and fall of these dynasties came to be known as the dynastic cycle, and the chinese began to understand the dynastic cycle as an ordinary part of government. 3 what effect did the dynastic cycle have on the chinese people? a. it led the chinese to discover many new technologies. b. it caused the chinese to expect more personal freedoms. c. it made the chinese develop stable, long-lasting dynasties. d. it the chinese accept sudden political changes.