Editing Dynastic cycle (section)

==The cycle==
The cycle appears as follows:{{sfnb|Fairbank|1979| p= 102}}

#A new [[Chinese sovereign|ruler]] founds a new dynasty, and gains the [[Mandate of Heaven]].<ref name="Frank Ching">Ching, Frank. Ancestors: 900 Years in the Life of a Chinese Family. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1974. p 78.</ref>
#China, under the new dynasty, achieves prosperity.
#The population increases.
# Corruption becomes rampant in the imperial court, and the empire begins to enter decline and instability.
#A natural disaster wipes out farm land. The disaster normally would not have been a problem; however, together with the corruption and [[Human overpopulation|overpopulation]], it causes famine.<ref name="Frank Ching"/>
#The famine causes the population to rebel and a civil war ensues.<ref name="Frank Ching"/>
#The ruler loses the Mandate of Heaven.<ref name="Frank Ching"/>
#The population decreases because of the violence.<ref name="Wills, John E p. 35">Wills, John E. Mountain of Fame: Portraits in Chinese History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994- p. 35</ref>
#China goes through a warring states period.<ref name="Wills, John E p. 35"/>
#One state becomes the victor.
#The state starts a new empire.<ref name="Frank Ching"/>
#The empire gains the Mandate of Heaven.<ref name="Frank Ching"/>
:::(The cycle repeats itself.)

The Mandate of Heaven was the idea that the monarch was favored by [[Tian|Heaven]] to rule over China. The Mandate of Heaven explanation was championed by the Chinese philosopher [[Mencius]] during the [[Warring States period]].<ref name="Frank Ching"/>

It has 3 main phases:
#The first is the beginning of the dynasty.
#The second is at the middle of the dynasty's life and is the peak of the dynasty.
#The last period is the decline of the dynasty, both politically and economically, until it finally collapses.