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According to Chinese political theory, every dynasty goes through a dynastic cycle:
A new ruler unites China and founds a new dynasty.
China, under the new dynasty, achieves prosperity and a new golden age.
The royal family of the dynasty begins to decay, corruption becomes rampant in the imperial court, and the empire begins to enter decline and instability.
The dynasty loses the Mandate of Heaven, their legitimacy to rule, and is overthrown by a rebellion. The Mandate of Heaven is then passed to the next dynasty. This process then starts over.
This cycle can also be applied to most major empires and dominant societies throughout history, in more or less altered forms. Chinese historians connected the cycle to the five elements of Chinese philosophy, with each dynasty identified with a specific element.
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Further reading
Chu, C. Y. C., and R. D. Lee. (1994) Famine, Revolt, and the Dynastic Cycle: Population Dynamics in Historic China. Journal of Population Economics 7: 351-378.
Korotayev, A., Malkov, A., & Khaltourina, D. (2006) Introduction to Social Macrodynamics: Secular Cycles and Millennial Trends. Moscow: URSS *.
Nefedov, S. A. 2004. A Model of Demographic Cycles in Traditional Societies: The Case of Ancient China. Social Evolution & History 3(1): 69–80.
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See also
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