Glossary · Term · title

Son of Heaven

Also known as Tianzi

Son of Heaven (tianzi) was a title of the Chinese ruler, first used by the kings of the Western Zhou, expressing the idea that the ruler held a mandate from Heaven to govern all under Heaven. Emperors of China used it until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912, and it was also adopted by rulers in neighbouring lands such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

Son of Heaven
Image: Nie Chongyi 聂崇义 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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Western ZhouImpact, Summary

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Son of Heaven. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/son-of-heaven
MLA
“Son of Heaven.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/son-of-heaven. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Son of Heaven.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/son-of-heaven.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Son of Heaven’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/son-of-heaven (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻