ia ▁identity ▁developed ▁and ▁took ▁hold ▁in ▁ancient ▁China . ▁ ▁T ian cha o ▁and ▁T ian x ia ▁▁ ▁T ian cha o ▁( ; ▁), ▁translated ▁as ▁" he aven ly ▁dynast y " ▁or ▁" C el est ial ▁Empire ;" ▁and ▁T ian x ia ▁( ; ▁) ▁translated ▁as ▁" under ▁heaven ," ▁are ▁both ▁phr ases ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁China . ▁These ▁terms ▁were ▁usually ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁civil ▁wars ▁or ▁periods ▁of ▁division , ▁with ▁the ▁term ▁T ian cha o ▁ev oking ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁real m ' s ▁r uling ▁dynast y ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁heaven ; ▁or ▁that ▁who ever ▁ends ▁up ▁reun ifying ▁China ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁ruled ▁T ian x ia , ▁or ▁everything ▁under ▁heaven . ▁This ▁fits ▁with ▁the ▁traditional ▁Chinese ▁theory ▁of ▁r ul ership ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁em peror ▁was ▁nomin ally ▁the ▁political ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁world ▁and ▁not ▁merely ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁a ▁nation - state ▁within ▁the ▁world . ▁Histor ically ▁the ▁term ▁was ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁later ▁Z hou ▁D ynast y ▁( c .   1 0 4 6 – 2 5 6 ▁B CE ), ▁especially ▁the ▁Spring ▁and ▁Aut umn ▁period ▁( e ighth ▁to ▁fourth ▁century ▁B CE ) ▁and ▁the ▁W arring ▁States ▁period ▁( from ▁there ▁to ▁ 2 2 1 ▁B CE , ▁when ▁China ▁was ▁reun ified ▁by ▁the ▁Q in ▁state ). ▁The ▁phrase