Rule by law, as opposed to rule by man, calls for ruling a state and its people

by the ruler through enacting and strictly enforcing laws and regulations. It is

an important political thought of the Legalist scholars in the pre-Qin period.

Rule by law meted out well-defined rewards and punishments, but tended to

be excessively severe and rigid in enforcement. From the Han Dynasty all the

way to the Qing Dynasty, rule by law and rule by man were exercised by various

dynasties, mostly in combination. With the spread of Western thoughts to China

in more recent times, rule by law acquired new meanings.