Society during Prince Shotoku's reign was heavily influenced by ideas from China. For example, Prince Shotoku embraced the ideas of the Mandate of Heaven. This can best be described as the belief that

The correct answer is leaders receive power and authority from the gods

Prince Shotoku is considered one of the greatest political figures in Japanese history because, besides being a revolutionary statesman, he was also a lover of Buddhist culture and philosophy.

His political performance was the determining factor of the fate of the Japanese empire.

Until that time, Yamato's court had been adopting the "clan system" to run the country. But over time, obstacles had arisen within national policy, causing conflict and clashes. Administrative decay called for the nation's progress, and of course the political tension had gone so far as to explode. That was when the prince regent appeared.