How emperors and officials were blamed for natural disasters in ancient China

Political resignations are often presented as expressions of accountability after public disasters. Yet the departure of a senior official does not necessarily mean that the individual was personally responsible for what happened. Recent events in Hong Kong and Spain illustrate the distinction between accepting political responsibility and being directly culpable. In Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee and seven senior officials apologised over the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, which killed 168...