The Arch-Imperium of the Xheng

[Xheng]

Capital City	Xi'an
Government type	Parliamentary Democracy with Emergency Monarch Authority
Number of Legislative Branches	Three Hall of Deputies (500) Hall of Councilors (300) Council of Princes (100)
Federalist or Unitary	Compound-Unitary System
Provinces/Territories (if applicable)	8 Imperiums
Formal Head of State	The Xheng Emperor
Political Head of State	The Imperial Proxy
Official Language	Mandarin, English
Official Religion	None, but major religions include Khan Buddhism and Taoism
Population	1.650 billion
Major Minorities	Han, Nipponese, Choson
Separation of Powers	None, all a part of the executive branch

The Xheng Dynasty rules the Arch-Imperium of the Xheng Dynasty, a multicultural union of 8 Imperiums. These Imperiums are smaller kingdoms united under the Xheng Clan. Under their administration and governorship of the 8 Imperiums they have become the most dominant oriental nation in the entire European Region. As a collective of multiple imperiums, the Dynasty rules a greater imperium, thus the Arch-Imperium and is the only one of its type in the world where lesser sovereigns still have autonomy over cultural and family groups while still owing collective allegiance to the Emperor.

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GEOGRAPHY

Territories

The Arch-Imperium is made up of one main territory, and eight Imperiums. Each Imperium is in truth a sovereign nation which owes greater allegiance to the Arch-Imperium which is ruled by the Xheng dynasty. Under the authority of the Xheng Emperor, the Imperiums have their own domestic matters to attend to aside from defense and foreign affairs.

• Li-Xheng
• Han-Xheng
• Sui-Xheng
• Tang-Xheng
• Han-Xheng
• Qin-Xheng
• Xia-Xheng
• Wong-Xheng
• Ming-Xheng
• Shang-Xheng

Sovereignties

The Sovereignties are four states that have their own monarchies that oversee their rule. Viceroys represent the Xheng Emperor in their own courts while the Xheng political influence is kept to a minimum. Sovereignties have strong domestic independence, while the matters of foreign policy and defense are kept to Xi'an to oversee.

• Entoran
• Keodian
• Falgan
• Trilan

Hidaya Miliki

The territory of Hidaya Miliki is that of refugees and native peoples. Small groups of indigenous peoples were granted their own independent governments. Hidaya Miliki is overseen by other sectional territories.

• Nunavut Nisgaa
• Iroquoians

Landmarks

• Saja Castle
• The Imperial Palace
• Kojun Temple
• Dynastic International HQ
• Kowloon harbour
• The Dragon Teeth Valley
• Imperial Telecom TV Tower
• Jade Tower

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HISTORY

(OOC: I heavily based The Xheng Dynasty's history on that of RL China, for obvious reasons, the names of many of the dynasties are the same as those of China.)

The Arch-Imperium has one of the oldest histories in the world. It survived by isolation and resilience.

Physicality

Physically Han, Choson and Nipponese people generally are shorter than their Caucasian European neighbors. Facial features are unique as well, faces tend to be rounder, noses smaller and eyes smaller. They are shorter generally compared to other races.

Most noticeably is the more yellowish-olive tint to their skin. There is many regional differences, as many of the more aristocratic wealthy citizens tend to be paler, while the more laborious are darker in skin tone. Universally, due to genetics, their hair is a dark dark brown, almost appearing black without the assistance of light. Their eyes are also a dark brown, again almost universal amongst them.

The Xia Dynasty (4100-3800 BCE)

Around 4100 BCE, The first civilization of Han Culture. In truth, the term "Han culture" is chronologically inaccurate, since Han civilization itself did not exist until the Han dynasty. However, it was during this time period that the ancient Han people formed the first dynasty of rulers, under the Xia. The Xia Rulers ruled a small kingdom in the center of what would become the Arch-Imperium itself. Due to its location near rivers and forested regions, along with grasslands, the Xia culture thrived for five centuries. It first developed the pictogram system of writing that would be one of the strongest influence on the Han written language. The Xia also were the first to develop the use of bronze and iron usage. Unlike most civilizations, the Xia Civilization entered the iron and bronze age at relatively the same time as archaeological evidence shows that the Xia openly supported metallurgy development. It was during this time that the city of Chongqing was founded. Its name means "Central Capital". The Xia were also the first to develop the concept of the Mandate of Heaven and ancestral worship. The use of ancestral worship and the Mandate of Heaven made the culture unique compared to other nations and cultures.

The Shang (3800-3600 BCE)

The Shang Dynasty lasted 200 years. Though it survived not even half the era of its previous successor dynasties, the Shang were the first to develop the pictogram system even further to a cohesive form of writing with grammar and text. The Shang themselves created more than 40,000 pictograms based on symbols that represented ideas and concepts as opposed to sounds. The Shang script itself was also greatly diversified. Officials and Royal Representatives would use one form while the common folk used another. Even merchant classes started developing more common systems for easier writing. The Shang also successfully created the first metal casting methods, nearly three millennia before it was developed elsewhere. The ancient Shang rulers also created the first bureaucratic system.

The Warring States Period (3600-3200 BCE)

The Shang dynasty collapsed after external pressures. The rise of two other states, the previous dynasty of the Xia, and the rising power of the Qin. The Shang were caught in the middle of this power struggle. Through expansion, the Qin and the Xia also expanded into two powerful kingdoms, competing with the Shang Kingdom. This period led to the stagnation of development, as entire resources were sent to the creation of war. Through war, the Shang developed systems of rank and soldiery. With their use of Iron weapons, the battles were more fierce than conventional arms made of bronze.

The Qin (3200-3100 BCE)

The Qin Dynasty succeeded in conquering not only the Shang, but their Xia predecessors as well. Uniting the entire culture, the Qin formed the first Empire. However, it was no coincidence that the Han people are named after another dynasty and not the Qin. The Qin Emperors united the entire civilization and the people of all lands. Thus the Qin was an empire, not just a kingdom and their Emperors were not mear kings. Surrounding the Qin Empire were smaller kingdoms of the Choson and the Nipponese. However, in the face of their numerical superiority, the Qin Empire also conquered them as well. It was a brutal conquest as the Qin did not hesitate to conquer by means of terror and absolute fear. Thus the Qin Empire eventually collapsed when a peasant rebellion, allied with the Choson and Nipponese nations the Qin Empire fell.

The Han - The First Golden Age (3100-2200 BCE)

For more than 900 years, the Han Dynasty would leave a legacy of great success. It became the largest of the empires, up to that time. The Han Emperors were actually from a peasantry background. Thus they were well versed in the creation of a nation-wide irrigation system. The first canals were also constructed under this Empire. Poetry, literature, art, culture and writing reached new heights not only for the Han people but for their allies the Choson and the Nipponese. From this time, the three peoples would live together but share distinctive cultural identities. Under the leadership of the Han Emperors, the dynasty would thrive for more than 900 years, becoming the longest reigning dynasty until the Xheng themselves. From this golden age the Han people took their name. The measurement system, language, written and spoken, and transportation were all unified and standardized. The Han also were the first to extend their land to the small village of Xi'an. From there they built their first empire and Xi'an was its capital. During this time, Silk and paper were invented.

The Wong (2200-1700 BCE)

The Han Dynasty spent a huge amount of their treasure on the internal improvements of their nation that they drove the tax rate too high. Even a dynasty as long living as the Han could not survive the increasing national debt and the nation itself was a burden. The Wong Dynasty came to power, but it was much smaller than the Han dynasty itself. The other factions splintered off into other dynastic kingdoms again, named the Xia, Shang, Qin and Han. The Wong dynasty was the richest and the most powerful but in itself, it could not defeat the other four kingdoms. The splintering of the Kingdoms also resulted in fragmentation of the former Han Empire. The Wong Empire became the Wong Kingdom as the entire nation was fracturing fast. For 500 years the Wong dynasty attempted to unify the other states by warfare but this didn't succeed. Eventually a small kingdom, the Tang rose up in power and succeeded in unification.

The Tang - The Second Golden Age (1700-500 BCE)

1200 years of reign would follow with the Tang Dynasty. In this Dynasty, the Tang would expand the borders of the Arch-Imperium to its near current size. The Tang were the first to experiment with the black powder, potassium nitrate and sulphur which was eventually made to form gunpowder. Before civilizations elsewhere were able even to cast iron, Han alchemists were perfecting the first use of explosives. The Tang also successfully reunited the entire former empire of the Han Dynasty, and expand to the huge Zhou-Li marshlands. It was there that the first cultivation of rice occurred. This domestication of the natural rice was able to produce huge stocks. The humidity and marsh weather was perfect for the cultivation of rice. Therefore the Tang were able to feed their entire population with rice. The Tang also were the first to use lacquer which was from tree sap that proved extremely effective against erosion. With silk and gunpowder, rice and lacquer the Tang were able to develop highly sophisticated and beautiful architecture. This architecture was characterized by tall curved roofs and pillar construction. Buildings were almost always made of wood but with the introduction of Khan Buddhism also became pivotal. This religion had a huge impact on the culture and the artistic licence of Tang. The Tang were known for their use of jade in their art which lead to the greatest works of carvings that the world has ever seen.

The Tang dynasty thrived for more than 1200 years, because of their ability to adapt. The other nationalities within the Arch-Imperium were permitted great autonomy and their Tang rulers were very modern in their thinking. Because of the influx of more peoples and more cultures, the Tang opened their gates to foreigners. This policy categorized the Tang Empire as a cosmopolitan society. The first Mosques and Buddhist Pagodas were constructed in Xi'an. The great hall of ancestral worship was also built within the proximity of the new Imperial Palace. The first manufactured bricks were also used in these construction projects. Bricks were far easier to create and mass produce than quarrying stone.

The Ming Dynasty (500 BCE - 200 CE)

The Tang dynasty was one of the few that fell peacefully. The Tang Rulers simply ran their lineage out. The last Emperor had no heir, and so the next most powerful family, the Ming took control. A bloodless coup resulted in the Ming establishment. The Ming dynasty took over peacefully and began monumental construction thanks to the excellent administration by the Tang. Brickwork was used to create Great Ming Defenses that stretched across and throughout the nation. The Ming were able to maintain control well enough until another dynasty, the Xheng rose in power.

The Xheng Dynasty- The Modern Age (200-2005 CE)

The Xheng dynasty itself would be the current and longest of all the dynasties. It was extremely isolationist in foreign policies often ignoring foreign delegates. The Xheng would also advance the metallurgy of the nation to produce steel by use of coal and first mass industrial infrastructure. The Xheng also created the first merit-based bureaucratic system that used civil service examinations to allow commoners to enter the government for jobs and opportunities. This Examination system would become standard for every government posting and many private businesses also took this model for their own. The Xheng were also supporters of capitalism. They spread Xheng goods all over the region from porcelain, a new and valuable resource, silk, lacquer, jade and knowledge to other kingdoms and nations. The Arch-Imperium was formed in the wake of the 20th century. The Emperor established an assembly of appointed representatives from the people to allow them to have a say in how to run the nation. For the first time, Emperors were not absolute rulers.

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POLITICS

The Dynasty

The Xheng Dynasty is the longest reigning Han Dynasty in the Arch-Imperium's history. At first, it was a small Imperium one of eight, that lived in what is now known as the Arch-Imperium. Due to its geographical boundaries with the other nations surrounding, the large area that would become the Arch-Imperium was left relatively alone.

The Imperium Wars were fought to ensure the survival that the Xheng dynasty would reign supreme over the other dynasties. The Han, Tang, Qin, Xia, Shang, Wong, Ming, and Xheng clans all fought for dynastic control of what would become the Arch-Imperium itself. The Xheng clan was triumphant over the other clans for control and reigned over them all in a united Empire. The Arch-Imperium would later be formed, grouping more control in a decentralized government that would allow the other clans control as well.

The Arch-Imperium

The Arch-Imperium's government is the Imperial Stratagem. Within this government is the body of the legislature as well as the executive and judicial branches that manage the functions of the government as well as checking the power balance within its structure. The Arch-Imperium itself is a modern entity that has evolved from thousands of years of monarchy-based dynastic rule. Within its borders, the Arch-Imperium is, in fact, a collection of 7 separate Imperiums, all which are officially stated as self-determining political entities united under a common protective banner of the Arch-Imperium. In truth, the system is rather unitary with the central government enacting majority control over all dominions within its borders.

The Arch-Imperium itself has little to do with direct spending in terms of Environmental policies, Social Welfare, or Public Transportation. Instead, these are actually delegated towards State Owned Enterprises. Since State Owned Enterprises themselves are technically self-responsible corporate entities, their budgets and such are not disclosed as Government Funding and administrative costs, which is why they don't show up as government records. Within the Imperial Stratagem's laws, there is little disclosure even with State Owned Enterprises. However, it is suspected that mega-conglomerates such as Dynastic International, PetroEnerGen, Imperial Networks and Royal Star Enterprises spend heavy funds within these areas. Dynastic International, in particular, is extremely well known for spending vast sums of its profits in supporting environmental causes. PetroEnerGen itself is under heavy scrutiny, as it is a Petrochemical Corporation, to assure that the environment is well looked after. Royal Star Enterprises and Imperial Networks oversee the majority of the transportation costs since there is a vast need for effective public used transportation systems. The Octopus Card was one of the many systems used to support public transport.

The Imperial Stratagem (government structure)

The government formula of the Xheng Dynastic Arch-Imperium consists of three legislatures the executive, the royal family and the Judicial system. Throughout the system of government, representatives are elected by a democratic process similar to those of European Nations but they utilize a single-transferable ballot proportional representation system. By tradition, the legislative system is referred to as the Imperial Stratagem.

The legislative process in the Imperial Stratagem is relatively simple. There are three readings in every chamber. Every reading must pass with a majority then it is immediately moved to the next chamber. All legislation can be introduced by any member of any hall or council, but it must begin in the Hall of Deputies. The Hall of Deputies represents the majority of the general public so that is the beginning of any process. Amendments can be made in each of these processes including committees which are made as a stage 2 of the readings.

Political Parties

• Union Socialist Party
• Progressive Party
• Liberal Democratic Monarchist Coalition
• Conservative Alliance
• Traditionalists Party

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CULTURE

The Xheng Dynasty rules over an Arch-Imperium, which is a federation of 3 provinces and 1 territory. The Territory is under the control of the Xheng Family while the other 7 provinces are nominally under the control of the 7 smaller dynastic clans. In truth, most of them are members of these 7 groups, but realistically this has no impact on their lifestyles. Except for the Royal Family, most people within the Arch-Imperium live rather simple lives. It is a highly commercialized yet socialist style culture. The ancient culture of Oriental traditions is very prevalent and classical Confucian ideas still flourish. The religions of Islam, Mahayana, Khan and Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto and Ancestral Worship are still the most dominant of religious forces.

The culture of the Xheng Arch-Imperium allows for a very high standard of living with minimal income required. This makes the Arch-Imperium unique as the government is heavily responsible for providing shelter and community resources such as energy and shelter for its population. The wealth of the Xheng Dynasty comes from various sorts of industries, primarily manufacturing and mineral refinement. The advent of the massive construction of sea cities meant that mariculture was also a significant industry, exporting food and raw materials from the ocean which Xheng Technology seemed perfect for.

The mix of the old and the new seem to work well together. The Imperial Palace features many ancient buildings that were directly imported from their homeland. These buildings were disassembled then reassembled into a perfect reproduction of the great Imperial Palace of the Orient. Many of the government buildings within the Imperial Palace were former great dining and meeting halls for the Emperor's officials. Converted into large auditoriums these great halls now are used to create laws and regulations that protect the people outside of the Imperial Palace. The Palace, like its twin, the Forbidden City features 9999.5 rooms (one room is actually a door opening to a staircase that goes to the ceiling with no destination, which is considered half a room). Outside the Imperial Palace, ancient looking oriental buildings are actually built from new modern state of the art materials purposely aged to look ancient and with a rich culture.

Medicine is state of the art and highly reliable, but at the same time, people consult herbalists and Acupuncturists for additional healing. Exercises such as meditation and Tai Chi are still widely practised and the Government even encourages daily exercise for health and safety reasons. Martial Arts is also encouraged to promote discipline and dedication to physical health, while music, art and calligraphy are also promoted to preserve artistic expression. The practice of these arts and cultural activities are often moments for celebration. The New Years celebrations are also a holiday to remember as the Orientals certainly know how to throw a party.

Social culture of the Arch-Imperium is surprisingly liberal for a nation that values ancient traditions. Recently, the Emperor openly declared same-sex unions to be legal and just as valid as opposite-sex relationships, a powerful liberal motivation for the movement towards more social and independent freedoms is a vital mandate for the Imperial Stratagem, that is heavily supported by the monarchy and the aristocracy. Abortions, and right to die have been examined in detail and are judged by a case by case situation. For the most part Judges and Advocates are heavily relied on to judge these cases with an open mind.

Cultural and Religious Groups

The Han - The Vast Majority of the population in the Arch-Imperium forming more than 90% of the population in total. Han culture is the strongest but even amongst locations, it can differ greatly. They are unified by their written and oral languages. The Han practice numerous religions, but principally, Khan Buddhism, Taoism and ancient philosophies of Confucianism. (OOC Equivalent, the Han Chinese) Unlike the other Emperors, the Han Emperor, or the Xheng Emperor, actually has political, military and economic authority.

The Han respect knowledge. Their entire society has been based on the bureaucratic system which respects merit and intellectual skill. Throughout their history, the Han have ruled by use of civil service examinations that respect intellect and the ability to compromise. Warriors and great military generals are respected, but not nearly as much so as the Scholar and the Intellectual Poet.

The Nipponese - Coastal peoples of fishing lifestyles, they serve mainly in the naval forces and the mariculture industries. The Nipponese are a people of great cultural traditions practising ancient Shinto as a folk belief. They have their own monarchy as well, with their own symbolic Emperor.(OOC Equivalent, the Japanese)

The Nipponese, carefully balance the aspects of their warrior past, with that of their arts. Nipponese art is extremely simple in nature yet can be fantastically complex. Their greatest Samurai and Shogun leaders, greatly influenced by the Han, have also developed a great love for poetry, philosophy and scholarly arts.

The Choson - At first the most primitive, but the Choson have adapted to modernization and technology quickly becoming industrial and technological experts. The Choson maintain almost a hybrid like culture, borrowing ideas both from the Nipponese as well as the Han. They too have their own symbolic Emperor and the royal family that remain independent of the Han and Nipponese. (OOC Equivalent, the Koreans)

The Choson are the more unique of the three races as they value technology and ingenuity. This is not to say that they disregard the sword or the pen.

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ECONOMY

Commerce

The Commercial structure of the Xheng Dynasty is quite complex with a number of Government-owned corporations and Dynastic Companies that have dominance over their capitalist market. For a Monarchy, the Arch-Imperium is extremely socialist which is shown by icons like the Red and Yellow Star.

The construction of the Xheng-Class Worldships was a breakthrough for manufacturing of large-scale vessels and construction projects. The technology required to create such huge vessels was put to later use when the construction of cities took priority. At an astounding rate cities throughout the Arch-Imperium's territory were springing up with fully functional facilities. Hydroelectric, solar and wind power were used to make the entire region environmentally friendly. Geothermal energy sometimes was also exploited to be used for heat generation. The need for energy sources allowed the environment to be targetted but the government was adamant that the environment was a definite issue that could not be disputed. As a result, the Arch-Imperium has some of the most strict laws regarding environmental protection.

Cities made of steel and glass seem to be the more popular but also other construction materials like concrete and wood and even bamboo are commonplace. A mixture of their ancient curved roof architecture and compacted earth may still be seen in the building of traditional gardens and temples. For the most part, modern grey and glass structures are more common. To allow for beauty, aesthetic appeal is of pivotal importance. Gardens and plant life of various colour variations are highly favored.

The Xheng Dynasty itself owns many large corporations which are highly profitable. These companies are not under the jurisdiction of the government executive, rather under the royal family of the Xheng Dynasty.

Media

Much like Dynastic International, The Xheng Dynasty holds a formidable share of the Media as well, this includes news programs, newspapers and magazines, web blogs, internet news sites, and mass media broadcasts. Under the megacompany Imperial Telecommunications (Imperial Telecom) a massive share of all the media types is all under the majority control of the government. The sheer influence of the media power of Imperial Telecom reaches all of the households throughout the Arch-Imperium at the same time Government and Royal Funding keeps the company flourishing with a massive job market constantly growing for the spread of news. Imperial Telecom is seeking to break into neighboring markets.

The largest news network is the Xheng Imperial News Distribution Agency, better known as XINDA.XINDA runs 24 hours, 7 days a week always with updated reports on issues that concern citizens on every topic imaginable. The XINDA network is a subsidiary of Imperial Telecom but bears the Xheng name as they have ownership over the Agency itself. XINDA has a strict protocol for objectivity and even though the Xheng dynasty has ownership they do not interfere with the news services itself. XINDA by far is the largest of the news agencies but is not alone, however, it is the only one that is half publically owned.

Special Economic Zones

To increase foreign investment into the Arch-Imperium, the Imperial Strategem setup a number of Special Economic Zones (SEZ's) to encourage a massive income of money from other nations. These SEZ's are famous for massive tax breaks towards international companies and foreign governments making their land also highly valued. The floating cities are examples of these are even the large Dynastic-Class Worldships. Though the Worldships are not interpreted as foreign territory, they are under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Stratagem itself.

To allow the concentration of wealth to be more stable, the Xheng Dynastic Territories have been added to this tax exemption district, making the lands surrounding the capital city of Xian a massive tax break area. It is here that many foreign companies set up offices and luxury resorts to cater to their wealthy customers.