Government
The Han dynasty was composed of two different historical periods, the Western Han (206 B.C. - A.D. 9) and the Eastern Han (A.D. 25 - 220 A.D.). The Western Han capital was Xi'an and the Eastern Han capital was returned to Luoyang in 25 A.D. This dynasty began after the death of the Qin Emperor. The government was a centralized bureaucracy, with feudal structures, and had an established civil service system for China. The emperor was the head of the government. He was also responsible for creating the laws, serving as the commander-in-chief of the military, and serving as the chief executive official. The Chinese civil service system was a day-to-day business to help run the government. The most powerful government officials in the centralized bureaucracy provided advisory, censorial, executive, and judicial roles in the empire. The Han empire was centralized and growing and had the most control over all of China. Confucianism was used as a guide and model for the government. Today, most people who live in China call themselves a part of the Han.