Ancient China Government

Xian was the seat of the ancient China Government.

The history of Xian is the ancient history of China.

See it all in this fascinating part of China.

Xian was the ancient capital of China during the Qin dynasty and for long periods of time.

In the 13th century the capital was moved to Beijing.

Thus the history of Xian plays an important role in the history of China.

Xian is a good place to learn about the ancient China government and the way people lived.

Emperor Qin was able to conquer all and create a single state (China) and a single form of Government. This form of government lasted for over two thousand years right up to 1911 with the removal of the last Emperor of China - Pu Yi.

In all those years, the Emperor was at the seat of Government.

Some were effective (eg during the Tang Dynasty) and some were ineffective (eg during the latter part of the Quing dynasty).

All were always defending themselves against overthrow. I guess this accounts for the proliferation of city walls in China and the Great Wall of China.

Certainly the Xian city wall offered good protection for the Emperors there and the citizens. You will certainly see this for yourself when you see the Xian wall.


The system of the ancient China government can be described as despotic with the Emperor being the ruler.

Then there were various lower classes of people (such as advisers, eunichs and concubines, army and farmers) whose role was to serve the Emperor. These people had very little - often just enough to live on. All their efforts went to serving the Emperor.

This model of government was based on the Confucian model. Confucious argued that not all people were the same and that people should serve other people, and those who were being served should act in the best interests of those serving.

Under the Confucian model, the Emporer was the person who was most virtuous and the best equipped to lead.

In reality, the Emperor had absolute power and the state of the country depended on the competence of the Emperor.

The Tang Dynasty (615 AD - 907 AD)

Many regard this as the greatest period in China's history. China was quite possibly the eminent country in the world and Xian was one of the world's great cities.

Some of the Emperor's (particularly Taizong and Xaunzong) were very able leaders and established successful economic and political systems. Some Chinese talk of this period as the "Golden Period".

Of course many Emperors were not competent and/or cruel and despotic. Consequently, the history of China is littered with rebellions and overthrows as people jostled for power and the "have nots" attempted to improve their lives.

Under the system of Government, China deteriorated as a country particularly in the 19th century with foreign interference and the introduction of opium.

This ultimately led to the overthrow of the last Empoeror Pu Yi in 1911. Then there was a further period of instability during which the Kumintong (Nationalists) fought the Communists interspersed with an alliance to fight the Japanese.

The Communist Party were eventually successful and established the Peoples Republic of China on October 1 1949.

When I was in China recently, the Chinese celebrated the 60th anniversary of this date.

The government of China today is vastly different to the ancient China government of the past.