Daehanjeiguk
From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
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| Motto: 弘益人間 홍익인간 "Bring benefit to humanity" | ||||
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 Anthem: Aegukga | ||||
| Region | The Orient | |||
| Capital | Gyeongju | |||
| Languages - Official - Unofficial | Haneo (Korean & Chinese) Spanish · Others · English (for Trade & Diplomacy) | |||
| Demonym | Han | |||
| Government - Emperor | · Enlightened Limited Autocracy with Democractic Auxiliaries Yeongmu | |||
| Establishment - Official - Dynasty - Mandate of Heaven | 2476 Han(foundation of unified Empire) 4087 Han 4299 Han | |||
| Population - Last Census | 6,500,000,000 | |||
| GDP - Total (US$) - GDP/capita (US$) | N/A N/A | |||
| Currency | Weon (圓) (WON) | |||
| International Abbreviation | HAN | |||
The Celestial Regency of Daehanjeiguk (kr. 대한제국; zh. 大韓帝國; also the Great Han Empire or simply the Han Empire) is a colossal, safe, economically powerful nation, remarkable for its famed, exotic landscape, renowned for its museums and concert halls, renowned for its keen interest in outer space, and notable for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working population of over 6.5 billion are either ruled by a small, efficient government or a conglomerate of multinational corporations; it's difficult to tell which.
There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded individuals juggles the competing demands of Commerce, Education, and Defence. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Information Technology industry, followed by Arms Manufacturing, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing.
The government helps teach children how to kill a man from six paces, agricultural science is the most competitive subject at Daehanjeiguk's universities, a National Academy regulates grammar and usage, notable individuals are granted land and titles, mobile phone masts are being erected all over the country, pharmacies close down as medicinal drugs are provided by the government, a small minority of the population can actually vote at elections, copyright laws have been abolished, elected officials often serve for decades in a single term, and businesses often fire workers in favour of cheaper automatic systems. Crime is relatively low, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Daehanjeiguk's national animal is the dragon and its currency is the weon.
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[edit] Geography
- Main article: Geography of Daehanjeiguk
The geography of the Han Empire ranges from the majestic mountains of Shingang and Seojang to the jungles of Jonam-do and Bunyeo. In every respect, every province has a unique geography and presents many challenges to the unity of the Han, despite centuries of tradition. The Empire holds over 10 million sq km of territory, with the majority of the land falling within the historical territorial realm of Jin {RL China}. The East Sea (Pacific Ocean) lies to the east, with minor seas such as the Joseon Sea (RL East Sea/Sea of Japan) and the Jonam Sea (RL South China Sea) lying within the periphery. The coastline is littered with islands of varying sizes, ranging from those capable of sustaining large populations and others remaining as desolate outcrops of rocks. The Gobi Desert lies primarily within Monggol Province and is one of the most extreme environments in the entire Empire, with wild blizzards in the winter and fierce sand storms in the summer. The Takla Makan of Shingang Province is more desolate, with numerous land formations piercing the arid horizons.
The geography has conferred upon the Han Empire a unique position, in terms of its isolation. Whereas the majority of the borders are secured by mountains or by arctic terrain, the only clear access to the Han Empire traditional has been by sea. Numerous attempts to create land roads across the mountains yielded some progress in the later centuries, but by and large, naval travel remains the surest method of transportation to the Han Empire - beyond aerial travel. For this reason, the Han Empire devoted much of its attention to the development of strong naval forces that were able to rebuff European and other foreign fleets. Despite the drastic advances in land travel, which make a land journey to the Han Empire less difficult than in previous years, the Han Empire still remains geographically isolated from other civilizations in the NS universe. It remains to be seen whether the outlying territories of the Han are simply lands with barbarian civilizations or whether any real nations exist in these domains. In any case, the Han Empire has not expressed any willingness to investigate this thoroughly - either to explore or colonize, although the Han Empire does maintain paternalistic protection of these shores, in defense of the Empire proper.
[edit] History
- Main article: History of Daehanjeiguk
The Han Empire boasts a long history, dating before the age where many civilizations were even conceived. Traditional history begins with the rise of Han civilization at the start of the Han Calendar in the mainland, although modern historians would largely agree that the rise of the Han Empire proper dates to the unification of the Western Han under Jin Shihwang in the year 2476. The establishment of the Imperial House in 1390 has largely lent a long period of stability that helped herald the modern era into the Han Empire. Although modernization under recent Emperors has softened the system, the Han Empire remains largely an artifact of its historic self, drawing on historic lessons to build a future state. This common bond continues with the present, where many old buildings sit next to modern edifices in a rich blend of tradition and innovation.
Traditional beginnings start with the various creation myths of the Western and Eastern Han, and the indigenous communities that compose the Han Empire today. For many millennia prior to the unification of the territories, tribes and villages roamed the country. While many other countries were beginning to contemplate the beginnings of civilization, the Han cultures were developing into strong feudal societies. In the Western Han, during the Warring States Period, countless ideological and philosophical treatises were devised to create harmony out of the many centuries of conflict that were destroying the Han. Among these treatises formed the beginnings of th legal and sociological standards of the Han Empire. In the year 2476, after the cunning assimilation of his enemies, Jin Shihwang of the State of Jin unified the Western Han. His dynasty soon collapsed after his death, whereupon the Han Dynasty took up the mantle of the State. In Joseon, three rival kingdoms were still settling their troubles before the Shilla Kingdom successfully unified the kingdom in the year 3365. The Monggol invasions devastated the cultural centers in the Western Han, while a more lenient compromise alliance with the state of Goryeo left the Eastern peoples in relative harmony. When the upheavals later upset the balance in the new Monggol Weon Dynasty, the Goryeo Kingdom successfully stopped the Myeong Dynasty from completely destroyed the previous Dynasty. In the wake of the decision by the Monggol Khans to abandon Daedu, a rift in the factions in Goryeo led to the establishment of the Han Dynasty and an almost immediate assimilation of the Goryeo Kingdom.
After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, the new dynasty struggled against the weight of both the Myeong and Weon Dynasties. Under the reign of Seijong the Great, the dynasty's security from a resurgent Weon Dynasty was assured, and the Myeong were for a time pacified as well. However, corruption grew among the Imperial ranks, and led a number of unstable reigns. It was the unfortunate invasion by the neighboring islands of Ilbon (called the Imjin War (壬辰戰爭|임진전쟁)) that triggered the fortuitous crackdown on corruption, at the expense of a weakened state. But with a stronger central authority of the Emperor, wars against the Myeong and the Weon re-established the Han as the dominant power of the lands, with reunification of the entire Empire coming with the conquest of the Myeong Dynasty in the year 4366. As a growing regional power, the Han favored aggressive diplomacy and development, continuing the open-door policies of the previous Weon Emperors. Hoping to allay fears that the new Emperors were being complacent to Western advances, Emperor Yeongjo claimed the Divine Right to govern Las Filipinas. In the war, which was recorded as the Muja War (戊子戰爭|무자전쟁), the revitalized Han navy destroyed the existing Spanish fleet in Malnira. After a limited ground campaign, which saw many native Filipinos fight with the Han, the Spanish commander surrendered the garrison and gave up the territories on behalf of the Spanish crown. The victory helped prop up the Han Empire as it demonstrated limited local hegemony in the midst of curious Western expansion. The few incidents that occurred within the territorial spheres was often resolved with clever diplomacy, hoping to avoid another costly military campaign against a stronger Western counterpart. The Empire prospered with its growing economy, but as the Empire lacked the drive to modernize, the Empire soon began to decline in its ability to fend off the Western powers. Indeed, avoiding confrontation was guarding the security of the Han Empire, while exposing its extremities to attack. Part of the problem was the establishment of rigid Imperial systems that stifled technological developments and innovative ideas. For this, the Emperor Gojong sought to reinvigorate the Empire with modernization schemes that included liberalization of the Imperial political system. Realizing the potential political power in emancipation - to allow each person to carve out his own destiny in the Empire - the succeeding Emperors granted more civil liberties to citizens, clearly distinguishing citizenship as a great and earned privilege. This development was important in the establishment of the Empire, which was characterized by increasingly diverse peoples. To avoid complicating racial issues, the citizenship concept was wildly expanded, such that by the year 4672, the idea of citizenship was a state abstraction that superseded the importance of familial ties. While family remains a culturally vital component, citizenship allowed the development of a diverse and heterogeneous society with a generally united public.
But with the rise of the Han Empire and the expansion of international contacts came the political antithetic terrorist organization - the Mujeongbu. For the past 40 years, the Han Empire has grappled the difficulties presented by anarchist terrorists, seeking revolution in the Han Empire and the disestablishment of the Imperial Government. While the Seonjong Emperor largely ended all opposition to the Han Empire within its territories, the war continued overseas until it culminated in the Gyeimyo Calamity, during which the former capital Hangyeong was attacked and virtually destroyed by an EMP strike. Since then, the Han Empire has emerged from the incidents much stronger and more willing to engage hostile forces beyond its borders in the pursuit of peace and stability.
[edit] Government
- Main article: Government of Daehanjeiguk
The Government of the Han Empire is structured around an imperial regent, who governs the state absolutely. The Emperor serves both as head of the Imperial Regency (office) and as Head of the State. The Imperial Regency possesses all of the powers typically isolated in other more democratic institutions. In this manner, the Emperor serves as the legislative, the executive, and the judicial head of the government. However, due to the vast size of the Empire, the Emperor rarely exercises this power fully, rather delegating these responsibilities to other auxiliary organizations. The Imperial Assembly - which is composed of every Han citizen - draws laws to petition the Emperor for Imperial concern and redress. While the Imperial Assembly does not hold much power, the people who participate in political discussions often exercise their power thoroughly, such that the Emperor does not typically ignore petitions made by the Imperial Assembly. Each province also has its own Assembly, which deals specifically with the needs of the individual province, which can then be presented - if necessary - before the Imperial Assembly at larse. The Executive Powers are represented in the Imperial Cabinet - which is composed of the Emperor himself, the Prime Minister, the Principal Ministers, Sub-Principal Ministers (at request), and the Governors of the Provinces (in the case of the Autonomous Auxiliary Kingdoms, a Special Representative is elected to represent the Kingdom in the Imperial Cabinet). Of the members of the Imperial Cabinet, only the Governors and the Prime Minister are popularly elected by the people - the Ministers are appointed by the Imperial Assembly, while the Emperor inherits his position. As every person has an equal vote (including the Emperor, who reserves his vote typically as the tiebreaker by tradition and custom), the executive power of the Empire is much more democratic than what outsiders would typically perceive. Of course, the Imperial Cabinet usually only consists of the Emperor and his Ministers, which is the minimum required for a convention of the Imperial Cabinet. Executive power is further relegated to the various Provincial Governors (who share their executive power in the Imperial Cabinet), and to individual townships. The judicial power is divided among popularly elected judges, which receive their authority from Imperial confirmation by the Emperor. In the lower ranks, the mayors and prefects serve as the judges for their respective districts. Although the Emperor reserves the right to exercise the final judgment on any particular matter, which must be appealed by dissatisfied claimants through the judicial ranks system, in practice decisions seldom go beyond their point of origin, owing to the cost of pursuing further appeals and the general trend that lower court decisions are upheld by the higher courts. Any person is capable of participating in the Imperial Government if he/she/it has successfully passed through the Imperial Examinations System (科擧|과거); successful completion of the required stages of the IES are necessary for official participation and promotion within the Imperial Government, although apprenticeship is also authorized for students preparing for the examination and further study in the government. In this manner, the Imperial Government maintains some opportunity to all citizens of the Empire.
[edit] Demographics
- Main article: Demographics of Daehanjeiguk
The total population of the Han Empire at the last census was just over 6.5 billion persons. A growing majority of the population are living in urban centers, while some live in rural areas still. Notable metropolitan centers include Gwangju, Yeiseong, Sanghae, Cheongdo, Malnira, Pyeongyang, Seibu, Daebo, Busan, Junggyeong, and Seoan. While many people believe that natives of the Han Empire are ethnically homogeneous, the diversity of culture and races in the Empire suggests otherwise. In all, the Han Empire possesses at least 20 significantly distinct ethnicities in the Empire. Complicating this fact is the general "Han" term applied to citizens of the Han Empire - that by being a citizenship, one renounces one's tribal ancestry and claims devotion to the state. For this reason, tracing the full lineage of the many ethnicities in the Han Empire has become increasingly difficult, especially as inter-marriage becomes more common. Fortunately, Confucian devotion to family has helped retain some of the history of many genealogies, but it still remains a daunting task to identify so many people.
[edit] Foreign Relations
- Main article: Foreign Relations of Daehanjeiguk
The Foreign Relations of Daehanjeiguk are officially regulated by the Academy of Foreign Affairs (大韓帝國外務學園|대한제국외무학원). There are generally three stages for the establishment of diplomatic relations: (1) Imperial recognition, in which a state receives a name befitting of its country and political system; (2) Embassy exchange, which often requires extensive foreign contact between the Empire and other states; and (3) Treaty Relations, in which states enter into official treaty relationships with the Empire, to include mutual defense pacts, alliances, free trade agreements, among others. It is important to note that simply because a state is not "recognized" does not mean that the Empire already has extensive foreign relations with the said country. Due to the nature of the language administration in the Empire, English is in fact not used in Imperial records-keeping (ICly); for this reason, Imperial recognition is merely a stage in which the country in question receives a name to be used for translation and transcription in Han records. Otherwise, without official recognition, people are free to use whatever description is seemingly appropriate for the country. The AFA regulates this service, in part, to avoid potentially offensive descriptions of foreign countries, no matter how much the other country may deserve it.
Owing to the history of the Han Empire, foreign relations are always a tenuous subject. The Empire officially stays away from alliances, preferring mutual respect and courtesy to entangling defensive contracts binding the Empire to unnecessary foreign conflicts. Interestingly, the Han Empire has intervened militarily in some conflicts, ranging from the recent invasion of Budan to on-going operations against the Mujeongbu. Nonetheless, the Han Empire is willing to cooperate with other countries when its interests are guarded.
[edit] Military
- Main article: Military of Daehanjeiguk
The Armed Forces of Daehanjeiguk are among the most advanced and most professional in the world; incidentally, the Empire has seldom seen conflict with other countries, preferring a non-belligerent policy of protectionism, as declared by Emperor Gojong. The military tradition of the Han Empire follows the stratagems declared by ancient Han masters centuries before the foundation of the dynasty and Empire - such as Sun Tzu and the authors of the Seven Military Classics. A modern rendition of the famed Art of War can be found online, published by the Imperial Literary Works Program (1).
Beyond theory, the Empire employs among the most advanced weaponry in the world, including a diverse naval and air force, accompanied by mobile land forces and marine forces. According to the citizenship duties, all citizens are required by mandate to contribute a minimum of two years to serve in the Imperial Armed Forces, regardless of gender. Most citizens opt to serve in the forces, although a number of others opt to work in defense-related industries and services; the law is ambiguous as to how to fulfill the Armed Forces Requirement, to allow all persons to serve in what capacity is available to them. As much of the threat in recent years has been abroad, the Imperial Navy has been the subject of a number of advances, including the development of limited range aircraft carriers and surface vessels.
The Imperial Armed Forces have been seldom engaged in conflicts in the modern era. However, historically, the Empire has a proud military, dating to the foundation of the Empire by the Emperor Taejo. Following the Gyeimyo Calamity, the Imperial Armed Forces began a wide-ranging operation to pursue the Mujeongbu attackers to the far reaches of the NSverse.
[edit] Administrative Divisions
- Main article: Administrative Divisions of Daehanjeiguk
[edit] Economy
- Main article: Economy of Daehanjeiguk
The Economy of Daehanjeiguk is among the most advanced and efficient in the world. Dominated by technology driven industries - such as IT and electronics industries. Much of the economy is also service-driven, such as retail and hospitality. The Empire also holds one of the most competitive construction industries in the world, as well as diverse primary industries and secondary industries. Much of the success for the Han economy has been a centrally driven economic force that has cooperated with the various Jaebeol leaders to create a diverse yet resilient market. As a result, the economy is largely driven by exports, even though the majority of the country's market is domestic. This model is quite baffling and it remains uncertain how it exactly functions still. Nonetheless, the Han economy is also one of the most intelligent and knowledge-driven in the world, with its heavy emphasis on education and apprenticeship through the Imperial Examinations System.
The economy is monitored chiefly by the Imperial Economic Council, which brings together the economic executives of the Empire and the officially recognized Imperial Jaebeol. This body combines the interests of the state and the various Jaebeol leaders to devise economic policies that benefit the Imperial state while allowing businesses to grow. The IEC also allows the Empire to manage its financial affairs, as well as determine the economic health of the state.
[edit] Culture
- Main article: Culture of Daehanjeiguk
The culture of Daehanjeiguk is among the more unique of existing civilizations in the NS universe, especially noted because of its many seemingly contradictory oddities. Anthropologists suggest that this is a result of its geographic isolation, although its interactions in tthe later years of the Empire would certainly allow some cultural moderation by outside powers. This has at times led to conflicts among foreigners seeking to acclimatize to the Han Empire's habits, which include a novel calendar system (owing to an altered geophysical position within the NSverse), currency system, as well as legal and civil traditions.
[edit] Sports
- Main article: Sports of Daehanjeiguk
By far, the most popular sport in Daehanjeiguk is football. Internationally, the Imperial Han Football Team competes in various tournaments, including the World Cup. Domestically, the Imperial Football Association manages all affairs related to football, including the organization of a football league and its associated domestic cups and the assignment of domestic clubs to compete in international club competitions. Although football has not always had a storied history in the Han Empire, its subsequent rise following the Han Empire's involvement in World Cup 36 has given many people a thrilling escape from the toils of society and has since been heavily endorsed by numerous Imperial agencies and entities, especially among corporate sponsors and such.
In addition to football, baseball is quite popular, for odd reasons yet to be explained. There are also a number of tennis, ping-pong, and basketball athletes, although Imperial recognition over the sports has yet to come. And while not considered a sport, many average citizens engage in daily aerobic activities, such as running, walking, Tae-geuk-gwan, and other forms of martial arts. The latter is mostly the result of the citizens' mandate to assist in defense of the state, of which practising martials arts is a requirement (except in extreme cases).
[edit] Miscellaneous Information
[edit] Notes
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| The Great Han Empire (Daehanjeiguk)
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| Geography · History · Government · Politics · Demographics · Foreign Relations · Military · Administrative Divisions · Economy · Culture · Sports |
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