Government of Themiclesia
The Government of Themiclesia is the executive branch of Themiclesia's central government.
History
The modern government of Themiclesia evolved a group of departments centred around the Monarchy, the Chancellor, and the Exchequer. Around 1600, govenrment was centred around the Emperor's court, and as such there was no modern understanding of an executive power separate from the Crown, even though affairs of state could be dispatched through different officials and their departments. After 1600, a stable division of duties between the Crown and its ministers developed and was maintained during the long reign of Emperor Gwits-men (r. 1680 – 1743).
Despite political restraint from the Crown, the 17th through 19th centuries were centralizing phases in Themiclesian government. From time immemorial, Themiclesia-proper was divided into a central region, representing the Tsins kingdom's heartland and under the Crown's direct rule, and a number of provinces under viceregal rule, mainly derived from conquered states. The kingdom's heartland had no viceroy, and eventually the functions of the viceroy developed in the Exchequer. To enhance national cohesion, some duties were transferred from the viceroys to the Exchequer, which then had both national and regional functions. Meanwhile, the Chancery developed from a supervisory office into an administrative one in the 4th century, splitting from the functions of the Crown, which retained many personal powers and supervisory authority over the Chancellor, the Exchequer, and all the viceroys.
Whether there was any original design in this form of government is a matter of debate, but it is thought that the division of powers required all parties to exercise a degree of conciliation and alleviated from the monarch the duty to govern all affairs personally but still retain sufficient influence to prevent usurpations. By the 18th century, emperors found it difficult to maintain their standing in their court and instead pursued a strategy of maintaining a cabal of nobles supporting his personal objectives, particularly from the colonies. In response, nobles alienated by the emperor formed their own faction and pursued their own policy objectives, while still working within the same government. Finally, during the reign of Emperor 'Ei, repeated defeat at war (advocated by the Crown and widely assumed to be beneficial only to the Crown's cabal) caused the Crown to lose the support of almost all the nobility.
A coup took place in Sqin-lang Palace in the autumn of 1797, stripping the Emperor of most of his powers. To present a united resolve across the entire aristocracy, it became the practice of leading figures in government to meet privately and unify their opinions prior to their presentation to the Emperor. As such, the Government as a body of individuals is autonomous and not regulated by the crown; the legitimacy of the government depended on its support by the aristocracy, particularly the titled nobility in the earlier part of the 19th century.