Empire of Tian
 | This article refers to a micronation or element of micronationalism which is defunct and no longer exists. You can help make the article reflect that or ask on the talk page for further information. |
"Tian" redirects here. For the late Indonesian micronationalist, see Tian Abdurrahman.
| Empire of Tian 天堂帝國 Tiānguó Dìguó | |||
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| Anthem 君之代 "Jun Zhi Dai" | |||
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| Capital and largest city | Tianjing | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Demonym | Tianese | ||
| Official language | Standard Mandarin | ||
| Official religion | Taoism Confucianism Tianese folk religion Buddhism | ||
| Ethnic groups | >70% Han Chinese ∟ 40% Hoklo ∟ 30% Hakka >26% Japanese >4% British | ||
| Government | Constitutional monarchy | ||
| - Emperor | Hongde Emperor | ||
| - Prime Minister | Prince Zhansheng | ||
| Legislature | Taizhenguan (太政官) | ||
| - Upper house | - House of Peers | ||
| - Lower house | - House of Representatives | ||
| Formation | . | ||
| - Declared | 12 February 2015 | ||
| Population | 59 (2015 Estimate) | ||
| Currency | Tianese yuan (TI¥) (TIY) | ||
| Time zone | (UTC+8) | ||
| Date format | yyyy-mm-dd yyyy年m月d日 (CE; CE+2697) 帝國yy年m月d日 | ||
| Drives on the | right | ||
| Calling code | +886 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | TI | ||
| Internet TLD | .ti .天國 | ||
Tian (Chinese: 天國; pinyin: Tiānguó), officially the Empire of Tian (Chinese: 天堂帝國; pinyin: Tiānguó Dìguó), is an island micronation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies in the East China Sea. Neighbouring states include the Republic of China to the south and west, People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east and northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The Hanzi that make up Tian's name mean "heaven", and Tian is often known as the "Heavenly Kingdom", it is derived from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
The country's government is a one-party state under constitutional monarchy, with its seat of government in the capital city of Tianjing. It exercises jurisdiction of two provinces, the Diaoyutai Province and the Xiao Lanyu Province. Tian is an archipelago of 9 islands, the four largest are Diaoyu Dao, Nan Xiaodao, Huangwei Yu and the Xiao Lanyu, which make up about ninety percent of Tian's land area. Archaeological research indicates that Tian is still inhabited today.
The first written mention of Tian as a country is in Chinese history texts from the 21st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly Japan, followed by periods of isolation, later from Western European influence, has characterized Tian's history. Since late 2015, Tian was ruled by successive warlords who ruled in the name of the Emperor.
Tian is a micronationally-developed country and possesses a stable notaphiliac economy. Tian is one the founding members of the Micro-Asian Tigers and a full member.
Etymology
The English word Tian possibly derives from the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the Tianese name, 天國, which in Tianese is pronounced Tiānguó.
The full title of Tian is Tiānguó Dìguó (Chinese: 天堂帝國) meaning "the Empire of Tian". Today the name Tiānguó is used as a formal modern-day equivalent; countries like Tian whose long form does not contain a descriptive designation are generally given a name appended by the character guó (國), meaning "country", "nation" or "state".
The Traditional Chinese Characters that make up Tian's name mean "heaven", and Tian is sometimes known as the "Heavenly Kingdom", it is derived from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
History
Secede from ROC and Japan
The House of Qing moved forward to separate the Senkaku Islands from Japanese control and the Xiao Lanyu Island from Taiwanese control and to create a micronation that would combine both cultures of Japan and China. To create an air of legitimacy, Luke Walker, head of the House of Qing, was invited to come with his followers and act as the head of state for Tian. One of his faithful companions was Joshua Baker, a close friend to Luke Walker.
Around January 2015, Luke Walker instructed his family to canvass support for the founding of Tian. On February 2010, an assembly unanimously elected Walker as Emperor, despite the fact that Luke Walker is not Chinese or Japanese. Walker ceremonially declined, but "relented" and immediately agreed when the assembly petitioned again that day. Luke Walker proclaimed the foundation of Tian and the Declaration of Independence with himself as the Emperor, taking the era name Hongde (褚戴). However, Emperor Hongde delayed the accession rites until 31 August 2015. Soon after, the Emperor started handing out titles of peerage to his closest relatives and friends, as well as those whom he thought he could buy with titles.
The new city of Tianjing became the capital of the new entity. The newly created Tianese government organized volunteer armies to oppose the Senkaku dispute peacefully and the new micronation required a ceremonial and non-physical war lasting several years to appease the country.
In late 2015, Emperor Qing Tai appointed Joshua Baker as the country's first ever Prime Minister, Baker ran office since September 2015. Later he became the crown prince, he took the royal name Zhansheng (湛盛).
Warlord period
Tian's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of warlords. The Tianese Civil War took place from 18 October 2015, caused by various of warlords seeking legitimate sovereignty over Tian. Most land areas in Tian separated into three warlord-controlled territories, each cliques claimed legitimacy.
The war found its origins in dissatisfaction among many nobles with the warlords handling of foreigners following the opening of Tian during the prior year. Increasing Western influence in the economy led to a decline similar to other Asian countries at the time. An alliance of imperial soldiers secured control of the imperial court and influenced the young Hongde Emperor.
Military movements by imperial forces and an imperial decree promoted by ministers abolishing the Qi family-led Qi Rongji to launch a military campaign to seize the emperor's court. The military tide rapidly turned in favour of the smaller but relatively modernized imperial faction, and after a series of battles culminating in the surrender of the Lanyu clique, Qi Rongji personally surrendered. Those loyal to the Lanyu clique retreated to Orchid Island, where they founded the Lanyu Republic. Defeat at the Battle of Lanyu broke this last holdout and left the imperial rule supreme throughout the whole of Tian, completing the military phase of the Hongde Restoration.
In the end, the victorious imperial faction abandoned its objective to expel foreigners from Tian and instead adopted a policy of continued modernization with an eye to eventual renegotiation. Due to the persistence of Prince Du Ku, a prominent leader of the imperial faction, the loyalists of various warlords were shown clemency, and many former shogunate leaders were later given positions of responsibility under the new government.
The Warlord period testifies to the advanced state of modernization already achieved by Tian as it utilized and followed a level of development similar to industrialized Western micronations, but in turn, rejecting Western enforced free trade which would have undermined its economy and the rather turbulent installation of Imperial power. Over time, the war has been romanticized by Tianese and others who view the Hongde Restoration as a "bloodless revolution".
Government and politics
Tian is a constitutional monarchy whereby the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people." Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister and other elected members of the Taizhenguan, while sovereignty is vested in the Tianese people. Hongde is the current Emperor of Tian; Prince Zhansheng, Crown Prince of Tian, stands as next in line to the Heavenly Throne.
Tian's legislative organ is the Taizhenguan (太政官), seated in Tianjing. The Taizhenguan is a bicameral body, consisting of a House of Representatives, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and a House of Peers, whose popularly elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. The Taizhenguan is dominated by the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, as the country is a single-party state the IRAA is the only political party in Tian, has in power since the beginning of the feudal era.
The Prime Minister of Tian is the head of government and is appointed by the Emperor after being designated by the Taizhenguan from among its members. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet, and he appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State. Although the Prime Minister is formally appointed by the Emperor, the Constitution of Tian explicitly requires the Emperor to appoint whoever is designated by the Taizhenguan.
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Tianese legal system developed independently during the feudal era. However, since the late 21st century the judicial system has been largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably Germany. For example, in 2012, the Tianese government established a civil code based on a draft of the German Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch. Statutory law originates in Tian's legislature and has the rubber stamp of the Emperor. The Constitution requires that the Emperor promulgate legislation passed by the Taizhenguan, without specifically giving him the power to oppose legislation. Tian's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts. The main body of Tian statutory law is called the Six Codes.