VASSAL KINGS AND MARQUISES OF THE FORMER HAN DYNASTY

One problem the Former Han government tried to solve was that of finding the right persons to carry out all kinds of governmental functions. Chinese political philosophers had faced this problem from a very early time. The majority of influential schools of thought during the Eastern Chou (東周) period, while differing sharply on other issues, strongly advocated the principle that the government post should go to the best qualified. This principle not only became one of the dominant current in Chinese political thought, but also exerted a strong influence on the Chinese political system. The principle was wholeheartedly accepted by the Chinese government and was partly carried out during the Eastern Chou dynasty.