Theme: Political Systems Pre-modern China, Japan, and Korea: China: China was ruled by dynasties, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The emperor was considered the "Son of Heaven" and had absolute power. The bureaucracy was based on the Confucian system of meritocracy, where officials were chosen through a rigorous examination system. Japan: Japan was ruled by an emperor, but the real power was often held by a military leader known as the shogun. The shogunate system was a form of feudalism, where the shogun granted land to vassals (daimyo) in return for military service. Korea: Korea was also a monarchy, ruled by various dynasties. The most notable was the Joseon Dynasty, which implemented a Confucian-based bureaucracy similar to China. However, the king held more direct power than the Chinese emperor. From 1820 CE onwards: China: The Qing Dynasty was overthrown in 1911, leading to the establishment of the Republic of China. After a period of civil war, the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, introducing a socialist system under the Communist Party. Japan: The Meiji Restoration in 1868 ended the shogunate system and restored the emperor's power. Japan modernized rapidly and became an imperial power. After World War II, Japan became a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. Korea: The Joseon Dynasty was replaced by the Korean Empire in 1897, but it was soon annexed by Japan in 1910. After World War II, Korea was divided into North and South Korea. North Korea became a socialist state, while South Korea developed into a democratic republic. In summary, pre-modern China, Japan, and Korea were all monarchies with varying degrees of centralized power and influence from Confucianism. From 1820 onwards, all three countries underwent significant political changes due to internal and external pressures, leading to the diverse political systems seen today. Go deeper into this and write a 750 word paper