<P> The Superintendent of Waterways and Parks (Shuiheng duwei 水 衡 都 尉) was also known as the Chief Commandant of Waterways and Parks, and was once a subordinate of the Minister Steward until 115 BC, when he, and other former subordinates of that ministry, became independent officers . His salary - rank was equivalent to 2000--dan . The Superintendent of Waterways and Parks managed a large imperial hunting park located outside Chang'an, including its palaces, rest stops, granaries, and cultivated patches of fruit and vegetable gardens, which, along with game meat, provided food for the emperor's household . He also collected taxes from commoners using the park's grounds and transmitted these funds to the Minister Steward, who managed the emperor's finances . One of the Superintendent's subordinates supervised convicted criminals in their care of the park's hunting dogs . </P> <P> In 115 BC the central government's mint was transferred from the Minister Steward's ministry to the park managed by the Superintendent of Waterways and Parks . In 113 BC the central government closed all commandery - level mints; private minting had previously been outlawed in 144 BC . The Superintendent's imperial mint in the park outside Chang'an had the sole right to issue coinage throughout the empire . However, Emperor Guangwu of Han (r . 25--57 AD) abolished the Superintendent of Waterways and Parks and revived his post annually during autumn to conduct a ritual sacrifice . The imperial mint became the responsibility of the Minister of Finance and the imperial park located outside Eastern - Han Luoyang was administered by a prefect . </P> <P> The Director of Dependent States (Dian shuguo 典 屬國), whose salary - rank was 2,000 - dan, was responsible for embassies to foreign countries and nomadic peoples along Han's borders and the annual exchange of hostages--usually foreign princes--submitted to the Han court . Dependent States (Shuguo 屬國) were first established in 121 BC and composed mostly non-Han - Chinese nomadic tribes and confederations who surrendered after negotiation or armed conflict and accepted Han suzerainty . They served as a buffer between Han territory and hostile tribes, such as the Xiongnu, and as a means to quell tribes in the Ordos Desert . The Han court appointed a Commandant (Duwei 都 尉), also known as Chief Commandant, ranked Equivalent to 2,000 - dan, to govern the non-Han - Chinese populations of each Dependent State . The Director of Dependent States' title was abolished in 28 BC; his duties and his subordinates, the Commandants, became the responsibilities of the Minister Herald . The Protectorate of the Western Regions, established in 60 BC, which conducted foreign affairs with the oasis city - states in the Tarim Basin of Central Asia, was not the responsibility of the Director of Dependent States . </P> <P> The Han Empire was divided by hierarchical political divisions in the following descending order: provinces (zhou), commanderies (jun), and counties (xian). This model of local government was adopted from the previous government structure of the Qin dynasty . </P>

What kind of government was the han dynasty