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Why did the Han government duplicate some official duties?

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Map showing the Han Empire's territory around 100 BCE, shaded in orange, covering much of eastern China and extending westward. The map also marks the boundary of modern China and highlights the Great Wall running along the northern frontier, built for protection against the Huns. Major rivers and the capital, Chang'an (Xi'an), are labeled. — Han dynasty Map showing the extent of the Han empire c. 100 bce.

The Han dynasty government intentionally duplicated certain official duties and functions as a strategic measure to prevent individual officials from accumulating excessive power.12

By dividing responsibilities and ensuring that multiple offices held overlapping authority, the imperial administration sought to maintain a system of checks and balances within the government hierarchy. Examples of this practice included:12

Executive Oversight: Occasionally, the government appointed two chancellors concurrently to share and balance the highest level of advisory power.12
Financial Management: The control of state finances was split between two permanent ministries: the Department of Agriculture and Revenue and the Privy Treasury.12

This structural approach was part of a broader commitment to regular hierarchies of authority, intended to protect the stability of the state by limiting the influence of any single official or agency.12