Wang Dao
At first, the southerners were resistant to the new ruler from the north. The circumstances obliged the Emperors of Eastern Jin to depend on both local and northern aristocrat clans. This was also the pinnacle of "menfa" (, "gentry clans") politics : Several powerful immigrant elite clans controlled national affairs, such as Wang () clans of Langya and Taiyuan, Xie () clan of Chenliu, Huan () clan of Qiao Commandery, and Yu () clan of Yingchuan, while the emperors' authority were limited. There was a prevalent remark that "Wang Dao and the emperor Sima Rui, they dominate the nation together" () among the people. It is said that when Emperor Yuan was holding court, he even invited Dao to sit by himself accepting jointly the congratulations from ministers, but Dao declined it.