The Centauri were charter members of the Earth Alliance with a seat on the Alliance's Advisory Board. They withdrew from the Alliance after evidence surfaced proving that the Centauri orchestrated raids on Alliance commerce during 2263. Since that time, the Centauri have refused to rejoin or take any part in the Alliance.

Constitutional Monarchy
The Centauri Republic is a government with a long history. The Noble Houses stand together on centuries of tradition and wisdom, and their Centaurum is a body whose politics are unmatched. The Emperor is both the chief administrator and chief lawmaker of the government, acting for the good of his people and the glory of the Empire. He had a variety of Ministers to aid in administrative matters. Legislative matters are the property of the Centaurum, who enact the laws needed to support and enact a decree from the Emperor. The Centaurum may override the Emperor with a 75% vote of its members, but this ability is rarely invoked. Centauri tradition holds that the Emperor is infallible and overriding an Imperial decree has often proven unhealthy for those who organize such an effort. Overrides are attempted only rarely and only against Emperors who are considered extremely weak.

The Centaurum's purpose is to carry out the will of the Emperor. Routine economic matters are handled by the Emperor's Committee on Finance and political and diplomatic matters are handled in the chambers of the Centaurum. Members of the Centaurum are elected or appointed to offices and are almost always members of the nobility. The most important duty of the Centaurum is to appoint the Emperor. It is Centauri tradition that the Emperor is succeeded by his son or the nearest male heir when he passes on. If there is not a clear heir, the Centaurum may choose between claimants or even appoint a new Emperor from a different noble house entirely.

The current Centauri Emperor is Londo Mollari. A series of extraordinary events led to the installation of Emperor Mollari beginning with the death of Emperor Turhan during a visit to Babylon 5 in 2260 on the eve of the second Narn-Centauri War. His heir was Emperor Cartagia, who died of double-heart failure on Narn while overseeing the trial of Citizen G'Kar in 2262. Cartagia's death signaled the end of the Centauri occupation of Narn. With no clear heir remaining, the Centaurum declined to name a new Emperor immediately. Instead, they appointed Minister of Protocol Milo as Regent. Mollari became Emperor shortly after Regent Milo's death during the Narn and Drazi attack on Centauri Prime in 2263.

The Centauri are one of the few races that worship both the Great Maker and other gods. The Centauri often add or subtract gods or goddesses from their pantheon. By most recent count there are close to fifty Centauri gods; gods of all different functions and attributes: Venzen, god of food; Li, goddess of passion; Ilarus, goddess of luck, Morgoth, god of the underworld and protector of front doors. The first Centauri Emperors are included in the Centauri pantheon today. The first gods and goddesses from the Xon War have ornate temples built in their names adjoining the Emperor's Palace. The temple to Gon on Immolan V is widely recognized as the most beautiful building ever constructed by a sentient race, and draws millions of pilgrims and tourists each year.

All lines of power and influence flow through the Centauri nobility. Advancement in society is possible only if one is either a member of noble House or is connected to one. The patronage of a noble is the easiest way for a plebeian to achieve success.

The Centauri are unique among the civilized races in that women hold no official positions in society. Men are the leaders and workers of society, serving in the military, and holding all physically demanding jobs. Women are a protected resource, teachers and nurturers for the young and old, working behind the scenes. Women who are ambitious in politics or industrial circles usually find better opportunities among the Centauri colonies or beyond the borders of the Republic.

With the rich tradition of thousands of years of history and the importance of family lineage to the Centauri, marriages are often arranged. A Centauri can receive an arranged marriage (or have one thrust on him) at almost any time during life. This practice used to be common among all Centauri, but in recent years it has fallen out of favor in all but the Noble Houses. It is not unusual for an influential Centauri nobleman to have several wives. Centauri Noblewomen may only take one husband. Centauri normally marry for life. Divorce is rare and only allowed under unusual circumstances.

The Centauri are one of the most technologically advanced races. They have had interstellar flight for almost 500 years. Over the last century the spirit of original discovery has left them and they have concentrated on refining already existing discoveries. The Centauri craft their machines as much for aesthetic value as for function, but this should not fool the observer into assuming that they are weak or useless. Even though the Centauri have made few advances in the recent centuries, the discoveries and inventions created during their golden age were of such staggering magnitude that they were only exceeded by the Minbari.

Centauri ships are some of the most powerful currently in action, exceeded only by the Minbari. Despite losses during the second Narn-Centauri War and the border skirmishes which preceded the Narn and Drazi attack on Centauri Prime in 2263, the Centauri still maintain a sizable fleet. Their fighters are made to maneuver in both space and atmosphere and are extremely agile. The Primus-class battlecruiser is an old yet reliable design that is capable of standing against any of its peers in the Alliance. Only the Narn G'Quon-class heavy cruiser, the Minbari War Cruiser and our own Omega-class Destroyers can engage a Primus-class with a reasonable chance of victory. The most recent addition to the Centauri fleet is the Vorchan-class war cruiser. Over the last 10 years, the Centauri have produced almost no Primus-class cruisers, favoring the Vorchan-class. The Vorchan has become the most commonly seen Centauri warship.

The Emperor and his military advisors order military actions. Chief among them is Grand Fleet Admiral Dromo and Guardsman Elite Tavastani. These two advisors are from houses that predate the Emperor's house, and their positions are considered to be unimpeachable and of the highest honor.

Prior to the assault on Centauri Prime in 2263, the Centauri military saw almost nonstop action. There was the second Narn-Centauri War, then numerous border conflicts against the Drazi Freehold, and other governments. With the death of Emperor Cartagia, the Centauri released most of the territory captured in these wars. However, just after the formation of the Interstellar Alliance, the Centauri began to attack and destroy freighters belonging to members of the Alliance despite having a seat on its Advisory Board. The combined Drazi/Narn attack on Centauri Prime has curbed the Centauri military, but its size and power remains a concern to governments that share a border with the Republic.