Telvan politics and government is heavily influenced by the
Caste System and the ranking system between the different castes and political families.
There are considered three ranks of political status: Imperial Status, the Emperor and members of the royal family; Aristocratic status, the aristocratic land-owning on’lanbe and um’lanbe families; and finally citizen status which is everyone in the Sumpa caste and above.
The Emperor and the Imperial Family
The Emperor is the head of the Telvan Empire and is considered the most powerful person in the Empire. His family makes up the Imperial family, who are all very wealthy and powerful.
The Emperor and his family members are considered immediate members of the imperial court and are automatically powerful through that.
The Emperor and the Imperial Family are all of the on’Lanbe caste -the highest rank in the caste system- and can only marry people of the same caste.
The Aristocrats
The Aristocrats are the landed families of the Lanbe castes -both on’Lanbe and um’Lanbe- that participate in the empire's politics. They gain their power through their government positions as well as through their wealth and influence. Because they are of the Lanbe caste, they are considered more sacred and important than the average citizen and thus have more rights and power than the regular citizen.
The higher-ranking Aristocrats are of the on’Lanbe caste and are the families with the most power besides the Imperial family, their members are made up of the advisors and underlings who report and advise directly to the Emperor and manage large and wealthy vassals of the Telvan Empire.
There are also lesser-ranking Aristocrats, often from the um’Lanbe caste, who are made up of the landed gentry and tend to have lesser-ranking jobs in the Empire's bureaucracy often advising and working for higher-ranking aristocrats. They may work their way up if they are exceptional at their job or gain favor from someone high-ranking.
Those who work for the emperor in the imperial court are considered the most powerful and help make up the aristocratic court that holds sway over the Emperor’s decisions. Those who work in high-ranking provincial positions are also considered powerful but have less sway over the emperor and imperial family due to working further away.
Citizens
The Citizens of the Telvan Empire are those who have access to the rights and legal systems of the Empire.
Citizenship is granted to those of the Sumpa caste and above and can work as government officials, with their specific job opportunities being dependent on their caste.
Non-Citizens
There are also those who do not have citizenship which includes those of the Pakumbe castes. These castes include Telvan’s considered socially taboo as well as people that the Telvan Empire has conquered.
Non-citizens have few rights and protections and are often subject to labor drafts and segregation. They are often considered unclean or unworthy of regular rights as a way of promoting the status quo.
Comments