Bakhian Wall

The Chiseled Code

All shall be treated equally before the gods as agreed by your Great King Bakhyar, King of the Kanodites, the Crafter of Peace, Greater Shalik of Sarzamin, Ruler of all Beneath the Blue Sky and Divine-Chosen in a court of law. Let none believe themselves above these laws and let none claim ignorance.

— The first inscription on the Bakhian Wall, declaring its intent.

The Bakhian Wall is a standing wall in Hidayer, Sarzamin which has the first set of codified laws in the known world inscribed on it. Construction was started in 282 BSF by the then Kanodite Great King Bakhyar. The inscriptions were completed in that year but the decorations and gildings were completed within the following two years.
The wall contains an explanation for how to bring a lawsuit, the protections granted to both the accused and witnesses and the penalties for numerous crimes. Once completed, the laws were considered the standard for the Kanodite Empire and have been employed by the majority of the Successor Kingdoms.

Contents

Etymology

The Bakhian Wall was named after the Great King Bakhyar who commissioned its construction after creating the Kanodite legal code inscribed into the wall.

History

In the early history of the known world, court systems existed but were not judged equally, awarded the same compensation or given the same punishments. In an attempt to simplify the Kanodite legal system and ensure that all were treated equally in the courts, the Great King Bakhyar, in consultation with numerous priests and civil servants, created the first codified set of laws. These laws were inscribed and set to all parts of the Empire, particularly the Shahliks who were ordered to ensure that the laws were followed and applied to all.
In the capital, Hidayer, Bakhyar ordered the laws to be set in stone so that all could read them and they could not be disputed. He ordered the creation of the Bakhyar Wall in the city in 282 BSF and it was completed within two years.

Function

Inscribed on the walls, chiselled into the alabaster, is the Bakhyan legal code that was employed in the Kanodite Empire. Covering the forefront of the wall, the inscriptions covered several laws, penalties and exemptions in an attempt to ensure that all legal cases were brought equally and judged under the same standard. In particular, the writings laid out the methods to bring a legal case, those who should adjudicate that case, the system for deciding guilt and the protections granted to both the accuser and the accused. In particular, the accused could not be seized or imprisoned before a trial and a hefty fine was to be incurred if this was broken.

In keeping the peace, none shall aggrieve those bringing or defending a case. Be these plaintiffs, defendants, judges, witnesses or the priesthood. Let these men be treated as part of the imperial household and granted the same protection and those breaking this covenant will be punished accordingly.

— A line detailing the protections granted to those in legal cases

The legal code outlined the marriage, divorce, property, inheritance and currency debasement laws. Assets awarded to women in the marriage were solidified to ensure that disputes did not arise in the case of a divorce. Specifically, the inscriptions covered who would hold onto assets if a partner died in suspicious circumstances and placed a duration on the period between marriages and ensured that proper procedure was followed in a divorce, in particular, logging the divorce in a civil setting. The punishment for coin debasement was confirmed and widely shared after increasing issues with maintaining currency purity. This law was particularly aimed at the nobility and Shahlikdoms with harsh punishments.

Futhermore, the wall is inscribed with the bounty on Fencage and outlines the crimes for growing, selling and fraudulently attempting to claim the bounty. Finally, a large list of fines, imprisonment terms and causes for exile was listed to ensure that they all knew of the punishments for crimes that had previously been up to the discretion of the Solite priesthood or legal courts that the accused was brought to. A hefty fine, and exile, was the punishment listed for those who exceeded or ignored the list placed on the Bakhyar Wall.

Architecture

The Bakhyian Wall is divided into four sections divided by five columns. The wall itself is made of sandstone blocks and fronted with alabaster whilst the pillars are kept in sandstone without a fronting. The inscriptions on the wall are carved into the alabaster with gilded bronze dividers to break up the different legal categories. The wall is topped with a frieze depicting the history of the Kanodite Empire and shows legal processes in action, for example, a seizure of assets or a court scene with jurors present and is ended, next to each column, with a tap fed by the pool behind the wall. The central column is topped with a bronze statue of the Kanodite Great King Bakhyar and the surrounding four columns are topped with images of the Solite gods.

Bakhian Wall

The Chiseled Code

General Information

Type

Monument

Location

Hidayer
^Sarmazin

Construction Started

275BSF

Construction Completed

273BSF

Technical Details

Material

Sandstone
Alabaster

Height

1.5m (4ft)

Width

25m (82ft)