The Ministry of Imperial Administration is the body responsible for monitoring the civil administration of the
Seris Empire especially to combat possible corruption that may exist among some bureaucrats.
Origins
Originally the Seris Empire didn't have this Ministry. Instead it was the responsability of the Prime Minister or the Imperial Chambelain to have a network of "spies" who would discover cases of corruption inside the Imperial administration. With these meassures the
Seris Emperor ensured that the bureaucracy acting on his behalf was effective and efficient.
It was during the reign of
Asurlan I when, in the context of his reforms, the Ministry of Imperial Administration was created in order to relieve the Prime Minister's workload and, at the same time, prevent his power and influence from permeating the administration and posing a danger to the crown. Now this new ministry would obey only the Emperor, who would send "Supervisors" to the other ministries as well as to the provinces to ensure that the administration was effective, efficient and impartial.
At the same time the Emperor kept a network of spies aside of the supervisors who would deliver a monthly report to the Palace at
Sakouramish informing about possible bureaucrats or civil servants suspect of corruption.
Powers of the Ministry
Among the powers of the Ministry of Imperial Administration is the ability to bring officials accused of corruption to court.These accused officials can be arrested by members of the ministry itself and by soldiers in its service sent by the Emperor or the governor of the province. The members of the Ministry would then act as the prosecution in the trial.
If the accused officials are found guilty of their crimes , punishments could range from prison or exile to, in the most severe cases of corruption, the death penalty.
The Ministry today
As Imperial power declined after the beginning of the second century of rule of the Sittakid Dynasty, and the realm became more decentralized, the area in which the Ministry exercised its functions was reduced, being effective only in the lands under the direct sovereignty of the Emperor.
As a curiosity, Kami,
Yuya's cousin, began his career in the Imperial Administration working in this ministry, and in fact, became famous for his talent in hunting down corrupt bureaucrats and for his rhetoric in court. This experience became handy when the two had to uncover the corruption of Togash, the man who had instigated the murder of Yuya and Nelli's parents.
I kind of love the fact that the Emperor had spies as well as the official ministry. No corruption under his watch!
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