Comptroller of Waters and Marine Prefect: Difference between revisions
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===Early history=== | ===Early history=== | ||
In the early 700s, Themiclesia | In the early 700s, Themiclesia established control over the subcontinent Columbia, first via diplomacy then, after the founding of the [[Dzi dynasty]], a mixture of diplomacy and conquest. These early attempts had mixed results, and by 780 a sizeable coalition of native societies, brought into contact largely by Themiclesian interference, formed a formidable threat to Themiclesia's desire to dominate them. In 792, Themiclesia mobilized 40,000 soldiers and defeated the coalition. Gwjang, the prime minister in charge of the campaign, obtained the assent of native leaders to allow travel, mining, agriculture, hunting, and forestry in all the lands that were unowned, to make for future, peaceful co-existence. Gwjang executed the leaders of the coalition and exterminated one of the tribes that had an important position in the coalition. As a life-long bureaucrat, Gwjang established ownership according to Themiclesian understandings; the lack of clear records impaired his objects.<ref>Gwjang's methodology here involves imposing Themiclesian understanding of real estate on native societies. This meant if a piece of land was owned so to exclude Themiclesian access, it had clear boundaries and an owner. A piece of land could be jointly owned, but that required a contract or some written instrument so stating. Gwjang asked natives if they owned a particular piece of land, but they frequently responded by noting their access to it, such as hunting or trapping in it. Yet if multiple persons answered they had the same access to that land, Gwjang interpreted it that the land was unowned and therefore open to Themiclesian annexation. This is inconsistent with how land was owned in Themiclesia, there certainly being communal lands without single owner or stipulated set of owners, which still excluded alien access. According to modern analyses, Gwjang not only imposed a Themiclesian understanding of land ownership, but a hyper-limited type of land ownership, dissolving coherent Columbian native economic systems based on various forms of access to land to the status of individual Themiclesian freeholds. This destroyed the power structures such economic systems supported, weakening native leadership and ability to marshal resources. There is dispute whether Gwjang did this intentionally or not.</ref> After basic boundaries were established, the Marine Prefect was ordered in 795 to inventory resources in the part of the subcontinent Themiclesia declared unowned and to itself annexed. The nuances of native concepts of ownership, which Gwjang failed to recognize, made the Marine Prefect's job a challenging and controversial one, especially when Themiclesia withdrew forces from the continent. However, his jurisdiction over the continent would extend over the next ten centuries. | ||
Since the Marine Prefect was appointed to this position, his department expanded significantly and came to involve diplomacy. | Since the Marine Prefect was appointed to this position, his department expanded significantly and came to involve diplomacy. Themiclesia pledging its technological and military support to friendly native communities, it was necessary to determine who was "in right" before the court reacted. Disputes were divided into intertribal ones and those between natives and Themiclesia. The Marine Prefect decided whether a resource was on Themiclesian land as established by Gwjang, if another actor was found using it. This created the civil jurisdiction of the Marine Prefect. Themiclesia generally did not interfere if natives made war with each other, unless one side appealed for assistance; when involvement was necessary, a [[Tribune (Themiclesia)|tribune]] would be commissioned to investigate along with an envoy, and the Marine Prefect would be summoned to give evidence. Even though he had no formal power over such diplomatic disputes, his statements were frequently taken for more weight than is justified, and his support in these proceedings was sought after by native socities. In both situations, the Marine Prefect stood to profit from disputes in commodities common in Columbia but valuable in Themiclesia. Combined with a responsibility to manage resources and oversee exploitation thereof, his soon became the most lucrative appointment other than the [[Inner Region|Inner Administrator]] and leading ministers. | ||
===Modern history=== | ===Modern history=== | ||
Revision as of 03:31, 10 February 2020
The Comptroller of Waters (水黃令, sl′jur-gwrang-ringh) and Marine Prefect (護水使者, gagh-sl′jur-srje′-tja′) are two high-ranking Themiclesian civil servants, managing natural resources in Themiclesia and Columbia respectively. The Marine Prefect originated as an assistant of the Comptroller of Waters in Themiclesia but later developed his own jurisdiction in Columbia, becoming the subject of much controversy once Casaterran settlers appeared in the area.
History
Origins
The Comptroller of Waters is an ancient office, the first mention of which dates to the Tsjinh dynasty (265 – 420). While it is not clear whether his early portfolio was identical to the same in later times, jurisdictions were comparable. He was responsible for the maintenance of all waterways and a number of royal forests. By extension, he managed all shipping by water, whether via river or the coastal waters. By a further extension, he oversaw the equalization of the prices of goods by purchasing them from areas where they abound and selling the same where they were wanting; this was an early form of economic control, derived from Menghean economic policies and treatises of the Meng dynasty (c. 200 BCE – 278 CE). A war between the Sungh and Rjang states occurred on the river border in 480, resulting in increased state control over civilian boats, via the appointment of the Marine Prefect, whose duty is the registration of all river-worthy and seaworthy boats in Themiclesia, in case of war in water.[1] By extension to this, he also registered the owners of boats and arranged for their captaincy and armoury during an emergency. The need to suppress pirates resulted in the extension of his jurisdiction to the sea. In 502, he acquired a number of manufactories to produce battering rams and other naval weaponry.
Early history
In the early 700s, Themiclesia established control over the subcontinent Columbia, first via diplomacy then, after the founding of the Dzi dynasty, a mixture of diplomacy and conquest. These early attempts had mixed results, and by 780 a sizeable coalition of native societies, brought into contact largely by Themiclesian interference, formed a formidable threat to Themiclesia's desire to dominate them. In 792, Themiclesia mobilized 40,000 soldiers and defeated the coalition. Gwjang, the prime minister in charge of the campaign, obtained the assent of native leaders to allow travel, mining, agriculture, hunting, and forestry in all the lands that were unowned, to make for future, peaceful co-existence. Gwjang executed the leaders of the coalition and exterminated one of the tribes that had an important position in the coalition. As a life-long bureaucrat, Gwjang established ownership according to Themiclesian understandings; the lack of clear records impaired his objects.[2] After basic boundaries were established, the Marine Prefect was ordered in 795 to inventory resources in the part of the subcontinent Themiclesia declared unowned and to itself annexed. The nuances of native concepts of ownership, which Gwjang failed to recognize, made the Marine Prefect's job a challenging and controversial one, especially when Themiclesia withdrew forces from the continent. However, his jurisdiction over the continent would extend over the next ten centuries.
Since the Marine Prefect was appointed to this position, his department expanded significantly and came to involve diplomacy. Themiclesia pledging its technological and military support to friendly native communities, it was necessary to determine who was "in right" before the court reacted. Disputes were divided into intertribal ones and those between natives and Themiclesia. The Marine Prefect decided whether a resource was on Themiclesian land as established by Gwjang, if another actor was found using it. This created the civil jurisdiction of the Marine Prefect. Themiclesia generally did not interfere if natives made war with each other, unless one side appealed for assistance; when involvement was necessary, a tribune would be commissioned to investigate along with an envoy, and the Marine Prefect would be summoned to give evidence. Even though he had no formal power over such diplomatic disputes, his statements were frequently taken for more weight than is justified, and his support in these proceedings was sought after by native socities. In both situations, the Marine Prefect stood to profit from disputes in commodities common in Columbia but valuable in Themiclesia. Combined with a responsibility to manage resources and oversee exploitation thereof, his soon became the most lucrative appointment other than the Inner Administrator and leading ministers.
Modern history
The title gagh-sl′jur′-srje′-tja′ was first translated into Sylvan as praefectus marinus in the 12th century, referring to his vestigial jurisdiction as an administrator over the provision of timbers for the navy; that was then anglicized as "Marine Prefect". His jurisdiction in Columbia was significantly curtailed by the Pass Marshal, who came to command the Colonial Army there in the early 1300s. However, the co-operation and opposition between the two officers also became an important check on the distant administration against illegal actions. As the Pass Marshal could requisition goods from the Marine Prefect, so could the latter restrict the quantity thereof or priority of various demands.
In the 14th through 16th centuries, the Marine Prefect's department was iternerant, but mostly within what is today Camia. That being one of the densest Themiclesian settlements, he soon became an unwelcome figure, who frequently expropriated the colonists' lands, structures, and goods. In 1622, his department settled in Tiung-kyaeng. At this time, his outranked all other civilian magistrates in Camia, making it lawful for him to exact benevolences from locals, in name of the court. While colonial-era Camians could appeal to the Inner Administrator for intercession, he most often sided with the Marine Prefect, since exactions from the latter reduced fiscal burdens on the former. In 1692, the Camians rebelled with "absurd exactions" by the Marine Prefect as one of the main grievances. Suppressed the following year, they rebelled again in 1701 with the same list of grievances and expelled him from Tiung-kyaeng; his department moved to Kaoyang.
In 1768, the Marine Prefect's department was evacuated from Columbia, since resource extraction had become difficult by that point without infringing on easements and other interests the Themiclesian court recocgnized, in either native or Casaterran settler communities. Moreover, the intensification of conflict had required a more unitary and forceful system for controlling resources, both which favoured the Colonial Army.
Notes
- ↑ "Marine" here is used as in "merchant marine".
- ↑ Gwjang's methodology here involves imposing Themiclesian understanding of real estate on native societies. This meant if a piece of land was owned so to exclude Themiclesian access, it had clear boundaries and an owner. A piece of land could be jointly owned, but that required a contract or some written instrument so stating. Gwjang asked natives if they owned a particular piece of land, but they frequently responded by noting their access to it, such as hunting or trapping in it. Yet if multiple persons answered they had the same access to that land, Gwjang interpreted it that the land was unowned and therefore open to Themiclesian annexation. This is inconsistent with how land was owned in Themiclesia, there certainly being communal lands without single owner or stipulated set of owners, which still excluded alien access. According to modern analyses, Gwjang not only imposed a Themiclesian understanding of land ownership, but a hyper-limited type of land ownership, dissolving coherent Columbian native economic systems based on various forms of access to land to the status of individual Themiclesian freeholds. This destroyed the power structures such economic systems supported, weakening native leadership and ability to marshal resources. There is dispute whether Gwjang did this intentionally or not.