Administrative divisions of Themiclesia

The administrative divisions of Themiclesia are geographic entities responsible for both autonomous government and implementing the decisions of the central government. Themiclesia is a pluralistic state with varying types of regional autonomy: the states are mostly autonomous .

Terminology

The concept "sovereign territory" is generally translated as krjangh (境; 竟 in monumental style) in Shinasthana, though this is not a perfect translation. The latter conveys the meaning of "border, limit" more accurately, cp. Latin limes, "limit, border". Another term, pran-do (版圖) is also seen occasionally, though this term literally means "household records [and] land surveys", referring to the area in which the government exercises administrative control. The term gwrên-kwar (寰官) refers to the area in which agricultural revenues are paid into the Great Exchequer (大內); as Themiclesia was primarily an agrarian state in the past, agricultural revenues were taken as the basis of statehood and used to judge the extent of the state's power.  However, gwênh-kwar technically excluded alienated territories like the fiefs of peers and the palatine states. The same limitation existed for prong (邦), the term most often translated as "state".  The word kwek (國), which survives in Menghean to mean "state, country", today means "region, periphery" in Themiclesia, with little political significance.

History

The former palatine dominions and (by 500) viceregal provinces of northern Themiclesia

Antiquity

During Antiquity, Themiclesia-proper was dominated by dozens of city-states (邑, ′jep), which were ruled by their respective monarchs and aristocrats. The land around the city, usually owned and cultivated by the city's elites, was called the gwrên (寰). The combination of a city and its surrounding lands, called a "country" (邦, ke-prong), would form the basic unit of Themiclesian administration into the dynastic period beginning in 256. When a city controlled another through a colonial relationship or by conquest, tribute was exacted from the prong as a whole, as a city by itself was not economically productive in agricultural terms, while its surrounding lands often too large to police and tax.

If a conquered city lost its autonomy, as was more often the case into the Classical Period, it was often granted to the hegemon's supporters as rewards, but some were retained as the hegemon's demesne. Many such grants evolved into financial entitlements, giving the beneficiary all or part of the city's revenues, but the hegemon instead appointed magistrates to supervise the cities, as he did in the demesne. Regardless of the disposition of the city's ruler after conquest, it was rarely possible to remove the local aristocracy, and often their co-operation was sought instead. In Tsjinh in particular, the aristocracy of the mother city was particularly powerful, and the Tsjinh patriarch shared spoils of land and goods with his high nobles as a matter of course.

In the 3rd century, new settlements were often founded without the official title of "city" to avoid the alienation of power from the absentee ruler to a local aristocracy; in this case they were called gwrên and governed by a ringh (令) or "commandant". Large, poorly-settled areas were governed as provinces (郡, nkjurh); these are often considered under a nominally-military occupation rather than genuine administration. During the Sungh dynasty, regional administration was reformed after a five-year war exhausted the influence of the palatine princes, who ruled the northern half of Themiclesia-proper under their own right even though they swore allegiance to the hegemon. Viceroys (守, n′ju′) were appointed over the territories of the palatine princes, whose dominions were also called provinces, but the viceroy over a former palatine dominion was senior to the governor of an interior province.

Most scholars believe that the distinction between administration and ownership or title of land at the local level emerged during the late Antiquity to early Medieval period (2nd to 6th century CE), as a consequence of the sharing of local powers as well as opposition between an appointed magistrate and a hereditary owner of land. In addition to his economic role, most magistrates had impermanent terms by the end of the 4th century. This distinction emerged over several centuries, and even in the 6th century it was still not uncommon for a hegemon to grant both magisterial and manorial powers to a single person over a small city or a parcel of land. Under the efforts to strength finances and reward loyalists in the mid-5th century, it became the rule to appoint a magistrate to supervise and increase taxation whether that went to one of the hegemon's supporters.

Medieval

Emperor Ngjon was established as hegemon of Themiclesia in 543 due to his promise to reduce taxation, but he and his successors introduced a more vigorous local administration system in the reduced demesne of the emperor. In 552, he ordered the survey of all Themiclesian farms, a tremendous undertaking that took over 20 years to complete. Up to this point, taxes were collected by magistrates from whatever source he could find, and the co-operation of the major landowners and merchants was indispensible; their compliance was often compelled by the threat of military force. The collection of poll tax, the other common source of revenues, was laborious when there was little to no local bureaucracy. The new survey permitted his administration to levy taxation in a more controlled and centralized manner, often directly from the cultivator. This change is evidenced in the operation of a new unit of local administration—the manor or commune (里, rje), corresponding to the large estates held by aristocrats, whose contents were then opened to royal extraction.

The administration of provinces also evolved during the Mrang period, heavily influenced by the administrative techniques imported from Menghe itself. After the 6th century, new settlements came under the jurisdiction of the provinces in view of reserving revenues from them to the royal exchequer and the rights to appoint officials therein to the crown. This consideration created a two-tiered administration with a provincial marshal over a county magistrate that would become normal in Themiclesia after this time. In the 7th century, the viceregal provinces of the north were each divided into two to prevent any viceroy from gaining too much territory and power. By edict in 722, interior provinces acquired a civil administration headed by a viceroy parallel to the marshal.

Local government

In most places, there exists a two-tier system of local government; smaller entities usually serve an administrative function.

Division of duties

The Local Government Act, last amended in 1986, regulates the structure of local government in all areas except Metropolitan Cities, whose powers are recognized by special legislation. Powers tend to be concentrated in the higher tier of local government in urban areas, while the opposite is sometimes true in rural areas. In provinces and statutory municipalities, the powers of local government default to the higher tier if there is a difference in opinion between the two levels of government.

	Provinces		Municipalities
	Province	County	Municipality	Commune
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Trade schools
Birth registration
Coroners and probate
Land tax
Waste collection and disposal
Capitation tax
Public forests
Highways
Public roads and bridges
Vehicle registration and testing
Charities
Fisheries
Affordable housing
Police
Cemeteries
Fire services
Libraries
Parks and green areas
Sporting and gaming
Marriage and divorce
Enrolment of electors
Heritage protection
Urban planning
Parking regulation and enforcement
Building inspection
Sewerage
Public transport
Trading standards
Water drainage
Riverworks
Inns, ale houses, cinemas
Disaster response
Prisons
Retirement homes
Militias

Schematic

Tier 1	Metropolitan City ke-prong, (邦)			Statutory Municipality gwrên, (寰)		Province nkjurh, (郡)		State ke-prong, (邦)	Region kwek, (國)
Tier 2	Commune skok, (區)	Borough brji, (啚)	District kraw, (交)	Commune skok, (區)	District kraw, (交)	Township ta, (都)	County gwrên, (寰)	(Locally regulated)	District be, (部)
Tier 3		Manor rje′, (里)	Manor rje′, (里)		Manor rje′, (里)	Commune skok, (區)	Manor rje′, (里)		Manor rje′, (里)

Primary divisions

Primary divisions of Themiclesia

Themiclesia is divided into 33 primary divisions. Except the 3 States and 2 Regions in the north and east, there are 5 Metropolitan Cities, 8 Statutory Municipalities, and 15 Provinces.

Province

The administration of each Province (郡, nkjurh) is carried out by six offices: viceroy, marshal, tribune, principal secretary, provincial council, and the magisterial court.

The viceroy (守, n′ju′) and marshal (尉, ′judh) are officers appointed by the Cabinet, and their modern roles are largely ceremonial. The viceroy's former duties included the administration of taxes, maintenance of the provincial census, and taking of accounts, and the marshal maintained the region's militias, appointed civil and military officers, and administered justice, though the last duty was carried out by a group of professional judges by the Medieval period. While the viceroy and marshal were co-heads of the province, the viceroy was regarded as the more senior due to its closer relationship with the central government. Both the viceroy and marshal serve at the pleasure of the Crown and in practice that of the central government, and terms of office are not guaranteed; scholars observe that re-appointments are the most frequent when a transition of government parties takes place at the central level, indicating that appointment as viceroy may be a form of political patronage.

The principal secretary (長史, ntrjang-s.rje) originated as the chief advisor of the viceroy and professional head of the provincial administration. He wielded considerable powers due to the transient nature of the viceregal office. After the Local Government Act of 1900, the principal secretary is always appointed after the approval of the Provincial Assembly. This officer is responsible for the ordinary administration of the province as well as the supervision of certain affairs conducted by secondary administrative bodies within the province. The provincial council is the main legislative body of the province and dates to Medieval times. In a number of provinces, the council is bicameral.

The tribune is the chief prosecutor for the province and is responsible for the investigation of illicit activity. The tribune is appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Attorney-general, who is a government minister but is expected to provide impartial advice in this case. Due to the evolution of the judicial system, local courts no longer participate in most civil and criminal cases and are only involved in family law, probate law, and coroners' inquests. Despite this contraction of jurisdiction, it is the viceroy's duty to appoint local judges in his capacity as the representative of the monarchy in the province. The viceroy must appoint judges according to the National Judicial Council, which is an independent body making recommendations to the benches of local courts to ensure impartiality and professionalism.

Cities and municipalities

In Themiclesian administration, cities and municipalities cover largely the same kind urban area and some rural peripheries. The distinction between cities and municipalities is chiefly historical. Cities are technically independent polities that conceded some autonomy in exchange for protection to the royal government, while municipalities acquire their rights to self-rule by incorporation. The word for "city" also means "city-state" in Shinasthana, and the independence of cities is visible in legal language—they are always named individually and not treated as a class of administrative entities. Generally speaking, cities are not created, and newly incorporated urban areas are always municipalities.

The historic city included not only the built-up, urban area usually enclosed by city walls but also a swathe of surrounding land, which were often owned by the city's wealthiest citizens as a source of rental income; therefore, they are considered part of the city itself, not of the adjoining regional authority, and taxed and protected as such. Cities and municipalities could acquire a considerable number of exclaves through alodial transfer, which in the modern era must be recognized by Parliament; on the other hand, a desire for administrative convenience has also encouraged cities to sell distant exclaves to the central government, whereupon they would become part the local entity. The boundaries of many Themiclesian cities are exceedingly old.

States

The eastern part of the country situates two States (邦, prong), Estoria and Helia. The government of the devolved imitates the central government and possesses very broad legislative and executive authority. The executive head of an devolved state is the chancellor (相邦, smjangh-prong), and there is usually also one vice chancellor (丞相, gjêng-smjangh).

List of first-level divisions

Name		Kind	Area (km²)	Population (2015)	Density (persons/km²)	Postal Code	Subdivisions	Capital		Notes
Inner Region	内史	Metropolitan City	3,106	8,920,000	2,871.86	10	57
Gar-nubh	河內	Province	19,084	1,334,000	69.90	11	12	Grui	懷
Kju-ngjon	九邍	Province	22,555	1,674,000	74.22	12	13	Lja′	輿
Sjin	辛	Metropolitan City	341	264,000	774.19	13	22
Lrjêng	呈	Metropolitan City	552	123,000	222.83	14	43
Gra	邘	Statutory Municipality	425	729,000	1,715.29	15	35
Ngakw	濼	Statutory Municipality	297	1,019,000	3,430.98	16	17
Gar-ngwadh	河外	Province	18,448	1,724,000	93.45	17	8	′An	安
Pek	北	Province	54,710	492,000	8.99	18	11	Le′	代
Spram	般	Province	17,812	1,320,000	74.11	19	17	Drjang-tsje′	長子
Rjem	臨	Statutory Municipality	212	783,000	3,693.40	20	24
Ning	寧	Statutory Municipality	1,381	1,012,000	732.80	21	67
Nem	南	Province	21,629	892,000	41.24	22	20	′Ju	幽
Dringh	奠	Metropolitan City	1,680	689,000	410.12	23	32
Prjin	濱	Province	60,435	2,430,000	40.21	24	29	Lja	餘
Pa	甫	Statutory Municipality	782	1,720,000	2,199.49	25	15
Te	夂	Statutory Municipality	420	932,000	2,219.05	26	26
Rak	雒	Metropolitan City	1,524	4,780,000	3,136.48	27	42
Pjang	房	Province	53,437	576,000	10.78	28	16	K′jok	曲
Sngw′jan	泉	Province	106,412	762,000	7.16	29	22	Smjang	湘
Djang′	上	Province	175,968	1,023,000	5.81	30	7	Kjung′	鞏
Gra′	下	Province	525,119	372,000	0.71	31	12	Brjêng	平
Lêng	庭	Province	27,991	647,000	23.11	32	19	Rjeng	陵
L′jin	申	Statutory Municipality	355	1,310,000	3,690.14	33	21
Ladh-ngjon	大邍	Province	47,711	920,000	19.28	34	14	Rju′	柳
R′egh	賚	Statutory Municipality	382	967,000	2,531.41	35	31
Sngrak	朔	Province	50,893	1,053,000	20.69	36	23	Klêng	經
N′ar	堇	Province	43,374	927,000	21.37	37	16	K.rjang	京
Srum-l′jun	三川	Region	119,713	682,000	5.70	38	8	Trjung-ljang	中陽
Brji	毗	Region	75,182	173,000	2.30	39	4
East	東	Region	229,017	27,000	0.12	40	5
Estoria	端	State	213,980	208,000	0.97	60	12	Apollonia	亞捊鸞女
Helia	宜	State	272,969	126,000	0.46	61	4

Local divisions

Local divisions in Themiclesia consist of Counties and Townships in Provinces and Communes, Boroughs, and Districts in Metropolitan Cities and Statutory Municipalities. Historically, provinces were established in areas without major cities (and their aristocracies), making them easier to control centrally; however, many small settlements have since expanded, especially since the start of the Industrial Revolution. While provinces were convenient administrative areas for the purposes of collecting taxes and raising militias, it was ultimately with the nearby city or town that most of the political class identified. Thus, both urban and rural areas exist in provinces, some of which also grew to encompass cities that were not originally part of provinces, as cities could lose their independence if they failed to maintain a working relationship with the imperial court.

Counties and Districts

Counties (寰, gwrênh) and Districts (kraw, 交) are found in mostly rural areas. They are governed by an elected mayor and council and are responsible for much more than their urban counterparts.

Townships and Boroughs

The historic difference between Townships (邑, ′jep) and Boroughs (鄙, brji′) is that a township is a town under provincial jurisdiction but has acquired some independence from its the province, which usually happened when a town has acquired a stable group of civic leaders and are able to police and tax itself. In this way, towns were able to reduce royal expenditure on administrative costs and thus bargain for a degree of autonomy. A borough arose in a similar situation but within the precincts of a Metropolitan City, creating a subordinate town close to a major city.

See also

• Themiclesia
• Administrative divisions of Menghe