Chancellor of Themiclesia

Chancellor of Themiclesia
晉相邦
Incumbent Janet, 10th Baronness of Min since Jan. 2, 2019
Style	Her Most Serene Highness
Status	Held by the Cabinet
Reports to	Monarchy of Themiclesia
Residence	Cancellarial Palace
Seat	Kien-k'ang
Appointer	Monarchy of Themiclesia
First holder	Patriarch Pra (canonically)
Deputy	Vice-Chancellor of Themiclesia
Salary	None

The Chancellor of Themiclesia (晉相邦, tsins-smangs-keprong) is the ceremonial head and highest-ranking member of the Themiclesian civil service. The current Chancellor is Janet Pin, the Baronness of Min.

Name and translation

The word smangs is usually interpreted as an *s- derivative from mangs (望), "look, oversee". The prefix in this context derives an agent noun, which provides a primitive meaning of smangs as "overseer". The word prong means "state". Together, they form an endocentric compound term meaning "state-overseer".

The departments of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor(s) are called poq (府), "storage", which is root in poqs (付), "to store". The Chancellor's department is translated as "Chancery" (相邦府) in Anglian, and that of the Vice Chancellor(s) the "Vice Chancery" (丞相府), with they both exist respectively; if only one of the two exists, it is called "Chancery" regardless whether it is headed by the Chancellor or Vice Chancellor(s).

The following monickers are attested for the chancellorship:

• Paramount Officer (冢宰)
• Lord of the Decisions (衡尹)
• First Lord (一尹)
• Lord With One Above (一上尹)
• Great Lord (大尹)
• Commanding Lord (命尹)
• West Palace (西宮)
• Southern Hall (南殿)
• Hall of Court (朝廷)

History

As provided by the Treaty of Five Kings and confirmed by the Great Court of Sin, Themiclesia-proper came under the dominion of the Patriarch of Tsins; other territories and cities were not annexed to Tsjinh but remained states (邦, prong), each with their own governments. Under this arrangement, the focus of the sovereign of Tsins shifted noticeably from internal administration towards the maintenance of relationships with the nobility of the northern realms, and administrative tasks were therefore left for a "overseer" that oversaw the sovereign's own dominion. The overseer's duties were the maintenance of stability and revenues, principally from royal cities and plantations; however, compared to other officials whose duties were more routine and menial, the overseer had a higher degree of discretion and responsibility towards the sovereign. It is thought that the office of the Chancellor originated in the late 3rd century as such an administrator.

In the 4th century, many nobles were able to impose their will on others nobles and the realms of the north much as kings of the previous century. While there was no usurpation, this situation led to the revival of the old position of Elder, who exercised guardianship over "infirm" kings that were actually healthy adults.  The positions of Elder and overseer, held concurrently, effectively gave the holder the same power as the king. This prolonged divorce of power from the throne eventually led to the deposition of the royal dynasty and the establishment of the Sungs, which was a different dynasty but ruled from the same city. But, within two demises of the crown, the Sungs throne also lost power and recreated much the same power balance as in the late Tsins court.

The position of Chancellor was formally established in its canonical form under the Mrangh dynasty.  Emperor Wŏn of Chŏllo was placed on the Tsins throne after the expulsion of the last Rang prince by the state-overseer. As the survival of his reign depended upon the consent of the aristocracy, the overseer was renamed "state-overseer" (i.e. Chancellor) to emphasize the extent of his jurisdiction. The office of Elder evidently merged with the overseer. The first ruling members of the Mrangh initially had little say over the selection of the Chancellor, much less political authority, to the extent that the third Mrangh emperor invited his Chancellor to sit on the throne together with him, alleged saying "because you have put my grandfather upon the throne, so shall I share this throne with you."

Throughout the 7th century, only two emperors became more significant than their chancellors; however, in the early 8th century, the throne became more powerful. Between 712 and 740,

Function

Jurisdiction

The Chancellor firstly heads the Counsels, who in turn encompassed the central administration of the ancient Themiclesian state; he also superintended the sovereign's relationship with the feudal nobility after the Mrangh dynasty. He was the most senior official in the land, represented royal authority to all other officials, and was also deputy head of the emperor's court when it was held; in these positions, he is comparable to a head of government relative to the Monarchy of Themiclesia.

During Antiquity, the Chancellor held high authority over subordinates, including the Principal Counsels and active generals; this power may have originated in the chancellorship as a regent or viceroy, since royal commands were not effective without the Chancellor's seal. However, before the Mrangh dynasty, the Chancellor's authority was limited to the traditional dominion of the Tsins state, while the north was under feudal rule by royal baronies and other independent lordships. Since Chancellors were invariably aristocrats of the first rank, the Chancellor's assent often represented aristocratic views in policy.

Holding court

One of the chancellor's chief duties was holding court for other administrators; this court was distinct from the royal court that emphasized the sovereign's relationship with hereditary nobles. The frequency and procedure of such meetings varied, but the conclusions they reached were considered binding on the entire bureaucracy, called "assembled resolutions" (集議, dzep-ngars). While the throne was free to overrule any request, even routine ones, made by individual administrators, it very seldom rejected resolutions. When one was overruled, the chief proponents of the resolution usually resigned.  In practice, the crown rarely attempted to make decisions without first consluting the bureaucracy, at most commanding a topic to be re-opened. During these meetings, a lord in waiting would be present and report its proceedings to the crown.

The crown's commands, in the form of "sealed letters" (璽書, sni′-st′a) were promulgated on such meetings and charged to the responsible department. While not a regular occurrence, the chancellor could withhold his assent to the crown's commands and return them to the palace. He could only do this before making them public, as cancelling a promulgated edict would be perceived as an affront to the throne and evidence of the chancellor's incompetence.  To this day in Themiclesia, a statute, which is a form of royal command endorsed by Parliament, takes effect only when promulgated by the chancellor.

Discourse at the chancellor's court covered a great variety topics. Questions of war and peace were always discussed before a plenary assembly of bureaucrats; though few records survive of these deliberations, the variety of attendees was considered critical for success, as warfare placed considerable burdens on many areas of government. Questions of finance were usually controversial, as it involved the distribution of costs amongst royal revenue, demesne land rents and taxes, and tribute from the peers. Taking from royal coffers necessarily cut into the crown's disposable income, heavy taxation was difficult to collect and could trigger revolts, while demanding excessive tribute would alienate the chancellor from the peers.

Appointment was one of the areas in which the chancellor customarily deferred to the throne, as long as they were made according to conventions. But as conventions evolved in the 4th century into the civic election system, there were usually never more than a handful of candidates for a given position. The chancery was the place in which differences between bureaucrats and allegations of their misconduct were raised; the chancellor was expected to make an impartial judgment in both cases, and a further appeal to the throne was possible. On the other hand, the chancellor was also chief matchmaker for the crown and the princes of the blood. As royal marriages were invariably political, the selection of potential spouses was governed by considerations of diplomacy and balance within the aristocracy.

Judicial review

As early as the office took shape during the 3rd century, the cancellarial power over appeals was attested. Appeal to the Chancellor was possible if a litigant found erroneous a judgment rendered by a magistrate, viceroy, or royal baron, but those made by princes or patriarchs with palatine powers were not subject to his review. However, this remedy was uncommon before the modern period, as the appellant must first convince the Chancery to emit a "bill of arrest" (逮書), which would prevent the judgment from being carried into execution, while all such case would be re-litigated before the Chancery in the eighth month of the lunar year. This process was expensive and required the first professional attorneys, as litigants would rarely travel in person and lodge in the capital city, especially if imprisoned by a subordinate court. Generally, there was no further appeal possible from the Chancery until the 16th century, when it would have been handled by a council of barons appointed to take charge of the emperor's private affairs.

Diplomacy

Customarily, diplomats arriving in Themiclesia are received at the Chancery before they are ushered to the royal palace. As the Chancellor was usually the head of government, most diplomats began negotiations with Themiclesia at the Chancery, since the royal reception is ceremonial and not very private.

Military

Under the Code of Summonses (興律), units larger than 10 men can only be mobilized through an authenticated credential. One copy of the credential is held by the monarch through the office of the Royal Attorney, while the other is held by the Chancellor. The credential could only be used in combination with a warrant that notes the number of the credential, and the warrant itself is executed by the Chancery. A military commander in possession of the credential and the warrant may present them at the passes and docks to obtain passage, since armed men are usually denied passage, at least within the circumscription of the warrant.

Modern functions

As a modern office, the chancellorship is held by one of the members of the Cabinet so that its executive powers are founded upon legal precedent. If the Prime Minister happens to be a peer (which has not occurred since 1972), he usually holds this office; if not, the peer with the most senior ministerial portfolio holds the position. Since many of the Cabinet's functions are discharged through the office of Chancellor, the holder of the office does not hold any sway over its powers and must submit to the will of the Cabinet over their uses.

The Chancery, originally the Chancellor's department, has been separated from the officer and functions independently since the middle of the 19th century.

Chancery

The Chancellor possessed an extensive staff in the Chancery for the discharge of his duties as the head of the administration. In general, the chancellor was permitted to appoint his own staff with significant more latitude than the heads of subordinate departments. Being on the chancellor's staff was a prestigious first appointment for aspiring administrators; while this position included many opportunities to prove one's mettle, it was also considered demanding. The early Chancery, under the Rang dynasty, possessed twelve departments:

• West Department (左史曹, sner-sreq-dzu): appointments within the Chancery
• East Department (右史曹, twang-sreq-dzu): appointments of bureaucrats under the rank of 2,000 bushels and military officers
• Census Department (計曹, kips-dzu): the census and land survey
• Submission Department (奏曹, dzuks-dzu): submissions made in the Chancellor's name to the royal court
• Writs Department (辭曹, mle-dzu): grant of leave to bring administrators to court or to appeal judgments
• Police Department (賊曹, dzek-dzu): local security and suppression of roving vagabonds
• Judicial Department (決曹, kwat-dzu): review of judgments made by magistrates and appeals
• Marshal Department (尉曹, ′uts-dzu): organization of troop movements, border defence, and logistics
• Military Department (兵曹, prang-dzu): military strategy
• Treasury Department (金曹, krem-dzu): minting and storage of money and mining for precious metals and gems
• Granary Department (倉曹, stsang-dzu): storage of goods and foods

Even though political power shifted to a council of ministers in the 12th century, and monarchs were not always willing to appoint a chancellor due to the immense power of one, the Chancery was indispensible for routine administration and as a forum for bureaucrats to bring forth ideas. As such, it became a permanent organization, with or without a chancellor. In the 19th century, some of its functions were absorbed by the Cabinet Office, but the Chancery still retains others in the modern day.

Some departments have since fallen into disuse, while others have assumed additional roles. The Census Department remained active through most of history as a tabulating office. The Submission Department too has withstood reforms as a nexus of communication to and from the central government, where most documents bound for the royal court, from the regional officials and private individuals, are gathered and copied to appropriate recipients. The Writs Department accepted appeals from lower courts and issued orders for various actions; after a 19th-century judicial reform, this office's functions were still enlarged in the model of the Tyrannian Chancery. The Judicial Department, by the 19th century, had become an office for applications of pardons. The West, East, Police, Military, Marshal, Treasury, and Granary departments have been absorbed by the departments of the Council of Correspondence, where the activities of government were carried out since the 12th century.

Other chancellors

Throughout Themiclesian history, other officials have been named "chancellors" (相), with varying degrees of authority. Broad purviews over more than one government department or in spite of geographic boundaries are characteristic of such offices. While early Themiclesian states functioned with a solitary chancellor as the focal point of all administrative activity, several factors contributed to the appointment of multiple chancellors, such as aristocratic ambition or royal mistrust. In the Republic, aristocrats often found it more convenient to vest advisory or supervisory powers in multiple individuals while maintaining executive power in one, and its legacy on later governance was an emphasis on checks on administrative and financial power. In the 16th century, the rule was for four to six chancellors to be in office simultaneously, with one amongst them being the executive, two assisting, and three others acting as checks against corruption or misgovernment. This was called the "rule of six chancellors" (六相並立).

When multiple chancellors were in office, the relative seniority amongst them was as follows: the Chancellor was the most senior, followed by the First Vice-Chancellor, the Second Vice-Chancellor, the Exchequer Chancellor, the Chancellor of Accounts, and the Third Vice-Chancellor.

Vice-Chancellor

The role of a Vice-Chancellor or Assistant Chancellor (丞相, deng-smangs) depended on whether one or two of them were in office, and if a Chancellor was appointed over them. If there was no Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor(s) assumed his role, holding court and reviewing other administrators' submissions to the throne; however, Vice-Chancellors did not enjoy as much authority as a Chancellor at court meetings, and there are far more records of Chancellors imposing their views on the assembly of bureaucrats than of Vice-Chancellors so doing. The latter also appeared to have withheld royal edicts less frequently, though this may not be very indicative of weaker authority since withheld edicts do not usually appear in the historical record anyway. A successful Vice-Chancellor sometimes became a full Chancellor, especially if the bureaucracy endorsed his leadership. The Tribunes, usually siding with the throne, were far more inclined to speak when a Vice-Chancellor led the assembly than when a Chancellor did; some authorities consider them the crown's mouthpieces in this context, though others say that the tribunes were simply in favour of unilateral government at all times.

If a Chancellor was in office, the Vice-Chancellor usually functioned as an ally, unless the Vice-Chancellor was deliberately appointed as an obstacle. Historians think such an impassé usually indicated a fissure between the crown and the bureaucracy. It should be noted that, for most of Themiclesian history, a Vice-Chancellor was not the deputy of the Chancellor. If the Chancellor was away or ill, a member of his staff usually took over running of the Chancery. Vice-Chancellors were distinct institutions of administration and possessed independent powers; if not, the crown would not have been able to exploit them in opposition to the Chancellor.

Exchequer Chancellor

The position of Exchequer Chancellor (內相, nups-smangs), which is dissimilar to the Anglian Chancellor of the Exchequer, was appointed when a chancellor was required but no person fit for the position was available. The position is usually filled by the most senior of principal counsels—the Inner Administrator (內史)—whose duties were ordinarily financial. This appointment was considered natural because in the absence of a chancellor and vice chancellors, the Inner Administrator was the most senior minister.

Chancellor of Accounts

The Chancellor of Accounts (計相, kips-smangh; 會相, gwaps-smangh) was appointed ad hoc during the annual Account process to oversee the tallying of records. The records were first tallied by the Inner Administrator and then checked by the Chancellor of Accounts, since the Inner Administrator was responsible for government finance and may have a conflict of interest over his subordinates that erodes integrity. The results were then certified by the Chancellor and then sent to the throne.  Around 1310, the position was made permanent as the head of an independent accounting department separate from the administration, following the accounting reforms of Emperor Ghwar, which made accounting a continuous process rather than a year-end one. As a result, this official is also ex officio the honorary head of the accounting profession in Themiclesia.

Third Vice Chancellor

A Third Vice Chancellor (中丞相, trung-deng-smangh) was appointed under various circumstances. Because it was customary that the Chancellor and First and Second Vice-Chancellors be nobles of baronial rank or above, there sometimes arose situations where the monarch could not repose confidence in such a baron; thus, the position of Third Vice-Chancellor appeared in the late Mrangh dynasty as a temporary head of government before a more senior public figure could be found. In turn, the monarch had wider latitude to select the holder of this office. It is generally agreed that the Third Vice-Chancellor, even in the absence of other chancellors, did not possess complete cancellarial authority; royal edicts were never countersigned by the Third Vice Chancellor, who was evidently only a secretary and lived in the imperial palace rather than his own palace.

Symbols of office

Sash

The Chancellor, at least from the later part of the Tsins period, possesses a greenish sash (綟綬, rits-duh) that is unique to the office. The purple sash, worn by Vice-Chancellors, barons, and senior generals and signifying high rank, is inferior to the greenish sash, which outranks even the reddish sash worn by the Crown Prince. Only the crimson sash worn by the Emperor is senior to it.  

Seal

The Chancellor uses a gold seal with the inscription "Genuine Seal of the Chancellor" (相邦信璽), which in medieval diplomatic practice has the place of a great seal. Bureaucratic papers sent by the Chancellor are marked by a greenish tape running through the length of the document (to strengthen the document and prevent tampering) and enclosed by a greenish pouch; if sent by letter mail, a greenish envelope is used. Such paraphernalia are considered prerogatives of that high office, and it was considered an abuse for other bureaucrats to utilize them. As statutes are executed by the Chancellor, legislation in force is often called "greenish pouch", while a bill pending before Parliament was a "reddish pouch" as bills are bound by the reddish tape and pouches of the monarch's papers. The term "reddish" can be used metaphorically for clandestine instructions, and "greenish" likewise for formalistic requirements or superficial pretexts.

The Genuine Seal of the Chancellor is a relatively young object. There has been no physical impression or historical record of such a seal before 1552—many centuries after the office itself came into existence. Instead, evidence confirms that previous chancellors used their personal seals in place of an official seal while executing documents that pass the chancery. The absence of such an official seal is undoubtedly connected with the fact that the chancellor was not appointed by sealed letters but by the Sovereign's spoken word and at the gate of the palace, such that the appointment was witnessed by all the dignitaries of the state, leaving no doubt as to who the chancellor was. In such a situation, a personal seal was sufficient to identify the chancellor.

As the chancellor was head of the imperial court and had the sole authority to convoke it, it was presumed that all documents executed by the chancellor would have been tabled before the court at least once. As such, documents would bear the seal of a vice-chancellor, which attested to the chancellor's seal. This signified that the chancellor did not act unilaterally in executing documents but only did so following established procedures. In turn, the introduction of the Genuine Seal reflected the frequent vacancy of the chancery during the 16th century, and with no serving chancellor and his personal seal, a new seal was therefore required to emphasize the office's authority when it really had ceased to function. The word "Genuine" in the seal's text, to Henry Garnet, "is a bald attempt to gloss over the chancery's vacancy."

But when the abuses of the late 16th century were swept away after the revolt of 1598, the office of chancellor was resurrected and in part reformed according to its more medieval form. The Genuine Seal was retained in use, in addition to the personal seal of the chancellor. The two seals are now applied in parallel today.

Style

The style of the Chancellor is den-gra (殿下), which is rendered in Casaterran languages as Most Serene Highness; this is senior to the style of kap-gra (閤下) or Excellency used by Vice-Chancellors and the Secretaries of State. In Casaterran correspondence during the Middle Ages, the title developed in imitation of Casaterran practices and appears in Latin as Altitudo Serenissime, which could literally be translated as "most stately highness", reflecting the idea that the Chancellor held charge for the entire state; the hereditary sovereign used Altitudo Regalissime "most regal highness" instead, until Maiestas was adopted in 1587.

The hall in the Chancery, absent a formal name, is often called the "southern hall" (南殿), which is a synecdoche for the chancery.

Vestments

In the system of Themiclesian court dress, the Chancellor wears a three-arched coronet that is shared with the peers and sovereign. The band of the coronet is jewelled, and its fastening strap, crimson, is beaded with rubies.

Courtesy

Customarily, the sovereign shows deference to the Chancellor. Whenever the Chancellor appears at the royal court, the Emperor personally receives and bids him farewell at the gate of the palace. The Chancellor is always received at the Great Hall, though this was not necessarily a political advantage. When the Chancellor does courtesy to the throne, the sovereign would return the courtesy and then thank the Chancellor for his courtesy. The Chancellor sits on four mattresses, one more than his immediate juniors, and under a canopy. The Chancellor has license to fanfare (鼓吹, qwa-hlui) within the royal palace up to the gate of the inner court. The Chancellor's procession consists of ten carriages, only smaller than that of the sovereign at twelve carriages.

Military functions

The Chancellor possesses some military privileges as well, though these varied from time to time, depending on relationship with the sovereign. He was always permitted to have armed retainers within the royal palace, outside of the inner court. Under the Mrangh dynasty, the Chancellor possessed 20 of them, equal to the sovereign. This dropped to 12 under the Dzi, in which the crown sought to suppress cancellarial authority to effect personal rule, but reverted to 20 under later rulers. Retainership of the Chancellor was a privileged position that young aristocrats sought to improve their prospects in a bureaucratic career, though exposure to government activity and personal connections. The Chancery, or Cancellarial Palace, was defended by a detachment of the Royal Guards, whose administrators (but not the commanders) the Chancellor appointed. The Cancellarial Guard is retained today as an administrative regiment of the Consolidated Army.

Dismissal

Customarily, the chancellor offers his resignation at the year-end account ceremony, by surrendering his sash and binding it to the account papers ceremonially delivered to the sovereign. This resignation is never accepted as such, and the sash is always returned to the chancellor in the same ceremony.

If a chancellor is to be dismissed, the sovereign made a payment of 1,000,000 coins to him. This would have amounted to about 26 tonnes of copper, a princely sum when the common worker made only 1 to 2 coins a day. At the same time, an additional barony was offered. Most chancellors leaving office took only one of the two gifts, but several have scandalized the court by accepting both. Archaeological finds provide that, in at least some early cases, the payment was not in specie but bullion; the cost of actually minting the coins was evidently too great when annual mintages were low.

Chancery buildings

The Chancery was located directly south of Q'in'-lang Palace since the Tsjinh dynasty. Its location was very stable, relative to other departments that moved from time to time. The site covers around 56,000 m² and was protected by thick outer walls 8 m thick and 6 m tall. In Menghean tradition, the Chancery has one gate on each of its walls, though the gates are never closed even during evenings when the citadel's gates would be; reportedly, this was to symbolize the availability of the Chancery, but historians note that there is very little evidence suggesting the Chancery ever conducted official business at night.

Within the Chancery is a second set of walls that encloses the hall (殿, ntenh), where the chancellor held court. This hall is similar to those found in palaces; the dais measures 1.84 m tall, and the building upon it faced west.

The site of the Chancery, which moved into the Cabinet Office's buildings in 1857 in the interest of efficiency, was opened as a public park later in the 19th century. The Chancery Hall is now used as a public building and may be closed for private functions by reservation.

See also

• Themiclesia