Prime Minister of Themiclesia

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Prime Minister
尚書令
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Incumbent
Lja Le (徐貽)
since 2016
Typehead of government
Member ofCouncil of Correspondence
Reports toThe Emperor
ResidenceCouncil Residences
SeatCourt Hall (Themiclesia)
NominatorMinistry of Administration
Council of Protonotaries
AppointerThe Emperor
Term lengthunlimited
Constituting instrumentStanding Order of Administrators (吏令)
Customary usage
Formationc. 550
DeputyRight Minister, Left Minister

The Prime Minister of Themiclesia, more formally President of Correspondence (尚書令, ′djang′-st′a-mlingh), is the head of the Council of Correspondence and thus the Themiclesian government. The incumbent is Lja Le, who assumed office in 2018 after the retirement of St′ang Krugh.

History

Pre-Themiclesian development

The institution of the Council of Correspondence can be traced to Menghe in the Warring States, when a trend to centralize administration necessitated a secretariat to handle state papers on behalf of the monarch; however, policies were most often made by a chancellor, leaving the monarch a limited role in government. Chancellors were often talented individuals who could, over their careers, serve in multiple courts; as a result, monarchs usually wished to retain a final check on the chancellor's actions, though active policy-making would still be done by the latter. It is understood that the monarch's secretariat, titled "managers of correspondence", handled communications between the chancellor, which led what could be called a government, and the monarch. In this period, the managers of correspondence were effectively secretaries to a passive monarch. This arrangement of power was to continue after Menghe was unified by the eponymous Meng dynasty in 192 BCE, which was the principal influence on perambulating Themiclesian political structures during the Hexarchy.

However, monarchs soon desired to take a more active role in policy-making than the contemporary arrangement permitted. The Chancery was reduced from government to an administrative body that interpreted the policies that the Meng emperor and his privy courtiers made, and the managers of correspondence, who controlled communication between the monarch and chancery, grew to dominate the emperor's policy will. The most senior secretary was called the President of Correspondence, though he had no formal powers over the other secretaries, so that he could not constrict the channels of communication. The power of the secretaries was reflected in many social institutions. Though not high-ranking, virtually all other ministers were expected to yield and bow to a secretary when he passed, including the chancellor. The shift from chancellory to secretarial government is thought to have occurred in Menghe, gradually, between 150 BCE and 50 BCE. The same shift was slower to occur in Themiclesia, as monarchs there were more willing to yield power to talented administrators, though the nominal unification of the country under the Tsjinh in 265 is thought to precipitated a similar shift.

Dynastic development

In Themiclesia, the power of the Council of Correspondence follows a similar arc as in Menghe. The king of Tsjinh was the chief administrator of a centralized state, and administrative departments periodically reported on their affairs and required the approval of the monarch for certain actions, as laid out by statute. Their "correspondence" were opened and read by the Council of Correspondence, which would draft the king's response to them. This naturally implies the authority to create policy. While the king had the ultimate say in which draft he approved, he saw fit to give much latitude to the Council, which also had the power to summon administrators to the palace for questioning, sometimes on behalf of the monarch. The Council assigned one or several of its members as secretaries of state managing correspondence from different policy areas, giving rise to the modern institution of government ministries. Each secretary of state had individual access to the sovereign, but the President of Correspondence supervised the entire operation of the Council. In the later part of the Tsjinh dynasty, it became customary for the secretaries of state to be unanimous on "major affairs" before the monarch. Scholars take the Council under Slje-da Lan (司徒延, in office 345 – 369) to have assumed its modern function as a chief executive, inherited by every later dynasty as the political norm. This arrangement survived challenges by several alternatives, as shown below.

Modernization

List of holders

Before 1800

  • Ghwjang Lu′ (王道), fl. 255? – 270, prime minister and Chancellor of Tsjinh

Since 1800

Party Prime minister Shinasthana Appointed Dismissed Seat
C Lord of Gar-lang 河陽侯 Oct. 2, 1800 Jan. 14, 1814 Council of Lords
Ind. Lord Kjalh-djeng 建成君 Feb. 5, 1814 Nov. 27, 1817 Council of Lords
C Lord of Mjenh-lang 文陽侯 Dec. 1, 1817 May 22, 1819 Council of Lords
Imp. Lord Sghjang 庠君 May 22, 1819 Jul. 29, 1821 Council of Lords
C Lord of Mjenh-lang 文陽侯 Jul. 31, 1821 Oct. 12, 1825 Council of Lords
C Lord Hrus-mrjang 孝明君 Nov. 10, 1825 Apr. 2, 1826 Council of Lords
C Lord of Tubh 薱侯 Apr. 21, 1826 Sep. 30, 1833 Council of Lords
Ind. Lord of Ran 闌侯 Oct. 5, 1833 Feb. 22, 1838 Council of Lords
C Lord Hrus-mjen 孝文君 Mar. 10, 1838 Dec. 5, 1838 Council of Lords
Ind. Lord of Stsrungh 淙侯 Dec. 5, 1838 Nov. 1, 1839 Council of Lords
Ind. Lord of Ran 闌侯 Nov. 1, 1839 Apr. 27, 1845 Council of Lords
L Lord of Rjai-lang 漓陽侯 Apr. 29, 1845 Jun. 10, 1859 House of Lords
C Lord of Ghwal 桓侯 Jun. 14, 1859 Feb. 4, 1861 House of Lords
L Lord of Sng'rja 楚侯 Feb. 11, 1861 Nov. 30, 1866 House of Lords
C Lord of Nja-'rjum 女陰侯 Nov. 30, 1866 Mar. 5, 1869 House of Lords
L Lord of Sng'rja 楚侯 Mar. 7, 1869 Dec. 1, 1873 House of Lords
L Lord T'jang-mjen 昌文君 Dec. 1, 1873 Mar. 22, 1878 Kien-k'ang West
C Lord of M'i 迷侯 May 15, 1878 Jul. 21, 1880 House of Lords
L Lord L'ong-mjen 通文君 Jul. 22, 1880 Nov. 25, 1886 Sng'rja
C Lord of M'i 迷侯 Nov. 25, 1886 Jan. 22, 1889 House of Lords
L Lord L'ong-mjen 通文君 Jan. 27, 1889 Feb. 4, 1891 Sng'rja
C Lord of Snul-lang 綏陽侯 Feb. 4, 1891 Oct. 5, 1894 House of Lords
C Lord of Krungh 洚侯 Oct. 6, 1894 May 10, 1909 House of Lords
C Lord Rjem-'an 臨安君 May 12, 1909 Mar. 10, 1910 Me'
L Lord of Mik 邲侯 Mar. 22, 1910 Jan. 15, 1912 House of Lords
L Goh Mjanh-krje 冓萬基 Jan. 15, 1912 Nov. 22, 1915 Gwreng
L Lord of Mrji-r'jek 眉澈侯 Nov. 22, 1915 Apr. 30, 1916 House of Lords
L Goh Mjanh-krje 冓萬基 Apr. 30, 1916 Dec. 6, 1918 Gwreng
L Rjuk Mjo 陸敄 Dec. 6, 1918 Jun. 29, 1919 Sgjon-gwra
C Lord of Sloi 隨侯 Jul. 13, 1919 Oct. 7, 1921 House of Lords

See also