EmuMusicFan
Captain
This discussion started with feedback in response to this one sentence in the news.
Did the destruction of Kilrah really almost wipe out Kilrathi culture?
First of all, we know that the Kilrathi Empire, after centuries of interstellar expansion, became an interstellar empire with a super large territory.
The entire empire adopted a feudal system rather than centralized power.
Additionally, after the start of interstellar colonization, the Kiranka royal family essentially had Kilrah all to themselves.
By 2634 at the latest, Kirah was likely to have been an imperial capital planet with severely restricted access.
The Emperor took a close guard against the power of the other clans.
It is conceivable, that the average Kilrathi commoners would be difficult, if still possible, trying to return to Kilrah's shrines on culture activities at will.
Shrines on Kilrah, then, were more just some legendary cultural symbols to the Kilrathi people on the massive colony far from the center of the empire.
Of course, the Kilrahi people in the colonies have local shrines.
The Kilrathi in colony, then, are naturally closer to the local temples. Those shrines on distant Kilrah existed for them only legends told by the old people, the words of the local priestesses, and the propaganda from the Empire.
Then, those who have the right to speak have privilege of interpreting the meaning of the existence of these "legendary places", or even the meaning of the disappearance of those places.
On the other hand, would the lords who were forced out want themselves, their descendants, and subordinates to be swayed by Kilrah cultural symbols that they could not touch but the emperor could control?
Second, the relationship between Kirah and the colonies.
It has been said that if power is allowed to distribute resources, then resources must be distributed according to the amount of power.
It is conceivable that the first to be kicked out of Kilrah to establish colony would almost certainly be the lower status Kilrathi clans.
The story of Kilrathi's historical foreign colonization is missing, so the arrangement of the war is used as examples:
Wars cost money, and unanticipated long years of war were likely to result in a heavy burden on the imperial colonies. Naturally, the heaviness of this burden increases with distance from the middle of the empire -- no matter it was physical or blood distance. From this point of view, it is likely that the uprisings in the colonies of Ghorah Khar, Tenya, etc., were related to it.
But...
Pausing for a moment, what does this description of the town around the spaceport of Ghorah Khar tell us?
3...
2...
1...
A free market with no rationing in place.
This likely proves that Ghorah Khar was not exploited to the point that there were shortage of living goods.
But they rose up first.
Why? What is the reason?
My understanding is that the affluent distant colonies were less identified with the central authority of the empire.
Third, how is the cultural importance of the emperor?
The Emperors of the Kilrathi Empire were essentially the victors of civil wars. In the sense of Kilrathi culture, the legitimacy of the emperor's family status was not inherently given to a particular family, but rather was gained by winning battles.
Baron Vakka's statement was likely a nod to the nature of Kilrah's emperorship in the ancient aristocratic dialect - the emperor was a chieftain over an entire species. That being the case, it is likely that in a cultural sense the emperor would assume obligations corresponding to his own power. Accordingly, if he failed to fulfill his obligations, then his power might be lost in the endorsement of the Kilrathi religion and culture.
That obligations / responsibility would likely be to lead the clans to victory in the wars. The long, insubstantial war with mankind was gradually eroding the Emperor's place in the Kilrathi cultural system.
From another perspective, the emperor's power was limited. To go to war with the humans, he had to obtain the consent of all eight great clans -- and it was a necessary procedure. This shows that legally the emperor had no right to start a total war all on his own.
There was no absolute clear-cut difference in type between the emperor and the other top nobles. In theory he could even be asked to duel! To summarize, the Emperor of the Kilrah Empire is simply the grand lord above the other lords. An emperor of a specific family was not irreplaceable in Kilrathi culture.
So how did the Kiranka dynasty strengthen its power? In addition to driving other clans away from Kilrah and weakening other clans through war, as mentioned above, they did something else to strengthen the status of the emperor's royal family.
Propaganda, violence and fear, of course...
... and political machinations.
Machiavelli said, "It is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both." But once the ruled are freed from the grip of violence and fear, that kind of backlash against the rulers can be expected....
Note that Kirha did not made attempt to refute K'Kai's accusations against Thrakhath at all, and he began insulting the Crown Prince directly. This likely shows that Thrakhath was not in his first time to do such things, or Kiranka royal family were notorious in grabbing improper benefits.
In short, the destruction of Kirah could certainly have had a widespread cultural impact on the empire and led to its de facto dissolution. But this does not mean the disappearance of Kilrathi culture. Accordingly, it can be expected that the defeat of this war will bring countless new things to the Kilrathi people and their society and culture.
What could the states of the Kilrathi people of different clans in different regions be after the war?
It should be noted that even before the disintegration of the empire, the Kilrathi had many communities with vastly different fundamental interests.
First, we must note that Ghorah Khar, as well as the other insurgent colonies, they are the victors. As a result, the people of Ghorah Khar, as well as the other insurgent colonies, can now confidently consider themselves divinely favored in a religious sense. And, consider that at least the people of Ghorah Khar have Confederate citizenship, they are the ones who will have enough political resources at least in the public sense.
Second, Ki'ra Clan. Ki'ra is a clan with a longer history than that of Kiranka.
Judging by the Emperor's cautious attitude towards the Ki'ra Baron Vakka, and the fact that Vakka had envisioned a direct takeover of Kilrah, the Ki'ra clan was the stronger clan at least in 2634.
Ki'ra was primarily responsible for equipment development and intelligence in the rear during the war, so battle losses were likely to be low. In the absence of any success in stopping Kiranka from waging war, the quid pro quo for a yes vote is likely to be the protection of Vakka's clan in various ways. Transferring Jukaga from the Vanguard Flight back to the much more safer flagship is the epitome.
[THREAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION, but always welcome to reply to the completed part...]
"Kilrathi culture is nearly wiped out in the process: the homeworld, central to their system, is destroyed and along with it countless religious and cultural shrines, most major clan leaders and the unifying Kiranka leadership itself."
Did the destruction of Kilrah really almost wipe out Kilrathi culture?
First of all, we know that the Kilrathi Empire, after centuries of interstellar expansion, became an interstellar empire with a super large territory.
The entire empire adopted a feudal system rather than centralized power.
"This is our fiefdom," Jukaga replied. "The Imperial edicts do not directly apply here."
from Action Stations, CHAPTER FIVE
Additionally, after the start of interstellar colonization, the Kiranka royal family essentially had Kilrah all to themselves.
Ever since the leap outward into space, the other clans, and their royal lines, had been dispersed to occupy the new worlds, thus leaving Kilrah solely to the Emperor.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER FOUR
By 2634 at the latest, Kirah was likely to have been an imperial capital planet with severely restricted access.
The Emperor would never dare to unmask the home world... If he committed his personal fleet, there was always the chance of an attempt at overthrow, even though such a move was completely contrary to the blood oaths of the race.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER FOUR
The Emperor took a close guard against the power of the other clans.
It is conceivable, that the average Kilrathi commoners would be difficult, if still possible, trying to return to Kilrah's shrines on culture activities at will.
Shrines on Kilrah, then, were more just some legendary cultural symbols to the Kilrathi people on the massive colony far from the center of the empire.
Of course, the Kilrahi people in the colonies have local shrines.
As he had expected, the girl was leading him to the local Temple of Sivar, an amphitheatre set into the side of the mountain.
from Freedom Flight, CHAPTER ONE
The Kilrathi in colony, then, are naturally closer to the local temples. Those shrines on distant Kilrah existed for them only legends told by the old people, the words of the local priestesses, and the propaganda from the Empire.
Then, those who have the right to speak have privilege of interpreting the meaning of the existence of these "legendary places", or even the meaning of the disappearance of those places.
On the other hand, would the lords who were forced out want themselves, their descendants, and subordinates to be swayed by Kilrah cultural symbols that they could not touch but the emperor could control?
It reminded him of home, of his native planet of Hhallas, where he had lived his childhood, before spending his years in officer’s training on Kilrah. Many Kilrathi said they admired the metallic splendor of Kilrah, the silver walls and tall towers of the Imperial planet. Not Ralgha . . . even after all these years he still yearned for the wild mountains and untamed wilderness of his home planet.
from Freedom Flight, CHAPTER ONE
"It is time to grow up!" Vakka snarled. "It is time to put away your childish dreams of how the universe should be, and accept the truth behind it all. Everything is power, that is the goal. Glory is but a tool to trick others to give power to those who rule.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER SEVEN
Second, the relationship between Kirah and the colonies.
It has been said that if power is allowed to distribute resources, then resources must be distributed according to the amount of power.
It is conceivable that the first to be kicked out of Kilrah to establish colony would almost certainly be the lower status Kilrathi clans.
The story of Kilrathi's historical foreign colonization is missing, so the arrangement of the war is used as examples:
"I know you are ashamed of me. But remember this as well. This war is a clever plot of the Emperor's as well. Notice how the First Fleet will not engage, and that nearly all the personnel in this fight are from the other clans, except for the landing assault troops. It will be Imperial blood which shall place our banners upon other worlds, but only after the fleets have shed their blood. It will be our blood that is drained while the Emperor's clan takes the final glory."
from Action Stations, CHAPTER SEVEN
There was report of famine on one world due to a major flare of the star in that system, which had caused a radical climate shift. Normally, even the Cats would have been sending emergency relief since it was one of their colonial outposts, but only one ship had come in to evacuate some key personnel, leaving over a million to starve to death. A message had been intercepted openly stating that no shipping was available. A counterresponse was sent back, demanding that the military provide some form of relief. The following day the transmitter was suddenly knocked off the air, the strange part of it being that a destroyer was reported to have gone into orbit above the planet.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER NINE
Reports were that close to fifty percent of the assault force had been lost. Though of minor blood they were still mostly of the Imperial line.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Wars cost money, and unanticipated long years of war were likely to result in a heavy burden on the imperial colonies. Naturally, the heaviness of this burden increases with distance from the middle of the empire -- no matter it was physical or blood distance. From this point of view, it is likely that the uprisings in the colonies of Ghorah Khar, Tenya, etc., were related to it.
But...
At the next street, he turned into the open market, smelling the rich scents of fresh meat and fish displayed on carts and tables. The market was not too crowded at this hour, as the shopkeepers and carters had already sold most of their wares.
from Freedom Flight, CHAPTER ONE
Pausing for a moment, what does this description of the town around the spaceport of Ghorah Khar tell us?
3...
2...
1...
A free market with no rationing in place.
This likely proves that Ghorah Khar was not exploited to the point that there were shortage of living goods.
But they rose up first.
Why? What is the reason?
My understanding is that the affluent distant colonies were less identified with the central authority of the empire.
Third, how is the cultural importance of the emperor?
"My Emperor, I follow thy call for the hunt. Point out the prey to us and we shall spring upon it, but I beg of thee the right to point to other herds which thou might not have gazed upon."
Vakka delivered his opening in the ceremonial dialect of the court, speaking the words with a sharp, clear enunciation, which was an indicator of his good breeding. Some might have taken his tone as a subtle insult against the Emperor himself, whose lineage was not as ancient.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER ONE
The Emperors of the Kilrathi Empire were essentially the victors of civil wars. In the sense of Kilrathi culture, the legitimacy of the emperor's family status was not inherently given to a particular family, but rather was gained by winning battles.
Baron Vakka's statement was likely a nod to the nature of Kilrah's emperorship in the ancient aristocratic dialect - the emperor was a chieftain over an entire species. That being the case, it is likely that in a cultural sense the emperor would assume obligations corresponding to his own power. Accordingly, if he failed to fulfill his obligations, then his power might be lost in the endorsement of the Kilrathi religion and culture.
"... And for what? The glory of the Emperor? That useless fool whose backside warms the Throne of Kilrah, who has not fought for decades, who does not realize the price of this war?"
from Freedom Flight, CHAPTER ONE
That obligations / responsibility would likely be to lead the clans to victory in the wars. The long, insubstantial war with mankind was gradually eroding the Emperor's place in the Kilrathi cultural system.
It would be fitting if Thrakhath's flagship was blown away, Graldak thought. The Prince and his half-senile grandfather had done nothing right since the war with the Terrans had first begun. There was a stirring throughout the Empire these days, the first scent of change on the wind. If only the Imperial family's iron talons could be pried loose for a time, the Clans would rise and sweep them aside. Then the Empire could end this fruitless war with the humans, come to terms with them as predators rather than continuing to view them, as Thrakhath did, as prey.
from HEART OF THE TIGER, Chapter XII
"And what is the Race without the Homeworld?" Melek asked. "Nothing . . . dust in the wind." He paused. "You have defeated us, Heart of the Tiger. Brought down the Empire with one blow. Thrakhath was a fool to discount what you Terrans could achieve, but he and his accursed grandfather have both paid the price for that folly."
from HEART OF THE TIGER, Chapter XXX
From another perspective, the emperor's power was limited. To go to war with the humans, he had to obtain the consent of all eight great clans -- and it was a necessary procedure. This shows that legally the emperor had no right to start a total war all on his own.
"These are our brothers," the Emperor announced from behind the screen. "Let it be spoken of."
from FLEET ACTION, PROLOGUE
"Vakka, you do not approve." The Emperor made the comment as a question, carefully using the soft tonal inflection for speaking to a blood member of one's own clan, rather than as a direct statement of fact, which would have been an issue of blood challenge between an inferior and superior.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER ONE
There was no absolute clear-cut difference in type between the emperor and the other top nobles. In theory he could even be asked to duel! To summarize, the Emperor of the Kilrah Empire is simply the grand lord above the other lords. An emperor of a specific family was not irreplaceable in Kilrathi culture.
So how did the Kiranka dynasty strengthen its power? In addition to driving other clans away from Kilrah and weakening other clans through war, as mentioned above, they did something else to strengthen the status of the emperor's royal family.
The courtesan worked for his own security team and had been placed into service to uncover loose tongues.
from Action Stations, CHAPTER SEVEN
"Do you think the Emperor truly cares if they live or die? There are other grandsons of other concubines. If there is victory he will embrace them, if they die he will immortalize them, if they lose he will denounce them and blame those who fought under them as well. This war will burn off our strength and yet leave his clan even stronger."
"I cannot believe this," Jukaga gasped. "You speak of the Emperor."
from Action Stations, CHAPTER SEVEN
“My lord, you speak . . . you speak treason,” Kirha said slowly, the shock of his master’s words reverberating through him. “Treason against the Emperor . . .”
from FREEDOM FLIGHT, CHAPTER ONE
Jukaga was surprised by the casual utterance of the foulest of oaths in regards to the leaders of the Confederation. Such blasphemy towards the Imperial line was cause for immediate execution.
from ACTION STATIONS, CHAPTER FIVE
Propaganda, violence and fear, of course...
"You know just how munificent my reward might be if you provide me with information valuable enough, including perhaps even the marriage to one of my great nieces. It could very well mean that your family might even thus be in line for the Imperial succession," the Emperor said softly. And Vak smiled.
from FLEET ACTION, CHAPTER SIX
... and political machinations.
Machiavelli said, "It is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both." But once the ruled are freed from the grip of violence and fear, that kind of backlash against the rulers can be expected....
“I begin to see why my lord Ralgha brought us to this pass,” he said, as he followed her example. “The Prince should not have done that. It is dishonorable; it violates the Warrior’s Code to hide behind hostages! He will cause the fury of Sivar to follow him and his blood to the eighth generation!”
from Freedom Flight, CHAPTER NINE
Note that Kirha did not made attempt to refute K'Kai's accusations against Thrakhath at all, and he began insulting the Crown Prince directly. This likely shows that Thrakhath was not in his first time to do such things, or Kiranka royal family were notorious in grabbing improper benefits.
The arrogance of the Imperial Family was one of the major sources of disaffection among the great nobles of the realm, and Melek was finding it difficult to maintain his pose of sycophancy as Thrakhath's posturing grew more blatant.
from HEART OF THE TIGER, Chapter XXV
In a way, Ralgha was torn. He was angry that the ceremony had been disrupted, and burned for those who had been so betrayed—yet this would not have happened if the Prince and the Emperor were not already corrupt. The humans were not the cause, only the means.
from FREEDOM FLIGHT, CHAPTER EIGHT
In short, the destruction of Kirah could certainly have had a widespread cultural impact on the empire and led to its de facto dissolution. But this does not mean the disappearance of Kilrathi culture. Accordingly, it can be expected that the defeat of this war will bring countless new things to the Kilrathi people and their society and culture.
What could the states of the Kilrathi people of different clans in different regions be after the war?
It should be noted that even before the disintegration of the empire, the Kilrathi had many communities with vastly different fundamental interests.
First, we must note that Ghorah Khar, as well as the other insurgent colonies, they are the victors. As a result, the people of Ghorah Khar, as well as the other insurgent colonies, can now confidently consider themselves divinely favored in a religious sense. And, consider that at least the people of Ghorah Khar have Confederate citizenship, they are the ones who will have enough political resources at least in the public sense.
Second, Ki'ra Clan. Ki'ra is a clan with a longer history than that of Kiranka.
Judging by the Emperor's cautious attitude towards the Ki'ra Baron Vakka, and the fact that Vakka had envisioned a direct takeover of Kilrah, the Ki'ra clan was the stronger clan at least in 2634.
It was almost a guarantee that when approached by his own clan, the ancient family of Ki'ra, that the Kurutak would grovel over the honor of being treated as equals.
...
"You and the nobles of your hrai have remained safe at home, playing with numbers and reading while we spill our blood," Vak laughed coldly.
"Without the weapons my hrai designed and the intelligence my spies and remote devices have gained, you would have been frozen meat floating in space," Jukaga replied.
from FLEET ACTION, CHAPTER FIVE
"I am angered, father, that you had me removed from the fighter force. What good am I—" and he hesitated for a moment, "—what glory is there to stand behind Admiral Nargth and to run his errands?"
from ACTION STATIONS, CHAPTER SEVEN
Ki'ra was primarily responsible for equipment development and intelligence in the rear during the war, so battle losses were likely to be low. In the absence of any success in stopping Kiranka from waging war, the quid pro quo for a yes vote is likely to be the protection of Vakka's clan in various ways. Transferring Jukaga from the Vanguard Flight back to the much more safer flagship is the epitome.
"Continue to read the writings of these humans," Vakka replied. "A word of advice at the right moment has often turned the tide of battle. Do that, and you accomplish far more than simply charging to your death."
from ACTION STATIONS, CHAPTER SEVEN
"A difference in defeating us?" Abram asked. "Know your friends, but know your enemies better."
"Maybe knowing your enemy might one day result in saving him and you." (by Harga, Baron Vakka's old servant)
from ACTION STATIONS, CHAPTER SIX
"I believe this war will be a disaster. I know your father told the Emperor and the Crown Prince this but they will not listen."
(by Harga, Baron Vakka's old servant)
from ACTION STATIONS, CHAPTER SIX
[THREAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION, but always welcome to reply to the completed part...]
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