Heavenly Light
The Chidao Emperor Imperial Household | Imperial Stewardship Teachings of the Empire
Ministries & Secretariats: Ministry of Truth | Ministry of Purity | Ministry of Stability Chao Suweiai formerly known as National Diet Defunct: The Seanad | The Imperial Yuan
Political Factions: Guanchang | Kantai-ha (Navy) | Gunbatsu (Army) | Shanghu (Traders) Defunct: Kuominliantang | Nokarodo Faction | Badao Party Other institutions Tianchao Chuandui | Imperial Armed Forces | Young Wandering Society | Tegong |
The Heavenly Light is the title for the head of state of Jingdao. The Jingdaoese also refer to Her/Him as Emperor. Those who respectively want to refer to Him/Her, talk about She / He Who Is Jingdao.
Historical overview
Influenced by a renewed interest of the Shirerithians in their history and the introduction of a new, more precise and realistic calendar, the Jingdaoese attempted to rediscover their own roots. Scholars, most of Kildarian and Melangian descend were hired to finish the work and research the ancient scrolls. A heavy emphasis was placed on the Jingdaoese culture and history, and less on the nations' Apollonian / Kildarian heritage.
A constant factor is the existence of a few dynasties who ruled over the Empire, with the support of the Gods, until they fell from grace. Special attention was given to the importance of the Heavenly Mandate.
Early dynasties
The mythical start of the Empire can be traced back to the Ying Emperor in 351 bAN, when the Jingdaoese started settling in the mountain region of central Cibola. The mountains and the few mountain passes which could be, with little effort, well protected, allowed the tribal chief Ying to unite the Lands of Jing (Lands of Purity). From the early start, the Jing People attempted to isolate themselves from the regions beyond the mountains. The belief that baishens and other evil forces were trying to destroy their homelands became stronger after a series of invasions in the First Century.
The Late Zuxiang Era saw a lot of unrest, weak emperors, the rise of local warlords and the demise of some important strategical mountain defences. A peasant revolt in the Third Century brought the Nongmin Emperor, a farmer who had successfully defended his home town against invaders and was appointed Prince of the Silver Rank, on the Throne. The Early Wangzi Era saw large scale attempts to re-unite the Jing peoples under one banner.
Nongmin and his descendants were largely successful and succeeded in establishing the first trade network with nations outside their own sphere of influence. The gold mines assured the empire of sufficient funds and the emperors carefully watched over those gold reserves, knowing that if they became depleted, the golden era of the country would soon end.
The Wangzi Era saw the rise and promotion of several 'Princes': local nobles and even merchants who received the title of Prince, in return for military or financial support. Military affairs were left in hands of those Princes, while the Court focused on religious and cultural development (the construction of temples and palaces put heavy pressure on the nations' treasury).
In the tenth century there was unrest among a large group of military officers. The trade routes were under immense pressure, as caravans were attacked once they left the safe borders of Jingdao. Calls for military expeditions were first denied (out of fear of angering surrounding tribes) by the Court. Eventually the Court allowed punitive expeditions, as the attacks became more frequent. A generation of soldiers and officers was raised and sent out. Some of those young officers were so successful that they received gifts (including land and the hand of the tribal chiefs' daughters to marry) for getting rid of the barbarians.
Shibing Guowang, a simple sergeant, married into a rich family from beyond the mountain range in 981 AN. At that time, an imperial rescript had forbidden "the marriage between a Pure Jing who seeks to defend the Empire's borders and riches and a Woman of Lower Heritage". The Court demanded Shibing fired from his position. The military first accepted the move, but when news reached Shibing, he killed the officer who had come to arrest him. In an inspirational speech he called for an end of the Empire's isolation and expressed the hope that his fellow soldiers would join him in his struggle to liberate the Empire of the tyrants that wanted to keep their people imprisoned between the mountains.
Many joined him as he marched towards the capital of Zijincheng. Resistance by the palace troops was futile, as by now Shibings' army encompassed battle hardened and healthy young soldiers, while the Emperor had hastily assembled an army of young recruits and old veteran guards who had barely seen any combat in their life. The palace was conquered and the Guowang Dynasty replaced the Wangzi Dynasty in 987 AN.
Colonial changes
In 1526, the first Batavian attempts to colonise Cibola were made. Contact with Jingdao was made, and the Guowang emperors suffered a series of military defeats against the colonial troops. The military defeats eventually led to the end of the Guowang Dynasty and the rise of the Erasmii, who had held the religious authority over the country for a while already.
The Jingdaoese were made into a puppet kingdom within Batavian Cibola. The power of Jingdao, diminished by a dynasty which was unable to combat the new challenges that had arisen, was faced with total destruction. The last Guowang formally abdicated in favour of the Grand Duke of Batavian Cibola, Herman Civilis. The appointment of Herman (posthumously called Haman Emperor) in 1583 brought some new hope: his interest with Jingdaoese culture and religion brought him into contact with the influential Erasmii.
During a religious ceremony, Herman received a vision in which the goddess Germania advised him to appoint Mordechai ben Erasmus as his successor. The Erasmii Dynasty would ultimately lead the colonies to independence and establish Jingdao as a military power.
The Dynasty survived several crises, including the Jingdaoese Diaspora in 1602. The Ci Emperor (well known as Sisera) was forced to fight evil spirits, which resulted in the destruction of most of Jingdaoese Cibola. She Herself became a Catologian Goddess.
The Jingdaoese spread accross the world and eventually settled on the six isles in the Antican Sea, which had been conquered by king Rollin. It was, however, Rollin's successor, Jezza Rasmus, who claimed the Heavenly Throne. The return of Sisera from the Celestial Realm, as the Tianhou Emperor, brought back an even more powerful Heavenly Light.
It became commonly accepted in the Erasmii period that the Emperors were reincarnations of the Goddess Sisera or the two Prophets Mordechai or Simon (the two first Erasmii Emperors). The people saw the rule of the Heavenly Light as a blessing, even if He didn't rule directly but had the Grand Secretariat to act on His behalf.
To quote the common thought about government official policy: "Of course, all these stipulations in constitution and lesser laws, are only valid as long as Her Divine Majesty does not object to them". Even documents and laws like the Xianfa Constitution are therefore only able to exist as long as they are endorsed by the Emperor.
After the Destruction by the Obedience Machine in 1631 AN, the Dashi Emperor died and no successor came forward. A provisional government, headed by the Myxosean noble Takano Myksos, announced the (temporary) end of the Heavenly Mandate. Instead, after some debate, a member of the Erasmus Dynasty was appointed as Emperor of the Jingdaoese Empire. It's common belief that Jingdao without a Heavenly Light who's ordained by the Gods of Heaven, is doomed to fail. Therefore, the Heavenly Mandate became an even more indispensable part of the Jingdaoese political scene.
Imperial style
The imperial style of the Heavenly Lights is:
The (insert name here) Emperor, True Holder of the Heavenly Mandate, Bringer of Harmony, Descendant of Cato and Germania, Living Reincarnation of Sisera, Heavenly Light of the Holy Grand Jingdaoese Empire, Mater / Pater Familias of the Great Jing Dynasty, Caudillo of the Armed Forces of the Empire, Preserver of Aracigrad, King / Queen of the Batavians, Dutch(ess) of Kildare, Prince(ss) of Aryasht, Lord Protector of the River Warriors.
Family
The Imperial Family was made up of the Emperor and His / Her spouse as the primary consort and Mother / Father of the Nation. In addition, the Emperor typically had several other consorts and concubines, ranked by importance into a harem, in which the spouse was supreme. Imperial convention dictated that at any given time there should be one Huang Hou (the Imperial Spouse), one Huang Guifei (the Imperial Noble Consort), two Guifei (Noble Consorts), four fei (Consorts) and six pin (Imperial Concubines), plus an unlimited number of other consorts and concubines.
Although the Emperor had the highest status by law, by tradition and precedent the mother of the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, usually received the greatest respect in the palace when it came to household affairs and was the decision maker in most family affairs. At times, especially when a young emperor was on the throne, she was the de facto ruler. The Emperor's children, the princes and princesses, were often referred to by their order of birth, e.g., Eldest Prince, Second Prince, Third Prince, etc. The princes were often given titles of peerage once they reached adulthood. The Emperor's brothers and uncles served in court by law, and held equal status with other court officials. The Emperor was always elevated above all others despite any chronological or generational superiority.
List of Head of States
Not all Head of States were Emperor. Those receive no number.
The Zuxiang Dynasty (351 bAN - 264)
No. | Portrait | Regal name | Personal name | Birth | Reign | Death | Succession | Bloodline | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ying Emperor | Ying Zuxiang | Zijicheng, 378 bAN | 351bAN - 302 bAN | Zuxiang | United the Eight Tribes of Jing under His command and became the first Jingdaoese to claim the title of 'Emperor', with support of Beneth ben Erasmus, the high priest of Zijicheng. | |||
2 | Liu Emperor | 302 bAN - 256 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
3 | Zhang Emperor | 256 bAN - 221 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
4 | Long Emperor | 221 bAN - 208 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
5 | Yi Emperor | 208 bAN - 184 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
6 | Yin Emperor | 184 bAN - 163 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
7 | Han Emperor | 302 bAN - 256 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
8 | Shang Emperor | 256 bAN - 202 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
9 | Yon Emperor | 202 bAN - 174 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
10 | Gengshi Emperor | 174 bAN - 133 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
11 | Wang Emperor | 133 bAN - 70 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
12 | Ai Emperor | 70 bAN - 25 bAN | Zuxiang | ||||||
13 | Mang Emperor | 25 bAN - 3 | Zuxiang | ||||||
14 | Cheng Emperor | 3 - 68 | Zuxiang | ||||||
15 | Ming Emperor | 68 - 111 | Zuxiang | ||||||
16 | Ruzi Emperor | 111 - 115 | Zuxiang | ||||||
17 | Second Ying Emperor | 115 - 169 | Zuxiang | ||||||
18 | Third Ying Emperor | 169 - 201 | Zuxiang | ||||||
19 | Huan Emperor | 201 - 215 | Zuxiang | ||||||
20 | An Emperor | 215 - 223 | Zuxiang | ||||||
21 | Ling Emperor | 223 - 228 | Zuxiang | ||||||
22 | Dang Emperor | 228 - 235 | Zuxiang | ||||||
23 | Mitzu Emperor | 235 - 237 | Zuxiang | ||||||
24 | Sisa Emperor | 237 - 241 | Zuxiang | ||||||
25 | Fourth Ying Emperor | 241 - 258 | Zuxiang | On the day of his ascension on the Throne, the Fourth Ying Emperor fell ill and the rites had to be postponed. This was generally seen as a bad omen, which worsened the trust in the Imperial Court. While many expected him to die early in his reign, as many illnesses had even affected his skin color (which became grey during the first year of his reign). He surprised friends and enemies by pulling through. | |||||
26 | Fifth Ying Emperor | 258 - 265 | Zuxiang | The Fifth Ying was confronted with a nation in disarray: barbarians had taken control over the mountain passes, local nobility had entrenched themselves behind their own city walls and peasant revolts made travelling across the country side into an adventure, even for an emperor. The lack of a proper education from his father led to him being nothing more than a puppet of his nephews and nieces, who each sought power for themselves. Nongmin Wangzi, a peasant who would take his Throne, was by him promoted to Prince of Silver Rank. After being deposed, he was allowed to stay in a summer residence, where he died of old age in 315. |
The Wangzi Dynasty (265 - 987)
The Dynasty of Princes.
No. | Portrait | Regal name | Personal name | Birth | Reign | Death | Succession | Bloodline | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | Nongmin Emperor | Nongmin Wangzi | 265 - 301 | Wangzi | Nongmin was born as the son of a rich farmer. Using the influence and money of his family, he successfully gathered a loyal group of guards around him to protect both his village and his property. For these efforts, in a time that the Emperor even failed to keep the streets of the capital safe, he was appointed to Prince of the Silver Rank and raised into nobility. During the Peasant Revolt of 265, Nongmin was convinced by his close allies to join the angry peasants and demand the end of the emperor's reign. He then was offered the Throne, which he accepted, and kept his predecessor under house arrest in a summer residence. His successful campaigns improved safety around the capital tremendously, leading to a more stable empire. | ||||
28 | Hanmin Emperor | 301 - 322 | Wangzi | ||||||
29 | Liun Emperor | 322 - 335 | Wangzi | ||||||
30 | Yinzong Emperor | 335 - 378 | Wangzi | ||||||
31 | Renzong Emperor | 378 - 401 | Wangzi | ||||||
32 | Liuzong Emperor | 401 - 425 | Wangzi | ||||||
33 | Mangzong Emperor | 425 - 437 | Wangzi | ||||||
34 | Hiuzong Emperor | 437 - 499 | Wangzi | ||||||
35 | Second Hiuzong Emperor | 499 - 532 | Wangzi | ||||||
36 | Second Nongmin Emperor | 532- 574 | Wangzi | ||||||
37 | Second Ming Emperor | 574 - 603 | Wangzi | ||||||
38 | Third Nongmin Emperor | 603 - 620 | Wangzi | ||||||
39 | 'Third Ming Emperor | 620 - 688 | Wangzi | ||||||
40 | Hoizong Emperor | 688 - 713 | Wangzi | ||||||
41 | Tang Emperor | 713 - 787 | Wangzi | Put upon the Throne as a young child. Dowager Empress Lin was his regent until he reached adulthood. | |||||
42 | Second Tang Emperor | 787 - 805 | Wangzi | ||||||
43 | Zhezong Emperor | 805 - 826 | Wangzi | ||||||
44 | Songmin Emperor | 826 - 874 | Wangzi | ||||||
45 | Huiozong Emperor | 874 - 902 | Wangzi | ||||||
46 | Xuzhong Emperor | 902 - 930 | Wangzi | ||||||
47 | Xon Emperor | 930 - 957 | Wangzi | ||||||
48 | Qinzong Emperor | 957 - 987 | Wangzi | Qinzong was confronted by a new warrior class which had grown under the rule of his father, the Xon Emperor. While pursuing a peaceful agenda himself, the emperor knew that many of the young lads that joined the army were pursuing a career beyond the empire's borders. While this was endured by the Court, the increasing power of this new warrior class started to endanger the realm. Their aggressive policies led to a diplomatic meltdown and it became clear in 962 that the Court didn't have any control over the army anymore. Rules concerning behaviour during a military campaign and marriage (it was forbidden for officers to marry into families of foreign rulers of tribes and small kingdoms) were mostly ignored, and when attempts to enforce it were made, retaliation against the Emperor often followed. Shibing Guowang was one of those officers who ignored the emperor's rescript in 981 AN and eventually overthrew him. |
The Guowang Dynasty (987 - 1582)
No. | Portrait | Regal name | Personal name | Birth | Reign | Death | Succession | Bloodline | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
49 | Shibing Emperor | Shibing Guowang | 987 - 1002 | Guowang | With support of the tribe of his father-in-law and his own troops he eventually overthrew Qinzong and established a more expansionist Jingdao. He expected absolute loyalty of his troops and demanded from the original Eight Jing Tribes that they each sent their finest nobles to train under his command. It strengthened the ties between the Eight Tribes and also resulted in a loyal group of new and influential companions. | ||||
50 | Nuwa Emperor | 1002 - 1041 | Guowang | ||||||
51 | Second Nuwa Emperor | 1041 - 1075 | Guowang | ||||||
52 | Fuxa Emperor | 1075 - 1087 | Guowang | ||||||
53 | Zuxa Emperor | 1087 - 1093 | Guowang | ||||||
54 | Xian Emperor | 1093 - 1120 | Guowang | ||||||
55 | Shun Emperor | 1120 - 1162 | Guowang | ||||||
56 | Shunzon Emperor | 1162 - 1199 | Guowang | ||||||
57 | Shennong Emperor | 1199 - 1204 | Guowang | ||||||
58 | Qixia Emperor | 1204 - 1238 | Guowang | ||||||
59 | Taixi Emperor | 1238 - 1274 | Guowang | ||||||
60 | Shaoxai Emperor | 1274 - 1302 | Guowang | ||||||
61 | Liuxi Emperor | 1302 - 1304 | Guowang | Died while taking charge of the army in the siege of the Nederburgian town of Heemecht. His death led to an increasingly powerful group of bureaucrats taking charge over daily government affairs. | |||||
62 | Xiexai Emperor | 1304 - 1327 | Guowang | ||||||
63 | Jinxai Emperor | 1327 - 1381 | Guowang | ||||||
64 | Kongxai Emperor | 1381 - 1400 | Guowang | ||||||
65 | Gaoxai Emperor | 1400 - 1445 | Guowang | ||||||
66 | Faxai Emperor | 1445 - 1471 | Guowang | ||||||
67 | Jiexai Emperor | 1471 - 1498 | Guowang | ||||||
68 | Bu Emperor | 1498 - 1512 | Guowang | ||||||
69 | Ta Emperor | 1512 - 1539 | Guowang | ||||||
70 | Ku Emperor | 1539 - 1583 | Guowang | Ku was confronted with a powerful enemy. Early attempts to stop the Batavian colonial troops from taking control over its outer domains proved to be futile and the emperor became a de facto puppet from 1542 and onwards. His own death at the hand of a jealous concubine and the lack of a proper heir were seen by the Batavians as a chance to fully integrate the lands into its colony of Batavian Cibola. |
The Erasmii Dynasty (1583 - present)
No. | Portrait | Regal name | Personal name | Birth | Reign | Death | Succession | Bloodline | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | Haman Emperor | Herman Civilis | South Batavia, 1502 | 1583 - 1587
4521 ASC - 4635 ASC |
1587 | During a mass the goddess Germania advised him to appoint Mordechai ben Erasmus as his successor. | Civilis |
| |
71 | Mengjiang Emperor | Mordechai Ben Erasmus | South Batavia, 1521 | 1587 - 1592
4635 ASC - 4779 ASC |
1592 | After careful considerations, and to allow for stable transition of power, it was decided to let the Mengjiang Emperor succeed by His oldest son. | Erasmii | Became the first Heavenly Light and Emperor while the country was not yet independent. He is the ancestor of all Emperors in a direct line. | |
72 | Kaiming Emperor | Simon Ben Erasmus | South Batavia, 1564 | 1592 - 1593
4779 ASC - 4835 ASC |
1597 | After His disappearance during the Shanglu Campaign ( 52 EGA ), His Diwang Yuan Windsor took over the country. | Erasmii |
| |
– | Yuan Windsor (Yuan Diwang) | South Batavia, 1508 | 1593 - 1595
4835 ASC - 4877 ASC |
Heemecht, 1595 | Windsor |
| |||
72 | Kaiming Emperor | Simon Ben Erasmus | South Batavia, 1564 | 1594 - 1597
4852 ASC - 4955 ASC |
1597 | Erasmii |
| ||
– | Regency Council | 1597 - 1598 4955 ASC - 4961 ASC | The Magister Miguel Windsor of the Church acted as Regent as long as no Emperor was placed on the Throne. | ||||||
73 | Zanding Emperor | Jacob Ben Erasmus | South Batavia, 1555 | 1598 - 1599
4961 ASC - 4987 ASC |
| ||||
74 | Ci Emperor | Sisera Bat Erasmus | South Batavia, 1588 | 1599 - 1604
4987 ASC - 5081 / 5165 ASC |
Unknown | Erasmii |
| ||
– | Rollin the Conqueror | Apollo City, 1577 | 1604 - 1605
5165 ASC - 5188 ASC |
Mor'Ler |
| ||||
75 | Duchang Emperor | Jezza Rasmus (Jezza Erasmus) | South Batavia, 1557 | 1604 - 1606
5188 ASC - 5216 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||
76 | Tianhou Emperor (Tianhou Empress) | South Batavia, 1588 | 1606
5216 ASC - 5223 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
75 | Duchang Emperor | Jezza Rasmus (Jezza Erasmus) | South Batavia, 1557 | 1606 - 1608
5223 ASC - 5273 ASC |
Erasmii | Reacquired the Throne after the Thianhou Emperor ascended to the Celestial World once more. | |||
77 | Jinken Emperor | Hirohito | South Batavia, 1576 | 1608 - 1610
5273 ASC - 5326 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||
78 | Feixing Emperor | Sisera II | South Batavia, 1576 | 1610
5326 ASC - 5327 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||
– | Regency Council | 1610
5327 ASC - 5333 ASC |
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79 | Yuandi Emperor | Mordechai II | Shanbao (Six Islands), 1610 | 1610 - 1615
5333 ASC - 5489 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||
80 | Goburin Emperor
Erlkönig |
Simon II | 1615 - 1623
5489 ASC - 5719 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
81 | Haigui Emperor | Sisera III Haigui | 1623 - 1627
5719 ASC - 5855 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
82 | Dashi Emperor | Mordechai III Dashi | 1627 - 1631
5855 ASC - 5984 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
– | Regency Council | 1631
5984 ASC - 5989 ASC |
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83 | Zettai Emperor | Gradus | 1631 - 1634
5989 ASC - 6080 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
84 | Kattei Emperor | Heinrich | 1634 - 1636
6080 ASC - 6137 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
85 | Danya Emperor | Simon | 1637 - 1640
5989 ASC - 6080 ASC |
Erasmii |
| ||||
86 | Sheng Emperor | 1640 - 1645
6243 ASC - 6407 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||||
87 | Mingshi Emperor | 1645 - 1647
6407 ASC - 6457 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||||
88 | Xianfa Emperor | 1647 - 1649
6457 ASC - 6534 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||||
89 | Hai Emperor | 1649 - 1657
6534 ASC - 6754 ASC |
Erasmii |
| |||||
90 | Meiyo Emperor | 1657 - 1659
6754 ASC - 6839 ASC |
Jade (Erasmii) |
Succeeded Her brother, the Hai Emperor, because of a lack of any direct heir. Only later it was discovered that a concubine of the Emperor had been impregnated. This was kept hidden from the public, as the Empress believed it to be too dangerous to place a child on the Throne, in the direct aftermath of the War. | |||||
91 | Chidao Emperor | Daocheng, 1657 | 1659 - 1695 | 1695 | Ascended to the Heavens during a ceremony in 1695, starting the Post-Chidao Troubles. Confusion and disbelieve about the sudden disappearance of the Heavenly Light made His succession troublesome. | Erasmii |
With unrest remaining in the country, partly as a fault of attempts to keep the democratic institutions function after the disastrous and splintered results in the 1657 Yuan Elections, the Bureaucratic Faction in the Palace pushed for publicly recognising the young prince as true Emperor. The two year old, aided by a group of bureaucrats, called Guanchang, soon disbanded the chambers of the Diet and proclaimed the end of the leftovers from the Minshu period [3]. | ||
91 | Xinshi Emperor | Daocheng, 1657 | 1695 - present | Erasmii | Having ascended the Throne ill-prepared, she was first placed under house arrest by Imperial Magistrate and Commander of the Eight Gates, Lin Zexu. Later in her reign, she was overshadowed by her uncle, Hon Ben Erasmus. |