Ubantu:Contents:Culture:MilikyunjovjuGov

The Government of Milikyunjovu

NB - This is VERY complex - but the ranking system is true to that of the Buganda people

Milikyunjovu is a collection of five nations and several protectorates ruling the central and eastern parts of Ubantu. Politically, it resembles an alliance of constitutional monarchies with more than a few important differences. There are five kingdoms and one empire, but five emperors, who are the co-husbands of the Empress, who is the Allmother of the Elephants. In the Milikyu world of mind, the Allmother is rather like the Motherland, a figurehead rather than a being. She takes almost no part in rulership, and even her husbands are mostly ceremonial rulers.

The Banjovu royal family was once a clan, but has been altered by the influence of elephantine values and the role of leadership. The Banjovu are now fully matrilineal. The children of the wife of one of the emperors belongs to the clan of his mother. Only the kings and their living and adopted brothers are actually Banjovu. Within each kingdom the Banjovu clan has freeholds which belong only to the king, or more correctly, to the kingdom. The rules of these holding are appointed, but most often fall to the children of the previous ruler. Only the holding rulers themselves are Banjovu - their wives and children are not. The major result of this is that they are buried on their holdings.

The office of emperor does not fall directly to the emperor's children. When an emperor dies, all his bachelor children and grandchildren of adult age are gathered together along with all the unmarried adult male descendents of all four of the other emperoros who wish to participate (see Flying Boats). These men are called "suitors" and the bride they seek is the great Allmother of the Wanjovu race. (There is a certain of understandable humor in this, especially amoung the lower classes, most in regards to the basis for selecting the husband. This sedition is not really discouraged - the kings regard the belief in their elephantine proportions amusing.) The minds of the candidates are probed and examined in great detail, commonly under the influence of a sedative. When each has been examined the Allmother makes her choice. The suitors are lined up and the husand-to-be is revealed (the local matriarch touches him with her trunk). There is a great deal of celebration followed by a mock wedding cum coronation, and the matter is done.

There are many similarities between the governments of the five kingdoms, enough to present a generalized sketch then to note individual exceptions. Very few members of the central government are actually Banjovu. The Emperor, the Queen (the Lubuga, one of the Emperor's sisters), the Queen-Mother (the Namasole), the Kimbugwe (the Emperor's "twin", who is in charge of the royal umbilicus), the Sabaganzi (one of the Emperor's uncles, head of the Secret Police), the Kiwewa (Emperor's eldest son, who rides herd on the unmarried male children and grandchildren of the Emperor), the Nasolo (the female version of the Kiwewa), the Nabikande (one of the Namasole's sisters, the royal midwife), the Basemba (the Imperial drummers, at least five, the drums also have names and are part of the Banjovu clan), the Mugema (prime minister to the dead (and thus a Church offical), the Emperor's adopted father and the chief of one of the national masaza ) and a few others with local specializations.

The recursive ranking system is used throughout the Empire. The ranks are: Kabaka, Mumyuka, Sabadu, Sabagado, Sabawali, Mwogozi, Musale, Mutua, Second Mutua (wa Wili), Third Mutua (wa Tatu), etc. The Kibugwe is Kabaka to the Mliki (Emperor). Next is the Prime Minister, the Katikiro, who is Mumyuka to the Mliki. Third is the Kago, the clanchief of the Balingira clan within that kingdom. He is often called the Kabaka of the Kingdom. The Kago is Sabadu to the Mliki.

The descendents of Ditaolane form the Royal clan Balingira. The Imperial clan is the Banjove. Imperial and Royal are different things.

The Kingdoms are divided into administrative districts called Saza, then subdivided into Gambolola then again into Muluka. As for standardized translations, a saza is a district, a gombolola is a county and a muluka is an estate. The lands owned directly by the Emperor usually constitute a fifth to a third of the land area within the Kingdom. Another fraction is owned by the Balingira clan, then the major part is owned by other clans. The Emperor's own estates are called Makira, these are controlled by chiefs adopted into the Banjovu clan and hold the royal herds and fields. Note that there are National masaza and Royal/Balingira masaza. There are many Imperial freehold estates - these are the same size-unit as counties, existing surrounded by National or Royal districts. Imperial estates can be owned by the Emperor, the Kibugwe, the Namasole, the Lubuga or the Katikiro or some other member of the Banjovu clan. Likewise there are numerous Kanisi holdings - each district, whether National or Royal, must contain one and only one estate owned by the Church, this is the soul-estate. Other holdings belong to temple-societies and thus the Vyama. Each deceased Emperor has an estate, wherein his wives take up nominal offices and become his preistesses. There are estates for retired officers. There are many Pygmy estates, since the promises made by the forefathers and leader of Siyathemba cannot be abbrogated. Each estate or holding has a charter that very specifically details it's obligations to the Kingdom, the Empire and it's leige lords, should it have any. In each county, National or Royal, there is a Capitol Estate owned by the Emperor. There are both District and County Capitols - the District Capitol is also a County Capitol in most cases. Don't forget the Preserves, each as large as a major district, owned only by the Elephants.

Within a Kingdom there are between four (Ameru) and seven (Mbolu) national districts (masaza). The chiefs of these are called Owesaza and are appointed by the Emperor. An Owesaza is the Kabaka of a district/saza, if that helps. The Owesaza of the first national district is the Sabawali to the Mliki, and this continues. Each of these has a nominal office, distinct in each kingdom. In Mbolu, the first district is called Singo. It's Owesaza is the Mukwenda, who is Sabadago the the Mliki of Mbolu. The Singo district is subdivided into five counties (magombololola). As an example, the Mwemba, chief of the first county, is the Mumyuka to the Mukwenda, who is Sabagado to the Mliki. Often, land area are named for their chief, so that the area ruled by the Mwemba is the Umweba county. Umweba has five national estates. The chief of the largest of these is the Mulere, Kabaka of the Umulere Muluku, who is Mutua to the Mukwenda, NOT Mumyuka to the Mwemba. This system is very organic, and changes with the favor of the chiefs. Such changes are not done lightly, as it requires an ENORMOUS amount of paperwork. In most instances, for a Kabaka of an area to change the ranking of his subordiants requires the approval of his Kabaka, which is not likely.

There are many handy reference books describing, organizing and charting these relationships, for sale throughout the Kingdoms. These Vitabu Masenzi are vital to the function of the Kingdom, and thus may have the royal seal of approval, along with the date. If it isn't of the current year, it isn't official. Using a Vitabu Masenzi is an IQ/A skill that defaults to Heraldry/Kingdom-4. "Heraldry" is the skill of understanding these rankings, IQ/VH, there are not acutally heralds, though the shorthand notational system developed by the Vitabu Masenzi is in common use.

The Kago of each kingdom is the head of the Baringira clan, which is the older royal family of Ditaolane and Siyathemba. The Kago has his own court which more or less mimics the court of the Emperor, with the exception that all the Owesaza are members of the Baringira clan. These positions are hereditary and the system much more closely resembles feudalism. The clan is patrilineal with many family branches within each Kingdom. This will be described in more detail later.

In the court of an Emperor there are three overlapping groups of chiefs. The Batongole are appointed nominal officers, usually having a single estate. The Bataka are the Wajaja of the clans. The Bakungu are the chiefs of the national district. Note that the Kago is a Mutongole, and that all chiefs and other members of the Banjovu clan are considered Batongole.

Each Kingdom has a Lukiko council. This is staffed by the ranks directly below the Mliki, starting with the Kimbugwe and ending with the chief of the least ranking national district. This includes, always, the Katikiro, the Kimbugwe, and the Kago. This is the basic roster, which changes from Kingdom to Kingdom - after the least Owesaza, each kingdom appends several extras. The Lukiko votes to ratify laws. The lowest ranking member has one vote, each above him has one more, with a majority of votes ratifing a law. The structure of each kingdom's Lukiko is recorded in the Constitution, along with the proceedure for amending it.

Each Kingdom also has a second body of legislature, for simplicity's sake, the Parliament. The formation of this Parliament varies a LOT from kingdom to kingdom - this is part of the purpose of having different kingdoms. In Mbolu, the Parliament is of the Emperor's chief wives, one from each clan. In Sarawe, the Parliament is formed from the age-grades, with the number of votes given to each representative based on the seniority of the age-grade.

The techniques for ratifing a law vary. Generally, a majority of the votes of both Houses or a unanimous vote from one House will do the trick, subject to Imperial veto.

All kingdoms are constitutional monarchies with one to three of these groups as legislative and/or judicial branches. Typically the age-groups are judicial, as a part of the bueracracy. Clan council via the wives of the king. Senate where the seats are auctioned off to Societies. Total bureaucracy with ministries and ministers. Age-grade parliament of some form. Partial theocracry with elders/preists as judicial. All have a written constitution, which is co-signed by other kingdoms (or not). Plutocracy, Gerontacracy, Oligarchy, Bureaucracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy. Seats and positions are often bought by payment of cattle to king, which adds to the king's herds and thus the national wealth.

Ameru - king and two houses, one his wives via clans, other senate bought by societies, judgeship is part of age-group system, pay for position but must be invited. Limited bureaucracy of elders.

Kaagwe - judicial branch is tied to church, adding a kind of extra vocation to Kanisi, areas are localized, with semi-elected judges, like bishops. One two hundred seat parliament where seat are bought by clans or societies. Another is House of Lords by nobility.

House of Lords vs House of Commons Clans. Lords are usually backed by alliances of societies. Judges as elderclass. Local judicial councils that come from each clan represented.

Clans have their own judges, separate laws, also elder interclan judges and juries. One council, based on elders from societies with church getting 50%. Sep Council based on merit, federal/district representationals, where districts can come in a variety of forms.

The Balangira clan, the descendents of Ditaolane, make up the royal family outside the Banjovu clan. These head the feudal territories lying within each kingdom. The ranks are Mukungu=Rank 6, Mumyuka=Rank 5, Sabadu=Rank 4, Sabagado=Rank 3, Musale=Rank 2, Mutua=Rank 1 (rank of Sabawali is not used). Commoners are bukopi, Rank 0. Serfs are Basenze. Thus a Mukungu is basically a Duke, ruling over a Umukungu, ie, a Duchy.

By contrast, the lands now owned directly by the Kabaka are divided only into districts (masaza), counties (magombolola) and holdings (makira) in which there are villages with headmen. These position are semihereditary in that the Kabaka almost always accepts the primogenitor as the new ruler. The rulers of these areas are named by changing "ma-" (plural marker) to "mwami-" (ruler). The person in charge of a gombolola is a mwamigombolola.

Being as how this is Bantu system, it is to be expected that the two systems of division overlap and have complex systems of subservience. An Umukungu has a single Mukungu, who is the Kago to the Kabaka of that kingdom. Th

Council with hereditary seats from each district opposed to an age-grade of adults council. Judges are local elders.

how many estates in the empire? how big is the empire?

Sidebar

Milikyunjovu is the most fantastical and distant from real Bantu element in Ubantu. Sentient elephants, the integration of Palo, the subhuman slaves and the magicotechnology are all pure invention. GMs who want a more authentic Bantu world have the option of the Beta Map, which completely omits the Empire and Confederacy.

The noble ranks are based on those of Uganda. Therein, the largest unit of land is a ssaza, it's ruler the mukungu. There below are the mumyuka ("second in command"), ssaabaddu ("head of those who serve"), ssabagado ("head of shield bearers"), ssabawaali ("head of slaves"), musaale ("arrow"), and mutuba ("fig tree"). From this we extrapolate "U-", meaning land + title = district. Thus an mumyuka controls a umumyuka. The plurals are mu-/ba- and sa-/masa-.

Owesaza=Rank 7, Mumyuka=Rank 6, Sabadu=Rank 5, Sabagabo = Rank 4, Sabawali= Rank 3, Mutaba Mukulu= Rank 2, Mutaba Muto=Rank 1