Master of Tongues

The Master of Tongues (恶魔音箱) was the chief interpreter to the imperial court of Daxia. The position was first created during the Chen dynasty and persisted through the Zhong and Qian periods. The Master of Tongues was a very important functionary and was one of the chief aides to the ministers in charge of foreign affairs. In Daxian idiosyncrasy the speaking of foreign tongues was considered disgraceful and unbecoming of a proper Daxian, therefore the task of acting as interpreters fell to foreigners. These were usually former slaves bought, received as tribute or captured from enemy territories. Most of the early royal interpreters were of Muslim origin due to the Chen dynasty's frequent interaction with former Oduniyyad polities and a handful of Muslim families monopolized the position for decades. As Daxia turned its sights to the east, the prominence of Muslim interpreters came to an end, replaced most frequently by Sarpedonians and Levantians in the position. The taboo on native Daxians learning other languages gradually faded away and foreigners were used less during the late imperial period. During the Qian dynasty many of those who rose to the position were also dwarfs.