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==Privileges== | ==Privileges== | ||
[[File:Palanquin of the Master.jpg|thumb|Example of the palanquin granted to the Master of Tongues]] | [[File:Palanquin of the Master.jpg|thumb|Example of the palanquin granted to the Master of Tongues]] | ||
The Master of Tongues began as a posting that operated in very austere conditions, the foreign | The Master of Tongues began as a posting that operated in very austere conditions, the usual foreign backgrounds of the title holders put them at a disadvantage at court. Attar al-Badri reputedly was assigned a small, dinky cell with a straw bed and was given five candles per month, one for each week and one extra. His grandson Munir al-Badri leveraged his good standing with the Grand Secretary to be moved to more spacious accommodations, he also began to demand a fifth of the salary of every interpreter that worked under him and later charged a bribe for appointments. During the Qian dynasty the Master of Tongues was a position exempt of taxes after fifteen years of service, they were allowed to wear ornate robes of many colors and hats of office, they were assigned a palanquin of their own and could also keep slaves as part of their personal property. The official annual salary of the Master of Tongues was 30,000 imperial lire but that figure ballooned due to all the bribes and other shady incomes it could extract from underlings and commission work they would do on the side. | ||
Beginning in the 17th century it became customary for a retiring Master of Tongues to be appointed to rule over one of the vassal taifas in [[Rusana]]. Ethnic | Beginning in the 17th century it became customary for a retiring Master of Tongues to be appointed to rule over one of the vassal taifas in [[Rusana]]. Ethnic [[Daxia]]n overlords had fared poorly with the natives in the past and once again the outsider status of a former Master of Tongues was perceived as useful in interactions with the Muslim population. The position of [[Imperial Viceroy (Daxia)|Imperial Viceroy]] was a significant upgrade in material conditions and prestige. Viceroys had their own palaces and security retinues and much larger yearly salaries, according to records the Imperial Viceroy of Ghanim was paid 85,000 imperial lire per year. Not to mention the posting came with myriad opportunities to engage in graft and corruption. Imperial Viceroys were also customarily ennobled after the end of their time in office, a powerful incentive to rule their domain well and keep its productivity up and taxes flowing to the treasury. | ||
==Notable officeholders== | ==Notable officeholders== | ||
===Apito Tomtor=== | ===Apito Tomtor=== | ||
[[File:Apito Tomtor.jpg|thumb|Apito Tomtor, former Master of Tongues and Imperial Qian ambassador to the court of the [[Marble Emperor]] from 1723 to 1748]] | [[File:Apito Tomtor.jpg|thumb|Apito Tomtor, former Master of Tongues and Imperial Qian ambassador to the court of the [[Marble Emperor]] from 1723 to 1748]] | ||
Apito Tomtor was born in 1660 in Taigovæloa, [[Sarolasta]] to a family of [[Coscivian]] peasants. Born with dwarfism his parents kept him despite the burden he could represent, not being able to help much with farm work. In 1664 [[Sarolasta]] came under attack by the [[Daxia]]n force of [[Zhu Bolin]] during the [[Siege of Dun-Kurrengev]]. Taigovæloa itself was sacked by the corsair auxiliaries of [[Luidan Răzvala Saminian Dovinofo]] and Tomtor's family was slain. The four year old Apito was seized as a captive by the raiders and was taken along with them back to [[Daxia]]n waters when [[Zhu Bolin]]'s fleet retreated from the island. Apito served with Dovinofo's corsairs for four years as a cabin boy and jester before escaping them while on the port of [[Zong]]. The conspicuously young and white skinned dwarf was quickly apprehended and sold to agents of the imperial palace. The young dwarf was inducted into the palace school and educated in [[Daxia]]n history, languages and statecraft under the watchful tutelage of Ronan Hill, the [[Urcean people|Urcean]]-born Master of Tongues to Emperor Tengu the Sot. Upon graduation he was posted to the island of [[Zhijun]] to serve as the governor's interpreter in his trade dealings with [[Caphiria]]n's and [[Pelaxia]]ns. As a fluent [[Coscivian]] speaker he traveled to his native [[Sarolasta]] during this time to help negotiate the import of Sarolastan hemp. He was recalled to [[Mirzak]] after six years and appointed as Deputy Recording Secretary of second rank at the Secretariat of the Navy. During his time with the Secretariat he was deeply involved in negotiations with foreign shipbuilder guilds to acquire their expertise for the expansion of the Qian navy. From 1691 to 1705 he served as the Master of Tongues of the Navy and was stationed with the [[Harmonious Flotilla Invincible]], being part of its strategy councils and being present at fleet actions during the [[Daxian Polynesian Wars]] as well as participating as the interpreter in various siege negotiations, exchanges of prisoners and arrangement of truces. | Apito Tomtor was born in 1660 in Taigovæloa, [[Sarolasta]] to a family of [[Coscivian]] peasants. Born with dwarfism his parents kept him despite the burden he could represent, not being able to help much with farm work. In 1664 [[Sarolasta]] came under attack by the [[Daxia]]n force of [[Zhu Bolin]] during the [[Siege of Dun-Kurrengev]]. Taigovæloa itself was sacked by the corsair auxiliaries of [[Luidan Răzvala Saminian Dovinofo]] and Tomtor's family was slain. The four year old Apito was seized as a captive by the raiders and was taken along with them back to [[Daxia]]n waters when [[Zhu Bolin]]'s fleet retreated from the island. Apito served with Dovinofo's corsairs for four years as a cabin boy and jester before escaping them while on the port of [[Zong]]. The conspicuously young and white skinned dwarf was quickly apprehended and sold to agents of the imperial palace. The young dwarf was inducted into the palace school and educated in [[Daxia]]n history, languages and statecraft under the watchful tutelage of Ronan Hill, the [[Urcean people|Urcean]]-born Master of Tongues to Emperor Tengu the Sot. Upon graduation he was posted to the island of [[Zhijun]] to serve as the governor's interpreter in his trade dealings with [[Caphiria]]n's and [[Pelaxia]]ns. As a fluent [[Coscivian]] speaker he traveled to his native [[Sarolasta]] during this time to help negotiate the import of Sarolastan hemp. | ||
He was recalled to [[Mirzak]] after six years and appointed as Deputy Recording Secretary of second rank at the Secretariat of the Navy. During his time with the Secretariat he was deeply involved in negotiations with foreign shipbuilder guilds to acquire their expertise for the expansion of the Qian navy. From 1691 to 1705 he served as the Master of Tongues of the Navy and was stationed with the [[Harmonious Flotilla Invincible]], being part of its strategy councils and being present at fleet actions during the [[Daxian Polynesian Wars]] as well as participating as the interpreter in various siege negotiations, exchanges of prisoners and arrangement of truces. He was elevated to Master of Tongues in 1706 by Emperor Hanleng and served in that position until his semi-retirement in 1721. He was brought out of retirement in 1723 to serve as Imperial Qian ambassador to the court of the [[Marble Emperor]] and in this capacity helped negotiate the Truce of Caserges that ended the [[Daxian Polynesian Wars]]. During his time in [[Kiravia]] he donated to many causes that advanced the welfare of the native [[Dwarfism in Kiravia|mùgorikuv]], who he considered his brethren. Apito Tomtor died peacefully in his sleep in 1748 after 25 years of diplomatic labor in [[Kartika]]. | |||
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Talebot-Fouet Ratusi Jacquinot was born on April 8th, [[1694]] to a [[Bergendii]] boswain's mate, Damian-Arnaud Guibault Jaquinot and his [[Loa]] wife, Ratu, in the village of St. Sebastian, on the island of Catavis, [[Equatorial Ostiecia]]. He was always of diminutive stature and was teased for it mercilessly by other children in the settlement. He was known as a momma's boy, from his mother he inherited a sharp wit, and broad intellect. He grew up speaking [[Burgoignesc language|Burgoignesc]], [[Loa]], and the Latino-Carib creole language of the native [[Kingdom of Oustec|Oustec]]. At 12, he joined his father on a voyage to [[Veraise Colony]] and was immediately prized by the captain, Henri-Elsmere Rembrandt laFitte, for his intelligence, his small stature, and his willingness to please. The captain paid Talebot's father a portion of his profit-share in [[Veraise Colony]] and adopted Talebot as his own. He established Talebot, now Talebot-Fouet Jacquinot laFitte, with a private tutor in the [[Duchy of Bourgondi]] from [[1708]]-[[1712]], and upon his 18th birthday he was commissioned by the duke as an under-captain ([[Burgoignesc language|Burg]]: sous-capitain) on a ship in a merchant/colonization fleet bound for the newly established [[Sudmoll|Sud Moll colony]]. Every thing was going to plan until, almost at their they came under attack from a [[Daxia]]n fleet patrolling the waters around their colonial possession of [[Stenza]]. Talebot's ship and the four other warships broke off to give the unarmed ships an opportunity to flee. The [[Daxia]]n fleet consisted of 8 warships, many of them massive {{wp|Junk_(ship)#Ming_dynasty_(15th–17th_century)|Zhàn Chuán}} which would have decimated the [[Duchy of Bourgondi]]'s ships. In the initial moments of the engagement the captain of his ship was killed by shrapnel and Talebot took command. He told his crew to disengage which they resisted thinking he was deserting. He had seen some of the smaller [[Daxia]]n ships give chase to the unarmed ships of the fleet and he was determined to defend them. Every one of the other Bourgondii ships were completely decimated and sunk, eventually, but Talebot's actions saved the merchant ships. His ship was captured by the [[Daxia]]n fleet but it bought time for the merchant ships to get far enough away from the [[Daxia]]ns that they made it to [[Sudmoll|Sud Moll colony]] without any further harassment. Based on some contemporary accounts, based on archeological evidence and diary writings from the time, it is thought that the colonization effort on [[Sudmoll]] was destined to fail, prior to the arrival of fresh materials, food, and settlers. | Talebot-Fouet Ratusi Jacquinot was born on April 8th, [[1694]] to a [[Bergendii]] boswain's mate, Damian-Arnaud Guibault Jaquinot and his [[Loa]] wife, Ratu, in the village of St. Sebastian, on the island of Catavis, [[Equatorial Ostiecia]]. He was always of diminutive stature and was teased for it mercilessly by other children in the settlement. He was known as a momma's boy, from his mother he inherited a sharp wit, and broad intellect. He grew up speaking [[Burgoignesc language|Burgoignesc]], [[Loa]], and the Latino-Carib creole language of the native [[Kingdom of Oustec|Oustec]]. At 12, he joined his father on a voyage to [[Veraise Colony]] and was immediately prized by the captain, Henri-Elsmere Rembrandt laFitte, for his intelligence, his small stature, and his willingness to please. The captain paid Talebot's father a portion of his profit-share in [[Veraise Colony]] and adopted Talebot as his own. He established Talebot, now Talebot-Fouet Jacquinot laFitte, with a private tutor in the [[Duchy of Bourgondi]] from [[1708]]-[[1712]], and upon his 18th birthday he was commissioned by the duke as an under-captain ([[Burgoignesc language|Burg]]: sous-capitain) on a ship in a merchant/colonization fleet bound for the newly established [[Sudmoll|Sud Moll colony]]. Every thing was going to plan until, almost at their they came under attack from a [[Daxia]]n fleet patrolling the waters around their colonial possession of [[Stenza]]. Talebot's ship and the four other warships broke off to give the unarmed ships an opportunity to flee. The [[Daxia]]n fleet consisted of 8 warships, many of them massive {{wp|Junk_(ship)#Ming_dynasty_(15th–17th_century)|Zhàn Chuán}} which would have decimated the [[Duchy of Bourgondi]]'s ships. In the initial moments of the engagement the captain of his ship was killed by shrapnel and Talebot took command. He told his crew to disengage which they resisted thinking he was deserting. He had seen some of the smaller [[Daxia]]n ships give chase to the unarmed ships of the fleet and he was determined to defend them. Every one of the other Bourgondii ships were completely decimated and sunk, eventually, but Talebot's actions saved the merchant ships. His ship was captured by the [[Daxia]]n fleet but it bought time for the merchant ships to get far enough away from the [[Daxia]]ns that they made it to [[Sudmoll|Sud Moll colony]] without any further harassment. Based on some contemporary accounts, based on archeological evidence and diary writings from the time, it is thought that the colonization effort on [[Sudmoll]] was destined to fail, prior to the arrival of fresh materials, food, and settlers. | ||
After being captured, the crew of Talebot's ship were brought to [[Stenza]] and impressed into service in the [[Daxia]]n navy. Talebot quickly rose through the ranks again and became a captain within 2 years and served bravely in the latter years of the [[Daxian Polynesian Wars]], during that time he became fluent in Daxian. His ability with languages was recognized by the admiral he served and he was the translator at the final peace negotiations. After this, he was apprenticed to [[Master_of_Tongues#Apito_Tomtor|Apito Tomtor]], the Master of Tongues. He served Apito Tomtor, attended the palace school for years, and went on many expeditions to learn new languages. From [[1730]]-[[1737]] he travelled across [[Daria]] to learn {{wp|Arabic}}, {{wp|Persian|Umardi}}, and {{wp|Nepalese language|Pukhti}}, but also to be a spy for the [[Daxia#Qian_Dynasty_(1550-1946)|court of Qian]]. He came back and impressed the court and was eventually made the Master of Tongues in 1743 when his predecessor | After being captured, the crew of Talebot's ship were brought to [[Stenza]] and impressed into service in the [[Daxia]]n navy. Talebot quickly rose through the ranks again and became a captain within 2 years and served bravely in the latter years of the [[Daxian Polynesian Wars]], during that time he became fluent in Daxian. His ability with languages was recognized by the admiral he served and he was the translator at the final peace negotiations. After this, he was apprenticed to [[Master_of_Tongues#Apito_Tomtor|Apito Tomtor]], the Master of Tongues. He served Apito Tomtor, attended the palace school for years, and went on many expeditions to learn new languages. From [[1730]]-[[1737]] he travelled across [[Daria]] to learn {{wp|Arabic}}, {{wp|Persian|Umardi}}, and {{wp|Nepalese language|Pukhti}}, but also to be a spy for the [[Daxia#Qian_Dynasty_(1550-1946)|court of Qian]]. He came back and impressed the court and was eventually made the Master of Tongues in 1743 when his predecessor retired. He served as the Master of Tongues from 1743 to [[1752]] when he was offered a posting as the Imperial Viceroy of [[Rusana|Ghanim]]. He led [[Rusana|Ghanim]] with an iron fist, but invested heavily in educational infrastructure in rural areas in the hopes of creating opportunities for talented youth like himself. This has left a legacy of exceptional educational investment in some remote villages in modern [[Rusana|Ghanim]], called Talebot-madrassas. | ||
===Dorgon the Black=== | |||
[[File:Dorgon the Black.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Dorgon the Black during his time as Grand Vizier under Emperor [[Huichen]]]] | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||