Estates of Urcea: Difference between revisions

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== Overview ==
== Overview ==
The origin of the estates lies within the electoral tribes of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] during the early [[Great Levantia]] period, when the city was divided into twenty five voting units of the legislative assembly, each under the wardship of a leading family within the tribe. The electoral tribes were later expanded to include twenty five native Gaelic tribes to reach the current number of fifty by Saint Julius I. These fifty families and their descendants eventually made up most of the landed noble aristocracy during the Medieval period, but the tribal system remained. The relationship between a noble family and the rest of the tribe was characterized by a political and social system of patronage, ensuring political power in exchange for economic and social support. The leading noble family of each tribe, which provided patronage in exchange for voting support within the tribal unit, took on a paternal responsibility to its client families, creating a situation where moral and social stewardship in exchange for acknowledgement of social hierarchy. At the end of antiquity, the continued ties between these families and their clients formed the nucleus of the later feudal system even as both patron and client left the cities for agrarian life.
The origin of the estates lies within the electoral tribes of [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] during the early [[Great Levantia]] period, when the city was divided into twenty five voting units of the legislative assembly, each under the wardship of a leading family within the tribe. The electoral tribes were later expanded to include twenty five native Gaelic tribes to reach the current number of fifty by [[Gaius Julius Cicurninus|Saint Julius of the Caeline]]. These fifty families and their descendants eventually made up most of the landed noble aristocracy during the Medieval period, but the tribal system remained. The relationship between a noble family and the rest of the tribe was characterized by a political and social system of patronage, ensuring political power in exchange for economic and social support. The leading noble family of each tribe, which provided patronage in exchange for voting support within the tribal unit, took on a paternal responsibility to its client families, creating a situation where moral and social stewardship in exchange for acknowledgement of social hierarchy. At the end of antiquity, the continued ties between these families and their clients formed the nucleus of the later feudal system even as both patron and client left the cities for agrarian life.


The tribal assembly of [[Great Levantia]] continued to function in the [[Urceopolis (Duchy)|Duchy of Urceopolis]] even after the former's demise. After the coronation of [[Saint Julius I]], it lost its power to elect the ''Dux'' of Urceopolis, but continued to meet regularly until 852, after which time it met irregularly. The tribal assembly met for the final time in 917. The Estates retained their social and political connections and began to spread throughout much of the newly expanded country where feudal estates were established, making meeting in Urceopolis a logistical impracticality. In lieu of it, Emperor Adrian II raised a new [[Great Landsmeet]], a successor of the tribal assembly, which invested political power in the Estates. Using rules of Landsmeets, only [[Social class in Urcea|privilegiata and optimates]] could vote as opposed to the earlier traditions of the tribal assembly. Though the Great Landsmeets became irrelevant in favor of the [[Concilium Daoni]] by the 1240s, the Custóirs of the Estates were responsible for selecting representatives to the Concilium Daoni until the end of the [[Great Confessional War]], when electoral constituencies were established.
The tribal assembly of [[Great Levantia]] continued to function in the [[Urceopolis (Duchy)|Duchy of Urceopolis]] even after the former's demise. After the coronation of [[Gaius Julius Cicurninus]] as Archduke, it lost its power to elect the ''Dux'' of Urceopolis, but continued to meet regularly until 852, after which time it met irregularly. The tribal assembly met for the final time in 917. The Estates retained their social and political connections and began to spread throughout much of the newly expanded country where feudal estates were established, making meeting in Urceopolis a logistical impracticality. In lieu of it, Emperor Adrian II raised a new [[Great Landsmeet]], a successor of the tribal assembly, which invested political power in the Estates. Using rules of Landsmeets, only [[Social class in Urcea|privilegiata and optimates]] could vote as opposed to the earlier traditions of the tribal assembly. Though the Great Landsmeets became irrelevant in favor of the [[Concilium Daoni]] by the 1240s, the Custóirs of the Estates were responsible for selecting representatives to the Concilium Daoni until the end of the [[Great Confessional War]], when electoral constituencies were established.


During the Medieval period, the tribal system evolved into its current name, ''Estates'', and during this time the head of the tribe became known as the Guardian ([[Lebhan]]: ''Custóir'') for his responsibility to the other noble houses of the Estate as well as the landed peasants tied to the estate. As the concept of noble houses began to develop, the Custóir's house became known as the Great House of the estate due to the responsibility to the Estate it entailed. The relationship between the Custóir and his estate members is similar but not entirely the same as the relationship engendered by the feudal contract, as the major emphasis was on the stewardship of the people and families under the Custóir's care. The Custóirs were responsible for maintaining the rolls of optimates among their members, and were additionally responsible for ensuring optimates maintained the requisite minimum property requirements. As a consequence of Levantine inheritance custom, the Great Houses of every Estate has changed drastically since the Medieval period. For this reason, noble houses of the same Estate in the Urcean medieval period rarely feuded with one another. Various Estates took sides in the Saint's War, which increased the partisanship of that conflict and was a principle reason neither side could achieve permanent victory.
During the Medieval period, the tribal system evolved into its current name, ''Estates'', and during this time the head of the tribe became known as the Guardian ([[Lebhan]]: ''Custóir'') for his responsibility to the other noble houses of the Estate as well as the landed peasants tied to the estate. As the concept of noble houses began to develop, the Custóir's house became known as the Great House of the estate due to the responsibility to the Estate it entailed. The relationship between the Custóir and his estate members is similar but not entirely the same as the relationship engendered by the feudal contract, as the major emphasis was on the stewardship of the people and families under the Custóir's care. The Custóirs were responsible for maintaining the rolls of optimates among their members, and were additionally responsible for ensuring optimates maintained the requisite minimum property requirements. As a consequence of Levantine inheritance custom, the Great Houses of every Estate has changed drastically since the Medieval period. For this reason, noble houses of the same Estate in the Urcean medieval period rarely feuded with one another. Various Estates took sides in the Saint's War, which increased the partisanship of that conflict and was a principle reason neither side could achieve permanent victory.