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Master of Tongues: Difference between revisions
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The last emperor of the Shang dynasty, Cai Leng, issued the edict of prohibition on speaking foreign languages by his Daxian courtiers; he reportedly did this out of paranoia and so they wouldn't betray him to foreign powers. Concurrently he created the position of Master of Tongues and appointed a polyglot from [[Rusana]] named Attar al-Badri, al-Badri's foreign background and lack of local ties or contacts made him totally dependent on the Emperor's continued patronage and thus made him a safe choice. Attar al-Badri continued to serve the new Chen dynasty after Cai Leng's ultimate betrayal at the hands of his own guards. During his tenure of fifteen years, Attar al-Badri took the time to groom his eldest son to one day succeed him, starting a long period of dominance of the position by Muslims from al-Badri's and a few other Muslim families. The al-Badri family was only dislodged from their position after some sixty years thanks to hefty bribes and deft intriguing by the Master of Tongues of the navy, the eunuch Rabi el-Saab. | The last emperor of the Shang dynasty, Cai Leng, issued the edict of prohibition on speaking foreign languages by his Daxian courtiers; he reportedly did this out of paranoia and so they wouldn't betray him to foreign powers. Concurrently he created the position of Master of Tongues and appointed a polyglot from [[Rusana]] named Attar al-Badri, al-Badri's foreign background and lack of local ties or contacts made him totally dependent on the Emperor's continued patronage and thus made him a safe choice. Attar al-Badri continued to serve the new Chen dynasty after Cai Leng's ultimate betrayal at the hands of his own guards. During his tenure of fifteen years, Attar al-Badri took the time to groom his eldest son to one day succeed him, starting a long period of dominance of the position by Muslims from al-Badri's and a few other Muslim families. The al-Badri family was only dislodged from their position after some sixty years thanks to hefty bribes and deft intriguing by the Master of Tongues of the navy, the eunuch Rabi el-Saab. | ||
==Privileges== | ==Privileges== | ||
The Master of Tongues began as a posting that operated in very austere conditions, the foreign background 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 an 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 under him. | The Master of Tongues began as a posting that operated in very austere conditions, the foreign background 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 an 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 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 gaudy robes of many colors and hats of office, they were assigned a palanquin of their own and could also keep slaves of their own. The official annual salary of the Master of Tongues was 30,000 imperial lire but the figure ballooned due to all the bribes it could extract. | ||
==Famous Master of Tongues== | ==Famous Master of Tongues== | ||