Dwarfism in Daxia
In ancient Daxia dwarves and pygmies were seen as people that had been cursed by deities at birth or whose parents were being punished for some transgression. These beliefs led dwarves to be shunned or exiled from their communities at best and persecuted or killed at worst. Ancient Daxian religions sometimes made use of dwarves in rituals, and many times the dwarves did not make it out unscathed. There are ancient records that document attempts to cure dwarfism by officials. These attempts included rearranging a dwarves organs as it was believed the limbs had shriveled due to poor blood circulation and moving bigger organs to the chest would somehow remedy this.
While these attitudes and superstitions changed very little through the centuries, the arrival of Christianity and its doctrines of mercy and equality before God saw some limited shift in public attitudes. Still, dwarves could usually only make a living as objects of fun and derision, working as part of entertainment troupes or 'freak' shows, as servants to the wealthy or as menial laborers. Significant official changes in the societal status of dwarves only came about with the advent of the Qian dynasty.
History
The last Daxian dynasty is known to have included through its history a significant number of members born with dwarfism and it banned the killing of dwarves, who were often preyed upon for the supposed miraculous properties of their body parts. Noble-born dwarves were not the only ones able to attain high office in this period, but base born dwarves too served as royal eunuchs, bureaucrats, craftsmen and there even was a dwarf who attained the rank of fleet admiral. The Qian court created many positions that were filled exclusively with dwarves. The Keeper of Imperial Shoes was a dwarf responsible for the crafting, storage and maintenance of the Emperor's shoes. Likewise the Stool Groom was a dwarf official who maintained the imperial stocks of toiletries, assisted the Emperor in his personal hygiene and excretion if necessary, and applied perfumes and lemon scented oils on the monarch after the deed. The High Gardener was a dwarf official who maintained the Imperial Lemon Grove and other palace gardens. These positions were salaried ones and prestigious for they kept these office holders in constant close proximity to the monarch. For their protection and patronage of dwarves the Qian came to be known as the dynasty of dwarves.
The favor of the Qian was not reserved for domestic dwarves, foreign ones were also appreciated and feted. The Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth was the first to take notice of this trend by sending Don Juan Fonseca as its first ambassador to the court of the Qian. A dwarf of noble descent, Don Juan successfully negotiated for the opening of economic relations between the two nations and stayed in his post for eighteen years, becoming somewhat of a socialite who mingled with Mirzak's upper crust and maintained several mistresses. Other nations followed suit through the years such as Kiravia in 1715 with ambassador plenipotentiary Iğuriv D.S. Tōmtor, the diminutive envoy introduced Kiravian whiskey and the game of checkers to the court.
The patronage of dwarves by the Qian backfired harshly after the collapse of the imperial system, as dwarves were equated with the old dynasty and seen as complicit in the corruption and mismanagement of the nation by the late Qian rulers. While some dwarf officials were indeed corrupt and self serving, the vast majority of the dwarven population were entirely ordinary citizens. Many dwarves were forced out of the cities and denied employment during the early years of military rule. The promulgation of the Basic Law banning many forms of discrimination and the rising military oppression helped dissipate any residual ill will against dwarves as they were later seen as just as oppressed as everybody else. In modern day Daxia dwarves are mostly treated as any other citizens, although some still choose to form their own separate communities. Such is the case of dwarf section of the town of Lunara, populated and run entirely by dwarves. The Basic Law also grants dwarves some notable benefits such as exemption from service in the military and protections against being tossed or labeled emergency food supply.
Notable Dwarves
Digen Youdu
One of the more well known dwarves of the middle Qian period was the dwarf Digen Youdu who was a member of a cadet branch of the Imperial family and distant cousin of Emperor Dizong. As a learned man of noble blood, he was given a position befitting of his station in the palace, initially as Chief of Dwarven Eunuchs (Digen was not an eunuch himself and had a large family of his own). Reputedly he helped thwart a conspiracy against the Emperor who as a result saw him as trustworthy and rewarded him with further offices. Digen served in such positions as High Gardener of the Imperial Lemon Grove, First Right Attendant of the Throne, Imperial Cupbearer of the second degree, Keeper of the Royal Seal and Overseer of the Imperial Zoo. As a confidant of the Emperor, Digen had many rivals executed including many eunuchs and fellow dwarves from the court. His consecutive high postings allowed him to gradually enrich himself to the point that it was said he had nothing to envy from the princes of the dynasty's main branch. Later he would be given the task of building the Emperor's new summer residence in Zoushi.
Upon successful completion of the palace's construction, Youdu was rewarded with the post of Dwarf Imperial Viceroy of the coastal province of Ganshu and a tenth share of the taxable incomes of its ports, something unheard of for any official before him. As Viceroy he arrested many corrupt officials, developed the road network and built a new provincial hospital, fostered the local economy and revived local fishing. He employed in turn many dwarves in his administration of Ganshu as tax collectors and customs officials. When Metzettan pirates began raiding in the nearby waters, Youdu built up his own war fleet of thirty ships of the line and led it in person against the pirates. He smashed the pirate fleet at the Battle of Beihai Cove and pursued its remnants all the way to the coast of north Huoxia. He bombarded the harbor of the town of Sheyin for supposedly selling supplies to the pirates and only stopped when offered three tons of silver. Digen proceeded to ravage Huoxia's coast for three months before returning to Ganshu. For this successful anti-piracy campaign and the tribute gathered, Digen was named Admiral of the White Sea and became the first of several dwarf officials to hold active military commands. The fleet under his command participated in continued efforts to erradicate piracy and gave naval support to the army of Lord Mu in Rusana. After his death and according to his wishes, the office of Dwarf Imperial Viceroy of Ganshu passed to his second son Digen Chim who was also born with dwarfism.
Zhanglao Mutou
Zhanglao Mutou was a dwarf diplomat and eunuch of the Qian dynasty who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his Peacock Diplomacy philosophy. Sold as a child to the imperial palace by his family, he was turned into a eunuch early in his life and was trained as a servant of the imperial household. Zhanglao was taught to read and write and was at first employed with transcribing the orders of ministers for military commanders into letters. He was then assistant to the Imperial Head Librarian before rising to the post himself upon his predecessors retirement. In this capacity he would later become one of the principal tutors and companions of the future Emperor Xiaodan. In 1640 he was sent as a diplomatic envoy to the court of the Third Imperium of Caphiria to deliver a 3-meter tall gold plated statue of a peacock to Imperator Panocoscăr II, to celebrate his twenty fifth years of rule and the good state of relations between the two states. His gift resonated deeply with the Caphirian aristocracy, who saw it as an embodiment of the flourishing ties with distant cultures. The peacock, embodying the beauty and sophistication of Daxian culture, inspired a trend of appreciation for exotic arts and horticulture in Caphiria. Panocoscăr II, inspired by Zhanglao's sophisticated demeanor and the rich cultural tapestry he represented, authorized the establishment of the Peacock Academy, a learned institution where diplomacy, language, and the arts, with a particular emphasis on horticulture. Panocoscăr II also presented Zhanglao with a special gift to be hand-delivered to the Emperor - the Imperator had commissioned an ornate silver foot prosthetic, featuring sapphires, rubies, garnets, emeralds and other gems. Zhanglao sailed back with the Caphirian delegation bearing Xiaodan's Foot and indeed was the first person to present it to the Emperor. Zhanglao was also appointed as the first plenipotentiary Qian ambassador to the Imperium on 1641. He oversaw the maintenance of good working relations between the two empires, critically in relation to the extremely lucrative Southern slave trade. Zhanglao is believed to have personally benefited from the slave trade as an investor in the Danga slaver cartel.
Zhanglao was fluent in various languages such as Caphiric Latin, Loa, Spanish and Julian Ænglish; he was also a proficient poet, calligraphist and entomologist. His good diplomatic offices, famously unassuming demeanor and long personal relationship with Emperor Xiaodan kept him safe from palace intrigues and in the Emperor's highest esteem. He retired from service in 1657 with the hereditary rank of Second Viscount and died in Zunshi in 1659. Relations with Caphiria would start to deteriorate under his successors, this would lead to the outbreak Daxian Polynesian Wars shortly after his death.
Gallery
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Don Juan Fonseca, Pelaxian ambassador to the Imperial Qian court from 1652 to 1670. -
Lu Chin, Daxian film director and actor. -
Ono Mingio, Qian Grand Secretary to Emperor Tengu -
Eunuch of the Imperial Palace
See also