History of Urcea (1575-1798): Difference between revisions

It was also during this period that the role of the [[Procurator]] became more pronounced, as the Imperial Kings found themselves needing to delegate more and more power to their chief steward given the need to focus on Empire-wide affairs. With the King often away in [[Corcra (City)|Corcra]] to handle that kind of Imperial business, the regency powers of the Procurator naturally evolved into a national leadership role. Though previously Chief Steward and First Lord of the Treasury, the Procurator often served in an advisory role and merely a representative of the King at the [[Concilium Daoni]], but real decisions were beginning to be made by the [[Procurator]] at the [[Concilium Purpaidá|Purpaidá]] level. Another major [[Constitution of Urcea|Constitutional]] development came in 1759 when a Count in the Ionian highlands wrote the King, sitting in [[Corcra (City)|Corcra]] at the time, asking for a recent policy of road construction set in motion by the Procurator reversed. King Leo wrote back, upholding the Procurator's decision, and sent a copy of the letter to Urceopolis. The so-called "''Botharvia Letter''" legally confirmed some of the Procurator's executive authority, an important step towards the current authority of the office.

===Elevating the dynasty===

[[House de Weluta]]'s control over the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] during the 18th century had the effect of altering how the dynasty was viewed, both within its own ranks and by other prominent noble families. Prior to the 18th century, House de Weluta had intermittently ruled [[Urcea]] for three turbulent centuries, and to many contemporaries their rule over Urcea appeared to be shaky, especially given the '75 Gassavelian rising and expansionistic tendencies of the dynasty. Modern historians have noted that House de Weluta's perceived inevitability - as viewed in the 21st century - would not have been perceived during this time period, either within the family or to its contemporaries. By 1700, they had ruled the Kingdom for 280 years, which was the longest of any single house of the [[Julian dynasty]], but the potential of a new Julian claimant from another House always existed and was reflected in most of the House's political calculations. While the [[Great Confessional War]] is remembered today as one of the defining events in Urcean history, many people in the late 17th century - both learned and not - still discussed many Urcean events within the context of the Medieval [[Saint's War]], and Urcea had assumed the reputation of a realm who was destined for cyclical dynastic strife. The elevation of the House to perceived permanent authority over the Holy Levantine Empire by 1750 was viewed by contemporaries as a great reversal, and cemented House de Weluta as one of the world's most prestigious families. Scholars have noted the difference in rank of marriages family members engaged in throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with pre-1700 marriages being reserved mostly to prominent Urcean families and post-1700 marriages seeing scions of the family marry into important Royal dynasties across the [[Occident]].