Structure of the Balam’ek Empire
The Imperial Government (Wak Naah):
The vast territorial extent of the Balam’ek Empire necessitated the development of a
strong centralized government. This centralized system tightly controlled the empire down
even to the village level. At the pinnacle of power was, in name, the Emperor, but as often
happened throughout the long history of Balam’ek, power was often wielded by others. For
example, during the minority of a ruler, a regent was appointed by the imperial council which
was made up of members of the imperial family and provincial administrators. Up until the
time when the ruler was declared of age (usually around the age of twenty) the regent and the
council ruled in the emperor’s name. To prevent usurpation of power, the regent was never
allowed to be a member of the imperial family and was chosen from the imperial
administrators. In this way, it was hoped that the problems involving the succession would be
minimized.
The power of the Emperor was, in theory, absolute, but in reality, much depended upon
the ruler’s strength of personality. He or she controlled all governmental appointments and
decisions and was believed to control the very lives of the villagers. Once again, reality was
quite different from imperial propaganda. For even strong rulers, the day to day
responsibilities of governing was beyond the abilities of one person, so every emperor relied on
trusted advisors and members of the imperial bureaucracy to help make important decisions.
The basic administrative structure of the imperial administration (Wak Naah-literally the
Six Houses) was divided into six branches: the House of Law, the House of Records, the House of
War, the House of Knowledge, the House of the Provinces, and the House of the Emperor. Each
house was led by an administrator appointed by the emperor or the regent and it was this
administrator that controlled the internal workings of each department.
The House of Law
The Naah Kuhun or House of Law focused upon imperial laws and decrees. Bureaucratic
hopefuls spent long years in school and then decades in training before working up to the
esteemed position of Aj Kuhun or Keeper of the Sacred Law. Each Aj Kuhun focused on a
different aspect of the legal system and so was considered to be the living embodiment of
imperial law. When the Emperor sat in state, he always had the Aj Kuhun arrayed behind him
to show that the imperial word was the word of law.
Each new law, proclamation, or imperial pronouncement was the inscribed upon
massive stone steles called Lakum-tuun located throughout the capital and in the empire’s
major cities. Every new law was carved on the stele, dated, and sanctioned with the names of
the current emperor and his leading Aj Kuhun. Thanks to the work of modern archaeologists,
historians today have nearly a complete record of the empire’s official declarations and the
newly uncovered inscriptions have led in many cases, to major revisions in our understanding of
the workings and events of the Balam’ek Empire.
With the law available for all to see, most citizens of the Balam’ek Empire fully
understood their rights and obligations to the government and society. Any violation of either
brought about lawsuits which were judged before an imperial tribunal. Minor crimes, such as
petty thief, adultery, and slander, went before a district official for a judgment. In the cases of
serious matters affecting the wealth and honor of the empire, lawyers pleaded their client’s
cases before three imperial judges and those three’s decisions were considered final. Officially,
each citizen had the right to appeal a judgment to the Emperor, however; only in the rarest of
cases was this employed and this only at the beginning of each New Year. It was on that day
that the emperor sat as supreme judge with the Aj Kuhun arrayed behind him and heard the
plea of a peasant. In this way, the ruler propagandized his love for the poor and his desire to
promote justice for all citizens of the Balam’ek.
Enforcement of Imperial Law was in the hands of a subdivision of the imperial guard.
These police patrolled the markets and the city streets with a mandate to maintain law and
order at any cost. Harsh measures were deemed appropriate to keep the peace and criminals
often had their punishments meted out in public view. The threat of riots from the urban
populace often brought in government troops to stem the violence. It was the Burning Torch
Revolt that clearly demonstrated this course of action, when thousands died after rebelling
against the ruinous tax policies of the government. As the city of Balam’ek burned, the angry
mob encircled the imperial palace threatening the very lives of the rulers. Under cover of
dense smoke from the smoldering rubble, imperial troops marched in through the city gates
and proceeded to surround and slaughter all found in the streets. It is said the avenues
Balam’ek ran deep with the blood of the people and many years elapsed before the citizens
dared to raise the voices in anger again.
The House of Records
The Naah Tz’ib or House of Records was concerned with imperials records such as
census data, imperial finance and budget, and most importantly- taxation. Every twenty years
the empire underwent an exhaustive census to amend and update the tax rolls. Throughout
the land, record was made of acreage (both productive and idle), the numbers of farm animals,
household items, plus personal and business wealth. With this information the tax auditors
were commanded to tax all inhabitants at the same level. However, as it so often happens, the
wealthy were often able to bribe the tax collectors in order to reduce or exempt themselves
from the burden of imperial taxation. The remaining citizens of Balam’ek learned to fear the
approach of the minions from the House of Records as they were renowned for their ability to
ferret out hidden wealth.
The House of War
The Naah Chuhk or House of War was divided into two subsections; the Naah Chab, the
army, and the Naah Yaxha, the navy. The House of War was officially led by the heir to the
throne (the Ch’ok) and was assisted by the empire’s greatest land and sea commanders. In this
manner, the heir was provided with hands on education in military strategy and tactics before
taking over the governance of the empire. . Each subsection was led by a veteran senior officer
appointed by the throne with the command to defend and protect the empire from all threats
and dangers.
By its very nature, the Naah Chuhk presented a threat to the emperor and each ruler
tried to keep a close rein on the leaders of the army and navy. It was always hoped that the
presence of the Ch’ok (the heir to the throne) as supreme head of the House of War would
prevent any hint of rebellion. Yet in times of weak rule, or the dotage of the emperor, the heir
often would use the House of War to supplant legitimate ruler. During the failing years of the
empire, various generals and admirals would use their forces to usurp the throne while leaving
the borders vulnerable and open to enemy attack. In this way the countryside was devastated
by imperial troops as they marched on the capital, while behind them, the land was ravaged
and depopulated by the K’uk desert tribes and the Ah Wosal confederation.
Although up to two thirds of the imperial budget was spent upon the House of War,
each emperor tried to maintain a monetary reserve of one year’s revenues in reserve to meet
the cost of any unforeseen military action. This reserve was held within the House of the
Emperor and could only be released upon his command. As the supreme leader in all aspects of
the government, the emperor often used his control of the finances to check the military’s
power while keeping a close eye on the leaders by means of the secret police from the Naah
Ak’ab the House of Darkness.
The Land Forces
The Naah Chab, the land forces, was divided into four quadrants that corresponded to
divisions created by the Great Compass Canals (the Ha’hib). Each quadrant general had
equivalent status and if possible, commanded an equal numbers of troops. During the high tide
of the empire, each quadrant boasted of an army of over 100, 000 well-trained soldiers, giving
the empire a strike force of up to 400,000. Just as each quadrant was subdivided into
geometrically smaller sections, so too was each the Army of the Four Directions further broken
down into divisions of 10,000, thousands, hundreds, and down to groupings of ten soldiers.
Within every quadrant army were infantry, bowmen, cavalry (including both horse and
elephant), messengers, medical staff, and siege and construction engineers. It was the duty of
the generals to build and maintain fortresses all along the borderlands. Each fortress contained
a mobile strike forces as well a permanent garrison, and these strongholds served as centers of
imperial administration was well as a means of overawing the hordes lurking beyond the
borders. The tax revenues of each individual quadrant provided the financial support for the
army and this amount was then deducted from the overall tax burden required by the imperial
budget. An administrator from the House of Records was attached to each general to supervise
and record the judicious use of imperial funds. The fear of the unspoken alliance between the
House of Records and the secret police prevented all but small scale embezzlements by the
armed forces.
The Imperial Navy
The Naah Yaxha, the imperial navy, was under the command a high admiral who
supervised and coordinated the three subdivision of the fleet. Unlike the land forces which
were based at a distinct geographic location within the empire, the navy was divided into three
forces which were allowed to sail anywhere their ships would take them.
The great ships of the Ob Kakam Ha, the Sea Armada, protected the coasts from the
predation of pirates and projected imperial power over distant regions. Maritime merchants
contracted the services of the armada to guard their convoys. The price for this security was
steep, but with the navy’s ships guarding the mercantile convoy, the merchants understood
their vessels were safe from all but the forces of nature. The Sea Armada had three separate
fleets guarding different geographic zones; the Northern Sea, the Western Ocean, and the
Southern Coasts. Ships of the Sea Armada ranged in size from large men of war which carried
hundreds of sailors and marines, down to small, scouting vessels, renowned for their speed.
Each fleet of the armada was based out of a separate home port and these harbors functioned
as much more than military bases. Each port, over time, grew into a major commercial center,
and funneled trade to and from the inland regions of the empire.
The Ob Kakam Naab, the Great Lakes fleet, guarded the empire’s northern border. A
series of large freshwater lakes (nearly inland seas in extent) ranged across the interior of the
continent. Varying greatly in size and depth these lakes and the swamps that surrounded them
provided the perfect sanctuary for bandits and pirates. These outlaws preyed on the rice
farmers and on the fishermen who worked the abundant waters. There were numerous battles
and skirmishes during the decades following the establishment of the empire as the Great
Lakes Fleet expanded and pushed ever northward. By the year 1589, the fleet and pushed
northward all the way up the Danoi River to the northern coastland and established a military
base and commercial center at the growing city of Cokum’ Balc’. Both the Imperial Sea Armada
and the Great Lakes Fleet used Cokum’ Balc’ as a key staging point. It was from this city that
much of the trade of the empire was distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, bringing
back immense profits to enrich the empire. Prevailing winds helped to facilitate navigation
within the lakes and waterways. In the months of summer, the winds tend to blow up from the
southwest, while during the winter, the winds shift and gust down from the northeast to the
southwest. Most vessels were equipped with lateen sails and these sails enabled ships to
proceed even with somewhat contrary winds.
The Ob Ha’bih, the Canal Flotilla, was the earliest naval force in the empire. From the
earliest days of Balam, when it was just one city-state amongst others, the rulers understood
the importance of controlling the waterways. Large flat-bottomed barges were poled and later
sailed up and down the rivers and canals to move troops to strategic areas. The flotilla
provided the perfect training conditions wherein land and water forces combined to form a
unified strike force. These lessons were of immense value once the city-state of Balam
marched down the long road to empire. As the great canal systems expanded, the Ob Ha’bih
grew to rival the land forces in numbers. Thousands of sailors and marines plied the waterways
protecting and policing the empire’s wealth, and when the empire sought control of the Great
Lakes region, the Ob Ha’bih formed the core of the Ob Kakam Naab. The Great Lakes ships
were closely modeled on the designs perfect by the barge builders of the Canal Flotilla. Over
the years, as the borders of the empire shifter ever farther north, more and more of the
strength of the Canal Flotilla was shifted to the Great Lakes and up the Danoi to Cokum’ Balc’.
The canal forces took on the role of enforcing internal security, using swift boats to guard
against smugglers and thieves. Only the great troop and supply transports were manned by the
sailors of the Ob ha’bih.
The Naah Itz’aat or House of Knowledge
The Naah Sajal or House of the Provinces
Great House of the Emperor
The Naah K’uhul‘ Ek, Great House of the Emperor, was much more than just the imperial palace
and the home of the emperor. The Naah K’uhul‘ Ek was the site of the primary imperial mint
and in the treasury was stored the bullion and monetary reserves of the empire. During the
height of the empire, vast wealth was stored in deep chambers and was reached by steep,
stone staircases that spiraled down under the palace. Long thought to be mere legend, these
vaults were discovered nearly thirty years ago by the great archeologist ________________
when he excavated the ruins of the imperial palace. Although plundered of all of its riches
centuries ago, the architectural scale of the treasuries, to this day, inspire awe. Modern
tourists can now explore the underground chambers that only the elite few ever had the
opportunity to glimpse during the time of the Balam’ek Empire.
There were three main metals used by the empire to mint coins. The highest
denomination coins were made from gold and were called K’an which means yellow/gold or
precious. Each K’an was stamped on the obverse with a portrait of the emperor, the date of
issue, and the inscription in Chuntl naming the ruler, along with his title. The reverse of the coin
contained the inscription: Balam’ek, the Empire, the World. The gold used in the coins was
usually of very high purity and the standard weight of the K’an averaged fifty coins to the
pound. The consistent weight and purity of Balam’ek gold K’an contributed to their great value
as an international currency. Imperial gold coins have be found in widely scattered locations
throughout much of the continent and give evidence to the scope and range of Balam’ek trade
and influence.
Silver coins or Sac Ch’en (silver) were the most common precious metal coin in the
empire and their designs mirrored that of the gold. Valued at one hundred Sac Ch’en to one
K’an, the Sac Ch’en met the high end money requirements for most of empire’s inhabitants.
The most common coins in the empire were made of copper and came in a variety of
denominations and sizes. The highest value copper coin was the Chak (red) and it had the value
of one silver Sac Ch’en to ten Chak, next was the Chak tzu which was worth one tenth of a Chak
Finally, the lowest value coin was the Chak tze which was worth only one hundredth of a Chak.
The imperial monetary system met the need of most business transactions. However,
one apparent weakness was the lack of, what we would describe today, a banking system.
There was no way for merchants to safely pool their resources, nor was there means for the
imperial government to borrow money in case of budget shortfalls. The only options available
consisted of raising taxes, and/or debasing the currency. During the later days of the Balam’ek
Empire, both options were in use and after a period of time, the economy underwent severe
strain which ultimately led to the collapse of the imperial system.
The Secret Police
The Naah Ak’ab; (House of Darkness) the imperial secret police. Although not officially
considered part of the Wak Naah (the Six Houses), the members of the Naah Ak’ab were the
eyes and ears of the emperor. No one within the imperial or provincial administration knew for
sure who belonged to the secret police, but dangerous criminals, corrupt officials, political
agitators, rebellious (or too successful- see the Legend of General Atar, the Scanderin ) military
leaders, and even suspicious members of the imperial family would silently disappear into the
vast prison system maintained by the empire. Here the prisoners worked deep in the depths of
the jungle, clearing land, fashioning rice paddies, extending canals and roads. Very few ever
returned and those that did were only broken shadows of their former selves, always looking
with fear over their shoulders for the invisible hand of the Naah Ak’ab if they should speak of
their time away.