Gurkhal
Auror
So the basic premise of this discussion is how an empire, think a Late Antiquity West Roman or East Roman Empire, could be run in a setting where that empire stretches across several worlds/planets connected by rifts that allow instant transportation between these rifts and thus by extension between these worlds?
I naturally realize that I can run anything that my story needs but this topic is about doing so in way that makes sense for my readers rather than just handwave things.
Anyway...
Beyond Imperial institutions and an Imperial sense of identity for a large part of the population, and perhaps most importantly for the elite in society, I was wondering what else could work as a structural glue to keep this thing together in both good and bad times?
I'm thinking about trade and a potential intimidating presence from the "augustus" or his "caesars" who could one day show up with a massive army and start asking pointed questions that don't take "no" for an answer if rumors of sedition or trouble would start to spread.
*****
You can see below envision the state's three main institutions. To perhaps get a flavor for how I envision this empire.
The bureaucracy - No matter where the empire has planted its banners the bureaucrats have followed on the heels of the soldiers and started to implement Imperial laws and rules, welcome or not. Though it's bloated, corrupted and ineffecient it's not too bloated, corrupt or ineffecient to do its job and do twice as much good as bad. The most important part being to gather taxes, without skinning the tax base as a whole, and sending on sufficient funds to keep infrastructure, army, institutions etc. going. Hence on the civilian side of things the bureaucracy keeps things together and allows other parts to keep running well enough.
The organized religion - While there are many beliefs and endless versions of them, the organized religion supported by the state also follows where the empire goes and implements the norms and morality that the empire requires of its citizens and subjects but also provide what we would call wellfare, social security and handouts for the poor, in the empire's name, as well as tend to spiritual needs while its corruption hasn't been allowed to grow so big or public as to crush its claim to morale authority. Not to mention that it faces down non-physical threats like separatism, secterian or cultural hatred etc. that would threat the unity of the empire. Hence the spiritual and ideological side of things are kept going with a pro-empire message given to the people from the pulpet.
The army - Where ever the empire is, so are its soldiers there to defend said empire. While corruption is rife and the soldiers are generally not to scared to rattle their spathas to get a wage bonus now and then, and pretenders and mutinies are not unknown, the army is mostly loyal to its mission of protecting the empire and remains more respected than hated by most of the citizenry, as well as being generally successful in its application of violence against the empire's enemies. Hence physical threats against the empire can be dealt with successfully, for the most part.
I naturally realize that I can run anything that my story needs but this topic is about doing so in way that makes sense for my readers rather than just handwave things.
Anyway...
Beyond Imperial institutions and an Imperial sense of identity for a large part of the population, and perhaps most importantly for the elite in society, I was wondering what else could work as a structural glue to keep this thing together in both good and bad times?
I'm thinking about trade and a potential intimidating presence from the "augustus" or his "caesars" who could one day show up with a massive army and start asking pointed questions that don't take "no" for an answer if rumors of sedition or trouble would start to spread.
*****
You can see below envision the state's three main institutions. To perhaps get a flavor for how I envision this empire.
The bureaucracy - No matter where the empire has planted its banners the bureaucrats have followed on the heels of the soldiers and started to implement Imperial laws and rules, welcome or not. Though it's bloated, corrupted and ineffecient it's not too bloated, corrupt or ineffecient to do its job and do twice as much good as bad. The most important part being to gather taxes, without skinning the tax base as a whole, and sending on sufficient funds to keep infrastructure, army, institutions etc. going. Hence on the civilian side of things the bureaucracy keeps things together and allows other parts to keep running well enough.
The organized religion - While there are many beliefs and endless versions of them, the organized religion supported by the state also follows where the empire goes and implements the norms and morality that the empire requires of its citizens and subjects but also provide what we would call wellfare, social security and handouts for the poor, in the empire's name, as well as tend to spiritual needs while its corruption hasn't been allowed to grow so big or public as to crush its claim to morale authority. Not to mention that it faces down non-physical threats like separatism, secterian or cultural hatred etc. that would threat the unity of the empire. Hence the spiritual and ideological side of things are kept going with a pro-empire message given to the people from the pulpet.
The army - Where ever the empire is, so are its soldiers there to defend said empire. While corruption is rife and the soldiers are generally not to scared to rattle their spathas to get a wage bonus now and then, and pretenders and mutinies are not unknown, the army is mostly loyal to its mission of protecting the empire and remains more respected than hated by most of the citizenry, as well as being generally successful in its application of violence against the empire's enemies. Hence physical threats against the empire can be dealt with successfully, for the most part.