Milikyunjovu is a collection of five nations, a confederacy of islands and seven vassal states.   Politically, it is similar to an alliance of  constitutional monarchies . There are five kingdoms  each with its Kabaka and one Emperor, all of whom are the co-husbands of the Empress, who is the Allmother of the Elephants. In the Milikyu world of mind, the Allmother is rather like the Motherland, a figurehead rather than a being. The Empire itself is an addtional layer ontop of the psuedofeudal society. The motives and sometimes the actions of the Emperor are oblique to normal Wabantu - the Royal clans and the Bunge are the stuff of daily political concern.
    Before the fall of Siyathemba, Ditaolane's Balingira (Eagle) clan were the rulers and are still considered royalty, along with the Hippo, Otter, Cheetah, Elephant and Impala. Originally, Balingira was the major line in the Otter clan, but Ditaolane seperated the two. In modern times, the Balingira Clan makes up most of the bureaucry, with the other royal clans taking up the slack The Balingira are the only royal herding clan, thus making them chief among equals.
    When the dust settled fallowing the WitchKing's fall, the Banjovu clan, relatively small in number, inherited the keys of the kingdoms. Previously, the Balingira clan heads from two major lines had been the Kabaka's of Mbolu and Ameru. The Balingira Kabaka were busted down to Kagos. The Banjovu, with elephantine aide, had very good maps of the territory of the Empire, and the elephants were interested in containing the spreading damage of humanity. The Banjovu needed land, so they made some up. The most of new imperial Masaza were unclaimed areas, with even more parts blocked off for the elephants themselves. Before the war, there were five estates in Siyathemba and four in each of the other nations. Afterwards there were twenty in Mbolu and fourteen in Ameru.
    The Empire concerns itself with public works and the Imperial Bank. Public works are roads, bridges, dams, irrigation projects and aquaducts. Elephants are masterful engineers, working almost solely with unmortarted stone, and are fully willy to use their telekinesis in landscape engineering. They provide citizens with medical care, via Imperial Hospitals and emergency food. The lowest class lodgings in Imperial inns, along the vast network of roads, is free as is basic food. Many lodges have famous food and take donations, others charge for better fare. The Imperial Government is also appoint with disaster prevention and appeasement, along with weather control.
    The Empire is a business that has a near monopoly on cattle and dairy products. The Banjovu clan, however, isn't a herding clan, so they often hire non-Balingira herding clans to manage their collective farms. Beef is the most common source of protein in the empire, with dairly products a close second.
    The Hippo, Otter, Heart, Cheetah, Impala and Balingira are royal clans. The are the politician and bureaucrats that make up the public works of Ubantu. It is important to have more than one royal clan as clans are exogamous and royalty only marries royalty. For those purposes, the Roc clan of the confederacy counts, though they also rarely marry Banjovu. They are also the big land owning clans - especially plantation farms
 
 

    The Imperial Banjovu  family was once a normal clan, but has been altered by the influence of elephantine values and the role of leadership. Only the Emperors and select relatives occupying governmental positions are actually Banjovu..  Within each kingdom the Banjovu clan has freeholds which belong only to the Emperor, or more correctly, to the Empire. The rulers of these holding are appointed, but most often fall to the eldest nephew of the previous ruler. Only the holding rulers themselves are Banjovu - their wives and children are not, and the local ruler's own children cannot inherit the position or priviledge.  They are often buried on their holdings.

    Though the Mliki and Kabaka are married to the All-mother, they have human consorts. Traditionally, at the ascension of a new Emperor, each clan offers it's most beautiful daughter, and the Balingira candidate is meant to be the first wife.

    The office of Emperor  does not fall directly to the emperor's children. When an emperor dies, all  adult male unmarried Banjovu who wish to participate are flown in the the 90 day funeral ceremony (see Flying Boats). These men are called "suitors" and the bride they seek is the great Allmother of the Wanjovu race. (There is a certain of understandable humor in this, especially amoung the lower classes, most in regards to the basis for selecting the husband. This sedition is not really discouraged - the Emperors regard the belief in their elephantine proportions amusing.) The minds of the candidates are probed and examined in great detail, commonly under the influence of a sedative. When each has been examined the Allmother makes her choice. The suitors are lined up and the husand-to-be is revealed (the local matriarch touches him with her trunk). There is a great deal of celebration followed by a mock wedding cum coronation, and the matter is done.
    The Kabakas of the Kingdoms are appointed by the Emperor, though in some cases the pool from which he selects is limited by local tradition.

    Very few members of the central government are actually Banjovu: The Emperor, the Queen (the Lubuga, one of the Emperor's sisters), the Queen-Mother (the Namasole), the Kimbugwe (the Emperor's "twin", who is in charge of the royal umbilicus), the Sabaganzi (one of the Emperor's uncles, head of the Secret Police), the Kiwewa (Emperor's eldest son, who rides herd on the unmarried male children and grandchildren of the Emperor), the Nasolo (the female version of the Kiwewa), the Nabikande (one of the Namasole's sisters, the royal midwife), the Basemba (the Imperial drummers, at least five) the drums also have names and are part of the Banjovu clan), the Mugema (prime minister to the dead (and thus a Church offical), the Emperor's adopted father and the chief of one of the national masaza ) and a few others.

    The recursive ranking system is used throughout the Empire. The ranks are:  Kabaka, Mumyuka, Sabadu, Sabagado, Sabawali, Mwogozi, Musale, Mutua, Second Mutua (wa Wili), Third Mutua (wa Tatu), etc. The Kibugwe is Kabaka to the Mliki (Emperor), technically the King of the Empire. Next is the Prime Minister, the Katikiro, who is Mumyuka to the Mliki. Third is the Kago, the clanchief of the Balingira. The Kago is Sabadu to the Mliki. The clanchiefs of the other royal clans then follow in rank.

Mliki - Emperor, Banjovu
Kibugwe - Reagent of Empire, Banjovu
Katikiro - Imperial Minister, Banjovu
Kago - Chief of the Balingira
Konzi - Hand of the Empire, Chiefs of Hippo, Otter, Heart, Cheetah and Impala clans
 
 

    The Kingdoms are divided into administrative districts called Saza, then subdivided into Gambolola then again into Muluka. Large cities are special - they are estates that are treated as Saza and are thus autonomou. As for standardized translations, a saza is a district, a gombolola is a county and a muluka is an estate. The lands owned directly by the Emperor usually constitute a fifth to a third of the land area within the Kingdom, with at least one estate more than the Balingira clan.. Another fraction is owned by the Balingira clan, then the major part is owned by other royal clans. The Emperor's own estates are called Makira, these are controlled by men married into the Banjovu clan and hold the royal herds and fields. Note that there are Imperial masaza and Royal/Balingira masaza. There are many Imperial freehold estates - these are the same size-unit as counties, existing surrounded by National or Royal districts.  Imperial estates can be owned by the Emperor, the Kibugwe, the Namasole, the Lubuga or the Katikiro or some other member of the Banjovu clan (there are estates owned by drums). Likewise there are numerous Kanisi holdings - each district, whether National or Royal, must contain one and only one estate owned by the Church, this is the soul-estate. Other estate holdings belong to temple-societies and thus the Vyama. Each deceased Emperor has an (small) estate, wherein his concubines take up nominal offices and become his preistesses. There are estates for retired officers and others orginized as plantations or mining colonies. Each estate or holding has a charter that very specifically details it's obligations to the Kingdom, the Empire and it's leige lords, should it have any. In each county, National or Royal, there is a Capitol Estate owned by the Emperor. There are both District and County Capitols - the District Capitol is also a County Capitol in most cases. Don't forget the Preserves, each as large as a major district, owned only by the Elephants.

    Within a Kingdom there are between four (Ameru) and seven (Mbolu) Imperial provinces (masaza). The governors of these are called Owesaza and are appointed by the Emperor . An Owesaza is the Kabaka of a district/saza, if that helps. The Owesaza of the first national district is the Sabawali to the Mliki, and this continues. Each of these has a nominal office, distinct in each kingdom. In Mbolu, the third district is called Bulemezi. It's Owesaza is the Mukwenda, who is Kangawo the the Mliki of Mbolu. The Bulemezi district is subdivided into five counties (magombololola). As an example, the Mwemba, chief of the first county, is the Mumyuka to the Mukwenda, who is Sabagado to the Mliki. Often, land area are named for their chief, so that the area ruled by the Mwemba is the Umweba county. Umweba has five national estates. The chief of the largest of these is the Mulere, Kabaka of the Umulere Muluku, who is Mutua to the Mukwenda, NOT Mumyuka to the Mwemba. This system is very organic, and changes with the favor of the chiefs. Such changes are not done lightly, as it requires an ENORMOUS amount of paperwork. In most instances, for a Kabaka of an area to change the ranking of his subordiants requires the approval of his Kabaka, which is not likely.

    Imperial Owesaza are governed by Banjovu relatives, who also form the majority of the Lukiko council. Royal Owesaza are controlled by the royal clans, with a straightforward fuedal system. There are always fewer Royal than Imperial provinces, which include all of the national capitol city-states.Imperial Owesaza, other than the capitol cities, are the grazing area of the national cattle bank. This is done in a fairly industrious manner, unlike with the smaller, prized herds of the Balingira. Esteates within the Imperial rangelands are rotated and even left fallow for years. Clan provinces are led by the major strand of that clanThe Ukasisi Priesthood owns the Monda province
 

    The Balingira are governors and cattle herders. Balingira keep smaller herds of specialized breed and rule the surrounding farmers.

Clan provinces are ruled by the major line of the clan, with other lines living throughout the kingdoms.
 

    There are many handy reference books describing, organizing and charting these relationships, for sale throughout the Kingdoms. These Vitabu Masenzi are vital to the function of the Kingdom, and thus may have the royal seal of approval, along with the date. If it isn't of the current year, it isn't official. Using a Vitabu Masenzi is an IQ/A skill that defaults to Heraldry/Kingdom-4. "Heraldry" is the skill of understanding these rankings, IQ/VH, there are not acutally heralds, though the shorthand notational system developed by the Vitabu Masenzi is in common use.

    The Kago of each kingdom is usually the head of the Baringira clan (the Impala clan is the royal clan of Sarangwe), which is the older royal family of Ditaolane and Siyathemba. The Kago has his own court which more or less mimics the court of the Emperor, with the exception that all the Owesaza are members of the Baringira clan. These positions are hereditary and the system much more closely resembles feudalism. The clan is patrilineal with many family branches within each Kingdom. This will be described in more detail later.

    In the court of an Emperor there are three overlapping groups of chiefs. The Batongole are appointed nominal officers, usually having a single estate. The Bataka are the Wajaja of the clans. The Bakungu are the chiefs of the national district. Note that the Kago is a Mutongole, and that all chiefs and other members of the Baringira clan are considered Batongole.

    Each Kingdom has a Lukiko council. This is staffed by the ranks directly below the Kabaka, starting with the Kimbugwe and ending with the chief of the least ranking imiperial district. This includes, always, the Katikiro, the Kimbugwe, and the Kago. This is the basic roster, which changes from Kingdom to Kingdom - after the least Owesaza, each kingdom appends several extras.  The Lukiko votes to ratify laws. The lowest ranking member has one vote, each above him has one more, with a majority of votes ratifing a law. The structure of each kingdom's Lukiko is recorded in the Constitution, along with the proceedure for amending it.

    Each Kingdom also has a second body of legislature, the Parliament (Bunge). The formation of this Parliament varies a LOT from kingdom to kingdom - this is part of the purpose of having different kingdoms. In Mbolu, the Parliament includes of the Emperor's  concubines, one from each clan. In Sarawe, the Parliament is formed from the age-grades, with the number of votes given to each representative based on the seniority of the age-grade.
    The techniques for ratifing a law vary. Generally, a majority of the votes of both Houses or a unanimous vote from one House will do the trick, subject to Imperial veto.
 
 
 
 

 All kingdoms are constitutional monarchies with one to three of these groups as legislative and/or judicial branches. Typically the age-groups are judicial, as a part of the bueracracy. Clan council via the concubines of the king. Senate where the seats are auctioned off to Societies. Total bureaucracy with ministries and ministers.  Age-grade parliament of some form. Partial theocracry with elders/preists as judicial. All have a written constitution, which is co-signed by other kingdoms (or not). Plutocracy, Gerontacracy, Oligarchy, Bureaucracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy. Seats and positions are often bought by payment of cattle to king, which adds to the king's herds and thus the national wealth.
    Ameru - king and two houses, one his concubines via clans, other senate bought by societies, judgeship is part of age-group system, pay for position but must be invited. Limited bureaucracy of elders.
    Kaagwe - judicial branch is tied to church, adding a kind of extra vocation to Kanisi, areas are localized, with semi-elected judges, like bishops. One two hundred seat parliament where seat are bought by clans or societies. Another is House of Lords by nobility.
    House of Lords vs House of Commons Clans. Lords are usually backed by alliances of societies. Judges as elderclass. Local judicial councils that come from each clan represented.
    Clans have their own judges, separate laws, also elder interclan judges and juries. One council, based on elders from societies with church getting 50%.  Sep Council based on merit, federal/district representationals, where districts can come in a variety of forms.
    The Balangira clan, the descendents of Ditaolane, make up the royal family outside the Banjovu clan. These head the feudal territories lying within each kingdom. The ranks are Mukungu=Rank 6, Mumyuka=Rank 5, Sabadu=Rank 4, Sabagado=Rank 3, Musale=Rank 2, Mutua=Rank 1 (rank of Sabawali is not used). Commoners are bukopi, Rank 0. Serfs are Basenze. Thus a Mukungu is basically a Duke, ruling over a Umukungu, ie, a Duchy.
    By contrast, the lands now owned directly by the Kabaka are divided only into districts (masaza), counties (magombolola) and holdings (makira) in which there are villages with headmen. These position are semihereditary in that the Kabaka almost always accepts the primogenitor as the new ruler. The rulers of these areas are named by changing "ma-" (plural marker) to "mwami-" (ruler). The person in charge of a gombolola is a mwamigombolola.
    Being as how this is Bantu system, it is to be expected that the two systems of division overlap and have complex systems of subservience. An Umukungu has a single Mukungu, who is the Kago to the Kabaka of that kingdom. Th
    Council with hereditary seats from each district opposed to an age-grade of adults council. Judges are local elders.

    Ameru - king and two houses, one his wives via clans, other senate bought by societies, judgeship is part of age-group system, pay for position but must be invited. Limited bureaucracy of elders.
    Kaagwe - judicial branch is tied to church, adding a kind of extra vocation to Kanisi, areas are localized, with semi-elected judges, like bishops. One two hundred seat parliament where seat are bought by clans or societies. Another is House of Lords by nobility.
    House of Lords vs House of Commons Clans. Lords are usually backed by alliances of societies. Judges as elderclass. Local judicial councils that come from each clan represented.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

how many estates in the empire? how big is the empire?
 
 

Sidebar

    Milikyunjovu is the most fantastical and distant from real Bantu element in Ubantu. Sentient elephants, the integration of Palo, the subhuman slaves and the magicotechnology are all pure invention. GMs who want a more authentic Bantu world have the option of the Beta Map, which completely omits the Empire and Confederacy.
    The noble ranks are based on those of Uganda. Therein, the largest unit of land is a ssaza, it's ruler the mukungu. There below are the mumyuka ("second in command"), ssaabaddu ("head of those who serve"), ssabagado ("head of shield bearers"), ssabawaali ("head of slaves"), musaale ("arrow"), and mutuba ("fig tree"). From this we extrapolate "U-", meaning land + title = district. Thus an mumyuka controls a umumyuka. The plurals are mu-/ba- and sa-/masa-.
 

Owesaza=Rank 7, Mumyuka=Rank 6, Sabadu=Rank 5, Sabagabo = Rank 4, Sabawali= Rank 3, Mutaba Mukulu= Rank 2, Mutaba Muto=Rank 1