Daiamid
From Encyclopedia Hiigara
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The Daiamid was a governing council and unifying authority on Kharak that held the Kushan kiithid together in the aftermath of the Heresy Wars. The name also refers to the building which housed the council, located in the Kiith Nabaal city of Tiir. Following the Exodus a new Daiamid was constructed in the Hiigaran city of Kiith Assam'sad, within which the New Daiamid held sessions. Occassionally this new council was simply called the Daiamid.
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[edit] History
The Daiamid had its roots in the way in which Kushan kiith-sas on Kharak called together the senior members and leaders of their kiith as well as the vassal families within it. These representatives of a kiith's various members helped advise a kiith-sa on their decisions during war and peace alike. It was this that served as an inspiration for Iifrit Nabaal-sa, the revolutionary who brought an end to the devastating Heresy Wars when he was considering a world government for Kharak.
His proposal was to allow each kiith to send its leaders and/or representatives to a single council where their suggestions, complaints, and pleas could be heard and resolved peacefully. Made up of all the sovereign kiithid of Kharak the Daiamid, at first a noble experiment, succeeded to become Kharak's government until the planet's devastation by the Taiidan during the Homeworld War.
It is unclear however how much power the Daiamid actually had. It was not until the Mothership Project that a global security force was actually formed, to protect Kharak's space program from sabotage by the rogue Kiith Gaalsien. In addition, there were several small regional conflicts between the Heresy Wars and the Homeworld War such as Gaalsien's rebellion against the Daiamid and the Hraal Civil War. For the most part it seems it was the memory of the Heresy Wars, goodwill, and the benefits of unity which actually prevented another global war, not the Daiamid.
This internal weakness was observed after the Hiigaran Landfall when the New Daiamid, modeled after the old Daiamid on Kharak, began to have probelms maintaining unity.
[edit] Powers
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The powers assigned to the Daiamid are unclear although it appears to be overall the final authority in legislative, executive, and judicial powers. Its legislative powers include the power to admit new kiithid into its numbers (recognition of Kiith LiirHra) as well as to remove them (the expulsion of the Gaalsien), the power to create new laws, and the power to raise a military force (such as the one raised to protect the Mothership Project). Its executive powers include the power to enforce laws and to order the military into action. Its judicial powers include the power to judge special cases (such as the crimes of the Gaalsien following the destruction of Saju-ka).
On the other hand, alot of power seems to be left to the kiithid themselves who maintain their own private armies and who are able, to a certain extent, war on one another, something that would be impossible if the Daiamid was truly in control. Overall this makes the Kushan state on Kharak more of a confederacy than anything else.
[edit] Composition
The Daiamid is made up of the leaders of the kiithid. Kiith-sas of sovereign kiithid are recognized in the Daiamid as representatives of their kiith and speak for them and make laws on their behalf. Together these kiith-sas divide the power more or less between the larger kiithid. The Daiamid's representation it seems is partially based on population as well since in the years after the Hiigaran Landfall many kiithid were left powerless by lack of numbers, leaving only a handfull of kiithid with real power in the Daiamid.
The Daiamid is also headed by a leader elected by that body, known as the Sa of Sas. This leader appears to preside over the Daiamid although whatever real power they hold seems to be debateable. It is likely they are more of a legislative referee than anything more powerful, as a single leader heading the Kushan seems to be outside the cultural context of the kiithid.
[edit] Architecture
The Daiamid building in which the old Daiamid was housed was a large domed structure, the most important building in all of the capital city of Tiir. Inside hundreds of seats were laid out for representatives from every kiith, with a central spot being reserved for recognized speakers.
During the Homeworld War the Daiamid building was destroyed by the Taiidan attack on Kharak.
[edit] Behind the Scenes
Like many parts of the Homeworld series the Daiamid's nature is not covered very much by any canonical sources. Rather it is simply observed to be the final authority on anything Kushan, as well as the unifying force which holds the fiercely independent kiithid together. However, what is known of its nature can allude to its inspiration.
The Daiamid may be based on the legislative system of the European Union for example. Like the Daiamid the European Union's legislative system is made up of both popularly elected representatives and the actual heads of government throughout Europe. People such as British Prime Minister and French President are members of this body. Similarly the European Union has many powers over the nations within it but depends for the most part on the cooperation of every one of its member states.
The Daiamid also shares many similarities with the Continental Congress, the first form of government for the American Colonies during their war for independence from Britain. Like the Daiamid and the European Union this was initially formed to coordinate military and economic efforts throughout the region it represented, but had little power in enforcing laws. It eventually however evolved into the more powerful Congress of today's United States.
[edit] Sources
- Homeworld Historical and Technical Briefing
- Homeworld: Cataclysm Manual
- Homeworld: Cataclysm backstory
