In Jerry Pournelle's King David's Spaceship, the planet, Prince Samual's World, is incorporated into the Second Empire of Man and administered by High Commissioner Ackoff who lets a local dynasty believe that they will control a unified planet even though he knows that power will inevitably shift towards the imported Traders, technicians, diplomatic personnel and civil servants.
Thus, Pournelle, like Anderson, describes a plausibly complicated society on a colonized planet. Both planets have a University but Prince Samual's World is technologically backward.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I would argue that while Manuel Argos was inspired by Rome, he surpassed that earlier empire. The state Manuel I founded was, by all indications, stabler and stronger than the Principate Augustus founded. After all, the Terran Empire had endured for more than four centuries before a usurper successfully seized the throne.
I have wondered WHO was this Prince Samual after whom the planet was named. Perhaps the sponsor or patron of the expedition which discovered Prince Samual's World during the First Empire?
If I remember correctly, Commissioner Ackoff was somewhat regretful about how power on Prince Samual's World would inevitably shift from the native governing elites to the Traders, technicians, diplomats, etc., coming to that world as it was knitted more firmly into the Empire. Because native leaders happy and willing to become part of the Empire would make things a lot easier for everybody.
This shift of power was inevitable simply from Prince Samual's World not being as technologically advanced as the Empire. Which means people being able to use modern knowledge and technology would have an edge on people with only a mid 19th century level.
Sean
Post a Comment