In sf, an empire can cover part of a planet or a volume of interstellar space.
I asked, here: "...what does that word, 'Empire,' imply?"
- and immediately received an answer:
"'The Empire has been in the process of conquering Sundhadarta.' No mealymouthed phrases about 'pacification' in this language." (III, p. 105)
Has "Empire" ever meant anything but forceful annexation? The first installment of the Technic History that I read was "The Game of Glory" so I took the conquest of Brae to be typical of the Terran Empire. Elsewhere in this History, Anderson paints a more pacific picture of the advantages of Imperial annexation:
protection from piracy and nuclear bombardment;
modest taxes;
trade and travel opportunities.
Tabitha Falkayn says that the Terran Empire founded by Manuel I has grown by:
partnership, e.g., the Cynthians found it advantageous to join;
purchase;
exchange;
conquest of primitives or of much weaker interstellar powers.
Conquest remains on the list although there is a visible attempt to downplay it.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Like it or not, conquest has been a part of the history of ALL nations larger than, say, Andorra. And I see no reason to think that will change. And I prefer the honest candor of the Deodak you quoted to mealy mouthed hypocrisy.
Ad astra! Sean
Those euphemisms date to at least the 15th century, when the Spanish crown mandated that in future expeditions would be called “entrances” (Entrada) and “pacification” rather than expeditions and conquests. This changed the reality on the ground not one iota, of course.
Most of the Spanish Empire was conquered by free-lances, btw. The expeditions were organized and financed by entrepreneurs, with or without official participation or authorization. If they succeeded, the leaders would be given official titles and their actions retroactively legalized; if they flopped, they could be ignored or prosecuted. That was how the state I’m writing in, New Mexico, was founded.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
The examples of Cortes conquest of Mexio and Pizarro's seizure of Perue are classic examples of such "entrances" and "pacifications." And I see no reason not to expect similar things in the future.
Ad astra! Sean
My bad; I meant to say sixteenth century.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
But I would not be surprised if the instructions, concessions, and charters granted to someone as early as Christopher Columbus were a goo deal like those "entrances."
As astra! Sean
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