Arthasiddhanta Worldbuilding Thread

[Terra (AS)]

OOC Note: Worldbuilding storage thread for my main RP nation (Arthasiddhanta). Continued work in progress.

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The Kingdom of Arthasiddhanta (Suchari: साम्राज्य अर्थसिद्धांतीया Transliterated: Rajya Arthasiddhantiya) is a nation located in eastern Meterra, bordered by an expanse of ocean to much of its west and north, and bordered by Seinoku to its east. It comprises a sizable land area of 421,104 square kilometers (or 162,589 square miles), and contains a population of around 47 million people. The country consists of 23 provinces, one of which is also the capital and largest city Nadikamagh. The provinces have their own constitutions and governments, but exist within a federal system. It is a very multicultural and diverse country, owing to many centuries of immigration to the country by various ethnic and religious groups.

The country comprises various geographic zones and is considered a megadiverse country with biomes ranging from the arid coastal region in the north, to the peaks and valleys of the Akashalaya mountains extending from the west to the northeast of the country, to the tropical rainforest in the south.

Arthasiddhanta was inhabited by various tribal nations prior to the landing in 1565 of explorer Siddhanta Nayak, who claimed the area for the Syrixian Empire. Arthasiddhanta emerged from the various different colonies set up along the northern coastline. Disputes over centralization of power, taxation, and trade from Siddhantiyan colonists towards Syrixia, and an economic recession and the death of Emperor Kumaranatha in Syrixia, led to the former Crown Prince Narayana, who then de facto controlled Arthasiddhanta as a prefect of the colony, to declare independence from Syrixia. The new Emperor, Girvana, attempted to respond with a failed military campaign, ending with a treaty that established Arthasiddhanta as an independent kingdom. The ratification of the Sanvidhaan, the country's constitution, in 1836, saw the creation of a federal constitutional monarchy and the creation of a local legislature or Sansad. In practice, however, Krishnath held great power in his position as the monarch, while reforms at the end of his reign delegated the monarch to a ceremonial role. Krishnath's reign was a time of sweeping reforms to old colonial systems of economics and politics which set the basis of massive and sustained economic growth and industrialization, which continued into the 20th century.

Today, the country is a member of the Sangatha and META organizations, and is considered a high-income country, ranking high in measures relating to quality of life, freedom, education, and human rights. However, the country has problems with inequality along the lines of race, wealth, and income, as well as tensions on communal lines, with many riots across both colonial and modern history of violence between different religious communities, although this has decreased over the centuries. It is a country with immense cultural wealth, a diversified economy, and biodiversity.

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FLAG
(WIP, specifically with posting the link)
NATIONAL EMBLEM
(WIP)
CAPITAL: Nadikamagh
LARGEST CITY: Nadikamagh
ANTHEM: (WIP)
POPULATION: 47,450,795
DENSITY: 113/km2 (292/sqmi)
AREA (KM2): 421,104 km2
AREA (SQMI): 162,589 sqmi
DEMONYMS: Siddhantiya (adj.), Siddhantiyan (noun, singular), Siddhantiyans (plural)
OFFICIAL AND NATIONAL LANGUAGE: Suchari
ETHNIC GROUPS: (WIP)
RELIGIOUS GROUPS*: 33.0% Rakanist, 30.2% Messianist, 18.9% Shaddaist, 12.2% Unaffiliated, 5.7% Other
GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
PRIME MINISTER: Anuj Mukherjee
KING: Arjun
CHIEF JUSTICE: Andrew Fernandes
GDP: (WIP)
GDP PER CAPITA: (WIP)
GINI: (WIP)
CURRENCY: Siddhantiya rupa (₹)
TIME ZONE: (WIP)
DATE FORMAT: mm/dd/yyyy
DRIVING SIDE: Right
*Statistics were collected on the religious faiths of Siddhantiyans who did not identify as foreign born.​

 

[Terra (AS)]

Political Parties of Arthasiddhanta

Parties Represented in the Sansad (federal parliament):

Kirti Kisan Dal (किर्ति किसान दल): Translated to the Workers' and Peasants' Party in Mercanti, the Kirti Kisan Dal is the primary left-wing party in Arthasiddhanta and currently leads the governing coalition in the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Sansad) with support from the HD, SD, and VED. It is a social democratic party by ideology, and is one of the two major political parties of Arthasiddhanta along with the Rakani Samaj Dal. Currently holds 171 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Rakani Samaj Dal (रकानी समाज दल): Translated to the Rakani Society Party in Mercanti, the Rakani Samaj Dal is the primary right-wing party in Arthasiddhanta and leads the opposition in the current Lok Sabha. By ideology, it is a Rakani nationalist party, espousing conservative positions on social issues through the lens of the Rakanist faith; on economic issues, the party has differing factions, although it has held a fiscally conservative position a slight majority of the time. It is another of the two major political parties in Arthasiddhanta. Currently holds 133 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Hara Dal (हारा दल): Translated to the Green Party in Mercanti, the Hara Dal espouses "green politics", with promotion of causes relating to environmentalism, social justice, grassroots democracy, non-violence, anti-war positions, and eco-socialism. It is generally seen as a left-wing party that has historically formed coalitions with the KKD when in government. Currently holds 91 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Swatantra Dal (स्वतंत्र दल): Translated to the Freedom Party in Mercanti, the Swatantra Dal is a classical liberal to libertarian political party by ideology, espousing right-wing economic ideas and generally left-wing social ideas. The party is generally in favor of policies that prioritize free markets and economic liberalization, but also social policies that are widely seen as liberal and left-leaning. Much like the HD, they have offered to form coalitions with both the major parties, and have formed coalitions with both at different points. Currently holds 74 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Messiya Loktantrwadi Dal (मेस्सीय लोकतंतर्वदि दल): Translated to the Messianist Democrat Party in Mercanti, the MLD is a center to center-right wing party that advocates for socially conservative positions and the interests of Messianist people in Arthasiddhanta, with variable economic positions. While a socially conservative party, they have formed coalitions with either of the major parties when in government. Currently holds 66 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Likud (लिकुद): Likud is a socially conservative Shaddaist party in Arthasiddhanta, that advocates for the interests of Shaddaists in the country. The party is seen as primarily right-wing due to their social stances, but they have varied economic stances and have formed coalitions with different parties in years prior. Currently holds 59 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Vaam Ekta Dal (वाम एकता दल): Translated to the Left Unity Party in Mercanti, the party advocates for left-wing populist and democratic socialist positions. The party has advocated for anti-austerity, anti-corruption, and anti-establishment political views, and are in favor of strengthening the welfare state in its more moderate factions to the abandonment of capitalism in its most extreme factions. In the current Lok Sabha, they have formed a coalition with the KKD. Currently holds 50 seats in the Lok Sabha.

 

[Terra (AS)]

Arthasiddhanta Sansad 2018-22
Lok Sabha

Pradesh Sabha

 

[Terra (AS)]

Arthasiddhanta Government Structure
This post primarily discusses the structure and function of the federal government of Arthasiddhanta, and not the various provincial governments. Provincial governments, however, largely have a similar structure, but different powers and laws.

The federal government is comprised of three branches: the executive, represented by the Cabinet (मंत्रिमंडल); the legislative, represented by the Parliament (संसद), and the judicial, represented by the Supreme Court (उच्चतम न्यायालय). The head of state, the King (महाराजा), exercises purely symbolic power according to what are colloquially referred to as the Royal Amendments to the Constitution (संविधान) that served to transfer powers from the King to the Prime Minister (प्रधान मंत्री). According to these amendments, the King has symbolic powers to do things such as open and dissolve Parliament and appoint members of the Pradesh Sabha (the Parliament's upper house), but these all have to be done with the express approval of at least the Prime Minister, if not the wider Parliament or Supreme Court in other cases. The amendments make it clear that the King only serves as a "symbol of the State, its culture, and its history, and is not to interfere in the democratic process under any circumstances".

Role of Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is the head of government, and leads the executive branch as the head of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister has the power to appoint or dismiss any of the ministers of the Cabinet or the heads of any other executive agency. Cabinet ministries oversee things such as defense, foreign affairs, finance, education, civil services, and more. The Prime Minister cannot create or disband executive agencies on their own, however, and normally an Act of Parliament is needed to do this. The Prime Minister also approves nominees for Pradesh Sabha seats (who are nominated by the provincial legislatures), nominates judges to sit on the Supreme Court or any of the Circuit Courts, has the ability to dissolve the Pradesh Sabha, and can create Ordinances that have the same legal standing and effect as Acts of Parliament for the duration of Parliament's term of up to 4 years, or until they step down from the position of Prime Minister (whichever comes first). The Prime Minister also serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

Role of Parliament

The Parliament is the legislative branch of the Siddhantiyan federal government, and is made up of 2 houses: the Lok Sabha as the lower house and the Pradesh Sabha as the upper house. The Lok Sabha is comprised of 650 members and is elected through a single transferable vote system for a term of four years. The Pradesh Sabha is comprised of 52 members and isn't directly elected--members are instead nominated by their respective province's governors and confirmed by the Prime Minister. Each province, irrespective of population, along with the Royal City of Nadikamagh, is allocated 2 seats in the Pradesh Sabha. While the Pradesh Sabha is officially the upper house, various amendments have resulted in the Lok Sabha holding much of the power. Only Lok Sabha members can nominate a candidate for and elect a Prime Minister, whereas Pradesh Sabha members have no influence over this process. The Lok Sabha (and Parliament at large by consequence) can only be dissolved if a motion of no confidence is presented to the Prime Minister and is agreed to by a supermajority in the Lok Sabha, while the Pradesh Sabha again has no influence over this. The Pradesh Sabha can only veto bills from the Lok Sabha and demand their revision for one calendar year, after which the Prime Minister can dissolve the Pradesh Sabha in order to pass legislation approved by the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha can veto and demand the revision of bills proposed by the Pradesh Sabha indefinitely if they so wish. The Pradesh Sabha does have exclusive power over one domain: the confirmation of nominees to the Supreme Court and other federal Circuit Courts. Acts of Parliament are the supreme laws of the country, barring only the Constitution.

Role of Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, the judicial branch of the government, is composed of 9 judges who are appointed for a term of 18 years or until they choose to retire (whichever comes first). The judicial branch is commonly considered as the "weakest" of the three branches, although they have extensive powers in their own right. While the Cabinet and Prime Minister enforce and enact laws and Parliament makes laws, the Supreme Court interprets the laws and their constitutionality, and their decisions can force the Acts of Parliament and Ordinances, as well as laws on the local and provincial level, to be unconstitutional. Justices are given a broad range of leeway in their interpretations of the Constitution and applying them to current affairs and issues when making their decisions (judicial review). Decisions of the Supreme Court only require a simple majority of the justices, and Supreme Court decisions are common ways that the civil and criminal laws of the country change over time, as well as the framework of relations between organs of the government, businesses, and more.

Role of the Monarch
Among the most famous quotes of the first King, Krishnath Maharaj, who during his reign from 1834 to 1881 drastically shaped the political and cultural environment of Arthasiddhanta and frequently clashed with the previously dominant planter class, was that "the Parliament thinks they represent Arthasiddhanta. The planters think that they own Arthasiddhanta. But I am Arthasiddhanta." However, after the ratification of the Royal Amendments, the monarch has no actual power to influence or override the Acts of Parliament or Supreme Court decisions, lest they be forced to abdicate. In that way, one can say that Krishnath's quote has lost relevance. However, the monarch still serves as an important cultural and even religious figurehead, and is a symbol of the continuity of the nation and the state, despite lacking real power. It is very common that the monarch holds speeches on major holidays and government functions, attends major football and other sports' matches, and even officiates religious ceremonies for the Rakanist community (this is due to the religious significance of the Syrixian Imperial House, from whom the Siddhantiya monarchs are descended from). The monarch is viewed as a unifying symbol of the nation and its traditions and the institution of the monarchy is largely separated from the broader political life of the nation. In this way, one could make the case that Krishnath's quote still rings somewhat true.

 

[Terra (AS)]

Siddhantiyan Premier League

The Premier League, sometimes referred to as the Siddhantiyan Premier League or SPL, is the top level of the Siddhantiyan football league system. Seasons run from February to November, with a winter break between June and July. Each team plays a total of 38 matches against all other 19 teams home and away). Games are played on Saturday and Sunday, with match times varying depending on the city and its corresponding climate.
The competition was founded in 1992 as football clubs in the Football League First Series to break away from the Football League to take advantage of a television rights sale to DD1. The Premier League is a corporate body with a chief executive responsible for the management and member clubs acting as shareholders.
Historically speaking, the Football League itself was revised from having separate provincial championships with the "national league" only being contested by clubs in the Teen Shahar (Three Cities in Mercanti), to a single-tier league from the 1929–30 season onwards, owing to an expanded rail network. The championship titles won before 1929 are officially recognized by the SFS with the same weighting as titles that were subsequently awarded.

 

[Terra (AS)]

Anuj Mukherjee

Anuj Mukherjee (Suchari: अनुज मुखर्जी, born October 23, 1940) is a Siddhantiyan politician and former footballer, actor, film director, and producer, currently serving as the incumbent Prime Minister of Arthasiddhanta.

Mukherjee made his debut for local club Machu at age 15 and the Arthasiddhanta national team at age 16. He became widely known for being a prolific goalscorer and a complete attacking player, functioning as anything between an advanced midfielder and a classic striker during his career. His vision, passing, dribbling, and ball control abilities were aided with a low center of gravity that allowed him to become famous for an attacking style based on dribbling. In addition, he was also known for his speed, technique, athleticism, and piercing right-footed shot. At club level, he began a golden era with Machu, helping them to their first league titles, before transferring to Nadikamagh's Ashok and leading them to their most successful era. He is the top scorer for Arthasiddhanta's national football team, with 77 goals in 92 matches.

After retirement, he began a transition into acting, with his breakthrough coming in the 1990 film Kaagaz Ke Phool. He went on to receive critical acclaim as an actor in a variety of film and TV roles, with his most famous roles being as Mukhya Eitan in the film Yafopur and as fictional prime minister Michel Emmanuel in the drama Shah Aur Maat. He also became known as an activist and humanitarian, speaking out for various social and political causes and devoting time towards philanthropic efforts such as the construction of hospitals or the foundation of scholarships. Towards the end of his acting career, he hosted the talk show Swatantra, Samaanta, Biraadari, which received wide acclaim for its coverage of sometimes taboo social and political issues.

He announced the creation of a new political party eponymous with his talk show, citing the national anti-austerity movement and widespread concerns regarding disparities on income, wealth, and race in the country in September 2016, with the national newspaper, Is Darpan, describing his and his party's views as "a populist left-wing platform that aims to threaten and seriously challenge the common narrative on various issues plaguing the Siddhantiyan economy and society". After a series of exceptional performances in local and provincial elections, he became a national contender for becoming prime minister during the 2018 general election campaign. SSB emerged from the election as the largest party in the Lok Sabha, winning 27.7% of the vote and 180 seats. They formed a governing coalition with the center-left Kirti Kisan Dal, and Mukherjee was sworn in as prime minister on July 26, 2018.

His activity as prime minister has primarily been to advance his economic agenda, centered around a variety of social democratic and progressive policies. His first term has seen the reintroduction of tuition-free public universities and tertiary institutions, new laws on environmental health and safety, initiatives to expand access to social housing, the implementation of a job guarantee to address widespread unemployment, the end of austerity measures, increased investment in infrastructure, education, and the RSS (the national health service), with cuts to security spending. He has also overseen widespread tax reforms, raising marginal tax rates and eliminating tax loopholes and exemptions that were widely criticized for contributing to higher deficits and enabling tax evasion from the wealthy. Socially, he has passed legislation to further separate religion and state and has been behind ambitious pushes to end the use of disparate personal laws for people of the country's three major religions (Rakanism, Messianism, and Shaddaism) and bring all family law courts under the umbrella of a uniform civil code.