Commonwealth of Zalja

One of the Three Pillars that support the Holy Khan of Zalja. The Commonwealth rules primarily on matters of the economy, business practices, and public health. It is comprised of three-hundred-fifty members: twenty from each of the nine regions of Zalja, one-hundred-twenty from the city of Tsen Ikha itself, and fifty from the city of Bariat Uur. These latter two groups, composed of citizens of the two greatest cities, are grouped together as the Sister Counsel. The rest form a group called the Commons (or the Commons' Will, or the Commonweal). These two divisions hold equal power, with gridlocks being broken by a Head of Commons, elected once a year from within the Commonwealth. Though ostensibly meant to represent the interests of the peasant class, membership in the Commonwealth skews very heavily toward the mercantile and monied classes. Only those who can afford to travel may serve their respective Prefectures at Tsen Ikha, meaning the Commons is composed chiefly of petty land barons, unscrupulous merchants, and even power-hungry mercenaries. The Sister Counsel, despite its reputation for elitism, often features more members of common birth, though even there such folk are a rarity. Those who sit in the Commonwealth are called mazars.

HIERARCHY OF GOVERNANCE