Ayutia

The Empire of Ayutia is a nation existing on the continent of Hara in the land of SovereigntyAscending. Founded in May 2015, Ayutia is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy based on the Early Bangkok era of Thai history.

Despite being a monarchy, Ayutia has a very liberal set of ideals, allowing common citizens who have proven themselves to be valuable members of society to hold seats in the Imperial Parliament, a legislative body governing the realm. While the monarch still retains the traditional powers of being the head of the state, parliament, and armed forces, power is generally delegated out to the populace.

Ayutia itself is named after the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, a Thai kingdom which rose to dominate Southeast Asia during the 15th-17th centuries AD.

Government Structure
Ayutia is a constitutional monarchy, where the government is made up of three different sections known as the Imperial Crown (ราชัยจักรพรรดิ), with a legislative parliament known as the Imperial Parliament (รัฐสภา), and a personally selected privy council known as the Imperial Council (คณะองคมนตรี).

In Ayutian culture, the monarch is allowed to rule through the divine right of righteous rulership, in which the monarch has a duty to the people, and is bound in service to the realm. Therefore, if a monarch is misruling the nation, this is seen as a violation of that divine right, and thus the monarch may be replaced by the people.

The rights and laws of Ayutia are set down in an ''Imperial Charter. ''Similar to the constitutions favored by republics and other governments, an Imperial Charter is passed by a majority vote in the Imperial Parliament and lays down rights and laws of the Empire.

The Crown
The Imperial Crown is the highest authority in the realm, and may draft an Imperial Charter, although this must be passed by a majority vote. Furthermore, it is in charge of selecting the Imperial Council.

Emperor of the Ayutians, Lord of Ayutia, Protector of the Imperial Realm, Defender of All Faiths, First General and Supreme Commander of Ayutia

The Council
The Imperial Council is made up of all the key government officials, such as ministers and commanders within Ayutia. It is selected by the monarch and serves to advise and assist the monarch.

The Parliament
The Imperial Parliament is made up of all the noblemen within Ayutia. Every citizen with a rank above commoner has the right to be granted a seat in the parliament. The Parliament votes for all matters concerning Ayutia, whether it be on the drafting of a new Imperial Charter or the declaration of war. Unless the parliament has voted to grant the Imperial Crown temporary autocratic powers, all decisions concerning the realm made by the monarch must be approved by the nobility of the Imperial Parliament before being declared official.

Social Structure
Ayutia is an aristocratic state, and thus is maintained by the nobility of the nation. A commoner is someone who first travels to settle within the lands, and after a certain period of time, depending on the contributions they have made to the well-being of the state, may be promoted to one of the aristocratic ranks of Ayutia.

The first rank is the rank of Muen (หมื่น), signifying an officer position within the Ayutian nation. A nobleman with the rank of Muen can then serve well and be promoted to the rank of Khun (ขุน), and granted a larger plot of land, known archaically as Na Sip (นาสิบ) [literally meaning "ten fields"], confirming their ascension into the aristocracy.

Following the rank of Khun, an Ayutian can be promoted to the rank of Khun Luang (คุณหลวง). From the rank of Khun Luang, an Ayutian who serves well can then hope to be promoted to the rank of Chao Khun (เจ้าคุณ), and perhaps even one of the highest ranks in the Ayutian nobility, Chao Phraya (เจ้าพระยา). Another very rare, yet sought after position is the rank of Somdet Chao Phraya (สมเด็จเจ้าพระยา), in which the monarch may promote a noble to quasi-royal status.

While nobles are granted land, most of this land is known as chaiyaphum pinit (ชัยภูมิพินิต), or 'governed territory'. Any constructed homes and privately constructed buildings are known as chaiyaphum ekkachon (ชัยภูมิเอกชน), 'private property'. An Ayutian citizen may never be stripped of private property unless through harsher Imperial punishments in the case of treason or other serious crimes, however in the case of minor misrule or misconduct, a noble may be stripped of his or her sakdina (ศักดินา), or 'noble title'. In this event, any land within the chaiyaphum pinit may be taken back by the state.

Governance of Ayutian territories is left to only those appointed by the Imperial Crown and Parliament, and thus a noble may not pass on governed territories not considered private property to others without the express consent of the Crown and Parliament.