- "Approximately 12,000 BBY a theocratic conspiracy, centuries in the offing, impeached Chancellor Pers'lya and placed its own man, Contispex, in the seat."
- ―Gabrel Treon, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji: A Cartel of Genes
The year 11,987 before the Battle of Yavin (BBY) was a span of time that featured significant changes in the leadership of the Galactic Republic. A cult of conspiratorial religious zealots known as Pius Dea usurped power over the Republic with the help of a secretive society called the Malkite Poisoners. The zealots impeached reigning Supreme Chancellor Pers'lya and installed the Pius Dea figurehead Contispex I, assassinating the Bothan not long after he was removed from office. The new chancellor, housing Humanocentric beliefs, then unleashed a series of religious-based crusades against alien species and those who worshiped other deities. The rise of the Pius Dea cult marked the end of the Kymoodon Era and the beginning of the Pius Dea Era.
Proem[]
During the years of the Old Republic, the governing body gradually but steadily expanded its boundaries. Most of the settlements, however, were in a wedge-shaped region of space known as the Slice. Aside from occasional protrusions into unknown areas and isolated settlements, most of galactic society lived within the confines of known hyperspace routes and the established hyperlanes. Settlers and explorers, however, continued to search the wild and unexplored areas of the galaxy. In the years leading up to 12,000 BBY, this steady advancement continued.[2] The Supreme Chancellor during this time[1] was the Bothan[10] Pers'lya. At the same time, however, the religious conspiracy-based cult of zealots known as Pius Dea was growing in power. The group held the beliefs of anti-alien Humanocentrism and that followers of other religions were "unbelievers" and idolaters.[1]
The galaxy in 11,987 BBY[]
- "Here we stand, at the extremity of our exertion, having cast behind us the idols of our fathers, to once again carry to our foe the penalties due their sacrileges. Come perdition or hard vacuum, the Republic expects that every citizen will do his duty."
- ―Supreme Chancellor Contispex, Fourth Inaugural Oration
During that year, Supreme Chancellor Pres'lya became embroiled in an impeachment scandal. The religious and conspiratorial cult Pius Dea,[1] coupled with the assistance of the secret group known as the Malkite Poisoners,[11] led the ousting of Pers'lya[1] and the installation of Pius Dea figurehead Contispex.[2] With Contispex in power, the Pius Dea cult would begin a series of religious-based conflicts known as the Pius Dea Crusades within several years.[2][1] The beginning of the crusades marked the end of the Kymoodon Era and the beginning of the Pius Dea Era.[12]
Impact[]
- "These gave as good as they got, and 'cold' and 'hot' wars alternated for a thousand years—while the Republic flagellated itself with inquisitions—until Pius Dea rule met its end in that famous encounter which hardly needs retelling here."
- ―Gabrel Treon, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji: A Cartel of Genes
Contispex, as part of Pius Dea, held the belief that alien species and religious-followers were heathen "unbelievers." This view, coupled with the idea that the deities of the non-Human cultures needed to be destroyed, led the chancellor to attack Hutt Space. To some, the Hutts posed a legitimate threat to the Republic. Eventually, however, the Pius Dea crusades turned against other alien species which did not threaten the security of the Republic.[1] Even after the reign of Contispex, Pius Dea controlled the chancellery for about one thousand more years, resulting in a devastating series of crusades.[2][1] In the end, the crusades caused a rift between the rimward planets and the Core Worlds which would be exploited as late as the Galactic Civil War.[13]
Notable events[]
- Supreme Chancellor Pers'lya is impeached and replaced with Contispex I, a member of the Pius Dea religious cult.[2][1]
Behind the scenes[]
The reign of Contispex and Pius Dea is first mentioned in The New Essential Chronology[2] with supplemental mentions in The New Essential Guide to Droids[11] and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.[13] The circumstances surrounding the installation of Contispex and the Pius Dea crusades were expanded upon in the StarWars.com Hyperspace-published story Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji by Nathan O'Keefe.[1] The Pius Dea era was greatly expanded upon in The Essential Guide to Warfare, which established definite years for many of the events in the era.[3]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (Codex entry)
Sources[]
- The New Essential Chronology (First mentioned)
- The New Essential Guide to Droids
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
"TTSP Endnotes: Volume 1" — Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Fanboy — Nathan O'Keefe's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)- The Essential Atlas
- The Essential Guide to Warfare (First identified as as 11,987 BBY)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare
- ↑ The Essential Guide to Warfare establishes the endpoints of this era as 15,000 BBY and 11,987 BBY.
- ↑ The Essential Guide to Warfare establishes that the Pius Dea Era lasted from 11,987 BBY to 10,966 BBY.
- ↑
Galactic History on The Old Republic's official website (article) (backup link) dates the Tho Yor Arrival, as described in Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi 0, to the year BTC 32,800 of the calendar based on the date of the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant. Since the difference between that calendar and the Galactic Standard Calendar—based on the date of the Battle of Yavin—was 3,653 years per the reasoning here, the Tho Yor Arrival must have taken place in the year 36,453 BBY of the latter dating system. Therefore, the difference between the Galactic Standard Calendar and the dating system based on the Tho Yor Arrival that is featured in Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void must be 36,453 years.
- ↑ Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia places the Treaty of Coruscant, which served as the zero point of a calendar adopted by the Galactic Senate following the conclusion of the Great Galactic War per Galactic History on The Old Republic's official website (article) (backup link), in the year 3653 BBY of the Galactic Standard Calendar, which was based around the date of the Battle of Yavin. Thus, the difference between the two dating systems is 3,653 years.
- ↑ The New Essential Chronology establishes that the zero point of the calendar introduced by Tarsus Valorum was the Ruusan Reformation. The book places that event in the year of 1000 BBY of the Galactic Standard Calendar—which was based around the date of the Battle of Yavin—therefore establishing a difference of one thousand years between the two dating systems.
- ↑ Per the reasoning here, the Battle of Yavin, the zero point in the Galactic Standard Calendar per The New Essential Chronology, can be placed in 35:3:8 under the Great ReSynchronization dating system, thereby confirming the placement of the division between each Galactic Standard Calendar year as the third month in the Great ReSynchronization year. Thus, there is a two-month, seven day gap between the two dating systems, with the first two months of a GrS year being the last two of the preceding Galactic Standard Calendar year, and there is a total difference of 35 years and 2 months between the two systems.
- ↑ "TTSP Endnotes: Volume 1" — Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Fanboy — Nathan O'Keefe's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 The New Essential Guide to Droids
- ↑ The Essential Atlas
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, entries on Contispex and Pius Dea
