Viscount

A noble rank within the system of Imperial Nobility in the Third Imperium.

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Please see the following AAB Library Data articles for more information:
Imperial Nobility:

• 1a. Emperor / Empress / Karun
• 1b. Prince / Princess / Karand
• 2a. Archduke / Archduchess / Apkallu Kibrat Arban
• 2b. Grand Duke / Grand Duchess
• 3a. Subsector Duke / Subsector Duchess / Saarpuhii
• 3b. Duke / Duchess / Saarpuhii
• 4. Count / Countess (Contessa) / Sarriiu or Shakkanakhu
• 5. Viscount / Viscountess / Sarriiu or Shakkanakhu
• 6. Marquis / Marchioness (Marquesa) / Sarriiu or Shakkanakhu
• 7. Baron / Baroness / Iishakku
• 8. Baronet / Baronetess / Iishakku
• 9. Knight / Dame / Kiduunuuzii
• 10. Gentleman / Gentlewoman / Gentlesophont

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Description (Specifications)

Worlds with the potential to become significant centers of manpower are assigned to a Landed Viscount.

• Landed Viscounts are more focused on broad issues of infrastructure that will allow a world's population to expand.
• Ceremonial Visounts have administrative duties that generally encompass a Subsector or smaller grouping of worlds, depending upon the nature and importance of the office.

• The Vilani term for Viscount is variously rendered either Sarriiu or Shakkanakhu.
• The land grant of a Viscount is known as a County or Viscountcy.

Entitlement Synopsis

The fourth level of noble rank is the viscount, and is generally associated with two or three worlds within a subsector, usually including one that is classified as pre-high population. The cluster of star systems rarely contains any important, industrial, or high population worlds. An individual accorded a viscountcy may receive a fief of land, generally not more than 10,000 km², and/or 16 terrain hexes on worlds within the fief-world's subsector, with an associated non-mainworld terrain hex for each mainworld hex in the same respective system(s) if he has an appointment as an Imperial Landed Noble. Landed Viscount fiefs are generally granted on pre-high population worlds ^*. The title of Viscount is not used everywhere in the Imperium. It is most common in the Imperial core, and is rare in more recently settled regions such as the Spinward Marches. Viscounts are referred to by their title followed by the individual's surname or by the name of the principal fief-world within the county.

^* - It is an accepted expectation that a Viscount who raises a world from pre-high population status to High population status is elevated to Count.

History & Background (Dossier)

The Ziru Sirka

Under the Old Vilani Imperium, a Sarriiu was normally found as a governor in control of a number of lesser Shakkanakhu (literally "provincial governors"), and as a result Sarriiu is often translated “over-governor” or “supreme governor” by modern scholars. Historically on Vland there were never more than fifty sarriiu, and although the colonization of other worlds increased the number of sarriiu dramatically, they were still often referred to collectively as The Fifty. Their historical role on ancient Vland was significant, since they formed one of the two major assemblies of nobles, the Dagiia (the "Council of Fifty") which assisted the kings who ruled ancient Vland.

By the end of the Vilani Imperium, a Shakkanakhu or “provincial governor” was responsible for governing between one and twelve worlds. Modern authorities traditionally equate the Vilani shakkanakhu with a modern Imperial viscount or count, although this is not entirely accurate. The only thing that can be said for certain is that several shakkanakhu were under the general authority of the next highest noble rank.

The Vilani title sarriiu or “over-governor” is somewhat difficult to translate as there is no direct modern Imperial equivalent to the title. Various authorities have historically translated it as “marquis” or "viscount"/“count” depending on the magnitude of the fief or degree of authority involved, but both renderings are generally considered controversial.

The Third Imperium

The title of viscount was not initially a part of the Imperial system of nobility, but was a rank within the system of nobility in the Sylean Federation, which (along with the Sylean title of Earl) was absorbed into the Imperial title of count. The Imperial title of viscount was eventually reintroduced among the various titles of nobility several centuries after the founding of the Third Imperium as a lesser version of the rank of count.

When it was created, the Imperial count replaced both the Vilani shakkanakhu, and the Sylean earls and viscounts. Vilani counts still tend to use the title shakkanakhu or sarriiu (especially in the area of the old Vilani core regions of Vland, Lishun, Corridor, and Dagudashaag sectors), and where the title of count is used in these older sectors, shakkanakhu or sarriiu is often used as a subsidiary title that is often given to the heir to the main title when he reaches the age of majority. In the early years of the Third Imperium, former Sylean earls and viscounts tended to be jealous of their status in relation to one another (since a viscount traditionally outranked an earl in the Sylean system of nobility), and many feuds and personal duels were fought as a result.

As the early years of the Third Imperium drew on, the marquis eventually became associated with a primary world (generally a reasonably important one with industrial potential and a good starport) residing within a cluster of associated worlds, while a count (and later the reintroduced title of viscount) often became associated with a single reasonably important world or a scattering of backwater worlds. During this period the titles of viscount and count were generally considered somewhat inferior to that of marquis. However, as the Imperium expanded, the viscounts and counts became increasingly important, especially as the importance of their associated worlds grew, and as they were given increasing authority over the administration of new associated territories. In particular, the old Vilani shakkanakhu families were critical to the continued functioning of the Imperium during the Civil War. Emperor Zhakirov conceded the realities of the situation that had evolved regarding the relative importance of the noble titles in question, and reformed the Imperial nobility in 669, promoting Imperial viscounts and counts in precedence to a rank senior to that of marquis.

In the Third Imperium the title of sarriiu has largely been replaced by marquis, or in some cases viscount or count, except in the oldest core sectors of Vland. Even there, it is more common as a title conferred to one’s heir on his coming of age, rather than the main title of nobility; however, it is still not uncommon to hear of a marquis or count being referred to as sarriiu. Interestingly, many worlds have adopted the term "The Fifty" as a modern term for “high society.”

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), TBD.
• Lester Smith. Milieu 0 (Imperium Games, 1996), TBD.
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), TBD.
• Andrea Vallance, Donald McKinney, Gregory P. Lee, James Kundert, Robert Eaglestone. "Nobility in the Third Imperium (Part One)." Imperiallines 7 (2015): 4-7.