Chapter 61 : The Aesthetics of Dictatorship

This is something I realized while being here.

My father-in-law, the leader of the Lisan Tribe, Mahdi Lisan, has a weak political foundation.

This doesn’t mean he lacks power.

In terms of pure military strength or the size of the tribe he commands, he’s unquestionably the strongest on the Great Grasslands.

Excluding allies or subordinate forces, his directly managed army alone numbers around 40,000. 

And all of them are highly skilled cavalry armed with rockets.

How could this be weak? 

If you classify 40,000 cavalry as a small force, then there are no great powers in the world.

However, the problem lay in legitimacy.

“Kalia, I don’t think we need to print this time. I’ll just write one book and be done with it.”

“Really? Is it for a gift to someone?”

“Yes. To your father.”

Nomads place great importance on bloodlines.

Even more so than the caste systems of settled peoples.

Because their society revolves around clans, it’s easy to trace one’s bloodline, and the nomadic lifestyle plays a part in that as well.

A strict hierarchy is maintained, and it’s advantageous to concentrate wealth in one place to survive.

This is a phenomenon commonly seen among nomadic peoples on Earth, and it’s no different in this world.

‘A system where rebellion or drastic changes in one’s life are physically blocked.’

As a result, even if one wants to rise to a high position, there are severe limitations.

Unless one is from one of the 15 ancient Ulus (tribes) or a related lineage, they cannot bear the title of Khan, which means king.

To become the emperor, the Dai Khan or Kagan who leads the entire Great Grasslands, one must be a descendant of Jekatai Dai Khan, who founded the first nomadic empire.

Even though the empire Jekatai founded disappeared 700 years ago, this rule has been strictly maintained.

“If I received such a beautiful daughter, I should return the favor. It’s hard to give gifts, but I can certainly share knowledge.”

“Oh my, such sudden praise.”

“I’m sincere, though.”

But Mahdi is not a descendant of Jekatai Dai Khan.

He carries the blood of the 15 Ulus and uses the title of Khan, but he will never be able to rule over the entire Great Grasslands.

To put it in analogy, he’s in a position similar to that of the hero Esen Taishi, who almost re-established the Mongol Empire.

He has popularity, legitimacy, and strength, but because of his bloodline, he cannot reach the highest position.

He can enjoy power just below that, but he can never attain the crown.

The moment he tries to claim it, rebellions break out from all sides, and he is thrown into a situation where he must fear betrayal.

“I’ll write this here, so please get the writing paper as soon as possible. I’ve already organized the content, and it’ll be done in a week.”

“Got it. I’ll ask my mother to get it for you.”

Until now, Mahdi hadn’t had the capacity or the desire to rule, so he likely didn’t care much about it… but the future is a headache.

Mahdi is already a rising power and a hero of the Great Grasslands, having defeated the invading forces of Navre and Artium.

At this rate, it will only be a matter of time before he unites the entire Grasslands and gains control.

Perhaps within half a year, the order of the entire Great Grasslands will be restructured around Mahdi and his tribe.

But now, should we crown a descendant of Jekatai as the Dai Khan?

‘According to the rules of the Grasslands, it would be the right thing to do.’

Traditionally, that would be correct.

No matter how powerful the force, if legitimacy is lacking, they must find someone noble to crown.

They have to pick a puppet or establish a royal family.

However, this system has an inherent flaw.

That flaw is the difficulty of long-term survival.

‘In the end, it’s a rule built on borrowed authority.’

Even a mere figurehead, as time passes, gains legitimacy. 

Supporters gather, and political power is secured.

Then, naturally, power gradually shifts to that figure.

If a figurehead is set up, over time, they might turn into the real power holder.

Of course, Mahdi wouldn’t want this outcome.

To prevent this, there are two main solutions.

“First, make an incredible achievement so that no one can oppose the ascension to Dai Khan.”

If Mahdi achieves something greater than Jekatai, like conquering the entire world with his hooves and unifying the continent, his authority would be untouchable.

No one would dare oppose the declaration of his ascension, unless they were insane. 

It would be seen as blessing the birth of a new ruling bloodline.

‘It won’t be easy, though.’

However, contrary to the simplicity of the idea, the difficulty is enormous. 

Conquering the world isn’t something that can be done easily.

To break through the fortresses and armies scattered around the world and plant a flag would be difficult, even with several times the current military force.

If there are massive casualties, Mahdi’s prestige would fall as well.

It doesn’t seem likely that the nomads would have the conditions to accomplish such a great feat.

“Alternatively, second, create an ideological justification for the title and persuade the masses.”

If he doesn’t want to do the first, simply crowning himself could be a solution.

He would need a plausible logic to convince everyone, though.

This isn’t for mere agitation, so flimsy arguments won’t do.

At the very least, it would require bringing in political experts to meticulously craft the logic.

Naturally, this would be very difficult while living a nomadic lifestyle.

‘But Mahdi has me.’

And I knew of an ideology that would be extremely useful in this situation.

Its name is none other than.

“Juche Ideology.”

*****

As everyone knows,Juche Ideology is a pseudo-theory created by the three men from the northern region to legitimize their dictatorship.

From the perspective of a citizen in a democratic country, there’s no such nonsense as this.

However, as a claim that a ruler would spread to glorify themselves, it’s actually quite decent.

How else would they have created the first hereditary republic in human history?

‘Politically, it’s quite a remarkable thing.’

Think about it.

It’s not a kingdom or an empire, yet power succession between father and son takes place.

Moreover, the people accept it as something natural.

There are no other politicians who have established such a bizarre system in history.

‘If that’s the case in a republic, it goes without saying that in a class society it would be even more so.’

That’s why Mahdi needed Juche Ideology.

If it’s an ideology that breaks even the basic rules of a republic, the constraints of bloodline would be easily overcome.

“Ishmael, I’ve brought the paper.”

“Thanks. I’ll make good use of it.”

After receiving writing materials from Kalia, I immediately began writing.

[Juche Ideology, in a nutshell, is the idea that the people are the main force of the nation, and it is the people who drive the development and growth of the nation.

In other words, the master of one’s fate is oneself, and it means that the power to shape one’s own destiny lies within oneself.]

[The greatest difference between humans and animals is that humans do not simply conform to nature and the environment. 

Humans are the most powerful beings, and as the masters of the world, they have the will and ability to constantly reshape society and nature to suit their own needs.]

[A proper nation and people must have sovereignty. In four aspects: ideology, politics, economy, and defense.

In terms of ideology, they must have independence; politically, they must not be interfered with from the outside; economically, they must be self-reliant; and in defense, they must be capable of self-defense.]

The foundation of Juche Ideology emphasizes the human-centered philosophy with a socialist feel.

It also includes an isolationist value that insists on maintaining independent sovereignty.

Up to this point, it might seem surprisingly ordinary.

There are countless ideologies advocating for isolationism.

Considering the socio-political situation in North Korea at the time of its presentation, it’s actually a reasonably logical perspective.

It’s a theory that, although unusual, is quite understandable.

But the core comes next.

[However, most of the people lack the ability to make independent judgments or are insufficient in doing so. 

Therefore, a figure is needed to represent their collective will, that is, a ruler.

The ruler is the center who synthesizes and analyzes the people’s independent demands and interests, unifying them, and also leads the people’s creative activities to realize them.]

[The interests of the people are represented by the aristocrats who govern them. 

Therefore, the position that defends the true interests of the people is the position of the aristocrats, and the position that defends the true interests of the aristocrats is the position of the ruler, the leader of the aristocrats.

Therefore, the position that ideally defends the interests of the people, the aristocrats, and the nation as a whole is the position of the ruler.]

[For the security and survival of the nation, three elements—ruler, aristocrats, and people—must unite. 

The people are the foundation of the nation, but they cannot find the right direction on their own. 

The aristocrats lead the people, and the ruler leads the aristocrats.

Without the ruler, there is no nation, and neither the aristocrats nor the people, nor the national foundation, can survive.]

The subject of the nation and society is the people.

This premise in Juche Ideology is twisted into: “The subject of the nation and society is the people, and the people’s party is the people’s leader.”

The leader’s position was aligned with the people’s position, and the order of the propositions was reversed.

Rather than the leader representing the people, it was now the people who were to represent the leader.

The dictator’s power was concentrated, elevated to the point where they became the object of absolute obedience and worship.

‘With a slight change, this would also work in a monarchy system.’

By subtly altering the expression in this argument, I made the absolute power of the monarch glorified.

I even quoted some of the perspectives from Leviathan that I had written before.

I wrote that the monarch should enjoy the corresponding authority and rights, as they serve the people’s interests.

If the original Juche Ideology was about the absolute rule of the leader, here it became about the absolute rule of the monarch.

Ah, and I also changed parts about revolution or the people, removing the communist color to bring it closer to a pure political theory. 

I wasn’t particularly interested in the Communist nomadic tribe.

[The responsibility added to the monarch is immense, so only a qualified person should ascend to that position. 

Someone who has proven themselves through their actions throughout life.

It is widely understood, without needing proof, that the rule of a current hero is preferable to the descendants of ancient heroes who faintly trace their bloodline.]

[The monarch is the one responsible for the fate of the entire nation. 

The person who succeeds the monarch’s thoughts and achievements must also have equally great qualities. 

They must also share the same governance philosophy and opinions.

A person who satisfies the above conditions can only be found through bloodline and loyalty. 

The hereditary succession of the throne stabilizes the nation while guaranteeing the monarch’s qualities.]

[The Great Khan of the Zakatay was a great conqueror. However, now that his bloodline is fading and his abilities are waning, wouldn’t it be better to find a new Great Khan from a different bloodline?]

Hereditary succession through bloodline is good.

However, the bloodline of Mahdi, whose abilities have been proven, is better than the fading bloodline of the old Zakatay.

Isn’t it more rational to believe in the hero before us rather than cling to a distant past?

How about adding this kind of content?

It would lay the groundwork for Mahdi’s ascension to the throne of Great Khan.

“This should be enough. Kalia, is it alright for you to handle the binding?”

“Don’t worry.”

After finishing the manuscript, I handed it over to Kalia and began packing my things.

I had provided the necessary information and means.

How to use them effectively was up to my father-in-law.