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Gao-Showa Clans are a highly important part of Gao-Showa culture, giving a shared identity to clan members around the world and (although to a lesser extent than in the past) deciding the social status of a person within Gao-Showa society. Each clan is lead by a chief, or Koshaku, who leads his clan carrying out such duties as organising family shrines, major weddings, festivals to the memory of the clans ancestors and representing the clan at meeting with the Emperor. Each clan has its own standard, with a particular and symbol assigned to them by the Emperor. Clans change over time with some clans ceasing to exist, new clans appearing and small clans being absorbed into larger ones via marriage, etc. According to the most recent clan roles there are 213 Gao-Showa clans.
[edit] Social Standing
Clans are divided into three levels of importance. The Noble, the Vassal and the Serf clans.
[edit] Noble Clans
clan holdings directly prior to colonial period
The 6 most important clans are the noble clans, second only to the Imperial
Meiji clan. Only the leaders of these clan may serve as the Kampaku (the Emperor's chief advisor), Sessho (a regent to a child Emperor) or Shogun (the Emperor's most senior general). In the past these 6 clans the
Tokugawa,
Gao-Ri,
Matsuoka,
Watanabe,
Tokehiko and
Kyuma controlled large areas of land with the lesser clans in their territory swearing loyalty to them. Even to this day the Noble Clans command huge respect and are prominent figures in the Gao-Showa community holding major Political and Business positions.
[edit] Vassal Clans
The second level down from the noble clans, there are 36 vassal clans. These clans made up the civil service, clergy, merchants and military officers of feudal Gao-Soto. Members of the vassal clans swore loyalty to the clan who controlled the area of land they lived in, carrying out the day to day tasks of running the nation. Vassal clans also acted as a pool from which noble clans could be raised, notably the Tokugawa and Gao-Ri who became two of the most influential noble clans. With colonisation and the collapse of feudalism the boundaries between noble and vassal clan as well as the boundary between the vassal and serf clan has blurred.
[edit] Serf Clans
The vast bulk of clans fell into this category. The Serf clans were the labouring class of the empire. Toward the end of Gao-Soto's existence members of the Serf Clans has begun to enter jobs previously reserved only for the vassal clans such as senior temple priests and army officers.
[edit] Noble Titles
As a matter of tradition a noble title system has existed in the Noble Clans similar to those found in western cultures and is now legally defined under the The noble title system in Hulstria Act. The head of a Noble Clan is known as a Koshaku, siblings and offspring as Hakushaku, grandchildren as Shishaku and nephews, nieces and great grandchildren as Danshaku. The Emperor can also award noble titles to members of other clans but these are not hereditary like those int he noble clans.
[edit] Clans in the Modern Day
As previously noted the importance of clans is less import than it has been, but clan membership is still a matter of pride for most Gao-Showa and famous clan members and the clans own Kami are still widely venerated. Membership of the right clan can be a definite bonus in getting certain jobs and receiving promotion. Also members of serf clans may be looked down on by members of the noble and vassal clans, especially those of older the generation. There are also notable clan rivalries. The Tokugawa and the Tokehiko have a feud stretching back nearly a millennium, which still causes friction between the groups today.
| Imperial Crownlands of Greater Hulstria
Kien (capital)
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| History & Economy
| Christopher Dove, War of Luthori Succession, Welsh Genocide, New Englian Crisis
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| Geography
| Dovani, Great North Dovani Plain, Schnee-Berge Mountains
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| Demographics
| Celts, Gao-Showa, Gao-Showa Clans, Gao-Showa Language, Hulstrian, Welsh
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| Culture
| National Anthems: The Call of Hulstria, For all eternity, For the Monarchy, Land of our Fathers, The Revolution ne'er can yield
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| Religion
| Buddhism, Episcopalianism in Greater Hulstria, Hellenic Polytheism, Shintoism
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| Crownlands
| Budenlar: Labsburg | Hilgar: Veilchen | Hulstria: Kien | Kuratha: Marchau | Mitrania: Graaffsberg, Mitrania Highlands National Park
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| Politics
| Historically Important Parties: Anarchitarians, Aneist Unionist Party, Christian Communist Party, Gao-Showa Peoples' Party, Kaiserliche Hulsterreichische Partei, Progressive Liberal Party of Hulstria, Refuge Pressure Party | List of Former Parties of Greater Hulstria
Presently Active Parties: Christliche Liberalen Allianz, Fascist Authority Party, Kaiserliche Hulsterreichische Partei, Nationale Demokratische Union, Nationale Partei, Socialist Party of Greater Hulstria
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| Monarchy
| Monarchs: Alexander I, Franz I, Franz VI, Ferdinand I, Godric I, Godric II, Heinrich I, Heinrich II, Karl III, Klaus Gustav III, Klemens II, Rainer IV, Rudolph III, Rudolph IV, Rudolph V
Other Royalty: Klaus Gustav, Crown Prince of Hulstria, Archduke Maximilian of Hulstria, Archduke Wilhelm of Hulstria, Roberta Lusk, Princess Janne von Bavoria, Queen Matilda of Rilandor, Karl, Crown Prince of Hulstria, Archduchess Cristyne of Hulstria, Archduke Rudolph, Archduke Paul of Hulstria, Archduke Henry
Primary Noble Houses: House of Flieder, House of Strauss, House of Rothingren
Palaces: Fliederbrunn Palace, Phönixstein Castle
Other Noble Houses: House of Brunner, House of Halvorsen
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| People
| Gao Showa: Meiji Hideaki, Meiji Takara, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokuro Tanemoto, Naoki Tsukuda, Tokugawa Jiang, Gao-Ri Juro, Haruhi Suzumiya
Hulstrian: Kyril von Flieder, Lanzo Henning, Konrad Labsburg, Otto von Labsburg, Rudolph Labsburg, Rebekka Liese, Heindrich Strauss, Konsort Strauss, Philip Strauss, Rosaline Strauss, Karl van Gessel, Spenzer Roderick, Erwin Zilberschlag, Wolfgang Reinhardt, Hildegard Klay, Martin Valle, Gregory Kleinman, Anders Raske, David Thorsten, Lukas Adenauer, Friedrich Ewald II, Ambrose Bauer, Maggie Bauer-Chamberlain, Charles Fuerstien, Waldemar von Treuburg, Wenzeslaus von Hortensiengau
Other: Charlotte Church, George Huws, Katherine Jenkins, Wali Thomas
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