Cetaganda

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Cetaganda is the collective name for an 8-planet empire in the wormhole Nexus of the Vorkosigan Saga novels of Lois McMaster Bujold.

[edit] Cetagandan Society

Cetaganda is an unusual society with a two-tiered aristocracy. Haut-caste Cetagandans are the products of a several-century long self-conducted genetic engineering experiment to develop the perfect human being. (They believe this process is yet incomplete). Ghem-caste Cetagandans are a military caste which carries some engineered genes. But the Ghem are largely free of the intensive oversight of reproduction which so thoroughly pervades the Haut. The Ghem are driven to impress their Haut-caste masters, largely through military conquest, often with disastrous results (at least as revealed in the series to date). The Ghem population functions as an intermediary between the Haut and the lower class by occasionally contributing genetic material to the Haut, and sometimes receiving disgraced Haut women as wives. Having a Haut wife or contributing genes to the Haut are regarded as highest honors among the Ghem.

There is also a genetically engineered servitor caste, "Ba" - a genderless group incapable of reproduction and used as guinea pigs for the Haut genetic experiments. The ba also generally act as house servants for their masters. There is some indication that they, while being strictly conditioned and engineered for loyalty, may resent this role. Nevertheless, Ba are definitely not a common sight outside major Haut reproduction centers. One might assume that these upper classes require significant resources to continue their lavish lifestyle, which have to be provided by some other, lower class of common people, but no direct canon evidence of workers not belonging to either of these castes is given. Many planets, apparently, were conquered and subjugated by the Ghem-lords (who exist expressly for this purpose) over the course of Cetagandan history. These conquered worlds might have initially provided these working classes.

[edit] Cetaganda's Role in the Saga

Within the Vorkosigan Saga, Cetaganda is principally known for its unsuccessful wars against the planet Barrayar, home to the heroic Miles Vorkosigan, his father Aral Vorkosigan, and grandfather Piotr Vorkosigan. Approximately 80 years before the current time of the story, a Cetagandan invasion of then-technologically backward Barrayar was repulsed. A second, probably minor war, during Miles' youth, is alluded to. More precisely, the only allusion is that the next one is called the third war, namely, a less advanced thrust against Barrayan interests, discovered by Miles and fought off by his father in the novel The Vor Game. Due to a Ba attempting to frame Barrayar for stealing genetic material, a fourth war was in the making in the novel Diplomatic Immunity, but was prevented by the discoveries and fast actions of Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan.

[edit] Real World Basis

A very possible basis for this culture is Japan during the days of the Samurai. The Samurai were the warrior class that fought for the Daimyos, a higher pure nobility class. This would be similar to the ghem and haut. The face paint could be analogous to the helmets the samurai are depicted as wearing. Additionally, Cetaganda is run by an imperial government, as was Japan at the time of the Samurai.