Lein Empire

The Lein Dynasty was a dynasty of the Empire, of that civilisation which was anciently known as the Yesan, preceded by the Har Dynasty and succeeded by the Yech Dynasty. It was ruled by the family of the same name, and ruled for around 500 years (depending on the definition of the ending of the dynasty, since it split into two at its end); founded by Lein Durun berHikas, it had either 20 or 21 Emperors in all (again, depending on definition). See Genealogy of the Lein Emperors.

The Lein Dynasty was the third unified dynasty of the Yesan, and in terms of historical impact one of the greatest ever. During the dynasty the Empire more than doubled in area, and extended military and political control over four continents, to the extent of carving up entire continents into properly-defined states, all of which were them placed under the protection and suzerainty of the Imperial Court. Meanwhile, artistically the Lein was also a golden age, with new styles of sculpting, painting and other graphic arts imported from all over the world, while poetry evolved from the old, relatively rigid style of the 'ode' to the new 'song' and 'assertion' forms.

Beginnings

The founding of the Lein Dynasty had its roots in the corruption and terror which occupied the last decades of the Har Dynasty. During the reign of the last two Har Emperors, the country was slipping into ever-greater chaos; while many families, granted Imperial Approvals to monopolise trade in certain regions and to pay the taxes to the government, were rapidly growing into political powers of their own right, the princes, families of the imperial consorts (the Outer Kin) and the officials were being engaged in bitter factional infighting in the power centre.