Baronial class

The baronial class refers to the landowning nobility, especially to the upper nobility.

Terminology

In both kingdoms the highest ranking nobles who hold large provinces are called dukes but the term "baron" (especially the plural "barons") is still used to refer to the vassals of a sovereign (as in Hu's Council of Barons).

The terms "province" and "duchy" are also used interchangeably as ducal fiefdoms and lands historically considered as constituting a province are usually coterminous.

Feudalism

Hu is a late-feudal state and Long is feudal or semi-feudal. In some periods the King of Long has been able to impose bureaucratic rule from the center on to the kingdom's provinces although the baronial class always persisted even if its powers were shared or curtailed by centrally appointed governors and civil servants.

Under the feudal system, barons hold a great deal of authority over their held provinces and the king's decision making power and mandate to rule is dependent on a consensus among his barons. In Hu, a council of barons is customarily assembled to approve any royal plans to levy taxes or troops and in Long dukes have been known to rebel against kings who were are perceived as decadent (as opposed to virtuous) or as too weak to effectively rule. Rebelling barons might assert their independence, seek to overthrow the king (perhaps replacing him with a preferred member of the ruling clan) or attempt to usurp the throne.

Government roles

In Hu all military and government officials have historically come from baronial families while Long has for centuries had a meritocratic civil service.

Modern Period

In modern time, the barons' dominance has waned with the rise of the merchant class -- families who made their fortune from trade rather than landholdings. Besides the merchants proper there is a larger class of city dwellers (especially the burghers in western Hu and the citizens of the Cetacian city states on the coast of southern Long) who are not bound to any feudal lords. In other Hu cities some inhabitants are serfs who were permitted to abandon their villages in return for paying "quit rent" to their lord. Some citizens also return to their village of origin during the harvest.