A Guide to Recent Equestrian History

by mint20

Transition and Separation

Author's Note:

WARNING: Headcanon incoming.

Much of Equestria's government had been left to the fans to decide and create. Thus, I have. In writing this, I have attempted to give Celestia and Luna a good deal of power to do what they do in the show, while allowing the ponies to still exhibit a degree of control over the government. That said, here it is.

Oh, and also: I own no part of "For A United Equestria". That is the work of quite a few people, most notably Carbon Maestro. Not one of those people is me.

For a United Equestria can be found here.

Age of Reconstruction
2149-2158 AW
Transition and Separation
Founding of Equestrian Diarchy with the Constitution of Equestria: 2151 AW
Succession of the Anti-Royalists: 2151-2155 AW

In 2150, the ponies started to charter Equestria’s new government. This process started in the summer of that year and ended in the late winter to early spring of 2151. The convention consisted of one hundred twenty one delegates (at the start) drawn from throughout the land, some from the far north, some from the south, and everyplace in between. It was held near Pegasusoplis, probably due to the fact that that city was one of the few that still had any structure left to it at all. All these meetings where absolutely and completely confidential, with the delegates forbidden to discuss anything regarding the possible constitution they were writing. This was meant to avoid one’s friends or colleagues from influencing the propositions, for the delegates were chosen for their political knowledge and level headedness. Complicating the council with political agendas and opinions would have ended disastrously. Finally, neither Celestia nor Luna were allowed into the convention, for fear that if they expressed an opinion, the delegates would be persuaded or intimidated into agreeing with them.

The meetings of the council were held every second day, giving the delegates ample time to think over the propositions made by the ponies the last meeting before voting the next meeting. Each proposition had to gather two-thirds support to pass, that is, eighty supporters, before it would become an official provision of the Equestrian Constitution.

As far as the actual government went, the single largest argument and debate was of what kind of government the pony nation would follow. This set of debates would last from the founding of the Convention to late October, when it was agreed that there would be a constitutional diarchy. The resolution past only by a vote of eighty-one to forty.

Now, the first vote regarding this occurred in the late summer and failed by a large margin, gathering forty-six votes for to seventy-five against. The vote was cast at least six times after the first, slowly gaining more and more support. Numerous compromises were struck. For instance, the original proposition had a very limited court system, and no method of challenging edicts issued by the Princesses. After a few discussions and debates that shook the city above, the Royalists agreed to install a complex court system and add a mechanism to repeal edicts that were considered improper by the population. The process is simple: any grivencing party had to collect a petition of one hundred thousand signatures. Then, the topic would be put to a general vote, requiring a supermajority (two-thirds vote) to repeal the law. In addition, they also passed a few restrictions on what laws the diarchs could and could not pass. For instance, most feared that the royals could raise taxes and enrich themselves at the expense of the common ponies. To compromise, the delegates agreed that all money raised from taxes had to be logged, and deposited directly into a national treasury. On top of that, any raise in taxes had to be presented to a committee of no less that ten and no more than twenty ponies, along with the reason for the raise. In return, the Royalists earned twenty-two votes, for a total of sixty-eight.

This was not enough votes, of course. A few groups consisted of two or three and their votes were won after a few minor compromises, such as the creation of an independent ministry to address the finances of the state and the changing of the title from “Queen” to “Princess”. This was because, due to the Reign of Discord, ponies feared that a “Queen” would try to take Discord’s place, oppressing the ponies’ opinions. By changing the title, the delegates believed that, instead of setting up an autocratic Queen, they were setting up a leader or set of leaders that made decisions for them, but were answerable to the ponies they governed. This compromise brought the Royalists’ cause to seventy-five, still not critical mass.

The final compromise that had to made to earn the final six votes regarded the army and the ability of the royals to declare and wage war, alongside a mechanism to remove a leader from power if she made too many transgressions. The Royalists wanted to allow the Princesses to wage war with little penalty and be able to move troops of the newly-formed nation freely, citing the very valid idea that the military had to be fast and fluid to oppose threats and defend the nation. Their opposition were appalled at this idea, pointing out the also valid point that the ability to wage war without consequence could bankrupt the nation and the power to move troops could be used to intimate the population and stifle freedoms. In addition, in the case a thing like this still managed to happen, the faction wanted a procedure to replace the offending leader.

After furious arguments and debates, a compromise was reached. The Princesses could move troops freely for one month without consequence, to respond to national threat or disaster. After this grace period, the Princesses must present the reason for the movement to a committee of randomly selected citizens of Equestria, who would decide if the reason was valid or not. In the case it was not valid, the troops would be transferred to a special general, who would station the forces at the nearest military base while an investigation into the Princess’s action was conducted. If the committee found the dispatch and movement valid, they would decide whether or not to renew the “licence” for another month. In the case of war, the Princesses were permitted to declare war immediately if the enemy had conducted military operations against any city or settlement of Equestria. If they wished to go to war for some other reason, it was mandated that the Princesses first discuss the reason with the Equestrian population as a whole and put the proposition to a popular vote. The vote had to secure seventy five percent of the general population in order to pass. While at war, the Princesses were in total and complete control to the military, and could add “Warmisteress of Equestria” to her title(s). On paper, the Princesses were not allowed to conduct military operations against any foreign power without a declaration of war. However, when the Princesses took preemptive actions against Lord Tierk in the modern day...that law was somewhat forgotten.

In addition, the delegates agreed on a method of stripping a Princess of Equestria of her power. This could only be done in the case of “gross negligence to the country, stealing from the national treasury, warmongering, diplomatic misconduct, or high treason.” In order for an impeachment to be successful, the grievances were to be raised by a special committee that can be called by any citizen that could prove their claims. Note that, to discourage citizens from filing grievances for no real reason, the penalty for failing to prove claims was harsh, with up to fifty years in a federal prison and a fine that would equal forty million bits in today’s currency. If successful (eighty percent of the committee must agree for it to be successful), the Princess in question is to be suspended, and a popular vote is to occur. If the vote successful, gathering at least eighty-five percent of all the population, not just the voters, the Princess would be stripped of her title and citizenship, and banished from all of Equestria’s holdings. If the vote fails, but gathers at least seventy percent, the Princess will remained suspended for six months, and an investigation would occur. In something incriminating is found, the evidence would be shared and the vote cast again. Less, and the Princess would be reinstated, but an investigation would still occur. In the case the committee failed to find enough evidence to bring charges, nothing would happen, the pony that aired the grievances would be punished, and the case would be dropped. With this, the final votes were received, and eighty one votes were cast in favor of a constitutional diarchy.

There was a huge outrage when the vote narrowly past and a faction of thirteen delegates insisted that the decision be declared invalid. When the eighty one refused, five delegates declared that “Equestria has no ruler, and Equestria needs no ruler,” and left the council, never to return. Thus the conventions shrunk to one hundred sixteen.

The question of government settled, there was still some questions to be answered. For instance, How would treaties be decided? What if the Princesses signs a treaty that the population rejects? And finally, how would succession of the Princesses occur, should one grow old and die?

The first question was rather simple. For trade agreements and other “minor” treaties, the constitution allowed for the creation of a diplomatic department, which would negotiate on behalf of the Princesses, and, by extension, the ponies of Equestria. A “major” treaty, such as a peace treaty or purchase or sale of land, however, required both Princesses to negotiate and agree to the treaty in question. As for the second question, all “major” treaties had to be ratified by a supermajority of the Equestrian population. If a significant portion of the population disagreed with a “minor” treaty, it would be put to a vote, requiring a simple majority.

Finally, the debate of succession lasted from mid November to the new year. After numerous compromises, the following deal was struck: the Princesses could name a successor to the throne. However, the successor in question had to “prove themselves worthy of this high honor not only by possessing the skills, but also the high ideals Equestria is founded upon.” According to earlier in the document, this is namely that of being a leader to all in harmony, friendship, and love. To this effect, a successor could take power immediately, but for the first year was a period of probation, in which all decisions made by her had to be ratified by any existing leader. If no leader was still alive, a small committee of ponies drawn due to their knowledge of law and politics would serve as the ratifying group.

There were a few other minor decisions that took to February of 2151. For instance, the final wording of the preamble of the Constitution was decided. It went as follows:

We, the Ponies of Equestria, in order to better forge the bounds of love, to renew our circle of fellowship, and to continue to sustain the Fire of Friendship, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the sovereign nation of Equestria. May all three tribes live in harmony forevermore.

Finally, the last decision was the arguably one of the most interesting. In late February to early March, the delegates agreed upon an anthem for the new nation. This was not a part of the constitution, but the delegates still wanted a to form a strong, unified base for Equestria, and they felt a great way to so that was to declare an official anthem for the nation. It was called “Quia Unita Equus Terra” which roughly translates into “For An United Equestria” from Ancient Equestrian. In Modern Equestrian, the lyrics translate to:

United we stand,
Divided we fall.
From plains,
To shining sea,
We breathe,
Flourish,
Love,
And live.
Equestria,
it's a place worth
living.

This would be the anthem of Equestria all the way up to the Lunar Restoration, when a new anthem would be selected to celebrate the return of Princess Luna.

Finally, with the convention over, the document had to be presented to the ponies of Equestria. The document required a supermajority of the citizens of Equestria to ratify it. Due to some well-placed propaganda and a near-universal love and support for Celestia and Luna, the constitution was ratified on April 1, 2151.

Now, not everypony was satisfied with this decision. Like the convention, a sizeable fraction of ponies, about fifteen percent of the population, where shocked and appalled at the idea that Equestria now had a set of powerful rulers. Most of these dissenters were appeased over the course of a few years, with the Princesses passing several reform laws. However, an even smaller portion of the population took drastic action quickly instead of waiting patiently for the government to act. Quickly, these separatists took up the title of Anti-Royalists and declared that Equestria was not Equestria if it was led by a royal. To them, Equestria was, and should be, only a republic. They left Equestria, some settling in the Crystal Empire for a while, and others crossing the East Sea, eventually finding land and settling, founding the nation now known as Saddle Arabia. They have remained a republic ever since their founding, and have had their fair share of troubles. However, they have more or less managed to prosper for over a thousand years.

The Princesses learned of the “rebellion,” if you will. They considered taking military action against the Saddle Arabians, but decided against it. The reasons for this was many and varied, but foremost was that the Constitution outlined ideas of friendship and harmony. Taking open military action against this seemed to run counter, seeing as the citizens had hadn’t technically done anything wrong, for the land they claimed did not belong to any nation, nor were they violent in the separation. Add to that the more practical fact that Equestria had neither the ponypower or the resources to wage a civil war against a very different faction, idealistically speaking, and allowing the separatists to leave peacefully seems to be a very appealing option.

Gradually, leave they did. The departure lasted for four years, and it is estimated that about ten thousand ponies left to form Saddle Arabia, found various city states, such as Maretonia, or swell the numbers of the Crystal Empire. The Princesses realized that ponies of Equestria would likely not support a war against these separatists, and sought a diplomatic alliance with them. This political maneuvering and manipulation will last for a long time. For instance, an alliance with the Crystal Empire would take a long time to form. Only the threat of a common foe would allow the two pony nations to work together.

Comments

[raw666]

Um... Sadia Arabia were horses, not ponies. Though there was a nation of ponies called: Maretonia though it is rulled by duke and duchess though it could be like Star Wars where a queen is a elected offical.