Earth Kingdom
The Earth Kingdom is a Human civilization that features in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Contents |
History
The Earth Kingdom (土國, Earth Kingdom) was a country that was established in the world and consisted of humans who had learnt the art of Earthbending. During the age of Raava, the lands of the Earth Kingdom were part of the Spirit Wilds with the people being forced to survive the wrathful beings of the Spirit World as well as untamed nature. Some of the forebears of the Earth Kingdom came to survive by retreating to the cities atop the lion turtles. From them, they came the learn of the element of earth and developed the ability to manipulate it through energybending. The early Earthbenders could request the use of this power whenever they ventured into the Spirit Wilds where they used it to help in gathering food and resources. Some of the ancestors of the Earth Kingdom alternatively chose a nomadic lifestyle where they travelled the wilds and only stayed in a place for as long as it was safe.
After Avatar Wan closed the spirit portals and most spirits left the mortal world, the lion turtles renounced their roles as protectors of mankind. At this point, the predecessors of the Earth Kingdom left the lion turtle cities in favor of establishing settlements throughout the mainland, while most of the nomads settled down. Soon after, the ancestors of the first Earth Kingdom citizens began to wage wars, inventing the large earth coins as primary weapons for their warriors to use. Avatar Wan died after intervening in a battle of Earth Kingdom predecessors. Unlike the other nations, where one culture eventually prevailed, the later Earth Kingdom was so large and diverse that several cultures and ethnicities emerged and survived to fight for independence and dominance. In the northeast, people carved a small subterranean settlement out of rocks. Mining and trading beautiful illuminated crystals, the agglomeration began to grow into a city until it reached the surface. Soon after, the catacombs were abandoned and the new metropolis on the surface became the mighty city-state of Ba Sing Se. In its early days, Ba Sing Se was attacked by rival polities several times, but saved by its strategically favorable location: Its southern enemies had to march through the treacherous Taihua Mountains to reach the city, and were destroyed by the mountain range's horrible blizzards.
In the west, the two lovers, Oma and Shu, became the first people to learn earthbending directly from badgermoles. The villages the two were from were at war, however, and eventually Shu was killed in battle. Heartbroken, Oma used her abilities to ensure peace and force the villages to unite. The city they built was named Omashu, and became a powerful city-state in its own right. The city of Lady Tienhai prospered and continued to grow as well. In the south, some earthbending nomads made the Si Wong Desert their home, learning to sandbend and finally forming the Si Wong tribes. They were predated by the beetle-headed merchants, who had lived in the desert since ancient times, and continued to roam it for coming centuries. Some chose not to settle down, however, and became nomads. Some of these nomads waged war against settled people and surprised their footslogged armies with their tactic of bringing multiple mounts, switching between them on the fly to keep the animals as fresh and speedy as possible. They would later be recorded in the annals of the Earth Kingdom as 'nomadic barbarians'.
Over time, the monarchs of Ba Sing Se became increasingly powerful and began to unite and subjugate the numerous kingdoms and peoples of the later Earth Kingdom. They left some kings and nobles in power, however, as long as they submitted to Ba Sing Se. Eventually, one ruler of Ba Sing Se ended the unification wars in victory and crowned themselves the Earth Kingdom's first monarch, not to leave the capital city until their death. An early line of Earth Monarchs was the Hao dynasty. Despite Ba Sing Se's victory, the Earth Monarchs were unable to establish a centralist or authoritarian regime due to the kingdom's sheer size. As a result, the Earth Kingdom became a confederate monarchy, divided into several semi-autonomous provinces. Over time, the power of the Earth Monarchs would wax and wane, but none of them would truly control all of the kingdom. Some regions, like the Si Wong Desert were too remote and difficult to govern, whereas others were simply too unimportant for the central government to care about them. The government's inability to exercise full control allowed outlaw groups to become unusually sophisticated in the Earth Kingdom: They developed their own culture and code of conduct, and became known as daofei. Despite this, the Earth Monarchs usually held absolute power in Ba Sing Se. At some point, a migrant group belonging to the Bhanti tribe arrived in the Earth Kingdom and became the country's first sages. As time went on, the Earth Sages transformed into little more than powerful officials who were no longer interested in spiritual matters. This development contributed to the growth of corruption in the Earth Kingdom.
Overview
Geography
In appearance, the Earth Kingdom was a large continent taking up most of the planet's eastern hemisphere. Earth Kingdom was by far the largest nation in terms of geographic size; the kingdom's size is to the extent that it is a neighbour of every other nation.
The large nation was noted for being divided into multiple provinces. (Episode: Zuko Alone) These included a number of major cities that existed within the kingdom. (Episode: The King of Omashu) In addition, these were sub-divided into further small townships and separate town.
Locations within the Earth Kingdom included:
- Ba Sing Se : the capital of the Kingdom.
- Omashu :
- Zaofu : an autonomous city-state located in the southwestern part of the Earth Kingdom that was the home of the Metal Clan.
- Kyoshi Island :
Government
The type of government maintained by the Earth Kingdom was a confederate monarchy. Originally, it was ruled by proud warrior-kings that commanded the lands personally and brutally. The central ruler of the kingdom went by the title of the Earth King. However, in time, the Earth King ceded more and more of their power to government figures in the city with this having a byzantine structure. This led to the Earth King becoming more of a figurehead who lived a lavish lifestyle and tended to be surrounded by sycophants. They gave their royal seals to their advisors who were responsible for passing out decrees and laws. A key advisor and counsel was the Grand Secretariat and the Head of the Dai Li. (Episode: City of Walls and Secrets) Should the monarch be a woman then they went by the title of Earth Queen.
The government of Ba in Se was shown to be incredibly oppressive and could be focused in a single dictator. The level of control exhibited on the population ranges from severe economic and social regimentation and segregation, feelings of superiority over others, and forcible elimination of opposition by methods such as brainwashing. The government was shown as being highly bureaucratic with the processing of a request to meet with the Earth King possibly taking up to 6-8 weeks to process. (Episode: City of Walls and Secrets) Similarly, proper clearance was required for posting up something as simple as a lost animal flier. (Episode: Lake Laogai) Its leaders also make use of sixty-seven different seals, each used on various occasions, for the approval or processing of documents and orders. (Website: Avatar: The Last Airbender website)
Society
The Earth Kingdom was home to an order of men and women who practice earthbending, the mystical art of geokinesis. Earth was the element of substance; its people are proud and strong, virtually immovable, as reflected in Earthbending.
The people of the Earth Kingdom express wide variety in their appearances throughout the vast lands of the empire. Those residing in the rural areas often wear clothes similar to those of peasants. Royals and the wealthy, as illustrated by Toph Bei Fong, as well as the rest of the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, usually wear robes similar to the Manchurian-Chinese Qipao, especially during parties and events. Men may grow beards and/or mustaches; younger men may have the same style but wear their hair down. Their skin complexion is usually fair, tan or brown, uniquely various throughout the Kingdom, especially compared to the homogeneous appearances of the other bending groups. They most typically express light brown, deep brown or green eyes. They usually wear green, yellow-green, tan or brown clothing, though they have been seen wearing outfits of other colors.
From the technology-driven refugees under the Mechanist to the initially isolationist inhabitants of Kyoshi Island, the culture of the Earth Kingdom is far less monolithic than those of the other nations. This is likely due to its size. The common aspect of these different cultures is their rather simplistic and somewhat archaic nature, especially in comparison to the more industrialized Fire Nation. According to Uncle Iroh, the diversity of the peoples of the Earth Kingdom is one of its greatest strengths.
The Earth Kingdom citizens have created many games and attractions. In Omashu, the game first played by Aang and invented by King Bumi is based on the mail delivery system of Omashu, which Bumi has referred to as "The World's Greatest Superslide".
Each of the Four Nations is influenced by their own distinct, dominant season; the Earth Kingdom's is spring, the time when most living things on Earth are reborn. To this effect, more Earthbenders are born during the spring than any other time of year and their powers are at their strongest during the springtime.
On Kyoshi Island, an all-female order of warriors named the Kyoshi Warriors was formed by Avatar Kyoshi where they were charged with protecting their homeland. In the Kingdom was the Five-Seven-Five Society that was an organization of young women who specialized in the art of poetry with a focus on traditional haiku. A group that formed within the kingdom was the Metal Clan who had developed the art of metalbending.
A prestigious institution within the kingdom was the notable Ba Sing Se University.
Earth Kingdom currency, coins, are composed from metals such as copper shaped into the fashion of the national emblem. The design is also applied to certain large, stone "coins" which are used as weapons by earthbending soldiers. Though at first glance they would appear to be the most simple of substances, rock and stone turn out to be the Earth Kingdom's greatest natural resources, as such are widely used and manipulated into just about everything, from small tools to entire metropolises. While the Earth Kingdom as a whole does not make use of fossil fuels nearly as much as the industrialized Fire Nation, coal is mined in certain villages for fuel. The timber of their forests also serve as fuel along with being lumbered for building. As a result of the various minerals it contains, an ample amount of vegetables manage to sufficiently grow within the rich, fertile soil of the Earth Kingdom, while fruits and nut trees are equally as abundant. Wild game and domesticated animals thrive in the lush forests and farmlands, adding beef and poultry to the Earth Kingdom citizens' diet.
Architecture, farming, carpentry, hunting, and mining are among many significant Earth Kingdom industries. Its citizens have managed to develop an advanced trade and commerce system so that almost all may benefit. From the complex sewage and postal system of Omashu,<ref name = "The King of Omashu"/> to the Ba Sing Se metro transit stations,<ref name = "The Drill"/> and various inventions and their inventors, such as the Mechanist, all serve as demonstration of the Earth Kingdom's surprisingly sophisticated society.
Military
Since the Earth Kingdom is geographically the largest of the four nations, it possesses a large variety of combat organizations and personnel. Due to the majority of its territory being landlocked and segregrated by mountainous terrain, the Earth Kingdom is most dependent on its land-based army forces. Like the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom armies consist of benders and normal foot soldiers. Soldiers, both benders and non-benders, carry a wide variety of weapons, from spears, swords, and other various polearms, to more unusual weapons such as hammers, axes, and sickles. Nonbending soldiers typically wear a helmet shaped like a mix of a conical straw hat and a spinning top, along with a neck guard underneath, are more heavily armoured, and wear boots. Earthbenders' helmets are pointed and are decorated with the Earth Kingdom emblem. They are also barefooted, as called for by a principle of earthbending. Officers wear yellow armor in place of the regular green armor.
Earth Kingdom soldiers in various parts of the Earth Kingdom tend to wear slightly different colored uniforms than that of others. For example, the guards at the gates of Omashu wore slightly different uniforms than other Earthbenders in other parts of the Earth Kingdom.<ref name = "The King of Omashu"/> The Earthbenders who captured Iroh in "The Spirit World" wore yellow and light brown.<ref name = "The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)"/> General Fong's soldiers wore light green,<ref name = "The Avatar State"/> the ferry guards of Full Moon Bay wore brown on tan uniforms,<ref name = "The Serpent's Pass"/> and the personal guards of the Bei Fong family wore a cream colored uniform. The non-bending soldiers of Omashu wear leaf-green colors, while other non-bending soldiers across the Earth Kingdom wear a drab olive green. At Ba Sing Se the soldiers on the walls have more diverse uniforms, with black and gold colors.
The cavalry consists of Ostrich Horses, which can vertically climb short distances and run at high speeds.<ref name = "The Avatar State"/> They are also used as civilian transports.
Earthbenders use stones shaped like the Earth Kingdom emblem as artillery and catapult projectiles.<ref name = "The Avatar State"/> These person-sized round coins are invaluable weapons to the Earthbenders. The coins can be lined up side by side to make a defensive mobile wall, or stacked to make an impromptu lookout tower. Skilled Earthbenders can use these coins as a vehicle and "ride" in the hole in the middle of the coins.
By consulting with various Earthbenders, the Earth Kingdom inventor the Mechanist was able to design and perfect metallic, multi-segmented, earthbending-powered tanks which were actively used in the Fire Nation invasion. The Earth Kingdom tanks are piloted by a crew of four Earthbenders who work to move the caterpillar-like vehicle by pushing off the ground with their feet. Thanks to their multiple segments, the tanks are able to navigate on uneven terrain and even climb over elevated obstacles. Hatches on the sides of the tank open and close, allowing Earthbenders to fire stone projectiles at the enemy.<ref name = "Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website"/>
Not much is known about the Earth Navy, save that it is likely inferior to that of the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom's General Fong explicitly stated that invading the Fire Nation with its ships would be suicidal. Zuko also mentioned that his ship crashed into an Earth Nation ship, to use as an excuse for the damage done to it when he sent it for repairs at Zhao's harbor.
The Dai Li are the cultural enforcers of Ba Sing Se. They are under the direct command of Long Feng, the culture minister, and function as a sort of secret police; arresting and re-educating anyone who breaks regulations concerning mention of the war.<ref name="City of Walls and Secrets">Template:Cite episode</ref> In addition to distinct uniforms, they are notable for sporting stone gloves and shoes, which can be used to great effect as weapons through Earthbending. Though they serve the Earth King, they are loyal only to Long Feng.<ref name = "The Earth King"/> However, after the events of the coup d'état led against the Earth Kingdom capital, they have pledged loyalty to Azula.<ref name = "The Crossroads of Destiny"/> It is the Dai Li who are responsible for tearing down Ba Sing Se's walls to allow the entrance of the Fire Nation army invasion force and the eventual firm occupation of the capital city.<ref name = "The Awakening"/> The Dai Li are seen again during the series finale, where they are summoned by Firelord Azula. Azula, unsatisfied with their performance and fearing that they will eventually betray her, banishes the Dai Li from the palace. They are not seen again afterward.
According to the online flash game, "Escape from the Spirit World," the Dai Li was created several centuries before the start of the story by avatar Kyoshi to preserve the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. This was in response to a peasant uprising against the government and the forty-sixth Earth King. She currently regrets having created the Dai Li, as she had no idea how corrupt they would become at the time.<ref>Avatar Escape From The Spirit World Online Flash Game</ref>
They appear to be modeled after the government agents of Qing Dynasty China, generally known as the Dai Li (in Cantonese) The organization may also be named after Dai Li: the feared Spymaster of Chiang Kai-Shek before and during the Second World War. (Template:Lang-zh; Pinyin: dà nèi)-- which literally means "Greater-Inner" and refers to those who serve in the Greater Inner Sanctum of the Forbidden City.
The Kyoshi Island Warriors are an all-female group of fighters led by Suki on Kyoshi Island. Their fighting style and clothing honor that of their founder, Avatar Kyoshi, although the most current fighters do not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. Clad in ornate, green armor and Kabuki-like makeup, designed to intimidate opponents, Kyoshi Island Warriors use metal fans as their primary weapons, but it is later revealed the warriors additionally utilize katana and wrist shields.<ref name="Appa's Lost Days">Template:Cite episode</ref> Holding the fans like extensions of their own arms, they aim to turn the strength of their opponents against them, a principle also hinged upon in waterbending. Traditionally, only women are trained as Kyoshi Warriors,<ref name = "Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website"/> however there have been exceptions over the years.<ref name = "The Warriors of Kyoshi"/>
Although Kyoshi Island had long remained neutral in the war, following the Avatar's arrival on the island, the Kyoshi Island Warriors were inspired to assist the Earth Kingdom army in its attempts to resist the Fire Nation. They accomplish this not by serving on the front lines, but serving as guards for refugee ferries to Ba Sing Se.<ref name="The Serpent's Pass">Template:Cite episode</ref> The warriors appeared again in "Appa's Lost Days" where they struggled to protect Appa from capture at the hands of Princess Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. Following the confrontation, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrate the city of Ba Sing Se disguised as members of the Kyoshi Warriors,<ref name = "The Earth King"/> confirming the real Kyoshi Warriors' defeat. They did however succeed in saving the life of Appa, one of the greatest aids to the Avatar that any other characters had performed.<ref name = "The Guru"/> They appear again in the series finale after being freed from prison. Ty Lee is now a member of the Kyoshi Warriors and it is implied they now know Ty Lee's chi blocking techniques.
The Council of Five is a group of five high-ranking Earth Kingdom Generals, including General How and General Sung, who decide the best use of their armies fighting outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. It is the Council of Five who designs and implements any war plans, which includes the best means of protecting the capital city as well as the proposed invasion of the Fire Nation. In addition to this, the Council also controls the Kings Guards, an elite force of guards who protect the king. The Council of Five has been together for as long as there has been a king of Ba Sing Se, and up until Long Feng came into power, it has always worked hand in hand with the Earth King to ensure the city's well being.
Under Princess Azula's execution of the coup d'état against the capital, all members of the council have been taken captive by the Dai Li and are currently being held under house arrest.<ref name = "The Crossroads of Destiny"/> It is assumed that they were rescued when the White Lotus members liberated Ba Sing Se.
These royal, earthbending guards of Ba Sing Se are affiliated with neither the Dai Li nor the military, and instead serve as personal protectors of the Earth King.<ref name = "Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website"/> There seem to be hundreds of them guarding the Royal Palace. The guards use specialized surface-to-surface rocks against invaders approaching on foot, but the projectiles are displayed to be able to also serve as surface-to-air rocks against airborne intruders. Sporting dark green armor and feather-topped helmets, the guards have also been shown as the gate keepers of the outer and inner walls of Ba Sing Se.
Cities and locations
Kyoshi Island
One of the islands off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, Kyoshi Island is an island founded in the South Sea by Avatar Kyoshi in an effort to protect her people from invaders.<ref name = "Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website"/> Having born the Avatar over four hundred years ago,<ref name = "The Warriors of Kyoshi"/> the island has a shrine (formerly a temple) dedicated to Kyoshi that contains her relics, including her kimono, metal fans, metal headdress, and her boots. Supposedly, these relics still embody some of Kyoshi's spirit.<ref name = "Avatar Day"/>. Predominately a fishing port, travelers and traders favor the island as a stopping point. In the nearby sea, there are Elephant Koi, which serve as the island's main source of commerce, and a giant eel known as the Unagi. The denizens of Kyoshi Island's dwell scattered amongst several small villages found all around the island. Each village has its own leader and is served and protected by a band of female Kyoshi Island Warriors, who fight with metal fans in the same techniques as the island's namesake Avatar,<ref name = "Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website"/> as well as a fighting style that emulates the Waterbender's philosophy of using the opponents' force against them.
Due to holding no significant military advantage and retaining very few Earthbenders, Kyoshi Island has managed to stay out of the Fire Nation's war for nearly a century — until Zuko recently attacked it looking for Aang. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the island have no intention of inviting unwanted attention, and the warriors often find themselves dealing with disorderly traders and travelers who, after a night of drinking in the port of Kyoshi, stumble into the villages and cause trouble.<ref name = "Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website"/> As a result, the villagers are quite hostile towards outsiders, often fearing the possibility of Fire Nation spies. However, inspired by the Avatar Aang's arrival on the island, the citizens have gained new hope and have adopted a more welcoming attitude since then. Additionally, the Kyoshi Island Warriors recently left to join the war effort in hopes of making a difference.<ref name = "Avatar Day"/>
During the time of Avatar Kyoshi, a warlord known as "Chin the Great" was enveloping the entire Earth Kingdom in his armies and ruthless dictatorship. Kyoshi managed to keep her people safe from invasion by using a combination of different bending techniques to separate their peninsula from the mainland and form an island. This left a cliff at Chin's feet, where he fell to his death as the rock beneath him collapsed. The village of Chin was founded near the cliff and was known to be very antagonistic towards all reincarnations of the Avatar, believing that they killed their glorious leader. Only recently when Aang, the current Avatar, saves the village from rhino-riding Fire Nation soldiers do they put their qualms aside and reinvent their effigy-burning "Avatar Day" into a more friendly celebration. This day is known as Kyoshi Day on Kyoshi Island and celebrates the day of its founding.
Omashu
Omashu was the Earth Kingdom's first city. The city of Omashu sits within a mountain range, surrounded on all sides by steep canyons and an enormous gorge, with the only way to its gates being a narrow path over the chasm. The cities' three gates are composed from massive stone, each five feet thick and towering over thirty feet high, accessible only by Earthbenders who guard its lone entrance. It is ruled by King Bumi and holds the place of being the Earth Kingdom's second largest city. Omashu's main industry was producing weapons and supplies for the war effort, and had developed a complex and efficient mail system used to transport goods throughout the city that employed Earthbending and gravity using extensive ramps and chutes.<ref name="Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website">Official Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender website</ref> As children, Bumi and Aang used the ramps as slides.
At the beginning of Book Two, Aang and his friends travel to Omashu once more so that he may learn Earthbending under King Bumi. On their journey, they pass through the Cave of Two Lovers where it is revealed that the city was founded many millennia ago and named for Oma and Shu, a Romeo and Juliet pair from two warring villages who became the first Earthbenders.
Since Aang, Katara, and Sokka's last visit, Omashu had surrendered to the Fire Nation, who had developed metal, extending bridges to bypass the gorge. The entire city is displayed to be undergoing massive reconstruction to better suit the Fire Nation occupation, complete with a huge statue of Fire Lord Ozai built at the highest peak of Omashu. Most notably altered is the palace, the original of which was completely leveled and replaced with the metal pagoda architecture favored by the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom citizens and remnant soldiers had managed to find refuge within the sewer systems beneath Omashu and eventually are able to escape the city under the guise of an epidemic shortly after Aang arrives. Soon after, the city of Omashu is renamed "New Ozai" by Princess Azula.
In The Series Finale it is shown that King Bumi escaped his metal cage, destroyed all of the factories and fire nation made structures (Including a statue of Ozai) and retook his city from Fire Nation Control during the Solar Eclipse.
Based on the ancient writing in "The Cave of Two Lovers," the modern way to write Omashu is 奥瑪舒. Ào mǎ ( 奥 瑪 ) mean "mysterious carnelian," while shū ( 舒 ) means relax. Carnelian is a semiprecious stone consisting of an orange or orange-red variety of chalcedony.
Ba Sing Se
Ba Sing Se is the capital of the Earth Kingdom. Its outer walls are probably modeled after the Great Wall of China, Ba Sing Se is impenetrable and isolated from the rest of the world. It withstood a six-hundred day siege led by the Fire Nation's General Iroh, which ended after Iroh's son, Lu Ten, died on the front lines and Iroh was in too much in grief to continue. As shown in the Comic Convention 2006, Ba Sing Se is an enormous city with several rock-like monorails, similar to the ones in Omashu although greatly scaled up and more sedate. The "cars" are moved by Earthbending. Following the events of the Season 2 finale, the government of Ba Sing Se was deposed through an internal army led by Azula.<ref name="The Crossroads of Destiny">Template:Cite episode</ref> With the fall of Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom lost its last great stronghold to the Fire Nation.
Ba Sing Se's greatest secret to its staying power in the war is the farmland behind its outer wall. These vast fields supply the entire city with food to enable them to survive a siege of any duration, so long as the outer wall remains intact. Only on two separate occasions has the great wall ever been penetrated. It was apparently breached during Iroh's six-hundred day siege, however, the city survived, as the siege broke shortly thereafter. The city's wall is nearly penetrated once again by a large drill-like invention created by the Mechanist for the Fire Nation. However, with Sokka's ingenuity, Aang, Katara, and Toph manage to disable the drill and ruin the Fire Nation plans. Soon after this victory, Azula entered the city and with a coup d'état - forced by the Dai Li - Azula took over power. The Great Wall of Ba Sing Se was broken down and the army of the Fire Nation occupied the city. <ref name="The Drill">Template:Cite episode</ref> In the series finale, Iroh, along with the other members of the White Lotus secret society, retakes the city in the name of the Earth Kingdom.
The main characters do not reach Ba Sing Se until "City of Walls and Secrets," where the culture is at first revealed. The city is divided into various levels based on social class, with the ghettos of the poor and refugees being walled off from the rest of the town (mirroring the strict societal rules of class interaction that governed ancient China). It is also revealed that society is heavily controlled, and that the war is not allowed to be mentioned inside the walls (this is similar to China, where the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 are not to be mentioned in the country). This was meant to maintain order and the cultural heritage of the city, making it the only remaining "utopian" society in the world. It is eventually revealed that the Earth King is actually mostly a figurehead, with great ceremonial power, but little authority. The political leader of the city is Long Feng, the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and the Head of the Dai Li. He and the Dai Li maintain strict control of the people and the culture, and prefer to pretend the war does not exist. This is most likely the result of Ba Sing Se's safety - the people of the city consider it impenetrable, and thus feel they can delude themselves into pretending all is fine in the rest of the Kingdom. Those who attempt to disrupt this fantasy are promptly brainwashed by the Dai Li into believing that the war doesn't even exist. This is perhaps most powerfully shown in "The Drill," where they maintain the belief in their safety even when the city is threatened---and which also shows the city may not be as strong as believed.
In "The Drill," the name Ba Sing Se is revealed to mean "Impenetrable City," as an Earth Kingdom general jokes that it is not named "Na Sing Se" (meaning "Penetrable City").
The national emblem of the Earth Kingdom is a square inscribed with a circle, at the center of which is a much smaller square (Like a Chinese coin). The insignia symbolizes both the literal and figurative depth of the Earth Kingdom. It represents the immeasurable layers of deep rock and minerals which Earthbenders manipulate to maintain their great cities, as well as the depth of the inhabitants' commitment and strive towards the effort of a peaceful and productive way of life.
Members
- Long Feng :
- Toph Bei Fong :
- Suyin Beifong :
Notes
- Based on Toph's passport seen in "The Serpent's Pass," Earth Kingdom was literally written as 土国 (Tǔ guó), the direct translation was Earth Country.
- The Earth Kingdom was heavily influenced by Qing Dynasty China.
- The oppressive nature of the Ba Sing Se government may be compared to Airstrip 1 in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four.
Appearances
- Avatar: The Last Airbender:
External Link
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