Kingdom of Okso

The Kingdom of Okso is a legendary polity within Ofot mythology that became the namesake of multiple historical states in eastern Okrit, which all claimed to be the name of Okso. Meaning firstborn of the ancestors, the Okso states claimed direct descent from the Ukubian Empire and as successors to the greater Ukubian state, leading to a multitude of conflicts as different families and territories claimed the title. These states are distinguished from each other by the ruling dynasty, such as Okso Darawe, which was based in the city of Dakafar. The Kingdom of Okso is the namesake of the modern Special Province of Okso.

Structure

The Kingdoms of Okso were governed by a Far, a hereditary monarch equivalent to a king within the traditional law of the Ofot.

Succession

When the Far ascended to the throne, he was obliged to enact a law known as makoos that determined the succession law, as well as other factors of the Far’s rule. The person nominated as the heir, known as the kha or a variation of, could be changed by the Far, though must have been a valid nominee within the bounds of the chosen makoos. While the chosen makoos could not be changed once it had been declared, some Fars attempted to with varying acceptance.When the Far was in a position that required a regent or regency council, the regents were allowed to change the nominee for kha, but were obliged to follow the rules of the declared makoos. Which of the makossaw laws were the oldest or 'most authentic' is a subject that is not only debated by modern scholars but also by contemporary scholars of the Okso states. In modern scholarship, the consensus has been reached that the Makoos Beh was the most recently innovated due to a lack of attestations in the older historical sources. While Fars were commonly favoured to be male, women were allowed to ascend to the role and were given primacy in marriage, with children being of their dynasty, however they could only have one husband. Certain kingdoms followed dynastic laws, Makossana, which were declared by the first Far of the dynasty and applied to the entire following lineage.

Makoos Nde

The Ndekha was the firstborn of the Far’s favourite wife, an officially designated position known as the Bedifar. The role of Bedifar was significant as it symbolically represented the Far seeing the chosen spouse as his equal, raising the spouse to the status of co-monarch. The Bedifar was ceremonially crowned alongside the Far and thus ascended alongside him. The Far could then change who became Ndekha by designated a different Bedifar, though this was often highly controversial and costly. Succession thereafter was based on the primacy of the Bedifar's children. It is not unprecedented for the Ndekha to have been specifically chosen by the Far from his children with the Bedifar. While the outcome of the Makoos Soso is not too dissimilar from the Makoos Nde, the Makoos Nde was useful for political manoeuvres, and was legitimised by some scholars under the idea that Far would choose his most rightful successor.

Makoos Soso

The Sosokha was the firstborn of the Far’s first wife. This was the most commonly declared makoos and could be considered the ‘default’ due to its prominent historical use. The Makoos Soso could be seen as the most consistent and undisputable method of succession, as it followed the primacy of the the children within the primacy of the Far's wives. The Makoos Soso was considered the 'most legitimate' form of succession by a large contingent of chroniclers and scholars at the time, and was not uncommonly referenced within annotations of Gimra king lists to criticise certain monarchs or dynasties

Makoos Beh

The Behkha is the eldest child of the Far’s siblings, regardless of the primacy of his siblings or their children. This makoos was often controversial as it could be perceived as a rejection of the Far’s wives and children, even their advisors and dynasty as a whole. The Makoos Beh held the potential to displace a ruling dynasty from power, as the eldest of the Far's nieces or nephews was not necessarily part of their dynasty or even from within the state. T For these reasons it was not commonly used and was the source of multiple rebellions and civil wars. It was favoured however in its flexibility in political manoeuvres as it could secure the throne away from undesired claimants. It was such an instance that led to the ascension of Far Bobo, and the origin of his epithet 'the unlikely'.