View source for Avatar:Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se

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}}

{{Icons|Earth Kingdom}}

{{Quote|earth|It's my job to oversee the rest of the city's resources, including the military.|[[Long Feng]] to [[Team Avatar]].<ref name="CWS">{{Cite episode|1|214}}</ref>}}

[[File:Long Feng advises.png|thumb|right|250px|Through his position as Grand Secretariat, [[Long Feng]] used the [[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] as a mere puppet to enforce his will.]]

The '''Grand Secretariat''' is the head of [[Politics in the World of Avatar|government]] in [[Ba Sing Se]] and the [[Earth Kingdom]]. Answerable to the [[Earth Monarch]], the secretariat serves as the sovereign's foremost adviser on internal matters within the capital city and maintains [[Law enforcement in the Earth Kingdom|law and order]] in the bustling metropolis through the [[Dai Li]]. In 171 [[History of the World of Avatar#Dates|AG]], however, the position had been reduced to nothing more than an obedient servant of the monarch.<ref name="EQ">{{Cite episode|2|303}}</ref>

Due to the [[anarchy in the Earth Kingdom]], the position of the Grand Secretariat was rendered effectively meaningless by 174 AG, since there was no reigning government. Despite that, the Grand Secretariat and the royal cabinet still maintained the power to crown a monarch.<ref name="TC">{{Cite episode|2|403}}</ref> After [[Kuvira]]'s defeat following her [[Invasion of the United Republic of Nations|attack]] on [[Republic City]], King Wu announced his desire to abolish the monarchy in favor of independent states with a [[Democratic movement in the Earth Kingdom|democratically elected government]], which would make the position of the Grand Secretariat obsolete, as there would no longer be a central government.<ref name="LS">{{Cite episode|2|413}}</ref>

== Known holders ==
* [[Gun]] (Unknown - Present)
* [[Long Feng]] (Unknown - 100 AG)

== Trivia ==
{{Imagelink|Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se|Grand<br />Secretariat of Ba Sing Se}}

* Much like the Earth Monarch is the Head of State, the Grand Secretariat is the Head of Government, similar to the prime minister or president in some countries.
* In the imperial government of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), there was an administrative position known as the Grand Secretariat ({{Chinese|首辅|Shǒufǔ}}). Similar to the depiction in ''Avatar'', the Grand Secretariat had a great deal of control over the emperor because he screened all the documents sent to the emperor from all other governmental agencies and sometimes drafted responses on the emperor's behalf. The Grand Secretariat also held power over the court and ministers, making him the ''de facto'' ruler at times.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== See also ==
* [[Politics in the World of Avatar]]

[[es:Gran Secretario de Ba Sing Se]]
[[fr:Grand Secrétaire de Ba Sing Se]]
[[pl:Wielki Sekretarz Ba Sing Se]]
[[ru:Главный секретариат]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Ba Sing Se]]
[[Category:Earth Kingdom]]
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