Bajoran
From Star Trek: Theurgy Wiki
The Bajorans (also known as the "Bajora") were a spiritual, dauntless humanoid species native to the planet Bajor in the Alpha Quadrant. Bajoran culture places a strong belief in the Prophets, celestial beings who are said to have watched over Bajor for millennia; modern religious doctrine states that the Bajoran Wormhole is the Prophets’ Celestial Temple. The Bajorans had one of the oldest and richest cultures in the quadrant, though in the 24th century, they suffered greatly at the hands of the Cardassian Union. With their liberation from the Cardassians and the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, the Bajorans were thrust onto the interstellar stage. Source: Memory Alpha
Physiology
The Bajoran species are similar in appearance to most humanoids in terms of average height, weight as well as build. Their skin color as well as hair and eye color variations match those of Humans. The most distinctive feature among the Bajoran people are their horizontal nose ridges which is the only notable physical feature that is noted in their appearance. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens) The males also have ridges on their reproductive organs. (TTN novel: The Red King) There are limited number of Bajorans who do not have the rhinal ridges. The Dabo girl M'Pella is an example of this. (ST - Typhon Pact novel: Raise the Dawn)
The Bajoran heart internal arrangement was on a horizontal axis. A puncturing of the lower ventricle would led to instant death. (ST website: StarTrek.com, TNG novelization: Descent)
Bajoran naming customs place the family name first, and the given name to follow. If a Bajoran is addressed in this manner, with the proper use of the family name, they will typically consider it an honor; Keeve Falor was pleased when Captain Jean-Luc Picard used the correct form and addressed him as "Mr. Keeve". (TNG episode: "Ensign Ro")
History
Bajoran history goes back 30,000 years (making it one of the oldest known civilizations) and is divided in at least four ages. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens) During their early history, the Bajora ethnic group dominated the other nations on Bajor on a cultural and economic basis. Because of this, the Bajoran people sometimes refer to themselves as the Bajora.
One of the earliest known governments that the Bajoran people had formed was the Old Bajoran Republic. During this time, the Bajorans encountered and battle the non-humanoid species known as the Vorel. During this age, the Old Bajoran Republic stretched as far as the Tarvo system. (TNG short story: "The Naked Truth") Certain manuscripts dating from the time of the Bajoran First Republic survived to the 24th century. (DS9 episode: "Explorers")
By the 22nd century, the Bajorans had established the Second Republic, which was at its height at the time. During this age, they ventured into space in their primitive solar-sailing lightships, which were capable of reaching as far as Cardassia Prime. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens) At some point in this early period, the Bajorans established several colony worlds, including B'hal Ta. (DS9 - Millennium novel: The Fall of Terok Nor)
In 2270, the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, made first contact with Bajorans of their colony world Pillagra in the R-855 solar system after rescuing the settlement from the Ascendants, an alien race from the other side of the Bajoran wormhole. (TOS novel: Allegiance in Exile)
After the decades that followed, the Bajoran people were suffering from an unknown problem. It was at this point that the Cardassians approached their people and offered to help them which resulted in the first contact between the two species. While they initially came to help Bajor, over the next 20 years their presence gradually changed becoming oppressive. Eventually, after 20 years, the Cardassian Union officially annexed the planet and began the Occupation of Bajor. This would be a brutal period for the people of Bajor who were enslaved while their world was ravaged in order to produce the necessary resources for Cardassian society. This harsh period would see the rise of the Bajoran Resistance that began striking against the Union over the years and their tyrannical oppressors began to slowly grow weary after the wave after wave of constant attacks until they eventually decided to relinquish control of the ruined world.
The Bajoran Occupation
The Occupation of Bajor refers to the Cardassian Union's occupation of Bajor between 2328 and 2369. Among Bajorans this is usually simply referred to as the Occupation. The Cardassians egotistically refer to this as the Years of Deliverance. During this time, the Cardassians stripped Bajor of raw materials and turned the Bajorans into slaves, often practicing mass killing to make them work. (DS9 episode: "Emissary"; ST novel: Captain's Peril)
Prelude
Following first contact with the Bajorans in 2318, the Cardassian Union, seeing no resistance from them, then annexed Bajor ten years later. The Bajorans then surrendered peacefully to the Cardassians. However, when the Cardassians sent in ground forces, they started 50 years of slavery, torture, and oppression that led many Bajorans to fight back against their occupiers. (TNG episode: "Ensign Ro"; DS9 - Terok Nor novel: Day of the Vipers)
During the Occupation, the Cardassians were known to perform several brutal medical experiments on the native Bajorans. They also set up a puppet government for the Bajorans that was answerable to the Cardassian Central Command and the prefect in charge of Cardassian forces on Bajor. The last prefect before the end of the occupation was Gul Skrain Dukat. (DS9 novel: The Fall of Terok Nor; DS9 episode & novelization: Emissary; VOY episode: "Nothing Human"; DS9 episodes: "Waltz", "Duet", "The Collaborator")
The exact dates of occupation are uncertain. The episode "Ensign Ro" gives the date of annexation as forty years before 2368; the episode "Emissary" says the Cardassians first offered to "help" the Bajorans sixty years before 2369; the episode "Sanctuary" refers to fifty years of Cardassian rule; and multiple episodes ("In the Hands of the Prophets" and "Accession") indicate the Cardassians occupied Bajor for over fifty years. This was partially explained in Star Trek: Terok Nor because the Cardassian Union slowly worked its way into control of Bajor, leaving the way open for debate as to the exact start date. The Federation refused to become involved in ending the Occupation, considering it a foreign political dispute and therefore covered by the Prime Directive, despite the fact that the Federation was itself at war with the Cardassians for much of the latter half of the conflict. (TNG episodes: "Ensign Ro", "The Wounded")
Bajor under Cardassian rule
When the occupation started, the Bajorans were forced to abolish their D'jarra caste system, in order to stand against the Cardassians. The Cardassians also imprisoned Vedeks such as Winn Adami for preaching of the Prophets. They also started to strip mine the planet, and forced their puppet government to approve work orders that forced Bajorans to work as slaves to mine ore among other tasks. This caused the Bajorans who worked in the puppet government to labeled as collaborators. (DS9 episodes: "Accession", "Rapture", "The Collaborator")
However, not all Bajorans who made profit during the occupation were collaborators. They were part of a Black market. Bajoran smugglers such as Ibudan and Razka Karn were admired for smuggling much-needed medical supplies to Bajor, although Ibudan did so only to gouge his fellow Bajorans. Ibudan's smuggling career came to end when he killed a Cardassian officer who wanted more money to look the other way. (DS9 episodes: "A Man Alone", "Things Past", "Indiscretion")
During this time, the Central Command tried to prepare Bajor for colonization for their people. However, they were unable to do so due to the persistent actions of the Bajoran Resistance during the 5 decades of the occupation. These actions frustrated Central command, forcing them to resort to brutal methods to resolve the problem. (DS9 episode: "Waltz")
The Cardassian military also used Bajoran women as comfort women. They like the puppet government, were labeled as collaborators. (DS9 episode: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")
Bajorans were mostly assigned to mining ore or working in factories. Once given a job, they were forbidden to leave it. Despite that, the Cardassians would "select" for either interrogation or forced relocation. Also that any Bajoran with family or friends in the resistance was considered a suspect in any criminal case. (DS9 episode: "Things Past")
Labor camps
During the occupation, the Cardassians interned entire families of Bajorans for a variety of reasons, mainly for mining ore and other valuable resources. Bajorans saw these camps as mostly death sentences for themeselves if they were assigned to one. Despite the conditions the government complied with the Cardassians orders. (DS9 episode: "The Collaborator")
The most infamous labor camp was the one at Gallitep that was run by Gul Trekal Darhe'el. In his time there in from 2336 to '57, Darhe'el ruled with a brutal iron fist. He encouraged his men to beat, rape and kill the Bajoran workers under his orders. At this camp, there was an accident that killed and affected Bajorans and Cardassians with Kalla-Nohra Syndrome. (DS9 episode: "Duet"; TLE - Terok Nor novel: Night of the Wolves)
Another camp was run by an officer named Dulcet. Here, Dulcet helped the Bajorans escape, but demanded that they pay him with latinum, jewelry, property and anything of value. From the women he would take "other" things from them. However, the Obsidian Order ended his operations, disgraced him, but he was able to be assigned elsewhere. (DS9 - The Maquis: Soldier of Peace comic: "Victims of Deceit")
Gul Sobrag was the administrator of the Berenthar Labor Camp on Bajor. He oversaw the deaths of several hundred Bajorans. He was known as the 'Beast of Berenthar. He disappeared after the occupation. (TNG comic: "The Bajoran and the Beast")
Another camp however, was used for medical experiments run by Doctor Crell Moset. As his camp/hospital, Moset worked on a cure to the Fostossa virus. In developing this cure, Moset infected hundred of Bajorans, including Gul Dukat's lover Kira Meru with the virus to do experimental treatments. In his time on Bajor, he never even asked any of the enzymes normally required for synthesizing a vaccine. Four days after he received the virus samples there was a minor outbreak of Fostossa near his hospital. Prior to that date there had not been a single case in the entire province. (VOY episode: "Nothing Human"; ST - Terok Nor novel: Night of the Wolves)
Terok Nor and Dukat
The mining station Terok Nor, was built during the late 2340s and was completed in 2351. The station was built with Bajoran slave labor. When construction was complete, the Cardassians devoted to processing ore, which was the task to which most Bajorans there were assigned. Temperatures in the ore processing section sometimes reached as high as 55 °C. Many Bajorans died to exhaustion, heatstroke. Deaths from such causes were seen as unfortunate but acceptable losses in the eyes of the Cardassian overseers. Community space was very limited and Bajoran sections were overcrowded, though Bajoran shop owners, who were mostly collaborators, were given their own quarters. Even detention cells were overflowed with Bajorans. (DS9 episodes: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night", "Civil Defense", "Necessary Evil", "Things Past"; Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook; ST reference: The Visual Dictionary)
The station was also the command post for the Prefect of Bajor, with last being Gul Skrain Dukat. From 2346 to '69, Dukat ruled with an iron fist but saw himself as merciful compared to his fellow Cardassians. He used the station as his headquarters to avoid being targeted by the Bajoran resistance. Despite this, Dukat had five assassination attempts on his life by half of Bajoran Resistance. (DS9 episodes: "Waltz", "Things Past")
Despite these attempts, Dukat continued to believe a gentler approach was needed to quell the growing rebellion and make Bajor safe for future colonization by Cardassians. To this end, he had labor camp quotas reduced by 50%, abolished child labor and improved medical care and food rations. Though this cut labor camp death rates by 20%, the Resistance still continued their terrorist activities, testing Dukat's patience to the limit. That limit was finally reached when Resistance agents destroyed an orbital drydock, killing 200 Cardassian workers. In response, Dukat had 200 suspected Resistance members executed. Dukat went on to perform many more atrocities against the Bajoran people, becoming one of the most hated individuals in Bajoran history. In his time at Terok Nor in 2363, Dukat appointed the shapeshifter Odo to replace Thrax Sa'kat as his Chief of Security on the station to investigate the murder of Vaatrik Drasa. (DS9 episodes: "Waltz", "Necessary Evil"; ST - Terok Nor novel: Dawn of the Eagles)
Despite Dukat's efforts to keep the Bajorans under control, the situation was beyond his control; against his wishes, the government decided to withdraw from the planet. However, Dukat was able to use this as an opportunity to disgrace politician Kotan Pa'Dar by leaving his son and other Cardassian children behind intentionally. (DS9 episodes: "Waltz", "Cardassians")
The Resistance
When the Cardassians started to enslave, torture, oppress the Bajorans, a few Bajorans at first started to fight back. The resistance movement was formed in 2333, using guerrilla tactics against the Cardassians. Cells were formed, though they were mostly small groups. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible)
The resistance cells, such as the Shakaar cell fought a limited war against the Cardassians (calling them "spoonheads"). They only had small sub-impulse ships, so they were forced to use the element of surprise very often against the Cardassians. They also used assassinations and bombings to keep the Cardassians off track. (DS9 episodes: "Emissary", "Past Prologue", "The Siege")
The resistance fighters were also aided by Bajorans who became their informants. These informants, such as Trentin Fala, would give the resistance information on certain targets. They were regarded with great respect, though they did not want to be known as members of any cells due to possible retaliation. (DS9 episode: "The Darkness and the Light")
Though resistance cells were often quickly eliminated by the Cardassians, new ones would rise up in their places. The one that outlasted most of the others was one led by Shakaar Edon. Even Gul Dukat was impressed that even they were not able to supress it. (DS9 episodes: "Indiscretion", "Shakaar")
Cardassian withdrawal
In 2369, the Cardassians withdrew from Bajor and its sector, ending the fifty-year occupation. Though the Bajorans believed that their resistance forces forced them to leave, the Cardassians saw it merely as a politcal decision, made by Kotan Pa'Dar and the rest of the Detapa Council. The military, primarily Gul Dukat, was against it.,One incident between the Federation and the Cardassians at Minos Korva forced them recall several of their warships and troop division to be withdrawn from the Bajoran sector.(TNG episode: "Chain of Command"; DS9 episodes: "Duet", "Cardassians", "Call to Arms")
Despite their orders, military officers such as Gul Darhe'el, furious about the withdrawal, ordered his soldiers to slaughter every Bajoran at Gallitep. While his actions were the exception rather than the rule, many Cardassian officers shared his sentiments. (DS9 episode: "Duet")
On Terok Nor, the Cardassians damaged as many of the space station's systems as they possibly could. They took every item of value, including all but a few photon torpedoes. The Bajoran Temple was badly damaged, as was the Promenade, where four Bajorans were killed trying to protect their shops. The Cardassians even removed the beds from the quarters and took the replicators offline. Much of the looting was out of hatred toward the Bajorans. (DS9 episode & novelization: Emissary)
Many Cardassian children were left behind in the wake of the Occupation, since orphans had no status in Cardassian society. This was done intentionally by Gul Dukat to help him disgrace a politician. The Bajorans opened their hearts to these so-called war orphans, one of whom was named Rugal. Rugal was left on Bajor in an elaborate plot by Gul Dukat to disgrace a rival of his. He was raised by an elderly Bajoran couple and taught to hate Cardassian "butchers", although he was later returned to his father's custody. (DS9 episode: "Cardassians")
Of particular note was the fact that the tailor and former Obsidian Order agent Elim Garak became the sole Cardassian aboard Deep Space 9. Neither the Federation nor the Bajorans knew Garak's true motives for staying behind. While it was widely held that he was "the eyes and ears of his fellow Cardassians", Garak always managed to avoid questions about his past. (DS9 episodes: "Past Prologue", "The Wire", "Civil Defense")
Aftermath
With much of Bajor in ruins, the new Bajoran Provisional Government appealed to the Federation for reconstruction assistance. Starfleet established a forward operating base aboard Terok Nor, now renamed Starbase Deep Space 9, and placed Commander Benjamin Sisko in command. On the urging of his first officer, Major Kira Nerys of the Bajoran Militia, Sisko consulted with Kai Opaka Sulan in hopes of finding a way to keep Bajor together, a meeting that led to the revelation that he was the Emissary of the Prophets and the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole. (DS9 episode & novelization: Emissary)
Despite Federation aid, Bajor suffered through a series of political crises over the next several years, including a near-civil war between the Provisional Government and the ultra-nationalist Alliance for Global Unity (covertly aided and abetted by Cardassian operatives), and a confrontation in Dahkur Province over soil reclamators between Kai Winn Adami, who had been appointed interim First Minister of Bajor following the sudden death of Kalem Apren, and local farmers led by former Resistance leader Shakaar Edon. (DS9 episodes: "The Circle", "The Siege", "Shakaar")
From the aftermath, the Bajoran Provisional Government was formed and sought aid from the Federation who established a presence at Terok Nor, now renamed Deep Space 9. While recovering, the newly freed Bajorans discovered the Celestial Temple and would attempt to recover from the horrors of their past until the start of the Dominion War. Eventually, the people would send at least one probe into the Gamma Quadrant. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens, ST website: StarTrek.com)
The 'Bajorans had lost much after decades of occupation by the Cardassian Union. Many Bajorans were scattered across the Alpha Quadrant during the occupation, while those who remained on Bajor often acted as insurgents or toiled in labor camps under Cardassian rule. The occupation ended in 2369, but the scars it left would take generations to heal.
After rescinding its petition of Federation Membership during the Dominion War under the advice of Benjamin Sisko, the Third Republic of Bajor officially reopened its request in 2376 and became fully inducted on 29 September 2376. With the added resources of the Federation, Bajor underwent a extended period of peace and prosperity.
In 2377, the Vedek Assembly elected a new Kai, Pralon Onala was chosen. Choosing to distance herself from the political interference of her predecessor, Kai Pralon spoke solely to the Bajoran Government on matters of faith.
Culture
Beliefs
Bajorans are a highly religious people with their faith revolving around the dimensional entities that occupy the Celestial Temple, known a the Bajoran wormhole to others, who are known as the Prophets. The alien race were considered gods by the people of Bajor and believed that they watched over them as well as communicated to them through prophecies that were determined through comets and the eight mysterious Tears of the Prophets. Scientists would state that the Prophets were simply alien entities that resided within a wormhole, however, such a scientific approach has little affect on the bulk of Bajoran society.
This meant that Bajoran religion engulfed their entire society with even those that rejected the faith being able to quote from the Sacred Texts. In addition to this, most Bajorans believe that they possess a lifeforce known as a Pagh with some believing that those who follow the paths dictated in the Texts will possess pure pagh. In contrast, those who turn away from the Prophets and live selfish lives have their pagh become dark as well as corrupt. Its known that some Bajoran mystics are capable of sensing the pagh of a person by close contact with the person. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens)
Certain fringe groups began to develop such as the Ohalavaru who did not believe that the Prophets were not gods but in fact aliens who served as teachers. This group would be considered heretics by the majority of orthodox Bajoran believers. (DS9 novel: Unity)
Even more heretical groups consisted of the Cult of the Pah-wraiths who were considered followers of evil gods that would destroy Bajor. These followers themselves were divided in their worship between the Pah-wraiths of Jalbador and the Pah-wraiths of the Fire Caves. (DS9 - Millennium novel: ?) [citation needed]
Ceremonies
- Berajin
- Days of Atonement
- Gratitude Festival
- Ha'mara
- Time of Cleansing
Family
Language and Names
Bajorans speak Bajoran, although Federation Standard became increasingly common after Bajor's admittance to the Federation. Bajorans place their family names before their given names.
Family Names:
Akorem, Anjohl, Bareil, Faren, Jaro, Kalem, Kira, Krim, Kabus, Latara, Latha, Lenaris, Li, Ro, Shakaar, Tahna, Trentin, Varis, Winn, Woban
Male Names:
Antos, Edon, Essa, Furel, Holem, Hovath, Kag, Laan, Los, Mabrin, Nalas, Oak, Pol, Reon, Taban, Tennan
Female Names:
Adami, Fala, Laren, Leeta, Lupaza, Meru, Neely, Nerys, Sul
Behavior
Originally, the Bajoran race were a pastoral people who lived simple farmer lives while others sought artistic pursuits from folk art to music or story telling. Such pursuits help derive personal satisfaction by such actions. The species have had little interest in the rest of the Galaxy as they focused on being contemplative as they were quite an introverted people despite 30,000 years of history. In all that time, there has been very little development within their culture, remaining almost static for centuries. The typical Bajoran simply wanted to go about their business in peace and expected the same from others. They are indifferent towards alien species, neither liking nor disliking them but remaining friendly to them - this attitude has somewhat remained despite the oppression they faced from the Cardassians.
The biggest changes within the Bajoran mind was brought through the harsh brutality the Cardassians brought about the race during the Occupation of Bajor. In order to gain freedom through any means necessary, the people of Bajor began to resort to assassinations, terrorist attacks and other similar actions in order to remove the alien influence from their world. These harsh lessons turned many Bajorans into ruthless fighters with many becoming scarred after the conflict from seeing the horrors they saw such as friends dying in battle. Others become pugnacious and chauvinistic after the Occupation with suspicion being placed on those who did not fight the Cardassian occupiers. This has also resulted in a great deal of paranoia in regards to outsiders. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens)
Their life among the Cardassians made the Bajorans see that certain members of their kind believed that one had to sacrifice their comrades in order for the rest of their people to survive. (TNG novel: Requiem)
One noted aspect of Bajoran society that has disappeared after the Occupation was the caste based system they used to subscribe to as recently as the 22nd century. These were known as D'jarras with a family's caste determining their profession in life as well as placed a restriction on their pursuits.(DS9 episode: "Accession") Under the social rules at the time, Bajorans of certain D'jarra's were forbidden from interacting with one of a lesser D'jarra. The entire system was abolished by the year 2328 as all Bajorans, regardless of caste, were called upon to fight the Cardassians. (Decipher RPG module: Aliens)
Recreation
Foods and drink
- moba fruit
- root tea
