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
Personality
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)
Physiology and Appearance
The Bajorans were similar in appearance to most humanoids in terms of average height, weight as well as build. Their skin color ranged from a pale creme to dark brown, and their natural hair color was anything from blond, to brown, and black. The most distinctive feature among the Bajoran people were their horizontal nose ridges. (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)
Bajorans lived to roughly 120 years, but during the Occupation they had a life span of an average Bajoran at 70 years.
The gestation time for a Bajoran infant was just five months. During Bajoran pregnancy, women experienced few side effects, but can experience sneezing fits brought on by the child in their womb. Traditional Bajoran lore says the sneezing is brought on by the child "greeting the Prophets," and sneezing symptoms were minimized with meditation.
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")
Homeworld
Bajor is the seventh of fourteen planets orbiting a single type G2V (bright, yellow dwarf) star. Like Earth, it has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, though with slightly more significant airborne pollutants due to Cardassian environmental depredations. It has a high concentration of valuable minerals, metals, and fuels, making it ripe for Cardassian occupation. The Cardassians could extract vast supplies of uridium ore, duranium, and rodinium with relative ease compared to the same effort on resource-depleted Cardassia itself.
Indeed, with eight additional terrestrial worlds and three gas giants, the entire system represented a boon to the Cardassians, much of it remaining untapped even after they surrendered the system. The Bajoran resistance exploited hydrogen by using automated stations, many of which were upgraded for Starfleet use during the Dominion War. Yet what makes the Bajor system of particular strategic importance is its stable wormhole, the terminus of which orbits the Idran star system in the Gamma Quadrant.
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.
Bajoran Government and Military
The Third Bajoran Republic
The Third Bajoran Republic, originally known as the Bajoran Provisional Government, was the government of the Bajoran people, established on Bajor following the withdrawal of the Cardassian occupational forces in 2369. It succeeded the Bajoran Occupational Government.
The chief executive of the Republic was known as the First Minister, who was elected every six years. (DS9: "Shakaar")
The Chamber of Ministers
The Bajoran Republic consists of two bodies - one secular and one religious. The secular body is the Chamber of Ministers (also called the Ministers' Court, Bajoran Council, Board of Ministers, and Council of Ministers. (DS9: "Past Prologue", "Dramatis Personae", "The Homecoming" , "The Alternate", "Rapture", "In the Cards"). The Chamber of Ministers was an elected legislative body. Members of the Chamber, called "Ministers", were elected every two years by the population of the province or region which they represented. The Chamber passed laws (such as the Ilvian Proclamation, which exiled all Bajorans who were members of the Cardassian occupational government), enforced those laws (through the office of the First Minister), controlled the military, oversees economic development, and maintained the Bajoran Central Archives. Unfortunately, factionalism (and, in some cases corruption) tore the Chamber apart. Different factions, each representing a specific viewpoint or theory, squabbled over policy and available resources. Although factionalism decreased significantly following the first years following the Cardassian withdrawal, it continued to create a major impediment to getting things done on Bajor.
| FACTION | POLITICAL PLATFORM |
|---|---|
| Agriculturalists: | Some Bajorans felt that Bajor should reject the technological and materialistic ways of modern life. They believed Bajorans should live a peaceful, pastoral existence in which they are at one with the land. This faction was small, but often allied itself with the Isolationists or Traditionalists. |
| Isolationists: | One of the more vocal factions, the Isolationists had a simple credo: Bajor for Bajorans. They did not want Bajor to ally itself with, or accept help from, any outside power (whether the Federation, the Romulans, or anyone else). They believed that Bajor could be, and should be, completely self-sufficient, and that contact with other races contaminates Bajoran culture and thought. Needless to say, they rabidly opposed Bajoran membership in the UFP: some even supported destruction of the wormhole to prevent so much attention from being focused on the Bajor Sector. |
| Militarists: | This faction, many of whose members were formerly resistance fighters or members of the Bajoran militia, thought that Bajor needed to spend more time, effort, and litas on improving its military. They believed that 40 years of occupation, plus a lack of warp-capable ships and extensive supplies of advanced weaponry, had emasculated Bajor. Given the peaceful nature of the Bajoran people, and their weariness of conflict, the Militarists often found themselves a lone voice crying in the wilderness. |
| Traditionalists: | Among many Bajorans there remained a strong identification with the customs and traditions of the past, including such traditions as the discriminatory D'jarra caste system. The Traditionalists wanted to restore these customs to their full effect. They also tended to support the more orthodox religious views, and believed that the Kai and the Vedek Assembly should have a much greater role in the government of Bajor. |
| Unionists: | This faction, one of the largest in the Chamber, supports a relatively moderate political stance towards most issues facing the Bajoran people. Although its members tend to favor technical and cultural progress, they feel such progress should be slow and carefully considered. For Bajor's ancient traditions hold extreme importance and must not be neglected in a willy-nilly rush towards the newest technological advancement. Some other factions accused the Unionists of stagnation and middle-of-the-road indecisiveness. The faction's name came from its support of Bajoran admission to and membership in the United Federation of Planets. |
Of course, some Ministers were more influential or charismatic than others, and thus they (and their factions) tended to command more attention from the other Ministers and the people. Some of the better known Ministers included: Amfen; Gettor; Heren; Kaval; Kemlor; Rozahn; and Toran.
The First Minister led the Chamber, and thus Bajor as a whole. He or she filled many of the roles of chief executive, including that of commander-in-chief of the Bajoran Militia. The entire population of Bajor elected the First Minister for a six-year term. The first First Minister following the occupation was Kalem Apren, who died of heart failure in early 2371 shortly before completing his term of office. Kai Winn, Bajor's spiritual leader, served out her term, and ran for another full term. She was opposed by former resistance cell leader Shakaar Edon, who , like many Bajorans, objected to Winn's handling of many issues, including a controversy relating to the use of soil reclamators. In late 2371, Shakaar was elected First Minister. He presided over Bajor during the Dominion War, keeping it nominally neutral but a de facto Federation ally. Shakaar's government also prevented the Romulan Star Empire from fortifying a Bajoran moon, even ordering the militia to blockade the moon in the face of the Imperial Romulan Fleet. (DS9 episodes: "His Way", "Shadows and Symbols")
Following the Dominion War Shakaar left Bajor in April 2376 to lobby for Bajor's admittance into the Federation (DS9 novel: Avatar, Book One). Later that year, during a goodwill tour of the Federation, Shakaar Edon was infested by a Parasite, which forced him to order Second Minister Asarem Wadeen to stonewall peace negotiations with the Cardassian Union. At the ceremony signing the documents bringing the Republic of Bajor into the Federation, Shakaar was assassinated by Hiziki Gard, a joined Trill who had discovered that Shakaar was infested. By the time of Shakaar's death, the infestation had resulted in the destruction of his personality (DS9 novels: Lesser Evil, Unity). Asarem Wadeen succeeded Shakaar Edon.
The First Minister appointed several Ministers to fill posts heading specific governmental departments, such as State, Defense, Finance & Trade, and Culture. These "cabinet Ministers," as they were known, tended to wield a great deal of influence and power as a result of their appointment.
At the local level, Bajor was divided into "provinces," many of them with boundaries based upon the nation-states of the Interregnum period. A governor or some other local official with law enforcement powers governed each province; many regional variations existed.
The Vedek Assembly
The Chamber of Ministers was not the soul source of governmental authority on Bajor. AS a deeply religious people, the Bajorans were unwilling to establish a wholly secular government. Therefor they gave a governmental role to the Vedek Assembly, the ruling religious body. Both the Chamber of Ministers and the Vedek Assembly had to consider most important issues, then compare the ir positions and reach a compromise acceptable to all. On some issues, including most religious regulations, the Vedek Assembly had absolute authority and need not consult the Ministers; similarly, the Ministers had some responsibilities (such as planetary defense) over which they possess exclusive control.
The Bajoran Militia
The Bajoran Militia (a.k.a. the Bajoran Defense Force) held the responsibility for Bajor's planetary security. AS its name indicates, the Militia grew out of the resistance and involves participation by all healthy adult Bajorans. While a corps of professional, highly-trained soldiers existed, over half of the Militia was, in fact, just that - a civilian militia called to duty only in times of trouble (and for monthly training sessions).
The full-time professional soldiers of the Bajoran Militia typically trained at the Bajoran Military Academy. Upon graduation, they received the rank of Ensign and an assignment to a military unit or ship, as appropriate (higher ranks included Lieutenant (JG), Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, and General). Although the military ultimately fell under the command of the Minister of Defense and the First Minister, on a daily basis and in the field a general, elected by the assembled generals and given the title of Commanding General, commands it. In 2375 the Commanding General of Bajor was General Hazar.
Members of the Militia typically armed themselves with Bajoran phasers and phaser rifles. Their ships primarily consist of Bajoran impulse ships and assault vessels. Since their fleet was completely destroyed by the Cardassians, the Bajorians did not have any warp vessels. Efforts were made to build a warp-capable fleet however the Bajorans continued to rely on the Federation to provide warp travel capability.
The Bajoran Economy
The Bajoran economy was still recovering from the Cardassian occupation and the Dominion War in 2381. The need to rebuild wrecked facilities, restore ruined ground to a fertile state, and create an updated industrial base severely strained Bajoran finances. However, the gift to Bajor of industrial replicators, additional replicator technology, and agricultural technology by the Federation continued to improve the situation greatly. Furthermore, the Chamber of Ministers worked hard to rebuild (or build) trade channels to many other races and systems, and to survey the planet's remaining natural resources. Analysts predicted that Bajor would exceed pre-occupation economic levels by 2381.
The Bajoran monetary unit is the lita.
Culture
The Bajorans were well-known for their extensive cultural achievements. Their art, religion, philosophy, and literature were all sophisticated and elaborate, and cultural traditions constituted an important part of Bajoran life.
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]
The Emissary
Accompanying the revelation of the existence of the wormhole was the arrival of the Emissary, a figure long prophesied in the Bajoran faith. According to the Sacred Texts (the religious writing of the Bajorans), the Emissary was supposed to unit the Bajoran people and save them by discovering the Celestial Temple. When Benjamin Sisko of Starkfleet discovered the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, he was determined to be the Emissary, thus thrusting him into Bajoran secular and religious politics. Although uncomfortable in his position as Emissary (he even temporarily relinquished it to poet Akorem Laan at one point), Sisko did his best to reconcile his role as a Bajoran religious figure with his duties as a Starfleet officer. Among his many accomplishments as Emissary were the discovery of the ancient city of B'hala in 2373, appealing to the Prophets to destroy the Dominion fleet in 2374, the reopening of the wormhole after it was closed in 2375 by a Pah-wraith who possessed Gul Dukat, and the re-imprisonment of the Pah-wraiths following their attempt to free themselves from the Fire Caves in 2375.
As Emissary, Sisko frequently received visions from the Prophets. In these visions they typically appeared as his friends, relatives, or acquaintances. They delivered cryptic, or even symbolic, messages pertaining to current events or crises. The Prophets were not temporally linear beings (they consider past, present, and future as one), and many of their messages to, or encounters with, Sisko concerned the nature of linear beings and the effects of particular events upon them.
The Orbs of the Prophets
The Prophets spoke to their people in several ways. The first and most common was through the Orbs, also known as the "Tears of the Prophets." The Orbs were hourglass-shaped crystalline energy vortices which were discovered one at a time in the Denorios Belt and elsewhere in the Bajoran system over the past 10,000 years. There were nine of them each with its own name and powers. There were kept in ornate jeweled tabernacles with hinged "doors" on one side. In 2381 the Bajorans possessed five of the nine Orbs - the Orbs of the Emissary, Prophecy and Change, Time, Contemplation, and Wisdom. The others presumably are still held by the Cardassians or are hidden somewhere in the galaxy.
Experiencing an Orb - opening its tabernacle and gazing directly into it - could have many profound effects on a Bajoran or other person. These effects depended on the Orb's powers; for example, gazing into the Orb of Prophecy and Change often grants prophetic visions, while gazing into the Orb of Wisdom brings enlightenment. Technically, encounters with the Orbs were controlled by the Vedek Assembly, but some vedeks have reason to disregard this restriction when necessary. If someone ignored what the Prophets tell him during an Orb encounter, he might experience what the Bajorans called "Orb shadows" - hallucinations about his encounter which occurred weeks or months later.
In 2375, all of the Orbs were temporarily rendered lifeless and inert by a Pah-wrath who had possessed Gul Dukat during Dukat's insane quest for vengeance against Benjamin Sisko (whom he blamed for his daughter's death). This resulted in the closure of the Bajoran wormhole. However, Sisko, as the Emissary, was able to follow clues given to him in a vision from the Prophets and find a way to relight the Orbs and reopen the wormhole.
| NAME | POWER | LOCATION IN 2381 |
|---|---|---|
| Orb of Prophecy | Prophetic visions | Deep Space 9 |
| Orb of Time | Time travel | Temple of Iponu on Bajor |
| Orb of Wisdom | Enigmatic advice | Temple of Lo-Panaon Bajor |
| Orb of Contemplation | Unknown | Deep Space 9 |
| Orb of the Emissary | Empowers other Orbs | Temple on Bajor |
| Orb of Realms | Dimension travel | Unknown |
| Orb of Peace | Unknown | Unknown |
| Orb of Thought | Unknown | Unknown |
| Orb of Mystery | Unknown | Unknown |
Pagh'tem'far
The second way in which the Prophets spoke to the Bajoran, and to their Emissary, was through an experience known as pagh'tem'far. A pagh'tem'far was a sort of special vision, it could be experienced without any Orb encounter. A pagh'tem'far might become a driving force or obsession for the person who experienced it; some have died while following their visions (though always while accomplishing some great deed).
Prophecies
As the discussion of the Orbs and pagh'tem'far indicates, prophecies played an important part in the Bajoran religion. There were literally hundreds of such prophecies, and the devout believed they would all come true. Of course, they may not have come true entirely as expected; a prophecy which spoke darkly of disaster and destruction may have turned out to be beneficial - interpretations were notoriously difficult to make, and even members of the Vedek assembly often disagreed on exact interpretation. Some of the best known prophets were Talnot, Trakor (who lived 3,000 years ago) and Zocal. Study of Bajoran prophecies were an important part of the lives of the Bajoran clerics.
Religious Officials
The Bajoran people were ministered to by a large number of ordained clerics who had the responsibility for their people's spiritual wellbeing as well as the administration of the church itself. There were three basic levels of the priesthood. The lowest is the ranjen - equivalent, roughly to a priest or minister who oversees a specific temple or congregation. Some of the more powerful renjen oversaw several temples, or served the Kai directly. Also occupying approximately the same hierarchical level as the ranjen were the monks who lived in the Bajoran monasteries (such as the Calash Retreat or the Dakeen Monastery).
Next in the hierarchy were the prylars - roughly corresponding to a bishop in Earth's Roman Catholic Church. They possessed a great deal of religious and political power within specific regions.
Above the prylars were the vedeks, equivalent, in Earth parlance, to an archbishop or the like. Each vedek oversaw a particular region of Bajor; there were 112 vedeks. They gathered in the Vedek Assembly when necessary to discuss the religious or political wellbeing of Bajor; as discussed above, they had a significant role in governing Bajor.
The highest religious figure on Bajor was the kai, equivalent to the Pope of Earth's Roman Catholic Church. However, unlike the Pope, the kai was popularly elected by the Bajoran people for a life term. Following the death/loss of the beloved Kai Opaka in the Gamma Quadrant in 2369, Vedek Winn was elected Kai in 2370, and held that office until her death in 2375. After Winn Adami's death, several Vedeks began to campaign for the title. Among the most prominent were Yevir Linjarin, Solis Tendren and Ungtae. (DS9 episode: "What You Leave Behind"; DS9 novels: Avatar, Book One, Cathedral)
Ungtae seemed most likely to be elevated in late 2376 when the Vedek Assembly began deliberating and taking statements in preparation of an election for a new Kai. (DS9 novel: Bajor: Fragments and Omens) However, Opaka Sulan's return from the Gamma Quadrant after pacifying and uniting the Sen-Ennis complicated matters. She opted not to return to the post of kai, while Kira Nerys informed Shakaar Edon that Pralon Onala would be her choice to become Kai.. (DS9 novel: Rising Son)(DS9 - Mission Gamma novel: Twilight)
Vedek Pralon was ultimately elected Kai in 2377. One of her first acts was to build a relationship with the Eav'oq. To that end, Kai Pralon visited the Eav'oq city of Terev'oqu in the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9 novel: Sacraments of Fire)
Kira Nerys was a supporter of Pralon's accession to the head of the Bajoran faith, feeling she was not as political as Winn Adami and that Pralon was intelligent, had empathy for others and possessed a strong faith. (ST - Typhon Pact novel: Rough Beasts of Empire)
Holidays and Ceremonies
- Berajin
- Days of Atonement
- Gratitude Festival
- Ha'mara
- Time of Cleansing
Pah-wraiths
Where there are gods, perforce there must be devils. In the Bajoran faith, the devils were known as Pah-wraiths or "false Prophets" (Kosst Amojan in Bajoran, which is also the name of the Pah-wraiths' "sacred text" which was destroyed by the Emissary in 2375). The Pah-wraiths, who are nearly as powerful as the Prophets, wish to control and corrupt the Bajorans. According to the Koss'mojan ("To Be Banished") legend, they once lived in the Celestial Temple with the Prophets, but when they reveled their evil nature, the Prophets exiled them and imprisoned them in the Fire Caves on Bajor; some others were imprisoned inside religious artifacts (from which they could be freed if the object was broken). Among its other abilities, a Pah-wraith could possess humanoids and force them to do its bidding. There were at least two instances of Pah-wraiths possessing people: Keiko O'Brien, wife of Deep Space 9 Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien, was possessed in 2372 in a diabolical attempt to use the space station to kill the Prophets; and Gul Dukat deliberately allowed a Pah-wraith to possess him in 2375 so that he could shut the wormhole and cut the Bajorans off from their gods. However, for some reason the Fire Caves remained a popular place for off-worlders to visit.
====The Red Orbs of Jalbador The Red Orbs of Jalbador were three Orbs that were created by the Pah-wraith whose purpose was to create a second wormhole and bring about the Ascension of the Pah-wraith by freeing them from the Fire Caves of Bajor. (DS9 - Millennium novels: The Fall of Terok Nor, The War of the Prophets, Inferno)
Temporal Investigations were aware of a temporal incident where the three Orbs were discovered, united, and created a closed temporal loop. Watching the Clock
The Caste System
Traditionally, Bajoran society was divided up into dozens of D'jarra, or "castes." A family's D'jarra dictated not only its social status, but what profession its members could follow and who they could socialize with; people were not allowed to socialize with those of lower D'jarras. Some of the D'jarras included Ih'vall (the artists' caste; the Kira family was of this caste); Imutta (the caste of those who prepare the dead for burial), and te'nari, a very low caste.
The D'jarra system was rigidly enforced (by social pressures moreso than laws) until the late 22nd century. It slowly began to fall out of favor thereafter (except in more orthodox or conservative regions). It was dealt a death-blow by the Cardassian Occupation in 2328. The Vedek Assembly abolished the D'jarra system at that time so that all Bajorans, regardless of caste, could fight together to drive out the Cardassians. since the ending of the occupation, and then the War, some orthodox Bajorans had called for a resumption of the system by some orthodox Bajorans, but other Bajorans had generally ignored them. Re-establishment of the D'jarra system, would, among other things, precluded Bajoran membership in the UFP.
Family
Aside from spirituality, family was the single most important thing to a Bajoran. Because of the strength a Bajoran family had, many were slit up during the Occupation. Spouses were killed, siblings sent to different work camps, and important family lines broken apart. After the Occupation, families began to find one another again, estranged over different planets. ON worlds where families managed to stay together, a person's name was everything. The family they came from told others the type of person they were, whether they were to be trusted, and what their family did for the Bajoran Resistance.
Important families were often ones who took great pains to care for others during the Occupation. They had large swathes of land they look over (and often own) where other families lived under their 'protections'. This protection wasn't anything official unless it was tied to lands, but other less prominent families would come to them and ask for advice or assistance. It was the prominent family's spiritual duty to help anyone under their care who came to them, and the position was often seen as a great burden.
While in other cultures an important family may be something to be revered, on Bajor they were beholden to the people who lived around them. It would be incorrect to attribute prominent Bajoran families to something like Klingon Houses, because the prominent families had no say in what the people they protected did. Instead, they were servants of the people around them and they carried this responsibility proudly. It was rare on Bajor to see families vying for prominence. This speaks to the peaceful nature of Bajorans and the advanced social contracts they established centuries ago and help up throughout the Occupation.
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
Recreation
Foods and drink
- moba fruit
- root tea
Disclaimer
Text is largely from Memory Alpha and Beta, as well as Decipher Star Trek RPG Book 5 Aliens and LUG Star Trek RPG DS9 Core Rule Book and Narrator's Toolkit, with adjustments for the Theurgy story.
