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| Who’s Who The New Republic Historical Council |
The New Republic Historical Council is the historical society that is the notional publisher of The Essential Chronology, under that title, as stated
by its “Introduction for Students of History” in that book (in the corresponding “Introduction to Students of History” in The New Essential
Chronology, Voren Na’al writes that the first edition of The Essential Chronology was released on the HoloNet). The Introduction mentions that
“after the fall of the Empire, many archives were opened, and hidden information came to the attention of scholars across the galaxy,” and that The
Essential Chronology was written in order to counteract two decades of Imperial propaganda and malicious historical revisionism, which had “done a
thorough and astonishing job of rewriting the past, casting events in an uncertain light, and portraying history from a warped point of view” (here
one suspects allusion to Pollux Hax). To that end, the Historical Council commissioned “teams of learned historians” to examine the Imperial
Information Center within the Imperial Palace in Imperial City, Coruscant, and also collaborated with “students of Jedi lore and history” who
“studied the few extant Jedi Holocrons (repositories of Jedi knowledge” and “others” who “compiled and compared folktales, legends, and songs to
weave the tapestry of ‘a thousand generations’ of Jedi Knights.” The Historical Council also arranged for interviews with “many of the primary
players themselves, living legends who were at the core of significant events,” recording “their statements, remembrances, and opinions”; these
interviewees are known to have included General Han Solo, General Lando, Baron Calrissian of Bespin, the Princess Leia of Alderaan (then the
incumbent Chief of State of the New Republic), and General Luke Skywalker MJK.
Although the Historical Council considered The Essential Chronology incomplete – “this document is most assuredly a work in progress, leaving
many gaps and sketchy descriptions as scholars continue to discover new and compelling data” – the Princess Leia and the New Republic Senate
ordered the book’s release some time in around 59 rS, the last year covered by the chronology. Interestingly, this is very close to the release of the
scholars’ encyclopedia in 60 rS and the release of the scribe’s biographies in 62 rS, and it is possible that both the scholars and the scribe were among
those “learned historians” consulted by the Historical Council, along with Arhul Hextrophon and Na’al. The Essential Chronology published by the
Historical Council suffered from considerable lack of reliable data on the early Republican Era, the New Sith Wars, and almost all of Palpatine of
Naboo’s two terms as Supreme Chancellor (or President) of the Galactic Republic, including the Clone Wars. It did, however, have access to more
information regarding the late Republic and the New Republic era than did the scholars, despite publishing sooner.
Na’al’s Introduction in The New Essential Chronology reveals that “new data caches have been uncovered since the HoloNet release of the first
edition,” especially regarding the Clone Wars, the Great Purge, and the New Sith Wars, as well as primary information regarding events taking place
after the initial publication. It appears that the New Republic Historical Council itself was dissolved, as Na’al writes his Introduction in his capacity
as “Archivist Emeritus” of its successor, the “Historical Council, Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.”
Given that the Historical Council is explicit that it was working to counteract the Imperial State’s propaganda machine, one must of course be aware
of the influence of bias in The Essential Chronology’s accounts of events. One must also be aware of inaccuracies, contradictions, and ambiguities
that might occur in the book as a result of the Historical Council’s occasional lack of access to reliable sources. The Historical Council’s report is
especially interesting in that it gives a glimpse of a view of events in the Star Wars universe that is officially sanctioned by the New Republic
Government (likewise The New Essential Chronology vis-à-vis the approval of the Galactic Federal Government, which introduces a new and
interesting question of precisely how much effort was made to accommodate the neo-Palpatinists of the so-called ‘Imperial Remnant’).
See also:
References:
by its “Introduction for Students of History” in that book (in the corresponding “Introduction to Students of History” in The New Essential
Chronology, Voren Na’al writes that the first edition of The Essential Chronology was released on the HoloNet). The Introduction mentions that
“after the fall of the Empire, many archives were opened, and hidden information came to the attention of scholars across the galaxy,” and that The
Essential Chronology was written in order to counteract two decades of Imperial propaganda and malicious historical revisionism, which had “done a
thorough and astonishing job of rewriting the past, casting events in an uncertain light, and portraying history from a warped point of view” (here
one suspects allusion to Pollux Hax). To that end, the Historical Council commissioned “teams of learned historians” to examine the Imperial
Information Center within the Imperial Palace in Imperial City, Coruscant, and also collaborated with “students of Jedi lore and history” who
“studied the few extant Jedi Holocrons (repositories of Jedi knowledge” and “others” who “compiled and compared folktales, legends, and songs to
weave the tapestry of ‘a thousand generations’ of Jedi Knights.” The Historical Council also arranged for interviews with “many of the primary
players themselves, living legends who were at the core of significant events,” recording “their statements, remembrances, and opinions”; these
interviewees are known to have included General Han Solo, General Lando, Baron Calrissian of Bespin, the Princess Leia of Alderaan (then the
incumbent Chief of State of the New Republic), and General Luke Skywalker MJK.
Although the Historical Council considered The Essential Chronology incomplete – “this document is most assuredly a work in progress, leaving
many gaps and sketchy descriptions as scholars continue to discover new and compelling data” – the Princess Leia and the New Republic Senate
ordered the book’s release some time in around 59 rS, the last year covered by the chronology. Interestingly, this is very close to the release of the
scholars’ encyclopedia in 60 rS and the release of the scribe’s biographies in 62 rS, and it is possible that both the scholars and the scribe were among
those “learned historians” consulted by the Historical Council, along with Arhul Hextrophon and Na’al. The Essential Chronology published by the
Historical Council suffered from considerable lack of reliable data on the early Republican Era, the New Sith Wars, and almost all of Palpatine of
Naboo’s two terms as Supreme Chancellor (or President) of the Galactic Republic, including the Clone Wars. It did, however, have access to more
information regarding the late Republic and the New Republic era than did the scholars, despite publishing sooner.
Na’al’s Introduction in The New Essential Chronology reveals that “new data caches have been uncovered since the HoloNet release of the first
edition,” especially regarding the Clone Wars, the Great Purge, and the New Sith Wars, as well as primary information regarding events taking place
after the initial publication. It appears that the New Republic Historical Council itself was dissolved, as Na’al writes his Introduction in his capacity
as “Archivist Emeritus” of its successor, the “Historical Council, Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.”
Given that the Historical Council is explicit that it was working to counteract the Imperial State’s propaganda machine, one must of course be aware
of the influence of bias in The Essential Chronology’s accounts of events. One must also be aware of inaccuracies, contradictions, and ambiguities
that might occur in the book as a result of the Historical Council’s occasional lack of access to reliable sources. The Historical Council’s report is
especially interesting in that it gives a glimpse of a view of events in the Star Wars universe that is officially sanctioned by the New Republic
Government (likewise The New Essential Chronology vis-à-vis the approval of the Galactic Federal Government, which introduces a new and
interesting question of precisely how much effort was made to accommodate the neo-Palpatinists of the so-called ‘Imperial Remnant’).
See also:
References:
- Anderson, Kevin J. and Daniel E. Wallace. The Essential Chronology. Del Rey Books, 2000.
- Sansweet, Stephen J. Star Wars Encyclopedia. Del Rey Books, 1998.
- Wallace, Daniel E. The New Essential Guide to Characters. Del Rey Books, 2002.
- Wallace, Daniel E. with Kevin J. Anderson. The New Essential Chronology. Del Rey Books, 2005.
| This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement of any kind is intended. Star Wars and related materials are © Lucasfilm Ltd., which reserves all rights thereto. All original material is © Julius Sykes. Please do not use without permission. |
| This biography was originally added in 2004. It was republished on 6 October 2007. |