Imperial Question
The Imperial Question was the central question of the debates arising from Cairan Catholicism chiefly within the context of the Savamese realms, or more generally within the Sabamic world; Catholicism concerns itself with the re-unification of the Cairan world in a universal empire.
The so-called "question" was the form taken by this debate, which revolved around the following statements: what is the best way to reunite the Cairan world under a single imperial authority? and what form should this authority take?. Catholic scholars debated these questions, while non-catholic ones argued that they had become irrelevant or why Catholicism was undesirable. Over time the debate shifted from the re-establishment of an universal empire ruled according to the Ecclesiarchy, to the establishment of an universal empire ruled by a secular administration, especially following the developments of Orange Revivalism.
In this latter secular context the Question became essentially political, and was a centre of the conflicts between the dominating dynastic states in the Sabamic world. From the 1420s to the mid-1500s the Dordanie-Quènie rivalry was the first expression of this question. Later, in the 1600s and 1700s, Dordanie competed with the Ceresoran Empire led by the Bragoni dynasty to solve the Question to their respective advantages. The Imperial Question would remain a Sabamic affair, but for a few decades in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Elland tried to push a claim gained during the Reform Wars.
Today, within the context of the Savamese realms the "original" Imperial Question is considered to have been answered. The formation of the Savamese Empire on both religious (uniting the Reformer states) and cultural grounds is deemed to be an acceptable solution. Although there is still an underlying wish to convert all Cairans to the Reformation, there has been no real policy toward this goal since the 18th Century. On the other hand, the Savamese are now concerned with the "new" Imperial Question, that resolves around which ethnic groups are considered to be part of the Savamese people and, thus, should be integrated within the Empire.