Government Rank

The government rank system has been instituted by the Snow Empire as a system of ranking to keep track of an individual's contribution to the Empire's governance. It is awarded by everyone from nobles to existing government officials, who can each promote up to twelve individuals of any rank below them to a higher rank each month.

History
The government rank system was first instituted in Geran Year 1689 by an Efsisi advisor known as Kamana Rem. Its goal was to establish a more meritocratic system for appointing people to ranks in the peerage system and other government offices. Government workers of any time were given a starting rank, and as their superiors could choose to promote them by a rank if satisfied by their performance. The system quickly grew popular in Efsisi, and it began to become known in the other dominions. By 1740, Zeminar, the last dominion to resist adopting the system, caved in and began to issue government ranks to its workers. By 1780, having certain government ranks was seen as a de facto prerequisite to be appointed to most government positions.

Ranks
There are six ranks that function as ordinal numbers, though each rank is also divided into "primary" and "secondary" (which are written -I and -II, respectively). For example, the rank written 2-I is read "second primary" and 6-II is read as "sixth secondary". When first given a government rank, 6-II is given without exception. The highest government rank is 1-I.