Tollan (people)

"Way smarter than us."

- Daniel Jackson

The Tollan were one of the most advanced civilizations encountered by the SGC, and among the first advanced race encountered by SG-1, after the Goa'uld. This massive technological superiority, even over the Goa'uld, has resulted in them being stubborn to the point of arrogance, believing any species with lesser technology than theirs to be inferior. Also, they generally prefer isolation from the rest of the galaxy, depending on their advanced defensive technologies to keep their homeworld, Tollana, safe from external threats. However, this reliance on a single tactical advantage and arrogance made Teal'c note that the Tollan "do not think strategically".

History
The Tollans are peaceful and governed by the Curia, a democratic panel of Tollan officials. Unlike the Nox, they are not pacifist and will destroy any vessel that poses a threat to their planet. However, they aren't outwardly aggressive and are not at war with the Goa'uld, although they apparently have an alliance with the Tok'ra.

The Tollans are a secluded race as many in the Curia believe strongly in a isolationist lifestyle. Their highest law states that they cannot share technology with a less advanced race. This law came about when the Tollans gave technology to their neighbouring planet, Serita. The people of Serita used the technology to wage war and in doing so destroyed themselves, shifting the orbital path of Tollan. They were forced to evacuate their people to a planet which they named Tollana.

They are much more advanced than Earth, even reverse-engineering an ion cannon proved impossible. They constructed their own Stargate, with help from the Nox. Tollan technology doesn't include wires, moving parts or anything like Earth's technology. In 2000, a Ha'tak mothership in the service of Heur'ur was pursuing a death glider into Tollan space. The automated defense systems shot it down, but the glider, carrying Skaara, the host of Klorel pleaded to his rescuers for help. The Tollan then began a triad, which involved whether sentient mind should keep the body. Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill represented Skaara while Zipacna represented Klorel. In a deciding vote, Skaara got to keep his body. However, Zipacna had plans to conquer Tollana, having his Jaffa paint the Tollan ion cannons for destruction, leaving the planet defenseless. But Teal'c, with the help of the Nox Lya, hid one cannon, which destroyed the mothership in orbit.

A year later, another mothership approached Tollana but its shields were too strong for the cannon to penetrate. The Curia had no choice but to surrender to the outcast System Lord Anubis, whose emissary Tanith, ordered them to construct phase weapons to penetrate the SGC's iris. But SG-1, along with Narim, destroyed the weapons, sealing the fate of hte Tollan, who were wiped out from orbit. The Tollans managed to evacuate the planet in ships, but many were shot down. It is unknown if any survived the attack. The Tollans became victims to their own arrogance as they believed the Goa'uld didn't pose any threat to them.

Considering the use of terms such as "triad," "archon" and "curia" in the Tollan government, the Tollans may be descended from ancient Greeks or Romans (possibly some of both) brought to Tollan by the Goa'uld around two thousand years ago. Daniel Jackson speculated that they may have become more advanced than Earth by continuing to advance while Earth fell into the Dark Ages.


 * ''The novel Stargate SG-1: City of the Gods establishes the Tollan as one of the Human civilizations that were sheltered by the Omeyocan and the Crystal Skull transport network. Thus the Tollan are descendants of a native Central American society".

Less advanced cultures
"As you may recall from our last encounter, it is forbidden for the Tollan to give our technology to any culture less advanced than our own."

- Narim

According to Tollan law, the sharing of technology with a less-advanced culture, such as the Tau'ri, is forbidden. This often frustrating attitude however has its history. The original Tollan homeworld was destroyed by giving a neighboring planet, Serita, a device to produce unlimited productive energy. The people of Serita used this technology to make war and destroyed themselves, shifting the orbital path of Tollan, forcing the Tollan to eventually evacuate to another world.

Government
The Tollan were governed by a panel of high-ranking Tollan officials, the Curia. However, this Curia has limited power. For example, it cannot make a contract with the Goa'uld. Many of the members believe strongly in their policy of isolation, sometimes even bordering on xenophobia. Even trade with other species is out of the question. All sessions of the Curia are, in theory, recorded and available publicly. Concealing such records, or tampering with them, is a crime of such magnitude that murder apparently pales in comparison. The High Chancellor is the head of the Curia and apparently the head of the Tollan government. The only one seen was High Chancellor Travell. Also, an official protest of Tollan policy is filed with every level of every branch of the government.

Technology
"Well, look who's here. Come to retrieve your vastly superior stuff? You know, it'd be a lot more superior if it wasn't so easy to steal!"

- Jack O'Neill

Tollan technology is extremely advanced, and superior to that of most other Milky Way civilizations. It is so far ahead of Tau'ri technology that even reverse-engineering their devices was impossible for Earth science. However, the Tau'ri would later compensate this by gaining very advanced technology from both the Asgards and the Ancients, making them far more technologically advanced than the Tollan.

One of the most impressive examples of Tollan technology are their Ion cannons. These incredibly powerful weapons are capable of destroying a Goa'uld Ha'tak with even a single shot and have served in Tollana's defense several times. The Tollans have also constructed their own Stargate with the help of the Nox, since their new homeworld did not originally possess one. The most important Tollan buildings were protected by technology that disabled all weapons it detected, including Tau'ri projectile weapons and Goa'uld staff weapons, while leaving the hand weapons carried by Tollan security forces unaffected. They also had developed emotion-recording technology, and phase-shifting devices that allowed the user to walk through solid matter, including Earth's iris. Also, every Tollan had a small implant in his body, monitoring the wearer's health. In case of a medical emergency, this implant would automatically alert the emergency services. This small device could also be used to track one's position, although this was highly illegal.

Tollan technology contains no wires, moving parts, circuitry, or anything else found in normal mechanical devices, decreasing the possibility of compatibility with technology from other cultures. Most of it is constructed from an alloy composed of trinium and various other elements.

Known Tollans
Travell - High Chancellor Narim Omoc