The Goa'uld Empire, also known as the Goa'uld domain or the realm of the Goa'uld (22,000 BC - 2005 AD), was an empire in the Milky Way galaxy, founded by Goa'uld known as the System Lords, who posed as false gods over countless worlds. Territorially, it was the largest power in the galaxy. However, it was politically prone to infighting.
History[]
Petty squabbling among the Goa'uld eventually gave way to new leadership headed by Apep, who divided them equally among the strongest Goa'uld and solicited their stewardship; this era became the First Goa'uld Dynasty. Determined to rule the Goa'uld, Anubis made his bid for power as Emperor, utilizing a super weapon that harnessed enormous amounts of power before forcibly removing Apep's symbiote and devouring it. However, the other Goa'uld eventually defeated Anubis and his forces, ushering in the Second Goa'uld Dynasty. (SG1: "Living Gods: Stargate System Lords")
For many years, Ra was the Supreme System Lord and functioned as the effective leader of the Empire. After a long war with the Asgard and Furlings, Ra quickly enslaved the Human race on Earth, appointed a new hierarchy of rulers, and created the genetically engineered race called the Jaffa to be not only their slave race, but also to serve as incubators of their larval Goa'uld. After a while, the Tau'ri learned the truth of their would-be rulers, overthrew the Jaffa warriors, killed several Goa'uld, and buried the Stargate. The ongoing war with the Asgard meant Ra never again returned to Earth and was slowly forgotten as the Empire moved into the Third Goa'uld Dynasty. (RPG: "Living Gods: Stargate System Lords")
After Ra's death, the Tau'ri forever altered the balance of power and the Empire started to face a Jaffa rebellion as well as increased activity from the Tok'ra. For a time, Apophis filled the power void but after his death, the Empire became destabilised. Anubis eventually became a dominant force in the Empire but was killed by the Tau'ri, resulting in Ba'al becoming its last ruler. When the Replicators invaded the galaxy, most of the System Lords were killed and the weakened Empire quickly began to lose the war. This resulted in the Jaffa rising up against the remaining Goa'uld and the collapse of the Gou'uld Empire. (Stargate, SG1: "Children of the Gods", "New Order, Part 1", "New Order, Part 2", "Reckoning, Part 1", "Reckoning, Part 2", "Continuum")
Government[]
- Main article: Supreme System Lord
The Goa'uld Empire was a large feudal empire divided into individual domains ruled by the System Lords, the most powerful of the Goa'uld, and other minor Lords. The System Lords held hundreds, if not thousands, of worlds each while the minor Lords could hold anywhere from one world to domains equivalent to the System Lords. These minor Lords could subsequently be elected to the rank of a System Lord if deemed powerful enough, such as Camulus and Amaterasu. There were also many Goa'uld who served in ranks of more powerful Goa'uld. Their power differed from one individual to another and depended upon their master's favour or if they had any domain of themselves, though none were powerful enough to exert their own independence or be elected to higher stations.
The System Lords maintained control of the Goa'uld Empire, though political infighting and scheming was the norm amongst their society. When threatened, System Lords and their subordinates would ally against external threats (such as the Asgard, the Tau'ri, and the Replicators) or mutual internal threats (such as the Tok'ra, the Jaffa Rebellion, and rogue Goa'uld such as Sokar and Anubis). The System Lords would occasionally hold a Council for the purpose of discussing subjects of mutual concern to make joint, Empire-wide decisions.
Above all, the Supreme System Lord was nominal monarch of the Empire, carrying the highest prestige amongst the System Lords. For many years, Ra was the Supreme System Lord and was considered the most powerful and cunning Goa'uld throughout the Empire; however, his death altered the balance of power and no Goa'uld was able to achieve his level of power for years. It was also at this point that the Goa'uld began to experience something of a population boom necessitating new host raids.
The Empire was further destabilised in 2001, when Apophis, Heru'ur, and Cronus were killed; these three System Lords had been filling the void left by Ra's demise. The lack of a dominant power caused chaos within the Empire until the return of Anubis. For two years, Anubis was the dominant force in the Empire, causing the others to ally in a United Alliance of System Lords. Their efforts were poorly executed and Anubis' fleet was ultimately destroyed by the Tau'ri. After Anubis' death, the Goa'uld Ba'al took control of Anubis' holdings and began to style himself Supreme Commander of the Goa'uld Domain. When the Replicators invaded the Milky Way, most of the remaining System Lords were killed and Ba'al assumed control of the rest of their forces in an attempt to maintain dominion, though the war was quickly lost.
The Goa'uld Empire officially fell after the Free Jaffa took Dakara from Ba'al, and the rest of the Jaffa rose up against the remaining Goa'uld. (Stargate, SG1: "Children of the Gods", "The Tok'ra, Part 1", "The Tok'ra, Part 2", "Into the Fire", "Fair Game", "Summit", "Last Stand", "New Order, Part 1", "New Order, Part 2", "Reckoning, Part 1", "Reckoning, Part 2", "Continuum")
Society and culture[]
The Goa'uld Empire maintained extensive propaganda and indoctrination to sway its populations into willing loyalty, whether to serve a System Lord's army or offer themselves as servants. Some were fanatical in their devotion to their 'gods' as a result of being taught from birth that dying in the service of their masters would mean great reward in the afterlife. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "Maternal Instinct")
The domain relied on their superior technology, vast numbers of Jaffa warriors, extensive propaganda, and almost unlimited resources to rule. (SG1: "In the Line of Duty")
Territory[]
Domains[]
- Anubis' domain
- Apophis' domain
- Ares' domain
- Ba'al's domain
- Bastet's domain
- Camulus' domain
- Cronus' domain
- Heru'ur's domain
- Moloc's domain
- Morrigan's domain
- Mot's domain
- Nirrti's domain
- Olokun's domain
- Pelops' domain
- Qetesh's domain
- Ra's domain
- Raiden's domain
- Ramius's domain
- Sokar's domain
- Yu's domain
- Zeus' domain