Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Postal sytems

Postal Station

postal stations are specialized buildings exclusively devoted to the postal service. if there is a special building that has other functions than a postal station, we still code postal station as present. the intent is to capture additional infrastructure beyond having a corps of messengers.   (See here)
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Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity ID
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Tag [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown]
Verified A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data.

Variable Definition
postal_station The absence or presence of postal station for a polity.

# Polity Year(s) Postal Station Description   Edit
111
(Qin Empire)
Full Year Range of Qin Empire is assumed.
[-338, -207]
present
From the Shang period roads considered important enough to be "controlled by a special official" [Lindqvist 2009] but references to post usually begin with the Qin's First Emperor who "constructed post roads across his empire". [Mokyr 2003, p. 391]
112
(Oneota)
Full Year Range of Oneota is assumed.
[1400, 1650]
uncoded
probably absent, however no information (RA's guess)
113
(Vijayanagara Empire)
Full Year Range of Vijayanagara Empire is assumed.
[1336, 1646]
unknown
unknown
114
(Chalukyas of Badami)
Full Year Range of Chalukyas of Badami is assumed.
[543, 753]
unknown
unknown
115
(Greco-Bactrian Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Greco-Bactrian Kingdom is assumed.
[-256, -125]
present
Present under the Seleucids where "each stathmos being the centre of a subdivision comprising so many villages." [Tarn 2010, p. 2] Was this inherited? When was it lost?
116
(Indo-Greek Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Indo-Greek Kingdom is assumed.
[-180, -10]
uncoded
Unknown.
117
(Kediri Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Kediri Kingdom is assumed.
[1049, 1222]
uncoded
unknown
118
(Phrygian Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Phrygian Kingdom is assumed.
[-900, -695]
uncoded
unknown
119
(Late Shang)
Full Year Range of Late Shang is assumed.
[-1250, -1045]
uncoded
Unknown. No data on whether the elite used relay stations to transmit messages faster. May be worth noting that the government did have an official to manage the roads.
120
(Elymais II)
Full Year Range of Elymais II is assumed.
[25, 215]
present
None
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