46th Earth King


 * This article is about the Earth King during the time of Avatar Kyoshi. For the political position, see Earth King. For the character met by Team Avatar, see Kuei. For other similar uses, see Earth King (disambiguation).

"earth"

- How dare you defy your king! Guards, arrest Avatar Kyoshi!

The 46th Earth King was the King of Ba Sing Se and ruler of the Earth Kingdom during the time of Avatar Kyoshi. His rule was unpopular with his people, and during his tenure there were several revolts against his leadership, including the War of Chin the Conqueror and the Peasant uprising in Ba Sing Se.

History
The 46th Earth King ruled about three hundred and fifty years prior to Fire Lord Sozin's war against the other nations. Strong-willed and imperious, he had little support from his people, and his reign was marked by many challenges to his rule which severely tested the Earth Kingdom's government. The most serious of these was a rebellion led by Chin the Conqueror, a warlord from the country's far northwest. Chin easily conquered all of the kingdom, with the exception of Ba Sing Se and Kyoshi peninsula; it was only his death at the hands of Avatar Kyoshi that halted his moves to consolidate the empire under himself.

The government's inability to deal with Chin's rebellion did, however, have repercussions. Its massive losses led the citizenry to realize many of the government's failures, and popular sentiment grew into the belief that the monarchy was outdated and did not support the people's interests. In Ba Sing Se, this sentiment led to a peasant uprising, which intended to topple the Earth King in favor of a "new government". Thousands of peasants stormed the Upper Ring, destroying anything that represented the "old government", and surrounded the Earth King's palace, demanding his overthrow.



Realizing he was unable to handle the revolt, the Earth King summoned Avatar Kyoshi to his court and ordered her to keep the populace in line. Kyoshi refused and told the king he had to listen to his people. Outraged by her audacity, the Earth King ordered her arrest, but the fully realized Avatar easily defeated his guards. Powerless against the might of the Avatar, the king complied and had no other choice than to give in to Kyoshi's request to hear the peasants' complaints. In return, Kyoshi would protect the King's interests and Ba Sing Se's cultural heritage by training an elite force of male earthbenders in the art of stealth, silence and precision, a group that would be feared by all: the Dai Li.

Relatives

 * Kuei (4th great-grandson)