The Minbari Federation is a political organization
of Minbari people. The Minbari race is the most powerful of the
younger races, but in truth the minbari belong to a special class
known as the middle children due to having risen to power after the
First ones and before the younger races. The other middle children
includes the soul hunters and the stribe.
The
main world of the minbari is Minbar which is the seventh planet from
their sun Midiri, the capital of Minbar is
Yedor, a quarter of its surface is covered by its northern ice
cap and has heavy crystalline deposits of which some minbari cities
are cut directly into. The other main worlds are Reticulum, Dorado and
Pictor. The Minbari have evolved a great
way ahead of the other races due mainly to the Vorlons. When the
minbari first set out to space the over a period of four hundred years
colonized several moons and planets in their solar system, the Vorlons
noting their advancement made first contact and catapulted minbari
technology. The Vorlons were hoping to prepare the minbari for the
upcoming shadow war, in which the succeed in doing, Of all the races
that participated in the first shadow war only the minbari and a few
others survived.
Minbari governing body is based
upon the teachings of Valen who formed the Gray Council which
comprised of three members from each of their casts (Religious,
Worker and Warrior). The Warrior Caste is responsible for the
safekeeping of the Minbari people. They are in constant training to be
prepared for the day they may be needed. Minbari warriors, whether in
space or on the ground, are some of the most accomplished fighters
known. The Religious Caste is responsible for the spiritual care and
intellectual development of the Minbari people. They are the teachers
and priests, singers and dreamers of the race and guardians of the
words of the prophets. The Worker Caste is responsible for maintaining
the physical infrastructure of the Federation. They are the builders,
planners and scientists. The Minbari do not worship any gods, rather
they believe that the universe itself is sentient. To them, the soul
is a spark, a piece of the universe. The universe has created life in
an attempt to understand itself. The Minbari also believe in
reincarnation.
The First Contact between the
Minbari and Human races was a grave misfortune leading to the great
Earth-Minbari War. It started as Earth Alliance was trying to spread out into space and
increase its territory and influence, Earth had made contact with all
of the major races except the Minbari. So they sent a carrier group
into Minbari space, while another minbari carrier group intercepted
the Earth ships consisting mainly of Dreadnoughts and heavy cruisers,
The minbari having done some research on the human race decided to
make first contact with the approaching Earth ships. The minbari
cruiser approached the Earth fleet with their gun ports open as a sign
of openness and respect. This action was looked upon as a treat by the
earth ships and thus they opened fire damaging two minbari cruisers
and killing one of their leaders Dukath.
The minbari being outraged by this unprovoked attack set out on a holy
war to annihilate the entire human race. Earth tried to negotiate but
the minbari were not interested in settling peacefully. Earth Alliance
were being beaten bad they could not destroy any minbari cruisers in
open combat except for the Black Star the minbari flag ship which was destroyed by captain Sheridan
because he lined an asteroid field with bombs and used a distress call
to lure the Black Star into it. Due to this he was labeled "Star
killer". The minbari went through all of Earth territories one by
one until they ended up at Earth itself, but Earth did not surrender
and kept trying to hold their own for about four years.
In the "battle of the line" where Earth made a last
desperate attempt for survival gathering all their ships, When the
minbari cruisers exited hyperspace they captured a starfurey
pilot "Jeffrey Sinclair" and upon interrogation it was
discovered that humans had minbari souls and this particular human had
the soul of their most revered leader Valen. Because of this realization
the minbari surrendered without giving any reason to Earth
forces.
