Narn - History

History

Until the Centauri occupied and exploited them, the Narn were mostly peaceful farmers. Until the first Centauri occupation the Narn homeworld was not united under a single government, but was apparently divided into different clans or units similar to the nation-states of Earth. The Narn homeworld was pleasant and green, and there were telepaths among the Narn population. During the first Shadow War (corresponding to Earth's 13th Century AD), the Shadows used one of Narn's southern continents as a base. They were driven from the planet by a group of Narn telepaths, but the telepaths were exterminated in the process.

In the early 22nd Century the Centauri encountered the Narn and established relations with them. The Narn at this time were technologically primitive compared to most other alien races, including humans and Centauri; it is unclear whether the Narn had any form of space travel before this time, although G'Kar did refer to Ragesh 3 as having been a Narn colony during this century (Season 1 episode Midnight on the Firing Line). They saw the far more advanced interstellar visitors as demigods, and welcomed them with reverence. Realizing this, the Centauri quickly moved from being friends to enslaving the entire Narn population. The Narn homeworld was mercilessly exploited for its natural resources - the forests and jungles were clearcut and most of the planet's land surface strip-mined. Entire animal and plant species were driven to extinction. The Narn themselves were used as servants or manual laborers by the Centauri, who often lived in large estates worked by Narn slaves; many Narn were deported to work camps on other worlds (possibly including Ragesh 3).

Realizing that their planet was doomed unless the Centauri were forced to leave, the Narn began a lengthy guerilla war against their Centauri masters. The Narn learned how to use Centauri technology and weapons, and turned these weapons against them. They conducted hit-and-run attacks on Centauri bases, assassinated Centauri officials and civilians, and destroyed Centauri warships and equipment. The Centauri responded to these attacks in a ruthless manner; a hundred thousand Narn were executed as punishment for the Centauri losses, and cities were bombed to demoralize the population. But the Narn persevered, and eventually the Centauri wearied of the conflict and left, around the year 2209 (a timing indicated by G'Kar when interviewed by an ISN reporter, in the Season 2 episode And Now For a Word, but contradicted by some other sources, which put the end of the occupation as late as 2229). Thus Narn regained its independence. The leaders of the rebellion formed a new, united Narn government called the Kha'Ri. It would lead the Narn Regime until its defeat in the Second Narn-Centauri War, half a century later.