Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Postal sytems

General Postal Service

Talking about postal sytems, 'general postal service' refers to a postal service that not only serves the ruler's needs, but carries mail for private citizens.  
Contributors: Jenny, Majid, Peter

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity Name
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Confidence Inferred : The value is inferred.
Suspected : The value is suspected (Expert Check Needed).
Evidenced : The value is backed up by sufficient evidence.
Disputed? No : No disagreement among scholars.
Yes : There is disagreement among scholars.
Expert? : Not yet Checked by a Seshat Expert.
: Checked and accepted by a Seshat Expert (or RA).

Variable Definition
general_postal_service The absence or presence of general postal service for a polity.

# Polity   Year(s)   General Postal Service   Confidence     Disputed?     Expert?   Edit
1
Mughal Empire
1526 CE 1799 CE
absent
Confident No Edit
2
Spanish Empire II
1716 CE 1814 CE
present
Confident No Edit
3
Mughal Empire
1800 CE 1858 CE
present
Inferred No Edit
4
Austria - Habsburg Dynasty II
1867 CE 1918 CE
present
Confident No Edit
5
Soviet Union
1923 CE 1991 CE
present
Confident No Edit
6
Japan - Incipient Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
7
Japan - Initial Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
8
Japan - Early Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
9
Konya Plain - Early Bronze Age
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
10
Konya Plain - Late Bronze Age II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
11
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III
-
present
Confident No Edit
12
Sakha - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
13
Latium - Iron Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
14
Ostrogothic Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
15
Sui Dynasty
-
present
Inferred No Edit
16
Tang Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
17
Western Zhou
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
18
Yangshao
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
19
Shuar - Ecuadorian
-
absent
Confident No Edit
20
Tocharians
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
21
Neguanje
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
22
Tairona
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
23
Ayyubid Sultanate
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
24
Badarian
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
25
Egypt - Dynasty I
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
26
Egypt - Dynasty II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
27
Egypt - Inter-Occupation Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
28
Egypt - Middle Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
29
Naqada I
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
30
Naqada II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
31
Egypt - Dynasty 0
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
32
Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
33
Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
34
Egypt - Late Old Kingdom
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
35
Egypt - Period of the Regions
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
36
Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
37
Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
38
Axum I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
39
Chuuk - Early Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
40
Beaker Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
41
Proto-French Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
42
French Kingdom - Late Capetian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
43
Carolingian Empire II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
44
Hallstatt A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
45
Hallstatt B2-3
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
46
Hallstatt C
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
47
Hallstatt D
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
48
Early Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
49
Proto-Carolingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
50
Middle Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
51
La Tene A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
52
La Tene B2-C1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
53
La Tene C2-D
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
54
French Kingdom - Early Valois
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
55
Akan - Pre-Ashanti
-
absent
Confident No Edit
56
Archaic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
57
Classical Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
58
The Emirate of Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
59
Erligang
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
60
Hmong - Early Chinese
-
absent
Confident No Edit
61
Jin
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
62
Longshan
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
63
Late Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
64
Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty
-
absent
Confident No Edit
65
Ptolemaic Kingdom I
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
66
Atlantic Complex
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
67
French Kingdom - Early Bourbon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
68
French Kingdom - Late Valois
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
69
Geometric Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
70
Hellenistic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
71
Monopalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
72
Neolithic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
73
New Palace Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
74
The Old Palace Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
75
Postpalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
76
Prepalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
77
Hawaii I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
78
Hawaii II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
79
Iban - Pre-Brooke
-
absent
Confident No Edit
80
Majapahit Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
81
Mataram Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
82
Medang Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
83
Canaan
-
absent
Confident No Edit
84
Yehuda
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
85
Yisrael
-
absent
Confident No Edit
86
Chalukyas of Badami
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
87
Chalukyas of Kalyani
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
88
Deccan - Iron Age
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
89
Deccan - Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
90
Kadamba Empire
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
91
Rashtrakuta Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
92
Satavahana Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
93
Early Dynastic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
94
Ubaid
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
95
Ur - Dynasty III
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
96
Uruk
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
97
Ak Koyunlu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
98
Formative Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
99
Susiana B
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
100
Susiana - Late Ubaid
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
101
Susiana - Early Ubaid
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
102
Elam - Kidinuid Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
103
Elam I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
104
Elam II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
105
Pre-Ceramic Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
106
Sasanid Empire I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
107
Susa I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
108
Latium - Bronze Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
109
Latium - Copper Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
110
Rome - Republic of St Peter II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
111
Papal States - High Medieval Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
112
Exarchate of Ravenna
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
113
Republic of St Peter I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
114
Republic of Venice III
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
115
Iban - Brooke Raj and Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
116
Magadha - Maurya Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
117
Neo-Assyrian Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
118
Ilkhanate
-
absent
Confident No Edit
119
Qajar
-
present
Confident No Edit
120
Icelandic Commonwealth
-
absent
Confident No Edit
121
Sakha - Early
-
absent
Confident No Edit
122
Papal States - Medieval Period II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
123
Early Roman Republic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
124
Middle Roman Republic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
125
Roman Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
126
Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity
-
present
Inferred No Edit
127
Japan - Middle Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
128
Japan - Late Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
129
Japan - Final Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
130
Nara Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
131
Kansai - Yayoi Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
132
Andronovo
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
133
Phoenician Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
134
Saadi Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
135
Jenne-jeno I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
136
Jenne-jeno II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
137
Jenne-jeno III
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
138
Jenne-jeno IV
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
139
Mali Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
140
Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
141
Eastern Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
142
Khitan I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
143
Late Mongols
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
144
Rouran Khaganate
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
145
Second Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
146
Uigur Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
147
Early Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
148
Late Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
149
Xiongnu Imperial Confederation
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
150
Cuzco - Early Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
151
Cuzco - Early Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
152
Cuzco - Late Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
153
Cuzco - Late Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
154
Cuzco - Late Formative
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
155
Inca Empire
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
156
Wari Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
157
Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
158
Kachi Plain - Pre-Urban Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
159
Kachi Plain - Proto-Historic Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
160
Egypt - Kushite Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
161
Sarazm
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
162
Kamakura Shogunate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
163
Kara-Khanids
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
164
Late Angkor
-
absent
Confident No Edit
165
Funan I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
166
Early Mongols
-
absent
Confident No Edit
167
Xianbei Confederation
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
168
Middle Wagadu Empire
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
169
Monte Alban IIIB and IV
-
absent
Confident No Edit
170
Middle Formative Basin of Mexico
-
absent
Confident No Edit
171
Kingdom of Norway II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
172
Orokaiva - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
173
Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
174
Kachi Plain - Urban Period I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
175
Middle Bronze Age in Central Anatolia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
176
Late Cappadocia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
177
Konya Plain - Early Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
178
Konya Plain - Late Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
179
East Roman Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
180
Hatti - New Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
181
Hatti - Old Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
182
Kingdom of Lydia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
183
Lysimachus Kingdom
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
184
Konya Plain - Early Neolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
185
Phrygian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
186
Rum Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
187
Cahokia - Lohman-Stirling
-
absent
Confident No Edit
188
Cahokia - Moorehead
-
absent
Confident No Edit
189
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early
-
absent
Confident No Edit
190
Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
191
Cahokia - Early Woodland
-
absent
Confident No Edit
192
Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
193
Cahokia - Late Woodland II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
194
Cahokia - Middle Woodland
-
absent
Confident No Edit
195
Cahokia - Late Woodland III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
196
Cahokia - Late Woodland I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
197
Cahokia - Sand Prairie
-
absent
Confident No Edit
198
Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
199
Chagatai Khanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
200
Koktepe I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
201
Koktepe II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
202
Himyar I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
203
Himyar II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
204
Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
205
Durrani Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
206
Eastern Han Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
207
Erlitou
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
208
Hmong - Late Qing
-
absent
Confident No Edit
209
Great Ming
-
absent
Confident No Edit
210
Northern Song
-
present
Inferred No Edit
211
Northern Wei
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
212
Early Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
213
Late Shang
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
214
Byzantine Empire III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
215
Ottoman Empire I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
216
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Late
-
absent
Confident No Edit
217
Khanate of Bukhara
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
218
Samanid Empire
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
219
Tang Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
220
Early Wei Dynasty
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
221
Western Han Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
222
Great Yuan
-
absent
Confident No Edit
223
Shuar - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
224
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
225
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate II
-
present
Confident No Edit
226
Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
227
Ptolemaic Kingdom II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
228
Egypt - Saite Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
229
Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
230
Spanish Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
231
Chuuk - Late Truk
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
232
French Kingdom - Late Bourbon
-
present
Confident No Edit
233
British Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
234
Parthian Empire II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
235
Safavid Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
236
Ashanti Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
237
Hawaii III
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
238
Delhi Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
239
Early A'chik
-
absent
Confident No Edit
240
Late A'chik
-
absent
Confident No Edit
241
Mahajanapada era
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
242
Abbasid Caliphate I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
243
Abbasid Caliphate II
-
present
Confident No Edit
244
Achaemenid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
245
Parthian Empire I
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
246
Seleucids
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
247
Seljuk Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
248
Susa II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
249
Papal States - Medieval Period I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
250
Papal States - Renaissance Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
251
Late Roman Republic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
252
Roman Empire - Principate
-
present
Confident No Edit
253
Ashikaga Shogunate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
254
Asuka
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
255
Tokugawa Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
256
Classical Angkor
-
absent
Confident No Edit
257
Early Angkor
-
absent
Confident No Edit
258
Khmer Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
259
Chenla
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
260
Funan II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
261
Mongol Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
262
Later Wagadu Empire
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
263
Early Monte Alban I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
264
Us Reconstruction-Progressive
-
present
Confident No Edit
265
Monte Alban Late I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
266
Monte Alban II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
267
Monte Alban III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
268
Monte Alban V
-
absent
Confident No Edit
269
Early Formative Basin of Mexico
-
absent
Confident No Edit
270
Oaxaca - Rosario
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
271
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
272
Oaxaca - Tierras Largas
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
273
Kachi Plain - Aceramic Neolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
274
Kachi Plain - Ceramic Neolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
275
Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
276
Kachi Plain - Urban Period II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
277
Umayyad Caliphate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
278
Ayutthaya
-
present
Confident No Edit
279
Austria - Habsburg Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
280
Rattanakosin
-
present
Confident No Edit
281
Fatimid Caliphate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
282
Byzantine Empire I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
283
Byzantine Empire II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
284
Konya Plain - Late Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
285
Ottoman Emirate
-
absent
Confident No Edit
286
Ottoman Empire II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
287
Ottoman Empire III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
288
Roman Empire - Dominate
-
present
Confident No Edit
289
Timurid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
290
Early United Mexican States
-
present
Confident No Edit
291
Plantagenet England
-
absent
Confident No Edit
292
Kingdom of Bohemia - Luxembourgian and Jagiellonian Dynasty
-
absent
Confident No Edit
293
Antebellum US
-
present
Confident No Edit
294
Austria - Habsburg Dynasty I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
295
Golden Horde
-
present
Confident No Edit
296
British Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
297
Kingdom of Hawaii - Post-Kamehameha Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
298
Napoleonic France
-
present
Confident No Edit
299
Tudor and Early Stuart England
-
A~P
Confident No Edit
300
Lombard Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
301
Anglo-Saxon England II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
302
Khwarezmid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
303
Hohokam Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
304
Saffarid Caliphate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
305
British Empire IIIIIIIIII
-
present
Confident No Edit
306
Russian Empire, Romanov Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
307
Oaxaca - San Jose
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
308
Kushan Empire
-
absent
Confident No Edit
309
Final Postpalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
310
Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
311
Heian
-
absent
Confident No Edit