Grand Master is a character in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.
About Grand Master[]
The Grand Master was the theocratic ruler of the independent planet Askone. Following a revolution against the Galactic Empire, Askone established a religious government that viewed advanced technology, particularly nuclear power, as forbidden sorcery. The Grand Master, governing alongside a council of the Five Tribes, enforced this doctrine with severe punishments.
His conflict with the Foundation began when his government arrested Foundation Trader Gorov for possessing nuclear devices. The Grand Master condemned Ahor to death. Foundation agent Limmar Ponyets was sent to negotiate. During an audience, the Grand Master remained defiant, upholding the death sentence.
Ponyets subverted the ruler's authority not through force, but by exploiting the greed of the Grand Master's own council. He demonstrated a transmuter that could create gold. By offering this technology to the members of the Five Tribes, Ponyets created internal pressure. The Grand Master was forced to capitulate, releasing the trader and granting the Foundation exclusive trading rights. This event marked the end of Askone's isolation and the beginning of its absorption into the Foundation's sphere of influence.
Appearances[]
The Grand Master appears in only one work within the Foundation series. Part III, "The Traders".
Trivia[]
- The story was first published as a short story titled "The Traders" in the October 1944 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.