Hourege

A western depiction of an 900s Ndjarendie warrior. It was men like this who triggered the introduction of Hourege.

Hourege (from Ndjarendie "Hooreejo" - Leader, also referred to as "Debere" in Kaiye Tourie and "Masimbe" in Rwizikuru) was a semi-feudalistic system of sociopolitical organisation that arose during the Bahian consolidation. Scholars define Hourege as having been fully adopted in the twelfth century, when the final wave of proselytory missions ended and several key South Bahian states such as the veRwizi Empire arose. The adoption of Hourege marked the end of the prominence of city-states within Bahia and a move towards a more western understanding of stateship. Under Hourege societal ties were shifted from allegiance solely to one's tribe to towards the Ngendie, a wide-reaching term which at once encompasses the geographical dominions of monarchs but also the hierarchies and tribal ties that made up the nation. It was defined by a mutuality of obligations between the ruler, who was charged with the secular and religious direction of the nation, and the castes below him who all filled societal roles.

Pre-Houragic Bahia

The political situation in pre-consolidation Bahia was dominated by villages formed around locations of religious or commercial value. These cities grew organically, starting as mere totemic shrines, markets or other areas of note which grew in importance as more people moved there. These cities were areas where certain tribes concentrated, but it was predominantly these ties of kinship which organised society. Cities were usually ruled by a priestly elite, often with important war leaders holding much influence, but without the same officiality of authority as seen in Euclean societies. The power of these leaders came solely from their influence in society. In times of war, the cities were protected by the male populations instead of by a standing army, and the victorious cities would usually take tribute and slaves from the other cities but rarely subjugated and took land.

A fetishist shrine in Rwizikuru. Shrines like this formed the core of pre-Houragic society.

The core of the village-based system was the decentralised nature of Bahian religion, as it allowed for the possessors of these fetishes to wield influence. Priests did not wish to expand their cities too much, as this would weaken their unofficial control over their dominions. This meant that with the introduction of Irfan to the western areas of Bahia, the system began to crumble. Tribal military leaders who converted to the faith usurped the fetishist priests and gained the support of the local Ulama who relied upon them for protection. This concentrated power in the hands of military chiefs, who derived their authority from strength at arms as opposed to the unofficial respect of the population. This shared religion also conferred a greater sense of unity, and in 898 AD several of these chieftains united under the banner of the Founagé Dominion of Heaven. This was the first of a series of Ndjarendie and Albori Irfanic states, which formed with the goal of spreading the faith into the fetishist dominated areas.

Consolidation of non-Irfanic states

These developments were met with fear by the fetishist villages, who were at first powerless against the invading forces. Alliances quickly formed between villages, but these were not effective due to mutual suspicions and demands of equality between the villages. The first signs of genuine reform within fetishist Bahia came in the large town of Kaanmabe in modern-day STATE. Kaanmabe was one of the largest towns in the region, due to its Kaage idols which were seen to be particularly powerful, and its people were highly afraid that this would make them a target for the Irfanic invaders. Koyizo Nzorfu, a wealthy merchant and accomplished war leader, had heard from his traders of how the Irfanic dominions had formed and resolved to try the same techniques. He raised a group of loyal warriors and through a mixture of persuasion and threat of violence managed to convince the other elders of the town to support him as a wartime leader of the entire city. He then sent envoys to other smaller villages in the area, effectively telling them that if they did not join with him and pay tribute then they would be defeated. Having now arranged a collection of cities under the hegemony of Kaanmabe, Nzorfu made the final decision which would define the Hourege system. He demanded that each village sent their best fighters to Kaanmabe, and made them swear allegiance to him personally. These fighters were promised status and payment, and in return would become full-time soldiers. This marks the emergence of the warrior caste into Bahian society.

Ruins of Kaanmabe, where the Hourege system originated.

Now possessing a core of properly trained soldiers in addition to the levied farmers and slaves of the villages, Kaanmabe was able to repulse the attacks of the Founagé Dominion of Heaven. This granted Nzorfu much prestige, allowing him to expand his influence as more and more villages flocked to his banner for protection. His warrior caste was entitled to the majority of the spoils of battle, cementing their privileged place in society. The priestly caste was sidelined from direct power, however, Nzorfu preserved their traditional influence in society and protected their place in society which gained their endorsement. Other tiers of society were also arranged into castes, with the artisanal caste further dividing into guilds. This stratification of society ensured that power was maintained in a more rigid way, reinforcing stability.

Word of this victory was soon spread by merchants, who relayed explanations of the system to tribal elders within the villages who were fearful of Irfanic invasion. Villages soon began to organise themselves into this Houregic model, with many rich merchants and priests content to pay tribute to whoever would defend them from the threat of invasion. For a period of roughly five years known as the Great Bleeding there was almost constant war as the first Houregic states began to arise through the subjugation of nearby villages, and when this ended Bahian society had been heavily changed. While the caste system changed slightly from region to region with cultural differences, the system remained more or less the same. A warrior caste appeared in the Irfanic states too, as its efficacy had been proven.