Republic of Pania

Maritime Republic of Pania Panian Repubblica marittima di Pania Lavarian República marítima de Paniá
385–1462
Flag of Pania (1086-1407) Coat of arms
Motto: Clemens Deus, dona nobis pacem ac felicitatem "Merciful God, grant us peace and prosperity"
Territory directly owned by the Republic in 1050 CE.
Capital	Pania
Common languages	Cambran Lavish Barancan Panian Erytherian
Government	Parliamentary oligarchic merchant republic
Consul
• 385-401 (first)	Marcus Tiberius
• 1458-1462 (last)	Bartolomeo di Cassini
Legislature	Great Council of Pania
• Upper house	Council of Families
• Lower house	Senate
Historical era	Middle Ages – Early modern period
• Established	385
• Siege of Pania	385
• Treaty of Cambra	462
• Battle of San-Umberto	891
• Sack of Mageiros	1032
• Treaty of Bosala	1462
Currency	Panian ducat
Preceded by Succeeded by Cambran Empire Kingdom of Lavaria Erytheria
Today part of	Erytheria Lavaria

The Maritime Republic of Pania (Panian Repubblica marittima di Pania, Lavarian República marítima de Paniá), was an independent state and a maritime republic that existed in southern Lavaria between 385 CE and 1462 CE. At the peak of its power, the republic incorported several cities on the northern coast of the Endotheric sea, several islands of the Erytherian island chain, the island of Saint Hubert of the Lilacs, and several colonies in northern Caphtora, as well as numerous smaller trading ports and colonies scattered around the Endotheric sea. The republic was centered around the city of Pania: located in a valley under the Pania rocks, the strategic location of the city made it the most important commercial and military centre of the Cambran empire. The republic grew into the dominant naval power during the High Middle Ages in the Endotheric sea, and controlled most of the trade between Berea and Eastern Pamira. The city preserved a lot of the governing traditions of the Cambran empire and even used Cambran as the main language for most of its early existence.

Following the fall of Cambra in 381 CE, several generals and part of the Cambran elite, led by Magister Militum Marcus Tiberius, seeked refuge in the city Pania, the main military port of the Cambran empire located in the southern tip of the Lavish peninsula. The city was besieged twice by the Welbarian forces of Alarich, in 383 and 384, both times unsuccessfully. In 385, the Kingdom of the Welbarians was established on the ruins of the Cambran empire and proclaimed itself the successor of Cambra. The leaders of Pania refused to accept Alarich as their king, and in the same year the Welbarian fleet was sunk in the Battle of Cambra, the city itself was besieged for 2 months and King Alarich was killed. The Welbarians accepted Panian sovereignity. In 460, another unsuccessul siege of Pania was attempted by King Ulrich II, during which most of his forces were killed or captured. In 462, the Welbarians signed the treaty of Cambra, accepting the sovereignity of Cambra and granting them exclusive rights on trade on Welbarian soil. With the deterioration of the Kingdom of Welbarians in the 8th-11th centuries, Pania used its power and influence to gain control over some of the Welbarian coastal forts and ports. With the rise of several other maritime republics, most notably Armala, Pania secured its dominance with a mixture of diplomacy and strength. The republic won the Battle of San-Umberto against the combined force of the Republics of Armala, Mesana and Saloma. In the following century, Pamia signed several treaties with the Kingdom of Erytherians, culminating with the Treaty of Mageiros, when the republic gained exclusive trading rights with the kingdom and gained new colonies and trading outposts on the Erytherian islands. In the 11th century, the Republic reached the peak of its power, controlling most of the maritime trade in the Endotheric sea.

With the unification of Lavaria and the rise of the newly-formed kingdom as a naval power, Pania slowly lost its significance. After the strategic defeat of the !Pamiran empire in the Battle of Carana against the unified Lavish forces, and the opening of the trade route via the Viridian and Appiric seas, Pania rapidly lost its influence on the naval trade and its wealth. In 1447, Pania was forced to sieze most of its colonies to the Lavish Kingdom, and less than two decades later, in 1462, after the siege of Pania, the republic lost its independence and was incorporated into the Lavish Kingdom. Pania remains a city in the Kingdom of Lavaria until today.

Name

The Golden port of Pania, Stepan Raykin, 1863.

The city is located on the southern tip of the Lavarian peninsula, and on the Cambran lowlands. This region was always known for its rich soils and harvests, and served as the breadbasket of the Cambran empire throughout its history. Pania was the centre of the region, and because of that the importance of food production found its place in the name of the city. The name Pania derives from the Cambran word for Bread land, clearly showing the importance of the city in the supply chain of the empire. The city preserved its name following the fall of Cambra in 381 CE, and the name itself was not modified throughout the centuries.

The form of government, closely identical to the one present in Ancient Erytheria, has led to the classification of the state as a Republic. Some historians insist on the usage of the termin "Maritime republic" in regards to both Pania and several other Medieval city-states on the Lavarian peninsula. In the same time, the republic itself used different descriptions in its official documents. In the earliest known scripts from Pania, the state iself is still described as the Cambran empire or Imperial city of the Cambran empire up until late 5th century CE, despite the actual empire collapsing in 381-390. In a script found in Pania and dating from the early 5th century, the state is already classified as an independent city. This description will be used by both Panians and foreign chroniclers. During the High Middle Ages, in some Berean chronicles Pania is described as an empire, and even occasionally despotate. In Panian chronicles of the era, it is still being named an independent city. The name republic was given to the state only in the 19th century by Lavarian historians and scholars.

History

Peak of power (10th-13th century)

Republic of Pania and its naval trade network at the peak of its power and influence, 1064 CE.

See also

• Lavaria

• Erytheria