Ziyaad of the Levant
| Ziyaad of the Levant زياد | |||||||||
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| King of the State of Seleucia (Caliph of the Middle East) | |||||||||
| Reign | 20 March 2030 – 26 October 2040 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||||||
| Successor | Saluqus | ||||||||
| Sultan of the Levant | |||||||||
| Reign | 26 December 2029 – 20 March 2030 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Pantaleon II | ||||||||
| Successor | Abdul Rashid | ||||||||
| Born | 20 June 1983 Mosul, Mesopotamia, Levantine Sultanate, Middle East Federation | ||||||||
| Died | 26 October 2040 (aged 57) Karakul Lake, Bactria, Lorica | ||||||||
| Spouse | Sukaina | ||||||||
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| Dynasty | Nadirid | ||||||||
| Father | Baaqir | ||||||||
Abu Saluqus Ziyaad el-Amer ibn Baaqir al-Nadiri (20 June 1983 – 26 October 2040; Arabic: أبو سلوقس زياد الأمر إبن باقير النضير), better recognized by his shorthand names Ziyaad of the Levant and Abu Saluqus, was the succeeding Sultan of the Levant after the assassination of Pantaleon II. He transformed the Levantine Sultanate into the Neo-Seleucid Caliphate by declaring himself a caliph, and reigned for over 10 years. Ziyaad is also known for his excavation of the Kataibatic Tablet, and his infamy for unleashing the Kataibatic Event during the last years of the Neocon War, which consituted the deadliest day in Eordis' history.
Ziyaad was born to Baaqir, brother of Pantaleon II. As a young child, he grew an interest in not only history, particularly of his family's ancient ancestors, but also medicine, aromatherapy and botany. After graduating from the University of Lebanon at Baalbek and served in the Levantine Army for four years, Ziyaad founded a pharmaceutical business alongside two business partners, and started a farm for essential oils right next to his personal palace; at one point, he suffered an accident which left burns that scarred his face. He held his father and James Robert Boya in high regard, figures which influenced his views on realpolitik and Machiavellianism. He grew close with Pantaleon II and his side of the family, especially Abdul Rashid, whom he played chess with often. However, overtime, he advocated for neoconservativism as a means of achieving world peace, and soon fell out of favor with Pantaleon and Rashid. With assistance from the Neocons, he escaped, and before the Neocon War, he ascended the throne on 26 December 2029. With substantial backing from the Neocon Five countries, Ziyaad reformed the Sultanate into the Neo-Seleucid Caliphate and subsequently declared himself Caliph of the Middle East. He ruled with much benevolence towards his people and political competence, sustained economic growth, and contributed to the neoconservative war effort during the Neocon War. During his reign, Ziyaad ordered an assassination of Pantaleon, his core family, and the Musaaid al-Shehadeh cabinet via poisonous gas, ending a partial success as the survivors included Rashid, his sister Mentullah, his mother Tahaani, Prime Minister Musaaid al-Shehadeh and less than half of his cabinet, despite them being declared dead. However, during the later years of the conflict, the Caliphate suffered an economic crisis and multiple uprisings, which led him to implement an increasing amount of authoritarian measures. During this period, Ziyaad discovered the Kataibatic Tablet within the deepest and sealed chamber of the Protusian necropolis, and when the Heimdallr invasion of the Caliphate occurred, Ziyaad resolved to use the Tablet against them, unleashing a power of apocalyptic scale that resulted in more than seven million deaths in a single day. Retreating to Western Lorica, he would have his final stand at Karakul Lake as he attempted to unleash the tablet again while being affected by the Kataibatic Madness Curse, resulting in his death.
His reign left a overly negative impact by contemporary historians and the public of the Middle East, with the Calamity proving a significant factor in forming this perspective.