Siamat
Republic of Siamat 暹末 Satharonarodth Saimaut République du Siamat | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Capital and largest city | Mouráng |
| Official languages | Svai |
| Recognised national languages | Gaullican Xiaodongese |
| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion | |
| Demonym(s) | Siamati |
| Government | Unitary Presidential one-party republic |
| Fabien Nhean | |
| Lim Chanthou | |
| Legislature | Central Congress |
| Area | |
• Total | 347,469 km2 (134,159 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 36,564,398 |
| Internet TLD | .si |
Siamat (Svai 暹末 Saimaut), officially the Republic of Siamat (Svai 暹末 Satharonarodth Saimaut), is a nation located in Southeast Coius. It is bordered by land exclusively by Kuthina, although it shares a short land border to the north-west with the unrecognised nation of Heijiang, and is bordered to the west by the Coral Sea.
Siamat has a growing population of over 36 million. It is constitutionally a secular state, with Sotirianity being the largest religion followed by 41% of the population, with followers of Zohists at 38%, and a growing following of New Age movements at 11%. While predominantly Svai, minority groups include Kasi, Xiaodongese, Kayah and 26 highland tribes. The capital and largest city is Mouráng, which is the political, economic and cultural centre of Siamat, while other important historical capitals include Kandaal, and Mokol. Siamat is a National Principlist republic headed by the State Counsellor, currently Fabien Nhean since 2001, who serves as the head of state and government.
The ancient states of Tongle and Ouka existed from 400 BCE to 114 BCE, and 74 BCE to 155 CE respectively. The area was conquered by the Sun Dynasty in 155 CE. In 304 CE Stechaphnom I successfully revolted against Sun rule and created the Svai Empire, which was modelled and influenced by the Sun and later the Tao. The empire flourished during the Venghuo period, during which it exerted cultural and political influence over much of Southeast Coius. During this time Zohism was spread across Southeast Coius, and left its mark in Siamat with the construction of thousands of temples, including the most famous Matay Wat. By the turn of the millenium this period would come to an end with the onset of the Peanchao period, which saw power shifted from the imperial court to the Oknya, the local gentry. Their infighting, which coincided with the Kasi migrations, would bring down the empire in the 14th century.
During the 14th and 15th centuries the Svai cities were dominated by the Kasi Kingdoms of Sippom and Lanhok. The 16th century would see the resurgence of Svai power, under the Mokol Kingdom. This resurgence was blocked by the short-lived Khaunban Empire, which militarily dominated much of Southeast Coius and Xiaodong. Mokol would re-emerge in 1685 after Khaunban's collapse, although it existed precariously as an alternating vassal state of the Lat Luataya Kingdom and Toki dynasty. In the 19th century it came under increasing Gaullican influence, culminating in the official declaration of a protectorate in 1878. The capital was moved from Mokol to Mouráng, and extensive missionary efforts established Sotirianity as the largest religion. After the Great War it was transferred to Werania as a Mandate, and would not achieve independence as the Kingdom of Siamat until 1945, although Weranian economic and political influence remained strong for the next three decades.
Conflict began soon after independence, largely between republican and government forces. The two largest groups, the pro-Xiaodong republican Saim Muoy, and the communist Sba Svay, came to an agreement in 1952 to create a provisional government and unite their efforts to oust the monarchy, marking the start of the Siamat War. The war lasted until 1978, and saw intervention from over 20 countries, numerous war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and acts of genocide. Republican forces achieved victory in 1978, although a power struggle between the Saim Muoy and Sba Svay until 1980 delayed peace efforts. Since 1980 Siamat has been a republic founded upon National Principlist ideology, and is heavily dependent upon Xiaodong for economic and military matters.
Etymology
The name of Siamat is of Xiaodongese origin. It comes from the Xiaodongese characters: 暹末 (Middle Xiaodongese: siᴇmuɑt̚; Xiaodongese: Xiānmò; Svai: Saimaut), meaning 'Rising to the End'. It is first attested to in 735, in a letter from Emperor Jing of Tao to the Svai Emperor Prakphan.
The country is often colloquially referred to as 区向 srok svay (Svai's land) or more formally as 向國 svayhkau (Svai country). Svai itself comes from the Xiaodongese 向 (Middle Xiaodongese: hɨɐŋH; Xiaodongese: Xiàng; Svai: Svay). This comes from the period of occupation by the Xiang dynasty, and by the Svai Empire had come to mean those who were 'civilised', over time becoming the ethnonym for the Svai people.
History
Classical
The x culture, the ancestors of the Svai people, are believed to have migrated to South-East Coius in the 5th millennium BCE, likely following the Lueng and Moei rivers before continuing across the Nainanese coast. This culture would eventually diverge into the various !Austroasiatic peoples, among them the Svai, Raman and the !Bahnaric peoples.
The Lueng river valley was largely populated by the Svai, who formed several semi-legendary polities such as x and y. Y is referenced by the Shan and Xiang dynasties, the latter after its conquest of the area, though it is unclear if it refers to an actual centralised polity, a leading city-state, or the area in general. The Xiang conquest of the area is relatively lacking in records and appears to have been fairly limited in scope. Nonetheless it had a great impact on the Svai people, giving them their name (Svai being derived from the Xiang), and heavily Shangeanising them. During the transition from Xiang to the Sun dynasty the area seems to have briefly become independent under a Xiang prince, the Prince of x, before returning to Sun control in unclear circumstances around the year z. Sun rule was limited and a number of revolts are recorded in the province, and it was gradually abandoned until the year x when the Svai Empire first appears as a tributary state.
The Svai Empire is traditionally dated to around x, although most historians believe it started in y as a smaller polity and only gradually grew into an empire as Sun control receded. It was under the empire that the Svai ethnogenesis began and the population was over centuries gradually converted to Zohism and Shangeanised, processes which had previously been limited to the aristocracy. After the 7th century these processes intensified as the empire grew dramatically and began trading and exchanging ideas with the y dynasty, with which it had friendly relations.
The 8th and 9th centuries are traditionally known as the Venghuo period, a time of great prosperity for the Svai empire and the height of its borders. The city of Kandaal became the largest in the world, and its imperial court became a centre for patronage of art, literature, and architecture. The empire utilised the Sengshui system, with Zohist monks performing the local and national administration of the country. Gradually in the 10th century the imperial court receded from active governance, ushering in the Peanchao period, and the imperial army became corrupt and ill-managed. In response the Zohist monks turned to the Oknya, local gentry, to raise militias. The Oknya soon supplanted the monks and began internecine fighting, turning to Kasi mercenaries after exhausting manpower. This intensified the Kasi migrations which had started in the 8th century and resulted in large parts of the empire coming under the control of Kasi rulers who only nominally observed imperial control. By the 11th and 12th centuries this nominal obedience had ended and the empire was reduced to a rump state in the central Lueng river valley, while Kandaal was gradually abandoned in favour of the city of Chensae.
Medieval and Early Modern
The Svai empire was a shell of its former self in the 12th and 13th centuries, often being called the Chensae Kingdom from the 12th centuries onwards to differentiate it. The kingdom would become a tributary of Sippom, the rising Kasi power in the Lueng river valley, and at different periods would pay tribute to a number of entities. Its rulers enjoyed high status with the Tao and Jiao dynasties, though they were never able to garner support to reclaim lost territories. Various attempts during the 14th and 15th centuries proved costly affairs, though it was briefly able to reclaim its independence when Sippom fell in 1586.
The 17th century would see it subjugated by Khaunban, under its ambitious king Intharatcha. Chensae remained loyal to Intharatcha and his successor Bhoromoratchirat and was spared a great deal of the devastation more rebellious subjects received. Kings x and y would serve with Intharatcha during his campaigns in Shangea, and prince y was enfeoffed briefly onto the Nainanese throne between x and y.
Modern
After the collapse of Khaunban it regained its independence and through the late 17th and early 18th centuries began to recover. It became a vassal of Sippom from 18xx to 18yy, when it became a protectorate of Gaullica. Under Gaullican rule the majority of the population were converted from Zohism to Solarian Catholicism. In 19xx it was given control over the areas of Siamat directly controlled by Gaullica and renamed itself the Kingdom of Siamat, moving its capital to Mourang. It would remain under Gaullican control until the end of the Great War in 1935, when it became a Community of Nations Mandate under Werania. It would remain a mandate until 19xx, when it achieved independence as the Kingdom of Siamat.
From 1952 it underwent a brutal conflict known as the Siamati War, between forces loyal to the kingdom, and the Republican Front, composed of the Shangean-backed Principilist Saim Muoy, and the Communist Sba Svay. The conflict would rage until 1978 and the fall of Mourang. The Republican Front would continue jointly ruling until 1980, when the Saim Muoy ousted the Sba Svay from power and fought a brief civil war to gain control of areas held by their forces.
Since 1980 the Republic of Siamat has been ruled as an authoritarian one-party state, the only legal party being the Saim Muoy. It is often considered a client state of Shangea, who it relies upon for military and economic assistance.
Geography
Politics
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The constitution of Siamat defines it as a republic guided by National Principlist thought. According to the current constitution, promulgated in 1978, Siamat is a unitary-state run according to republican principles and strong national guidance. The ruling party, Saim Muoy, is also the sole legal party, and has been in power since 1975.
The office of State Counsellor, currently occupied by Fabien Nhean, serves as Head of Government and Head of State. The State Counsellor oversees the State Council and Directory, and has a wide array of unchecked powers.
Government
The government of Siamat consists of the State Council and the Directory. The State Council serves as the main executive body, responsible for introducing legislation to the Central Congress, as well as ratifying and amending. It may also issue and extend executive decrees, though these must be ratified by the Central Congress if they are to become law. Its 50 members are nominated by the party and confirmed by the Central Congress. The State Council meets infrequently, and much of the its work is done by the Committee of the Interior, a much smaller body composed of selected members of the State Council.
The Directory is an advisory body which oversees the government's executive departments. Members of the Directory are appointed by the State Counsellor, and serve at their discretion. Both the State Council and Directory are headed by the State Counsellor.