Siphria

Empire of Siphria Շարշարրէնատո Աբորրէյո Šaršarrānatu Aburrāyu
Flag Emblem of Siphria Emblem
Motto: tbd translit translate
Anthem: tbd translit translate
Map of Siphria Map of Siphria
Capital and largest city	Aqrū
Official languages	Siphrian
Religion	Īnu Ebēbim
Demonym(s)	Siphrian
Government	Unitary absolute monarchy
• Emperor	Anaslu-nātsir-apli
• Minister of the Lords	Narkab-dammiq mar Tukulti-Arūtu
• Minister of the Commoners	Kudurrānu Pakhārim
Legislature	None
History of Siphria
• First Empire	1457 BCE
• Fourth Empire	1568
• Current dynasty	1717
Area
• Total	195,632 km2 (75,534 sq mi)
Population
• 2015 census	23,518,120
GDP (PPP)	2015 estimate
• Total	$276.949 billion
• Per capita	$11,776
GDP (nominal)	2015 estimate
• Total	$189.556 billion
• Per capita	$8,060
Gini (2015)	36.7 medium
HDI (2015)	.725 high
Currency	Siphrian shiqil (Շ) (SFS)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy (CE)
Driving side	right
ISO 3166 code	SP
Internet TLD	.sp

Siphria (Siphrian: Աբորրէյո, Aburrāyu), officially the Empire of Siphria (Siphrian: Շարշարրէնատո Աբորրէյո, Šaršarrānatu Aburrāyu) is a unitary absolute monarchy located in the Esquarian continent of Nautasia. It is bordered by LOREM to the west, the Union of Nautasian Irfanic Republics to the north and east, and the Gulf of Siphria to the south. The country is home to roughly 23.5 million people. Its capital and largest city is Aqrū.

Siphria is widely considered to be a cradle of civilization within Esquarium, with evidence of agriculture and pottery dating as far back as the 5600s BCE, and of complex irrigation, writing, and bronze metallurgy by the 2400s BCE. Siphria's political system has typically been based around either a network of competing city-states known as ālū, or around a unified imperial polity. The first of these empires, which lasted for over a thousand years, was proclaimed in 1457 BCE by Narkab-šarra-utsur, overseeing a flourishing of science, trade, and culture before its collapse. The second empire was marked by internal instability and conflict with Awiyyi tribes, exemplified by the conquest of Siphria by an Awiyyi tribal confederation in 14 BCE. The Third Siphrian Empire was marked by periodic conflict with expanding Irfanic polities in neighboring Pasdan and a resumed flourishing of science and culture within Siphria. The current empire, the fourth, was proclaimed in 1568, and underwent a period of substantial modernization and reform in the 1800s. Since the establishment of the Union of Nautasian Irfanic Republics, there have been periodic clashes between Siphria and its larger neighbor, most infamously the Khitiyu War in 1974.

The government of Siphria is an absolute monarchy, currently ruled by Emperor Anaslu-nātsir-apli. The current ruling dynasty, the Shapukhtids, has held power since the ascension of Lābubirqu-nādin-apli II in 1717. The country has a consultative assembly, known as the National Assembly, divided into an Assembly of the Lords and Assembly of the Commoners; however, this body lacks any legislative powers and serves only in an advisory capacity. The country also lacks an independent judiciary. While Siphria's government unofficially recognizes some civil and political rights, it has been criticized for failing to formally protect these rights and for its active rejection of principles such as equality under the law.

Siphria has a heavily diversified economy, which has helped protect it from the issues facing rentier economies elsewhere in Nautasia. The production of cereal crops, citrus fruits, cotton, tobacco, and rapeseed, as well as the raising of livestock for meat and dairy, continue to be the backbone of the economy in Siphria's rural regions; the illicit production of opium is also a source of income in some rural communities, though the country's government has attempted to suppress this. Mining is also an important source of income in many regions of Siphria; minerals produced in Siphria include iron, copper, lead, zinc, phosphates, limestone, and marble. While Siphria has limited petroleum reserves, oil production does not compose a notable section of the economy. Within urban regions, industry- particularly textile manufacturing, though heavy industry has grown steadily in recent years- serves as the backbone of the economy. Tourism has become an important sector of the Siphrian economy in recent years as well, though it has seen negative repercussions due to instability in Siphria and Nautasia.

The vast majority of Siphria's population resides along the country's southern coast, between the Gulf of Siphria and the Khursaneh Mountains. The region of Awiyyistan, north of the Khursanehs, is sparsely populated as a result of the rain shadow effect of the mountains. Ethnic Siphrians are the largest ethnic group in Siphria, comprising more than eighty percent of the country's population; the country also has an Arab minority, typically subdivided between Awiyyi Arabs in Awiyyistan and LOREM Arabs along Siphria's border with LOREM, and a Pasdani population near the Siphrian border with the UNIR. A majority of Siphrians practice Īnu Ebēbim, a polytheistic religion that is also the Siphrian state religion. A portion of the country's Arab population continues to practice pre-Irfanic polytheism, heavily syncretized with Īnu Ebēbim; other Siphrian Arabs and the country's Pasdani minority typically practice Irfan.

Etymology

The exact etymology of the exonym "Siphria" is disputed. The vast majority of academics link it to the Arabic triconsonantal root ص ف ر; however, its exact relationship to this root is a subject of debate. Some scholars, such as Montaser Shahbazi, argue that the name comes from the Arabic word safr (صَفْر), literally "empty", and originally referred to Awiyyistan before being applied to Siphria as a whole. Others, including Aymeric Lejeune and Hideki Kobayama, link it to saffara (صَفَّرَ), "to color yellow", arguing that the name is related to Siphria's long history of growing cereal crops, which are golden-colored during the harvest season. Still others link it to the term sufr (صُفْر), literally "brass" but commonly used to refer to currency, arguing the term rose as the result of trade between ancient Siphria and the remainder of Nautasia. A minority of academics argue that the name potentially derives from the Siphrian term siparru (սիպարրո), meaning "bronze", or sipru (սիպրո), "document"; however, these claims are not as broadly accepted.

The country's endonym Aburrāyu (Աբորրէյո), by contrast, is near-universally agreed to derive from the Siphrian word aburru (աբորրո), literally meaning "farmland" or "pasture", referring to the fertile, cultivated land they inhabited south of the Khursaneh Mountains. This region was also sometimes known as Kibturu (Կիբտորո), literally "the land of wheat", in archaic records for similar reasons; however, Kibturu had fallen out of widespread usage by the 1st century and retains only a poetic usage.

History

Main article: History of Siphria

Prehistory and origins

Archaeological evidence attests to a human presence in Siphria as far back as the Upper Palaeolithic, with artifacts from nomadic populations such as the Emiran and Aterian cultures found in Siphria dating to as far back as 40,000 years ago. These cultures were replaced by the Antelian and Kebaran cultures in the Mesolithic, and in turn supplanted by the semi-sedentary Shukhbiyu culture in the early Neolithic; while the Shukhbiyu culture was pre-agricultural, it left behind several archaeological sites speculated to be villages or towns, and evidence suggesting the domestication of the dog within the region.

The ellušitri script was developed Ancient Siphria.

There is a comparative dearth of archaeological evidence between the end of the Shukhbiyu culture in roughly 9500 BCE and the rise of the Lashu culture in 5600 BCE; the archaeological record explodes following the rise of Lashu culture, however, with evidence of the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, pottery, and copper metallurgy evident during this period. The Lashu culture was replaced by the Ranya culture in 3900 BCE, which saw some further development in pottery, and the development of proto-writing and the wheel. The Ranya culture collapsed violently for unknown reasons in the 2600s BCE, with few artifacts from the subsequent two centuries being found.

The gap in the archaeological record caused by the collapse of the Ranya culture ends with the rise of Ancient Siphrian civilization in the 2400s BCE. Early Siphrian civilization was marked by several technological advancements that distinguished it from previous cultures; large-scale irrigation, crop rotation, and bronze metallurgy led to an agricultural boom that led to increased population growth and social stratification, the arrival of the domestic horse resulted in the rise of chariot warfare, and the development of the ellušitri script by 2100 BCE set the groundwork for future development of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and other fields within ancient Siphria.

Continuing population growth resulted in the rise of several city-states and the beginning of the first ālu period, typically placed by historians at 1800 BCE. Major city-states, or ālū, from this period included Ašnakkum, Kisurra, Purattu, Šušarra, and Tarbisu. While Šušarra and Ašnakkum were the dominant polities for much of the first ālu period, by the 1500s BCE the city-state of Kisurra was rising in power, having secured alliances with, and later fealty from, Purattu and Tarbisu. This put Kisurra in a position to unify Siphria in the 1400s BCE.

Early empires

In 1469 BCE, Kisurra- under the leadership of Narkab-šarra-utsur- launched a series of wars against Šušarra, Ašnakkum, and several other city-states not already allies or vassals of Kisurra. After defeating these city-states, Narkab-šarra-utsur proclaimed the First Siphrian Empire in 1457 BCE, becoming the first Siphrian emperor.

A relief of ancient Siphrian soldiers returning following a campaign.

The First Siphrian Empire would dominate the area for several centuries, controlling the coastlines of Siphria and LOREM by the death of Anaslu-bēl-kala I in 1254 BCE; the empire also launched repeated campaigns in Awiyyistan, aimed either at repelling raids from, or at securing tribute from, the Bedouin population of the region. Political conflicts such as the rebellion of Lābubirqu-šumu-līšir and the Engurru rebellion intermittently destabilized the empire, as did natural disasters and famines; nevertheless, the general stability and security of the Aburrite Empire led to a flowering of science, art, religion, and culture. Ancient Siphrian law was codified across the entirety of the empire for the first time by Anaslu-kudurri-utsur I in 920 BCE, and further reformed by Narkab-nātsir-apli I in the 600s BCE; Narkab-nātsir-apli I also minted the first known coinage in Esquarium, and the nišēšitri script, one of the first alphabetic scripts in Nautasia, was developed by the emperor Anaslu-bēl-kala II in the 850s BCE.

The First Siphrian Empire also engaged in extensive trade with its neighbors, including the Bedouin populations of Awiyyistan, Afro-Nautasian populations to the west, and the Naqabiri and Korazdan empires in what is now the Union of Nautasian Irfanic Republics. The ancient Siphrians exported goods such as cedar wood, copper, iron, marble, olive oil, beer, and wine in exchange for tin, gold, silver, glass, dyes, incense, and ivory. There was also periodic conflict between the First Siphrian Empire and its neighbors; the most famous of these was the Siphrian-Korazdan War, fought between 547 BCE and 543 BCE, in which the ancient Siphrians, under the emperor Anaslu-rāim-nišēšu I, successfully repelled an attempt by the Korazdan emperor Batarus to conquer or vassalize the First Siphrian Empire; the war was concluded with a formal treaty, known as the Treaty of Markhašu, of which copies survive both in Siphrian and in Old Pasdani.

By the mid-400s BCE, however, the First Siphrian Empire had been severely weakened due to crop failures, political conflict, and mismanagement. Frustration among the nobility and clergy with the rule of Bēlumē-šumu-līšir broke out into the Kalkhu Revolt in 441 BCE; the conflict ended in 435 BCE with the brutal sacking of Kisurra. After the fall of Kisurra, the leaders of Ekallatum, Irītu, Kaštiliašu, and Purattu- which had become the de facto leaders the revolt- signed a document known as the Treaty of Four Kings in which they formally dissolved the empire and agreed to divide its lands between them.

In practice, however, the Treaty of Four Kings resulted in a reversion of power to city-states and other local polities, beginning what is known as the second ālu period. Initially Ekallatum was the most powerful of these city-states, thanks to its network of alliances with smaller cities and towns, but it was increasingly rivaled by Irītu by the 100s CE. Conflict between the Aburrites and the Bedouin also continued during this period, with Siphrian cities near the Khursanehs suffering from raiding at the hands of Bedouin tribes. The period also saw the widespread adoption of the nišēšitri script as papyrus and parchment fully replaced the clay tablets of earlier eras.

A depiction of the Īnu Ebēbim deity Arūtu in the ruins of Purattu.

The second ālu period ended after Lābubirqu-šākin-šumi I, ruler of Irītu, proclaimed himself emperor in 207 BCE following his victory at Kurukhanni, marking the beginning of the Second Siphrian Empire. During this period, rulers such as Narkab-rēša-iši I and Nādinballit-apla-utsur I made important legal, bureaucratic, and land reforms, while the emperors Puzur-Šarruma and Muddiš-Anaslu I undertook notable infrastructural efforts. The country was also taken over by two dynasties of foreign origin, the Najrids and Mehrdatids, during the Second Empire; both the Arab Najrids and Pasdnai Mehrdatids came to assimilate into Siphrian culture, adopting Siphrian regnal names and customs and practicing syncretized forms of Īnu Ebēbim.

Following a long period of famine and civil turmoil, the Second Siphrian Empire collapsed in 475 CE, beginning the third ālu period. The six most prominent city-states during the third ālu period were Kaštiliašu, Ursa'um, Dur-Lābim, Alakhum, and Engurru; of these, Ursa'um and Engurru were the most prominent, with Urs'aum holding sway over much of Siphria's west and Engurru over much of the country's east. Kaštiliašu, Dur-Lābim, and Alakhum periodically allied to restrict the influence of the other two; however, these alliances were typically fractious and short-lived, and proved largely unable to prevent their growing influence.

Medieval period

The Battle of something saw [impacts].

(third empire, fourth alu Galalu and Aqrū, fourth empire up until 18th dynasty)

Modern era

Siphrian artillery during the Khitiyu War.

(fourth empire from 1717 into the present)

Politics

Governance

(the monarchy has absolute power; military and courts answer to him)

(a house of commons and of lords exist but are not legislatures; they are purely consultative)

Administrative divisions

(iunno some mix of vassal monarchs and appointed viceroys probably)

Foreign relations

(ambivalent or hostile to ankoren; entreaties towards ec were ignored)

Military and police

(primary duties: shooting bedouins, shooting ankorenis)

Geography

(big mountain range separates coastal plain from inland flatland)

Climate

(rain shadow effect means a nice coast with mediterranean - koppen csb - weather...)

(coupled with a desert where only fools and bedouin dare live)

Economy

Siphrian farmers near tbd.

Agriculture

(grains, olives, figs, dates, grapes, and citrus for food; cotton, tobacco, linseed, and rapeseed as cash crops; illicit opium)

Industry

(largest sector of economy; light industry and textiles)

Awiyyi women at a textile factory in tbd.

(some heavy industry but it's rare) (talk about heskif?)

Resources

A marble quarry in tbd.

(copper, iron, phosphates, and limestone/marble)

(some petroleum, but not enough to make it a large sector of the economy)

Tourism

Artifacts on display at the National Museum of Siphria.

Media

(actually surprisingly diversified for a country like siphria, though this is under threat)

Infrastructure

Energy

(imported oil)

Communications

(radio, tv, internet, postal, whatever)

Transport

(roadways)