Giulia the Tamaran
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| Giulia I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Regnoselima' | |||||
| August Queen of the Santian Empire | |||||
| Reign | 17 March 1315 - 18 June 1370 | ||||
| Consecration | 21 March 1315 | ||||
| Predecessor | Vitirio I | ||||
| Successor | Giulia II | ||||
| Born | Danata Bianca di Magario 13 March 1293 Orafars | ||||
| Died | 18 June 1370 (aged 77) Yezerin | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Issue | Giulia II Prince Letio Vitirio Prince Golbiro Capitolo Princess Danata Arsama Princess Faraia Luqiana Prince Araspo Magario Princess Gemelica Selima | ||||
| |||||
| Lineage | House of Magario | ||||
| Father | Vitirio I | ||||
| Mother | Gemelica the Tamaran | ||||
| Religion | Santian Folk Religion | ||||
Giulia I (born Danata Bianca di Magario; c. 13 March 1293 - 18 June 1370), also known by her posthumous name Ziastorovianosa, and commonly as Giulia the Tamaran or Giulia the Pure Soul, was the longest-reigning monarch of the Santian Empire. Ruling from 1315 to 1370, she oversaw the restoration of the empire from a small rump state into a major territorial power, ruling the entirity of the islands of Santia and Promeridona, and is regarded as the first ruler of the Giulian Period of Santian history.
Early years
Giulia I was born Danata Bianca di Magario in winter 1293, in Orafars, her date of birth traditionally placed on 13 March. The third child of Prince Piro-Darado Fisi, son of reigning king Piro-Pero, her mother was Gemelica the Tamaran, a northern Tamaran princess who had been married to Piro-Darado in a diplomatic union in 1291. During her upbringing she remained close to her mother, speaking to her in a Tamaran dialect which would quickly give her the lifelong epithet 'the Tamaran'. In 1297, Piro-Pero died, naming Piro-Darado to succeed him as Vitirio I. As the daughter of a reigning king, Giulia was educated by court scholars on the presumption that she would participate in government, with a standard curriculum including poetry, hunting, horse-riding, calligraphy and singing. In 1306, aged 13, she is recorded as having led ancestral sacrifices at the annual Amsira celebrations in Magario on behalf of the king.
In 1308, aged 15, Giulia ended her formal education, and underwent a coming-of-age ceremony. By this time, she was recognised by her father as a capable princess, and was given the prestigious role of Warden of Orafars, separating her from the court during the summer months. During her time in the role, she assisted the king in presiding over the first re-plastering of the White Walls of Orafars in over 50 years, and formed links with a number of notables and officials who would later occupy high positions in her reign, including the Giasabsian Romelio Salu Masinu. In 1313, after presiding over the annual Amemsori celebrations for a second time, she was withdrawn from the role of Warden and returned to court. Historians generally agree that this was intended to position her closer to succession, either so that she could be evaluated against her siblings or because she was already considered the most desirable heir; by 1313, Vitirio I's health was beginning to deterioriate. In 1315, no successor had been publicly designated, and Giulia's elder brother Piro-Faraio Delo was still considered a strong contender for the throne.
Early Reign
Accession
On 17 March 1315, in Yezerin, Vitirio I died after a long illness. Having been in too poor condition to make the seasonal move to Orafars at the beginning of winter, many leading members of the House of Magario had gathered in expectation of his death, but by March had begun to drift away, leaving Giulia in Yezerin with a minority of other princes and princesses. After learning of Vitirio I's death, Giulia declared that she believed she had been designated heir, and was able to earn the acceptance of her claim at court before the arrival of Piro-Faraio. On 21 March, the House of Magario convened at the Magario Tombs to oversee Vitirio I's burial and the succession. Following the funeral, Giulia presented her rule as a fait accompli and received oaths of loyalty from Piro-Faraio and other potential claimants. After this, she immediately returned to the entrance of the main tomb and underwent formal consecration, completing her accession to the throne.
Political struggles
Despite the efforts of Vitirio I to re-assert royal authority during his reign, the position of the monarchy remained precarious at Giulia's accession. The former king's chancellor, Shiro Remso di Castalesio, had backed Giulia's claim after she agreed to re-confirm his position, and quickly cemented his authority by putting forward a list of appointments, the majority of which Giulia accepted. Shiro Remso's cousin, Aiba Razmie di Castalesio, became Chamberlain of the Hall of Appearances, controlling access to the court. In an attempt to balance the power of the House of Castalesio, Giulia also appointed Giele di Lontano, a member of the rival House of Lontano, to command the royal guard, the Ultifesa.
In the two years after Giulia's accession, the government of the kingdom was dominated by Shiro Remso and the House of Castalesio, to whom large numbers of Asagi in western Santia owed direct loyalty. In the summer of 1316, the chancellor's brother Sirimo Thamrusio led a successful raiding expedition to the coast of western Promeridona. In the New Year celebrations of 1317, Shiro Remso claimed the right to follow Giulia in making sacrifices in the Hall of Appearances in Yezerin, a practice which had been common in the preceding centuries but abandoned in Piro-Pero's reign. Giulia refused, creating an increasing rift between the monarchy and chancellor. Shortly afterwards, Giele di Lontano was forced out of her position after being accused of embezzlement by Aiba Razmie di Castalesio. Against strong opposition, Giulia appointed a bondservant, Sama Gioru, in her place.
Messianic claims
In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, a millenarian current emerged in Santia in expectation of the passing of 1000 years since the eruption of Mount Birrin in the year 285, an event widely believed to have marked a change in the cosmic order. After the passing of the year without great incident, many continued to expect a coming re-alignment. During her political struggles with the House of Castalesio, Giulia appealed to this current. On the day of Atimu Selimu in 1317, Giulia publicly reported in Yezerin the detection of auspicious signs and omens by palace heralds and diviners, and took the epiphet 'the pure soul', associated with the royal family's legendary divine founder, Magario.