Artadesia

Artadesia, officially the Commmonwealth of Righteous Artadesian Socialist States (Norrsk: Samveldet av Rettferdige Artamarks Socialistike Republikker) (IAAT: Artī Artadeś kī Samajāvādī Gaṇasaṅgha ka Rāṣtramandal) is a country in South Sorenway. A federation of 11 National Republics, 19 Protected Autonomous Communities, 5 National Territories, and 2 Union Territories. Artadesia is the world's [X]-largest country in terms of land and [Y]-largest country in terms of population. It directly borders Elesthra, [Y], [A], and [Z]. Artadesia is a Multiparty Councilist Republic, with a bicameral legislature consisting of the Folksforsamling and the Nasjonsforsamling, a Three-person Executive, a national court system, and a bureaucracy. The capital city of Enqilapur is the nation's most populous with a metropolitan population of around 32 Million. Other major cities are Gaonitan, Hvarapat, Mauryabad, Zikam, Cochit, Vritranagar, Mailaab, Foreighi, Sohanpuram, Ayunagaram, and Tasvin.

Commonwealth of Artadesian Socialist States Samveldet av Rettferdige Artamarsk Socialistike Republikker
Flag Emblem
Motto: Enhet i Mangfold Unity in Diversity
Anthem:  Jaga Kar, Artadesh (official) Wake Up, Artadesia
Map of Artadesia
Capital and largest city	Enquilapur
Official languages	Norrsk
Recognised national languages	Airya Venikari Haomi Tahari Hwari Zevyan Sauvi Mitayar Charkha Standardized Adipashratti Paali Sondhyari Chorapi
Recognised regional languages	Isabellan Nacadian Arnynsh Ilbonese Elesthran
Ethnic groups	over 800 Nations
Demonym(s)	Artamarsk(official) Artadesian
Government	Federal Mauryite Republic
• Premier of the Commonwealth	Vritran Prishant Puranmalka
• First Assemblywoman of the People	Prajina Kandiyar Pochaliyan
• First Assemblyman of the Nations	Kurus Qarinvand
• Upper house	Artamarks Nasjonsforsamling
• Lower house	Artamarks Folksforsamling
Establishment
• Third Righteous Empire	1231 CE
• Commonwealth of Artadesia	1905
• Republic of Artadesia	1915
• Councilist Republic of Artadesia	1923
• Commonwealth of Righteous Artadesian Socialist States	1971
Population
• 2020 estimate	1,000,000,000
Currency	Artamarsk Arbeidsnotat (AAN)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	left
Internet TLD	.art

Etymology

The name "Artadesia" comes from the Airya word for the country "Artadesh" or "Auratdaeśa". The name "Artadesh" means "Nation of Righteousness" from Airya "Desh", meaning Nation and "Arta", meaning righteousness. The usage of the term Artadesia in Arnynsh was only widely adopted in the 1950s, before which the archaic term "Udesia" was used instead. The third official short name for the country, "Artamark", is a combination of Norrsk "Mark", meaning land and "Arta". The official demonyms for the people of the country are "Artadesian", "Artadeshi", and "Artamarsk".

History

Antiquity

The first humans to inhabit Artadesia arrived around 55 kya ago, likely from northern Sorenway where they had previously migrated. Little is known about their lifestyle due to the fact that the vast majority of them were hunter-gatherers. Their exact range is not known, however the most recent estimates include most of what is now eastern Hwarsan, northern Chakadesh, Chorap, and parts of easter Airyavej as well as much of Haomkisak, Tahar Nadu, and northern Venikarikam. The leading theory for their absence from other regions is that they were unable to clear the thick jungles of southern Chakadesh, Airyavej, and Venikarikam. The largest archaeological site of importance left by them is the ruins Ikarya-Mithlavati River Valley Civilization which existed from around 2300 BCE, populated by around 10-14 major city-states and dozens of other smaller ones around the Ikarya and Mithlavati rivers in Chorap. These city-states are believed to have been largely unhierarchical, with no depictions of priest-kings like in other early societies, and engaged in large amounts of stone and clay work. These city-states began a slow decline around 1850 BCE and eventually totally collapsed some time around 1800 BCE, paving the way for a new people to appear.

Arti-Hwari Migration

Around 1900 BCE, a people known as the Hwari-Airya people began to move into much of Hwarsan and Adipashratta. They would eventually push farther down, and with the help of iron tools, would manage to conquer much of the remaining city-states around the Ikarya valley. By about 1700, they had established a firm presence in most of northern Artadesia, up until what is now Mehrdesh. They were able to clear out the jungles of southern Chakadesh and Airyavej, and mass settlement around these fertile areas began by around 1300 BCE. During this time, the Vidani texts were compiled, leading to the beginning of First Cycle Vidanism, which intermixed the Hwari-Airya religion with that of the local Risani, or southern Artadesians. Vidani's flexibility and ability to adapt to local customs, as well as its translation into Venikar, meant that it took a strong hold over much of Artadesia.

Early Kingdoms

By about 1100 BCE, various true states had sprung up in Chorap, Venikarikam, Chakhadesh, Hwarsan, and Airyavej, with the most prominent being the Yalamit kingdom in eastern Hwarsan, and the Kalakritya kingdom in central Artadesia, both of which are noticeable for having a level of cultural and economic dominance over their smaller neighbors, often forcing them to pay tribute. These states also oversaw the creation of the earliest law codes deriving their authority in part from kings, and not simply gods. These states would slowly decay, however, and by 850 BCE they had nearly vanished entirely. This time also corresponded with the founding of [MAZDAYASNA EQUIV.] by the prophet [ZARATHUSTRA EQUIV.], which gained a mass following in Spentavrat and eventually Adipashratta and Hwarsan due to the political instability of the region. By 600 BCE, a large population boom was in full flow, and many new cities were founded. New settlements formed along the Ikaarya, Natuvalati, and Pashtritalita rivers in Chorap, Airyavej, and Venikarikam respectively. These settlements would often converge into larger confederations, whose wars would dramatically influence the political landscape of the area. The largest cities often were well-protected by walls, man-made moats, and large towers. This urbanization process would continue up to 250 BCE, when the growth of these towns would dramatically slow. Around 290 BCE, the prophet Astiki founded Astikism, which spread across Airyavej and Spentavrat. It's messages of anti-kingship lead to paranoia from the surrounding Vidani kingdoms, which would begin a war with the neighboring Astikite states in around 215 BCE. The Astikite states banded together, and after four decades of grueling conflict, won the war with the treaty of Akrapaal, which secured the rights of Vidani practitioners but affirmed Astikite control of much of Airyavej. These victorious states would then be united under the guidance of the adoptive great-great-grandson of Astiki, Sadvicarah I, who would found the First Realm of God in 470 BCE, governed by the Astikite high priests whose adoptive lineage would trace back to Astiki.

First Artadesian Civil War & Republican Period

By the 1890s, widespread resentment had taken hold of the populace, who blamed the Imperial government for being unable to stand up to imperialist powers, and support for Dr. Jhunjhunwala's Nationalists grew, allowing him to begin organizing an eventual revolution. In 1903, after a failed Imperial raid on a group of soldiers who had agreed to join the revolution in Palikaav meant that the uprising began nearly two years earlier than planned, and soon Artadesia found itself divided between the Nationalist strongholds in southern and eastern Airyavej and western and central Chakhadesh. With support from Ilbon and with the Imperial government unable to cope with rising strife in Venikarikam, the Nationalists managed to take all of Airyavej by 1904, and in 1905 the Soshant signed a declaration declaring the end of the Third Realm of God, and the Republic of Artadesia was declared soon after.

Dr. Sohan Jhunjhunwala, 1906

Dr. Jhunjhunwala was declared first president of the RoA, and his first term was mostly spent on quelling disputes between military officers and securing recognition for the new republic. Despite his government's nominal control of all of Artadesia, in reality, the nation was de facto divided into regions controlled by local warlords and political groups. Jhunjhunwala's second term, from 1910-15 was focused on securing Hwarsan and Adipashratta, which had been under the control of fragmented groups ever since 1904. Although able to secure Nationalist control over Hwarsan, the Nationalists were unable to take Adipashratta. By the end of his second term in 1914, some strides had been made in improving the economy, education, and general civil rights, however the nation was still in a poor state. Notably, no elections had been held, with Jhunjhunwala's defense being that Artadesia was simply too young of a republic to have mass elections. In 1917, two years into his third term, Dr. Jhunjhunwala suffered a heart attack at his home his residence in Vritranagar in Chorap, renamed from Adhyavanagar. He was pronounced dead on November 13, 1917, and while his Vice President Akshaya Maity was named President, de facto power was held by a group of military officers and high-level bureaucrats. Notably, in 1914 in Airyavej, young member of the Councilist Party of Artadesia, Satrap Humayun, proclaimed a new 'Guiding Hand' of Astikism, named the 'Guiding Hand of Liberation' This quickly gained popularity among the rural peasantry, undermining Republican control..

Domestic problems began to spiral, with attempts to take control of Adipashratta and Mehrdesh failing and costing valuable resources, and a lack of promised economic improvements such as land reform caused radicalism to take hold of both peasants and industrial workers from Airyavej and Chakhadesh. The already powerful Councilist Party, which had been renamed the United Artadesian Forwards Alliance in 1919 grew even more powerful under the leadership of new general-secretary Ashok Maurya, who had managed to become its Chairman. His effective organizational tactics combined with his incorporation of Astikism into the party line, something which the CPA had historically rejected, allowed the party to become a dominant force within Airyavej, Chorap, and Chakhadesh. Eventually, in 1920, after President Maity was declared President again, a general strike was called by various groups in Artadesia in order to both force economic reforms and pressure the government into beginning elections. Instead, strikers in Zikam were fired on by police, triggering violence between strikers and police.

Second Artadesian Civil War

The strikers soon massed in the center of Zikam, where most of the offices of the regional administration were, trapping in the Governor of Chakhadesh and siezing communication lines, train stations, and factories. Soon, an area known as Red Zikam was taken over, and barricades were set up. Various socialist and councilist groups agreed to collectively support the workers, with the UAFA and the United Udesia Workers Party, or the UUWP, a rival councilist party setting aside their differences and forming a united front. Eventually, the offices of the Chakhadesh parliament were taken over and Zikam was fully occupied. Other strikes across Airyavej and the rest of Chakhadesh lead to councilist forces taking over much of the industrial heartland of Zikam, and the Republican forces being paralyzed.

Strikers in Zikam

By 1921, the situation had slightly calmed down, with southern Airyavej and much of Chakhadesh being under Councilist control in a situation reminiscent of the first civil war just 18 years earlier. As the situation stabilized, cracks began to show in the unity of both the Republican and Councilist forces, with various Republican generals vying for power and President Maity attempting to gain a semblance of real power, and the UUWP and CPA also vying for the support of the workers councils of their respective movement. By 1923, the UAFA had managed to sway most of the councils and marginalized the UUWP, while Republican chain of command broke down, with commanders disobeying the orders of the government in Etilanagar and the councilists making large gains.

In 1924, the Councilists had reached Etilanagar, and after the fall of Vritranagar on June 13, the Republic of Artadesia was officially dissolved, and on July 17, 1924, the Artadesian Councilist Republic was officially proclaimed by A.K. Maurya, with him becoming its first Premier. Over the next few years, the ACR, with support of councilist organizations across Artadesia as well as Ilbonese and Druermark support, swept through much of the rest of Artadesia, taking Hwarsan in 1924, Mehrdesh in 1925, Haomkisak and Tahar Nadu in 1926, and Venikarikam in 1928 after defeating the 'Blue Marshal' Malhar Utanghatakar, a Mehrdeshi noble whom crowned himself Emperor of Artadesia.

The Artadesian Councilist Republic

Immediately after the civil war, the Councilists began to focus on a policy of reconstruction and self-strengthening. The early ACP was fragmented, with various non-UAFA councilist parties vying for power with the UAFA, including the 'National Alliance' led by the UUWP. The Mauryites attempted to strengthen their positions but failed to gain the full support of the Artadesian peasantry, with agrarian socialist groups flocking to the UUWP. This hampered Artadesian reconstruction, with [NEWSPAPER] describing Artadesian economic policy as 'senseless; like a chicken running around without a head'. Food shortages threatened to unseat the revolutionaries, with notable events being the 1929 peasants uprising in Adipashratta that was violently put down by the Artadesian Red Army. By 1932, the worst food shortages had ended and Artadesia's economic outlook began to turn more positive. Foreign socialist nations were invited to effectively serve the role of foreign capital, providing material investments in Artadesia in order to begin the program of modernization championed by Maurya. Increasing UAFA control over the Red Army and the KSRS (Standardized Airya: क्रांति की सुरक्षा के लिए राष्ट्रीय सेवा transl. 'National Service for the Security of the Revolution'), the secret police force, led to the National Alliance slowly losing political power and being marginalized again.

In 1931, Artadesia began publicly pressuring the Ilbonese government to cede the highly-developed and majority Venikari colony of Tondavil Nadu to Artadesia. This escalated over the year and in 1932, on pretext of alleged Artadesian saboteurs assasinating the colonial governor, Ilbon declared war on Artadesia. The first few years marked limited success for Ilbon, however the Ilbonese army was able to capture much of the tip of Venikarikam and the south of Parativu island. The initial invasion marked chaos in the Artadesian government, and the Red Army was simply ineffectual at fighting Ilbonese forces. A lack of aid from the other Councilist nations of the world worsened the problem, with the international councilist movement split on whether to support Ilbon or Artadesia. In 1935, Ilbon began a grand offensive across southern Artadesia, bringing the full weight of its naval and military power to bear on Artadesia. Although Ilbonese attempts to land in Airyavej and Chakhadesh were stopped, the Ilbonese army swept through all of Venikarikam, and captured much of the more developed south of Mehrdesh. The people of occupied Artadesia suffered horrible working conditions as the Ilbonese attempted to extract the most profit they could from the area. Using the war as pretext, Maurya fully siezed state power and rooted out much of the internal opposition to his rule, both inside and outside the UAFA. A mass push to develop industry within Chakhadesh, Chorap, and Airyavej began, and by 1937 the Artadesian forces managed to stall the Ilbonese advance. The Ilbonese attempted to create a puppet government that claimed to be a continuation of the Third Righteous Empire, led by the self-proclaimed Soshant Yadgar IV. This puppet state was not viewed as legitimate by much of those it ruled, and support for it was limited throughout its existence. By 1938, the Red Army, restrengthened and under the visionary leadership of general Nejat Roshinda began to chip away at Ilbonese control, taking much of the interior of Venikarikam and confining the Ilbonese to the coast. By 1939, both nations were exhausted and locked in stalemate, and many foreign commentators remarked that it seemed that both states would destroy each other. Any attempts at peace negotiations were halted by Maurya, who was reported as 'wishing to see Ilbon burn'. The Wormwood Impact's devastation of Ilbon completely destroyed Ilbons war effort, as their ability to supply their soldiers was severely limited, resources were needed to deal with the immediate aftermath, and already low morale became even worse. Artadesian forces swept through the ghost of the Ilbonese army, and the Artadesian navy secured control of the strait for the first time in the war. With initial Artadesian invasion of Tondavil Nadu being extremely successful, peace talks began promptly. In the peace, Artadesia retained all land and gained much of the more Venikari parts of Tondavil Nadu, giving it access to a large industrial base.

The end of the war marked a shift in the fortunes of the UAFA, who now held complete control over Artadesian politics. The asteroid impact did not majorly effect Artadesia, shielded by Nuwea and Ilbon which took the brunt of the calamity. Despite that, the war economy was not able to meet the demands of the populace and much of Venikarikam was left destroyed by the war. The acquisition of Tondavil Nadu helped, and slowly Artadesia transitioned into a more civilian-focused economy. Artadesia also began to distance itself from the other councilist powers, resenting the fact that various councilist states had either tacitly or materially supported Ilbon. The reconstruction of much of Venikarikam coincided with a wave of planned cities, with Sohanpuram and Ayunagaram's reconstruction involving heavy planning, championed by Maurya himself. The city planning expertise used in Venikarikam would then be used to begin the mass expansion of the small city of Attrikhanagar in 1948, which had been renamed to Enqilapur, literally 'Revolution City'. The city was intended to be the new administrative capital, and its construction was used as a way for Maurya to push 'councilist' art styles, as a way to 'champion the progress that Councilism brings to the world'. After the first two major expansions were completed in 1955, many migrants flocked to the city, and to other major cities across Artadesia. This wave of urbanization was spurred by the growing mechanization of farming as well as propaganda programs that idealized city living. At the beheset of Maurya, programs began to teach children and adults Norrsk, so that it could become the official language of government. This was seen by Maurya as ideal, due to widespread political sentiment against any one Artadesian language gaining dominance (especially in the south where Airya was unpopular), and due to not being a language of any of Artadesia's historical colonizers, instead being the language of what he considered the 'birthplace of the world revolution'.

The growth in the power of the UAFA and Maurya marked even more of a descent towards authoritarian governance. The KSRS, renamed the NSFR (Norrsk: Nasjonalt Sekratariat for Forsvar av Revolusjonen transl. 'National Secratariat for the Defense of the Revolution') increased its reach across Artadesia, arresting and torturing dissidents and allegedly organizing multiple assasinations of high-profile critics of the state. A cult of personality was built around Maurya, proclaiming him as the 'Sher Artasya' (transl. 'Lion of Righteousness/Artadesia') and revering him as the 'Father of the Revolution'. This culminated in the renaming of X to Mauryabad. In 1950, all opposition parties were banned via an amendment to the constitution that elevated the UAFA as the 'party of the revolution'. Political freedoms, which had already been curtailed during the war, were reduced further. Elections, especially national and state-level ones, were rigged in favor of one candidate. Most opposition candidates were planted, and those that weren't were massively disadvantaged, receiving little to no party support. Protests were often suppressed with police force, with the most famous example being the 1959 Tondavil Nadu Protests against the imposition of Norrsk and the low quality of schooling recieved by the regions ethnic minorities compared to the Ilbonese and Venikari people of the state. While initially ignored, when the protests grew they were suppressed by local police and the NSFR arrested dozens of protest leaders as well as hundreds more protestors.

Politics

Artadesia is a Federal Council Republic consisting of 11 National Autonomous Socialist States, 52 Protected Autonomous Communities, 3 National Territories, and 3 Commonwealth Nations. It is a mixed representative democracy/direct democracy operating on the Bergist principle of Dual Government, with all Artadesians allowed to participate in their local Community Councils (Norrsk: Samfunnsråd) that perform local administrative functions and all Artadesian workers participating in local Workers Councils (Norrsk: Arbeiderråd), that then elect representatives to higher-level workers councils up until the Supreme

The Ordained Constitution of the CRASS is the nation's supreme legal document, setting up the structure, responsibilities, and power of the national and regional governments, as well as establishing the fundamental rights of Artadesian citizens, and the goals of both the government and the Artadesian citizenry at large.

Artadesia operates under a one-party system, with the only legal political party on the national level being the United Artadesian Forwards Alliance, officially representing Sorenweian Revolutionary Doctrine. Unofficially, however, the party has transitioned far away from Mauryism into what has been dubbed Neo-Mauryism, with far more socially progressive and less economically rigid views. The party is divided into various Caucuses, which more or less act like political parties, with the current 'dominant caucus' being the Peace and Prosperity Caucus. Other caucuses include the Bergist Caucus, the Libertarian Councilist Caucus, and the Red Nation Caucus. There also exists the 'Orthodox Mauryite' wing of the party, which does not constitute a specific caucus. The one-party system means that party politics are often instrumental to whether or not governmental efforts succeed.

Governance

The Artadesian National Government is split into four major divisions. The Directorate of Artadesia, the Folksforsamling, the Nasjonsforsamling, and the Highest Court of Artadesia

The Nasjonsforsamlinghus, where the Nasjonsforsamling meets

The Folksforsamlinghus, the new meeting place of the Folksforsamling under construction

Power is intentionally balanced between these bodies to force consensus, both inside and between them. The two assemblies are directly elected by the people, with Folksforsamling elections occuring on the municipal level and Nasjonsoforsamling elections occuring on the regional levels, each NASS PAC, NT, and one CN electing members. The Folksforsamling elects a Primary Assemblyman to head it while the Nasjonsforsamling elects the General-Secretary of the Nasjonsforsamling as its head. The PA and GS both serve as members of the Directorate, whose head is the Premier of Artadesia, directly elected by the Artadesian people.

The Directorate collectively serves as the head of state and government of Artadesia, voting on executive decisions (if one of the members of the Directorate is not present to make the decision, the decision will be made by the Premier directly). Approval of executive decisions is contingent on two of the three members of the Directorate agreeing to them, with the Premier holding a veto. Often, the Premier is referred to as the de facto Head of State and Government of Artadesia, and it is very rare for even one member of the Directorate to vote against a decision.

Administrative divisions

The primary administrative divisions in Artadesia are the National Autonomous Socialist State (NASS), Protected Autonomous Communities (PAC), National Territories (NT), and Commonwealth Nations (CN). Each NASR holds jurisdiction inside their borders and share sovereignty with the National Government. The NASRs are also subdivided into provinces, which are further divided into municipalities. PACs exist within the borders of NASRs but are not subject to its jurisdiction on various matters and posess semi-independent governments. Most PACs govern the smaller ethnolinguistic minorities in Artadesia, with Agnikaadu and Haomkisak posessing the largest number of PACs of any of the NASRs. National Territories are ostensibly directly governed by the National Government, with Governors directly appointed by the National Government, however an Act of Assembly may grant any NT its own elected legislature and executive, and every NT with a resident population in Artadesia currently has an elected government, making its relationship to the Commonwealth Government very similar to those of the NASRs. Commonwealth Nations are defined as 'Nations which are not members of the Commonwealth but accept the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Government'. These are typically territories that Artadesia disputes with other nations, and their genuine existence as a part of Artadesian administration can be questionable at times, due to the fact that many of the governments of the Commonwealth Nations do not control any of the land they lay claim to.

Largest cities

Largest cities in Artadesia Artadesian Census 2020
	Rank		Province	Pop.	Rank		Province	Pop.
Enqilapur Zikām	1	Enqilapur	Enqilapur National Territory	21,443,655	11	Foreighi	Spentāvratā	6,003,856	Sohanpuram Mauryabād
	2	Zikām	Čakadeś	14,322,111	12	Agnikaadu	Tolavil Nāḍū	5,710,241
	3	Sohanpuram	Venikārikam	13,422,426
	4	Mauryabād	Airyavej	12,199,649
	5	Taśvīn	Hwarśan	11,422,046
	6	Gaonitān	Airyavej	10,754,321
	7	Ayunagaram	Venikārikam	10,114,002
	8	Vritrānagar	Chorap	9,894,664
	9	Cochit	Čakadeś	7,533,284
	10	Mailaab	Mehrdeś	6,442,097

Foreign relations

Artadesia is a member of the International Assembly and Association for Socialist Liberation. Under Premier Maurya, Artadesia did not hold strong relations with other socialist countries, not joining the ASL and pursuing only limited cooperation with countries like Druermark, with its closest connections being with the members of the Sorenway Pact for Mutual Defense and Assistance or SOPAMDA. However, since the Post-Maurya Thaw, Artadesia has become a leading member of the ASL, joining it in 1969 and being supported by it in its transition towards democracy. Artadesia has been supportive of providing military and economic aid to ASL member nations and to councilist nations around the world, and successive Artadesian governments have vocally advocated against what is seen as Marisian neo-colonialism.

Artadesia posesses a permanent seat on the IA Security Council and has been one of the top contributors to IA peacekeeping forces since 2003. It has undergone rapprochement with nations like Ilbon, establishing economic ties, however relations are still tense between these countries. Artadesia especially holds an antagonistic relationship with Elesthra, having engaged in many wars and proxy wars with its neighbor and the two countries have been in competition over influence in West Sorenway over the past few decades. Relations have been tense since the Third Elesthra-Artadesia War, and the two nations disagree on their borders, with Artadesia holding disputed Elesthran territory and Elesthra holding disputed Artadesian territory.

Artadesia is regarded as a Great Power, and holds significant hard power as well as soft power through language, cuisine, music, and movies.