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Revision as of 21:11, 16 May 2019
The Khaganate of Uluujol | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital | Osh |
| Official languages | Oshi |
| Recognised national languages | Xi, Kardish, Mankut |
| Ethnic groups | Ethnic groups of Uluujol |
| Demonym(s) | Uluujoli |
| Government | Unitary constitutional monarchy |
• Khagan | Wei I |
| Establishment | |
• Treaty of Isfana | 1395 |
• Coronation of Ozkan I Khagan | 1432 |
| Population | |
• 2018 estimate | 101,564,393 |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
• Total | USD$1,235,429,276,452 |
• Per capita | USD$12,164 |
| Currency | kumush som (internal), altin som (trade) (UK$/UA$) |
| Driving side | right |
Uluujol (literally "the Ancient/Great Road") is a massive nation located on the continent of Ochran, in the region of Ajax. The country has historically sat aside major east-west overland trade routes, and now contains the longest segment of the Trans-Ochran Railroad. As such, the nation plays a major role in international trade between nations of Ochran, Scipia, and Belisaria.
The country was historically split into two or three realms prior to the Bayarid Empire. After the fall of that empire, two successor states in Xi and the Oshkhanate were joined through a dynastic union.
History
Pre-Unification History
Kardistan and Hwarezm
Evidence has been found of permanent human habitation of the Karda Basin dating back to approximately 9,200 BCE. By the middle of the Third Millennium BCE, a robust set of city states and petty kingdoms had formed along the shores and plains immediately surrounding the Sea of Karda. Starting around 1300 BCE, the Kingdom of Karda unified most of the northeastern shore of the Sea, and over the next two centuries, unified most of the Karda seaboard and expanded into the Chu River Valley, holding most of the valley until the 800's BCE when they were pushed out by expansion by the Xi's Nimaha dynasty. The Kardish Empire fell back to the Basin until the 3rd century BCE when the Basin was conquered by the Hwarezmid Empire, based out of the Chu Valley. Although Hwarezmid rulers were eventually driven out of their home territory, their rule persisted in the Basin until the 10th century CE, when the entirety of modern Uluujol was conquered by the Barayid Empire.
Following the collapse of the Bayarids in the early 13th century CE, a briefly-independent Kardistan was conquered by the burgeoning Oshkhanate, which consolidated its control over the Basin and its tributaries over the next century.
Chu River Valley
The earliest Neolithic settlements found in the Chu River Valley date back to circa 9,100 BCE. A system of city states and petty kingdoms had been established in the valley by 2nd Millennium BCE. By the middle of the millennium, the city-states were being conquered and incorporated into the burgeoning Kardish Empire. Kardish authorities were driven out of the Valley in the 9th century BCE, replaced by new conquerors from the west, led by the Nimaha dynasty of Xi. When the Nimaha dynasty collapsed and Xi was conquered by the Zhou Empire, it left a power vacuum in the valley, which briefly led to a period of strife. However, by the middle of the 6th century BCE, the Kingdom of Hwarezm was on the rise, and soon it was conquering large swaths of the Valley, and then into the Basin, forming the Hwarezmid Empire. The Hwarezmids enjoyed a long period of prosperity and power between 350 BCE and 450 CE when they were driven from their homeland, reduced to a rump state in Kardistan. In their place, the Turkic-speaking Buminid Khanate took control of the Chu River Valley, holding it until they and Kardistan were conquered by the Bayarids in the 10th century CE.
Following the collapse of the Bayarids in the 13th century, a new Khanate, centered on the trade hub city of Osh (Uluujol) rapidly emerged and built out an empire in the Valley and the Basin, carved from the bleeding flank of the collapsing Bayarids. The Oshkhanate proved to have a fortuitous combination of skilled leadership and the afterglow of a period of high trade on the Jade Road, but they still found themselves beset on their western borders by would-be-invaders as the 14th century drew to a close.
Western Zhou
Neolithic settlements in Western Zhou began to appear in the middle of the 10th Millennium BCE, and a river valley culture centered on the Hai River bloomed. In the 12th century BCE, the area was conquered by Mankut-speaking nomads, led by the Nimaha clan, who centralized power in what became known as "the Western State", or Xi by its Xi-speaking majority. The state would remain stable and prosperous, expanding west into the Chu River Valley until it was conquered by its eastern neighbors in Zhou. The Xi would not regain independence until the 8th century CE, when it would finally break away from a weakening Sinhai under the Yu dynasty. The newfound independence would not last, and, like the rest of Central Ochran, Xiwangguo found itself subjugated by the Bayarids in the 10th century.
When the Bayarids collapsed, a resurgent Taizhou under a Sinicized Bayarid dynasty attempted to maintain their control over Xi, but a protracted civil war would allow the Mankut-speaking Ikderi dynasty to break away and reform Xi as an independent state. Although they had won their independence, the Ikderi rulers found themselves having to constantly battle the Celestial Zhou simply to survive.
Unification - The Birth of the Khaganate
All the realms of modern Uluujol had been long connected by waves of conquest and the robust commerce traveling through the network of tributaries of the Chu and the Karda Sea, a major link of what became known as the Jade Road. Following the collapse of the Bayarids, successor states in the Oshkhanate and Xiwangguo found themselves battling for their very survival on their western and eastern borders respectively, and realizing the opportunity for great wealth that lay in the trade route they both sat astride.
In 1395, a meeting between Ozgur II Khagan of the Oshkhanate and Mutengge IV Chanyu in the city of Isfana bore fruit; a treaty of eternal friendship and alliance was signed, sealed by the marriage of Ozgur's son, Niri, to Mutengge's daughter Shui. As Shui was Mutengge's only issue, when the Chanyu died in 1416, Shui succeeded him. Their eldest son, Ozkan, became the first person to rule both Xiwangguo and the Oshkhanate simultaneously.
Ozkanid Dynasty (1432 - 1703 CE)
At his ascension in 1432, Ozkan (styled Ozkan I) was declared the "Khagan of the Great Road", referring to his realm which contained the entirety of the Central Ochran Jade Road. Ozkan and his immediate successors worked to administer both realms, initially from separate capitals in Samarqand and Xi'an, but increasingly from the central capital in Osh.
Among the measures taken to unite the two realms into a coherent whole and to facilitate trade throughout the entirety of the Jade Road included the universal adoption of the Chu alphabet for writing the standard central language of Oshi, as well as Xi. To cement the loyalty of regional magnates, Ozkan, who, in addition to his wife had several concubines, married the daughters of his concubines to regional magnates, often accompanying an elevation to the post of governor. Ozkan also introduced what would become, with some minor modifications, the modern provincial system of Uluujol.
Ozkan's long life helped to cement the idea of a united Khaganate on a more permanent basis: born in 1399 and ascending at age 33 in 1432, Ozkan's reign would last until his death in 1491 at the age of 92 after ruling for nearly 60 years.
Early Yu Dynasty (1703 - 1837 CE)
Green Flag Revolt (1837 - 1841 CE)
The Great Connecting (1841 - 1915 CE)
Shiraz Revolts (1915 - 1932 CE)
Peasant revolt, picking up the most strength in the country's western provinces and, to some extent, in the Chu River Valley.
Four revolts, interrupted by ceasefires; the first is a coordinated rising (1915 - 1918), the second a re-eruption of the eastern and central revolts (1920 - 1924), the third a resurgence of the Xi revolt, co-opted by separatist factions (1921 - 1926), and the fourth, a breaking of the ceasefire by scattered forces remaining in the east and Chu River Valley (1927 - 1934).
The final ceasefire in 1932 saw the laying down of arms by remaining rebels in Hwarezm, Kardistan, and Chu, with the remaining rebels throwing themselves on the mercy of the Khagan. For their pleas, they were executed en-masse; an estimated 8,000 rebels were executed between April 2nd and April 14th of 1932.
The People's Reforms (1918 - 1934 CE)
Modern Era (1957 - present)
Geography
Uluujol is divided into five broad geographic regions. North of the Sea of Karda in the west lies the region of Kardistan, a high, semi-arid plain which slopes toward the sea. South of the Sea lays the reason of Hwarezm, the relative low ground between parts south, the Qianxia Plateau to the Southeast, and the Chu River Valley to the northeast.
The center of the country is occupied by the Chu River Valley, a network of rivers which empty into the aforementioned Great Chu River, which in turn runs west into the Sea of Karda. To its north, the River Valley gives way to the Central Ochran Steppe. The Qianxia Plateau to the south gives way to a mountain range which divides the Chu River Valley from the Hai River Valley and Western Zhou, also known as Xi.
Politics
Uluujol is a unitary absolute monarchy. The government is led by the Khagan.
Within the system, aside from a few rules which govern how the Khagan is selected and a handful of precedents that are only violated at their own peril, the Khagan's will reigns supreme. However, in light of the size and diversity of the realm, in practice much of the day-to-day administration is carried out by authorities appointed by the Khagan.
The Khaganate is divided into 33 provinces, each officially ruled by a khan or shah and functionally administered by a governor, who heads up a governing board. The governors are appointed directly by the Khagan, who in turn appoint their respective governing boards, although it is customary for governors to follow (or at least account for) the recommendations of local representatives in the selection of their immediate subordinates.
Although theoretically a governor can be appointed from any other post or position, the majority of governors are appointed either from the Shuukh (often a member of the dynasty or an Ekinji Bala), or are promoted from a governing board in their respective province at the recommendation of their predecessor.
The Imperial Shuukh (or Court) consists of the Khagan, all living members of the Imperial clan, any living Ekinji Bala, former governors, and any of the 33 provincial Shahs or Kahns and their clans.
Selection of the Khagan
At the death or abdication of a Khagan, a new Khagan must be chosen. The Khagan is elected by the Imperial Clan from among the previous Khagan's descendants: to be eligible, a person must be either child of the Khagan (and, if an Ekinji Bala, adopted into the dynasty formally) or an immediate blood relative (generally a sibling or the legitimate child thereof).
The new Khagan is voted on by all members of the dynasty with three degrees of separation or less with the most-recent Khagan: this means, functionally, the Khagan's spouse (if they are alive), their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents (if they are alive), their great-aunts and great-uncles, their aunts and uncles, first-cousins (aunt's and uncles' children), their siblings, their nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and the Khagan's own children, grandchildren and, potentially, great-grandchildren. It should be noted that this number does include members of the Ekinji Bala.
In most cases, the previous Khagan designates their desired successor. If a Khagan does so, that designated successor will mount the throne unless the entire dynasty unanimously votes to block them from the throne.
Should the designated successor be blocked (or if one is not named), the next-eldest son (or, if no sons survive, eldest daughter) of the previous Khagan is considered heir-apparent, and will mount the throne unless two-thirds of the dynasty vote to block them from the throne.
Should neither the designated successor nor the eldest heir (or next-eldest, if the designee was the eldest child) be permitted to the throne, each of the Khagan's descendents will be voted on in succession order: their spousal children in order of birth for males, then in order of birth for females. Should none of them receive a simple majority of votes to ascend the throne, the designee will be voted on again, this time requiring only a simple majority of votes to ascend the throne. If there is no designee, or they fail again, the eldest (or next-eldest)(preferably-male) heir is voted on with the same criteria.
Should the designee and the Khagan's children all fail to garner enough votes, the Khagan's siblings, nephews, and nieces follow. The eldest brother will be voted on first, then their sons, then daughters, and then the next eldest brother (or, if there isn't one, the eldest sister), and then their children in the same process. In the event that none of the previous Khagan's siblings, nephews, or nieces is able to mount the throne, then either the designee (if there is one), or eldest surviving spousal offspring will mount the throne anyway.
In practice, the throne rarely passes to anyone other than the previous Khagan's children, and it is very unlikely for anyone but a designee or eldest legitimate heir to take the throne, due to the initial votes requiring high thresholds to prevent, rather than confirm, their ascent.
Ekinji Bala
The Ekinji Bala are children of the Khagan born to anyone other than their spouse. In almost all cases, members of the Ekinji Bala (literally "secondary children") are born to one of the Khagan's concubines. They exist in a legal gray area: they are not full members of the Imperial dynasty, despite bearing the Khagan's clan name. As such, they cannot inherit the throne under normal circumstances.
Ekinji Bala are generally well-educated and raised as part of the Imperial clan, groomed either to be married off to pursue dynastic alliances, or for placement as high-ranking officials. In the event of either a failure to produce a legitimate heir who survives to adulthood, or in the event of an Ekinji Bala distinguishing themselves to a significant extent, a Khagan can elevate them into the Imperial Clan. When this occurs, they are considered on equal footing to a child produced by the Khagan with their spouse, although for line of succession purposes they are considered to be younger than any of the children fathered by the Khagan with their actual spouse.
The status of Ekinji Bala is hereditary within one generation: the children of a child of the Khagan are also considered to be Ekinji Bala. However, if they are not elevated into the Imperial Dynasty proper, or fail to marry back into it, their children will simply belong to the second-generation spouse's clan.
In dynastic politics, Ekinji Bala are considered important to the election of a new Khagan (at the death or resignation with an old one): although non-elevated Ekinji Bala cannot take the throne themselves, they do vote on the ascent of the next Khagan, meaning that placating or alienating them can make ascension easier or more difficult for a would-be heir apparent.
Because Ekinji Bala are often fast-tracked to high-ranking positions in government and civil service, there have been several noteworthy members of the class in the Khaganate's history. Noteworthy current members include Governor Baraz Yu of Osh Province, Governor Darya Fahadi of Samarqand Province, Minister of Health Azar Yu, actress Lan Yu, and Xi'an Mayor Aysen Yu.
Military
Foreign Relations
Economy
Demographics
Uluujol contains numerous ethnic groups, generally categorized by their ethnolinguistic ties. They are divided into Iranian-speakers (who live primarily in the western half of the realm), Turkic-speakers (who mostly live in the central and western areas), Tibetan-speakers (who live in the southeast of the country), Sinitic speakers (who live mostly in the country's far-east) and Evenki-speakers, who live primarily in the country's northeast.
The most widespread of these groups are the Turkic-speaking groups, who can be found in moderately-high numbers throughout Uluujol, and whose language serves as the common language for the entire country.
In terms of the overall population, the groups account for the following percentages over the entire country:
- Turkic-speakers - 30%
- Sinitic-speakers - 26%
- Iranian-speakers - 21%
- Evenki-speakers - 11%
- Tibetic-speakers - 10%
- Other groups - 2%
Culture
Transportation
Religion
As a crossroads linking east and west, and an area that has played host to numerous cultures and empires, the Khaganate is home to a wide variety of religious creeds and congregations. As such, Uluujol does not have a single majority religion; the most widespread religion within the Khaganate is the faith of Sadhana, which is followed by approximately 34% of the population. It is followed by Zensunnism. The government of the Khaganate is secular, although the ruling Yu dynasty are adherents of Sadhana. The country's Zoroastrian population is disproportionately-concentrated in the west around Kardistan and Hwarezm. Zensunnism is well-represented throughout the country, with slightly higher concentrations in the west, with Sadhana being well-represented throughout the country, but becoming a larger share of the population in the Khaganate's eastern regions.
Small Muslim, Christian, and Jewish minorities are found in the country, mostly concentrated in the western regions.
Religious breakdown of Uluujol:
- Sadhana - 32.1%
- Zensunnism - 23.6%
- Yeshusadhana - 10.3%
- Zoroastrianism - 9.8%
- Mazdasadhana - 9.2%
- Tengrism - 5.7%
- Judaism - 5.1%
- Islam - 1.2%
- Christianity - 1%
- Other Assorted Religions - 2%