16 Years' Crisis
The 16 Years' Crisis, also known as the Crisis of the 5th Century, or the Makedonian Crisis, was a period of political and economic instability that nearly led to the downfall of the Makedonian Empire. Lasting from 445-461, most of the Crisis dominated the reign of Alexarchus, who's various reforms and campaigns were largely intended to restore stability to the Empire. Most historians consider the crisis the closest point the Empire came to collapse until the Burning Plague and its aftermath four centuries later.
The crisis began in 445 with widespread food shortages and famine in central Syara and Ruvelka owing to crop failures in Galania, which threatened the collapse of the Empire's food supply. This induced rebellious strife across various provinces of the Empire, further heightened by the fluctuating nature of the Empire's borders. Compounded by currency devaluation and populace decline owing to centuries of conflict, the Empire would struggle to retain control of its territory and restore proper infrastructure and economic function for the better part of a decade. The crisis was deepened by rebellions in Ruvelka, Mansuriyyah, and the rise of the Bosrei warlord Jarpr, all of which would require Alexarchus to embark on campaigns to suppress. Although he was killed by Jarpr in 459 CE, his brother Eurymedon successfully defeated Jarpr in 461, which is generally used to mark the end of the crisis.
Surviving the crisis eventually allowed the Makedonian Empire to enter into the 6th Century in a position of power that would see it triumph over its long time rival Serikos. This was later followed by the conquest of Quenmin and victory over the Sabrian Empire in the Sabrian Wars, culminating in the Empire reaching its greatest territorial extent.
Background and causes
By the 5th Century, the Makedonian Empire appeared to be in decline. Since the conquests of Orestes II, Makedon had steadily expanded into Mansuriyyah, Arkoenn, Khaltia, and Boreas, coming into contact with the other major continental powers of Siduri, namely Serikos and the Hannashka Empire. The subsequent Discovery Wars and Makedonian-Hannashka Wars lasted for centuries, forcing the Empire to wage war on two fronts. While the Makedonians originally enjoyed success against the Hannashka, the reign of Kamadyu the Magnificent brought defeat and reversals to Makedonian fortunes, and by the 4th Century the Empire had been driven out of Khaltia entirely and had been reduced to coastal holdouts in Nalaya.
Back and forth wars against the Han of Serikos further drained the Empire's already overstretched manpower and resources. Although the Makedonians had been able to restore the border to the boundary of Chihon, the fighting had depleted the Empire's treasury. Mass conscription and drawing up of levies had further depopulated many regions of the Empire, leading to demographic decline and loss of taxation revenue and tribute. Maintaining such a large military force had forced the Empire to mint coins on a massive scale that led to inflation and devaluation of the drachma, which inhibited trade and economic growth. As price of goods rose, trade revenue declined and the Empire's internal trade network began to falter as merchants struggled to sell their wares and turn a profit. Increased banditry due to the breakdown of social order further dampened trade and travel, leading to coordination across the Empire declining in both political and economic matters.
Further adding to the disruption was the social upheaval brought about by the rise of Zobethos, which had gradually replaced Hellenic polytheism among the lower classes of Syara. Zobethos, originally a heavily pantheistic faith that worshiped the Titan Gaia, was popular among Syara's many slaves and poor owing to the promise of eternal salvation for all followers of the faith. This was generally considered a more appealing choice for many of the downtrodden and less fortunate of the Empire, as no such promise could be found in worship of the traditional pantheon of Hellenic gods. By the 5th Century the majority of the population of Syara was Zobethians, which led to internal unrest eventually culminating in the Zobethos Civil War from 431-434. The conflict has disproportionately devastated much of Syara and Ruvelka, which formed the effective heartland of the Empire.
Course of the Crisis
The crisis is generally held to have begun in 445 with widespread harvest failures in Galania, the breadbasket of the Empire. Food shortages quickly led to famine across many regions of the Empire, even the wealthy home region of Makedon itself. Widespread starvation was only avoided by mass state purchases of grain and wheat from independent land owners in Mansuriyyah and Arkoenn, and trade with other powers including the Acrean Empire. Having already drained the treasury as a result of constant wars with Serikos and the Zobethos Civil War, coinage was minted en masse which led to subsequent devaluation and inflation starting in 446. While hasty state investment in Galania's farming regions helped stabilize crop production and avoided a major food shortage for the remainder of the crisis, the economic impact was more long lasting.
Economic instability and unrest among the Empire's provinces made travel and trade more difficult due to rises in bandits and highwaymen and a now debased drachma. The Empire's internal trade network rapidly began to shut down, depriving far flung regions from trade with each other and preventing rapid allocation of resources from one province to another. Because of the breakdown in trade across the empire, landowners began producing and selling their crops primarily at local markets, where it was often used as a currency instead of the the devalued drachma. This gave immense power to local landowners and merchants at expense of the central government, reducing the influence of the Makedonian throne and Royal Court.
The reign of Alexarchus began in 447 and at first the new King seemed ill-suited to the task. Shunned by much of the Royal Court for his continued homosexual relations, Alexarchus struggled to rule effectively from the capital of Parilla, owing in no small part to the decreased influence of the central government and resentment from the Makedonian nobility and aristocracy. Alexarchus responded to this by adopting a "mobile court", rarely staying in Parilla and traveled extensively across the Empire, directly interfering in affairs that normally had been the responsibilities of local Viceroys and Archons.
Alexarchus instituted various reforms to tackle the problems facing the Empire. This included deploying much of the Makedonian army to patrol the roads and highways of the Empire, restoring some semblance of normalcy and trade. To dismantle the power of the local landowners, Alexarchus dismantled many of the traditional aristocratic families and redistributed their lands to smaller landowners. This act nearly incited rebellion and led to Alexarchus ordered the execution of more than 200 families. Alexarchus further ordered the emancipation of more than 30,000 slaves from Syara, who were competing with freemen for jobs and wages. In addition, Alexarchus had 12,000 slaves redistributed as "decade farmhands" who served for ten years for various smaller farms in order to ensure there was enough labor to produce a surplus and afterwards they would be free to become taxable subjects of the empire.
In order to save off rebellion among the Karvelebi of Zemplen, Alexarchus married King Zurab's daughter Minara, who bore him two children. Further rebellions in Berhida and Derecske were put down by sacking both cities. Facing instability in the Empire's southern border along Khaltia and Nalaya, Alexarchus then marched south to pacify the border regions. During this time Alexarchus reached an agreement with the Hayren tribes of northern Nalaya, offering land in Syara and Ruvelka in exchange for loyalty to the Empire and conversion to the Zobethos faith. This culminated in the Hayren Migration, creating Hayren populaces that remain in Ruvelka and Syara to this day.
Stabilization of the Empire's borders in Siduri were soon overshadowed by problems in Eracura. In 456 CE the warlord Jarpr began gathering Bosrei tribes from across Boreas to oppose Makedonian expansion across the Hrimhal River. Jarpr's efforts proved more succesful than the Makedonian officials in Boreas originally realized, allowing Jarpr to gather a force of over 70,000 warriors by years end. In 457 he sacked the Makedonian cities of Sephatateous and Alkininya along the border, prompting the local forces under Telephos of Chryse to respond. The resulting Battle of Prothiam resulted in a Makedonian defeat, and soon the Makedonians were abandoning the interior of Boreas as Jarpr's numbers swelled to over 100,000.
Alexarchus moved his armies towards Boreas and successfully defeated Jarpr in 458, but the following spring was captured and executed by Jarpr. Alexarchu's brother Eurymedon would rally Makedonian forces and defeat Jarpr in 461, ending the Bosrei rebellion. The Makedonian victory is considered to mark the end of the crisis.
Aftermath. impact, and legacy
The 16 Years' Crisis was the culmination of nearly two centuries of conflict both external and internal, and it left a profound impact on the Makedonian Empire. The rise of local rule based on land ownership rather than urban wealth would feed a steady progression towards decentralized rule that would effectively mark the transition of the Empire from centralized, united empire towards a confederation of tributary states held in power by a highly militarized political elite. Alexarchus's rule would cement the tradition of Makedonian Kings taking active parts in expansion of the Realm, while internal reforms began limiting the practice of slavery within the Empire.
With much of the 4th Century spent on the back foot against hostile powers vying for continental dominance, and the 5th Century spent struggling amid internal disorder, the Makedonian Empire entered into the 6th Century in a better position to assert its regional dominance. The collapse of the Hannashka Empire was answered with peaceful overtures towards the Rideva Empire, allowing Makedon to maintain a largely stable and secure southern border along Nalaya, Tennai, and Khaltia. With southern Siduri no longer a pressing strategic threat, the Makedonians were free to focus their attention on Serikos, which would eventually be conquered by the mid-6th Century. This would be followed by the conquest of Quenmin during the 7th Century, which in turn led to the Sabrian Wars against the Sabrian Empire. By the 8th Century Makedon had established itself as the premier power of Siduri, and would enter its golden age until the outbreak of the Burning Plague in 825.