1896 Polarussian Uprising

The 1896 Polarussian Uprising was an armed uprising of Polarussian militias, which occurred as a result of the decreased level of Imperial Exponential troops in the area due to their transfer to deal with the Albandaean Crisis. The uprising was considered to be a pivotal moment in the pursuit of Polarussian independence, and galvanized a sense of nationalism amongst the Polarussian people.

Background

In 1358, the Polarussian Crusade ended with the complete conquest of the Sultanate of Polarus by the Empire of Exponent. From early on, Exponential occupation was frequently challenged by Islamic groups as well as raids from nomadic Polaran tribesmen. These challenges began to escalate during the 19th century, as a spirit of romanticism invigorated the Polarussian nationalist movement.

On March 5, 1896, revolutionaries belonging to the Healers' Movement in the city of Albandaea took up arms against the Empire of Exponent, triggering what would become known as the Albandaean Crisis. The uprising in Albandaea quickly spread along the coast, drawing thousands of Imperial soldiers away from Polarus and elsewhere to contain it.

History

With Imperial garrisons undermanned as a result of the Albandaean Crisis, nationalist forces began harassing Imperial government officials and military positions in June. By August 14, nationalist forces opened a full uprising in Jandara and elsewhere, and several Imperial forts along the Polaran Desert trade routes were besieged and captured by Polaran nomad troops.

Within Jandara, the Imperial garrison, as well as reinforcements from surrounding areas, was able to crush the uprising within a matter of days. The Imperial Army re-entered Polarus in force in September, and swiftly crushed the remaining rebel and nomadic troops.