Gladian Empire
Imperial Confederation of the Gladians | |||||||||
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AC 795-1406 (unified) AC 1406-1545 (Split Empire) AC 1547–present (Reunified) | |||||||||
Flag | |||||||||
Capital | Termo (795-1498/1545-)
Karks (1406-1545)
Mesk (1498-1515)
Tersa (1515-1523)
Caist (1523-1535)
Vairo (1535-1545)
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Official languages | Gladian | ||||||||
Common languages | Gladian, Nonan, others | ||||||||
Religion |
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Demonym(s) | Gladian | ||||||||
Government | Semi-elective Constitutional monarchy | ||||||||
Emperor | |||||||||
• AC 795-811 | Dorman I Amanora(first) | ||||||||
• 1400-1409 | Bainan III (First Northern Emperor) | ||||||||
• 1406-1433 | Eskan (First Southern Emperor) | ||||||||
• 1530-1570 | Tirak I Amanora (Reunified the empire) | ||||||||
• 1573-1600 | Taman III Amanora (Current) | ||||||||
History | |||||||||
• First Wars of Gladian unification | 780-795 | ||||||||
• Empire established | 795-811 | ||||||||
• Dorman named Emperor | 795 | ||||||||
• Establishment of the Red Church | 1009 | ||||||||
• North and South divide | 1406 | ||||||||
• Termo conquered | 1498 | ||||||||
• Reformation | 1470-1505 | ||||||||
• Return of Ancient rights to Assembly | 1503 | ||||||||
• Reconquest of Termo, and reunification. | 1545 | ||||||||
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The Gladian Empire (Officially the Imperial Confederation of the Gladians) is the post-confederation period of the Gladian city-states. As a polity, it includes all of the Velkarichka river basin, large holdings in X, X, X, and the Negorb. It was ruled by Emperors from the ascension of Dorman I Amanora as the first Gladian emperor to the Crisis of the 15th century, it was an absolute monarchy with its capital in Termo. The Empire was later ruled by multiple emperors, who controlled the Northern Gladian Empire, and the Southern Gladian Empire. With the Imperial seat moving to Karks. Termo would be conquered in 1498. Tirak I Amanora would reconquer Termo in 1545 and reunify the empire in 1547.
The predecessor state of the Gladian Empire, the Confederacy of Gladians, became severely destabilized in civil wars and political conflicts. In the middle of the 8th century, the empire came under increasing foreign pressure from the Empire of Fart, and internal division, culminating in a near collapse of the Confederacy in 777. Dorman ruler of Termo, launched a series of wars to unify the Confederacy in the aftermath of the collapse of the Empire of Fart. Culminating in the unification of the Gladian city-states, Dorman was granted overarching power, and the title of Emperor, making him the first Gladian Emperor. The empire, was organized into a series of provinces, with Termo as the economic and political center of the Empire.
The empire experienced a period of economic, and social progress for the next 100 years. Although the empire experienced an era of Isolationism, and Centralization in the 9th century, it was brought to an end in the Crisis of the 10th century, which saw the Empire enter a period of economic decline and an end to the First Amanoran Dynasty. In the 11th century a period of renewal and modernization, resulted in the further centralization of the state, and establishment of the Red Church of Termo. Beginning a period of general expansionism, and colonization of neighboring territories and lands, allowed the empire to reach its greatest territorial expanse in 1206. For the next 200 years, the empire entered a period of decline which reached its height in the Crisis of the 15th Century.
As a result of the internal infighting, and disputes. The empire was regularly split between various sections, until 1406 when it was split for the next 150 years into two parts, the Northern, and Southern Empires. The Crisis of the 15th Century nearly brought an end to the empire a period of civil wars, invasions, plagues, famines, environmental collapse, and religious infighting. With its culmination in 1498 when Termo was conquered, by the Nona empire. The Reformation of the Churches starting in 1570 and ending in 1505, would result in the decline of supreme authority by the Red Church, and the acceptance of breakaway churches. The Northern empire would be reduced to a rump state, while the southern empire saw a system of Constitutional Monarchy enforced in 1503, by 1525 the empire only held lands in the Velkarichka river delta, and a system o decentralization had returned the river basin to an almost pre-Imperial state.
Tirak I Amanora as Northern Emperor would launch a series of wars to reunify the empire, reforming the Imperial administration, and guaranteeing the rights obtained in the last 30 years by nobles, aristocrats, and religious communities. In 1545 Tirak would reconquer Termo, and in 1547 would succeed in reunifying both northern and southern parts of the empire, aided by the discovery of the Ixtal sets of armor, and the Mistian blades in 1530. The empire would reconquer 2/3 of its previous height at Tiraks death in 1570. A new Gladian golden age would bring renewed economic, political, and scientific prosperity to the country, along with Gladian Nationalism.
History
Pre-history
Following Gladian creation myths, humans are the fourth creation. The first creation being plants, the second creation being animals, and the third creation being the highly advanced Daron. The Daron were destroyed 4000 years before the founding of Termo, when they followed the Seven Children of Sugohu, into the underworld to fight for his freedom, returning to the world too few. The remaining Six children, opted to start a new creation, by creating humans from Maize. The Daron are said to have transferred their scars obtained in the fighting in the underworld to their offspring, which decided to reside in the Velkarichka (Mother River), in honor of the mother of their creation. The mix between the third and fourth creations is what brought upon the Gladian population of the river basin.
Agriculture is dated to 400 years before the founding of Termo, as the farmer Xelman, obtained a vision from the heavens on the creation of Kamal soil for the growth of crops, Xelman would be elevated through Apotheosis into one of the 12 main gods/aspects. Creation of Kamal soil became the basis for the creation of settled populations, and the Gladian religion.
Science and technology
Woodblock printing
Woodblock printing was developed in the 8th century AD, and allowed a widespread publication of text, unheard of in Gladian history. Blocks made out of Gladian nut tree, although some are made of different types of wood, allowed the first mass produced version of Holy text. Although the publication of books has resulted in woodblocks being reduced to exclusively art, or traditional printing. Its contribution to Gladian literary history cannot be overstated. With woodblock printing representing 50% of all printed materials in the 14th century, despite the introduction of the printing press in 1269.