Hamalism

A Modernization of the Abayadi Harpy, a common symbol for Hamalism and the IRP

Hamalism is the founding ideology of the Republic of Abayad. It was implemented by the nation’s first Chancellor Asraf Hamal, and was defined by sweeping political, social, cultural, and economic reforms designed to separate the new Abayadi state from its confederation predecessor and embrace a modernized nation state model, including the establishment of democracy, secularism, state support of the sciences, and free education, many of which were first introduced during Hamal’s tenure as Chancellor in his reforms, as well as those of his successors.

Many of the root ideas of Hamalism began during the late Abayadi Confederation under various reforms to avoid the collapse of the ruling families’ authority, beginning chiefly in the early 19th century land reforms. Such reforms lessened economic inequality to a degree, but ultimately reinforced regional disparities in wealth and development. By the mid 19th century, many had abandoned hope of reforming the system and instead called for wholesale abolition of the families as the ruling political bodies of the region. Many young political thinkers at this time began advocating for modern, republican-style governments, similar to those ideas being espoused by Florencian thinkers at around the same time. Indeed, Hamalism’s founder Asraf Hamal spent much of this time in exile in Florencia, where he picked up many of the ideas that he would later implement.

Philosophy

Hamalism is a modernization philosophy which guided the transition between the multiethnic and multireligious Abayadi Confederacy into the secular, unitary Republic of Abayad. Hamalism set the boundaries for social development during the Republican Reformation. Asraf Hamal formulated much of the ideology while in exile in Florencia, where he’d fled as a young man due to the Atan Family putting a bounty on his head after he’d published several essays criticizing their rule. Hamal had come from a fairly well-off middle class family, so they were able to partially support him from Abayad while he worked as a language tutor in Florencia. Hamal returned to Abayad in 1857 as the Revolution entered full swing, smuggled in on a cargo ship.

Fundamentals

There are six fundamental elements of Hamalist ideology as described by Hamal himself in his later essays, some penned in Florencia and some after his return to Abayad: Republicanism, Populism, Nationalism, Statism, Labor Syndicalism, and Reformism (also called Revolutionism by some Hamalists). Together they represent a kind of left-syndicalism, defined by Hamal himself as a method of, “utilizing popular political despotism to break down in order to break down the economic despotism prevalently used by the ruling Merchant Families of the day to control Abayadi society. These principles came to be recognized as unchangeable and even sacrosanct to some of the ideology’s followers.

Republicanism

Republicanism in the Hamalist framework replaced the plutocracy of the Abayadi Confederation with the rule of law, popular sovereignty, and civic virtue, including an emphasis placed on liberty practiced by citizens. Hamalist Republicanism defines a type of constitutional republic, in which representatives of the people are elected directly and must govern in accordance with existing constitutional law, limiting government power over citizens. The heads of state and government, as well as other officials, are chosen by election rather than inheriting their positions, and their decisions are subject to judicial review. In defending the change from the Confederation, Hamalism asserts that all laws of the Republic should be inspired by material needs of the people as a basic tenet of national life. Hamalism advocates a republican system as the best representative of the wishes of the people. It also rejects political parties as units of political organization, claiming that such organs are divisive and ultimately distract from the grander, national purpose.

Populism

Populism is defined as a social revolution aimed to transfer the political power to the citizenry. Hamalist Populism not only supports the establishment of popular sovereignty, but also the transfer of the social-economic power to the people to establish a true populist state. Hamalism does not emphasize class conflict as much of other leftist ideologies, instead believing in national unity above all else. To Hamalists, Populism envisions a society that emphasizes work and national unity. It exists to create a unifying force that brings a sense of an Abayadi state and the power of the people to bring in that new unity.

Nationalism

The Hamalist Revolution aimed to create a nationstate from the remnants of the fractured Abayadi Confederation. Hamalist nationalism originates from basic social contract theories. The Hamalist perception of social contract was affected by the historic dissolution of the Qabli Empire, which was perceived as a product of failure of hereditary and monarchical governments. Hamalist Nationalism, after experiencing the failures of the Confederation as well, defined the social contract as its highest ideal.

In the administration and guidance of the Abayadi Nation; national unity, national awareness and national culture are the highest ideals that we fix our eyes upon.

— Chancellor Asraf Hamal

Hamalist ideology defines the “Abayadi Nation” as a nation of “Broadly Abayadi peoples who always love and seek to exalt their family, country, and nation, who know their duties and responsibilities toward the democratic, secular, and social state governed by the rule of law.”

Statism

Hamal made clear in his writings and later policies that Abayad’s complete modernization was very much dependent on economic and technological development. The principle of Hamalist Statism is generally interpreted to mean that the state must regulate the country’s general economic activities and engage in areas where private enterprises are not willing to do so. Rule under the Merchant Families and the Revolution alike left much of the nation at unequal levels or development, or in ruins. Post-Revolutionary Abayad was largely defined by its industrial society, leading to rapid industrialization efforts in underdeveloped rural areas in the south and east. During this era, the state had an active involvement in both capital accumulation and investment as well as taking the interest of private businesses into consideration. The state often stepped into economic areas that the private sector did not cover, either due to not being strong enough or having failed to do so. These were often infrastructure projects and power stations but also iron and steel industries, while the masses shouldered the burden of the capital accumulation.

Labor Syndicalism

Labor Syndicalism, more commonly simply referred to as “Syndicalism” is the preferred method of economic organization according to Hamalist philosophy. Unlike other leftist labor movements, Hamalist Syndicalism is seen by its adherents as a modification of Capitalism rather than its abolition. Its main idea is the establishment of state-managed, worker-based organizations to balance the economic power of the bourgeois class, as well as the advancement of workers’ rights and demands through general strikes. Hamalist Syndicalism sees the organization of workers by trade into unions as the ideal basic building blocks of a Hamalist society, as well as the natural evolution of Capitalism under the Hamalist mode. Syndicalism in the Hamalist context also rejects political parties, preferring unions as units of political mobilization and action.

Reformism

Reformism, or more extremely “Revolutionism” is a principle which calls for the country to continually replace institutions and concepts as they become outdated and archaic with newer, modern ones. This principle advocates the need for fundamental social change through revolution as a strategy to achieve a modern society. The core of the revolution, in the Hamalist sense, is an accomplished fact. In a Hamalist sense, there is no possibility to return to the old systems, as they are backward and have outlived their usefulness.

The principle of Reformism goes beyond the recognition of the reforms made during Hamal’s lifetime. His reforms in social and political life are accepted as irreversible by Hamalists. Hamal himself never entertained the possibility of a pause of transitional phase during the course of the progressive unfolding or implementation of the Hamalist Revolution. The current understanding of this concept can be described as that of active modification. Abayad and its society must add their traits to new ideas, often from foreign nations, and adapt them to Abayadi culture according to Hamalism. The making of Abayadi traits and patterns of these reforms may take generations of cultural and social experience (which is recorded in the collective memory of the Abayadi nation).

Analysis

Hamalism and Political Parties

Although Hamal denounced political parties and supported the republic’s founder Karom Fasan in outlawing them, Hamalism was the driving faction in Abayadi politics for the first forty years of the republic. When the ban was lifted in 1906 by the Hamalists’ political enemies, the Liberals, it forced the Hamalists to organize into a party entity to retain relevance. They became the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or IRP. The IRP essentially held onto Hamal’s words as law until the mid 70s, during which the Party moved slightly closer to center and began taking a looser interpretation of Hamal’s philosophy. The term “Hamalist” can be used to refer to any member or supporter of the IRP, as well as the party’s conservative branch that supports more literal applications of Hamalist philosophy.

Hamalism and Abayad’s Constitution

Three of Hamal’s six core tenets are explicitly endorsed in Abayad’s Constitution, itself having been written under heavy Hamalist tones. Article 2, Clause 1 reads:

“The Republic of Abayad is a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law; bearing in mind the concepts of populism, nationalism, and republicanism; respecting human rights, and based on the fundamental tenets set forth in the Preamble.

Originally, all six were explicitly endorsed, but amendments made in the 1910s and later in the 70s to its current version.

Original 1866 Version: “The Republic of Abayad is a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law; bearing in mind the concepts of populism, nationalism, statism, labor syndicalism, reformism, and republicanism; loyal to the nationalism of Fasan and Hamal, and based on the fundamental tenets set forth in the Preamble.”

1910 Revision: “The Republic of Abayad is a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law; bearing in mind the concepts of populism, nationalism, labor syndicalism, reformism, and republicanism; loyal to the nationalism of Fasan and Hamal, and based on the fundamental tenets set forth in the Preamble.”