Povolzhye Khaganate
The Federation of the Povolzhye Khaganate Поволжье Каганата Федерaция Povolzhye Kaganata Federatsiya | |
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Flag
Coat of arms
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| Capital | Ufa |
| Largest city | Kazan |
| Official languages | Northeast Ihrillian (Russian) |
| Recognised national languages | Tatar, Bashkir, Udmurt, Chuvash, Mordvin, Mari |
| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion |
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| Demonym(s) | Povolzhyem |
| Government | |
• Khatun | Emeşbikä İsänbät |
• Chief Vizier | Zilyanä Saidesheva |
| Legislature | Federal Diet |
| Nobles' Assembly | |
| Federal Assembly | |
| History of the Povolzhye Khagnate | |
| Area | |
• Total | 321,400 km2 (124,100 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2018 estimate | 12290000 |
• Density | 40/km2 (103.6/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | NSD$170,000,000,000 |
• Per capita | NSD$13,900 |
| Currency | Altyn (₳) |
| Date format | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +990 |
| Internet TLD | .pz |
The Federation of the Povolzhye Khaganate (Russian: Поволжье Каганат)—or Povolzhye for short—is a federated state located in the far north-eastern part of Greater Dienstad. Povolzhye shares its western land border with Coltarin, though the sub-continent it is located on is also shared with Mokastana, Morrdh, Haishan, and Osea. The capital city is Ufa, in Bashkortostan; however, the largest city is Kazan, in Tatarstan. The Volga River and its tributaries flow through Povolzhye, hence its name. The Povolzhye Khaganate consists of six semi-autonomous Khanates—each ruled by a Khan or Khanım—and headed overall by a Khagan, who is elected from among themselves to lead the Khaganate upon the death of the previous Khagan. The current Khatun is Emeşbikä İsänbät—Khanım of Bashkortostan—who was peer-elected in the wake of the Povolzhye Khaganate's formation, and ascended the throne on the 22nd of May 2018.
Symbolism of Povolzhye
Although each individual ethnic group within Povolzhye has their own exclusive symbols representative of themselves, there is one symbol that represents the entire nation: the "Itil" (or "Rav") rune. Though it forms no particular word or letter in any of the writing systems used by the Povolzhyem peoples, it has remained virtually unchanged throughout the aeons as reminiscent of the Volga River's shape. The Volga River has traditionally been the cradle of civilisation for the Povolzhyem peoples—as the bringer of life, fresh water, and fertility to the land—and is deeply revered alongside its tributaries. Itil was the traditional name for the Volga River—as bestowed upon those who lived closest to it—and a rune was created in its likeness. Said rune is now borne high on the national flag, coat of arms, Khatun's seal, and many federal organs of the state.
Geography
Largest Cities
Rank City Khanate Population 1 Kazan Tatarstan 1,150,000 2 Ufa Bashkortostan 1,075,000 3 Izhevsk Udmurtia 650,000 4 Naberezhnye Chelny Tatarstan 520,000 5 Cheboksary Chuvashia 460,000 6 Saransk Mordovia 330,000 7 Sterlitamak Bashkortostan 275,000 8 Yoshkar-Ola Mari El 250,000 9 Nizhnekamsk Tatarstan 235,000 10 Almetyevsk Tatarstan 150,000
Khanates
Each of the six semi-autonomous Khanates that make up the Povolzhye Khaganate are representative of their own ethnic groups, and are as follows: Bashkortostan, Chuvashia, Mari El, Mordovia, Tatarstan, and Udmurtia. Though each Khanate and the Khaganate overall are secular, the vast majority of civilians are religious; being irreligious is almost unheard of. The only Christian representation in Povolzhye is the Povolzhyem Orthodox Church—as followed by the formerly-pagan Chuvashes (Vattisen Yaly), Maris (Čimarii Jüla), Mordvins (Mastorava), and Udmurts (Udmurt Vos)—and the only Islamic representation is Sunni Islam—with a Sufi minority that mainly consists of the Naqshbandi Order—as followed by the formerly-Tengrist Bashkirs and Tatars. However, all Khanates save Tatarstan are experiencing a revival of their traditional faiths on the part of their leaderships, who have adopted such faiths in place of Povolzhyem Orthodox Christianity or Islam.
Bashkortostan
Bashkortostan is the largest and most populous Khanate in the Povolzhye Khaganate, with its capital and largest city, Ufa, also the federal capital. The Khanım of Bashkortostan, Emeşbikä İsänbät, also rules the entirety of Povolzhye as the peer-elected Khatun. The Bashkir people make up a firm plurality in the Khanate, with a large Tatar minority present in the north and north-west—around the Bashkir-Tatar border—and a Gypsy minority scattered throughout the south-eastern half.
Chuvashia
Chuvashia is the fourth most populous Khanate in Povolzhye, and its capital is Cheboksary. The Khanım of Chuvashia is Naştaşşi Toktaş. The Chuvash people make up the vast majority of peoples in the Khanate, with a Mari minority present and concentrated around the Chuvash-Mari border.
Mari El
Mari El is the least populous and least developed Khanate in Povolzhye, and its capital is Yoshkar-Ola. The Khan of Mari El is Osherge Kyrlya. The Mari people form the absolute majority in the Khanate; the minority presence is so small so as to be negligible in census records.
Mordovia
Mordovia is the fifth most populous Khanate in Povolzhye, and its capital is Saransk. The Khan of Mordovia is Ovstay Peresh. The Mordvin peoples are divided into two sub-groups—the Erzya and the Moksha—with the Erzya being close to their true culture, and the Moksha being influenced by neighbouring Turkic cultures; combined, the Mordvins form the absolute majority in the Khanate.
Tatarstan
Tatarstan is the most developed, and second most populous Khanate in Povolzhye, and its capital is Kazan. The Khanım of Tatarstan is Söyembikä Taqtaş, who is also the oldest-living head of state in Povolzhye, aged ninety-six at the time of writing. The Volga Tatar people form a near-absolute majority in Tatarstan, with small Bashkir and Gypsy minorities present also.
Udmurtia
Udmurtia is the third most populous—and most populated Finno-Ugric—Khanate in Povolzhye, and its capital is Izhevsk. The Khan of Udmurtia is Nazip Napolskikh. The Udmurts form a near-absolute majority, with small Tatar and Bashkir minorities present near the respective borders with Udmurtia.
Climate
The climate of Povolzhye is characterised as humid continental—or Dfa as specified by the Köppen Climate Classification—with short, hot summers and long, cold winters; both of which are often accompanied by moderate humidity. The north and east coasts are noticeably more moderate in its climates than, say, the south coast and inland, and there is plenty of rainfall by the coast. The summers can reach upwards of 100°F (38°C) and the winters can reach below -13°F (-25°C), and the latter is often accompanied by strong winds; particularly around the coastline. The average rainfall across Povolzhye ranges between 375 and 600 millimetres.
Biodiversity
The Povolzhye Khaganate is home to hundreds of species of animals, and thousands of species of plants; the latter of which is mainly dominated by birches, conifers, limes, oaks, and maples. However, the most well-known species of animal is the Dire Wolf (Canis Dirus Dirus), and its domesticated variant (Canis Dirus Familiaris). The Dire Wolf is closely related to the Wargs (Canis Dirus)—and its four subspecies—native to the Timocratic Republic, and many believe that there may have once been a land bridge connecting many Dienstadi continents together in the distant past, which may explain how some plants and animals also are present across many different continents that are now separated by vast expanses of water.
The wild Dire Wolf is a semi-common sight in the untamed Povolzhyem wilderness, while the domesticated Dire Wolf is highly-intelligent and comes in many breeds—ranging in temperament, instinct, and size—that reflect the selective breeding programs over the centuries, as conducted by the Povolzhyem peoples to better refine the breeds for different purposes, so as to better serve them and their needs for survival, recreation, or comfort. The wild Dire Wolf stands four feet tall at the withers and weighs up to 130 pounds, while the domesticated Dire Wolf can range in size from two feet to six feet tall at the withers, and weighing anywhere from 75 pounds to 2000 pounds. The domesticated Dire Wolf—depending upon the breed—is used for anything, from guardians, to being ridden upon, to police and military duty, to hunting, to herding, to crowd control, to companions, and—more recently—for service and therapy; the Povolzhyem peoples deeply respected the Dire Wolves, and would never, ever consent to them pulling carts or sleds as a draught animal would. In the wild, many Dire Wolves live for around 10-15 years, while in captivity, they can live for up to 25 years.
History
Pre-colonisation
Warring Tribes Period [26th century BCE to 23rd century BCE]
As there are few and scattered written records that survive from this period—many of which have been destroyed in fires over the years, and then been rewritten based upon memories of the contents—an accurate picture cannot be painted of the era in Povolzhyem history known as the Warring Tribes Period; at least not beyond oral tradition, as passed down by the various Povolzhyem peoples from generation to generation. What is known, however, is this: the Bashkirs and Tatars were at odds with the Chuvashes, and at each other; the Chuvashes were at odds with the Maris; the Maris were at odds with the Mordvins and Udmurts; and the Mordvins and Udmurts at odds with each other. Often, this tension was over territory, and resulted in incursions, pillaging, and kidnapping of the enemy's women for concubinage purposes.
| <imgur w="225">F6NmqME.png</imgur> The Proto-Iuhra alphabet. |
It is during this period that the Bashkir national folktale of Seven Girls (Bashkir: Ете Кыз tr. Ete Kız) is set; during a raid on Bashkir territory on the part of the Tatars, seven beautiful Bashkir sisters are kidnapped, and proceed to escape from captivity. When it was discovered that they had escaped, the Tatars chased the seven girls upon the backs of wolves—both parties traversed vast distances in the pursuit—and when the seven girls reached a deep, cold lake at the edge of Bashkir territory, they chose to jump into it rather than be captured again. Some versions of the story say that all seven girls drowned, but others say that one girl managed to swim to the other side of the lake, where she was recognised and rescued by a band of Bashkir warriors. Suffice to say, the present-day Tatars and Bashkirs get along very well; a stark contrast with the Warring Tribes Period.
It was near the end of the 23rd century BCE that a confederation of all six peoples—Bashkirs, Chuvashes, Maris, Mordvins, Tatars, and Udmurts—wearied by the centuries of warfare and bloodshed that began in the early-26th century BCE, decided to put an end to the most egregious incursions, and drafted a writing system that all would be able to read: the Proto-Iuhra Script[1]. Nobody remembers what the original names of the script were, so the name of Proto-Iuhra Script will have to suffice.
Needless to say, there were numerous minor incursions in subsequent centuries, but none came close to the scale of the Warring Tribes Period; the common writing system helped unite them all, however loosely.
Formal Introduction of the Written Word
Shortly before the conclusion of the Warring Tribes Period at the end of the 23rd century CE, the Proto-Iuhra Script was developed, and thus adopted and used by all six of the warring tribes. Alas, writing systems do not remain constant—for nothing is constant except for change itself—and so, the winds of change blew, and by the 18th century BCE, a new script was developed: known today as the Old Iuhra Script[2]. This was welcomed as a change by many of the literate who longed for a more prestigious, standardised, and polished writing system, while others among the literate refused to learn the new script. The more pragmatic and opportunistic literate individuals offered transcription and translation services to the dwindling few who refused to learn the new script, which is how archaeologists and historians know how to interpret such scripts; this piece of history would repeat itself over and over, with every new script and its subsequent evolutionary stages throughout the centuries.
The Proto-Iuhra Script was finally phased out by the 16th century BCE, having been replaced more or less completely by the Old Iuhra Script; little did its users know that—by the 4th century BCE—a new script was being developed: the Fenno-Iuhra Script[3], and that it would replace the Old Iuhra Script completely by the 2nd century BCE. In the 4th century BCE, what is known today as the Proto-Povolzhyem Script[4] was in development, and was in widespread usage by the time it subsumed the Fenno-Iuhra Script in the 7th century CE. The Povolzhyem Script[5] was the final writing system developed by the Povolzhyem peoples, and such development began in the 10th century CE; it subsumed the Proto-Povolzhyem Script by the 12th century CE; said script was in continual use all over Povolzhye until the Ihrillians came from across the far-eastern sea, and imposed the Ihrillic Script[6] upon the four subjugated tribes—Chuvashes, Maris, Mordvins, and Udmurts—while the Bashkirs and Tatars resisted incorporation into the nation of Istegium that was founded by the Ihrillian occupants until the 19th century, when the lands of what are now present-day Bashkortostan and Tatarstan finally fell to the Ihrillians under Istegium, and the Ihrillic Script was finally adopted universally. However, the Povolzhyem Script remained in use—in encoded messages—among the Povolzhyem Resistance cells that were present throughout Povolzhye, for the next century.
Proto-Iuhra Script: 23th century BCE to 16th century BCE (based on Phoenician script) Old Iuhra Script: 18th century BCE to 2nd century BCE (based on Imperial Aramaic script) Fenno-Iuhra Script: 4th century BCE to 7th century CE (based on Syriac script) Proto-Povolzhyem Script: 4th century CE to 12th century CE (based on Sogdian script) Povolzhyem Script: 10th century CE to 19th century CE (based on Old Turkic script) Ihrillic Script: 15th century CE to present (based on Cyrillic script)
Christianisation of the Povolzhyem Peoples
8th century CE to 10th century CE
Establishment of the First Povolzhyem Orthodox Church
12th century CE
Bashkir and Tatar Conversion to Islam
13th century CE
First Contact and Subsequent Colonisation
15th century CE
Colonisation and Establishment of Istegium
1485
Establishment of the Istegian Orthodox Church
1515
Incorporation of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan
1885
Povolzhyem Uprising and Subsequent Istegian Flight
10th April 2018
Establishment of the Povolzhye Khaganate
22nd May 2018
Establishment of the Povolzhyem Orthodox Church Reborn
2020
Independence
2026
Present Day
2028
Government
The Khatun
Executive Government
The Federal Diet
Khanate-level Government
Political Parties
Kivicha
Kivicha (Russian: Кивича tr. Kivicha; English: Amaranth)
Partizans
Partizans (Russian: Партизаны tr. Partizany)
The Patriarchy
The Patriarchy (Russian: Патриарха́т tr. Patriarkhat)
Polina Havlasova's One Nation
Polina Havlasova's One Nation (Russian: Одна Нация Полина Хавласова tr. Odna Natsiya Polina Havlasova)
Green Democrats
Green Democrats (Russian: Зеленые Демократы tr. Zelenyye Demokraty)
Povolzhye Democrats
Povolzhye Democrats (Russian: Поволжье Демократы tr. Povolzhye Demokraty)
Ittifaq Al-Muslimin
Ittifaq Al-Muslimin (Russian: Иттифа́к аль-Муслими́н tr. Ittifák al'-Muslimín; Tatar: Иттифак әл-мөслимин tr. İttifaq âl-Möslimin; English: The Union of the Muslims)
We Are Turkic
We are Turkic (Russian: Мы Тюрки tr. My Turki; Bashkir: Беҙ Төрки tr. Beð Törki; Chuvash: Эпир Тĕрĕк tr. Epir Tĕrĕk; Tatar: Без Төрки tr. Bez Törki)
Seven Girls
Seven Girls (Russian: Семь Девочки tr. Syem Devochki; Bashkir: Ете Кыз tr. Ete Kız; Chuvash: Ҫичӗ Хӗрача tr. Śichĕ Hĕracha; Tatar: Җиде Кыз tr. Qide Qïz; Mari: Шымыт Ӱдыр tr. Shimit Udir; Mordvin: Сисем Тейтерь tr. Sisem Teyter; Udmurt: Сизьым Ныл tr. Siziim Nil)
Dire Wolves
Dire Wolves (Russian: Ужасный Волк tr. Uzhasnyy Volk; Bashkir: Ҡурҡыныс Бүре tr. Qurqïnïs Büre; Chuvash: Çирĕп Кашкӑр tr. Şirĕp Kashkӑr; Mari: Шучко Пире tr. Shychko Pire; Mordvin: Кежей Верьгиз tr. Kezhey Ver'giz; Tatar: Имәнеч Бүре tr. Imäneç Büre; Udmurt: Лек Кион tr. Lek Kion)