Symmerian Recession
The Symmerian Recession, also known as the First Imperial Crisis or the Zobethos Crisis, refers to the general decline in the fortunes of the Symmerian Empire between the 4th and 5th Centuries CE, culminating in the 16 Years' Crisis which nearly brought about the dissolution of the Empire. The Recession saw the outbreak of civil war, military defeats, and significant loss of territory that was not reversed until the reign of Alexarchus (447-459).
Following the defeat of the Seyhad League in the Seyhad Wars, and the collapse of the Chalna Empire in the 1st Century BCE, the Symmerians had gradually expanded their influence south of Mansuriyyah into the direction of Nalaya. The Symmerians exploited the diverse ethnic makeup of southern Siduri to enact a policy of divide and conquer, fermenting conflicts between the various kingdoms while forming client states and allies. This endeavor gradually brought Symmeria into conflict with the Hannashka Empire, sparking the Symmerian-Hannashka Wars. Originally the Symmerians enjoyed considerably success, raiding as far south-east as Tennai and conquering Mavamahar, Gahlighan, and Ganjarejan. Concurrently, the outbreak of the Discovery Wars with Serikos saw the Symmerians conquer most of present day Shirvaniya up into the Tung Shao River.
Beginning in the 3rd Century however Symmerian fortunes began to enter into steep decline, beginning with the ascension of Kamadyu the Magnificent to the Hannashka throne. Between 260 and 280 CE Kamadyu and the Hannashka delivered a series of decisive defeats upon the Symmerian armies led by Rhoekos. Despite stalemating Kamadyu at the Battle of the Ghalenna River, Rhoekos would go on to be decisively defeated at Pandzhkikent and was later wounded and captured at Nehilkhran. Subsequent campaigns by the Hannashka drove the Symmerians out of Khaltia entirely, while significantly reducing Symmerian presence in northern Nalaya and the Eranic petty kingdoms. The losses sustained by the Symmerians eventually led to a subsequent collapse of the efforts of Basileus (King) Anaxandrias against the Han Serikese, resulting in the withdrawal of Symmerian armies from the Tung Shao River and the loss of much of northern Shirvaniya to the Abkai, who were allies of the Serikese. The ensuing turbulence of the conflict led the Liezue Confederation to make steady gains in the Siduri Steppe, eventually driving out much of the Symmerian presence of central Siduri.
Over the course of the 3rd Century the Symmerians had suffered massive territorial losses equal to nearly 700,000 square kilometers while suffering hundreds of thousands of casualties on a two front war. By the start of the 4th Century the Symmerian Empire had lost a third of its territory while exhausting its coffers and manpower. These events produced a profound impact on the culture and society of Symmeria, where the rapid loss of so much land, the deaths of so many military aged males, and the subsequent economic decline that followed triggered social unrest and upheaval. Rebellions broke out in Symmerian occupied territory, most significantly the Bishtar Rebellion which brought about the temporary dissolution of Symmerian control of Mansuriyyah.
Between rebellions and general decline the recently manifested Zobethos religion began to grow rapidly, especially among the poor and lower class for whom the tenets of the faith were more appealing than the previously dominant Hellenic polytheism. Zobethos rapidly spread across Syara and by the end of the 4th Century, a 100 year period marked by rebellion, instability, a debased currency, and a social revolution in religious beliefs. The change in religious practices proved a suitable cover for dynastic challenges that resulted in the Zobethos Civil War (431-434 CE) that ended with the establishment of Zobethos as the official faith of Symmeria.
The years after the civil war were a turbulent time for the Empire which had severely diminished in influence and resources as a result of a century of conflict and debasement. This became known as the 16 Years' Crisis, lasting from 445-461 and consumed the reign of Alexarchus, who managed to restore the central authority of Parilla and revitalize the failing Symmerian economy, despite often limited support from the Royal Court. The recovery of the Empire in the years after Alexarchus are generally considered to mark the end of the recession; it is also often used by historians to mark the end of the early Imperial Period and the beginning of the middle Imperial Era, which would last until the Crisis of the Ninth Century.