Tura
Federation of Tura Turagiin Negdsen Kholboo | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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Motto: “The Lands of Endless Riches?” | |
Anthem: “I am a Turan” | |
| Capital and largest city | Khuree |
| Official languages | |
| Ethnic groups | |
| Demonym(s) | Turan |
| Government | Federal parliamentary Republic |
• President | Tserendorj Ganbold |
• Head of Parliament | Khulan Jambaldorj |
| Legislature | Turan Parliament |
| Independent | |
• Establishment of the Turan Federation | 1851 CE |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 14,213,154 |
• 2022 census | 14,100,512 |
• Density | 5.33/km2 (13.8/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | 59,419,557,568 |
• Per capita | 4,214 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.731 high |
| Currency | Turan Dalai |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +34 |
| Internet TLD | .tu |
The Federation of Tura ( Turagiin Negdsen Kholboo ) or simply Tura, is a nation located within the Continent of North Ameriga , home to over 14 million people and a thriving democracy. Tura is quite a large nation by size, spanning over 2.6 million km2, but despite that retains a low population density of 5.33 people per square km, which is often much lower in the nation's most remote and rural regions. Most of Tura consists of hot desert, leading to a majority of the economy and population being concentrated around Tura's coast, which is relatively humid and tropical compared to its interior. The interior of Tura also consists of the expansive "Ulaan Uuls" mountain chain, that spreads from the Turan states of Khoid Piks and Jijig Ogiluud, all the way to the Southern points of the Gazarnutug and Ulaantolgod territories. The Ulaan Uuls split Tura relatively in two parts, into what is commonly referred to as the "East Lands" where most of the nation's population resides, and the "West Lands" which are considerably less populated and considerably more hostile, in both its geography and climate. The Ulaan Shuren Arluud (Red Corral Islands) are also a part of the Turan Federation, being the only areas of Tura not inhabited by the Turan peoples, but instead the Talutijan people, a group closely related to the Turans, but still practising their own unique cultural customs and speaking a language, that although closely related to Turan, is still considered separate from the Turan language. As a whole, Tura is comprised of three territories (Ulangaar, Gazarnutug and Ulaantolgod), 7 states (Khoid Piks, Jijig Orgiluud, Negolyn Nutag, Golynereg, Omnodgolyn, Saraal Khaant and Dalaindergedkh) and one autonomous state, the Red Corral Islands. Territories, unlike the individual states, are fully administered by the Turan Federal Government. Meanwhile, the Autonomous state of the Red Corral Islands, practices a higher degree of autonomy than the actual states of territories of Tura, mainly seeing as they are inhabited by the Talutijan who advocate for a higher degree of autonomy from Tura proper. The Red Corral Islands, in addition, also have their own "miny" parliament which is in charge of passing regional laws for the Islands themselves. Due to its hostile climate, Tura only has two major rivers, the Omnod River situated in the Southern part of Tura, and the Urtgal River which runs through the nation's North. The Urtgal is considerably more populated as the major cities of Splitkhot, Khuree and Golynamny are all located on or around the Urtgal. Lake Margji, Turas largest lake and the place at which the Urtgal drains is also home to the nation's capital of Khuree, one of the oldest stationary settlements in Tura. Despite a lack of rivers, there are multiple lakes within Tura's interior, around which most urban settlements are located around. The Great Gazar, sometimes known as the Great Desert also spans most of Tura, and is infamous for its lack of water and share size, as it spans over half of all land within Tura and is almost completely uninhabited, besides a few Oasis and Mining towns.
Tura itself has a long history of division and struggle, having only fully unified in 1851 under the reign of Khan Tayang II, but for most of the time leading up to 1851, the various territories that now makeup Tura would often raid and battle with one another. As such, Tura remained fractured into various Khanates before 1851, only having been briefly united by Jargalsai Khan, better known as the "Great Khan". Due to the high amount of conflict, most of Tura remained largely rural and non-urbanised, although the fact that the Turans were largely a nomadic group also meant that the emergence of cities was generally quite slow and few in between. As such for most of its history Tura was also quite economically poor, with most of its economy being focused around the trade of minerals and metals from the Ulaan Uuls mountains, something that still plays a predominant role in the modern Turan Economy. Tura would, however, eventually be unified, by a small but very powerful regional Khanate, Saraal Khaant. Khan Tayang II would lead a majority of the unification efforts, sometimes integrating regions diplomatically and other times through war and conquest. This period is known as the "Efforts of Unification" and lasted from 1833-1851. During this time Saraal Khaant would unify the territories around the Turan coast, and then would lead a great expansion Westwards, conquering the Ulaan Uuls and eventually the modern-day regions of Negolyn Nutag and Jijig Orgiluud. The end of the "Efforts of Unification" would conclude when the territories of Tura would be officially reorganised into the Turan Federation, then known as Tarujin Kholboo, with Khan Tayang II acting as a head of state for the Federation. The Saraal Dynasty would rule Tura for a further 150 years, before the last member of the dynasty, Khan Temujin would die in 2003 leaving no heir. As such in 2003 Tura transitioned into a full democracy, with the head of state being replaced by the acting Khan, to an acting President, an elected role which would be chosen every five years. Under the Saraal Dynasty however, Tura would experience a period of large urbanisation and industrialisation, with many cities seeing a large growth in population and various factories throughout the nation being set up. The Turan population would grow from 6.8 million to 12.6 million throughout the time of the Khans, to a point that the traditional "Western Lands" even experienced their own rapid population boom, leading to the growth of Tengri-Uul "The Gem of the West", and the only major city across the Ulaan Uuls. Throughout the 21st century, Tura's industrial growth slowed substantially, leading to Tura having one of the lowest GDPs and GDP per capita in the world. Much of this can be blamed for an over-reliance on mineral and metal exports, as opposed to a focus on Industry, and the decline of many traditional Turan Industries like glass production or coal machinery.
Traditionally, the Turan people have followed a large variety of local and regional faiths, all of which today fall under the umbrella term "Turan Traditional Shamanism". Today about 34% of Tura still adheres to Traditional Turan Shamnism, mainly concentrated within rural and isolated regions of Tura. Many of the existing nomadic groups of Tura also are staunch practitioners of Turan Shamanism Besides Turan Shamanism, most of the nation adheres to Turazitizam or "Turan Blissful Thought", a faith that combines Traditional Turan Shamanism and elements of Budai into one concise faith. It was introduced by "The Great Khan", Jargalsai Khan and spread rapidly during his conquests. Today just shy of 40% of Tura adheres to Turazitizam, which still maintains considerable influence in the nation's politics and culture. Outside of Turan shamanism and Turazitizam, the Red Corral Islands practice their own traditional shaman beliefs, collectively called Talutijan Shamanism, although it's quite small in comparison to both Turan Shamanism and Turazitizam, with only 5%-8% of the nation identifying it as their predominant faith. Tura also has one of the youngest populations recorded, with over 45% of the nation being below 30 years of age, something which has contributed to a very large birth rate. The Turan language also remains the most spoken language in Tura and is mandatory for all schools even within the autonomous state of the Red Corral Islands. Talutijan is the second most spoken language in Tura but is mainly restricted to the Red Corral Islands where it still remains rarely spoken, with only 28% of the Islands population speaking it.
Etymoloy and Flag
The name Tura is derived from the ancient Turan word “Tarujin” meaning “To ride” or “To go”. The name most likely came about due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Turans, who would often migrate from place to place and rarely remained settled in one region for long. It is believed that people from other nations would refer to the Turans as the “Tarujin Folk” to refer to their constantly on-the-move lifestyle. Over time the word Turajin transitioned to its modern version, Tura or Turan. Modern-da Tura is still sometimes referred to as Tarujin, especially by older people, seeing as Turajin was the official name for Tura up to 2003, after which it was changed to the United Federation of Tura. Although some popular opposition exists to changing the name of Tura back to Turajin, it is by no means large enough to warrant any consideration of a potential future name change.
The flag of Tura is one of the world's only pennon flags, and consists of blue, and orange highlights and the nation's national symbol and coat of arms, the White Sun, which is adorned in the centre of the flag. The flag of Tura is also subsequently one of the oldest flags still in use in the world, being almost 800 years old. The modern design of the flag is based on the same design used by Jargalsai Khan during his initial conquest of Tura. It was subsequently readopted in 1851 after Tura was united once more under the Saraal Khanate. For the large part, the flag was readmitted to legitimise the monarchy of the Saraal Khanate as being the continuation of Jargalsai’s dynasty. After the death of the last Turan Khan, the flag was maintained due to its historic and cultural significance.
History
Pre History
Turas' prehistory is for a large part shrouded in mystery. Due to a lack of both written and archaeological sources, it's been difficult to determine both the lifestyles and practices of early Turans. However, for the large part, it is expected that they were still Nomadic, as the lack of any large settlement remains suggests. The first time Tura is mentioned, is in the ancient epic of Sagra Khan. The Epic of Sagra Khan is a collection of various stories passed down orally through the South Turans which relays the rule of the first Turan Khan, Sagra. Although the text is prone to scrutiny due to it having been assembled over 1000 years after the actual supposed reign of Sagra Khan, it is nonetheless one of few sources that manage to depict the early Turans in an informative fashion. According to the Epic, the Turans; specifically those of Sagra Khan's domain, were almost entirely nomadic. The Khan and his people never had a permanent residence, with the whole nobility moving constantly in search of green pasture and wealth. Honey, beeswax, animal furs as well as milk and alcohol were common goods that the Turans would trade with one another as well as the surrounding peoples. Meanwhile Nomadic groups within the Ulaan Uuls were much more stationary, setting up small pockets within fertile plateaus and valleys. There they would mine and trade their various gems and minerals in return for foodstuff and animal products. Evidence suggests that the domain of Sagra Khan could have been from as far south as modern-day Golynereg, all the way to the far interior of the Ulaantolgod Territory. Sagra Khan would enjoy a prosperous rule as the sole Khan of Tura, but his death would mark a turning point in Turan history, as his various children would split his domain into a dozen different Khanates, and subsequently expand to rule all of modern-day Tura.
The Red Corral Islands are also suspected to have been settled around the supposed death of Sagra Khan giving credit to the notion that the death of Sagra Khan is what caused the Turan people to rapidly spread and expand from their traditional lands around the Ongod River. Seeing as the inhabitants of the Red Corral Islands share most of their genetics with the Southern Turans, it is more than likely that the Islands were inhabited by the same people that made up the early Khanate of Sagra, that most likely sailed away or inadvertently discovered the Red Corral Islands and would go on to inhabit them, developing their own culture and sub language as they did. Besides the Epic of Sagra Khan little information exists on Early Tura, with only official sources starting to show up around 800AD, when many Turan temples began to adopt early Turan Script…
Turan Middle Ages
Although the era before 800AD is not precisely documented, with only minor oral history shedding light to the “Unknown” period of Tura, going forth, Turas history becomes much more concise and understandable. This is largely because of the adoption of the first Turan script, Turkait, which holy temples and shamans adopted, as did court officials. As such, Turan history began to be recorded in depth. The first scriptures came from the region of Khoid Piks where the Turkait script comes from. Historical texts give a concise view of the region, mainly how its remoteness and obscurity made it a pretty undesirable place for raiders and pillagers. However, that remoteness also meant that it became one of the most stable and prosperous regions, to the point that a majority of the decentralised Turan Shaman faith was in fact centralised around the Khoid Piks. However, elsewhere records paint a much more dire view of Tura proper. The fairly flat and populated Eastern Coast was in a perpetual state of war, as small, desperate Khanates engaged in constant battle with one another. Meanwhile, the interior Great Gazar Desert was a wasteland, with only scattered towns existing along its Northern and Southern Edges. The Kohid Piks for that matter, were an anomaly. In a land of perpetual violence and warfare, it was an area of peace and faith. As such, those factors would inevitably lead to the faith establishing itself within the Kohid Piks, with a large number of shamans inevitably forming a loose form of government that would manage and control the local resources and people. This collection of shaman-led lands would become known as “The Khanate of Heaven” (Tengeriin Khaant Uls), and would be the only centralised state in Tura for the majority of the Turan Middle Ages. They would play a key role in centralising the faith, primarily through the creation of guidelines and official procedures for the appointment of shamans. The Khanate of Heaven would also inevitably end up spreading the concepts and teachings of “Budai”, a fringe faith that had formed in the Turan far West and would inevitably lead to the creation of Turazitizam. Besides the Khanate of Heaven, most of Tura continued to be divided throughout the course of the middle ages. Some states were able to temporarily rise and flourish, but they would inevitably fall and split into yet another dozen Khanates. A majority of such issues came through the way lands would be divided after the death of the primary patriarch, with lands being split between all male children. With polygamy being a common practice, it was uncommon for Khans to have many children making succession only more brutal and violent. The Khanate of Heaven did not suffer from such issues, largely seeing as it was a theocracy, and as such managed to remain the most powerful state in early Tura. The economy of Tura during its mediaeval period was similarly focused around the Nomad trade, but with some lands having been more officially “settled”, this led to a wider range of agricultural goods like grains (Rye began to be cultivated heavily during the early to late mediaeval age), sugar and to some extent, herbs and recreational substances.
Whilst life in Tura was considerably difficult and full of hardship, the Red Corral Islands were a much different case. Unlike Tura which was enveloped in constant war, the Islands were relatively peaceful. The same remoteness which had allowed for the Khanate of Heaven to flourish, also allowed the Red Corral Islands to equally grow and develop. Most of the Islands had come to be governed by one dynasty, the Arrulsk, who collectively owned the Bosoo, and Egch Islands. Khuruuny Island meanwhile, was ruled by three dynasties, all of whom owned sizable chunks of the large Island. Unlike Tura, where most of the economy revolved around the trade of animal products through Nomads, the Red Corral Islands were primarily involved in maritime trade. Seeing as the various bays and lagoons of the Red Corrals created many natural harbours, maritime trade flourished heavily, to the point where conflict between the dynasties governing the Islands was rare so as to not upset or disturb the valuable maritime trade networks. Additionally, whilst the dry and hot climate of Tura made large-scale farming difficult and rare, in the tropical and fertile lands of the Red Corral Islands, large-scale farming was a given. Rice, tea and tobacco were all staple crops, and allowed for the Islands to boast a large and healthy population. The excess would often be traded to minor Khanates along the Turan Coast, although generally contact between the Red Corral Islands and Tura remained limited. Surprisingly enough, near the end of the Turan Medieval period, the Arrulsk Dynasty would end up unifying the Red Corral Islands fully, through a marriage pact with the lesser Gyansk and Libou Dynasties.
The Great Khan and the Turan Empire
The reign of the Great Khan Jargalsai stands as a revered era in Turan History, often hailed as the Golden Age of the Turan peoples. During this time, Tura emerged as a formidable and influential state, boasting military might and opulent wealth. Jargalsai's ascent to this position had an unexpected beginning, given his later accomplishments. Jargalsai's origins were marked by a peculiar circumstance: he was born in a monastery, a result of an incestuous relationship between a nun and a monk in the territory of the Khanate of Heaven. His incestuous and sinful birth would forever mark him as "Tainted," prompting his early relocation from the Khanate of Heavens capital of Temuulen to the distant frontier town of Orgoozo. Jargalsai would spend much of his life in Orgoozo, and would for a time, undertake training as a shaman. He would be briefly appointed as the Head Shaman of Orgoozo, before being removed from the position due to his preaching of “Budai” thought, which was still very much controversial at the time. With no other option in hand, Jargalsai would join the local garrison of Orgoozo, and gained much experience observing the practices of the Turan Horse lords that would frequently try to raid the Khanate of Heaven through Orgoozo. Jargalsai would manage to climb up the ranks quite quickly, proving himself as a capable leader and experienced commander. With his popularity growing, Jargalsai would attempt to become the local overseer of Orgoozo, petitioning the local Shaman leaders for the position. However, once again, his support of Budai thought would lead to him being ostracised by the ruling shaman class, who ordered his exile from the Khanate of Heaven as a whole. Having no other option, Jargalsai would flee the Khanate of Heaven and would instead join up with the same Horse Lords that he had so many a time repulsed from Orgoozo. It is estimated that he was only 24 years old at the time.
Although it is unknown what Jargalsai did throughout his mid-twenties, he reappears again in 1214, having become the Khan of a small thiefdom just south of the Khanate of Heaven, around modern-day Arvantav. It is assumed that Jargalsai was able to establish his own Khanate after having either killed or simply taken over after the death of the region's previously unknown Khan. Jargalsai however, would expand quite rapidly, primarily Eastwards towards the Onmad River. He would prove quite successful in his early expansion, conquering various towns within the province of Omnodgolyn. Being the most influential Khan within Omnodgolyn after his expansion, he would be able to quite easily coerce the other small Khanates to join his cause, which contributed to Jargalsai's rapid expansion further east. In a bid to establish a power base, Jargalsai would also oversee the creation of a new fort along the Omnod River, which would eventually grow into the city of Alagtenger. He would also get married around the same time, to Srangeral Batbayar, the daughter of Khan Lyga Batbayar, a close friend and general within Jargalsais army. This marriage would also correspond with Lyga Batbayar being granted large territories among Jargalsais newly conquered lands, primarily in the South where Batbayar would go on to establish the town of Bulagtai; then only a fort around a minor lake, as well as his very own dynasty the Bayars, which would go on to rule the territory they initially gained for over 500 years. Some time in 1222 Jargalsai would expand further, conquering all territory along the Omnod and subsequently expanding towards the Turan coast. The territories would doubly be reorganised into what is now known as Saraal Khaant, and the cities of Splitkhot, Golynamny and the Turan Capital Khuree, would all be established within Saraal Khaant, by none other than Jargalsai himself. Having united Northeastern Tura by 1226, Jargalsai would eventually lead the conquest of his former homeland, the Khanate of Heaven. Wanting to both solidify his position as “The Great Khan of Tura” and finally have his revenge on the corrupt Shamans that had exiled him so long ago. The conquest would be swift, with Jargalsais forces quite easily overwhelming the Khanate of Heaven. Upon the conquest of the Khanate, Jargalsai would exile all the leading shamans of the former state, most of whom fled west towards the territory of Jujug Orgiluud. Meanwhile, Jargalsai would introduce his own shamans to govern the former Khante, but only supporters of Budai thought. Budai though would subsequently become quite mainstream, to the point where Jargalsai; along with his appointed shamans, would come together to create a new faith, to both unite the people of Tura as one solidified group, but also to allow Jargalsai to better exert his authority as THE Khan of Tura. As such in 1231, the official holy scriptures of Turazitizam or Turan Blissful Thought would be established as a natural continuation of Turan Shamanism. Among other things, Turazitizam advocated for the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment, and Jargalsai was framed as both the most knowledgeable and enlightened figure, one destined to rule all of Tura by might. This would spark many of Jargalsais advancements Westwards, with him eventually conquering Jijig Orgiluud, Negolyn Nutag and parts of modern-day Ulangaar Territory. By now Jargalsai was the head of the most powerful Khanate in Tura, with its only opposition being the various larger Khantes along the Urtgal river. The Southern Campaigns were slow and difficult, with the Urtgal Khanates putting up considerable resistance. Additionally, the constant flooding of the Urtgal river made navigating it extremely difficult and on two occasions whole armies were whipped out due to sudden flash floods. Although the Urtgal Khanates would eventually be conquered in their entirety, it proved a constant drain on the Tarujin Empire (The Name Tura had not come into use, Tarujin was used to refer to the lands that now make up Tura), something that would eventually lead to its downfall.
Having united almost all of Tura, Jargalsai would elevate himself to the position of The Great Khan in 1247, and with that came a short era of peace. Under Jargalsais rule, trade once more flourished throughout Tura, especially as roads became commonplace and trade routes free of threat from bandits and raiders. Additionally, the lack of raiding allowed more people to settle their lands without relying on nomadism. This would prove crucial as areas like the Omnod river would see increases in food production from larger cultivation by settled peoples, which would go towards heavily growing the Turan population. Although the lands around the Urtgal were some of the best in Tura, they would see as much growth, primarily as bandits and constant flooding would plague the land in instability. By 1250 Jargalsai was now 52, elderly and ailing. He no longer commanded as much authority as he once did, and continued to hand down many responsibilities of ruling to his sons as well as local appointed Khans. Jargalsai would end up having five sons, all of whom ruled some part of the Tarujin Empire, with his eldest son, Jargal being his primary heir and holding the most territory out of his brothers, primarily within Negolyn Nutag and further regions of the Far West. Jargalsais youngest son however, Ochir, having not received any territory from his father, wished to obtain some to rule and inherit for himself and his family. With the remaining land in Tura being primarily within the Great Gazar and too poor for grazing and farming, Ochir instead turned his sights towards the Red Corral Islands. The Red Corral Islands, having been united way back in the 12th century, were maintaining their strong maritime trade network and taking advantage of the new Tarujin Empire to expand its trade greatly. Ochir would argue that owning the Red Coral Islands outright would prove more beneficial than maintaining them as close allies, and Jargalsai would agree.
With Jargalsais permission, Ochir would be granted a force of 15,000 men and funds to build a fleet to sail and conquer the Islands. In 1257 Ochir would launch his invasion, first capturing the fairly uninhabited Island east of Khuruuny. Ochir would end up naming this Island Khan Island, and subsequently constructed a small port to house his ships. He would then officially invade the Egch Islands in 1259, capturing the large city of Bayansar with little to no opposition. However, after crossing to North Egch, Ochir would be met by a large force of Red Corral Islanders, led by the Islands ruler Narangerel Arrulsk. The two forces would engage in battle outside the city of Delh, with Ochir and his troops coming out victorious after performing a false retreat and encircling Narangerel and his men. Narangerel himself would be captured, and Ochir would quickly take over the rest of the Egch Islands and land in the Red Corral Islands capital of Urgamal. After capturing a few more settlements, the other small dynasties of the Red Corral Islands would officially pledge their fealty to Ochir, and recognised him as the Khan of the Red Corral Islands. The Bosoo Islands, ruled by Narangerels brother, would do the same and as such the Invasion would be over, and the Red Corral Islands officially annexed on behalf of the Tarujin Empire. Ochir would go on to marry into the Arrulsk dynasty in order to solidify himself further as the heir of the Islands, and would quickly become the most powerful and rich of Jargalsais children.
In 1268, Jargalsai would officially die of old age, and with his death, his children would quickly divide his former empire up between themselves. In less than a century, Tura had gone from being united by one man, to being fractured into a dozen states once more. Although Jargalsais kin attempted to maintain peace for a time, personal interests would eventually lead to the break out of war, primarily in mainland Tura. However, the Khanate of Saraal would emerge after the collapse as one of the few states that were able to maintain stability in the fallout of Jargalsais death, even managing to unify with the Red Corral Islands in 1384. However, Tura would remain fractured for over 500 years, as the personal interests of Jargalsais children and their respective dynasties would prove detrimental to Turan Unity…