Pre-BombNES IV: A New Hope

Sweden present.
 
Provinces of the Imperial State of the Demir Qoyunlu

While not being a strict federal system, and being, at best, an authoritarian monarchy, the Qoyunlu do pay some heed to local governance. In 1746, in the reign of Yaqub II, many of the minorities on the fringes of the Imperial State rose up in revolt, in particular the Armenians, Ukrainians, and the Pashtuns. To placate them, Yaqub was forced to grant them some degree of regional autonomy. In fact, Yaqub and his court went one step further and granted autonomy to many of the ethnic groups on the fringes of the Empire, with governors appointed from Mashhad to run them.

The benefits of local rule were somewhat great, and the fringes such as Balochistan, Hayastan, Pashtunistan and Kipchakistan gained some measure of prosperity. Originally, the Turkish regions of the Imperial state were still administered from Mashhad. However, in 1828 the weak emperor Jahangir III rose to the throne. Jahangir, in contrast to his more illustrious ancestor, was more interested in wine, women and song than ruling, and delegated much of government to his Imperial Viziers, led by Musa Seyrami. Seeing the drain that direct administration was putting on the central government, Musa created several more majority Turkish provinces, as well as reformatting the vassal Khwarezmid shahdom into a province of its own. The Far North was still directly ruled by the Padishah, however, in 1883, with the mineral wealth of the region being discovered and exploitation and settlement increasing, the two Territories of Great Sibir and Great Yakut were established, with local centres of government to facilitate their exploitation.



1. Turkestan: the central province of the Imperial State, containing the capital of Mashhad. Almost entirely Turkic.
2. Tadjikstan: populated by ethnic Tadjiks.
3. Almakistan: populated by the Almaks and the Hazara
4. Pashtunistan: populated mostly by Pashtuns.
5. Balochistan: evenly split between the Baluchs and the remaining Persians.
6. Persia: despite its name, almost entirely Turkic
7. Arabistan: mostly Arab
8. Hwarezm: Almost entirely turkish. A separate province due to the Khwarezmid vassalage to the Demir Qoyunlu, the governor takes the title "Shah of Hwarezm" as an honorific.
9. Azeristan: Majority Azeri population, many Turks and Persians.
10. Hayastan: Populated by Armenians
11. Yorgistan: Populated by mostly by Georgians, some Armenians, and Azeris
12. Cheyistan: Populated mostly by Chechnyans.
13. Kipchakistan: Populated by Kipchaks
14. Kalmykistan: Populated mostly by Turkic Tartars, some Tartars and Kalmyks who give it its name.
15. Yukaristan: Populated by Ukrainians and Turkic Tartars
16. Gökçe: Entirely Turkic, this province was named after Jahangir III's favourite concubine.
17. Russistan: Most populated of the Demir Qoyunlu's northern territories. Mostly populated by Russians, Uralians, and Turks.
18. Yuralistan: Populated almost entirely by Turkics, a few Uralians.
19. Territory of the Great Sibir: entirely Turkic peoples looking for mineral wealth, a few nomadic Tartar tribes.
20. Territory of the Great Yakut: entirely Turkic peoples looking for mineral wealth, a few nomadic Yakut tribes.
 
Confirming Japan. So irie right now. :)
 
The Polish-Hungarian Commonwealth

Spoiler :
Poland-Hungary: The Polish-Hungarian Commonwealth was established in 1416, when the personal union of the Polish and Hungarian crowns was reestablished as a real union via the Union of Krakow. Though the union was voluntary, in reality, the “Empire of Hungary” had very little choice but to accept Poland’s overtures for union, as Roman, Venetian and Austrian encroachments had left the Magyars in a state of disarray for the better part of a century.

The sixteenth century would see the union affirmed, as Bohemia was acquired by the crown following the War of the Circles in Germany. The monarchy, in a cunning maneuver, tied their Bohemian acquisition to Hungary, instead of Poland. Not only did this appease the Hungarians, bitter over recent losses of territory in Serbia and Wallachia, but it tied the Hungarians into German affairs, creating further reliance upon the rapidly expanding Polish part of the empire for additional muscle.

The seventeenth century would prove to be extremely prosperous for Poland. The Demir Qoyunlu’s campaigns in the South Russian plain forced many of the Rus city-states to look outward for help, and Poland soon found itself in control of Kiev, Omsk, and many other lesser polities in the region as well. The elite of these cities were soon given equal status to the other Polish and Hungarian magnates, able to oversee near direct control of their territories, except for in the matters of foreign policy. In addition to a solid power base, the Rus princes were also guaranteed seats within the Sejm, created by Emperor Peter II in 1603, as a way to satisfy and consolidate an increasingly independent nobility.

In 1640, a hotly contested treaty with the Demir Qoyunlu was finally passed through the Sejm, creating an official border between the two states, which had otherwise been in an almost constant state of war. While this did create a certain amount of stability on the eastern frontier, it also had the effect of greatly reducing the power and importance of many of the magnates in the east, as they lost much of their status as “the frontline guards against the barbarians”. As the Demir Qoyunlu’s power continued to fade throughout the next two centuries, attention was gradually turned back to the southern, western and northern borders.

In 1652, at the instigation of several northern magnates seeking to consolidate trade in the region, Prussia was invaded, prompting Swedish intervention on behalf of the Prussians and their Courlander allies. The Prussian Wars would continue intermittently until 1706, when it was finally agreed that Poland would accept Prussian independence and in exchange would be allowed use of Prussian ports duty free as well as having special rights for its merchants in all towns. Despite Poland’s victory in the wars, it was unable to stop the creation of a tripartite pact between Novgorod, Courland and Sweden set on limiting further Polish expansion northwards.

The eighteenth century would be something of a golden age for Poland-Hungary. The creation of the Blessed Alliance between Poland-Hungary, France and Spain would see Polish influence in Germany continue to grow, and its victory in the Nine Years War, would even see Poland gain control of several small colonies on the African coast and Caribbean (though these would be sold to France following the Theodosian Wars). The period of the Four Good Emperors, from 1698-1768, would see the power of the nobility gradually eroded at in favor of the crown, with the reign of Stefan III Augustus (1753-1768), proving particularly important, as despite being a Pole, he preferred to govern from Budapest. In 1760, Stefen would create a unified Diet to further tie the two states together. However, perhaps Stefen's most controversial move would be to allow the entry of nobility who had purchased (not inherited) their titles and land into the new diet via an electoral process. In time, this would greatly increase the power and prestige of the Bohemian and Silesian nobility, who primarily made their wealth from trade and industry, versus relying on taxes from peasant farmers.

In 1798, Theodosius VII, launched a campaign of conquest into Italy, intent to reunite the Eastern and Western Churches. This was shortly followed by a series of reforms and political maneuvers by the Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II, clearly intended to unite Germany. Suddenly faced with a threat on two borders, Poland-Hungary answered France’s call for an alliance, and soon declared war on the Romans and German alliance led by Joseph. Unfortunately for the Poles and Hungarians, the Romans had anticipated this move, and soon launched a large offensive into Hungary. The Roman attack quickly overwhelmed the Hungarians, pushing all the way to Budapest before being turned back by the timely arrival of an Austrian army. Fortunately for the Hungarians, Theodosius’s attack was only meant as a diversion with the goal of intimidating the Commonwealth into declaring a white peace, so he could concentrate on his actions in Italy and thus there was no follow up from Constantinople. A joint Austro-Polish-Hungarian army would eventually campaign as far south as Bulgaria, before retreating due to overstretched supply lines.

By 1810, the Theodosius had been halted in Italy, and by 1811, the Roman Empire was in the midst of a bloody revolution. Though this of course meant the Romans were no longer a threat, Joseph’s new German Empire still had yet to be pacified. It would take over a decade for France and Poland to quell the German uproar, and an additional five years after that for the two powers to come to a satisfactory agreement on how to solve the German question once and for all. During this time Poland-Hungary’s control of Prussia also slipped, and a secession crisis in 1838 nearly sparked another round of the Prussian Wars. The conflict was only stopped when neither Sweden nor Novgorod were willing to answer Courland’s pleas for assistance in response to a total Polish occupation of Prussia.

Following the Dissolution Wars and Prussian Secession Crisis, Poland-Hungary has managed to stabilize itself. The second half of the nineteenth century has been mostly peaceful, minus a few interventions in Moldova and Wallachia during the Roman Civil War and a brief invasion of Saxony in 1861 to dispose “Frederick the Mad” when the king attempted to oust the Polish military liaison. The lack of foreign response to the latter event would solidify the precedent that the influencing powers (France, Burgundy, Austria and Poland-Hungary) could intervene in their respective spheres without fear of reprisal.

The later 1800s would see rapid development in both Bohemia and Silesia, as the two regions would emerge as the industrial hearts of the entire empire. Coal, iron, arms and chemicals would form the backbone of the economy, with even some lighter manufacturing of consumer goods appearing by 1900. Stanislaw Kobus’s process for the manufacture of pig iron into refined steel on an industrial scale, known as the Kobus Process (Bessmer Process) would solidify the region’s importance, though Poland-Hungary as a whole would remain behind the industrial giants of Burgundy, France and Britain in terms of total output. By the 1890s, the increasing importance of railroads and a desire for new markets created a push to further normalize relations with the Demiro Qoyunlu. In 1895, a treaty was signed with Mashhad to greatly increase rail links between the two countries.

As of today, Poland-Hungary stands strong. Though the nobles have retaken some of their power from the monarchy in recent years (especially the wealthy industrial magnates), the duel monarchy remains fairly stable. The threat of radical Orthodoxism from Rome keeps the Hungarians in line, while the triple pact of Sweden, Novgorod and Courland proves to be enough of a boogieman to keep the Polish nobility all on the same page. Regardless of this, Poland-Hungary does have its problems. The lack of a strong fleet or decent open port continues to be a major drag on the country’s trade, while the threat of different interests tearing the country apart remain very real.
 
I've been working on this for a while now.
Spoiler Cities :

Spoiler Provinces :

1. Madre De Dios
2. Pando
3. Beni
4. Santa Cruz
5. Potosi
6. La Paz
7. Tarija
8. Aricapaca
9. Antofagasta
10. Atacama
11. Torrelio
12.Maule
13. Araucania
 
I'm satisfied. Confirming Poland-Hungary.
 
Any chance I could get the Papal States background? I'm kind of curious how the Theodosian Wars affected me.
 
Because I am seriously tired of clicking through the thread for info:

North America:
01. Republic of Obregon: Lord Iggy
02. United Dominions: Shadowbound
03. Kingdom of Louisiana: North King
04. Mexico: Azale
05. Kingdom of Carolina: SamSniped
06. Haiti: merciary

South America:
07. Maracaibo: Immaculate
08. Commonwealth of Bartica: Ophorian
09. Peru: Bonefang
10. United Provinces of Charcas and Atacama: OPEN
11. Santiago: madviking
12. Sao Paulo: OPEN
13. Patagonia: Terrance888

Europe:
14. Empire of Great Britain: spryllino
15. France: Luckymoose
16. Kingdom of Burgundy: Thlayli
17. Hamburg: Mayor
18. German Union: Bair_the_Normal
19. Kingdom of Denmark-Norway: SouthernKing
20. Kingdom of Sweden: Tuxedohamm
21. Novgorod: Omega124
22. Grand Duchy of Courland: OPEN
23. Polish-Hungarian Commonwealth: Symphony D.
24. Moldova: Brougal
25. Wallachia: OPEN
26. Rome: <nuke>
27. Venice: m.t.cicero
28. Austria: Perfectionist
29. Italy: BILLSIF
30. Papal States: thomas.berubeg
31. Naples: talonschild
32. Kingdom of Aragon: JoanK
33. Navarre: Wrymouth3
34. Kingdom of Castile: Milarqui
35. Portugal: Lord_of_Elves

Africa:
36. Morocco: erez87
37. Nayramids: OPEN
38. Abyssinia: J.K. Stockholme
39. Garanganze: Tsoate

Middle East:
40. Outremer: TheMeanestGuest
41. Ayyubid Caliphate: Justo
42. Oman: OPEN
43. Demir Qoyunlu: Grandkhan

East Asia:
44. Punjab: OPEN
45. Marathas: Bestshot9
46. Nepal: OPEN
47. Tibet: OPEN
48. Great Nan Song Empire: Masada
49. Siam: TheLastJacobite
50. Vietnam: Ninja Dude
51. Korea: Christos200
52. Empire of Japan: Crezth
53. Matsumae: ChiefDesigner
 
very nice :goodjob:
 
Whenever you are free bombshoo, I would like a description (even if brief) of Navarre so I can follow plot details easier so far and what not. Thanks.
 
Thanks a lot Symphony. I was meaning to do something like that myself. I'll probably add that to the front page. Here is a couple more descriptions.

The Nayramid Sultante​

Spoiler :
Nayramids (Nayramid Sultanate): The 16th century was a dark time for North African Muslims, as the Roman resurgence recaptured Egypt, and Aragonese and Venetian raiders brought down the Hafsid Caliphate in Tunisia. Out of the wreckage emerged Mohammad ibn Nayram, a fierce warrior-king who forged the Berber tribes into a coherent fighting force for the first time in With the aid of Genoese mercenaries, the Venetians were expelled from the ports of Tunisia and Libya was rapidly conquered.

Nayram then invaded Egypt, touching off an epic struggle as the Romans tried to hold their newly-won conquest against waves of popular rebellion and Berber raiders alike. The high-point of the assault came when Nayram&#8217;s army sacked Alexandria in 1578, but the Sultan himself died of a bad belly following the assault, after which his army fell to pieces.

Successors would conquer portions of Algeria to build an impressive North African empire, following along with Nayram&#8217;s pragmatic policy of religious tolerance and hiring skilled Christians for mercenary and civil service jobs. However, subsequent wars against more reactionary Berber tribes took its toll, and subsequent invasions of Egypt were a costly failure. By the late 1700&#8217;s the Nayramids were but a shell of their old selves, holding on only by merit of various states funding them to use as a catspaw against the Romans. They have slowly degenerated into a tribal confederacy loosely led by the Nayramid Sultan, one which has implicitly fallen into the French sphere of influence following their conquest ofAlgeria. The French periodically pay off the Nayramids to raid the Nile Valley and stir up trouble, but this state of affairs is beginning to rankle many powerful tribal leaders, who argue the time has come to stand up to the French themselves.


The Emirate of Fes (Morocco)​

Spoiler :
During the height of the Nayramid Sultanate in the mid-17th century, Berber tribes loyal to Tunis swept into Morocco from the east, crushing the forces of the ineffectual Almandarids who ruled at that time, and overrunning several Castillan colonies in the process. The Nayramids mismanaged the rule of Morocco, however, alienating local elites and allowing particularly intolerant tribesmen to attain positions of authority, which soon led to riots in the religiously diverse and culturally sophisticated cities of the region. It was then that an influential Sufi scholar, Abu Ali al-Rashid, managed to acquire the position of Emir of Fes, by merit of marriage to the distant relative of the Nayramid Sultan.

With this position under his belt, he led a rebellion against the Nayramids that expelled the tribes loyal to them, and then defeated the army sent to retake Fes. Marrakech quickly acceded to Rashid&#8217;s rule, and with the two largest cities in Morocco under his control, Rashid was in a position to declare himself Sultan &#8211; but he did not. Instead, he summonedan ijma, or a consensus, an assembly of the wisest scholars of the ulema, in order to choose the wisest among them to rule as emir. Naturally, they chose al-Rashid. This instituted a very strange form of elective monarchy which, combined with a tolerant approach towards Christians and Jews and a pragmatic view of modernization, as well as a deferent foreign policy, has allowed the Emirate of Fes to endure and even prosper into the modern age.

Since the French capture of Algiers in 1801, Fes has been a reliable friend to France, helping to extend their dominion over Africa rather than hindering it &#8211; a fact that has ensured the continued survival and independence of the Emirs over their own affairs. And Fes has been largely content to mind its own business, building a small but modern navy and gendarmerie while embracing Sufi ideals as a cultural and popular aesthetic.
 
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