Okay, here's my more in depth wishlist. It should have a more detailed reasoning for why I am picking certain leaders. I will try to provide two leader options; my top pick, and my "runner up". This list is only for the base game, but I might make another list containing the civs I want for the first DLC later. Now prepare yourself for the wall of text:
Arabia - My top choice is
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The second fitna revealed the unprecedented level of division within the Caliphate, divisions which only grew as the civil conflict ground on for a decade. Under Abd al-Malik's leadership, the Umayyads managed to slowly grow their power until they found themselves in a position to challenge for the umma’s leadership once again. Abd al-Malik's adept handling of the second fitna revealed him to be a shrewd mover and shaker with a disposition suitable for leadership. He did more than emulate those who came before him, he enacted changes that pushed the caliphate further into statehood and away from its roots as a tribal confederacy, cementing his family’s supremacy in the process
My runner up is
al-Mu'tadid. This energetic Caliph personally led his armies and succeeded in restoring the Abbasid Caliphate to its former glory. He was even able to effectively diminish his adversaries, often without even resorting to open conflict. Generally, he is portrayed as an exemplary caliph. Although likely embellished by propaganda, it's evident that his leadership provided much-needed stability to the caliphate after the turbulent anarchy at Samarra. He also renewed caliphal sponsorship of scholars and scientists.
Assyria - My pick for the ancient Mesopotamia base game spot. My top pick is
Sennacherib. He is probably most famous for the failed siege to Jerusalem and making king Hezekiah confined "like a bird in a cage." Sennacherib also waged successful campaigns against Elam and squashed many revolts. He is also responsible for rebuilding the city of Nineveh.
My runner up is
Tiglath-Pileser III. Succeeded in extending Assyrian domination over vast territories. He crushed an Aramean coalition, conquered the northern half of Babylonia, including the city itself and became the first Assyrian king of Babylon.
Burma - My top choice is
Alaungpaya. Alaungpaya was one the three greatest kings of Burma, and the founder of the Konbaung dynasty. The mid 1700s were a period of turmoil in Burma, Binnya Dala led a Mon revolt, and took Ava from the declining Toungoo dynasty. Alaungpaya resisted, established Moksobomyo as his capital, reclaimed Ava, and founded the Konbaung dynasty. He also forced the French and the British out, and unified the country.
My runner up is
Bayinnaung. Bayinnaung was a powerful ruler of the Taungoo dynasty in Myanmar. He quelled the revolting Mons, and expanded his kingdom by conquering the Shan States and Siam, making Myanmar a dominant power in Southeast Asia. He was also a patron of Buddhism, generously supporting monasteries, and building pagodas.
China - My top choice is
Taizu of Song. Honestly, I just want a Song emperor. He pulled off what is probably the most peaceful coup in history and reunited most of China after the era of warlords. He was a patron the arts, sciences and economics.
My runner up is
Han Wudi. Emperor Wudi is renowned for his significant contributions to China’s expansion and cultural development. He successfully repelled threats from the north, introduced the Silk Road, and established Confucianism as the state "religion". His reign was marked by military conquests, territorial expansions, and efforts to unify the diverse cultures within the empire.
Egypt - Due to Egypt only having a limited amount of 3000 years of history, we unfortunately have to put the Greek lady back in charge. /s.
On a more serious note, my top choice is
Hatshepsut. Ruling first as regent for, then as co-ruler with, her nephew Thutmose III, Hatshepsut enjoyed a relatively peaceful reign, at the beginning of the New Kingdom. She restored monuments destroyed during the disruptive Second Intermediate Period. She renewed trade with western Asia to the east, the far-off land of Punt to the south, and the Aegean Islands to the north. But honestly, I wouldn't even mind Sobekneferu or Nefertiti.
My runner up is
Mentuhotep II. He is revered by as the guy who reunited Egypt after the era of disunity (the First Intermediate Period) that followed the end of the Old Kingdom. He also initiated a number of building projects, including in the areas of el-Kab, Gebelein, Tod, Deir el-Ballas, Dendera, Karnak, Abydos, Aswan and Armant. His greatest building work was his temple and tomb on the west bank at Thebes.
England - My top choice is
Edward I Longshanks. He reformed the laws so every man got a fair trial, defeated De Montfort and ended the period of civil war inherited from his father, limited the powers of the feudal lords, prevented war between France and Spain, reformed parliament so they met regularly. He also conquered Wales and built some cool looking castles.
My runner up is
Henry II. Fixed a lot of problems following the destructive civil war between his mother and king Stephen. He also significantly reformed the law and the financial system (father of common law).
Ethiopia - My top choice is
Ezana. He was the first Ethiopian king to convert to Christianity (thanks to the monk Frumentius from Roman Syria) and was a prolific builder judging by his monumental obelisks, stelae, and thrones. Ezana also launched several military campaigns including the Kuhorsehockyes. Ezana is remembered for laying the foundation of the Ethiopian Empire and ensuring Axum remained a major power in East Africa.
My runner up is
Lalibela. Legend has it that Lalibela is said to have seen a vision in Jerusalem that instructed him to build a new Jerusalem in Ethiopia as a response to Saladin's recapture of the city in 1187. Lalibela would go on to construct 11 complex monolithic churches.
France - My top choice is
Philip II. He successfully conquered the English territories in Western France and brought down the Angevin Empire. His victory at the Battle of Bouvines against the coalition of England and the Holy Roman Empire led to the dethroning of Emperor Otto IV, while King John of England was forced to negotiate with his nobles, and thus sign the Magna Carta. He also reorganized the government, bringing financial stability to the country and thus making possible a sharp increase in prosperity.
My runner up is
Cardinal Richelieu. A brilliant statesman who controlled a large part of the government under Louis XIII. He broke the power of the turbulent nobles, and united the country under the monarchy, and thus prepared the way for the rule of Louis XIV.
Germany - My top choice is
Otto I. Otto sought to increase the Crown’s authority by curbing the power of the aristocracy and the Church. He faced several rebellions, including those led by the Duke of Bavaria and the Duke of Franconia, but managed to to crush them. He established himself as the sole master of Germany and successfully united West Francia and East Francia through strategic marriages. Otto also ended the Slavic threat in the North and halted the Pagan Hungarian invasions of Europe. He expanded into Italy, uniting it with Germany, and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XII. His reign also saw the beginning of the Ottonian renaissance.
My runner up is...
Bismarck.
Greece - My top choice is
Peisistratos. Peisistratos was an Athenian tyrant and one of the first populists, who dominated the Athenian political stage during the 5th century. Herodotus describes how Peisistratos absurdly managed to take power 3 times through pretty ridiculous coups. Not sure how true these are, but I find them pretty funny. Anyways, one of his greatest achievement was transforming the economy by introducing loans for farmers and encouraging them to grow cash crops. He is also credited with holding the first Panathenaic Games.
My runner up is
Alexander the great, because Macedon should not be a separate civ from Greece.
Indo-Aryans - I support splitting up India. Not sure what to call this Civ, but it is supposed to represent the Northern Indo-Aryan part of India.
My top choice is
Samudragupta. This guy is actually the perfect Civ leader. He is depicted on coins as a muscular warrior flaunting his scars, as well as playing the Veena. He was called the "exterminator of all kings" and is credited with successfully repelling foreign invasions, including defeating the Shakas, the Murundas, and the Kalingas. According to the Allahabad Pillar inscription, he exterminated 9 monarchs and subjugated 12 kings which resulted in an empire extending from the Himalayas in the north to the Deccan in the south, and from the Brahmaputra River in the east to the Yamuna River in the west. Samudragupta was also a great patron of art, architecture and music. He has been described in inscriptions as Kaviraja, or the "King of Poets" for his many poetical compositions.
My runner up is
Shivaji. Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur which eventually became the genesis of the Maratha Empire. He revived Hindu political traditions and promoted the use of Marathi and Sanskrit languages
Kannadiga - My top choice is
Krishnadevaraya. He defeated the five deccan sultanates, the Reddys of Kondavidu, the Velamas of Bhuvanagiri and the Gajapati dynasty of Kalinga. He was also renowned for patronizing poets and for inscribing languages in Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. Krishna Deva Raya was a polyglot himself, fluent in Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.
My runner up is
Amoghavarsha. Amoghavarsha I immediately set out to expand the Rashtrakuta kingdom. He defeated the Eastern Chalukyas and the Gangas, two powerful dynasties in South India. He also defeated the Pratiharas, a powerful dynasty in North India and gained control over parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. He was also a patron of Kannada literature and is credited with sponsoring many poets, scholars, and artists during his reign.
Kanuri - My pick for an Sub-Saharan civ. My top pick for them is
Idris Alooma. Idris was an outstanding statesman, and under his rule, the Kanem-Bornu touched the zenith of its power. He is remembered for his military skills, administrative reforms and Islamic piety. He also introduced a number of legal and administrative reforms based on his religious beliefs and Islamic law. He sponsored the construction of numerous mosques and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he arranged for the establishment of a hostel to be used by pilgrims from his empire. He also established diplomatic relations with the Ottomans to secure muskets and training to fight his enemies at home
My runner up is
Dunama Dabbalemi. His reign is considered the pinnacle of the Sayfawa Kanem dynasty. Mai Dabbalemi expanded his army to approximately 40,000 horsemen, which he used to declare a Jihad against the southern tribes. He also assumed nominal control over the Fezzan region and greatly profited from the Saharan trade, using the proceeds to establish Madrassahs in Cairo for pilgrims en route to Mecca.
Japan - Japanese history ain't my forte. But
Hōjō Masako seems like a very interesting person so she is my top choice.
My runner up is
Minamoto no Yoritomo.
Maya - My top choice is
Yuknoom Chʼeen II. Yuknoom Ch’een II was the ruler that brought Calakmul to its height. His reign was a period of intense conflict between Calakmul's arch rival Tikal, but Calakmul was able to get the upperhand and reinstated Balaj Chan Kʼawiil upon the throne of Dos Pilas as his vassal. Many major building programs also happened in Calakmul during Yuknoom's reign.
My runner up is to just bring back
Pacal. He is the quintessential Maya leader.
Rome - My top choice is
Vespasian. He maneuvered three imperial claimants and crushed two major revolts in Judea and Gaul during his first years. He also reformed Roman taxation, currency, military postings, and oversaw the expansion in Britain. Additionally, he undertook the rebuilding of Rome following Nero's Great Fire and initiated the construction of the Colosseum. Also I like his personality and his sense of humor.
My runner up is
Aurelian. AVE TO THE RESTITVTOR ORBIS!
Russia - My top choice is
Ivan III. Ivan III was the first Russian ruler to gain full independence from the Golden Horde. He tripled the territory of his state. And he also renovated the Moscow Kremlin and introduced a new legal codex and laid the foundations of the Russian state
My runner up is
Ivan IV. The first tsar of all of Russia. Well he might be mad man, but he also transformed Russia into a powerful and centralized state, so definitely an interesting personality.
Turkish - My top choice is
Murad II. Despite facing significant opposition from rival throne contenders, rebellious factions, and foreign adversaries, Murad successfully led wars that expanded Ottoman territory and secured key strategic positions, notably capturing Thessaloniki in 1430 and winning the Battle of Varna in 1444, thereby strengthening Ottoman control in the Balkans.
My second choice is actually
Selim I. He conquered the Mamluks, thus bringing Syria, Egypt, Hejaz, and Palestine under Ottoman rule. This also brought the esteemed title of Caliph under Ottoman authority. He was also known for his harsh manner and firm leadership, Selim I laid the groundwork for administrative changes to manage the empire’s expanding territories.
But honestly tho, they should just bring back
Mehmed II. He has only been in one iteration of civ.
