The Reforms of Yajerus I
i: Yajerus's Rise to Power
During the end of the Machinan dynasty, the country was very unstable. The Foriegn Interest (an economic coalition of the four cities outside the "Core regions" of OTL NT) was demanding greater representation in Parliament (which they were willing to give) and recognition amongst the de facto nobility (which they weren't).
As predicted, the influence of the President was enough to swing the balance in the event of civil war. But the sheer size of the country meant that supressing the revolts was dependent upon the navy, which therefore demanded political concessions. While these were met halfway, the humiliation destroyed the dynasty's prestige and to the less traditionalist types their "incumbent advantage".
After the defeat of Marcharus (a city in OTL Queensland) in battle, a deal was proposed to Yajerus, a prominent local politican (if a foriegner- his family had migrated from Imperial territory). If he would prevent the fall of the city (a tall order- their armies had already been defeated in battle), they would make him their President. Yajerus, in counter, demanded that they make him their Emperor (the major powers of Wu, the Empire of the Rising Sun, and Bental-Dare all had Emperors at this point). This was, reluctantly, accepted.
Yajerus's counter to the enemy was to appeal to the navy. He offered them a hereditary Admirality and tripled wages if they would defect. They did so, allowing Yajerus to send an army there (if mostly conscripts) to threaten the Northern Interest (as the Foriegn Interest called them). The President of the Manchinan dynasty (Cempus III) tried to forcibly contest this development, but enough soldiers boarded the ships to make such a move tenable.
Cempus actually assaulted the city and won, but Yajerus's followers didn't know this. Taking Bradios and offering them a "free Parliament", Yajerus established a base in the area. He had figured the city would fall, but he now had time- he was going to establish his own empire...
ii: The Reform Acts
Yajerus would soon become the dominant player in Jasiran, making deals with all factions. The Norists were given concessions, the Navy were given concessions, the Army were given concessions, the Foriegn Interest were given concessions- ocassionaly, it was said, a common peasant would be going about his buisness only to find a royal messanger offering him concessions!
But once the country was under his control, Yajerus was determined to reform it. For a start, he saw many institutions as either backward or pointless (the supreme example being Parliament). Second, it would be an excuse to repudiate all the promises he made to various groups. Third, selling titles of nobility was a great way to gain revenue.
Parliament was no longer a source of leigitimacy (he abolished it), but Yajerus did not want to be deposed through the Mandate of Heaven- nor did he want Norist "cosmic forces" dictating policy. Failing these, he decided to appeal to the claim that he was descended from original rulers of Jasiran- therefore he needed no claim of the Mandate of Heaven, and the stigma of his foriegn past was washed away.
In religion, he created New Norism- a form of Norism with Tartessan gods and many ideas superimposed. The idea was that the Tartessan priesthood, being so far away, would not contest his descisions- distance and admiration of his own culture would hopefully fight other Tartesssan influences off as well.
Launching a suprise attack on the navy, he managed to force their concessions away, and decided therefore to rely on the army and the warlords for support. Giving them titles of nobility (most were made Counts, some Dukes- and the unofficial nobility of the cities elected rulers known as Kings), he acknowledged their hereditary status in exchange for support.
The system of Governors was also abolished- they had no real power anyway, and it was incongrous with the new titles. So were the allies that nominally existed in Central Australia- he governed them anyway, so there was no point in his eyes to their independent status.
(To be continued)
