Imperium OffTopicum: The Enlightenment Redux

[Sonereal]

In an undisclosed university in Europe, scholars and academics are fast at work collecting and expanding the literary resources of humanity. The University Offer is that any country which brings forth a history or commentary of substantial length and quality to the private inbox of said university will be rewarded accordingly with industrial production.

OOC: Roleplay of a decent length and, more importantly, decent quality (grammar and spelling) will be added to the front page under a new Library section. I'm also the final judge of quality and determining whether something is long enough to warrant being added. Having your work added to the Library will earn you Banked IP.

 

[christos200]

The Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian State

The following Article is written by the Patriarch of Tsarograd, Anthimos. The Greek Bishop became Patriarch and leader of the Orthodox Church in 1717. He was born in 1643, in Tsarograd, and has studied Theology in the Theological University of Thessaloniki.

Recently, some voices have been heard, mainly from young people educated in French, Polish and Swedish universities, that the Church should limit it's role in the governance of the Bulgarian State and that Church and State should be separated. Those people have also expressed anti-Christian opinions and are vocal in their opposition to the Church of Christ. They want to make Bulgaria an Atheist State, something that will surely cause the collapse of the Bulgarian Empire. I have written this article in order to express the views of the Orthodox Church on this matter, which is very serious and needs to be addressed by the Bulgarian State.

Firstly, we must inform the reader of the role of the Orthodox Church in the Bulgarian State. This may be well known to many people, but I do not want any misunderstandings to exist. The role of the Church in the Bulgarian State is to crown the Tsar, excommunicate heretics and to be in charge of the education given by Bulgarian Schools and Universities. As you can see, no Bishop is dictating the Empire's policy and Orthodox Priests are not "Governors" or "Corrupted Officials", as some enemies of the Church of Christ have claimed. The Church only makes sure that the right education is given and that heretics do not pollute the Church of Christ with their poisonous ideologies.

Many of the enemies of Christ have claimed that the education given in Bulgarian Schools and Universities, which are overseen by the Orthodox Church, is outdated and does not give the students real knowledge. They say that the Church should have no place in education. This is very wrong, and if it happens, it will surely help in the collapse of the Bulgarian Empire. For in order for the Empire to survive, Christian education must be given. The schools should not just teach students about mathematics, physics and philosophy. They should also teach them to be moral, law keeping and upright persons. For being a genius in mathematics and philosophy while being immoral and unjust annuls the purpose of education and only makes that person a burden of society. Only through Christian Education and the study of the Bible and works of the Apostles and Saints of Our Church can a person become moral and just and be useful to society.

Those works of the Saints of Christianity teach us how to be upright and moral. For they teach us that we should help those in need, we should forgive our brother, we should be generous, we should be moderate, we should treat others with love and care, we should care and help even those who do not care for us and have done us harm, we should not be jealous of our neighbor's life, we should not lust, we should not commit adultery. If someone slaps us, we should turn the other cheek. Those are what a moral and upright person should do. And all those values can only be passed to the students through the Christian Education. That's why the Acts of the Apostles and the Biographies of the Saints of the Church of Christ should be taught to students and take half of the Bulgarian's schools hours. The Saints and Apostles of Our Church provide the students with a role model to follow, a role model which shapes them into moral and upright citizens.

If the Atheists succeed in ridding the schools and Universities of Christian Education, they will make the students immoral, unjust and corrupt persons. Those persons will also be bad citizens, will not help those in need and will make corrupt and immoral deeds which shall anger God and incur His punishment upon us. So, with the Empire lacking uncorrupted and moral persons, bad persons will take control of the Empire and lead it towards it's destruction. So, our Empire shall collapse. Also, by the way, the Orthodox Church has always encouraged the study of mathematics, physics and the works of the Ancient Greek writers. So, the accusations of the Atheists against the Church, that we do not give the students proper education, are baseless.

An other claim made by the Atheists is that the Church purges free thought through it's excommunication of the heretics. I ask the reader: should we allow corrupt persons, who want to bring down the Church of Christ, to corrupt our faith? Allowing the heretics to pollute freely our Church shall destroy and corrupt the Christian doctrines in such a way that I fear there will be no point of return. They falsify the words of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and make the people misunderstand and misinterpret the teachings of Our Messiah. St. Paul had warned us about the intentions of those heretics:

“I know that after I leave savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own numbers men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
– St. Paul, Acts 20:29-30

So, we should not be merciful towards those people. For those people are like savage wolves who want to confuse and divide the sheep, in order to eat them. We should follow the advise of St. Athanasius the Great:

“As we walk the unerring and life-bringing path, let us pluck out the eye that scandalizes us-not the physical eye, but the noetic one. For example, if a bishop or presbyter-who are the eyes of the Church-conduct themselves in an evil manner and scandalize the people, they must be plucked out. For it is more profitable to gather without them in a house of prayer, than to be cast together with them into the gehenna of fire together with Annas and Caiaphas.”

– St. Athanasius the Great, PG 26:1257c

So, all the accusations of the Atheists against Our Church are baseless. We give proper education to the students, shape them into moral and upright citizens and we purge the Church of the savage wolves. So, why do those Atheists accuse us? Because they want to destabilize and bring down Our Holy Empire. This is what I had to state upon this matter. I hope this article shall help to eradicate the propaganda of the Western educated Atheists.

 

[Sonereal]

ORDERS LOCK.

COMBAT ROLLS BEING ROLLED.

BRACE YOURSELVES.

(You know nothing.)

 

[Sonereal]

NEWS OF THE WORLD
1724


BEIJING HAS FALLEN​

Ming forces, backed by Bulgarian arms and supplies, have overrun Hopeh and seized the Qing Capital. The government, however, fled into Korea. In the fighting that followed, the Qing defenders were cut down to a man save for the one army which sailed across the Yellow Sea into Korea.

Now, the Ming is triumphant. Her ports built two sixth rates that surely will battle the meager Qing fleet this year before landing troops to take Korea.

TRANSYLVANIA CRISIS​

Bulgarian forces in Transylvania were completely unprepared for the onslaught flying the Polish banners approaching from the north. Outnumbered 2:1, the skirmish lasted only an hour, but resulted in the complete destruction of the Bulgarian settling forces and the annexation of Transylvania into the Kingdom of Poland.

OTHER NEWS​

BUENOS AIRES. Buenos Aires, United Provinces of America. As Argentina’s armies unified South America, the young republic changed its name to the United Provinces of America to reflect her pan-continental interests. Buenos Aires, meanwhile, has become a major center of trade connecting South America to Europe through the massive trade center at Seville and the lesser trade center in British Edinburgh. However, the days of easy expansion may be over for the republic…


QUEST FOR A NEW WORLD. Fort des Natchitoches, Kingdom of France. The Kingdom of France and Sultanate of Cordoba have carved out colonies in North and Central America while the British have carve colonies out in Quebec and Acadia. This new round of expansion marks a turning point in global relations. As Americans make themselves felt in the Mediterranean-dominated trade networks, and as Mediterranean powers create colonies in the Americas, the world shrinks before our eyes.

Argentina and Egypt are two of the largest economies in the world. The Sultanate’s wealth comes largely from trade and control of Cairo, while Argentina’s wealth rests mainly in her territories, which are coming to encompass all of South America.

The third major trader, the Sultanate of Cordoba, has taken up the same approach as Egypt in wrestling control of her own city of trade via merchant subsidies. Seville is tied with Cairo in terms of trade value.


CHURCH AND STATE. Tsarograd, Great Bulgarian Empire. Patriarch Anthimos presented a face of Europe to the world last year in his article slamming what he sees as growing atheistic influence in the functioning of the kingdom. The Patriarch is a firm supporter of the religious education and religious influence inherent in the education and political structure of the Bulgarian Empire. The recent battle in Transylvania has seen church attendance skyrocket as many are fearful of a war with the Catholic Poles.


MAPS AND STATS

Check your Spendable Row for spendable. THIS INCLUDES BANKED INCOME.

Map Legend

Triangles: 6th Rates
Squares: 3rd Rates
Diamonds: 1st Rates

Numbers in Provinces: Shipyard Levels
Numbers in Shapes: Number of ships.
C: Center of Trade

ORDERS LOCK MONDAY.

Cost of Center of Trade: 20 IP
Cost to send merchant to CoT: 1 IP
Cost of Land Center of Trade: 40 IP
Cost to send merchant to LCoT: 2

Coastal CoTs still require L3 Shipyards.

 

[Ailedhoo]

These are times most grand indeed. Soon the servants of the Forgiver will find a true age of piety...

We are to claim the Cape (with aid of our African fleet), Lebanon, Khorasan, Yemen, Oman and Kasai.

 

[Red_Spy]

We would like to apologise to the Bulgarians for the loss of life in Transylvania. We will withdraw from Transylvania and send 1 IP as compensation for the lost troops.

OOC: I got your VM after the update went up, apologies.

 

[Civ'ed]

Spoiler :

We are proud to announce that New England and the Mid-Atlantic are now ours.
In addition, we would politely request a right to claim all territory north of Dixie.

Spoiler :

other order things
12 EP to spend
build 3 armies.
Build sixth-rates in: Acadia, Quebec, Icegreenland, Icegreenland again
Build a third-rate in: Scotland
Send 3 merchants to Scotland.

 

[christos200]

From: Bulgaria
To: Poland

We accept the apology, the handover of Transylvania to us and the 1 IP. We want good relations with Poland.

Bulgaria shall claim Florida, if that is alright.

 

[Double A]

I think I'm allied with everyone on the Med or in Europe right now except Red, who I have a DP with, and christos.

 

[Ailedhoo]

The following is a speech by Gyasi's Court Iman, Hasan Saab, to a circle of religius scholars in the Abdul Ghafaar Dynasty's palace's great hall.

My brothers; we are to enter a new golden age!

Arabia is in the process of full unity. The Muslim living from Morocco to Iraq are under just Islamic rule, in both the Sultanates of Cordoba and Abdul Ghafaar respectfully. Peace falls over Persia as the pious there join with their brothers and sisters under the Greatest in unity. Both Cordoba and Egypt are rising stars, shining the night for the guidance of all faithful. We serve the will of God. Our dynasties respectfully rise.

Still we pious servants protected by the Abdul Ghafaar Dynasty have sworn that we are not suitable to remain just under a sultanate; indeed the title of ‘empire’ is more suited to our realm, especially as we have recreated the legacy of the Arabian Empire. Yet this is but worth dust if not without the greatest and more pious of aims; the Abdul Ghafaar Dynasty must strive for the claimant of the title of the Caliphate!

Gyasi of the Abdul Ghafaar Dynasty has now the mandate to claim himself the upholder of the Forgiver’s will. With the union of Arabia it is the duty of the Sultan of Egypt to become Caliph of God’s servants. Gyasi Abdul Ghafaar must not only serve the secular service of the now Abdul Ghafaar Empire but greater still strive the moral services of the Adbul Ghafaar Caliphate! As we go from the Cape of Africa to our eventual aims to seek a port in Japan we of the Abdul Ghafaar Dynasty must show the way of the Light!

As the Patriarch of Tsarograd, Anthimos, arranges to serve his flock the Calpih will hence face a greater task of balancing both the spiritual demands of the servants of God and the advancement of the empire which serves as the cradle of the new Caliphate. As we bring more to the faithful way, just as we will also provide shelter for the servants of God, to ensure the message of the Prophet Muhammad (may he be forever blessed) be heard. Yet there is a greater task ahead. The Caliph must not only strive to lead the faithful but must do so to combat the schism that has plagued those that summit to God. A chance opens to mend the gulf between the Shia and Sunni fellowships. This divide must be mended if God’s faithful are to fully benefit from the Caliphate. The greatest disagreement must come to an agreement.

However what matters above all is that Gyasi has the desire to move forward. With my blessings he will take the title of Caliph in Medina, followed by him greeting all the pilgrims in Mecca for a personal blessing of all the faithful. Then Gyashi will head back to Cairo where he will rein a power most rich, in wealth and in virtue. God the Greatest is as ever smiling on the rein of Gyasi. His reign has benefit not just those that now are under the sphere of the Abdul Ghafaar Caliphate but the whole world, for the Light shines through the Caliphate.

My brothers I have other great news: the new caliphate will adopt the symbols of a flag of old, a flag of Mecca itself. This will be the flag of the new age, the new caliphate, the new order of this world! I hold it out now, before you, the future that will come today!



May the flag of the Abdul Ghafaar Caliphate fly till the end of days! A million blessings to Caliph Gyasi!

 

[christos200]

The Church and the study of Science and Philosophy

The following article is written by Patriarch Anthimos. It concerns itself with the position of the Church about the study of Science and the works of the Ancient Greek Philosophers.

The Western Atheists have struck again, only one year after my article about the relation between the Christian Church and the Bulgarian State. This time, they claimed that the Church suppresses the study of Science and the works of the Ancient Greek Philosophers. Contrary to those accusations, the Orthodox Church not only does not persecute those who study those works, but it also encourages the Christians to study Science and Philosophy. With this article, I shall explain the position of the Church on this matter and end once and for all this lie spread by Atheist propagandists.

The recent discoveries of Sciences, like Physics and Astronomy, have been used as weapons against the Church of Christ. They claim that the Bible is a book of lies. This, of course, comes from their ignorance of the Christian Theology. They do not understand that not anything in the Bible has literal meaning. Part of the Bible is metaphorical and allegorical, for the people at that time where not as well educated and mature as they are now. That's why Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, spoke with parables. This is a historical reality that the Atheists need to understand.

When the Bible said that the Earth is the center of the Universe, the meaning was not literal but metaphorical. The Earth is indeed the center of the Universe, for from all other Planets and Stars, only in Earth has Civilization developed and the people have learned mathematics and philosophy. The creation of the Universe in Six Days is metaphorical. Each Godly day accounts to thousand of Human Years. This is something that the Western Atheists do not, or, more correctly, do not want, to understand. The new scientific discoveries do not prove that the Church of Christ is wrong and that God does not exist. They only prove the greatness of God. Because, they show how complex the Universe is. How could such a complex Universe not be work of the God? That's why almost all great scientists believe in God, because they understand how great miracle the Universe is and how complex it is and they know that only God could create something so perfect.

As for the study of the Ancient Greek Philosophers, the Church supports it. For not only it helps in the development of critical thought, something that the Church encourages despite Atheist claims, but because those philosophers and their philosophies have common ideas with Christianity. Take Plato for example. His idea in the "Republic", that the most wise should help the masses see the truth and get out of the cave of ignorance, sees it's realization through the Church of Christ. The Orthodox Priests help the people to see the truth of the One and True God and let go of their ignorance, thus seeing the light of truth and getting out of the cave of ignorance. Plato's idea of a Philosopher King is realized by the Bulgarian Tsar, who takes power thanks to God's blessing and governs the Empire following the doctrines of Christianity. Another example is Socrates' logic: To solve a problem, it would be broken down into a series of questions, the answers to which gradually distill the answer a person would seek. This is something that the Christian Theology accepts and helps those who study the Christian Faith to understand it better. Also, it is very important to know that all Ancient Greek Philosophers believed in One God, even if they did not knew who that God was. So, they prepared the ground of the Christianization of Europe.

The Church, which oversees the education in the Bulgarian Empire, knows of all this and that's why in all Schools and Universities mathematics, physics and philosophy are being taught. Most Orthodox Priests are well educated in both science and philosophy and the accusations of the Orthodox Church suppressing science are baseless. What the Orthodox Church does, is to excommunicate heretics who corrupt and pollute Christian beliefs. Those people, who are not scientists or philosophers but charlatans, are not and will not be tolerated. The Orthodox Church must keep it's beliefs uncorrupted. If the Atheists believe that the heretics are philosophers or mathematicians, they should really study again what those terms mean. This is what I had to state about this matter.

 

[Sonereal]

Orders tentatively lock tomorrow.

 

[Ailedhoo]

You may be interested to know that a wiki page for this IOT has been set up.

 

[Robert Can't]

Awadh, Himalaya, Assam

Awadh​

Government: Monarchy Absolute
Capital: Faizabad
Nawab: Saadat Ali Khan

With the collapse of the Mughal Empire many precious feudal territories declared themselves new nation states. One such was led by Saadat Ali Khan, a previous lieutenant of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, rose up in Faizabad creating the state of Awadh. Though the nation was only months old the Nawab set of on a chain of conquests using his expertise gained in the Maratha wars and secured his position in northern India.

 

[Sonereal]

Orders lock delayed until Wednesday

 

[Sonereal]

ORDERS LOCKED.

Finally.

 

[Sonereal]

NEWS OF THE WORLD
1724


CHINESE CIVIL WAR AND SWEDISH EXPANSION ​

The Ming Rebellion faced a setback in 1723 when their two new sixth rates were captured by a victorious Qing Navy in the Battle for the Yellow Sea. However, the Ming achieved victories on land against Sweden colonists, carving out a niche for future Ming expansion to stem the tide of Swedish expansion. The Swedes, for their part, faced a humiliating defeat in the hands of Ming forces which resulted in entire mercenary forces switching sides.

OTHER NEWS​

ECONOMIC DEPRESSION IN SOUTH AMERICA, BULGARIA. Tsarograd, Great Bulgarian Empire. Unemployed young men roam the streets of Buenos Aires and Tsarograd, searching for work. Construction has slowed to a halt, and demand for crafts have fallen off in the face of competition with Cairo and Seville. There is notable anti-Caliphate sentiment as the air as citizens increasingly criticize their governments’ ability to protect domestic markets from the insatiable greed of the numerous Egyptian merchants.


UNREST OF THE SULTANATE OF CORDOBA. Seville, Sultanate of Cordoba. The recent economic boom in Seville, brought on by the Egyptians redirecting trade from Edinburgh and Buenos Aires to that city, has created massive amounts of upward mobility in Iberian society, but at the cost of displacing existing elites within the sultanate.


THE CALIPHATE. Cairo, Abdul Ghafaar Caliphate . The Abdul Ghafaar Caliphate was proclaimed in 1723, and so far has proven itself to be the economic master of the world. Egyptian merchants have carved out a home in every center of trade on the planet except Maracaibo, and Egyptian armies have marched triumphantly into provinces across Eurasia, from the Cape of Africa to Tehran in Persia. Militarily, the Caliphate lags greatly behind the military behemoths that are Poland and Sweden, and at sea is a lackluster naval power easily outcompeted by the French and Bulgarian Navies. However, the shipbuilding production and industrial might of the Caliphate cannot be trifled with as long as Cairo is the City of World Desire.


THE CARIBBEAN SEA. Havana, Kingdom of France. The Kingdom of France, Bulgaria, and the United Provinces of America continued the ongoing colonization of the New World this year, along with Great Britain’s colonization of the Eastern Seaboard provinces. The French, UPA, and Bulgaria all maintain a significant naval presence in the Caribbean. In terms of naval production, however, Maracaibo is the jewel of the UPA’s efforts to secure control of the Caribbean, but Guatemala is the key to French efforts in the Caribbean and boasts the being the third largest shipyard in the Americas.

In the light of these two behemoths, Bulgaria is a spirited, if not outmatched, rival.



MAPS AND STATS

Check your Spendable Row for spendable. THIS INCLUDES BANKED INCOME.

Map Legend

Triangles: 6th Rates
Squares: 3rd Rates
Diamonds: 1st Rates

Numbers in Provinces: Shipyard Levels
Numbers in Shapes: Number of ships.
C: Center of Trade

ORDERS LOCK MONDAY.

Cost of Center of Trade: 50 IP
Cost to send merchant to CoT: 1 IP
Cost of Land Center of Trade: 100 IP
Cost to send merchant to LCoT: 2

Coastal CoTs still require L3 Shipyards.

Correction: Bulgaria has +1 IP

 

[Sonereal]

In the future, you can order you troops to fight to the death in a land battle, whether attacking or defending.

 

[Ailedhoo]

The Caliphate will expand once more!

Namibia, Transvaal, Tanzania, Angola, Katanga, Somalia and Sindh will be claimed in the name of the Caliphate by land!

By sea we will claim Swan River and Banthat so that the servants of God may spread the word of the prophet, while expanding the wealth of the Caliphate!

God is God!

 

[Double A]

There once was an impasse
on the Ole Med Sea,
but it was just hot gas
and we left each other be.

We expanded and conquered,
scouted and explored.
At times it was awkward,
but we chased the reward.

Yes, the riches and wealth!
The trade and the spice!
We were all in good health,
and we all played nice.

Except for China, of course,
locked in a civil war.
The Ming are the dark horse,
but Qing is quite a bore.

Then the Swedes and Poles
had a squabble over land.
They almost fought over souls
they wished to command.

But the Poles acquiesced,
and Moscow was Swede!
We are all blessed
that they fought their greed.

But a new threat is here
one of great weight:
The inventors of beer
and the bread that they ate.

Yes, the Egyptians are knocking,
putting all of Africa on their plate,
with their territorial blocking
all in the name of fate.

Oh, wait, don't be afraid,
as everything is fine and dandy!
for they really just want to trade.
And now I need a brandy.