[RFC] The History of the Arab World

[Jusos2108]

This is a story about the History of the Arab World (last one was the Land of the Rus). It will be sort of a semi-historical story with some real characters. I chose the unlocked 3000BC start, which is a bit harder for the Arabs, but brings more live to Middle East. There are no special rules unless I come up with a good one. EDIT: I came up with one, but forgot to edit this, so it is that I can't spread Islam via missionaries to foreign cities, only automatic spread and spreading by conquest is allowed.

I intend to accomplish the UHVs in a decent manner, meaning that I do the first two (control Egypt, Carthage, Spain and three Holy Shrines) within the timeline, but the last one (40% islam) will have to wait, so that I can build an Arab World.

 

[Jusos2108]

During the first decades of the 7th century Prophet Muhammad united the nomad beduin peoples into a Arabic nation and under Islamic faith. After Makkah and Medina had been secured under his power and the Arabian Peninsula was united, he ordered the his gathered armies to travel north and convert all nations into Islam.

However, beyond the edge of the Arabian Peninsula stood the great empire of Babylonia. After seeing the endless waves of Muhammad's Camel Riders, Babylonian cities of Ur and Yerushalim surrendered to the Arabs without a fight.

Hammurabi, the Babylonian Emperor, did not take this act of hostility lightly and declared war on the Arab nation. Muhammad sent an army of 6,000 Camel Archers consisting of Egyptian, Sinan and Levant Riders to encounter the Babylonian forces and to attach the eastern parts of the Fertile Crescent into his nation and convert them under Islam.

 

[AOS9001]

Good luck with this one, you're going to need it. Reaching Spain might be harder with a bunch of ancient and classical civs in the way.

 

[emeralddude]

Hurray, another wonderful story! How soon are you conquering Persia? It's not in the UHV, but it has loads of resources, including Iron.

 

[W|M]

Persia? Egypt, Carthage and Spain need to be conquered/vassaled, and the Christian Holy City (Probably Rome, or some other city controlled by Rome) need to be captured!

 

[Jusos2108]

Good luck with this one, you're going to need it. Reaching Spain might be harder with a bunch of ancient and classical civs in the way.

Thanks! It sure will be, my first intention was to play 600AD start, but there is nothing interesting in Middle East, only couple Byzantine cities and completely empty Mesopotamia. So for the story, this is much better.

Hurray, another wonderful story! How soon are you conquering Persia? It's not in the UHV, but it has loads of resources, including Iron.

Thanks to you too, glad to see that you people are interested about this one as well. I think Persia will be right after Babylonia. I'll have to split my forces, so that the swords and longbowmen and 1-2 camel archers take Egypt.

Persia? Egypt, Carthage and Spain need to be conquered/vassaled, and the Christian Holy City (Probably Rome, or some other city controlled by Rome) need to be captured!

Persia definetly and I don't plan to vassalise any of them. I actually think that conquering India is easier than taking Rome. Although, I am not sure were the Christian holy city is, so we'll have to wait and see.

EDIT: New update coming tomorrow.

 

[Sicky]

Another story by Jusos! woot!

I'll be following this with great interest.

 

[Jusos2108]

Muhammad died soon after the Arabs had taken Ur. He had complained about continious headaches and passed away on his way to Makkah. Muhammad's father-in-law, Abu Bakr, rose to lead the upstart Arab Nation. He appointed himself as the first Caliph of Arabia and Islam. He reorganized the goverment and cemented Islam's position as the State Religion. Lords of Arabian Peninsula's Emirates swore loyalty to him after small quarrels. He also introduced slavery as key source of work force.

After Abu Bakr had strenghtened his position in Makkah, he ordered his Armies to move against Babylon and he rode north to join them. Meanwhile, a small Babylonian Army approaching Ur was wiped out in deserts of Mesopotamia and soon the Arabian army was ready to move against the ancient city of Babylon.

Baylon was heavily defended and the Arabian Camel Riders suffered heavy losses in muds of Eufrat and Tigris. Eventually ancient city fell in front of the superior Muslim forces. However, Abu Bakr was keen on keeping this ancient city filled with Pagan Shrines and monuments. Therefore he ordered the city to be razed and let his soldiers pillage the Babylonian Capital.

However, Abu Bakr also founded a new city called Baghdad slightly northeast from the ruins of Babylon. This city was to be the new Jewel of Mesopotamia and secondary capital of the Arabian Caliphate.

Afte Babylon was destroyed Persian emissaries from the East realised the potential thread that the Arabs posed and were eager to trade with them in order to gain their favour. Important technologies of Sailing and a new calendar system were introduced to Arabs.

 

[Jusos2108]

Another story by Jusos! woot!

I'll be following this with great interest.

Thanks! Hopefully I fulfill your expectations.

 

[jokoneli]

When I once played as arabia (3000B.C) christianity was founded at cyprus or what ever that island is so that made the uhv's a bit easier, but I failed at spain, I got a one city by suiciding my camels but that was it.

It was monarch Btw.

 

[AdrienIer]

And you'll have the Carthaginians to destroy with the 3000BC start (if they're still around). Tough challenge !

 

[Jusos2108]

After Babylon had been razed, the Babylonian Empire was ready to collapse due to the lack of central goverment and the death of their Emperor, Nebudkanessar II, who was caught fleeing from Babylon and immeatidely executed on the spot. Therefore Abu Bakr focused his attention elsewhere and ordered his Levant Army to cross the border to Egypt.

However, Abu Bakr did not live long enough to see what would come off his ambitious invasion against the cradle of civilization. Umar rose to power in Makkah and he was eager continue the work that Abu Bakr had started. The invasion against Egypt was allowed to endure.

Egyptian heavy chariots were no match to the Arabian Camel Riders and their iron weaponry, thus the important border city of Djanet fell quickly to the Arabs. Umar renamed the city San El-Hagar.

San el-Hagar was an important Mediterranean port and a northern civilization of Greece sent cautious emissaries to greet the new Mediterranean arrival. Umar saw no reason to trade with this distant nation, but nontheless a peace treaty was signed.

In 700AD the Babylonian Empire finally collapsed in several city states, that immeatidely signed peace treaties with Arabia. Simultaniously Umar's Egyptian campaign was progressing extremely well. Therefore he dared to order his Mesopotamian Armies to strike against the Persian Empire, whose Emperor, Cyrus, was arrogantly claiming that the lands around Baghdad actually belonged to Persia. The Caliphate of Arabia declared war on Persia and was now fighting against the Pharaohs in Egypt and the Immortals in Persia.

Nontheless Umar's ruthless Babylonian veterans, the Riders of Makkah, razed the Persian border city of Shush quickly in order to turn the border dispute into Arabia's favour.

 

[Jusos2108]

And you'll have the Carthaginians to destroy with the 3000BC start (if they're still around). Tough challenge !

Sadly during the first turns of my Egyptian campaign, I got a message that the Carthaginian civilization had been destroyed. It would've been fun to take them on.

BTW, Greece is Christian, so Rome probably founded christianity..

 

[AOS9001]

I wonder if you'll get past Constantinople... That'd lead to quite a different history.

 

[Jusos2108]

I wonder if you'll get past Constantinople... That'd lead to quite a different history.

I am not sure whether to take Constantinople before Turkish spawn or after with the rest of Turkey. It will be fun nontheless..

 

[Gruekiller]

You should launch an invasion of Europe via Gibraltar, just like IRL. Except I imagine that not even Charlemagne's grandpa will be able to stop you at Tours.

 

[Kullervo]

Why not strike down south? The Ethiopian lands, with the cities in good places (Which means you'll have to do a lot of razing and resettling), can be production powerhouses... If I play as Egypt or Arabia, I often make the Ethiopian lands my military production cities. Or, eventually, my IW cities.

Great game, great story so far. Quick question, though... if you already have a great general, why don't you give a unit the Leadership promotion? Camel archers rape the units of everyone around, so why not have an 80 XP camel archer by the time you get into more challenging wars?

 

[Jusos2108]

You should launch an invasion of Europe via Gibraltar, just like IRL. Except I imagine that not even Charlemagne's grandpa will be able to stop you at Tours.

That's what I probably will do. I am more worried about my stability preventing me to expand further into Europe.

Why not strike down south? The Ethiopian lands, with the cities in good places (Which means you'll have to do a lot of razing and resettling), can be production powerhouses...
Quick question, though... if you already have a great general, why don't you give a unit the Leadership promotion?

I plan to take Ethiopia eventually, most likely sooner than later, because, like you said, later means that I have to do a lot of razing, which would seriously hurt my stability.

I find the leadership promotion useful only after the unit has StrenghtVI, if you get it earlier, the chances that the unit will die go up by 10% (well not exactly by close enough) for every battle. With SVI the unit is usually immortal.

I'll try to update today!

 

[eduhum]

Another story!
And you've'nt already placed your stories on your signature

 

[Jusos2108]

Umar's armies were now fighting on two fronts and he knew that time was against him. Therefore his Asian army commander Khalid ibn al-Walid was ordered to advance deeper into Persia. However, when Khalid's armies reached the outskirts of the Persian capital, Parsa, he found out that the Empire was already fighting at her limit against the invading Mongolian horse archers. This suited Khalid very well and he quickened his army's pace.

As the Khalid's Camel Riders progressed, they encountered some scattered Mongolian troops, which were easily destroyed by the heavier Riders.

Meanwhile in Egypt Umar's Army had reached the borders of the ancient Egyptian capital of Niwt-Rist. Umar sent his Levant Riders ahead to strike first before the city was warned. Their surprise attack was succesful and a complete Khoisan mercenary archer unit was destroyed.

The main army arrived soon after and joined the battle. The Egyptians weren't expecting more Arab reinforcements and their morale crumled. The Arabs gained the upper hand and poured against the city on every front. The Egyptians were doomed and the city fell. Umar renamed the city Al-Uqsur.

After the city was secured Umar turned his main army around and marched against the last important Egyptian city of Per Wadjet. The Egyptian armies were in disarray and leaderless and the resistance was feeble. The city was taken without signicant losses. Thus the Egyptian cilivization was destroyed and Umar know controlled the fertile lands of Egypt.

In Persia Khalid's armies had reached Parsa and Khalid himself lead the 1st Riders of Makkah to the first attack against the feared Persian War Elephants. The battle was fierce and many of these veterans were pierced by elephants tusks or trampled to death. However, Khalid's superior tactics and veteran Riders managed to kill these beasts one by one.

The attack continued and Khalid's catapults softened the defences before he ordered a full attack against the city. The fierce Beduain Riders broke through almost instantly and the defences fell as the walls were breached. However, Khalid and 1st Riders of Makkah were the first to reach the city centre. Parsa had fallen and Persian Empire was crumling. It was only a matter of time before Khalid's Armies would tear down this ancient civilization.

After taking control of Persia's heartlands Khalid met with the Indian emissaries and traded knowledge about meditation with them.

These past decades are known for the ruthless and merciless Arabian expansions. During this Era three, if Babylon is included, ancient Empires basicly ceased to exist, although Persia fought on for some years, and the Arabian influence spread even wider.