Rise of Persia

King of Anshan

aprrentice Worlddominator
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Apr 9, 2011
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The Netherlands
With my story about the Byzantines “ended”, my mouse hand ached to play Persia, Byzantion’s arch-enemy. (And partially to honour my name):

Rhye’s of Civilization Expanded v1.23

Victory through:
• World domination (100%,100%)
• Culture (50 000,500 000)
• Space Race
• Victory points (1000 000)

Difficulty: Demigod

Civ: Persia

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Chapter 1 : Ages of Stone, Bronze and Iron

4000 B.C. Wandering tribes settled in an arid region. Laying east between the distant rivers of the Tigris and the Indus, south of the impregnable Zagros mountains, the land was not well suited to build a civilization. Yet a civilization would be build here. Around 4000 B.C. the tribes called the Elamites settled in the region we now call Persia. There they founded the city of Anshan.
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By 3750 B.C. the Elamite civilization had absorbed the people living in the delta of the Two Rivers, making them one of the richest civilization at that time. A hundred years later trade slowly started to commece with the inhabitans of Babylon. At that time it consisted of nothing more than an exchange of greetings. Around the same time the Elamites also came into contact with some of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. These people have influenced greatly as can be seen in the similarities between our Zoroastrian religion and their faith.
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By 3400 B.C. the Elamites adopted the use of the so-called Harrapan-masonry style. A hundred years later primitive trade-routes started to develop between the Arab-civilization centered at Mecca and the Ganges-civilization in India. These contacts can be traced back partially thanks to the sudden appearance of the Harrapan-style in Delhi.
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Relations between the Elamites and the Mesopotamians slowly soured up after 2750 B.C. Elamite warriors are said to have raided the country-side and deporting large segments of the Mesopotamian population as slaves to Elam. After four centuries of sporadic warfare the Elamites were exhausted. They paid the Babylonians large tributes in exchange for peace. In 2200 B.C. cuneiform was introduced into the land of Elam, it was the earliest writing-system in the world. In merely fifty years the neighbouring civilizations adopted similar writing-systems.
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Around 1800 B.C. some Elamite tribes wandered north, expanding the culture along the Zagros mountains. This northern-Elamite culture was centred around the city we now call Agamatanu.
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Four hundred years later sporadic trade started to occur between the Hittite civilization in Anatolia and the northern-Elamites. Fifty years later the mass-use of pottery started to commence in the Elamite lands. Knowledge of this was probably imported from Canaan, because the decorations showed a strong resemblance with the Jewish-style. Not much later Greek-motives started to show up on Elamite pottery, indicating possible connection with Greek city-states. Increased knowledge in the preservation of food apparently was used to build a granary in Anshan, as was indicated by C-14 dating grain-cereals. The oldest were dated to +/- 1200 B.C. the oldest poem of the world can be tracked down to around 75 years later. The poem was about the production and storing of grain. Signs of trade around that time indicated the spread of a literature tradition as well as the art of horse riding to the entire middle-east.
The same time saw the Aryan tribes who had slowly penetrated the Iranian plateau taking over the weakened Elamite empire. The Aryan tribes expanded over the course of the following years resulting in the founding of the settlement of Samarra in 710 B.C. Some years later iron-working spread from India to the Aryan nation.
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In 570 B.C. a Great Library was finished in the Arab city of Mecca. It clearly showed the supremacy of the Arabians at that time. The Arabians formed 6% of a world population of in total 7 million, doubling the Aryan population. Philosophy developed independently, from Arabia, in the Aryan nation, that by now was called Persia . It quickly spread to the surrounding nations. Persia in return received a copied law book from Babylon and horse riding lessons from some Jewish merchants.

In 150 B.C. the King of Anshan, Darius, subdued people living on the southern banks of the river Indus. Some Aryans settled there and named the city they build in his honour, Dariush-Kabir.
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In 30 B.C. Arab Bedouins, intending to settle somewhere, invaded Persia. The King did not like this. The Arabs were the strongest nation in the world and it would be very difficult to challenge them. Yet on the other side they could not be allowed to move through Persia unchallenged. King Cyaxares send a message to the Arab chieftain to rectify this situation. The Chieftain assured him they would leave. But they did not leave. A second messenger send twenty years later came back with his head in a sack. This meant war. King Cyaxares ordered all forces, even the immortals to fight the Arab invaders. For Persia this meant total war.
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With the unexpected defeat of the Arab invasion party Persia ushered into a Golden Age.

In 30 A.D. Persian scientists figured out how an aristocratic elite could rule the country. The Idea was spread to other nations in exchange for knowledge of another state form, Monarchy, and the art of mounted combat. Persian aristocrats wanted to depose the king to form up a republic, but the autocratic king rebuffed them as well as the pagan priest in favour of a theocratic monarchy. Also knowledge of elephant-riding and horse-archery were obtained.

By 110 A.D. a thinned out army of immortals approached the walls of Baghdad. They gained only marginal success in the twenty years they spended sieging the city. After a massive attack of Arab swordsmen the immortals were withdrawn to Samarra, to regroup.

In 190 A.D. a massive Persian army consisting of six divisions of immortals backed up by some archers moved to Baghdad again.

Forty years later Persian dominion spread both east and west. East with the settling of Bactria and the founding of the city of Bactra. West with the conquest of Baghdad, losing 1/3 of the Persian army to Arab counterfire.
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In 270 A.D. Persian armies marched to Damascus, destroying it twenty years later.
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Forty years later more southern Najran was besieged. With one Immortal-division’s name changed to mortal Najran was added to the empire.
In 350, after 360 years of constant warfare, Arabia, the greatest nations the world had ever seen, was defeated. The peace conditions hit Arabia hard. They were forced to surrender all but the city of Mecca and some territory around it. Further they were forced to cede knowledge of mathematics and a legal-system to Persia. The Persian king responsible for this was Cyrus, Cyrus the Great. To him historians have always credited the birth of Persia.
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Not much later Cyrus died His two sons Bardiya and Kambyses, started to contend with each other for the Throne. It erupted into a bitter civil war lasting twenty years…
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Babylon would be a great target for absorption. ;) They make an ugly bulge into Persia.
 
subbed
 
Good start. Does it seem like most Earth map stories seem to start in the MidEast or Greece?
 
Silly Bucky. Those offer the most opportunity by being in the middle, and also are very useful in terms of resources: the wealth of Europe is close by but so is the valuable oil of the Middle East. :evil:
 
The plan is first to invade Babylon, than seize Jerusalem to get acces to the mediterranean. After that Mecca and it's Great Library will be targeted, again. The cheap immortals will do most, probably, aided by an ever increasing number of siegetowers. The fitst conquests will largelt be focused upon recreating the Persian Achaemenid empire. (So after Mecca the Lydians/Ottomans and than Egypt)

The reason why most of these games strat in the M-E or Europe is, I suppose, because of the faster tech-rate. I can't imagine the Inca's could do a serious grab to world domination in Rhyes.

Become jews!
Get monies!


I think it will be the other way around.

I also have a question for you all:
And now when five days were gone, and the hubbub had settled down, the conspirators met together to consult about the situation of affairs. At this meeting speeches were made, to which many of the Greeks give no credence, but they were made nevertheless. Otanes recommended that the management of public affairs should be entrusted to the whole nation. "To me," he said, "it seems advisable, that we should no longer have a single man to rule over us- the rule of one is neither good nor pleasant. Ye cannot have forgotten to what lengths Cambyses went in his haughty tyranny, and the haughtiness of the Magi ye have yourselves experienced. How indeed is it possible that monarchy should be a well-adjusted thing, when it allows a man to do as he likes without being answerable? Such licence is enough to stir strange and unwonted thoughts in the heart of the worthiest of men. Give a person this power, and straightway his manifold good things puff him up with pride, while envy is so natural to human kind that it cannot but arise in him. But pride and envy together include all wickedness- both of them leading on to deeds of savage violence. True it is that kings, possessing as they do all that heart can desire, ought to be void of envy; but the contrary is seen in their conduct towards the citizens. They are jealous of the most virtuous among their subjects, and wish their death; while they take delight in the meanest and basest, being ever ready to listen to the tales of slanderers. A king, besides, is beyond all other men inconsistent with himself. Pay him court in moderation, and he is angry because you do not show him more profound respect- show him profound respect, and he is offended again, because (as he says) you fawn on him. But the worst of all is, that he sets aside the laws of the land, puts men to death without trial, and subjects women to violence. The rule of the many, on the other hand, has, in the first place, the fairest of names, to wit, isonomy; and further it is free from all those outrages which a king is wont to commit. There, places are given by lot, the magistrate is answerable for what he does, and measures rest with the commonalty. I vote, therefore, that we do away with monarchy, and raise the people to power. For the people are all in all."

Such were the sentiments of Otanes. Megabyzus spoke next, and advised the setting up of an oligarchy:- "In all that Otanes has said to persuade you to put down monarchy," he observed, "I fully concur; but his recommendation that we should call the people to power seems to me not the best advice. For there is nothing so void of understanding, nothing so full of wantonness, as the unwieldy rabble. It were folly not to be borne, for men, while seeking to escape the wantonness of a tyrant, to give themselves up to the wantonness of a rude unbridled mob. The tyrant, in all his doings, at least knows what is he about, but a mob is altogether devoid of knowledge; for how should there be any knowledge in a rabble, untaught, and with no natural sense of what is right and fit? It rushes wildly into state affairs with all the fury of a stream swollen in the winter, and confuses everything. Let the enemies of the Persians be ruled by democracies; but let us choose out from the citizens a certain number of the worthiest, and put the government into their hands. For thus both we ourselves shall be among the governors, and power being entrusted to the best men, it is likely that the best counsels will prevail in the state."

This was the advice which Megabyzus gave, and after him Darius came forward, and spoke as follows:- "All that Megabyzus said against democracy was well said, I think; but about oligarchy he did not speak advisedly; for take these three forms of government- democracy, oligarchy, and monarchy- and let them each be at their best, I maintain that monarchy far surpasses the other two. What government can possibly be better than that of the very best man in the whole state? The counsels of such a man are like himself, and so he governs the mass of the people to their heart's content; while at the same time his measures against evil-doers are kept more secret than in other states. Contrariwise, in oligarchies, where men vie with each other in the service of the commonwealth, fierce enmities are apt to arise between man and man, each wishing to be leader, and to carry his own measures; whence violent quarrels come, which lead to open strife, often ending in bloodshed. Then monarchy is sure to follow; and this too shows how far that rule surpasses all others. Again, in a democracy, it is impossible but that there will be malpractices: these malpractices, however, do not lead to enmities, but to close friendships, which are formed among those engaged in them, who must hold well together to carry on their villainies. And so things go on until a man stands forth as champion of the commonalty, and puts down the evil-doers. Straightway the author of so great a service is admired by all, and from being admired soon comes to be appointed king; so that here too it is plain that monarchy is the best government. Lastly, to sum up all in a word, whence, I ask, was it that we got the freedom which we enjoy?- did democracy give it us, or oligarchy, or a monarch? As a single man recovered our freedom for us, my sentence is that we keep to the rule of one. Even apart from this, we ought not to change the laws of our forefathers when they work fairly; for to do so is not well."

-Herodotus, the Histories; book 3
Who should I follow? Darius (monarchy), Megabyzus(aristocracy) or Otanes(Democracy?)
 
Who should I follow? Darius (monarchy), Megabyzus(aristocracy) or Otanes(Democracy?)

IMHO your Otanes - idealist and empty dreamer (actually, his pro-democratic speech is most likely just invented by Herodotus. I can hardly imagine a Persian nobleman, talking about such things). Plus, you can't choose democracy anyway.

I'm agree with Megabyzus (if power of aristocracy will be decorated as so-called "oligarchic republic"). in terms of gameplay, oligarchic republic has a huge advantage over theocratic monarchy (more money, scientific progress goes faster, in addition, theocratic monarchy has "xenophobia" feature, so captured cities will not give the culture until assimilated). As for angry citizens of republic, 2-3 luxuries or 10-20% of budget expenses can easily fix this problem. Maintenance of your troops shouldn't be a problem at all.
So Megabizus is 100% right, and Darius is vile reactionary. Do not listen to him! :)

PS Frankly, I think this is the drawback of Rhye's mod. Early republic is obviously better than monarchy (that's not historically correct).

PPS Maybe it isn't so necessary to destroy Israel. They are the unique nation because of Judaism, thus nobody else will be able to build the Temple Mount. I would let them build it and then...
 
PS Frankly, I think this is the drawback of Rhye's mod. Early republic is obviously better than monarchy (that's not historically correct).

That's not entirely correct.

Rhye's preserves the natural divide between authoritarian and liberal regimes: authoritarian (Despotism, Fascism, Theocracy, Feudalism) etc. all are great for troop numbers. Democracies (Oligarchic Republic, Democratic Republic) are great for trade bonuses.

Ultimately it comes down to what you want - troops or cash. Later in the game, democracy becomes far superior by far due to every worked tile = more cash. You can easily pay for more troops! That and you're so large the costs become null.

Here's a way to show which is "better." The AI determines its government based on what benefits it the most - it's why it tends to switch during war. The AI almost always picks Feudal Monarchy or Theocratic Monarchy in Rhye's, from my experience. ;) Oligarchic Republics soon become monarchies.
 
Ultimately it comes down to what you want - troops or cash.
Well, maybe it's just a problem of human strategy. This "troops or cash" dilemma doesn't exist in my rhye games. I'm just trying to find as many civs as possible, and then switch to olig. republic, sell my techs and buy settlers (stupid AI never act this way). Thus, I get a huge territory & huge amounts of money (that I couldn't do with monarchy). In my current game (Russia, Emperor, 50AD) I got 13 cities (other civs stuck with their 3-5 cities) & about 2000 gold (so I'm not care about army size or budget deficit)

Here's a way to show which is "better." The AI determines its government based on what benefits it the most - it's why it tends to switch during war. The AI almost always picks Feudal Monarchy or Theocratic Monarchy in Rhye's, from my experience. ;) Oligarchic Republics soon become monarchies.
Interesting idea... Honestly I've never thought about it :)

And SORRY FOR OFFTOPIC
 
So the conspirators have chosen oligarchy. With 4 for Megabyzus' and 2 to for Darius' and only one vote for Otanes' proposal. Chapter 2 will soon follow, if it is Ahura Mazda's wish...
 
Chapter 2 : Magiophani

The hooded men entered the room. The Shah opened his mouth to ask them what they were doing here. Then he saw the blinking of steel. His eyes-widened but before he could give a scream, they stabbed him. “Die, imposter! Persia shall be free!” Some of them yelled. After all of the men had stabbed him three times they removed their cloaks. The men wore the clothing of the Persian nobility. Silently they watched the still-bleeding corps of Gaumata. The former magus, priest, had usurped the throne after the dead of Cambyses. Because of his looks, which corresponded perfectly with those of Bardiya, the second son of Kyros, he was able to usurp the throne. Kambyses had killed his brother in secret during the chaos of the previous years, but Kambyses died from a grave flue. One of the seven nobles disturbed the silence, saying: “And? What now?” Another noble answered: “We must take the power and give it to the people. This way events like this will be prevented.” Megabyzus, another noble, responded: “No, no, Otanes, the mob can’t rule. They will follow anyone who promises them a better life. If we give it your way a new tyrant will stand up, chosen by the people to terrorize the people. No, what we should do is this. The wisest and most skilled of the Persians must sit to gather and they should rule. This way there can never be another tyrant, either chosen by us or the people.” “Highly esteemed Megabyzus,” the young Darius responded “who should decide who may join, or not join, your pretty council. No we should chose the wisest and best-suited amongst us to be King. This way we can assure he will not abuse his powers, nor will the people rule and led chaos and civil war in. Let’s vote. Shall we do it the way of Otanes, Megabyzus or mine, Darius” Hands were raised in voting. Darius and his father Hystaspes voted for a monarchy. Otanes alone raised his hand for his democracy. Leaving four votes for Megabyzus’ plan. Otanes was not pleased, he muttered:”But one day the people will stir themselves. And on that they the people will rule and remember me...”

- The alternate Histories, Herodotus

The Persian republic was Persian. Only Persians from the actual Persia, centred around the city of Anshan, were present in the republican government. The republic was lead by the Council of Seven, originally composed of the seven Conspirators. Under them a 700 men strong Council of Nobles resided. The Council of Nobles formed the step-up to come into the Council of Seven. Also from the nobles the provincial governors, the satraps and padgospans, were chosen. The satrap was the ruler of the Satrapy in all civil matters. The padgospan was responsible for all military matters in the province. They all resided under direct rule of the Seven. In times of war one member of the Seven was made Eran Spahbod, supreme commander of the army.

In 390 A.D. the first action of the Seven was renaming all cities in token of the new regime. Anshan was renamed Parsa, city of the Persians. Sammara was renamed Otanes, Baghdad Megabyza, Najran Hystaspes, Medina Arthaga and Bactra Atolla. Dariush-Kabir was shortened to Darya. The city of Shahzade (prince) was ordered to be build upon the ruins of Damascus. With that the “golden” age of the autocratic Shahs ended.
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With the founding of Shahzade in 490 control of the Gulf was firmly in Persian hands. Hundred years later Koresha was build in the barren north, to protect the frontier better.
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In 650 contacts between Persia and the distant Nile-kingdom were established. Around the same time Persians copied the Indian method of shipbuilding. Now the Republic was able to explore the seas without getting chopped up by pirates. Also Turkish tribes settled down south of Koresha, the Seven started to convince the citizens to join Persia, but they didn’t met successes yet.

In 850 friendly contacts were established with the Axumites, who ruled Puntland.

Twenty years later Persian messengers rode into Babylon, demanding gifts of Earth and Water. The Babylonians refused to give these symbolic gifts of subjugation. The second Babylo-Persian war began. The Eran Spahbod was chosen from the Seven, his name was Artashat. He marched to Babylon with a massive army. Intelligence had shown the city to be defended by only four divisions of defenders.
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After years of siege the elephant divisions attacked in 910, killing all archers. Heavily wounded themselves they withdrew to Otanes.
Things were looking desperate when the city handy fallen in 1000 yet. For every bowmen they killed another seemed to comeback. And off course the Jews joined the fray against the Persian giant.
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Also Chinese revolutionaries were met fleeing persecution in their chaotic homeland.

In 1010 the council of Seven launched a standardised currency. They called them the Darices, after the man who came up with the idea.
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In 1040 the Byzantine republic was met, they were as almost all others more advanced than us. The fruitless siege of Babylon was stubbornly continued. The mightiest army of the world would not be beaten by a tiny city-state! Ten years later crossbowmen started to show up in Babylon... (The first bloody time an Ai city-state is successful and than its that ******* civ next-door!)
By 1060 peace was signed between the Jews and the Persians. Also another strategy was taken with regard to Babylon. The city would be starved and poverished in the hope of reducing the garrison to nothingness. Ten years later the Turks schemed with the Babili against the struggling giant.
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In 1080 contacts with rich Austria were laid. It came to the eyes and ears of the Seven, this was the greatest power in the world, and so a future foe.

1110 saw Greeks meet Persian, friendly, without Spartans.
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In 1130 the Spanish were met, they were even more primitive than the empire! The same year also saw the fall of Bilecik, the first true Persian military victory in 800 years.
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The city was renamed Derbend and the nearby living Romans were met.
After that peace was signed with the Turks. The Turkish ceded the city of Yenisehir in the east. The Seven renamed it to Khorasan , simply meaning the East. Also Babylonian swords destroyed another siege-engine...
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In 1150 Vikingar were met walking in circles in the desert. Also another siege-engine was destroyed.

Ten years later the people seem to get tired of this war, after 250 years of fighting. Certainly Persians have a long dexterity.
In 1180 the desperate republic ordered the elephants to attack. Persian arms received quite some beating, but Babylon remained defiant.
Also the Mongols were met. Persian gold was traded with them in exchange for some constructional knowledge. With that Persia entered a new era in science. They immediately came up with an idea of feudalism.
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By 1230 Persia started to import Indian spices in exchange for incense, iron and gold. The year 1230 would forever by burned in the head of every Persian. Not because of the Indian spices, but because of the final downfall of Babylon. After 390 years of siege the city fell. The Babylonians had lost 2 divisions of palace guards,7 divisions of bowmen, 13 divisions of crossbowmen and 3 divisions of swordsmen. Persia had lost 4 siege-engines, four divisions of immortals, 5 divisions of elephants-archers and almost four centuries of wasted time. With the fall of Babylon, there was not the will to follow the Babylonians to Niniveh in the Indian peninsula. Peace was signed. The Seven now started to make plans to take Mecca, faster than Babylon, to get technological parity again.
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In 1290 Atolla finished construction of the mausoleum of Mausollus. Build to bury a satrap of Atolla, but now filled with the remains of the legendary shah Cyrus.
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In 1310 A.D. the Seven ordered Mecca and it’s valuable library to be captured asap. It come the ears of the Seven that a new prophet with a new religion had stood up in Mecca. Ahura Mazda had not aided his people, perhaps this new Allah would?
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Ten years later an elephant charge reduced the Meccan garrison to one undermanned spearmen division.

In 1330 immortals took the city of Mecca, and with it the moai-statues in the harbor and the Great Library, with the Epic of Gilgamesh. Persia had lost only one unit of elephant archers.
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The Great Library greatly improved Persian knowledge of the world, the Republic was now en par with the great Scientific powers of the world again. Also Mohammed was met and the empire converted en masse to Islam forsaken the useless religion of Zarathustra. The Seven renamed the city of Babylon into Artashat, after the general who lead the first army, and Mecca to Allaha, to glorify Allah. On the scientific side the phenomenon of Magnetism was being intensely studied.

Thirty years later peace was signed with the lost Arab tribes.
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In 1408 the Israelites were convinced by the council of Seven to cede the city of Hebron the canary-isles. The city was renamed Gando.
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Despite the willingness of the Jews to cede the isles, they did not cede the requested earth and water. So the Persians invaded Jerusalem.
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In 1432 a fleet of Galleasses was rushed on the Canary’s for exploration purposes. Eight years later the First Exploration Fleet met Russian and Portuguese delegations.

In 1448 a Jihad was declared against the Jews in Parsa. Also the First Fleet met the British and eight years later the French.
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The capitol of Jewish Anatolia was captured by Persian arms in 1464. The city was renamed Trebizond and peace was signed with the Jews.
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Also because of the improved knowledge of the world trade now was possible with the British isles. The Seven traded useless, but exotic, elephants with the British in exchange for furs and astronomical knowledge. That was traded again to others, yielding blue-prints for a printing press and lots of world maps.
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Make sure to make a beeline for the Statue of Liberty whenever you get into the Industrial Age; you'll need it to get ahead. :)

Very good work so far!
 
Make sure to make a beeline for the Statue of Liberty whenever you get into the Industrial Age; you'll need it to get ahead. :)

Very good work so far!

There are two problems with that, you know. First I need mustangs, which are only avalaible in the America's, to build. Second I am equally, or near equally advanced to all other nations, thanks to the sack of Mecca and it's Great Library:D. Don't be afraid of Persia getting backward.
 
Well, so long as you make sure to get all the military techs, you'll do fine. Eventually you'll start to erase their bonuses when you get large enough anyway I'm sure.

Ah right, I forgot, the Earth map hates anybody who's not American in terms of the Statue of Liberty! Been playing a random map so I forgot I suppose. ;)
 
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