The Democratic Caliphate.

[adhiraj.bose]

We should call him Ulema, from what I have read so far, it seems there was not one but a council of scholars to adjudicate on islamic jurisprudence.

 

[DKVM]

But isn't that what all of us together have been called so far?

 

[VGL]

Can i rejoin?

 

[adhiraj.bose]

@VGL : Technically you never left . No one replaced you.

 

[Spirictum]

Can i rejoin?

That's a relief! Thanks VGL, we were missing you.

Now I just want to wait for Jackelgull's update to show the counselors some new things.

@religious advisor
I have no idea how we may call it, I would like people who know about the language to give opinions on the subject. Can anyone explain to me what exactly an Imam is?

Although you may be right Adhiraj, maybe a a name more fit for a single person would be better to our reality, as we are creating a single position as the religious leader.



To make an update to things, I'll list here now what each province managed to complete, in order, of the tasked buildings/units (and I'll post this on the group too when the time is right):

Dar al-Zanj:

Zanzibar

*None*​

Dar al Arab:

Makkah

- A Catapult (**waiting for 2 promotions**)
- The Stable
- A Camel Archer (**waiting for 2 promotions**)​

Sana'a

*None*​

Dar al-Anadol:

Qustantiniyah

- The Walls
- The Barracks
- The Harbor​

Anqarah

- The Mosque​

Dar ash-Sham:

Al-Quds

- The Courthouse
- The Walls
- The Stables​

As-Sur

- The Courthouse
- A Crossbowman (**waiting for 2 promotions**)
- The Castle​

Rabd al-Handaq

*None*​

Dar al-Iraq:

Babil

- A Catapult (**waiting for 2 promotions**)
- A Trebuchet (**waiting for 2 promotions**)​

Ninawa

- A Worker
- 2nd Worker
- A Camel Archer (**waiting for 2 promotions**)
- A Trebuchet (**waiting for 2 promotions**)​

Dar Misr:

Al-Uqsur

- A Trebuchet
- A Camel Archer​

Al-Iskandariya

- The Market
- The Walls
- The Stable
- A Catapult
- 2nd Catapult​

Tell-Hisn

- The Courthouse
- The Stable
- A Camel Archer​

Abu-Simbel

*None*​

 

[adhiraj.bose]

Promotions :

Camel Archer - Two strength promotions.
Trebuchet of Ninawa - City attack + Collateral damage
Trebuchet of Babil - Ditto
Catapult of Babil - Ditto

Worker orders - All workers should build a cottage South East of Babil.

 

[Spirictum]

Worker orders - All workers should build a cottage South East of Babil.

Actually the Cottage is already done. I'll post about the workers and improvements in the group after the story is posted. I just wanted to give info on buildings/units.

By ditto you mean copy the previous, right? Not that I want to interfere with anyone's orders, but we will face a huge stack of ottomans before the next council I guess, and they will all be open on the field, so don't you think a collateral 2 would be nicier? I'm really sorry for interfering but I'm scared about them, they won't be easy to supress. My idea was to throw all our siege weapons to be able to kill them. They spawn with Janissaries, and our best weapons are Camel Archers, and they spawn with some 20 units.

I'll take any order of Promotions now from the Counselors. If a Counselor has no interest in choosing the Promotions, you may leave the choice to me if you want (or to anyone else if you wish so).

 

[adhiraj.bose]

I think this warrants a separate discussion altogether. How to deal with the Ottomans, that in turn would require knowledge of all siege weapons within our reach. I would recommend playtesting a few times to find out which alternative would work best.

 

[Spirictum]

I think this warrants a separate discussion altogether. How to deal with the Ottomans, that in turn would require knowledge of all siege weapons within our reach. I would recommend playtesting a few times to find out which alternative would work best.

Exactly, and I have a plan

But I'll explain it better when I get the time, now I must leave. Just to start it, I believe the massive stack the Ottomans get in the heart of Anatolia can be dealt with if we throw every single one of our siege weapons (I can guarantee this isn't enough to bombard them to the maximum our siege weapons can do). This way we save our incredible stack of Camel Archers to finish them off. Then we will avoid the flip, but I'll fill you about this later on.

 

[adhiraj.bose]

Thing is, I usually upgrade my siege weapons to make them oriented for besieging cities. I'm not sure how many siege weapons we will be able to throw, or how many we would even need to throw, if there are any left ( and I suspect there maybe after this is done ) I want it to be able to be used for taking out cities. I am thinking of the Persians of course, and Ethiopians.

 

[VGL]

A religion adviser? Since Arabia is Sunni, I think Imam is the best.

 

[jackelgull]

I would like to clear something- there was no monolithic entity that held monopoly over Islam like the Catholic church held over Christianity. Simply put, the Caliph was not the spiritual leader. He held purely temporal power, and religious authority was concentrated in an informal scholarly class. Religious scholars would take on students and teach them hadiths and Islam and how to interpret versus, and they would become legal scholars for Islam. Many, but not all of them were imams.

 

[jackelgull]

In the year 1189, the Arab world was taken by storm when the current Khalifat al-Mu’mineen fell ill and could not rule. The empire held its breath in fear. Who would lead? Would the enemies of Islam march to exploit this loss of leadership? After several months of fierce debate, the council of 1189 came to a conclusion. Dar-al-Misr came to be the head of the Muslim Ummah in the absence of the Caliphate.
This controversial choice sparked fear amongst the people. The most populous house would also become caliph? Would he not abuse his position to benefit his house? Could he truly uphold his oath to defend the Ummah? But the Arabs decided to accept him. While his position might lend itself to abuse, the current Dar-al-Misr was known to be an honest and upright man. His oath was considered a good a guarantee to lenders as gold. Still, the empire would watch and wait with bated breath, to see if this was simply a temporary stopgap measure, or a dangerous precedent, and if the Dar-al-Misr proved to be unworthy; well, the greatest jihad is to oppose the unjust tyrant.
As the Arab world unfurled their sails to catch the winds of destiny, the rest of the world was changing as well. Covert Nitawas operating in China found a Mongol Horde near the deserts of Northern China. The sight of so many soldiers in one place sent a chill down the agent’s back. They would wash the earth with blood. What this meant for China and the world, only Allah knows. Still, China’s power was not to be underestimated. Right now, China was amongst the most powerful nations in the world. Could the fury of the barbarian horde overcome the walls of civilization? It remains to be seen.

Spoiler :

In more mundane news, Dar-al-Misr made several favorable trades. A merchant at heart, he had haggled aggressively with many nations to get the best deals for the Ummah. He cancelled the trading of iron with Ethiopia, a foolish tactical error, and instead traded clams for incense and a small amount of gold. The Caliph also traded wheat for the extremely valuable sugar with the Sultanate of Mataram, a newly converted nation, as well as marble for spices and a small sum of gold. Alarmed by the Mongol threat, the acting Caliph loaned the Chinese horses for rice, incense, and silk. Luxuries would not help the Chinese after all, if the Mongols cut off their heads, and while moderation was a good virtue, a little luxury could help the people feel more productive and Allah did not prohibit the wearing of silk garments. This deal would later be renegotiated without wheat thrown into the mix. Another trade with China exchanged marble for silk and a small sum of gold. Surely but slowly the Arabs were tightening their grip over the Silk Road. Soon the Caliphate would be unmatched in material prosperity as well as military might and spirituality. To boost relations with the Mongols, who seemed destined to become a power in the Far Eastern region of the world, Dar-al-Misr sold fish to the land locked nation for a pittance. Perhaps these rough mannered nomads from the steppes would see the light of Allah and convert. Finally wheat was sold to the Holy Romans and the Japanese, while the Russians bought fish, to establish trade relations with these countries. Trade was a vital engine in the proselyting of Islam, for there were few bonds as strong as commerce, especially between nations. Islam was a religion to be spread with the haggling of merchants, not at the edge of a sword.

Spoiler :

The regent also denied some unfair trades and deals, as well as unwise requests

This was also the era of increased espionage. Aside from the Nizawa that had spotted the Mongol horde in China, there was another spy ring. A NIzawa had disguised himself as a scribe and spent years taking careful notes of Chinese government structure and agricultural practices, only to almost be caught and hanged as a traitor, but managed to don a nifty disguise as a mad beggar wandering his way out of China in search for magic beans. He was well rewarded for returning to Arabia with the knowledge of Civil Service.

Spoiler :

In a private letter to the regent, Wazir al-Kharijiyah espoused some concerns over Ethiopia, and the need to deal with them.
Oh, Great and Mighty Dar-al-Misr, as you have been trusted with the important stewardship over the Muslim Ummah, It is to you I must turn to with my concerns. Do not trust the Ethiopians, they are hypocrites, snakes waiting in the shadows, and much as the hypocrites did during the birth of Islam, they will turn their backs on us when we need them the most, or else they will bring war to our gates. It is in my understanding that the Muslim Ummah cannot afford to make war with them, due to the power of their war elephants. Do not worry about those elephants. Have you forgotten Surat-al-Fil? The king of Yemen brought to bear the mightiest army yet seen in the Arabian peninsula, complete with trumpeting elephants against the Kabah and the House of God. His bones lie bleached by the sun, washed with the desert sand, his name forgotten, and Mecca and the Bayt Allah still stands. Allah protects what belongs to him. Still, if you fear Muslim casualties, then I shall send my spies to sabotage the Ethiopian source of elephants so that they may not increase their divisions of such perilous and majestic creatures, along with any other such military supplies they may have..
The regent agreed with this concern and authorized the sabotage of the Ethiopian camp for capturing elephants and some other military targets.

Spoiler :

In 1207 Ad, with extensive help from the government, horse breeders had come to a more extensive understanding of horses, culminating in the tome العقل حصان (The Mind of a Horse) by Ibn al Farouq. It was distributed to public libraries across the empire and widely read by farmers, leading to an increase in food.

Spoiler :

Also in 1207, the Holy Roman Empire captured Belgrad, consolidating their hold on a territory stretching from the Balkans all the way to Scandinavia. This caused mixed feelings within the regent. On one hand he had been hoping to capture the territory in the name of Allah, but on the other hand the Holy Romans were friends, and in Islam one should wish for their friends what they would wish for themselves. It didn’t hurt that this would help the Holy Romans function as somewhat of a buffer between the Islamic caliphate and the heathen European nations.

Spoiler :

Another more alarming turn of events in 1207 was the presence of Mongols so close to the Islamic heartlands. They had spread from Northern China to Central Asia in such a short amount of time. What if they decided that these were paltry gains and cast their war hungry eyes towards the Caliphate? It seemed that the regent’s worst fears were confirmed when he heard of rapid conquest of Chinese cities by the Mongols, and after they began to gobble up Persia and plant themselves right on the border of the Caliphate. This would bear watching.

Spoiler :

 

[jackelgull]

In 1213 the age of exploration began, when the first version of the caravel was popularized and built for the purpose of ocean exploration. Islamic mathematicians had long since theorized that the world was round-now explorers would prove the fact.

Spoiler :

The Arabs found a land they decided to dub “South America”.

Sailing a little North, these explorers made a discovery that would shake the foundation of the world. They found two odd little civilizations known as the “Maya” and another known as the “Aztec”. This sparked a proselytizing mission by some disciples of the Nidham al-Adl who ventured over to the heathen lands to teach the word of Allah. For whatever reason, these disciples were captured and sacrificed to the blood thirsty idols of the pagans. The regent could not allow such atrocities to happen to his subjects, for the duty of the ruler was to his people. A jihad was declared and two armies were transported outside of Olximchel and Tuitan. Full of idealism, rich and poor united to attack these barbaric aggressors. These cities were quickly taken, as well as Mutal too.

Spoiler :

View attachment 383891
Despite this, the Mayans refused to capitulate, and the Aztecs were not even willing to discuss peace terms.

Spoiler :

An account from a soldier at the battle for Olximche:
The first man to attack was Ibn Abbas; of course it was Ibn Abbas. There was no one out there who could call Ibn Abbas a coward. When the Seljuk incursion had come, it was Ibn Abbas who had been the first man to volunteer to ride out and meet the enemies of Islam in battle. He had been responsible for turning around a pitched battle into a route of Seljuk forces and for providing a spirited defense of Al-Anadol. He had also served as an aide to Al-Nayet Hooki, the Great General who had finally sent the Seljuks running. Now at fifty years old, but no less bold, Ibn Abbas reared his camel, a golden brown monstrosity named Suleiman; whom people swore was fed the remnants of enemies fallen in battle, and leaped atop the walls. He issued a challenge to all the warriors atop the city and they came to challenge them. He fought animatedly and rapidly enemies began falling to his blade. Within minutes it seemed as if a natural disaster had decimated the enemy’s ranks rather than a mortal man. Yes, this was Ibn Abbas, and with him at the lead, the Muhajideens would avenge their fallen comrades. Yet the numbers of the enemy were slowly exhausting him, and he was beginning to be over taken. Before that could happen, I uttered “Allahhu-Akbar” and had my own camel leap over the walls to join him. Several other men had done the same. We fought the enemy to a stand still for over two hours before leaving the city walls, with one fourth of the city’s defenders littering the grounds.
And so within several years, an Arab and Islamic presence was established in these new colonies. Thousands of settlers came, disconnected from their roots and families, for a variety of purposes. This immigration helped offset the population loss the Natives were experiencing due to disease. Many doctors came too, to try and cure these diseases, to little effect. The best they could do was to ensure that death was less painful.
Also, the Tamils decided to open borders and allowed Arab sailors to reignite contact with Japan.

Spoiler :

Finally in 1245 AD Arab explorers managed to prove the world was round
In some minor news from the empire, Zanzibar suffered from skirmishes with barbarians from the deserts of Africa twice. These impis were driven back with few losses.

Spoiler :

As for the situation in Europe, as the Holy Romans were consolidating their grip over central Europe, France and Spain were engaged in a pissing contest for Western Europe and the Caliphate of Cordoba and Portugal remained content to exist quietly and trade with each other and the rest of Europe, while the Russians and the Poles turned their noses up at continental affairs, convinced they were too good to enter that snake pit known as European politics.

Spoiler :

Finally, the great thinkers of the empires were currently studying samples of that thing known as fireworks brought back from the Chinese empire by successful Nizawas to dissect its properties and determine how to recreate it for a military use.

And an event of little note, is the marriage of one of the Houses to an Ethiopian noble. This cannot completely heal the scars between the Caliphate and Ethiopia, but the young cople can cool tensions for a while.

Spoiler :

 

[TheNoob]

Wait what? Colonizing the Americas?

 

[jackelgull]

Sorry, I assumed we would keep these cities, and since native contact with foreign civilizations lead to them dying of disease, I assumed there would be colonization to explain population growth. I forgot that this a little too ahead for the story. But I just finished this update after several hours of work, I am too drained right now to fix it. I will work on it tomorrow.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

Nice! That's impressive What are you going to do about Mexico?

 

[jackelgull]

It isn't in my jurisdiction remember? The entire council will decide what to do with them. I hope it ends up becoming a province of Arabia so I don't have to make any changes.

 

[DKVM]

Dar-al-Misr came to be the head of the Muslim Ummah in the absence of the Caliphate.
This controversial choice sparked fear amongst the people. The most populous house would also become caliph?

For the last time, HE ISN'T CALIPH!

Also, why did you start a war without a vote! You're not supposed to go to war without a vote! I realize that you get free troops upon discovery of the New World but you're still supposed to have a vote! I'm going on strike until these atrocities are fixed! I am against Imperialism in the New World!

 

[adhiraj.bose]

I would like to clear something- there was no monolithic entity that held monopoly over Islam like the Catholic church held over Christianity. Simply put, the Caliph was not the spiritual leader. He held purely temporal power, and religious authority was concentrated in an informal scholarly class. Religious scholars would take on students and teach them hadiths and Islam and how to interpret versus, and they would become legal scholars for Islam. Many, but not all of them were imams.

Considering this, I say on religious matters, we must *all* deliberate with advice from Jackiegull or someone else on the thread who knows something about islam to advice us on islamic jurisprudence.