Hisuuani Caliphate

The Hissuuani Caliphate (al Kaliphat i-Hissūāni | al Mamlakī i-Hissūan) is a sovereign Hamalfite kingdom. Sharing a border with Aea it shares the continent of Albonesia with Scavoran. The kingdom dominate the primarily desert regions of the continent. The Caliphate is dominated by its royal seat in Haison, which not only serving as the political heart of the kingdom but also doubles as its economic center.
The state is presided over by the Michindi, the latest in the string of dynasties elected to power per the rules of the House of Haison, its current head and ruler of the kingdom being the current caliph Harun, successor to Yahya. The rules of the succession stipulated in the dual-cult faith of the goddesses of the sun and moon - C'lestia and Lwna – known as the Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha. Other than the cult, local folk folk religion is also practiced.
The realm is principally drawn up of several Departments including Shahnamid-i Sahrahia, The Myre, The Royal Medina. Each department is ruled by a royally appointed Emir acting as a civic or military functionary depending on the relationship of the region's legal tradition in relationship with the Caliphate's legal code.
Prior to the current kingdom's formation through the rise of the prophet Mombadin, the region occupied by the Hissuani Caliphate was the home to nomadic and tribal kingdoms and confederations that lived in the desert and along its coasts and rivers and at its spring-fed oasis. Quasi-functional kingdoms arose through the familial policies of major tribal and clan families to form dynastic coalitions, or in fewer cases the sudden flowering of a single-strong shiekh's power over his neighbors and his ability to impress his capabilities on them for the duration of his life. This warlord system of politics came to an eventual end with Mombadin and his religion of unity.
The present state was founded in the Hamalfite Year of 3979.
==Eytomology==
The name Hissuani is derived from the Hamalfite word hasūn, meaning horse, hissūan being the plural form. The name al Kaliphat i-Hissūan or al Mamlakī i-Hissūan meaning the Caliphate of Horses or the Kingdom of Horses.
Hamalfite society has been for eons a strong equestrian culture placing great emphasis on the horse or the camel. Tribal and nomadic bands have navigated the desert on horse back for generations and the importance of the horse appears in their religious beliefs with many gods often being depicted as horse-like in appearance, when not as human of celestial objects or constellations.
This importance is like-wise echoed in the royal capital, Haison. Itself being an alliteration on the word “horse” in the coastal Hamalfite i-Shea dialect (Hasūn).
== History ==
=== Prehistory ===
It is widely believed by the native Hamalfites that human civilization in Haison and on the continent is many thousands of years older. Exact dates are hard to make as much of the kingdom's oldest inhabitants left little behind as proof to their existence. But the oral legends and folk lore span many millennium, but speak little on how they got there.
What is known is that permanent settlement occurred mostly among the Hamal-i Shea tribes, or the Hamalfite of the Sea. Settling in coastal bottom lands that captured regular ocean rains these tribes explored limited agriculture and coastal navigation for shipping and fishing. Over time their skills at sea allowed them to sail and navigate long distances to fish or to
trade and exploit distant regions, however no permanent settlements were ever made by Hamal-i Shea adventurers beyond Albonesia.
The Hamal i-shea tribes themselves became tributes to or vassals of the larger nomadic tribes. Comparatively unrestrained in their range in comparison to their coastal brethren the nomadic Hamalfites became a dominant military force in the deserts of Albonesia. The Hamal-i Shea by comparison had little precious geographic and ecological territory to exploit and were thus limited in their capacity to expand their power base against their rugged neighbors.
Never the less, the nomadic tribes borrowed many innovations from the Hamal-i Shea in the way of
administration and over the course of their history made attempts at
long-lasting kingdoms beyond their simple tribal confederacies. The
chief among them was the first, the Gabul-Url kingdom. Its king,
Gabul became legendary for having, according to legend “conquered
all the world”. It is said that he built a mighty capital in the
heart of the continent, but after his death it soon fell into
disrepair as his Empire was divided up among his generals and
crumbled; it was soon swept up in the sands and buried forever.
Though king Gabul's kingdom died away,
the legend never did and on and off the legend became a
proto-nationalist song that catalyzed the routine formation of
massive Hamalfite kingdoms that dominated the continent for the
better part of several thousand years. Many of these were tribal in
nature, but many more also helped to crystallize small villages into
significant coastal cities.
The modern unification of the realm
came with the rise of a prophet-king named Mombadin, an otherwise
unremarkable Shepard of a Hamal-i Shea clan who after receiving
revelations from the gods' embarked on a life-long quest of
unification and preaching.
=== Proclaimation of Heaven's Will Be Done ===
The proclamation of the will of the Sun and Moon is recorded as being the first prophetic vision by L'wna and C'lestia delivered to the founder of the Hisuuani Caliphate, Mombadin in the year 3964. The stories of the event claim that Mombadin - A shepard living outside the city of Hejaz - was tending his flock from the hill of Ashurat along the river Tibriz. Modern chronologists write that on that day a hundreds of years before the arrival of the Voldranians to "New Voldrania" that the fractured and feuding tribes of the Hamalfite people were to be banded under a single sword.
Those who claimed to have spectated sung poems of shadowy winged horses descending from the heavens on peddles of gold and silver to deliver the word to the herdsman. And it was from that hill that they taught him the means by which to accomplish his mission.
The local Sheikhs did not take kindly to the tails and immediately ordered the execution of Mombadin and his kin from the village of Nedjz slain without hesitation. From this order came Mombadin's first act of his rise and the retreat of his kin and followers into the desert where they evaded the Shiekhs' men for fifty days and nights, and where legend says on twenty days of water.
During the desert adventures the stories of his close kin tell tales of Mombadin's visions, the man often being said to lapse into a trance or to collapse across the back of his horse or camel, only to awake with strange wisdom. By and large they were able to avoid the pursuing Sheikhs on such wisdom. Generations after what survived was recorded down by the Magic of the first Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha.
On the fifty-first it is written that the Shiekhs' men caught up with the fated prophet and made to capture and execute him. But on arriving to meet the army of his follower's a sandstorm blew through the deserts, and in the confusion they were routed. Mombadin's followers gave pursuit and destroyed an army four-folds their own, capturing their horses and taking their camp followers as slaves.
Mombadin and his men feasted and drank from the looted supplies from the Shiekhs' men and were full and rejuvenated.
Upon the seventh moon and on the second victory against the tribal Shiekh's men it is written that the goddess L'wna descended on the camp as a horse of a deep blue and stole Mombadin from the camp. The flight she presented her prophet bestowed upon him a visage of the territories he was to hold, and his kin there after. On the end of the journey, she bestowed upon him the sword Ibd-il Shlam. With the sword he was to acquire a host and seize Nedjz.
===Battle for Nedjz===
The battle for the village happened on a cold twilight after a day's riding, in the year 3965. Poets sung of storm clouds welling over the ocean and threatening rain. On the arrival of the army of Mombadin the village went on alert, summoning their fighters to the lines as they were lead by the tribal shiekh Konfar. Mombadin invited the shiekh into his tent, to meet with him.
Mombadin promised peace and safety if the Shiekh bent the knee and recognized the will of the Gods. However Konfar in his arrogance and greed demanded the right to rule be met on the terms and field of i-Uahar Aynah'ray Haray, The Red Stripped Mare. A duel was arranged for the setting of the moon outside the village in a cyprus grove.
On meeting for the arrangement, treachery struck. Though Konfar had been slain by Mombadin his men rose in defiance and anger and attacked the honor guard present, escalating into a night battle for the village and overrunning the defense, and formally installing Mombadin as the Shiekh and winning him his first holding for the war against the numerous other Hamalfite tribes.
===Expansion===
The campaigns of Mombadin resulted in the conquest of the core settlements of the Caliphate. On his passing the crown succeeded to his eldest son Rashdun in 3990 proclaimed the title Abd Khwa'wan l'wna wa'w C'lestia, Caliph ibn-Mombadin; The Servant of Lwna and C'lestia, Successor of Mombadin. Under his banner the realms beyond the Hodjuz mountains, into southern Aea and the bountiful planes came to his heel and knelt before the Haison banner.
Rashidun's successors made similar growth, largely consolidating into the northern deserts and meeting the northern-most coast. Territory within the Caliphate began to crumble around the year 4500 when the eastern regions peeled off.
==Politics==
Appointment to the chief Caliph is made on heriditary titles from the dynastic line and House of Haison. The title passing between the eldest or wealthiest sons of the Caliphate as overseen by the Magi of the Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha and the Shura. Appointments for intermediary positions and subserveant vassals and governors are made outside of dynastic interest and to those of merit and good standing with the crown on the passing of the former.
Most often, appointments are issued to the royal Janichars, slaves-turned soldiers and taught the Celestial Mandate. Other offices are held like-wise within the palace from the Steward to Chancelor for those with considerable aptitude. The religous matters are ordained through the Higher Magi who operate closely with the Caliph on spiritual affairs and have much court influence.
The position of Haison as a trade hub for within and to the outside has fostered the rise of a merchant class in Haison who have come to administrate Haison for the crown as the Wāli-Emirs.
The whole of the Caliphate is broken down into a number of Emirettes seated with their own emir drawn from the royal Janischars to administrate these regions.
===Vassals===
====Al-Mira====
Ruled my Emir Al-Bundi Baki (AKA Potentate Bundig Bogus).
Al-Mira is the Hamalfite name given to the swamp lands of the Mirefulk and their land, The Mire. For centuries, the Mire were a seperate civilization and raided the disorganized Hamalfites of the desert. Though conquest has brought their realm into the Hisuuani nation, their people only play name service to their religion. It is widely know but rarely spoke of that the people of the Mire worship the many spirits and gods of their swamps. Still, they have benefited from the stability and wealth of the Hisuanni, and they see the relationship as beneficial so long as the Hisuanni remain strong and impressive in their power.
==Hamalfite Folk & Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha==
===Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha===
The Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha (Celestial Cult: i-Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha) is the state religion of the Caliphate. The cult is centered around the Celestial Dieties. C'lestia, goddess of the sun and day and L'wna, goddess of the moon and night. Both dieties are proclaimed to have a profound influence on the Caliph and the Caliph is their servant and vessel on Earth. As well in recent years, the Cult proclaims the two to be universal and one, but of split identities who preside over the sky. The logic being explained by the poet-priest Giroz:
"The sky is a entity of oneness but within it exist a plethora of colors and faces. So too are L'wna and C'lestia. An inseperable sisterhood, but of one body."
Contemporary cult doctrine as well writes that both dieties hold a sway over their share of the natural realm. C'lestia - being the Sister of Day - presides over Health, Crops, the Sea, Birth, Life, Wind, and The Desert. Where as L'wna is the mistress of Navigation (through the stars), War, Song, Dance, Poetry, Death, and Love.
The Celestial Cult is headed by the Ayayba'dhja, who is currently Siadi bin Abdil.
===Hamalfite Folk===
Hamalfite Folk is the traditional religion of the Hamalfite bands. This faith is broken down into a number of small cults organized on the principle of two levels of seven Gods, with a Heavenly crown in the Goddesses of the Sun and Moon (C'lestia and L'wna.)
Each "Level" dictates a aspect of nature or life. As follows:
====Upper Level - The Natural Order====
Health
Life
The Sea
Death
Life
Wind
The Desert
====Lower Level - the Order of Man====
Navigation
War
Dance
Song
Poetry
Agriculture and Husbandry
== Trade ==
The old tribes of the Hamal i-Shea had long practiced coastal and long-distance trade from the more fertile coasts of Hisuuanid land, and between the inner desert tribe trading in gemstones, artisan crafts, and live-stock was common. With the rise of a new centralized state however the trading efforts of the Hamalfite people expanded. With the construction of the Arsenal merchants could afford additional ships and a centralized system of ship-building developed in the later decade of the 3rd millennium and beginning of the fourth.
The city of Haison developed as a hub of exchange, visited largely by the conscripted merchants of Haison's family power as they imported and then doubly exported goods across the region, utilizing the geographically centered nature of the port in archipelago geography of New Voldrania.
=== Industry ===
Much of the industry of the Caliphate is practiced by artisans with a large amount of hand-made craftworks dominating the consumer economy. The Armory of Haison is the only major industrial center in the Caliphate with a stout dedication to military or naval production. Built on a large-scale workshop design the Armory is capable of fabricated the standardized parts to assemble its own ships as well as its own weapons to forge a affordable army and navy. Most often the Armory caters to private parties national or international to construct non-military vessels.
Lumber allocated from The Mire feeds the demand.
=== Natural Resources ===
A dominant aspect in Haison's architectural development has been in its stone work. As such the nation produces and consumes a large amount of limestone and sandstone. In competition with mineral resources like iron and coal it is the largest resource-producing sectors of the economy. Gemstone and diamond mining comes on behind.
Agriculturally the nation's food source stems from the nomadic herdsmen of the nation's interior and from the fish stock at sea. There is a recent drive for urban agricultural development for grain and sugar production within capital where there is higher demand and a more lenient environment.
Category:Nations
Category:New Voldranian Nations
Category:Haisonuuna