Avar Kingdom

The Avar Kingdom is a kingdom or Khaganate located in central europe. It spans from the Austrian alps in the west and the western pannonian plains in the east. The northern border of the Kingdom is located upon the Danube following it until it turns south through Budapest (OTL). The southern border stretches from Budapest(OTL) in the east through Lake Balaton, then along the border of red croatia until it ends in Istria. From there the border stretches north along the Lombardian border until it reaches the lands of the bavarians. The avar kingdom is fairly mountainous and sprawling with rivers in the west but as you get more and more eastward the land gives in to great plains and forests.

## History

During the early 8th century the Avar people were driven out of the Pannonian basin by the bulgar hordes. Those who survived fled into the Balkans and what was known to the Germans as Austria. The Avars that fled into Austria drove the locals from their lands and assimilated those who stayed around 720 AD. The Khagan of the Avar people who settled in Austria came to create the Avar kingdom(Avar Khaganate) by centralizing rulership within these trying times to ensure the survival of the Avar people. Later on as the germans and slavs became an ever growing threat, the Khagan and his chieftains converted to Catholicism to ensure the safety of their kingdom. As time went by the Avar kingdom came to bolster the Avar population by ensuring the safety of refugees of their own kin within their own borders, fleeing the Croatians and their war against the Avar people.

## Culture and Language

The Avar culture is a predominantly Turkic culture that has been influenced by its European neighbors throughout its existence. The Avar people still hold onto their own language but as times changed and they had to adapt, so did their written language through romanization. The Avar culture itself is quite inspired by the Persians and the Byzantines with their social order being strongly influenced by both cultures. The Avars living within the kingdom hold a grudge against the Bulgars for taking their homeland from them and also keep an ever watchful eye on the Slavs who have persecuted their kind.

## Administration

The Avar Kingdom is an Elective monarchy where the chieftains of the country compete for a place as monarch. These candidates are usually the heirs of each clan within the Kingdom. These clans rule quite autonomously within their own regions as lords but ultimately answer to the Khagan of the Avars, this system was inspired by the feudal system of the european natives. The Khagan hold the ultimate authority within the kingdom and anyone who wrongs him is an enemy of the kingdom. There is also a clergy in each region made up of local shamans/priests, this clergy acts as advisors to the chieftain and one from this clergy. Out of all shamans/priests one of them is elected to serve within the khagans court as religious advisor and ultimately the head of faith within the Avar kingdom. The capital of the Avar Kingdom is tengghybyasyk (tʰeŋʒibiaʂikʰ) located in the west of the kingdom where the settlement of Villach is located OTL.

## Military

The Kingdom operates as any other feudal monarchy when it comes to the military, but compared to common European doctrine the Avars hold onto their own. Most boys are taught archery and riding at a young age and continue those traditions for generations to come, giving the Avar highly mobile units used for harassing enemy forces.

## Religion

The religion within the kingdom varies depending on social class but is predominantly the same. To avoid the threat of its neighbors the nobility of the kingdom converted to Catholicism and joined the Catholic church. But the common folk compared to their king and chieftains did not fully abandon their old ways and still live with Tengrism influencing their faith. The common folks faith is a syncretic one that combines Catholicism, Tengrism and different forms of shamanism, believing that Tengri and the Christian god are the same. The faith within the kingdom differs from most mainstream Catholicism by being more decentralized but still organized.

## Economy

The Avar economy mainly consists of Farming due to the rich soil of the Pannonian basin, but the nation is also known for its great copper mines and the trade of minerals and other resources such as limestone, wood and clay. The economy also has precious minerals and stones such as obsidian and other amenities circulating within the economy. These amenities are also exported abroad. The south of the Avar kingdom also takes pride in its long line of glassblowers bringing glass into circulation within the economy