Riojanian State of Riojstan

## The Riojanian State of Riojstan

The Riojanian State of Riojstan (RSR) was one of the four big states founded after the white peace between Spanish horses and the former colony of Riojania in 1837. It ceased to exist in spring of 1839, when the Kingdom of Riojania invaded the lands of the RSR.

The RSR was populated mostly by native Riojanians and a minority of hispanic people. It was an ultra-nationalistic state, in which any ethnicity besides the Native-Riojanian was discriminated and persecuted.

**The Riojanian State of Riojstan***(ceased to exist)*

*Blue for the sea, gold for the sand, green for the forests, the spacelight for the (native) people of Riojania.*

**Motto:** "Riojstan is for Riojanians!"

**Population:** around 11,000
**Density:** 4.33/km²

**Capital:** *unknown*

**Languages:** Riojanian (99%), Spanish (<5%)

**National Language:** Riojanian

**Demonym:**Riojstanian

**Government:** Totalitarian State

*Surpreme Leader*: Baawuf the Proud

**Establishment:** from Spain

Independence: 3rd of November 1838

**Defeat:** by the Kingdom of Riojania (1839)

## History

### **Foundation**

The Riojanian State of Riojstan (RSR) was established in 1837 by a man named Baawuf the Proud in a small village in the southwest of Riojania. Baawuf envisioned a state where the oppression of the native Riojanian tribe would cease and declared harsh persecution of Hispanic people and anyone who spoke the Spanish language.

At that time, the southwestern area was predominantly inhabited by native Riojanians, and Baawuf was widely embraced as their leader and hailed as a hero who sought to restore the tribe's former glory.

Baawuf reinstated Reagomeo, the ancient religion worshiped by the tribe since the dawn of time, as the state religion and persecuted anyone who did not adhere to it.

### **The war of the RSR and the CRR**

Shortly after the founding of the RSR, Baawuf assembled guerrilla troops that attacked villages in the neighboring Communal Republic of Riojania (CRR). These troops were called Raor Somsra ("They who have the true blood") and conducted night raids to set houses ablaze and exterminate entire villages. Baawuf believed that by committing these atrocities, he could force the leaders of the CRR to surrender peacefully. However, this strategy backfired, and the CRR responded by sending its regular troops and cavalry to invade the RSR in the ensuing months.

The subsequent months were marked by escalating aggression between the CRR and the RSR, leading to the destruction or burning of numerous villages. The estimated death toll from this conflict ranges between 1,000 and 1,200 victims.

The war between the CRR and the RSR came to an abrupt halt following the execution of Guadalupe Jordà, the female leader of the CRR, in January 1838. The RSR subsequently occupied the remaining villages and dissolved the CRR on January 16th, 1838.

### **The end of the RSR**

In December 1837, the Democratic Republic of Poco España (DRPE) and The Kingdom of Riojania united, causing Baawuf to fear an invasion led by King José I, who had far greater resources and military might. Despite Baawuf's efforts to arm every RSR citizen, the Royal Army of Riojania swiftly and brutally invaded the RSR in 1839.

Baawuf was captured and subsequently executed in the main square of Southport.

### **Riojstan today**

Today, Riojstan is a part of The Kingdom of Riojania, functioning as a semi-autonomous region. In the 1950s and 1960s, native Riojanians in the region were granted more civil rights, but these rights have been increasingly revoked over the past decade.

Native Riojanians often face barriers when applying for state-related jobs, such as finance or teaching positions. Studies also indicate that they are more likely to be arrested without suspicion or subjected to random searches in public by law enforcement.

This oppression has led to widespread dissatisfaction among Riojstan's citizens, with an independence movement gaining strength in recent years. Baawuf has become a symbol of martyrdom and is celebrated as a hero in the unofficial accounts of the events from 1837 to 1839. Southport, the region's largest city, is colloquially known as Santo Baawuf in his honor.