Imperial Istakir

The Istaki Empire was a country in eastern Reja on the Golden Coast that encompassed approximately a fifth of the continent, ruled by hereditary monarchy of the Azarnezhads. It bordered Qadiyya to the west, Esetho to the south-west, and Aticco to the south. It was known for its formidable Navy and its extensive facilitation of trade between Reja, North Talia, and North Cantana. It was preceded by the Lehinite Empire and succeeded by the Communal Regions of Istakir.

## Establishment

The Istaki Empire originated around modern day Sorrokh with the conquests of Ashtad of Khulbarham, who commanded a series of battles against the Lehinites during the 25:20s to partition off a region called Iskahar that controlled a large segment of the River Jolfi. With command over the mouth of the waterway, Ashtad soon took control of the trade, fishing, and naval advantage, and gathered support for a campaign to expand Iskahar. This campaign lasted until 25:63, when Ashtad drove the Lehinite Army back past the Crown of the World, the mountain range separating East and West. He became the first Shahanshah of Iskahar, and took the name Azarnezhad.

East and West remained separate until the reign of Mirza I from 27:04 - 27:45. By this time, the Lehinite Empire had collapsed from the loss of the eastern territories and pressure from Aticco to the south. Mirza I led waves of attacks on regions across the Crown of the World, and managed to claim significant land by assimilating and subjugating the independent states. This led to the formation of Istakir, with the same general contours as when it dissolved in 31:69.

## Azarnezhad Dynasty

The Azarnezhad Dynasty was the ruling royal family of Istakir. Their right to rule was initially maintained through nepotism and military accomplishments, with patriarchal inheritance of power. However, this gradually shifted to a system more akin to Plato's Aristocracy, as the Azarnezhads had access to wealth and education and justified their authority with their philosophical learnings.

At the time of the dissolution of the Empire, the current Shahanshah was Idris IV, son of Mirza II and Firuze I. Idris IV was the younger son of the two, his elder brother Hadi V having been killed during a Naval campaign against Qadiyya during the Qadiyyan-Istaki border war of 31:43. This campaign was disastrous, and led to the destabilisation of the entire border region and the death of Mirza II from stress. In order to uplift national spirits and present a new direction for the dynasty, Idris IV married Stateira I in 31:44, a charismatic politician who was well respected for her work in advocacy for farmers and artisans. They had one son, Andisheh II, in 31:45, who would then go on to dissolve the empire in the 31:69 Revolution and end the dynasty.

## Cultural Touchstones

Istakir is based on the Achaemenid Empire  and to a lesser extent, later pre-Islamic Persian empires. Eastern Istakir is generally Turkic, whereas Western Istakir, particularly the regions close to Qadiyya, are Iranian. However, this is not a hard and fast distinction, due to the long history of trade and cultural exchange across the empire.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid\_Empire