History of Zahrian Khayad

The **history of Zahrian Khayad** begins in 271 3E with Gathaspar I bending the knee to Emperor Dastan V and ends in 435 3E with Gathaspar II's conquest of Khayad; the period spans almost 2 centuries, illustrating the rise of Khayad from a meek upstart kingdom to a true power that was able to exploit the Zahrian Empire's patronage for it's own uses.

## History

### Bending the knee

King Gathaspar I, crowned in 269 3E, inherited a state that was severely weakened by both internal fighting with the nobles and external wars with the Atamids. The economy was crippled by the need to spend most of the money on armies and war efforts. It's safe to say that Khayad in the late 3rd century was close to total collapse, something that would have in turn proved very convenient for the Djinn states that were already amassing forces on Khayad's western and southern borders.

Faced with the possibility of a disaster and actual extinction, Gathaspar decided to offer to bend his knee to Dastan V, Emperor of Zahria. It's probable that Gathaspar considered other options, but becoming the Zahrian Emperor's vassal seems to have been the optimal choice for the country, with no other state being powerful enough to help Khayad both militarily and economically.

The Zahrians themselves didn't need much convincing - Khayad was a land of extremely fertile soil and, considering it being located in Eastern Thir's centre, a gate to the rest of the subcontinent, maybe even Western Thir. Moreover, the city of Khadarasta was a worthy prize that not many would reject. Dastan V himself was relatively unpopular back in his homeland and needed an abroad victory that the aqcuisition of Khayad would have surely been; Gathaspar I and the Zahrian Emperor met in the imperial city of Talanva, halfway between Khadarasta and Ban Farbod. There, in 271 3E, Gathaspar I officialy bent the knee and became a new vassal of the Emperor of Zahria. The subsequently drafted Pact of Talanva detailed the conditions on which the new relationship between the two states would have to work. The document is seen as Gathaspar's major diplomatic victory, seeing as he managed to preserve his realm and convinced the Emperor not to divide it into various vishtas, but rather to leave it as a kingdom with Gathaspar as the king.

Khayadian nobles are said to have been quite displeased with losing independence, something that their forefathers valiantly fought and died for. They wouldn't, however, have the chance to protest their new overlord in any type of way - the Zahrian Road Guard began patroling Khayad as soon as 272 3E, filling the country with imperial guards. Zahrian soldiers were also sent by Dastan V to the Atamid borders in order to scare off any potential invaders. The presence of a powerful empire effectively incapacitated any early rebellions that the Khayadian nobles might have had in mind.

### Growth and prosperity; wars in Desetia

The presence of Zahrian guards and soldiers calmed the tensions that arose on the Atamid borders in the 3rd century 3E. Protected by the largest military force on Thir Khayadian kings could focus on things other than defense and suppresing rebellions. Infrastructure was being developed by the Zahrians themselves, who saw Khayad as a strategically important part of their empire - roads, forts, cities, ports, etc. New taxes that were taken over from Zahria allowed the Keranid monarchs to gather more money than ever before. All of this, coupled with some plentiful Ashtar outflows during the 70's and 80's and massive Zahrian immigration, made it possible to invest into even more infrastractural projects that would in turn help make profit, boosting the never-ending cycle.

All of this was directed towards one goal - expansion. Vassalage under Zahria didn't necessarily have to limit Khayad's territorial expansion, a rule that was proven already by Gathaspar I's son, Rais II. The young and ambitious king managed to tangle himself into the I War of Kanatasean Succession in 303 3E, during which he semi-successfully contested the Kanatasean throne; while not successful in claiming the title of King of Kanatase, Rais managed to take several important cities, such as Yakonka or Kanatase. The war also prompted construction of the first Khayadian war fleet, led by the outstanding admiral Yashai Madruna.