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Caesar Biden
Banned
Intriguing as ever, Sov.
You've been overplaying this Timur thing
! All that hype, and the Romans just bend? How cowardly! Where would Rome be if Caesar had bowed to the Gauls? Where would Rome be if Constantine had fallen to the heathens without a fight? Do you think the Romans of old would bow to some Tartar warlord? NO! They would stand and fight! With god at our side and steel in our hands, we can chase this murderous heathen right back to the ends of the earth!
.....Or not. Constantine made the right choice, if not the climactic one.
You've been overplaying this Timur thing
! All that hype, and the Romans just bend? How cowardly! Where would Rome be if Caesar had bowed to the Gauls? Where would Rome be if Constantine had fallen to the heathens without a fight? Do you think the Romans of old would bow to some Tartar warlord? NO! They would stand and fight! With god at our side and steel in our hands, we can chase this murderous heathen right back to the ends of the earth!.....Or not. Constantine made the right choice, if not the climactic one.
Unless Timur sires an heir who is just as powerful as he was.
Then boned we truly are.
Deleted member 67076
Hey, on the other hand this is awesome for the Marinids! And for Nubia! And Al-Zanj! All that capital coming and setting up shop in their neighborhood! ...Aw who am I kidding this is terrible. T_T
But at the very least the Dar-Al-Islam will bounce back; we've got around a century before trade routes start re-orienting themselves so there's money to be made being middle men along with many new places that are Islamizing here like Indonesia, Southern Champa, the Sahel, Sudan, and so forth. Maybe if things go nicely Maravi, the Yoruba city states and Buganda will join the ranks of sultanates. All sorts of fun stuff. Oh and of course with no Ottomans this means Iran's a big winner.
Tell that to the EU.
I promise what comes next will have much more drama. Its got Italy in it!Intriguing as ever, Sov.
You've been overplaying this Timur thing
.....Or not. Constantine made the right choice, if not the climactic one.
Fortunately powerful warlords are rarely followed by worthy sons. But even if he were, the Timurid Empire is very much based on Timur himself; there's little institutional structure to it. It has to keep going, keep expanding to provide the necessary plunder to keep vassals in line. When he's gone and the conquest stops, it'll crumble.
Oh come on, not everywhere needs to go Muslim
this ain't Male Rising.Besides, the intellectual health of Sunni Islam just got a huge blow. Even if they materially bounce back like OTL, the loss of scholarship and the internal reaction to the shock of Timur and Hulagu will produce the sort of hardened fundamentalism we see in OTL. Basically, the psychological shock will be enormous even if the state recovers.
No matter what secular rulers pretend to be Caliphs afterwards, this is a grievous intellectual wound. And actually, considering the POD, we may actually see a Sunnah-wank in numbers; Iran's going Shiite was definitely not a predetermined thing. Maybe the Shiite Turkmen can conquer somewhere else, or perhaps they will take Iran in OTL as well.
Deleted member 67076
I like painting the Religious map green.Oh come on, not everywhere needs to go Muslim
At least there's still 600 years to the present day. Plenty of time for culture and worldviews to change, even if the next few centuries will see some hardening of doctrine. I wonder increasing wealth and urbanization would lead to a Renaissance and flourishing in the Iranosphere.
I'm not sure where else they can go. Iran is close, fragile and still pretty rich. Meanwhile the Golden Horde is imploding and Egypt is far away. Perhaps a reinforcement their Anatolian brethren?
The Ghazi states have been seeing quite a lot of defeat this past centuries and with the Romans on the rebound combined with the aftermath of the Timurids there's plenty of fertile ground for a Fulani Jihad-esque state forming.
34
Hello folks. Its a guest post! With the blessing of Soverihn of course, he wanted some gaps in the Bulgarian Empire filled before shit really hit the fan, so here it is. I hope y'all enjoy, I do apologize for any factual errors or anything I fucked up. Its not Soverihn's fault he got a sub-par author to help him with this.
Before you start, some music to help you along, make sure to listen to it while reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o90fJxfOkkg
The clatter of hooves striving on the road made of stones was drowned in the noises of the city. Veliko Turnovo had changed massively since Ieremia was last here, for he was naught but a child when his father took him along to the capital of the Tsardom. The sights, sounds and smells had ingrained themselves into the young man as he rode through the streets of this city ten years ago. But it was nothing like it was now, the city was now two or three times bigger, the walls were expanded, the hills on which the city is built were filled with buildings.
The trip here had taken longer then expected, but that is because Ieremia had insisted that he bring his retinue and assistance. He wanted to make a good impression on the Tsar, and at the same time show off his own men who have been so successful in the fending off Magyar raiders and his own Vlach brethren who had refused to pledge themselves to the crown in Turnovo. Unfortunate, as it may be, he had become a master of slaying what he saw as rebellious horse-lords in the north, be them Magyar or Vlach, Cuman or Pecheneg.
Finally, Ieremia's group reached in the beginning of the walls, so far he had been riding through the outskirts, filled with scattered buildings and houses built on top the steep hills or on the banks of the Etar river that cut through the city. The royal residence however was nothing like that, the scattered houses gave way to a single, wide bridge, built out of cut stone and paved, it lead into a giant walled off settlement, deep at the center of Turnovo, surrounded on all sides by the river Etar, built on-top of a steep plateau that had been reinforced additionally with massive walls. They had reached that part of the city, which never changes, Ieremia smiled to himself as his forces stopped in-front of the chiseled lion statues that adorned the entrance of the bridge.
There was already a strong force of men waiting for the Ieremia. Their chainmail shined beyond perfection, with gold lions adorning their breasts and exquisite engravings on their shoulder plates and sword hilts. It wasn't hard to recognize the royal guardsmen, even if you strip away their expensive equipment, they would still easily tower over the short Vlach horsemen. Their leader, a blond, blue eyed Slav, who had removed his helmet and had tucked it under his arm, smiled and spoke first, in Greek, as was customary with Bulgarian aristocracy.
"Voevoda [1] Ieremia" He bowed, slowly "Chief Spătar[2] Klement. I serve the Tsar and his court and from now on my men will protect you."
The Voevoda responded with a short bow of the head and waved to his men. Soon enough the whole group was dismounted.
"What is there to be protected from, Spătar Klement?"
"It is customary, Voevoda, if anything would happen to your men, supplies or your animals, I will be held personally responsible for their safety. Come..." he smiled, a warm friendly smile and pointed with his giant hand towards the bridge. "...join me. My men will show your men where to station themselves and lead the horses to the stables."
The Tsaritsa was in pain, she had given birth a few days ago and her body was tired. She was lying in her chamber, the only place where she could feel at home. She was born in Constantinople, she was used to the marble streets of the Capital of the Empire, the sprawling warm city filled with life. Turnovo was nothing like this, Turnovo was all made of cut stone, its streets were narrow and any climbing stairs on the almost vertical hills was a daily occurrence. But what she could never get used to, was that damned wind. Due to the elevation of the city, it was constantly blasted with winds, cold winds at that. It brought an eerily feeling of chill.
Perhaps because of that, the people were different as well. They were colder, their songs were always somehow melancholic. They preferred drums, rough male voices and they treated their women a lot harsher then any Roman would dare. She quickly embraced the idea of covering herself up, including her hair, as it was expected from a Bulgarian noblewoman, mainly because of the cold that reached all the way to her bones. There was only one reason she continued to live in this god forsaken place, her family.
She smiled as she saw the Tsar enter the room. As always, he was surrounded by an array of Vatakhs [3] and his own personal Tainik [4], who he dismissed with a wave of his hand. The two guardsmen standing in-front of the heavy wooden door closed it behind his majesty, leaving him and his wife alone. When not in the presence of the rest of the court, Boril Asen, the second of his name, son of Michael Asen, changed dramatically. His harsh bearded face, always wearing a frown, suddenly lit up with a small smile. It was the closest thing this person had to a joyful expression, and it was something the Tsaritsa had grown to adore.
He walked to the small wooden crib that was build for his child, his flesh and blood and the smile remained unwavering. He picked up the child and held it in his large rough hands. This was the third child Agatha had gifted him with, and the second son. The first child, a daughter, Irina, had died after a prolonged sickness. His second child, Todor Asen [5] was frail and many of the court's own physicians, even those brought from Constantinople, were giving the boy a few years more before he passes away.
This child, Gavrail Asen, was what was going to secure the dynasty's continuation. The threat of the Shishman dynasty taking the crown continued to hang over the house of Asen. After Tsar Ivan Alexander, Boril's grandfather, divorced Theodora of Wallachia, forcing her to become a nun, and re-married Sarah-Theodora, a converted jew, producing more offspring, the dynastic conflict has been driving a wedge within the Bulgar aristocracy. Luckily, Mihail, Boril's father and Ivan Alexander's firstborn, had managed to outmaneuver the crafty Tsaritsa and keep the crown within the Asen line, but not before Mihail himself had had to put down a bloody rebellion following his father's death.
Thanks to military skill and diplomatic ingenuity, Mihail had forced a peace with the Shishman dynasty, demoting their head, Ivan Shishman, to a Knyaz, controlling the town of Ihtiman. Unfortunately, he was forced to show leniency, leaving Shishman alive and well. And while this ultimately proved to be a good decision, as Ivan Shishman would never rebel again, Fruzhin Shishman, his second son (the first was killed in one of the daring northern raids) on the other hand is proving to be problematic. With Mihail dead for a while now, and Boril refusing to continue his constant wars northwards, choosing instead to straighten the crown, the Bolyars are now chafing under his authority and looking for someone to lead the charge against the Tsar. Someone with royal legitimacy, a fact Fruzhin has been more then keen to display, as he has hosted elaborate feasts in Ihtiman, wearing royal colors and sending Nakhodniks [6] to rebellious Bolyars.
And all of this had threatened the Tsar and his authority. His majesty, of course, has planned his own response which would soon all come into play and decide if the Tsar will continue to hold Bulgaria in his hands, or will he lose it to the ambitious pretenders. Agatha could see all of that in the face of this man, wounds left over from many a battles and deep wrinkles all combined to give him that harsh expression that had been in a constant state of frowning for as long as she could remember.
Not today. The Tsar had a heir and with that, the deep wrinkles of discontent and pain were gone, and a smile that had rarely shown itself had covered his face. Leaving the child in the crib, he sat down next to the Tsaritsa, clasping her hand, and spoke in his own, slightly accented version of her native Greek. With his closest advisers and allies he used the harsh Bulgar tongue, insisting that his Bolyars used the language "god had given our people", but with her, he compromised.
"My love, we have been blessed." his smile remained, his large hand completely covering her small, white and frail hand. She smiled in response
"God has given us a child." she said, but the words were hard to come out
"Torture yourself not, my love." he said, as one of his hands slowly moved to stroke her hair. She smiled. "This will all be over soon, Agatha." he said in a voice that seemed almost joyful.
"Your majesty... I... I cannot." Ieremia looked at the man with confusion. "... you ask of me so much."
"And you will be handsomely rewarded, Voevoda." he responded, the wrinkles under his yes tightening
"I fight not for a reward, my lord. I fight for the crown."
"Let us not lie to each-other, Voevoda, you fight for yourself, as any man does. Infiltrate the conspirators for me, Voevoda Ieremia, and I will give you and your family the lands of the traitors. And I will make you a Great Boil [7]. Your father and you have shown your loyalty to the crown. And for this, I cannot even trust my own people. I need someone, who would be considered an outsider for the Bolyars." the Tsar clasped left his cup on the table and his brown eyes stared into those of Ieremia. The Voevoda stood there for a second, not moving, thinking. All the options were laid out in front of him. The rewards were just too good.
"When do I ride out?"
"In a week" the Tsar said, as he clasped his cup and lifted it up high.
Fruzhin Shishman, or Tsar Fruzhin as he called himself, was riding out. He had gathered those who wish to oppose the Tsar in Ihtiman in the last few months. Including several new additions, a few of the southern Despots and a young Voevoda, Ieremia, with an array of Vlah men. He didn't know how Ieremia managed to slip through the Tsar's loyalists in the North, but was feeling confident in his retinue and had now set his sights on the Vratisa and eventually, Vidin.
Since many settlements in the North had refused to declare for him, he had to capture Vidin and its arrogant despot Ivan Sratsimir, the old and frail brother of former Tsar Mihail, so that he could extend his rule northwards, into the vast Danubian plain which was for all intents and purposes ran by Sratsimir.
Ieremia and his fast horsemen were a godsend for Fruzhin, as that allowed the would-be Tsar to scout faster and further then he would be able with his own men. The Voevoda's men ran ahead of the force and reported any enemy activity, with young Ieremia even volunteering himself to lead the men into dangerous scouting operations. Fruzhin had made a note to award the Vlach's bravery.
Sredets, having joined the revolt, let the men through rather quickly, and soon enough, after many days of riding, they had reached Vratitsa pass. It seems, surprisingly, that in his arrogance, Sratsimir had neglected the defenses of the pass, as the Voevoda reported a very small concentration of men.
This would ultimately be Fruzhin's undoing. Sratsimir did not neglect the defense of the pass. He had masterfully hidden his men, and Ieremia had known about this from the start. The Voevoda had led the would be Tsar by the nose, up until they finally reached the crossing of the river Iskar, close to the town of Vratsa. It is there, when the ambush sprang, as the Tsar was crossing the river, a massive force of men emerged form the woods, catching the force unawares. Ieremia's soldiers instantly turned back, blocking the Tsar's men from the front, while the back was closed off by Sratsimir loyal soldiers. The battle would rage for a while, but the overwhelmed Fruzhin, surprised over the betrayal would die, slain by a stray arrow.
While the rebellion of the Shishman Dynasty would continue to rage for another few years, as the Tsar's own men took every one of the southern fortresses held by the pretenders, it would ultimately be a failure. In the meanwhile however, the restless Serb despots would try and reassert their autonomy, leading to even more fighting, but at the end of it all, it would be all for naught. With history remembering the rule of Boil, with a far more overreaching conflict, one that shook the Balkans to its core.
[1]Medieval title of a ruler, Voevoda had changed over the years. While titles like Knyaz, which used to be the highest rank in the Bulgarian state more then 100 years ago, are now nothing more then a mayor or a ruler of lower stature, Voevoda, or the term for a leader of an army, is now equivalent to a Boil (the title most of the Bulgar aristocracy, or the Bolyars, carries).
[2] Initially the Spătar (from Spatharioi) was the royal armorer, but over time TTL the title developed to mean the head of the royal guard.
[3]Financial and administrative advisers and clerks
[4] Tainik, from the slavic word of Taina (secret), the Tsar's own recorder/clerk. Literally translated to "secrets keeper"
[5] Bulgarian version of Greek given name of Theodore
[6] Messengers
[7] The closest aristocratic advisers to the Tsar, with the Ichirgu-boila (now known as Chargobilya) being the third in line after the Tsar and Sûtsar (if one is present).
Before you start, some music to help you along, make sure to listen to it while reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o90fJxfOkkg
-----
The clatter of hooves striving on the road made of stones was drowned in the noises of the city. Veliko Turnovo had changed massively since Ieremia was last here, for he was naught but a child when his father took him along to the capital of the Tsardom. The sights, sounds and smells had ingrained themselves into the young man as he rode through the streets of this city ten years ago. But it was nothing like it was now, the city was now two or three times bigger, the walls were expanded, the hills on which the city is built were filled with buildings.
The trip here had taken longer then expected, but that is because Ieremia had insisted that he bring his retinue and assistance. He wanted to make a good impression on the Tsar, and at the same time show off his own men who have been so successful in the fending off Magyar raiders and his own Vlach brethren who had refused to pledge themselves to the crown in Turnovo. Unfortunate, as it may be, he had become a master of slaying what he saw as rebellious horse-lords in the north, be them Magyar or Vlach, Cuman or Pecheneg.
Finally, Ieremia's group reached in the beginning of the walls, so far he had been riding through the outskirts, filled with scattered buildings and houses built on top the steep hills or on the banks of the Etar river that cut through the city. The royal residence however was nothing like that, the scattered houses gave way to a single, wide bridge, built out of cut stone and paved, it lead into a giant walled off settlement, deep at the center of Turnovo, surrounded on all sides by the river Etar, built on-top of a steep plateau that had been reinforced additionally with massive walls. They had reached that part of the city, which never changes, Ieremia smiled to himself as his forces stopped in-front of the chiseled lion statues that adorned the entrance of the bridge.
There was already a strong force of men waiting for the Ieremia. Their chainmail shined beyond perfection, with gold lions adorning their breasts and exquisite engravings on their shoulder plates and sword hilts. It wasn't hard to recognize the royal guardsmen, even if you strip away their expensive equipment, they would still easily tower over the short Vlach horsemen. Their leader, a blond, blue eyed Slav, who had removed his helmet and had tucked it under his arm, smiled and spoke first, in Greek, as was customary with Bulgarian aristocracy.
"Voevoda [1] Ieremia" He bowed, slowly "Chief Spătar[2] Klement. I serve the Tsar and his court and from now on my men will protect you."
The Voevoda responded with a short bow of the head and waved to his men. Soon enough the whole group was dismounted.
"What is there to be protected from, Spătar Klement?"
"It is customary, Voevoda, if anything would happen to your men, supplies or your animals, I will be held personally responsible for their safety. Come..." he smiled, a warm friendly smile and pointed with his giant hand towards the bridge. "...join me. My men will show your men where to station themselves and lead the horses to the stables."
-----
The Tsaritsa was in pain, she had given birth a few days ago and her body was tired. She was lying in her chamber, the only place where she could feel at home. She was born in Constantinople, she was used to the marble streets of the Capital of the Empire, the sprawling warm city filled with life. Turnovo was nothing like this, Turnovo was all made of cut stone, its streets were narrow and any climbing stairs on the almost vertical hills was a daily occurrence. But what she could never get used to, was that damned wind. Due to the elevation of the city, it was constantly blasted with winds, cold winds at that. It brought an eerily feeling of chill.
Perhaps because of that, the people were different as well. They were colder, their songs were always somehow melancholic. They preferred drums, rough male voices and they treated their women a lot harsher then any Roman would dare. She quickly embraced the idea of covering herself up, including her hair, as it was expected from a Bulgarian noblewoman, mainly because of the cold that reached all the way to her bones. There was only one reason she continued to live in this god forsaken place, her family.
She smiled as she saw the Tsar enter the room. As always, he was surrounded by an array of Vatakhs [3] and his own personal Tainik [4], who he dismissed with a wave of his hand. The two guardsmen standing in-front of the heavy wooden door closed it behind his majesty, leaving him and his wife alone. When not in the presence of the rest of the court, Boril Asen, the second of his name, son of Michael Asen, changed dramatically. His harsh bearded face, always wearing a frown, suddenly lit up with a small smile. It was the closest thing this person had to a joyful expression, and it was something the Tsaritsa had grown to adore.
He walked to the small wooden crib that was build for his child, his flesh and blood and the smile remained unwavering. He picked up the child and held it in his large rough hands. This was the third child Agatha had gifted him with, and the second son. The first child, a daughter, Irina, had died after a prolonged sickness. His second child, Todor Asen [5] was frail and many of the court's own physicians, even those brought from Constantinople, were giving the boy a few years more before he passes away.
This child, Gavrail Asen, was what was going to secure the dynasty's continuation. The threat of the Shishman dynasty taking the crown continued to hang over the house of Asen. After Tsar Ivan Alexander, Boril's grandfather, divorced Theodora of Wallachia, forcing her to become a nun, and re-married Sarah-Theodora, a converted jew, producing more offspring, the dynastic conflict has been driving a wedge within the Bulgar aristocracy. Luckily, Mihail, Boril's father and Ivan Alexander's firstborn, had managed to outmaneuver the crafty Tsaritsa and keep the crown within the Asen line, but not before Mihail himself had had to put down a bloody rebellion following his father's death.
Thanks to military skill and diplomatic ingenuity, Mihail had forced a peace with the Shishman dynasty, demoting their head, Ivan Shishman, to a Knyaz, controlling the town of Ihtiman. Unfortunately, he was forced to show leniency, leaving Shishman alive and well. And while this ultimately proved to be a good decision, as Ivan Shishman would never rebel again, Fruzhin Shishman, his second son (the first was killed in one of the daring northern raids) on the other hand is proving to be problematic. With Mihail dead for a while now, and Boril refusing to continue his constant wars northwards, choosing instead to straighten the crown, the Bolyars are now chafing under his authority and looking for someone to lead the charge against the Tsar. Someone with royal legitimacy, a fact Fruzhin has been more then keen to display, as he has hosted elaborate feasts in Ihtiman, wearing royal colors and sending Nakhodniks [6] to rebellious Bolyars.
And all of this had threatened the Tsar and his authority. His majesty, of course, has planned his own response which would soon all come into play and decide if the Tsar will continue to hold Bulgaria in his hands, or will he lose it to the ambitious pretenders. Agatha could see all of that in the face of this man, wounds left over from many a battles and deep wrinkles all combined to give him that harsh expression that had been in a constant state of frowning for as long as she could remember.
Not today. The Tsar had a heir and with that, the deep wrinkles of discontent and pain were gone, and a smile that had rarely shown itself had covered his face. Leaving the child in the crib, he sat down next to the Tsaritsa, clasping her hand, and spoke in his own, slightly accented version of her native Greek. With his closest advisers and allies he used the harsh Bulgar tongue, insisting that his Bolyars used the language "god had given our people", but with her, he compromised.
"My love, we have been blessed." his smile remained, his large hand completely covering her small, white and frail hand. She smiled in response
"God has given us a child." she said, but the words were hard to come out
"Torture yourself not, my love." he said, as one of his hands slowly moved to stroke her hair. She smiled. "This will all be over soon, Agatha." he said in a voice that seemed almost joyful.
-----
"Your majesty... I... I cannot." Ieremia looked at the man with confusion. "... you ask of me so much."
"And you will be handsomely rewarded, Voevoda." he responded, the wrinkles under his yes tightening
"I fight not for a reward, my lord. I fight for the crown."
"Let us not lie to each-other, Voevoda, you fight for yourself, as any man does. Infiltrate the conspirators for me, Voevoda Ieremia, and I will give you and your family the lands of the traitors. And I will make you a Great Boil [7]. Your father and you have shown your loyalty to the crown. And for this, I cannot even trust my own people. I need someone, who would be considered an outsider for the Bolyars." the Tsar clasped left his cup on the table and his brown eyes stared into those of Ieremia. The Voevoda stood there for a second, not moving, thinking. All the options were laid out in front of him. The rewards were just too good.
"When do I ride out?"
"In a week" the Tsar said, as he clasped his cup and lifted it up high.
-----
Fruzhin Shishman, or Tsar Fruzhin as he called himself, was riding out. He had gathered those who wish to oppose the Tsar in Ihtiman in the last few months. Including several new additions, a few of the southern Despots and a young Voevoda, Ieremia, with an array of Vlah men. He didn't know how Ieremia managed to slip through the Tsar's loyalists in the North, but was feeling confident in his retinue and had now set his sights on the Vratisa and eventually, Vidin.
Since many settlements in the North had refused to declare for him, he had to capture Vidin and its arrogant despot Ivan Sratsimir, the old and frail brother of former Tsar Mihail, so that he could extend his rule northwards, into the vast Danubian plain which was for all intents and purposes ran by Sratsimir.
Ieremia and his fast horsemen were a godsend for Fruzhin, as that allowed the would-be Tsar to scout faster and further then he would be able with his own men. The Voevoda's men ran ahead of the force and reported any enemy activity, with young Ieremia even volunteering himself to lead the men into dangerous scouting operations. Fruzhin had made a note to award the Vlach's bravery.
Sredets, having joined the revolt, let the men through rather quickly, and soon enough, after many days of riding, they had reached Vratitsa pass. It seems, surprisingly, that in his arrogance, Sratsimir had neglected the defenses of the pass, as the Voevoda reported a very small concentration of men.
This would ultimately be Fruzhin's undoing. Sratsimir did not neglect the defense of the pass. He had masterfully hidden his men, and Ieremia had known about this from the start. The Voevoda had led the would be Tsar by the nose, up until they finally reached the crossing of the river Iskar, close to the town of Vratsa. It is there, when the ambush sprang, as the Tsar was crossing the river, a massive force of men emerged form the woods, catching the force unawares. Ieremia's soldiers instantly turned back, blocking the Tsar's men from the front, while the back was closed off by Sratsimir loyal soldiers. The battle would rage for a while, but the overwhelmed Fruzhin, surprised over the betrayal would die, slain by a stray arrow.
While the rebellion of the Shishman Dynasty would continue to rage for another few years, as the Tsar's own men took every one of the southern fortresses held by the pretenders, it would ultimately be a failure. In the meanwhile however, the restless Serb despots would try and reassert their autonomy, leading to even more fighting, but at the end of it all, it would be all for naught. With history remembering the rule of Boil, with a far more overreaching conflict, one that shook the Balkans to its core.
[1]Medieval title of a ruler, Voevoda had changed over the years. While titles like Knyaz, which used to be the highest rank in the Bulgarian state more then 100 years ago, are now nothing more then a mayor or a ruler of lower stature, Voevoda, or the term for a leader of an army, is now equivalent to a Boil (the title most of the Bulgar aristocracy, or the Bolyars, carries).
[2] Initially the Spătar (from Spatharioi) was the royal armorer, but over time TTL the title developed to mean the head of the royal guard.
[3]Financial and administrative advisers and clerks
[4] Tainik, from the slavic word of Taina (secret), the Tsar's own recorder/clerk. Literally translated to "secrets keeper"
[5] Bulgarian version of Greek given name of Theodore
[6] Messengers
[7] The closest aristocratic advisers to the Tsar, with the Ichirgu-boila (now known as Chargobilya) being the third in line after the Tsar and Sûtsar (if one is present).
Last edited:
Deleted member 67076
My most sincerest thanks to BGKnight for writing this and helping to fill in the gaps I've not been able to give attention to. And for being far better at prose than I am.
Assuming Timur doesn't manage his more expansive Empire any better than in our timeline, the power vacuum will still be massive - but the Mamluks falling in Egypt might be a good thing for the health of whatever Turkic or Arab Sultanate rises up there next.
Shaking up entrenched power structures like Timur is doing, and did in our timeline has the potential to allow a lot of interesting butterfly-effect style movements and changes. Perhaps an even more influential sufism?
Shaking up entrenched power structures like Timur is doing, and did in our timeline has the potential to allow a lot of interesting butterfly-effect style movements and changes. Perhaps an even more influential sufism?
If he does, that will pretty much be the end of him, I imagine. And would give him a much more mixed reputation as a conqueror...
Dragos Cel Mare
Banned
IOTL, he paid tribute to the Ming, so, yeah, a case can be made there.
But, then again, he's Timur...
Deleted member 67076
You're very much on point. Down to cribbing my notes.
Mamluks are gone as not only a group but as an institution after Timur. But yes, as El Yanqui inferred, the destruction (Well not so much destruction as brain drain) of another intellectual site for the Sunnah shifts the balance of power out of intellectuals and into more mystical and hardline elements. One the one hand, Salafiism, but on the other the Sufi and Shi'ite Nomads in what we know as Azerbaijan and the Caucus and the like are going to get a big boost in legitimacy.
Might lead to a Fulani Jihad esque movement.
I'm very doubtful. Its mid summer 1404 in timeline, one year before his historical death. The guy is in his late 60s- early 70s (I don't trust that Timurid record saying he was born on 8 April 1336; seems way too accurate for a low level raider and then there's others claiming he has was born in the 1320s, meaning he'd be in his 80s by now) and I'd argue it was a miracle he didn't die of malaria in Egypt like a disproportionate part of his army (steppe nomads + jungle diseases + flood Season = not a good mix).
While this may be a spoiler, its highly likely Timur will settle down and try to govern out the last few years of his life. After him, comes the deluge.
It's been a while since I commented on this TL. Here goes nothing.
1. Looks like Islam suffered another setback
2. Bulgaria seems to at the start of its decline with the shishman rebellion.
3. I'm going to guess Egypt will be the host of the strongest timurid breakaway state.
4. I know this is not related, but the brief rise of germiyan is inspiring me to write a TL on the sultanate of rum. I was thinking candarids or karaman, but an earlier fall of constantinople's effects would be interesting.
Keep it up
1. Looks like Islam suffered another setback
2. Bulgaria seems to at the start of its decline with the shishman rebellion.
3. I'm going to guess Egypt will be the host of the strongest timurid breakaway state.
4. I know this is not related, but the brief rise of germiyan is inspiring me to write a TL on the sultanate of rum. I was thinking candarids or karaman, but an earlier fall of constantinople's effects would be interesting.
Keep it up
Deleted member 67076
Awesome to have you back!
Last one for a while.1. Looks like Islam suffered another setback
Afterwords it much nicer tidings for the Dar-Al-Islam.While it looks that way, its actually the birth pains of a newer, more centralized state. The last few decades have seen a Carolingian like period of expansion for Bulgaria where in which new conquests (against the remnants of the Golden Horde, Serbia, Wallachia, the Anatolian expedition and Hungary) and a good economic situation (no Ottomans to end Bulgaria's economic revival under Ivan Alexander, lots of friendly trade between Romania and Bulgaria to swell the coffers and of course, plunder) have allowed the Tsar to regain power by dishing out patronage, land and gifts to favored nobles, and expanding his crown lands while selectively weakening rivals in terms of their relative gains. Additionally, these help by constantly keeping the Bolyars busy and active and much less attendant to their power bases.
There's a catch to this- this type of growth is largely driven by conquest, charisma and constant expansion; like a shark, if it doesn't move forward, it'll sink. And now we see the 'sinking' part. Expansion has stopped as the state feels a need to consolidate, but that means the Bolyars aren't getting the patronage they want, and thus start to focus on their own power bases. Royal authority doesn't like that, and so they clash. Unlike the Carolingians, the Asen dynasty has a far smaller realm to manage, and a proportionately stronger power base. They'll play whack a mole for a few years, maybe a decade or two in trying to assert their authority but by the end of it everyone will be chafing at the powers of the monarch- and learn to live with it.
Right on the money. Iran's going to be a hot mess for a while, and Samarqand, like Chagatai isn't sustainable.
That would be great to read- its a really underrated period of history and I would love to see this.4. I know this is not related, but the brief rise of germiyan is inspiring me to write a TL on the sultanate of rum. I was thinking candarids or karaman, but an earlier fall of constantinople's effects would be interesting.
Keep it up
Thanks for the support as well!
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Deleted member 67076
Upon meeting in the the neutral ground of Iconium (the closest Timurid garrison), two monarchs decided the terms of submission. Bearing rich gifts of gold, silk and various precious metals, Constantine entered the garrison hoping that he could soothe the warlord into merely paying tribute until the aging man died, which judging from his reports of Timur’s age, wasn’t that far along the line.
According to historians of the day (both Timurid, Turkmen and Roman) the meeting went along surprisingly well. Timur was, for all his many faults, a cordial intellectual well versed in history and the arts, and frequently surrounded with historians and scholars. Even the highly biased Roman sources had to note that despite being a barbarian from the far off steppes, Timur had an ‘air of civilization’ and ‘a Romanness about him’ (granted this is also their excuse to give damage control over the embarrassment at bending the knee). After an initial chat, the conversation drifted towards business, something Timur was known to smugly comment on how he held the power and could theoretically demolish the Roman Empire whenever he wanted. The emperor was said to have merely grit his teeth and endured the humiliation.
Nonetheless, the demands set forth by Timur were surprisingly light- relatively speaking. Timur had been true to his word to those who showed submission, as with the beylik of Karaman for instance, and held back his fury. There would be no sacking and rampaging, merely a set of demarcations and orders. After a week of bargaining the fate of millions, a treaty was drafted and ratified by the two monarchs. The terms included:
-Formal vassalage would be imposed.
-Romania would pull back her troops and cede territory in her far eastern areas to be reorganized into new Timurid provinces as had been done to Karaman’s central Anatolian region. Perfect for horse archers and other nomads, it would serve as a prime recruiting and training ground for new warriors- and an excellent source to strike at the heart of the Asian regions should the Romans have second thoughts on their relationship with the Timurid empire.
Once again, the Roman frontier shifted from Phrygia to Lydia much like it had been during the Nicene Exile. But more accurately, Claudiopolis would become the empire’s far eastern frontier city along with a chain of cities ‘curving’ around the border. These included Synaos, Philadelphia, Laodicea and Stauropolis, and so forth.
-Additionally, Roman forces in Western Anatolia were not permitted to build new fortifications on the frontier. As a vassal of the Timurid Empire defence was delegated to the Amir, and thus, fortifications were unnecessary.
-In exchange for the ‘leniency’ of keeping the western coastal cities, Romania would be expected to provide a hefty yearly monetary tribute to Timurid authorities. Adding on to the monetary tribute, Timur imposed an intellectual and artistic one. In concordance with previous policy throughout the Timurid empire, the Amir demanded a relocation of hundreds of scholars, artisans, and engineers to be relocated to Samarqand.
-Romania must not interfere with the affairs of states under Timurid vassalage and influence. Effectively, this dramatically curbed Roman presence from her network of clients in the Pontic Coast and allies in the Caucus. To do so would be a tantamount to a declaration of war with the Timurid State.
-Timurid merchants would be able to conduct their businesses within the Roman Empire customs free.
One can see from this that Timur primarily intended to use the empire as another source of income. For all his faults, ignorance was not one of them. The amir knew of Rome’s history, and how she had revived herself into a wealthy state with half the land they once had. He had also been aware of their status as a gateway to western goods through trade. Therefore, the quick, bloodless, and most importantly, willing submission of Romania came at a very pleasant surprise. The meeting at Iconium was merely to shift the current situation into something more favorable to him. Keeping the plateau exposed the Western regions provided a sword of Damocles to threaten the Imperials with, as well as a launchpad for any future invasions. And of course, it added on to his prestige with new acquisitions of engineers, artists, teachers and other priceless works that Constantinople held.
Timur remained in Iconium for a fortnight, before venturing off to his capital, intent on preparing the empire for his successor (right up until the Northern Yuan called for help). The emperor and his party meanwhile returned to Constantinople barely a day after the treaty had been signed, deeply embittered and humiliated, but with a small comfort in knowing he had managed to keep some of the hard won gains of his empire and secure its future (and that Timur would die in a few years, leading to a potential revocation if and when a succession crisis arrives. Also, if he starts another war then that's another excuse to ignore the terms of treaty). The general mood in the court was similar, and contributed to a decline in his popularity. He was now seen as weak by many, especially with several in the military elite who argued for to fight to the death. Conversely, he managed to remain some level of good will with the imperial bureaucracy and the trade monopoly thanks to securing long standing Roman interests in Western Anatolia, with the small price of trading off the (from their perspective) worthless plateau. Issues of tribute and customs were rationalized as being able to be paid off with the rich cities of the coast, and the expanded hinterland. (It also helps the Romans paid less and less each year as they knew Timur was far away and wouldn’t realistically march an army to get them) There was some truth to this, as the increased Roman regions held well an estimated population of well over 1 million people, granting the state a whopping ~30 - ~40% increase in the tax base. Indeed the expanded lands and subjects helped whether the price of freedom with extra to spare.
But what of the third major pillar in Roman politics: the church? How had they taken the deal? The answer was a near universal condemnation. The Patriarch had been furious, monks spoke out condemning the matter- even the Popes, all 3 of them, had voiced disagreement with Constantine’s actions. The reasons are obvious when one thinks about it: Bowing to an infidel barbarian; leaving populations of Christians to the hands of said infidel barbarian; news of massacres of Assyrians and Copts and Nestorians; giving away church memorabilia and workers (icons, painters, gold, etc) and other treasures to placate a madman- all of it was simply unbecoming of a man who held the office of Roman Emperor.
The political isolation of these two major power blocs would see to the downfall of Constantine XI, and tarr his reputation for much of history. But it would not be quick, Constantine was a crafty man who knew how power politics worked and did make attempts to mollify these groups, such as paying less tribute each year, rallying support by presenting himself as the only savior they had against the Neo-Mongols and other such things. But that did not stop conspiracy from brewing. 6 years later, when word of Timur’s death had reached the Empire 6 years later, all bets were off.
Speaking of Timur, you might be wondering what happened to him after cementing redrawing the map of Anatolia. Well, he did whatever any compulsive gambler did and went after a bigger gamble. This time, China. Arriving in early 1406 with a recuperated army fresh from recruiting many Turkmen tribes in Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia, Timurid forces linked up with the remnants of the Northern Yuan to re-establish Mongol control of China. He would never succeed, but he did bloody the nascent Ming and knock them out of the Gansu Corridor. Further Timurid successes include sacking many cities (including Beijing at one point) and inflicting varying defeats. However, the Ming had the advantage in numbers and firepower. After a long string of success, the main Timurid/Mongol army was cornered and massacred in a long, brutal decisive victory. Timur escaped, but succumbed to his wounds shortly after. Meanwhile, the Ming had managed to deal with northern threat, and would quickly recuperate in the coming decades.
Timur’s death was not well received all throughout the Timurid domains. While succession was unquestioned: Timur’s first son Jahangir Mirza was appointed the next Amir and crowned in Samarqand, this would be the highpoint of his reign. For Jahangir was unable to cement control; he lacked Timur’s force of will and military prowess to cement control. Furthermore, his rule was immediately shaken with revolts in trying to hold such a far off empire- one that stretched from Iconium to the Indus and had very few institutions to glue the territory together. Successive revolts would wrack the Jahangir’s domain, and after a few disastrous campaigns, he decided to pull back his forces and cement control of what he could hold. Sogdia, Afghanistan and Baluchistan would remain the Timurid powerbase. The remainder of Iran that was held by the Timurids would be relegated to a series of frontier marches (ironic given Imperial Iran’s treatment of Central Asia) in constant low level war against western invaders. Everything else was lost.
But how did that empire disintegrate?
It started with the Qara Qoyunlu. Initially beaten into submission during Timur’s campaigns into Persia, Syria and Anatolia, they yet again emerged out of the woodwork in rebellion. With most of the Timurid army east and far away, this time they were successful in throwing off the foreign yoke. However, unlike before this dynasty was unable to establish control of its former heartland in Azerbaijan and Armenia- instead these would go to the Chobanids. Qara Qoyunlu would have to content itself with the Levant and Cilicia, and whatever chunk of Anatolia they would try to rend from the Karamanids from time to time. Being that this is a rather unstable geographic position, Qara Qoyunlu would be hampered in its efforts to expand and thrive.
The Chobanids were another Turkic dynasty that had emerged in the aftermath of the Ilkhanate’s collapse. Basing themselves in northeastern Iran, this dynasty would move quickly to establish themselves as the local Iranian hegemon. They invaded south, taking much of Mesopotamia and pushing the then rising Qara Qoyunlu into Syria. From there, they began a push towards Iran, intent on seizing the plateau, and later into India proper. The Chobanids are interesting because like many of the Turkmen descended groups in the region, were Shi’ite. And like another important Shi’a state- the Fatimids, they would be known for constantly shifting their power base east as peripheral groups pushed them out of their former strongholds. But that's another story.
Egypt meanwhile rode out the storm with comparatively little hassle. Timurid Egypt, ruled by Timur’s fourth son Shahrukh Mirza was blessed with having Timurs most capable heir as governor. Ironically it was Timur’s dismissiveness of his fourth son for being, in his words ‘meek’, that cemented his dynasty’s place in history. Shahrukh was in many ways an intellectual like his father, but unlike Timur he had studied the one field Timur ignored: Economics. Shahrukh fully understood the importance of healthy commerce, a well maintained infrastructure, and stability. In response to the news of rebellion, he made no moves against it, realizing that such things would be futile, as Ibn Khaldun predicted on imperial peripheries. Instead he began offering land and gold to whoever would serve in his army, and hunkered down in Cairo, smacking down any attempts at invasion from the Qara Qoyunlu while he took the time to establish authority. Shahrukh’s long, stable, and wise rule would see an Egypt return to its status as regional powerhouse with its infrastructure rebuilt, its army enlarged, its wealth expanded and its status as a major trade zone yet again confirmed.
But that’s quite the tangent. Back to Constantine and his increasingly shaky hold on power.
The few years after Timur had were one of consolidation and an extensive focus on the eastern territory. The events in Egypt had been yet another shock to the market and trade systems. Fortunately, this didn’t hurt the Romans as much as the Silk road trade, which had stabilized, but it did hurt many of their consumers in Italy and beyond. Due to that, revenue based on trade declined and a renewed focus on taxation was set forth. Here, the new territories would play a critical role. Their material wealth (which could be taxed by tolls on inter empire trade) along with huge tax base would cover the deficit in external trade.
Enforcing control however, was something that was more difficult than expected. Local elites did not like Rome’s indiscriminate taxation, far reaching bureaucracy, policy of sending out poor settlers from distant corners of their empire (predominantly from the urban poor), and the chafing imperial authority. Roman policy wasn’t exactly good for ingratiating with local power structures, even when much of the populace was still Christian and Greek, or had elements of traditional Roman culture that one might appeal too. As one might expect, there were more than a few revolts here and there for those who wanted to return the clock back to Turkish rule, but Rome had the superior army and organization. Therefore, the next few years would see a massive military presence in Asia minor, with the bulk of the army (at least 20,000 troops) stationed in Anatolia.
Outside of Asia Minor, Constantinople dealt with the aftermath of their war. The former Aydinid navy had by now been fully integrated with the Roman navy and much of the Germiyanid bureaucracy was slowly being co-opted to serve imperial need (after a period of retraining and shuffling around of course.) The border with Karaman, demarcated by Timur himself remained that way and relations were still cordial. In Europe, the Emperor offered aid to the Tsar in his wars against rebels (mainly using his mercenary troops) and payments to Genoa were begrudgingly continued. (It is worth noting that by now the bulk of payments to Genoa were completed and the merchant empire was reeling from depression caused a disruption in Egyptian trade, thus deeply enjoyed their payments from Rome) This tightened the budget to a nearly unbreakable level, but Constantine held firm. Until Timur died.
After that, all hell broke lose. Without the Mongol boogeyman, the military faction unhappy with Constantine was able to make greater strides. Forging an alliance with the Church and a faction of bureaucrats that were unhappy to pay both Genoa and Timur at once. The groups began maneuvering against the emperor and planning the eventual coup. Through loyal contacts with the bureaucracy, Constantine had become aware of the coup, and managed to flee before he could be captured. Arriving in Savoy in winter of 1410, he vowed to retake his throne.
It is fortunate then a month later he was approached with an official Genoese envoy willing to make a bargain with him...
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