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Tomislav Addai
Overview 900: Society
View attachment 465938
Here we can see the forms of the organization of society throughout Afro-Eurasia in 900AD

  1. Tribal: Tribal organization prevails in most of the settled areas on the fringes of civilization; most of the tribally organized peoples would be pagans, and their realms would be based around hillforts and led by chieftains. Tribal areas would include by this time the entirety of the Baltic Sea basin, Scandinavia, the Uralic and East Slavic speaking area, extending into parts of Siberia as well.
    1. Clan-based (light brown/beige) : Sami and Uralic/ Siberian
    2. Chiefdoms: (dark brown) much of Sahel, Slavic and Baltic Europe
  2. Nomadic (golden): Nomadic pastoralism is dominant across the Eurasian Steppe. Taking advantage of empty land to feed their herds, and live in mobile yurts. Internal dynamics are between various clans.
  3. Caste(purple): The caste system of India is thought to be a rather strict version of feudalism, closely connected to the Hindu religion. While the it is noblemean and monarchs who effectively rule the country, it is the priestly caste (brahmins) who hold the highest social respect
  4. Eranshahr(orange): The social structure based on the principles of the ancient Sassanid Empire, now prevailing in Mihranid Persia and Media as well. Within this form of government, there is an absolute fusion church and state, and a state organized religion. The Eranshahr also used bureaucratic and feudal elements as well. The society is thus organized around castles and cities.
  5. Imperia(purple)l: The Imperial government is that of the former Roman Empire, now present only in Rhomania. The government combines bureaucratic and feudal elements, yet unlike Eranshahr there remains a certain amount of division between church and state. While the society is increasingly militarised and castles paky a significant role, urban centers remain nevertheless dominant.
  6. Bureaucracy(green): Bureaucratic governments rely on nonelected appointed officers who administer parts of their realm in the name of the sovereign and are appointed for a fixed amount of time, or can be replaced immediately.
  7. Feudal (blue) : The feudal system emerged in Western Europe in the aftermath of Germanic conquests. The land is distributed to heriditary noblemen who then provide troops and loyalty. Thus form of government dominates Francia and much of western Europe.
  8. Republic(pink): The republican form of government is that where the ruler is elected amongst eligible members of the citizenry. In many cases, the republics have developed into a form of oligarchy, dominated by trade and plutocratic merchants. Such a government can be seen in the coastal cities of Phoenicia, in Palmyra and in Somalia
  9. Theocracy(white): Theocratic governments ruled by the clergy include the Papacy, Mazoun (Oman) and the Paulician State in Anatolia
    1. Monastic:none
    2. Holy Orders (not yet present)
  10. Hierocratic (hieros+aristocratic) The monarch relies on both the clergy and the bureaucracy to administer the realm. Militaristic nobility do not own any significant portion of land, and civic and military organization are strictly separated. Present in Egypt.
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