alternatehistory.com
Chapter63: Effects of Climate Change on the Arab Peninsula
Returning back to the Arabian Peninsula, we can witness a deep cultural, one can say even, civilizational divided, between the Gulf and the Hejazi coasts. Nevertheless, due to climate change, the Medieval Warm Period (1), the Arab Peninsula becomes drier, water is scarcer, leading to mainly a decrease of population, and a questioning of the extant political authority.
The region of the Persian Gulf was home to three major slave republics: Beth Qatriye, Hormuz, and Mazoun. These were run by merchants, and generated great riches and had welfare programmes, upon the expense of the slaves.
The early 11th century saw a crisis in Mazoun. The Mazdaki religion and philosophy, outright hedonistic in its nature, has lost its moral authority completely, and moral collapse was imminent. Many grandfathers moaned about the “spoilt youth”, who live in a consumer society, and abuse freedom without any responsibility or bindings.
The changes have been happening so gradually, that the Sacred Council has not witnessed the gradual small steps and failed to take any action. Anyhow, by 1015 the chairman of the Sacred Council, Sourab (2) decided to act. Knowing that the ascetic nature of the Manicheans was a far fetch for his compatriots, he was reluctant to fully impose the Manichean religion in Mazoun. It just wouldn’t work. Looking at the handful of Christians living in the realm, he admired their sense of moderation. Yes moderation. That was needed for the Mazouni people.
Sourab thus decided to combine elements of both: of original Mazdakism, and Manicheism, to create a religious system for the Mazouni people. Standing halfway between hedonistic
Mazdakism and ascetic Manicheism it taught:
“Listen my son, to the art of moderation. As you know, everything has something good in itself, but also something bad. Take pleasure from the things and joys of the world, but beware! In great ammounts, the evil substance will accumulate and destroy your will and strength. Remember therefore to stop once you are satisfied, and do not drink each cup to the end. Should you believe that you need something very much, put it away from yourself for the duration of the great fast before Bema, so that your soul remains uncorrupted”
Such and other passages were written by Sourab, who called his undertaking a religious reform. The Sacred Council approved of this change and the new religion formed by Sourab was elevated to the state religion of Mazoun.
Formally, it retained the name Mazdakism, but was considered a (very convergent) branch of Manicheism, to which it formally adhered. Mazdaki Manicheism had become very popular along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and appears to have given Manicheism a second breath (3). For this new religion would rapidly spread, especially via trade routes throughout the Indian Ocean, along its shores.
Before this could have been implemented, Mazoun was to face three other challenges. Firstly, the island-city of Ormus (or Hormuz), on the Persian side of the straits breaks free from Mazouni rule. Hormuz seizes also the tip on the Arab side of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively taking control over the straits.
Local costumes in Ormus.
Secondly, the slaves revolt as well. The climate changes have turned labour in the fields and on the plantations almost unbearable. The conditions are bad and the slaves take up arms against their masters. It is unknown whether the whole thing was coordinate, or the atmosphere was so bad, that once rumours spread, all slaves flocked to join the revolt. The latter seems more likely. Anyhow, at night a large number of the planters were brutally killed, and their villas and gardens set ablaze. Gradually, a slave army found itself marching upon Muscat, destroying and plundering on their way.
The city of Muscat itself was plundered, as well as the hall of the Council of Elders. However, the Mazouni armies approached from the south, besieging the revolting slaves in the city. The Mazouni navy takes the city from the sea, and the rebellion is brutally suppressed.
In the western parts of Mazoun, called Magan (5), the local landowners, untouched by the slave rebellion get together and declare their independence from Muscat. The Emirate of Magan is thus a feudal kingdom, with the smaller sheikhs swearing fealty to the Emir.
As for Himyar, its kingdom collapses due to unrest caused by climate change. The realms of Najran in the north and the city-state of Aden in the south break free. This leaves a rump Himyar (6), devoid of the status of a hegemonic power in the region. A sense of unity however prevails, mainly thanks to the notion of the Maphrianate of Himyar.
View attachment 483694View attachment 483695
Manicheism and Ebionitism... all of them disappeared in the interior of the Peninsula. To the right, you can see the resurgence of nomadic lifestyle, even in nothern Hejaz
The Kingdom of Hejaz is not included canonically into the Maphrianate of Hejaz; rather it is the integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church. The Syriac Orthodox Church makes inroads into the interior of the Peninsula, converting the tribes of northern Najd; the southern portions of Najd continue to practice Manicheism until around 1080s, when they as well are converted by missionaries from Beth Qatriye.
The Kingdom of Hejaz is now also facing droughts and overpopulation. Without an open invasion route (7), Hejaz is doomed to infighting. Civil war erupts, and the kingdom itself collapses; leaving a clan-based nomadic chiefdom around Yathrib, a chiefdom in Midian and a city-state around Mecca. The Ebionitic Church in Arabia is by this time fully non-existent; although Jewish communites are present in Najran and Yathrib.
View attachment 483693
Fragmentation as the result of climate change in Arabia: Mazoun, Himyar and Hejaz, all of them crumbled
As for the Horn of Africa, the Himyaritic colonies get rid of their overlords; the previous viceroyalty at Serapion thus becomes an independent city-state.
The Swahili Coast also sees the development of city-states, such as Zanzibar, Mombasa and Kilwa. Contact with Mazoun appears to have been intense for Zanzibar has adopted the reformed Mazdaki religion.
Reformed Mazdakism also came to dominate the coasts of Puntland, controlled by Zeila and Berbera, while Socotran merchants have established their own Nestorian hold over the northeastern coasts of Somalia.
As you could have seen, civilization appears only along the coast in East Africa (8). The inlands remain uncharted, populated by tribal peoples, while the coasts are getting globalized, and Indian Ocean Trade is becoming a thing.
(1) Which has started at around 950, but well, I forgot to update it back then
(2) Perhaps an Arabized variant of the Persian name Sohrab
(3) As you might have noticed, Manicheism is being rapidly displaced by Nestorianism in Central Asia; and outside the Jagudid realm, it is doing very poorly.
(4) Something you would expect from a predominantly vegetarian society.
(5) Roughly speaking of the United Arab Emirates
(6) Geographically identical with OTL North Yemen.
(7) The Seljuq invasion of the Levant happens only in the late eleventh century
(8) If you don´t count Ethiopia and Eritrea in it. But in Dunes of the Desert, as mentioned, Ethiopia and Eritrea are more associated with Egypt and Nubia than with Kenya or even Somalia.
The region of the Persian Gulf was home to three major slave republics: Beth Qatriye, Hormuz, and Mazoun. These were run by merchants, and generated great riches and had welfare programmes, upon the expense of the slaves.
The early 11th century saw a crisis in Mazoun. The Mazdaki religion and philosophy, outright hedonistic in its nature, has lost its moral authority completely, and moral collapse was imminent. Many grandfathers moaned about the “spoilt youth”, who live in a consumer society, and abuse freedom without any responsibility or bindings.
The changes have been happening so gradually, that the Sacred Council has not witnessed the gradual small steps and failed to take any action. Anyhow, by 1015 the chairman of the Sacred Council, Sourab (2) decided to act. Knowing that the ascetic nature of the Manicheans was a far fetch for his compatriots, he was reluctant to fully impose the Manichean religion in Mazoun. It just wouldn’t work. Looking at the handful of Christians living in the realm, he admired their sense of moderation. Yes moderation. That was needed for the Mazouni people.
Sourab thus decided to combine elements of both: of original Mazdakism, and Manicheism, to create a religious system for the Mazouni people. Standing halfway between hedonistic
Mazdakism and ascetic Manicheism it taught:
“Listen my son, to the art of moderation. As you know, everything has something good in itself, but also something bad. Take pleasure from the things and joys of the world, but beware! In great ammounts, the evil substance will accumulate and destroy your will and strength. Remember therefore to stop once you are satisfied, and do not drink each cup to the end. Should you believe that you need something very much, put it away from yourself for the duration of the great fast before Bema, so that your soul remains uncorrupted”
Such and other passages were written by Sourab, who called his undertaking a religious reform. The Sacred Council approved of this change and the new religion formed by Sourab was elevated to the state religion of Mazoun.
Formally, it retained the name Mazdakism, but was considered a (very convergent) branch of Manicheism, to which it formally adhered. Mazdaki Manicheism had become very popular along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and appears to have given Manicheism a second breath (3). For this new religion would rapidly spread, especially via trade routes throughout the Indian Ocean, along its shores.
Before this could have been implemented, Mazoun was to face three other challenges. Firstly, the island-city of Ormus (or Hormuz), on the Persian side of the straits breaks free from Mazouni rule. Hormuz seizes also the tip on the Arab side of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively taking control over the straits.
Local costumes in Ormus.
Secondly, the slaves revolt as well. The climate changes have turned labour in the fields and on the plantations almost unbearable. The conditions are bad and the slaves take up arms against their masters. It is unknown whether the whole thing was coordinate, or the atmosphere was so bad, that once rumours spread, all slaves flocked to join the revolt. The latter seems more likely. Anyhow, at night a large number of the planters were brutally killed, and their villas and gardens set ablaze. Gradually, a slave army found itself marching upon Muscat, destroying and plundering on their way.
The city of Muscat itself was plundered, as well as the hall of the Council of Elders. However, the Mazouni armies approached from the south, besieging the revolting slaves in the city. The Mazouni navy takes the city from the sea, and the rebellion is brutally suppressed.
In the western parts of Mazoun, called Magan (5), the local landowners, untouched by the slave rebellion get together and declare their independence from Muscat. The Emirate of Magan is thus a feudal kingdom, with the smaller sheikhs swearing fealty to the Emir.
As for Himyar, its kingdom collapses due to unrest caused by climate change. The realms of Najran in the north and the city-state of Aden in the south break free. This leaves a rump Himyar (6), devoid of the status of a hegemonic power in the region. A sense of unity however prevails, mainly thanks to the notion of the Maphrianate of Himyar.
View attachment 483694View attachment 483695
Manicheism and Ebionitism... all of them disappeared in the interior of the Peninsula. To the right, you can see the resurgence of nomadic lifestyle, even in nothern Hejaz
The Kingdom of Hejaz is not included canonically into the Maphrianate of Hejaz; rather it is the integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church. The Syriac Orthodox Church makes inroads into the interior of the Peninsula, converting the tribes of northern Najd; the southern portions of Najd continue to practice Manicheism until around 1080s, when they as well are converted by missionaries from Beth Qatriye.
The Kingdom of Hejaz is now also facing droughts and overpopulation. Without an open invasion route (7), Hejaz is doomed to infighting. Civil war erupts, and the kingdom itself collapses; leaving a clan-based nomadic chiefdom around Yathrib, a chiefdom in Midian and a city-state around Mecca. The Ebionitic Church in Arabia is by this time fully non-existent; although Jewish communites are present in Najran and Yathrib.
View attachment 483693
Fragmentation as the result of climate change in Arabia: Mazoun, Himyar and Hejaz, all of them crumbled
As for the Horn of Africa, the Himyaritic colonies get rid of their overlords; the previous viceroyalty at Serapion thus becomes an independent city-state.
The Swahili Coast also sees the development of city-states, such as Zanzibar, Mombasa and Kilwa. Contact with Mazoun appears to have been intense for Zanzibar has adopted the reformed Mazdaki religion.
Reformed Mazdakism also came to dominate the coasts of Puntland, controlled by Zeila and Berbera, while Socotran merchants have established their own Nestorian hold over the northeastern coasts of Somalia.
As you could have seen, civilization appears only along the coast in East Africa (8). The inlands remain uncharted, populated by tribal peoples, while the coasts are getting globalized, and Indian Ocean Trade is becoming a thing.
(1) Which has started at around 950, but well, I forgot to update it back then
(2) Perhaps an Arabized variant of the Persian name Sohrab
(3) As you might have noticed, Manicheism is being rapidly displaced by Nestorianism in Central Asia; and outside the Jagudid realm, it is doing very poorly.
(4) Something you would expect from a predominantly vegetarian society.
(5) Roughly speaking of the United Arab Emirates
(6) Geographically identical with OTL North Yemen.
(7) The Seljuq invasion of the Levant happens only in the late eleventh century
(8) If you don´t count Ethiopia and Eritrea in it. But in Dunes of the Desert, as mentioned, Ethiopia and Eritrea are more associated with Egypt and Nubia than with Kenya or even Somalia.
- Tomislav Addai
- Word Count: 1.2k