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Chapter 96: First Global Empire
The Naimans have managed to do what yet has not been achieved in world history. They have created the world´s largest contiguous empire, larger than the Roman Empire controlling the entire Mediterranean Basin, larger than the Tang empire at its hayday or the empire of Alexander the Great. By conquering the Cuman, Bolghar and Bashkir realms in the northwest, the Naimans took over the Pontic-Caspian Steppe; in the east they conquer the kingdom of Dali and the southern Song dynasty of China as well as Korea. Even mountainous Tibet submits to the Naiman rule, as well as the hill-tribes of the Caucasus (Imereti becomes a tributary as well).
View attachment 529398
The Naiman Empire stretches from Danube to Korea
In the west, the border is set at the Gorge of the Danube near Vidin. The Rhomaic Empire itself feels threatened and sought peace with the invading horsemen. The Rhomaic forces are defeated at the Battle of Kelezene (1), resulting in the Naimans conquering much of the inland Anatolian plateau, as well as the Syrian interior. The coastal strip in Anatolia and Syria however remains under Rhomaic control, as they can be supplied from the sea (as the Rhomaic fleet is unmatched for the Naimans lack a fleet in the Mediterranean basin).
The sole fact that the entire length of the Silk Road has found itself within the borders of one state, meaning the unification of over a half of the Eurasian landmass (the exceptions being Europe, India, Indochina and the frozen barrens of Siberia) means a connection yet unprecedented. Apart from armies, also merchants and ideas travel from one end of Eurasia to another - with the high progress made in sciences such as astronomy, mathematics and chemistry in Persia and Mesopotamia reaching China; Chinese invention of gunpowder on the other hand revolutionizes the way wars are to be fought across Eurasia. Ironically, it was the widespread dispersal of gunpowder by the Naimans , that would prevent the steppe riders to ever pose such a threat to civilized sedentary realms, as the nomadic steppe tribes lack the technology needed to build canons.
In administering such a vast empire, with many subject peoples, the Naimans needed the empire to be connected and roads to be safe. The Yassa or Great Law greatly punishes banditry and theft; allowing caravans and long-distance trade to prosper. Ports such as Kaffa or Tanais on the Black Sea offered silk and spices to the Europeans, who came to be accustomed to such exotic products. The safety of the trade allowed also that these luxury goods be affordable to larger ammount of people. The Naiman administration inspired itself by the Nestorian Church - and similarly to the already established network of Nestorian monasteries, the Naiman empire established their own network of karavanserays, a functioning postal service called yam. Each station had a sufficient number of horses and riders; and messengers would only ride with a message from one station to the next, with a fresh horse and giving the name of the destination where the letter was supposed to be sent. The messenger would then be given a good meal, a bed and wait for another message to be sent.
One could argue that the Naimans were the first to attempt to establish a form of civic nationalism, as the Naimans army itself was multiethnic and ope to subject peoples from all corners of the empire, organized by a decimal system. While the vast majority of the peoples were Nestorian Christians, the Naiman state was religiously tolerant and allowed for all creeds to exist within the empire , although their preference for Nestorianism was difficult to hide. With almost all Nestorians inside the borders of the Empire, the struggle between Church and State again comes to power. For its part, the Church of the East used to supplement many functions of the state in the Inner Asia regions, especially as the realms in the area were rather weak. With the establishment of such a large empire, the Naimans sought to get the Catholicos of Qtespon under their control, and use to their advantage the already widespread network of monasteries, libraries and hospitals.
One must however not forget the cost, at which the whole continent was unified. The invading armies left many millions dead. It has been written that the conquest of Central Asia and Persia was particularly bloody; the Southern Song dynasty offered heavy resistance (due to the terrain, with many mountain ranges and valleys), which resulted in a very high death toll. But most importantly, the interconnected world meant it easy for the Black Death, originating somewhere in southern China, to ravage the entire Eurasia and Africa. The high death toll in many communities meant that the societies would need start anew, this time allowing for a different mode of societal organization. In the case of Western Europe and Mazoun, it meant higher individualization of the society - as there were relatively fewer men to work, they were now in the position to demand their conditions.
The depopulation also meant that the agricultural area was reduced, allowing for wildlife to return to many parts of both Europe and China. Moreover, the destruction of many ricefields as well as the retreat of European fields results in climate change in the form of global cooling, having the side effects of the Norse in Vinland moving southwards and the rise of North Africa and the Middle East back to prominence...
(1) OTL Erzincan, Turkey
View attachment 529398
The Naiman Empire stretches from Danube to Korea
In the west, the border is set at the Gorge of the Danube near Vidin. The Rhomaic Empire itself feels threatened and sought peace with the invading horsemen. The Rhomaic forces are defeated at the Battle of Kelezene (1), resulting in the Naimans conquering much of the inland Anatolian plateau, as well as the Syrian interior. The coastal strip in Anatolia and Syria however remains under Rhomaic control, as they can be supplied from the sea (as the Rhomaic fleet is unmatched for the Naimans lack a fleet in the Mediterranean basin).
The sole fact that the entire length of the Silk Road has found itself within the borders of one state, meaning the unification of over a half of the Eurasian landmass (the exceptions being Europe, India, Indochina and the frozen barrens of Siberia) means a connection yet unprecedented. Apart from armies, also merchants and ideas travel from one end of Eurasia to another - with the high progress made in sciences such as astronomy, mathematics and chemistry in Persia and Mesopotamia reaching China; Chinese invention of gunpowder on the other hand revolutionizes the way wars are to be fought across Eurasia. Ironically, it was the widespread dispersal of gunpowder by the Naimans , that would prevent the steppe riders to ever pose such a threat to civilized sedentary realms, as the nomadic steppe tribes lack the technology needed to build canons.
In administering such a vast empire, with many subject peoples, the Naimans needed the empire to be connected and roads to be safe. The Yassa or Great Law greatly punishes banditry and theft; allowing caravans and long-distance trade to prosper. Ports such as Kaffa or Tanais on the Black Sea offered silk and spices to the Europeans, who came to be accustomed to such exotic products. The safety of the trade allowed also that these luxury goods be affordable to larger ammount of people. The Naiman administration inspired itself by the Nestorian Church - and similarly to the already established network of Nestorian monasteries, the Naiman empire established their own network of karavanserays, a functioning postal service called yam. Each station had a sufficient number of horses and riders; and messengers would only ride with a message from one station to the next, with a fresh horse and giving the name of the destination where the letter was supposed to be sent. The messenger would then be given a good meal, a bed and wait for another message to be sent.
One could argue that the Naimans were the first to attempt to establish a form of civic nationalism, as the Naimans army itself was multiethnic and ope to subject peoples from all corners of the empire, organized by a decimal system. While the vast majority of the peoples were Nestorian Christians, the Naiman state was religiously tolerant and allowed for all creeds to exist within the empire , although their preference for Nestorianism was difficult to hide. With almost all Nestorians inside the borders of the Empire, the struggle between Church and State again comes to power. For its part, the Church of the East used to supplement many functions of the state in the Inner Asia regions, especially as the realms in the area were rather weak. With the establishment of such a large empire, the Naimans sought to get the Catholicos of Qtespon under their control, and use to their advantage the already widespread network of monasteries, libraries and hospitals.
One must however not forget the cost, at which the whole continent was unified. The invading armies left many millions dead. It has been written that the conquest of Central Asia and Persia was particularly bloody; the Southern Song dynasty offered heavy resistance (due to the terrain, with many mountain ranges and valleys), which resulted in a very high death toll. But most importantly, the interconnected world meant it easy for the Black Death, originating somewhere in southern China, to ravage the entire Eurasia and Africa. The high death toll in many communities meant that the societies would need start anew, this time allowing for a different mode of societal organization. In the case of Western Europe and Mazoun, it meant higher individualization of the society - as there were relatively fewer men to work, they were now in the position to demand their conditions.
The depopulation also meant that the agricultural area was reduced, allowing for wildlife to return to many parts of both Europe and China. Moreover, the destruction of many ricefields as well as the retreat of European fields results in climate change in the form of global cooling, having the side effects of the Norse in Vinland moving southwards and the rise of North Africa and the Middle East back to prominence...
(1) OTL Erzincan, Turkey
- Tomislav Addai
- Word Count: 910