Osman Aga
Banned
Levantine Normans
Size: 2,000,000
Area: Syrian Coast, Mount Lebanon, Palestine, Cyprus, Cilicia
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic, 12% E. Orthodox, 8% Sunni, 3% Irreligious, 2% Protestant
Language: Arabic, Greek Majority / Turkish, Italian, French minority
Origins: Dating from the last decades of the Viking Age, in the late 10th, early 11th century and in the Crusader times. The Normans were allowed to settle in the Roman territories of Syria and fight the Muslim Emirs on the frontiers as a duty. The Sizes were relatively small and many Normans brought their families to the Levant. The Normans had largely repelled the Seljuk attempts of subjugation in mountainous areas. In the Crusader times, the local Normans were not active in offensives and were largely tasked in defending against raids. As time passed by, the Ayyubids drove the Crusaders from most of the Levant. The Normans in Palestine relocated to the Coasts. The Normans had proved themselves, not only to the Crusaders but also to the Muslims, by resisting Mongolian attacks on the Mountains. As time passed on and the Mamluks had driven off the Crusaders, they had decided the Normans were allowed to stay. Much to everyone's surprise. Those who wanted to leave were allowed to leave and about a third left for Cyprus, creating a Community there. The Normans even got two regions as a Christian Emirate in the Levant: Mount Lebanon, ruling over mostly Catholic people, and Mount Alawi, ruling over mostly Alawites which the Mamluks considered as heretics. The Norman Emirs got their duties to protect the region, collect taxes and uphold law and order as the Mamluk overlords dictated. For the Mamluks this worked out as the Christian Emirs would be used to suppress the Druze landowners and Alawite tribes. It went even as far as the full subjugation of Mount Alawi which the last Alawite tribes had been pacified by the Emirate of Jabal Rum(Roman Mountain), where the Alawites had thus remained untouched. As the Alawites and Shias were not protected by the Mamluks, or considered as Muslims, they were mostly enslaved by the Norman Emirs or converted and made a part of their Christian society in the Levant. Mount Lebanon was ruled by the Catholic Normans, while Jabal Rum was ruled by the Greek Orthodox Normans.
In the Mamluk era, the first existing Muslim communities were formed, with converts to Islam. These would later become the Emirs of Acre. The Norman Emirates, particularly the Christians had been resisting the Il Khanate and later the Ottomans. When the Mamluks were defeated in Dabiq by the Ototmans, the Emirate of Jabal Rum surrendered, in hope to avoid the Ottomans enslaving the population. Selim I had allowed the Normans, who surrendered to remain in power. As time progressed however, the Norman Emirates were losing power. The Muslim Norman Emirs of Acre had become the Governors of Palestine for most of the time in the 16th, 17th and 18th century. The Christian Emirates hardly had grown in position though they kept their autonomy until the late 18th century. By then, the Emirates were abolished and they were to rule as sancak governors and dictated by laws from Constantinople.
As of 2021, the Levantine Normans still exist. Their appearance is comparable with Italians and French. The Islamic Normans are nowadays largely Arabized. The Catholic Normans have experienced the same as the Islamic Normans. The Greek Orthodox Normans have Hellenized from mid 18th century until the late 19th century, often considering themselves as Levantine Greeks then Normans. Of all the three communities, they are still very influential in the region, notably the Republic of Syria (Nowadays Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine). The more poorer Levantine Normans also have irreligious and Protestant populations though these are on the low sides. The only thing that can divide them from local Arabs is the wealthy lifestyle the Normans have.
Size: 2,000,000
Area: Syrian Coast, Mount Lebanon, Palestine, Cyprus, Cilicia
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic, 12% E. Orthodox, 8% Sunni, 3% Irreligious, 2% Protestant
Language: Arabic, Greek Majority / Turkish, Italian, French minority
Origins: Dating from the last decades of the Viking Age, in the late 10th, early 11th century and in the Crusader times. The Normans were allowed to settle in the Roman territories of Syria and fight the Muslim Emirs on the frontiers as a duty. The Sizes were relatively small and many Normans brought their families to the Levant. The Normans had largely repelled the Seljuk attempts of subjugation in mountainous areas. In the Crusader times, the local Normans were not active in offensives and were largely tasked in defending against raids. As time passed by, the Ayyubids drove the Crusaders from most of the Levant. The Normans in Palestine relocated to the Coasts. The Normans had proved themselves, not only to the Crusaders but also to the Muslims, by resisting Mongolian attacks on the Mountains. As time passed on and the Mamluks had driven off the Crusaders, they had decided the Normans were allowed to stay. Much to everyone's surprise. Those who wanted to leave were allowed to leave and about a third left for Cyprus, creating a Community there. The Normans even got two regions as a Christian Emirate in the Levant: Mount Lebanon, ruling over mostly Catholic people, and Mount Alawi, ruling over mostly Alawites which the Mamluks considered as heretics. The Norman Emirs got their duties to protect the region, collect taxes and uphold law and order as the Mamluk overlords dictated. For the Mamluks this worked out as the Christian Emirs would be used to suppress the Druze landowners and Alawite tribes. It went even as far as the full subjugation of Mount Alawi which the last Alawite tribes had been pacified by the Emirate of Jabal Rum(Roman Mountain), where the Alawites had thus remained untouched. As the Alawites and Shias were not protected by the Mamluks, or considered as Muslims, they were mostly enslaved by the Norman Emirs or converted and made a part of their Christian society in the Levant. Mount Lebanon was ruled by the Catholic Normans, while Jabal Rum was ruled by the Greek Orthodox Normans.
In the Mamluk era, the first existing Muslim communities were formed, with converts to Islam. These would later become the Emirs of Acre. The Norman Emirates, particularly the Christians had been resisting the Il Khanate and later the Ottomans. When the Mamluks were defeated in Dabiq by the Ototmans, the Emirate of Jabal Rum surrendered, in hope to avoid the Ottomans enslaving the population. Selim I had allowed the Normans, who surrendered to remain in power. As time progressed however, the Norman Emirates were losing power. The Muslim Norman Emirs of Acre had become the Governors of Palestine for most of the time in the 16th, 17th and 18th century. The Christian Emirates hardly had grown in position though they kept their autonomy until the late 18th century. By then, the Emirates were abolished and they were to rule as sancak governors and dictated by laws from Constantinople.
As of 2021, the Levantine Normans still exist. Their appearance is comparable with Italians and French. The Islamic Normans are nowadays largely Arabized. The Catholic Normans have experienced the same as the Islamic Normans. The Greek Orthodox Normans have Hellenized from mid 18th century until the late 19th century, often considering themselves as Levantine Greeks then Normans. Of all the three communities, they are still very influential in the region, notably the Republic of Syria (Nowadays Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine). The more poorer Levantine Normans also have irreligious and Protestant populations though these are on the low sides. The only thing that can divide them from local Arabs is the wealthy lifestyle the Normans have.