Ancient Egyptian Colony and Afrocentric World

My first thread here yay!

Anyways, this timeline is something I've been working on for fun for a couple weeks, its rough, but it is one of my first attempts at this Althist thing, I hope you guys(and gals) like it.

There will be one early POD, that is with regards to the fabled Phoenician expedition and Pharoah Necho of Egypt. In OTL, the expedition returned with no notable news. In this one, Necho is intrigued by the idea of colonizing the south in an effort to enrich Egypt.

Part One: The Founding of Aquert and the Rise of Maaburu


610 BC – c. 595 BC: Pharoah Necho II sent out an expedition of Phoenicians, which in three years sailed from the Red Sea around Africa to the mouth of the Nile. Necho II is intrigued by the idea of colonies, an idea he learned from the Phoenician sailers under his employment. After the initual expedition he orders a group of the Egyptian Navy south, where they establish a colony in what is now Kenya.
The colony is well supplied by Necho II at first, and regular supplies from the north keep arriving every few months. To increase the supply of labor, numbers of the Khoisan speaking natives are enslaved in the construction of the colony.

595–589 BC: Psamtik II succeeds his father. Psamtik II led a campaign into Nubia in 592 BC. The Kushite king Anlamani had revived the power of the kingdom of Napata. Psamtik II's campaign was initiated to destroy any future plans the Kushites may have had to reconquer Egypt, with the memory of the Nubian 25th dynasty fresh on Egypt's mind. His campaign is a serious defeat for Kush, but Psamtik II decides not to completely finish Nubia off, focusing instead briefly on developing Aquert as it soon becomes known as. Egyptian malcontents and prisoners of war are sent to the colony as sources of additional labor.
Uarseken, Aquert's governor, is a powerful man in the growing colony. He has some of the labor directed to building an impressive palace complex along with several obelisks.
Psamtik II diverts much of the colony's funds north to fund his campaign in the Levant against the Babylonians in 591 BC. In 589 Psamtik II dies and is suceeded by Apries.

589-525 BC: Apries continues his father's policies in foreign affairs, meddling with Mesopatamia. This proves disasterious for him when His unsuccessful attempt to intervene in the politics of the Kingdom of Judah was followed by a mutiny of soldiers from the strategically important Aswan garrison.
While the mutiny was contained, Apries later attempted to protect Libya from incursions by Dorian Greek invaders but his efforts here backfired spectacularly as his forces were mauled by the Greek invaders.When the defeated army returned home, a civil war broke out between the indigenous Egyptian army troops and foreign mercenaries in the Egyptian army. At this time of crisis, the Egyptians turned in support towards a victorious general, Amasis II who had led Egyptian forces in a highly successful invasion of Nubia in 592 BC under pharaoh Psamtik II, Apries' father. Amasis quickly declared himself pharaoh in 570 BC and Apries fled Egypt and sought refuge in another foreign country. When Apries marched back to Egypt in 567 BC with the aid of a Babylonian army to reclaim the throne of Egypt, he was likely killed in battle with Amasis' forces. Amasis then secured his kingship over Egypt and was now the unchallenged ruler of Egypt.
Amasis II is much to focused on internal affairs as well as with the growing threat of Persia to pay much attention to the Aquert colony.
During all the affairs in Egypt Aquert had been run mostly independently by Uarseken. Uarseken had handled a slave revolt by natives several times. To support the colony Uarseken also began trading by sea with Dʿmt, a powerful kingdom in northern Ethiopia. In 572 BC Uarseken dies of natural causes, he is soon replaced by his brother Bekenamen, who ambitiously has himself crowned Pharoah of Aquert.
Aquert receives the last trickle of Egyptian colonists when in 525 BC the Persians defeat Psamtik III, the inexprienced son of Amasis, occupy Egypt, and execute publicly many of Egypt's prominant families.Most of the nobility and other prominent people who escape the purge flee by ship south. The Nubian Kingdom of Moroe allows the refugees to pass uninhibited when news of the Persian conquest of Egypt reaches them.

524-500 BC: The colony of Aquert has at this point grown into a small city state. Aquert is ruled by Pharoah Bekenamen, who with the aid of many skilled refugees including priests, artisans and arcatects who survived the purge in Egypt, begin recreating Egypt in the far off land they have found themselves in, spreading Ancient Egyptian culture to the surrounding tribesmen. Several villages and towns begin to grow around Aquert. Aquert protects itself from the native Khoisan tribes with its small but skilled army consisting of iron-armed archers, spearmen and charioteers. Aquert also has a small navy, which is mainly used to escort sea trade north to Dʿmt and to a lesser extent, Moroe.

Bekenamen is succeeded by his son Bekenamen II in 523 BC, third Pharoah of Aquert's first dynasty. Bekenamen II continues supporting his city-kingdom by trade with D'mt and Moroe, however in the third year of his reign in 520 A few of the larger Khoisan tribes unite in opposition to Aquert slave raiders. They manage to burn down afew of the outlying Aquert villages, but are stopped before they due further harm by the Aquert military. Bekenamen II makes an agreement with the Khoisan tribes to end slavery against the Khoisan people. Many long time Khoisan slaves in Aquert are released, and they take the Ancient Egyptian culture, skills and more that they learned while in captivity with them back to their native tribes.

Bekenamen II then adopts a policy of of trade with the growing Khoisan Chiefdoms, hiring some as skilled laborers. He also adopts a policy of backing friendlier tribes against more aggressive and hostile Chiefdoms, a policy which works well for the moment. Aquert may have the culture and civilization, but they do not have the manpower to campaign and conquer like Egypt once did as of yet.
In 500 BC a new group begins settling in the region, the Nilotic tribes, who are a nomadic people of herders. They mostly settle around the great fresh water lakes of the region. Trade with Aquert soon proves profitable for both sides, and the Nilotic soon settle down near the great lakes and found many farming villages, intermarrying and merging with the Cushitic, who were earlier residents in the same region.
Bekenamen II is succeeded by his son Mer-Ba in 449 BC.

449 BC-400 BC: The Kingdom of Aquert deals with a new power in the region, a large tribe of Nilotic speakers called the Maaburu. The more aggressive Maaburu tribe proves not to be a good neighbor, and wages small raids and skirmishes against both the Khoisan Chiefdoms and other Nilotic tribes. Most of the Nilotic tribes fall to the skilled High Chieftain Mabusi and became part of the Maaburu's small empire within a decade.
Mer-Ba is a more ambitious Pharoah then his father, and also a skilled warrior. He wages the first great military campaign in Aquert's history, fighting intermittingly with the Maaburu and some troublesome Khoisan tribes. The Maaburu are skilled spearmen, but their lack of iron weaponry gives them a disadvantage against Aquert. They are skilled archers however, and this helps offset their metal handicap.
Aquert manages to protect their trading interests in the region from Maaburu, but is unable to conquer them.
Mer-Ba is succeeded in 429 after a reign of twenty years by his younger son Najja, his older son dying during a campaign against the Maaburu a year earlier. Najja attempts several times to conquer the Maaburu, but ultimate fails and even loses his life to a Maaburu arrow in 425 after only four years as Pharoah. The position of Pharoah then is in dispute between Najja's twin sons Anon and Nep-ra. This begins the ten year civil war in Aquert between the two would be Pharoahs.
Anon succurs an allaince with the Maaburu by marrying the eldest daightor of the reigning Maaburu chief, an act which enrages Nep-ra, as Anon is using their father's killers in order to gain Aquert's throne. Nep-ra alligns himself with the Khoisan chiefdoms, who fear Maaburu's growing power and definitely do not want Maaburu to take over Aquert.
After ten years of no clear winner in the war, the brothers finally end their years of hatred and agree to a peace agreement. Nep-ra is recognized as the rightful Pharoah of Aquert, while Anon becomes the Pharoah of Maaburu, succeeding his father-in-law, the last Great Chieftain of the Maaburu.
Maaburu takes in many aspects of Ancient Egyptian culture and religion, and also begins to compete in trade in the region, competing with Aquert traders in the marketplaces of Moroe and D'mt.
The Bantu migrations, which began hundreds of years ago, continue at a small pace.

400-300 BC: Nep-Ra is succeeded by this son in 400 BC, who takes the throne-name Bekenamen III. Bekenamen III continues the treaty with his uncle Anon. However five years into his reign a new deadly strain of Malaria outbreaks in the region, infecting the Pharoah himself. The malaria burns itself out quickly, but Bekenamen III is never the same afterwards and even his subjects doubt his ability to lead, taking the plague as a sign from the gods that perhaps Anon was indeed the rightful ruler of Aquert after all.
Anon ceizes the oportunity, and invades Aquert. The military of Aquert itself offers almost no resistance. Anon deposes his nephew, but allows the sickly young man to live the rest of his days in a manner befitting a king.
Anon has groomed his son Zabasa to be Pharoah, and five years after taking Aquert, Zabasa becomes the first Pharoah of the 2nd Aquert dynasty. His rule brings a great number of changes to the kingdom.
First, Aquert becomes the capital of Maaburu. The existing Aquert nobility as well as many other officials are encorporated into the greater empire, sent to educate and bring the benefits of Aquert's high civilization and culture to the rest of the region. Zabasa wears a headress modeled after a Lion's visage, with mane and "ears", rather than the traditional Pharoah's headdress. The Egyptian's lion god Maahes, considered a minor god in Egypt and Nubia(where he was known as Apedemak ) becomes the head of Maaburu-Aquert's pantheon.
To symbolize the power of the Maaburu and prove he is also the successor to the power of Ancient Egypt, Zabasa orders the construction of a great sphinx, similiar to the one fabled to be in Egypt. Unlike the Sphinx in Egypt, the monument built outside Aquert is a stylized African Lion, rather than an "Androsphinx".

In 375 BC Zabasa leaves a powerful and prosperious Maaburu to his son, who takes the throne name Maahenhet, which means "Maahes is foremost" in Maaburu-Egyptian. Maahenhet makes the southern Khoisan Chiefdoms pay an annual tribute to Maaburu, and becomes renowned for his law code, which he names after his father and hense becomes known as Zabasa's code. Some of the things said in the code are:
-Those in authority exist to serve and be served.
-An official without honor is unworthy of his station
The code covers behavior in normal life as well as in war. Maahenhet rules for sixty years, the rest of his rule is spent building a second palace for the Pharoah in Raatonen, a Maaburu-Egyptian town near the border with Ethiopia. This city becomes Maahenhet's auxilery capital and was chosen for its strategic location for war and trade. Maahenhet also has craftsmen and arcatects improve the lives for commoners living in towns and villages by making sure they have supplies of war and grain.

In 315 BC Maahenhet "The Great" leaves Maaburu to his cousin, having outlived all his children. His cousin takes the name Zabasa II and rules for seven years, abicating to his son in 308 BC, who then takes the name Maahenhet II.
Meanwhile to the North changes also occur. In Ethiopia, D'mt falls, and a number of successor kingdoms emerge and battle for supremacy in the region. Maaburu trades with the various Ethiopian Kingdoms, and some Maaburu soldiers even serve as mercanaries in Ethiopian armies,.
In Nubia the Kingdom of Meroe continues Nubian civilization mostly unchanged by the two-hundred years of Persian domination to the North in Egypt. However, Egypt itself undergoes a change when Persia is defeated and conquered by Alexander the Great of Macedonia. After Alexander's death, one of his generals, Ptolemy starts a new dynasty of Greco-Egyptian Pharoahs. Many of the scholars in Egypt uncover the history of the fabled long-lost colony of Ancient Egypt, Aquert. Ptolemy is intrigued, but is too busy with campaigns against rival Greek kingdoms in Asia and Greece itself to devote anything chasing what he considers an interesting fable but a fable nontheless.
Some of the scholars do their own independent investigations, journeying south to Meroe where they hear of a powerful kingdom of Pharoahs to the south.
 
1) Why pour treasure down a rathole far from Egypt when the same could be spent advancing further on down the Nile? That is much closer to home and so easier to support and control.

2) What is to stop the natives getting annoyed with the colonists competing with them for game and attacking them? It happened to Europeans in North America who had a greater advantage in technology over Amerindians than Egyptians over the Khoi. If you don't have a serious advantage over natives who are essentially infinite in numbers you will get run out like the Vikings did from Vinland.

3) Given the wars in the proposed time line, where is the treasue going to come to pay for it? Early Modern European countries were richer than Ancient Egypt yet could not afford colonies. In fact, Scotland got damaged her economy by founding one and had it fail.

My view is that if one Pharoah set up a colony in Kenya a successor would pull the plug and spend the money saved on temples and/or wars.
 
Actually the idea is the colony gets founded, has to survive on its own, and is cut off from Ancient Egypt, planting the seeds of a new Sub-Saharan African Ancient Egyptian civilization in Kenya.

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Part Two: The Classical Age of Maaburu

299 BC-200 BC: Trade between Maaburu and the distant Tamil kingdoms of southern India begins. Port towns along the Indian Ocean begin growing increasingly important this century as Maaburu mercents trade extensively along the Indian Ocean with Ethiopian and Arab kingdoms.

To the east various tribes, some settlers from Maaburu, others a mix of native tribes influenced by Maaburu, grow into about a dozen city-states. The area becomes known as Kongata after a prominent city-state in the region.

In the South the various Khoisan city states are boasted by the arrival of Bantu migrants. An ambitious king of one of these city states, Zambe, unites the Kingdoms into a Confederacy. The Khoisan Confederacy is more a military allaince against Maaburu and other powerful threats than an actual united nation or kingdom, as the various city-states maintain their autonomy.
In Egypt Ptolemy II succeeded his father as King of Egypt in 283 BC. Ptolemy II is a patron of culture and funds expeditions to the south, curious of the fabled "lost colony of Ancient Egypt". In 281 BC Egyptian sailers traveling down the eastern coast of Africa rediscover Aquert after nearly three centuries. The sailors travel back to Egypt with tales of the rich splender of Maaburu, the great obelisks of crystal and the "Great Lion" which watches over Aquert like a real lion would its pride.

Trade flows freely between Ptolemic Egypt, Meroe, Ethiopia and Maaburu from North to South, and from the Arabs, Persia and as far away as Tamil to the East along the coast of the Indian ocean. Maahenhet II ends his peaceful and prosperious reign in 281 BC, the same year contact was reestablished with Egypt. His son Maahenhet III takes over not long afterwards.
The relative peace in the region is shattered in 278 BC. King Sabarin of one of the Kongata kingdoms begins a conquest which unites the Kongata under his kingdom Riamulaza. Sabarin is not satisfied however, and marches against the Khoisan Confederation. His armies make extensive use of a breed of horses. This breed is strong, large and fast. Sabarin's hit and run cavalry tactics are extremely successful against Khoisan Phalanxes, just as they were against Kongata infantry. He easily defeats even the most skilled charioteers.

News of Sabarin greatly troubles Maahenhet III, who immediately sends the Maaburu army against Sabarin under his most capable generals. Like the Kongata and Khoisan, Maaburu forces fare poorly against Sabarin's tactics. Sabarin prepares to march on Aquer itself. Maahenhet III quickly gathers a coalition from Ethiopia and Meroe in order to stop Sabarin. The allied forces meet on the serengeti and clash with Sabarin's army. Sabarin defeats the allied forces, and then marches on Aquert itself.

Maahenhet III flees to his northern capital in Raatonen, where he prepares to counter-attack. Sabarin takes Aquert and makes it the capital of his own empire. He levies a harsh tax on all of Maaburu and plans one last campaign to Raatonen. A year after Aquert's conquest, The entire region chaffs under Sabarin's harsh rule. He brutally enforces a tax on all the people he conquered using his cavalry to enforce his will. He takes the daughtors of all the kings of the region from Khoisan and Kongata alike and makes them part of his harem.

A year later, two years after Sabarin conquered Aquert, one day Sabarin is riding across the serengeti with his favorate wife when he is killed by an arrow fired by his own son Mabatu. It is said his son walked over to his dying father and said "Father you were undefeated at war, but in the end, peace defeated you."

Mabatu rides into Aquert and boldly declares that he ended his father's life personally. Mabatu's following reign is a short one. He is extremely paranoid, fearing his own end will come from an assasin's arrow. He continues his father's brutality against his subjects. In the end he also dies from an assasination, poisoned by one member of his harem.

Maahenhet III arrives with the remainder of the Maaburu army to Aquert, finding the capital in chaos. His forces manage to retake the capital, but the rest of Sabarin's armies have splintered into feuding warlords, and prove very difficult to dislodge. Maahenhet III replaces the chariots in his armies with cavalry, using horses left by defeated Sabarin troops and trained by afew survivors of Sabarin's forces who were given amnesty by Maahenhet III himself.

Maahenhet III slowly takes over city state after city state from the warlords, after ten years he has not only regained his kingdom's previous territory, but has added the Khoisan kingdoms to his Maaburu domain as well. the thrones of the conquered city states are given to trusted members of the nobility of Aquert, who then become governors. Maahenhet III then launches a campaign into Riamulaza, but his armies have little luck, and after numerious defeats are forced to agree to a common border with the Kingdom of Riamulaza. In 265 BC Maahenhet III dies while touring his expanded Kingdom of Maaburu. The throne passes to his spoiled and unprepared oldest son, rather than to his much more capable and likable younger son, who does not contest the succcession. The older son takes the throne name Takuret I.
Takuret I spends much time living in luxury with his wives, leaving most of the actual ruling his his Vizier Msrah. Msrah barely holds the kingdom together as several Khoisan rebellions arise when afew of the governors see an oportunity to strike out on their own.

Eventually in 260 BC the situation becomes intolerable, and the vizier approaches the king's brother, who agrees to become Pharoah only reluctantly. Takuret I is allowed to stay in the palace, and when he is told the position of Pharoah is passing to his younger brother, he doesn't seem to care.

The Carthiginian Empire fights the first Punic War against the Roman Republic around this period.

The younger brother takes the throne name Maahenotep I, and spends most of his thirty year reign holding Maaburu together. He rebuilds the military completely, eliminating chariots in favor of cavalry totally. Phalanx using spearmen are supplemented by sickle-swordsmen armed with large shields for the first time in the Kingdom's history. Maahenotep I also rebuilds the navy. The most notable acheivement of Maahenotep I's reign is perhaps his decision to colonize Madagascar. Already settled by Austronesian immigrants around the same period, the colony attracts mercent settlers from the far away Tamil kingdoms as well and becomes known as Parushta.

Parushta quickly grows into a cosmopolitan island city, with settlers from Meroe, Ethiopia, Ptolemic Egypt all looking to start a new life there. Parushta is initually ran by a governor appointed by Maahenotep I, but power quickly passes into the hands of the Merchant princes, the leaders of the most powerful merchant clans that grow in the city.
Maahenotep I is succeeded by his nephew, the son of his deposed brother, who becomes Takuret II in 230 BC.
Around this time the Seleucids lost control of Parthia to Andragoras, the appointed satrap who rebelled against them. The Arsacids, or Parthians as they are also known, throw the Seleucids out of their territory, founding the beginings of the Parthian, or Arsacid Persian Empire.

In Maaburu the newly crowned Pharoah Takuret II is a very ambitious ruler and very different from his father or uncle. Growing up with tales of the greatness of ancient Egypt, Takuret II wanted greatly to visit the nile and gaze upon the Pyramids with his own eyes. Takuret II leaves Maaburu under the command of his vizier and travels under a royal fleet of Triremes and Galleys along the eastern coast of Africa into the Red Sea and then into Egypt proper.

Takuret II arived with his fleet in Southern Egypt in 227 BC. News of his arrival quickly reached Ptolemy III, who greeted the Pharoah of Aquert warmly. Ptolemy III was more than happy to give a guided tour of his domain. After two years, Takuret II decided to return to Maaburu. Ptolemy III succurs an allaince with Takuret II before the later departs Egypt. Takuret II returns to Maaburu in 225 BC. Takuret II finds Maaburu in excellent shape, and decides to spend most of his remaining reign involving Maaburu more in foreign affairs, leaving domestic problems to his Vizier.

In 221 BC news of the death of Ptolemy III reaches Takuret II, who travels back to Egypt to attend his old friend's funeral and also was present when an assassination attempt was made on Ptolemy III's wife by his own son. Takuret II backed Berenice II as Queen of Ptolemic Egypt, his pressence as the ruler of the legendary "lost colony" helped win the support of the native Egyptians, and Ptolemy IV's plot was foiled. Takuret II was urged to marry Berenice II and restore the glory of Egypt past. Takuret II accepted this proposal, and sent a letter of abication with his fleet back to Maaburu, where he named his Vizier his successor. Another message sent south was an offer of allaince with Meroe, which the Nubian Pharoah accepts.

The third dynasty of Maaburu then began with the former Vizier of Takuret II taking the throne name Maahenotep II. Maahenotep II spends his two years as official ruler of Maaburu dealing with the upstart kingdom of Riamulaza to the west, then the emerging kingdom of Mimbabwe to the south.

Riamulaza had recovered from the loss of Sabarin, and after years of infighting, the Kingdom was taken over by a skilled general who took the Throne-name Sabarin II. Riamulaza became known as the red kingdom, due to the fact red was the color worn by most of its people. The Riamulaza were skilled in stonework, and built many monuments and fortresses. The building style was similiar to ancient egyptian, but had similiarities with real world Mali arcatecture as well. Riamulaza grew into a military powerhouse in the region, checked only by the careful vigilance of Maaburu.

Mimbabwe is the first great kingdom in the Mozambique region. They compete with Maaburu trade in the south but are not a military threat, at least not yet.
In 211 BC Maahenotep II dies at sixty years of age. He leaves his son, who takes the throne-name Nofre-Ka I, as Pharoah of Maaburu. In Egypt Cleopatra I, daughter of Takuret II and Berenice II(not the Cleopatra the first of OTL) takes control of Ptolemic Egypt, and continues Ptolemy III's restoration of Ancient Egyptian customs and religion. She invokes the allaince with Maaburu and Nubia when the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus IV Epiphanes invades Egypt. The Seleucids are brutally defeated by the combined armies of Ptolemic Egypt, Meroe and the small amount of Maaburu troops sent to support them. The Maaburu swordsmen are especially effective against the Seleucid Phalanx. The Seleucid Empire is also thrown out of Israel by the Maccabean revolt around this time.

The Seleucids lose more territory to Israel which pushes them to Syria, and then lose Persia completely when the Arsacids conquer the last of the Seleucid territories in the region. Egypt then maintains a neutral stance as Carthage and Rome fight the second Punic War, the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the crucial participation of Numidian-Berber armies and tribes on both sides.
Carthage eventually loses the Second Punic War, but Egypt supports the Numidian king Syphax in his bid to establish a united Numidian Kingdom free from both Carthage and Rome's influence.
The Second Punic War does not effect Maaburu directly, but news of Hannibal's use of Elephants against Rome reaches Nofre-Ka I who decides to attempt domestication of the Elephant for use in war. This news also reaches the other powers in the region, including Riamulaza. Attempts at domesticating the African Elephant do not end well however, and this plan is soon abandoned except by Nofre-Ka I, who has known of war elephants from tales spread orginally by Tamil merchants. Nofre-Ka eventually abandons the idea, as no Tamil merchants are willing to transport Asian Elephants to Maaburu and acquiring the African Forest Elephant in sufficient numbers is also not possible.

Nofre-Ka I dies in 199 BC, leaving the position of Pharoah to his son Nofre-Ka II.

199-100 BC:
Nofre-Ka II begins his reign by fighting his own war in the form of a border skirmish between Maaburu and Riamulaza in 199 BC. King Sabarin II makes his last campaign one to remember as his armies of skilled cavalry clash with Maaburu infantry on the burnt out plains of the sarangeti. Sabarin II dies in combat, this ends the war, as his forces retreat. Sabarin III, his son and successor, is much more interested in domestic affairs, as several prominent noble clans in Riamulaza rise up in an attempt at ceizing the throne for themselves, starting a long lasting Riamulaza civil war that lasts for close to twenty years.

Nofre-Ka II next crisis is with the Madagascar colony of Parushta. Founded forty years previous, Parushta has grown into a powerful island kingdom of its own right, ruled by several prominent merchant princes descended from Tamil traders from India. In the decades since it was established, Arab traders joined the initual rush of settlers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Moroe as well, creating a very cosmopolitan merchant culture on the island.

Parushta makes its intentions clear when the Merchant Princes refuse to give their monthly colony tax to Maaburu for several months. When a diplomat is sent by Nofre-Ka II to the island and does not return, Nofre-Ka II readies the fleet to put the colony in its place. The Merchant Princes have their own fleet assembled however.

Parushta has fast War Galleys encorporating design elements from the Austronesian Catamarans. When the fleets engage in battle Maaburu's triremes and other heavy war vessels are quickly overwhelmed by the Parushta fleet's speed, which use flaming arrows at a good distance to sink most of Maaburu's fleet.

Nofre-Ka II is furious at this development, and continues to make attempts at conquering the wayward colony again in 197 BC, then again in 194 and finally in 191 BC. After the last attempt Nofre-Ka II recognizes Parushta's independence and agrees not to attempt another invasion.

The loss of Parushta has bigger ramifications in the region. Parushta merchant vessels completely outcompete Maaburu merchants at sea, and Parushta piracy makes trade and travel by sea on the East Coast of Africa extremely perilious to all sea traffic in the area. Parushta soon develops a near monopoly of trade by sea with Persia and the distant Tamil Kingdoms.

Maaburu is forced to trade by land with Meroe, Egypt and the kingdoms of Ethiopia. Trade with Egypt was the main method of communication between Ptolemic Egypt and Maaburu, with the Parushtan monopoly on sea trade in the region communication becomes sparse at best. The Parushtan sea monopoly lasted from 191 BC-170, when the monopoly was broken by Arab sea traders.

During this period Nofre-Ka meddled in the Riamulaza civil war, backing weaker factions and prolonging the war. The last thing Nofre-Ka II wanted was to deal with the Riamulazan menace again while dealing with the crisis at sea with Parushta. However the civil war ended in 179 BC with the powerful Katlego family taking the throne. King Karega I begins his reign over Riamulaza, and launches an invasion of Ethiopia in 177 BC, establishing a permanent military pressence in the region and forcing the Ethiopian kingdoms to pay an annual tribute to Riamulaza.

At the same time, Nofre-Ka II supports many of the Ethiopian Kingdoms Riamulaza has yet to gain control over. Soon this erupts in a full scale war between Maaburu and Riamulaza. The war would prove disasterious for Maaburu, which is defeated in numerious engagements and finally sues for peace in 171 BC. Nofre-Ka II is forced to ceed much of eastern Maaburu territory to Riamulaza and withdraw all foreign support in Ethiopia. Before Riamulaza can completely conquer Ethiopia the armies of Meroe invade the region from the north and force the Riamulaza out of Ethiopia.

Nofre-Ka II ends his 28 year reign in the final months of 171 BC. His son inherits the throne as Pharoah Ao I.
Ao I deals with attempts by Parushtan Pirates to settle the coasts near Maaburu. The Maaburu army is depleted after the disasterious war with Riamulaza, and cannot prevent the Parushtan from founding various petty warlord kingdoms on the coast. However around 170 BC the Parushstan enter into a sea trade war with the Arabic Kingdoms. Some of the Arabs had adopted Juduism, and spread their faith into Ethiopia, where it already had a pressence.

Ao I is deposed in 167 by Riamulazan backed nobles. This ends over four hundred years of nearly uninterupted Pharoahnic rule in Maaburu. Eventually a noble family takes back Aquert and some of the surrounding towns and villages under the Fourth Dynasty lead by Pharaoh Ao II in 147 BC, after thirty years of infighting. The temples and monuments of Maaburu had been in disrepair, the once wealthy kingdom reduced to a group of feuding kingdoms. Karega III of Riamulaza forces most of the kingdoms in Maaburu to pay tribute, and also adopts a policy of slowly conquering pieces of Maaburu's former territory. In 140 Riamulaza ceases its expansion, leaving the rest to the petty feudal kingdoms of which Aquert is but one. This situation continues for the next forty years. Aquert rebuilds and competes with the rival kingdoms, each of which claims to be the rightful heirs to Maaburu's pharoahnic legacy.

The Jewish Kingdom of Aksum emerges around this time, although they are still one kingdom out of many in Ethiopia at this time.

The Fourth Dynasty during the remainder of the century consists of the following Pharoahs:

Ao II (reigns from 147 BC to 142 BC, dies in battle with the city state of Raatonen, which emerges as one of the four major condenders to the throne of Maabusu(the other two being Uehetu and Zahran, the later of which enters into an allaince with some of the pirate kingdoms of the coast).

Nofre-Ka III is the second Pharoah of the Fourth Dynasty of Aquert.(reigns 142 BC to 134 BC, also dies in battle. Aquert enters into an uneasy allaince with Raatonen against the growing power of Zahran, which has Parushtan backing. Nofre-Ka III dies at sea during a fleet battle on the coast.)

Akerantep I(Reigned from 134 BC to 121 BC) named after the ancient Egyptian double Lion god Aker. Akerantep took this name because Maahes, the lion god, was the patron god of Maabusu Pharoahs. It was thought Aker, being the double lion god, would make the Pharoah that bears his name twice the Pharoah). Akerantep I allies with Raatonen and Uehetu to repulse an invasion from Riamulazan King Riolak I. Raatonen conquers some former Maabusu territory near the great lakes. The three cities then have an uneasy truce against Zahran, which is broken in 121 BC. Akerantep dies of natural causes, his son dies soon afterwards in a failed campaign against Uehetu, leaving Akerantep I daughter as the sole heir in a great break from tradition.

Rashida I(Reigned from 121 BC to 103 BC). Rashida was one of Akerantep I two children. She had been trained in statecraft along with her brother. Desperate times caused many traditions on succesion to become ignored, and after a strange and unfortunate chain of events Rashida became the first female monarch of Maabusu. Under her reign she favored diplomacy over war when possible. Aquert became a neutral kingdom initually when Uehetu, Raatonen and Zahran fought. Raatonen eventually conquered Uehetu, forming a great expanse to the north and south-west of Aquert's territory. With Aquert caught between Raatonen and Zahran, eventually Rashida was forced to pick a side and choose Raatonen. She formalized the allaince with Raatonen by royal marriage with Pharoah Musa of Raatonen, and helped adminster the double kingdom of Aquert-Raatonen until her death in 103 BC.

Musa I(reigned from 103 BC to 100 BC) Musa I had a short reign. He was already old when he assumed Aquert's throne by marriage at sixty. He died of natural causes. After his death power passed into the hands of Rashida's son, who took the Throne name of Akerantep II.
 
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Any thoughts?

Here is the third part:

Part Three: Birth of the Caesarion Egyptian Dynasty...and Aksum Ascendant

100 BC-1 AD:
In Egypt proper the remaining Ptolemic Pharaohs rule a slowly dying kingdom. Unlike in OTL, Rome is busy contending with the early rise of the Parthian Empire as well as Macedoian and the Syrian Seleucid Empire. Carthage does not fight the third punic war, instead, Carthage itself is conquered by the Numidians, who make the city their new capital. The Numidian Kingdom is friendly with Rome, and news of Carthage's conquest at their hands is seen as good news to many Romans.

The demise of the Ptolemies' power coincided with the rise of the Roman Empire. Having little choice, and seeing one city after another falling to Macedon and the Seleucid Empire of Syria, the Ptolemies decided to ally with the Romans, a pact that lasted over 150 years. During the rule of the later Ptolemies, Rome gained more and more power over Egypt, and was even declared guardian of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII, had to pay tribute to the Romans to keep them away from his Kingdom. Upon his death, the fall of the Dynasty seemed even closer.
As children, Cleopatra and her siblings witnessed the defeat of their guardian, Pompey, by Julius Caesar through civil war. Meanwhile, Cleopatra and her brother/husband Ptolemy XIII were both attempting to gain control of Egypt's throne.

In the middle of all this turmoil, Julius Caesar left Rome for Alexandria in 48 BC. During his stay in the Palace, he received 22 year old Cleopatra, allegedly wrapped in a rug. She counted on Caesar's support to alienate Ptolemy XIII. With the arrival of Roman reinforcements, and after a few battles in Alexandria, Ptolemy XIII was defeated at the Battle of the Nile. He later drowned in the river, although the circumstances of his death are unclear.

In the summer of 47 BC, having married her younger brother Ptolemy XIV, Cleopatra and Caesar embarked for a two-month trip along the Nile. Together, they visited Dendara, where Cleopatra was being worshiped as Pharaoh, an honor beyond Caesar's reach. They became lovers, and she bore him a son, Caesarion, who was later proclaimed with many titles like king of kings.
Here a major point of divergence from OTL occurs. Julius Caesar decides to remain in Egypt with Cleopatra. Julius Caesar manages to convince many of the Legions in the area to side with him and Egypt. This news does not sit well back in Rome, but Mark Antony remained a big supporter of Caesar. Mark Antony joined forces with Marcus Lepidus, one of Caesar's generals in the Roman civil war that erupted soon afterwards . The civil war ended with Antony and his supporters returning to Egypt, and Octavian and his Liberatores taking over Rome itself, with Octavian assuming the title Augustus and reigning as the first Roman Emperor.
The Roman or Julian Dynasty of Egypt begins officially after Julius Caesar's death in 34 BC. His son Caesarion takes the throne of Egypt in 31 BC at sixteen years old as Pharoah Ptolemy Caesarion I. He is helped in the ongoing struggle with Rome by Mark Antony, his godfather, and many of his father's former head generals who stayed loyal to him until the end.

In Maabusu Pharoah Akerantep II continues the fight to reunite the kingdom, however by 95 BC he is forced to admit that Zahran will probably never be forcibly reunited with the rest of the former Maabusan territory.

Zahran soon proves to be a powerful kingdom that will be around for a long time to come. The Zahransi, having made peace with Maabasu and established themselves as their own independent kingdom, compete with the southern land trade in the south with Mimbabwe. In 75 BC Mimbabwe is conquered by Parushta and becomes governed directly by the Parushta Council of Seven.
Akerantep II ends his reign of twenty years a happy man, content to have restored Maabusu to a semblence of its former self. He is succeeded by Rashida II, second reigning female Monarch of Aquert and first of the reunited Maabusu. Rashida II maintains an uneasy peace with Zahran, Parushta and Riamulaza.

In Ethiopia Aksum power continues to grow at the expense of rival Kingdoms in the area though they are not yet the dominant power.

Around the year 1 AD Christ(Yeshua) is born. He would change the world.

1 AD- 100 AD:
Christ causes quite a stir in Israel. In the end he is executed for his teachings, but it is said by many witnesses that he rose again three days later. Regardless, the result is the new faith of Christianity is born, and it spreads like wildfire, first south into the Arab tribes, the Nabateans being one of the most notable Arab Kingdoms to adopt Christianity, then North-East into Armenia, which soon becomes Christian as well.
It spreads into Egypt, where it becomes popular with a growing minority of Egyptians, but it is feared by Pharoah Ptolemy Caesarion I. His successor, Pharoah Ptolemy Caesarion II carries out a great persucution of Christians in Egypt, and many are killed for their faith.

The faith spreads into the Roman Empire as well, a big contributor to this are the Greek Churches planted by Paul the Apostle. The Christians are persucuted in the Roman Empire as well, by Emperor Nero most famaosly.

Christianity also spreads south of Egypt into Meroe Nubia and Ethiopia. The new faith is adopted by the rising Aksum Kingdom. From there it spreads into Maabusu and Riamulaza.

Queen Rashida IV, the reigning Monarch(who succeeded Rashida III in 10 BC) of Maabusu is alarmed by the new faith at first when it first arrives in 45 AD, but decides not to criminalize or perscucute the faith after hearing some of the tenets from Christians she allows into her court. The Christians believe in honoring earthly rulers. It isn't the divine status Rashida III is used to, but it isn't a threat either so she decides to ignore it.
In Riamulaza King Riolak III is not as generious, and Christians face severe persucution under his reign.

Rashida IV dies in 47 AD, leaving the throne of Maabusu to her son Musa II. By this time, after living under over a century and a half of capable female rulers, the tradition of only male Pharoahs is long since abolished.
Musa II is a capable ruler. He becomes known as the Philosopher King, because of his avid patronage of philosophers and various religious sects, who often have lively debates at court. He allows fleeing Christians from Riamulaza to settle in Maabusu. Christians also flee into Ethiopia, where they are welcomed by the growing power that is Aksum.

Parushta solidifies its control in Mozambique, and also conquers the various petty kingdoms in Southern Tanzania. They are stopped from conquering any further north by the Zahransi, and fight a brutal war on land and sea with Parushta to maintain their control of their southern regions.

Musa II dies after thirty years on the throne in 77 AD. Before his death he is said to have converted to Christianity. His entire kingdom mourns him. It is said this marks the true end of Pharoahnic Maabasu and the start of Christian Maabasu.

Nevertheless Musa II's successor, Mosi I retains the title of Pharoah. At first he maintains the tradition of his ancestors. When the priests, growing increasingly alarmed at the influence of Christianity in the Kingdom share their concerns with the Pharoah, Mosi I dismisses them as alarmists.

This infuriates the Priestly Class of Aquert, and they begin a plot to overthrow the King and place one of their own in his place. Mosi I discovers the plot, and then banishes the priests from his kingdom. Riamulaza and Zahransi both welcome the priests, being continued patrons of the Ancient Egyptian religion.
Mosi I then converts to Christianity in 87 AD, and declares Christianity the official new faith of the Kingdom. There is no iconoclasm under his reign however, and Mosi I keeps the title of Pharoah along with many of the traditions that come with it.

In 100 AD the Kingdom of Aksum conquers all of Ethiopia, begining yet another new era in the region.

100 AD-200 AD:
Aksum is ascendant. The Aksum Empire quickly becomesa major player in the commerce between the Roman Empire and Ancient India. The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own currency, they quickly state established hegemony over the declining Kingdom of Kush/Nubia and regularly entered the politics of the kingdoms on the Arabian peninsula, including the Himyarite Kingdom, which becomes Aksum’s greatest ally in the region.

Where Aksum goes it brings Christianity with it, and the Kings of Aksum are great sponsors of missionary activity, bringing Christianity as far away as India(where it becomes a minority faith along the southern coastal cities of the subcontinent).

In 145 AD Roman Egypt fights a war with the Numidian Kingdom, which has come to control all of northern Africa except Egypt itself. The Egyptians barely manage to drive the Numidians out. Rome then begins plans on conquering Egypt(followed by the nearby regions of Western Asia), but then something they never except happens: The Aksum Empire invades Egypt before they can. Aksum swiftly conquers the weakened Egyptians, and are welcomed by the many Christians in the area. The Aksum Empire in just 45 years now spans all of Ethiopia, Nubia(where the Nubian Kushite King is allowed to rule as governor), Northern Somalia and Egypt itself.

Rome decides it would be unwise to start a war with this new super power that has appeared and instead focus on fighting the Celts. Aksum is well aware of the great persucution of Christians in the Roman Empire, and takes an active role helping Christians escape when possible. This angers the Romans, and they soon begin planning an invasion of the Aksum Empire from Egypt.

Fearful of Aksum’s power, Riamulaza relaxes its policies toward Christians. Zahransi and Parushti are tolerant to begin with, both being rather cosmopolitan themselves, and profit greatly from the new Aksum Empire. Aksum coins soon become the legal tender of choice threwout north western and south central Africa, and are even used in Parthia and as far away as India.
Rome views Aksum as a far greater threat than Carthage was, perhaps the greatest threat to the Roman Empire in its history. Rome prepares for War.

In 165 AD the Romans start sending armies south from Syria and also across the Meditarrean, landing on the beaches of Northern Egypt. Rome also enlists the aid of its ally, Numidia, which sends forces into Egypt to aid the Romans against Aksum. Aksum responds forcably by sending armies North from Ethiopia by land and by sea. The King of Aksum also allies himself with the Parthian Empire, which invades Rome’s asian posessions, forcing Rome to divert forces to defend those areas.

As a result, Rome is forced out of Egypt. The Numidians are crushed in battle with Aksum troops as well, and forced to pay a small tribute for afew years after the war ends.
 
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I like it. I can't comment on much since I know little of sub-Saharan Africa but you're doing a okay job at it. You have like one or two typos but otherwise, it's a decent start. I don't know enough about the area.

As for the Egyptian dynasty name, may I suggest the Julio-Ptolemaic dynasty as it's a continuation of the matrilineal Ptolemaic line, infused with the Roman blood of the Julia family via his father Caesar. Caesarion was a nickname given to him due to his origins but he, like his male ancestor and predecessors, was named Ptolemy. The Roman-ness of Caesarion and his successors would be superficial and would be diluted as they assimilate to Egypt's dominant Hellenistic culture. As with Caesarion, his successor would not be named Caesarion but named Ptolemy. I could see Caesar (Kaisar) becoming a popular epithet for the Julio-Ptolemaic pharaohs.

In regards to Egypt becoming a part of the Aksumite Empire, you're going to need the center of power move north. Not doing so would leave an opportunity for the Greco-Egyptian nobility to rebel. They would find the idea of being ruled by some distant un-Hellenized barbarian king to be repugnant. The Aksumite ruler is going to have to move his capital close to Egypt but at the same time, not too distant from his people. I recommend the city of Meroe, capital of the former Kushite kingdom, to become the new imperial capital of Aksum. You can bet on the Aksumite kings giving the city quite a makeover. I can imagine the best Abyssinian, Hellenistic and Nubian architects to make something really awesome and worthy of envy.
 
Thankyou Cuāuhtemōc that was a great post. Lets go threw your points

I'm going to change Caesarion to Pharoah Ptolemy-Caesarion I, as you suggested. The plan would be for them to eventually revive the style and customs of Ancient Egypt, as our real world Cleopatra was planning. But this of coarse would be a Greco-Roman fusion with Ancient Egypt styles. The Egyptian Legions already identify with the eagle, so I don't think it is too much of a stretch to say that Horus will become the Egyptian patron god of the Egyptian military(the avenger).

They will chaff under the rule of Aksum for awhile, as the nobility will be allowed to exist and govern provided they show fealty and tribute to their Aksumite masters.

However Aksum as you said will be getting an important change, as they move the capital from Aksum itself to Meroe, and rebuild it into an awe inspiring city.

So the plan would be for Ptolemic Egypt to continue under foreign occupation for awile.

The Roman Empire will be a factor for awhile longer. I'm thinking maybe a divergence here that will lead to an early split. The Romans will become even worse persecutors of Christians, leading to a mass migration east to the Greek areas of the Empire, and this will lead to the early rise and establishment of the Byzantine Empire.

I'm wondering if the Armenians should play a major factor in bringing this part about.

In Africa I'm also planning on bringing in some of the West African civilizations. I have to do alittle research on them first to see what was going on there very early first millennium AD.
 
I recommend you talk to NikoZnate regarding more detail on ancient Egyptian practices to get a feel for how Egyptianized the Julio-Ptolemaic dynasty would be, following the example of Queen Cleopatra. I am not surprised that Ptolemy Caesarion would decide to enact military reforms and make the full transition of the Egyptian military from the phalanx to the more mobile legion. The Ptolemies and the other Successor states had experimented with similar units as a supplement to the peltasts and phalanx but never relied on them on their own, at least until Rome came around. Horus is an perfect pick as patron god of the Egyptian army, being the Egyptian god of war. The eagle is also a symbol of resurrection for Christians and be perfect for Aksum to adopt.

I can assume that Christianity is going a much more eastern-oriented religion than IOTL since you have Aksum and the Nabatean Arabs converting to the new faith. I see that as interesting to see the changes will undergo as it comes into contact with African, Near Eastern and South Asian civilizations and gains some converts. If the Roman empire is going to become more hostile to Christianity, a better place for refuge would be Aksum or whoever's controlling Persia at the moment. St. Paul wouldn't exist and if he did, he would probably be a little-known figure. Christianity would probably stay more in touch with its Jewish roots - meaning dietary rules and circumcision. And there would be no Byzantine empire. I'm just saying.
 
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The plan was for Aksum to eventually become "The Holy Ethiopian Empire", and Christianity would take after Ethiopian Christianity, so it would be very Jewish, sort of like they are in real life actually.

So no Byzantine Empire, well in that case I suppose having the Roman Empire break up into Celtic kingdoms, and the various Hellenistic states it had conquered would be the way to go. Of coarse we will have the Germanic and then Norse invasions later.

You would then have a Southern, rather than Western High Civilization development, which is part of my Afrocentric timeline idea.

I want to have the Arab kingdoms have a big part too.
 
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