Collaborative timeline: Dunes of the Desert, a Timeline without Islam

[Blacklister]

I will most likely be contributing more in the 14th century, after the map overviews are posted. Note: I suggest that a Dunes of the Desert map game (Part 2) should start in 1500. If, say, players lose interest in the map game, we can create a Part 3 to this timeline.

 

[Tomislav Addai]

What we are going to discuss here is the shape that Christianity is going to take in Agnovia (1), I mean Manden Kufabafa (2). As of the thirteenth century, Agnovia is a cultural region extending between the Teneré Desert in the north and the lush rainforests along the coast in the south. It is a cultural region to such an extent comparable to India or China, with limited contact northwards across the Teneré.

To understand how what shape Christianity is going to take shape along the Niger River, we ought to firstly take a look at what is the form of Christianity that reaches the area in the first place. You see, what we are familiar with as “Catholic Christianity” has greatly taken influences from the Mediterranean classical world, from the Hellenistic mystery cults of the Greco-Roman cultural substratum.

The sect active in Tamasga (3) at the time were called Donatists. The region had a tradition of previously being in opposition to Rome itself, considering the Punic wars, and North Africa had been oriented at maritime trade, while the highland regions were home to Berber clansmen, living pastoralist lives. The lowlands used to have a developed urban culture, while the countryside was dotted with large agricultural holdings.

When speaking of the distinctions that marked the distinction between Catholics and the early Donatists, first of all it has to do with the pardoning of sins. The Donatists were in favour of the church being a community “It does, however, appear that African Christianity always included a vigorous and fanatical element that must have had its effect in spreading the new religion, even though there is little evidence of positive missionary efforts.“ (4). This statemennt hints that an element of uncompromising religious zeal was present in the form that Christianity took up in North Africa. I will help myself again with the following quote

Classical ruins in Numigia
„The churches in numerous communities, especially in Numidia, followed Donatus from the start and claimed that they alone constituted the true church of the martyrs, who were objects of particularly enthusiastic veneration among African Christians. Some Donatists were killed when their churches were confiscated, the victims being honoured as martyrs, but in 321 Constantine rejected further pressure, and the Donatists continued to increase rapidly in numbers. For the rest of the century, they probably made up half the Christians in North Africa. They were strongest in Numidia and Mauretania Sitifensis, and the antischismatics predominated in the proconsular province of Africa; the position in the Mauretanias was more even, but Christianity did not spread rapidly there until the 5th century.“ (5)

We can really see that Donatism was pedominatly a Berber, to a much lesser extent a Punic affair, and virtually no Afirkans, that is Latinate population took part of it.We can really see some of the distinguishing traits of the early Donatist Church – a cult of martyrs, which will further inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Also characteristic is the question over which the schism has taken place – not Christology, but the question of divine mercy (6). The Donatists themselves were rather strict on this issue – people who denied their faith vis-à-vis the Roman persecutions, were seen as apostates. Ultimately, what you get is a branch of Christianity that really is strictly rigorist, telling you that you ought to rather die than commit sin. Furthermore, riches (mammon) were equated with sin. The virtues and sins play an important role for the Donastists, who try to eliminate any vices.

Of what happened to Donatism after the Vandal conquest and the Rhomaic reconquest we can see from here: “surviving Donatists were inevitably persecuted. Seriously weakened though it had been under the Vandals, the African church retained some traces of its vigour when it led the opposition of the Western churches to the theological policies of emperors at Constantinople—e.g., those of Justinian himself and also of Heraclius and Constans II immediately before the Arab invasions.“

The faith as described previously would be very much carried by the Tuaregs across the Teneré in the same manner. After all, the Tuaregs were of Berber origin themselves, so the cultural differences are not too great; the major adaptations are going to be caused by the desert environment. Previous ideas equating riches with mammon and sin continue to tell the desert nomads, that living a nomadic lifestyle is good for their salvation, for they cannot possess more than they are able to take with them. For the Tuaregs, Christianity is mostly a recipe, a way of life. True enough, you still are going to have priests and stuff, but do not expect a desert tribe to have highly educated theologians. Prophets and hermits yes, speaking through some sort of divine inspiration (7), spreading the message through the word of mouth, but not theologians writing thick books of philosophy.

Ruins of a church in Gao
Thus, when Christianity arrived in Gao, it had a message of practically telling you “do not build magnificent palaces, be a virtuous, righteous, just man and be careful not to commit any sin, because, well you do not want to get through all this process of pardoning. To fail is bad, to be an apostate that’s very bad. You don’t want it, right?” Although not literally saying it, offers people salvation through being just.

Upon reaching the Songhay people at Kawkaw (Gao), the ideas brought by the Tuaregs from the desert interacted already with the ideas present among the locals. The Songhay people speak a language belonging to the Nilo-Saharan group. Wikipedia says: “Among Nilo-Saharan speakers is the belief in Divinity; evil is caused by divine judgement and retribution; prophets as middlemen between Divinity and man.“ (8). These ideas match perfectly fine with the message passed to them by the Tuaregs. When taking a look at traditional Songhay beliefs, little information could be found (9). From the scarce information it appears that spirit possession, ancestor worship and witchcraft were ideas that have been deeply ingrained in Songhay culture. Thus, when reading the Gospels, the Songhay people literally take word-for-word what there has been said of people possessed by evil spirits. For them, the figure of Jesus was interpreted as a powerful shaman-healer, performing miracles. The practice of ancestor worship can be synchronized with the already existent cult of the martyrs. When these two ideas meet, the logical conclusion is to tell people: do not die on your beds, die as a hero on the battlefield!

The mud-brick city of Djenné
These ideas are then passed down to the Wagadou. The Wagadou realm further indigenizes the Christianity, incorporating more elements of the traditional faiths.

The Manden Kurufaba emerges in a region that practices Mande traditional religion with no Christian influences. The Mande society held in high respect the iron-workers and smiths, who formed a somewhat privileged caste. In fact, the caste system and the presence of secret societies (10) exists in the Mande culture (11). Prior to the spread of writing, it as particularly the iron .

Masks have been playing an important role in the rituals of Egnovia
Little is known of the original Mande religion, so these theories are going to mainly based on Dogon religious practices (12). The Dogon beliefs speak of a celestial diety called Amma, heading the divine triumvirate with the Water God Namma and the earth god Lebe. This belief can be transformed into the doctrine of the Holy trinity pretty easily.

In pre-Christian times, the coming of rain was an important part of religious life back then, as the area depended on seasonal rain. The festival of Bulo, marking the beginning of the rain season between May and June. This festival can be the date of a late Easter, marking the ending of the fasting period, a.k.a dry season.

Other important elements in the mythology is importance of certain trees, and animals (snakes, leopards, fish, lizards) and the bearing of masks. Other important traits are veneration of ancestors and a fixation on the star Sirius. The religious importance of this star is most probably due to its connection with the arrival of the rain season.

Further native art
So with all this background, what can we presume? Most likely, Christianity in the Mande cultural region is going to be dramatically different from that in Carthage, that´s for sure. The calendar of Christian festivals is going to be shifted, to make Easter celebrations corresponding with the beginning of the rain season; a period of 40-day fasting will precede it. Christmas celebrations are going to be somewhere near the middle of the dry season, or perhaps at its beginning. What can be said right now, the Mande people are going to be 100% sure that the star that stopped above Bethlehem was the Sirius star.

Priesthood is going to be passed down from father to son by a selected priestly caste, either those who used to be iron-workers or the griots. Priests are to have the role of shamans, doctors and healers. The Mansa himself has been seen as a sorcerer in the eyes of his subjects. Given the immense power of the Mande realm, we may be witnessing the emergence of a distinctly West African Christian denomination. Local traditions are very likely to syncretize with the arriving Christianity.
​

(1)Sahel/Sudan Region of Africa

(2)The empire of Mali

(3)Maghreb

(4)https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Africa/Christianity-and-the-Donatist-controversy#ref487504

(5) Same source

(6) The problem of the extent of divine mercy arose in western theology first with the debate between Augustine of Hippo, speaking of divine mercy – truly enough, he was the younger son from the parable, who found mercy in the eyes of his Father; and Pelagius, a dude in Roman Britain who taught that each is responsible for his of his own spiritual life (as when dealing with outlaws and rogues, he realized that they could just say well we didn’t receive the mercy). This debate continued during the Reformation, when Martin Luther spoke out on the salvation through grace alone, and then John Calvin spoke of predestination.

(7) Like Muhammad or John the Baptist

(8) Wikipedia: Traditional African Religion

(9) All of them have converted to Islam, although there appear to be certain traditional practices among the Dendi people

(10) Something in between guilds, freemasons and monastic orders

(11) Reminds me of Samuel Huntington, who claimed that social plurality was one of the defining traits of the Western Civilization. It appears it is a trait to be found also in the mande one as well.

(12) According to their own tradition, the Dogon in OTL have migrated into their current location from the Niger Valley to escape Islamic persecution.

Q: Any of you have some idea how to call this new denomination of Christianity? Some Mande word that translates as "Way of Healing?""Path of Virtue?"

@Blacklister looking forward to your contributions very much (y) !
As for the map game, it can be moved, not fixed in stone

 

[Tomislav Addai]

This chapter is going to deal with the other, so far uncovered parts of West Africa as well as the basin of Lake Tchad, which can be divided into three major cultural areas: Lower Songhai, Hausaland and the Forest Zone of West Africa.

The Zarma people in Lower Songhay have remained a rump realm, as Kawkaw has been conquered by the Mandes. They have mostly settled the middle part of the Niger River region in this time, the first wave being those who were refugees from Kawkaw, carrying bringing their Christian faith with them.

The garasslands that were home to the Zarma people
The Zarma people grow millet, sorghum during the rainy season (June to November). Living along the River Niger, some Zarma people rely on fishing, others are however herders.

To their northeast are the Tuaregs of the Air region, not yet settled, rather nomadic tribes of herders and caravan traders.

Further southwards there are the Hausa people. Kano has established itself as the leading of the Hausa city-states, rivalled by Zazzau the other ones being Zamfara, Gobir, Katsina, Birama and Daura. The Hausa realm was exporting wood, slaves, leather, cloth, salt, kola nuts, animal hides and henna. One may perhaps compare the Hausa system of city-states with that of ancient Sumer or Greece.

As can be seen above, theocratic rule has a long tradition in Africa
The Hausa religion is called Bori, and among its beliefs is the belief of spirit possession, and all the priestesses were female. The priestesses held high esteem in the Hausa society; and its rituals involved dancing and scarification.

Bori religion shown in copper
Continuing further eastwards, we reach the Basin of Lake Tchad. The Hausa region was culturally and commercially intertwined with the Tchad Basin. While linguistically distinct – the Hausa belonging to the Afro-Asiatic linguistic cluster, along with the Semitic, Berber, Cushitic and Coptic tongues, the Tchad Basin is however populated by speakers of the Kanouric languages, which have some relationship with the Songhay, Nilotic and Nubian tongues. This linguistic grouping is known as the Nilo-Kanouric languages. However, as the major rivers flowing through Hausa territory are actually in the watershed of Lake Tchad, it was more than expected that the Hausa peoples will get more and more influenced by whatever was going on at the banks of Lake Tchad?

So what has been going on in Tchad Basin for the last two centuries? Perhaps you have noticed that the area has been left out from the previous update. The Basin is dominated by the Kanem Empire. The name “Kanem”, under the name “anem” is presumed to mean “south” in both Teda and Kanuri languages, and denotes either the fact that the original founding clans had originated further northwards or by the position of the emepire itself to its major trading partners further northwards.

Ruins of a Kanembu fort
The core regions of Kanem remain in the vicinity of Lake Tchad, in the area that has not undergone such significant desiccation, and thus agriculture could grow in the area; the main direction of power projection was northwards, to control the trade routes in Fezzan, across the Teneré Desert, reaching to the coast of the Mediterranean. Instrumental in these campaigns have been the Kanuri conquest of the oasis-town of Bilma, and the campaigns continued further northwards.

While agriculture formed a significant part of the economy, large segments of the population were also pastoralists, herding horse, camel, cattle and sheep. The herders naturally also developed advanced skills in riding both horse and camel, and fighting from horseback and camelback as well.

A political map of the southern continent
Why did Kanem expand north, not south, you may ask? Well, if the source of their success has been cavalry and camelry, they are more likely to be willing to fight in open terrain, such as deserts and semi-desert, than the impenetrable forests further south. Moreover, the clans up northwards are actually culturally related to them, and as mentioned previously the empire is oriented northwards. Power was projected in other directions as well, although in a less direct form. Tributaries were also in the east, in Waddai, in the south as the Kotoko and Adamawa tribes, and a certain degree of influence was also felt among the Hausa as well.

Salt, copper (also used as a currency), tin (from Nigeria), cotton, hides, kola nuts, ivory, ostrich feathers, camels, and gold passed through the kingdom, as did slaves which were actively seized from neighbouring chiefdoms by the kings of Kanem, or given as tribute as mentioned above

The emperors bore the title of Mai and were of the Sayfawa dynasty, one of the longest ruling dynasties worldwide. The reign of Mai Dunama Dumalemmi in the mid-thirteenth century has been the period which has seen expansion northwards into the Fezzan. The incorporation of these regions, which have already had significant Christian population was ultimately destabilizing. The Mai used to rule its empire as god-king, as an absolute ruler, and his subjects believed he needs not to eat.

At some point in time, however the absolute rule of the God-King was exchanged for a system of hereditary vassals, who were given control over tracts of land. The Mai has thus come to share some of his power with the descendants of his loyal commanders in battlefield; this allowed however for a more direct control of the conquered regions, and made the boundaries of the empire of Kanem more realistic.

Languages of Africa in mid-13th century
As for the languages spoken in the Kanem Empire, most of them belong to the Kanuric branch of the Nilo-Tenerian languages: Kanembu is spoken in the regions around lake Tchad; further eastwards we have the Zaghawa or Beri language and in the northern reaches there are two Tebou languages, Tedaga and Dazaga.

Kanembu and related languages
The Kotoko city states can be found on the southern shore of Lake Tchad, being Kousseri, Logone, Makari and Mara.Directly to their south are the Mandara people, a Chadic people related to the Hausa living in highly organized chiefdoms.

The forest zone of West Africa is found to the south of the grassland zone and is covered in thick rainforest. The lush vegetation has been hindering the development of larger states in the area, as to do that one needs a higher concentration of population, which of course requird agriculture. To be able to farm, the peoples of the forest zone were in need of cutting down the rainforest – this was a herculean task and labour to do so was highly demanded. Therefore, the institution of slavery was common, and slaves were employed to cut down the trees and clear up the biomass.

The Mossi people in the Upper Volta region were organized into five major kingdoms: Wagadugu, Tenkodogo, Fada Ngourma and Zondoma. These kingdoms are not very large – one may compare them to the other existing city-states in the region such as the Hausa.

Mossi architecture
Among the other large chiefdoms in West Africa is Bonoman, found in the Akan (2), what can be described as a large tribal chiefdom held together by trade. The Akan people of Bonoman traded the gold they found within their realm for salt and slaves. Cultural practices, such as the use of stools, umbrellas to give shade to chiefs and weaving stem from this period

In the region of the Niger Delta, there are two major realms of Benin, the realm of the Edo peope and Nri, home to the Igbo people. Both are in contact with more advanced centres of civilization furthern northwest upstream of the Niger River

An example of Yoruba art

The Kwararafa have set up their realm in the valley of the Benue River. It can be described as a tribal chiefdom, and identified with the Jukun (or Takum) people. The capital of of Kwararafa was the hillfort at Wukari; it appears that the Kwararafa were headed by some priest-kings (3).

So this is it for what we know of in West Africa and parts of the Central Africa as well. The basins of the Congo Rainforest are predominatly populated by Bantu speakers, who have in general imposed their language on the Pygmy hunter-gatherers living deep inside the forest.

The Congo Rainforest​

1. Alternate name for Saharan languages
2. Later Ashanti, in OTL Ghana
3. Giving us a pagan form of theocracy.

Last chapter in this century ahead: North America

 

[Tomislav Addai]

My last chapter on the 13th century is to cover the North American continent (1). Being roughly twice the size of Europe, North America offers a vast variety of natural habitats, going from the Arctic tundra inhabited by various Inuit cultures, through the swampy taiga forests of the Subarctic, inhabited by various Athabascan and northern Algonquian peoples, who depended on hunting and gathering as their livelihood.

Languages of North America
Moving southwards into more temperate climates we have a larger variety of environments. True enough, along the Pacific coast we can meet a variety of tribes relying on fishing, such as the Haida and the Salish. As for California and the Great Basin, these are inhabited by numerous tribes – Califronia is a place of great linguistic diversity; the Great Basin, a very arid environment is largely inhabited by Uto-Aztecan speakers. These areas are however too far southwest and are outside of major concern of this update.

What we are to focus more upon is the great watershed of the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Seaboard, being the areas which have come into interaction with the Vinland settlers.
View attachment 535691
A Cahokian priest
The Mississippi watershed is the largest navigable watershed in the continent , in terms of land area, rivalling perhaps to that of the Amazon. The western parts of the drainage basin are more arid, being home to vast prairies, where Sioux and related tribes hunt the bison.

With the help of the river system, communication and trade routes were facilitated, allowing the development of large cities, around impressive mounds, fed by the growing maize as their stale food source.

Artist´s reconjstruction of a fortified settlement on the Middle Mississippi

The peoples of the Mississippian civilization are of varied origins: the Caddo people west of the lower Mississippi speak a unique language unlike most of their neighbours. Then we have the Appalachee people of Muscogeean settled in West Florida; and Taensa and Natchez peoples of the Lower Mississippi; the Ioway of Oneota in the Upper Mississippi and Cahokia at the Missouri-Upper Mississippi confluence. We can witness an advanced civilization and Cahokia appears to have had a larger population than London at the time.

It is known that these peoples have developed highly organized chiefdoms and were in contact with the Mesoamerican polities, and there is evidence of the Mesoamerican ball game reaching these areas.

Cahokian jewellery
The peoples in the Mississippian Valley have already been experienced in copper smelting; by the mid 13th century iron-smelting arrives into the Mississippi Valley through the Cánuáca (2), and allows the unification process of groups such as the Haudenosaunee or the Huron.

As for our small European settlements, the Lúmanar, descendants of Irish intermarried with local Innu hunter-gatherers of Nithasin dwindle in numbers as the winters get harsher; some of the more adventurous of them continue up stream of the Cánuáca river, trading with native Iroquian tribes and intermarrying with them (3), bringing with them some iron-working skills into the region; in fact linguistic analysis has shown that native Iroquian words for iron and related vocabulary have descended from the Irish terms.

As for Vinlanders, their population in 1200 AD was roughly 70 000; na dit continued to grow as more and more people have been arriving from Greenland and Iceland and the Faroes; by the 1250s it has tripled to around 220 000. Overpopulation of the island of Vinland was becoming an issue and as the climate is getting harsher, Vinlandic explorers, still formidable navigators, continue to explore the coastal regions.

One of the localities which they view as most formidable is the estuary of the Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk (4) River, as it was named by the native Mahican people. This name was slightly changed by the Vinlanders to Møkentik, and they establish one of their trading posts at Manhattan. However, soon the Vinlanders found out that the local peoples, of Algonquian origin – the Mahican, the Mohawk and the Lenape were being attacked by the more powerful Iroquians further upstream. Thus Karl Hjarlson an experienced merchant and adventurer senses the opportunity. With three ships fully loaded with warriors, iron weapons and horses, he sails to Manhattan, from where he unites the quarrelling Algonquian chiefs and leads them in battle against the Iroquis.

A political map of North America
Winning the battle, he is proclaimed as king of the Lenape, and his kingdom of Lenapehoking is one of the early North American kingdoms established under Vinlander patronage. Lenapehoking saw the arrival of some 40 000 Vinlanders, who intermarried with the native Lenape

This success inspired another captain to enter the estuary of the Connecticut River to establish his own principality as well – the kingdom of Mattabesic.

As for the Mikmaq, they are recovering slowly from the blow caused by the diseases, with their numbers at roughly 75 000 as of 1300 AD. Smaller chiefdoms in the northeast continue to arise, and time will show who will unite the Wabanaki people. Will it be the Mikmaq, the Penobscott, or the Pennacook?

With the arrival of iron, it appears that there shall be some significant changes in the society, bringing about the rise of new ideas, and new religious thought....​

1. Yes I know it is not going to go under this name, but due to my lack of better terminology currently, it will have to go under this name.
2. Saint Lawrence River
3. Irish DNA admixture can be found among modern Stadaconan and Hochelagan Iroquois, and in the vicinity of major hillforts of the Huron and Haudenosaunnean groups even today.
4. Hudson River

 

[Tomislav Addai]

 

[Hohensaufen]

View attachment 535723

Great work

 

[Tomislav Addai]

the map above shows us the forms of society organziation in AD 1300:

1. Tribal (brown)- tribal realms ruled by mighty chiefs can be found throughout much of Africa and Siberia, as well as more remote parts of Asi.
2. Nomadic (golden) - much of the Steppe and the Teneré (Sahara)
3. Feudal (blue) - the feudal system is inherently tied to western Christendom, but can also be found in parts of Arabia, Subtenerean Africa and elsewhere. Relies on the power of the military caste, who own most of the land
4. Republic (pink)- republican societies can be found mainly in places where the wealthy merchants have taken control, in place such as Aden, Alexandria, Novgorod, but mainly northern Italy, Iceland and parts of Spain
5. Despotic monarchy (indigo) -can be found in various emergent states mainly outside the reach of Christendom
6. Caste (purple) - native to India
7. Mandala (carrot) - native to Southeast Asia
8. Hierocratic (beige) -developped in Egypt and was adopted by African states in its proximity
9. Theocracy (white)
10. Meritocracy (green) - The Chinese meritocratic system was inherited by the Yuan dynasty .
11. Imperial (purple) - Rhomania
12. Plutocracy (cream) - government based on small rulers of city states, who are of monarchic nature but their primary source of income is through trade
13. Monastic Feudal (brown) - Tibet
14. Monastic State (light blue) - a unique form of government specific to the area held by the Brotherhood of the Warriors of Faith, a Donatist military order
15. Daimyo (yellow) - Japan. Unique Japanese brand of feudalism

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Hello folks, readers and fans. I d like to invite you all to a new discord server, aimed at discussing and planning this timeline. I hope this will give a platform for more discussion and make the timeline true to its name, to make really a collaborative project, not just mine.

Discord - A New Way to Chat with Friends & Communities

Discord is the easiest way to communicate over voice, video, and text. Chat, hang out, and stay close with your friends and communities.

discord.gg

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Europe:
Latin is used throughout much of western Europe, making it with the Vinlanders to North America as well; the Lusitans have brought it to the Macaronesian islandas as well, and Latinate kingdoms have established it at the Atlas Mountains in Tamasga (Maghreb) as well
Cyrillic is used mainly by Slavic Orthodox peoples, such as the Russians and Serbs
Greek is well used in the Rhomaic Empire
Gothic script remains in use in Crimea
Glagolitic remains a thing in Croatia
Vlach is a distinct script used by the Latinate peoples of the Balkans. It is based of both Latin, Greek and also some Cyrillic inspiration as well
Old Turkic script is the dominant in the western Steppe, particulalry in the Golden Horde
Manichean script is used by the Bolghars at the confluence of Volga and Kama rivers
Khazar script is used in Dagestan
Asia
The Caucasus sees the Armenians,Georgians and Aghbanians use their distinct scripts. Samaritan,Hebrew and Mandaic are used by their respective communities in small numbers (Note Hebrew is to be found in Mesopotamia; large part of Jerusalem and surroundings uses Greek script); Syriac is among the dominant writing systems from Syria throughout Mesopotamia into the Persian Gulf. Mazouni depicted in pink is used in Mazoun (Oman)
The Arabian Peninsula sees two additional scripts,Arabic and Himyaritic (South Arabian)

The Iranian Plateau uses Pahlavi script. Further along the Silk Road we can see Sogdian and Uyghur which has become also the standard writing system of the Turks further westwards.Kharoshti is the standard writing system used by Buddhist communities along the Silk Road. Ultimately in the east we have Mongolian,Manchu, and Chinese Characters. However, the Yuan dynasty has established a diferent official script for their empire, the Phags-pa, based upon Tibetan

As for the Brahmic scripts, no major differences from OTL, with expcetion of the Landa script around Punjab, which is closely connected to Roshblani Manichean religion.
Africa
Tifinagh script is closely connected to the Berbers, who have introduced writing in Songhai; Songhaic script got adapted to Mande phonology in Mali; in the east, we can see Coptic in Egypt,Nubian further south, Geez in Ethiopia, Himyaritic in Qafar and Qoraal in Somalia. Kinari writing system in East Africa is descended from the Brahmic scripts

 

[Zireael]

You seem to have made the majority of the text black (except "The Caucasus sees"), rendering it unreadable in dark theme.

 

[Tomislav Addai]

You seem to have made the majority of the text black (except "The Caucasus sees"), rendering it unreadable in dark theme.

A this should do. Check now.

 

[Teutonic_Thrash]

View attachment 536194
Europe:
Latin is used throughout much of western Europe, making it with the Vinlanders to North America as well; the Lusitans have brought it to the Macaronesian islandas as well, and Latinate kingdoms have established it at the Atlas Mountains in Tamasga (Maghreb) as well
Cyrillic is used mainly by Slavic Orthodox peoples, such as the Russians and Serbs
Greek is well used in the Rhomaic Empire
Gothic script remains in use in Crimea
Glagolitic remains a thing in Croatia
Vlach is a distinct script used by the Latinate peoples of the Balkans. It is based of both Latin, Greek and also some Cyrillic inspiration as well
Old Turkic script is the dominant in the western Steppe, particulalry in the Golden Horde
Manichean script is used by the Bolghars at the confluence of Volga and Kama rivers
Khazar script is used in Dagestan
Asia
The Caucasus sees the Armenians,Georgians and Aghbanians use their distinct scripts. Samaritan,Hebrew and Mandaic are used by their respective communities in small numbers (Note Hebrew is to be found in Mesopotamia; large part of Jerusalem and surroundings uses Greek script); Syriac is among the dominant writing systems from Syria throughout Mesopotamia into the Persian Gulf. Mazouni depicted in pink is used in Mazoun (Oman)
The Arabian Peninsula sees two additional scripts,Arabic and Himyaritic (South Arabian)

The Iranian Plateau uses Pahlavi script. Further along the Silk Road we can see Sogdian and Uyghur which has become also the standard writing system of the Turks further westwards.Kharoshti is the standard writing system used by Buddhist communities along the Silk Road. Ultimately in the east we have Mongolian,Manchu, and Chinese Characters. However, the Yuan dynasty has established a diferent official script for their empire, the Phags-pa, based upon Tibetan

As for the Brahmic scripts, no major differences from OTL, with expcetion of the Landa script around Punjab, which is closely connected to Roshblani Manichean religion.
Africa
Tifinagh script is closely connected to the Berbers, who have introduced writing in Songhai; Songhaic script got adapted to Mande phonology in Mali; in the east, we can see Coptic in Egypt,Nubian further south, Geez in Ethiopia, Himyaritic in Qafar and Qoraal in Somalia. Kinari writing system in East Africa is descended from the Brahmic scripts

1) Is Khazar derived from Old Turkic?
2) What is Mazouni exactly?

 

[Tomislav Addai]

1) Is Khazar derived from Old Turkic?
2) What is Mazouni exactly?

Indeed Khazar Rovás is descended from Old Turkic , and it's descendant was Hungarian Rovás.

Mazouni script is the writing system (abjad) used in Oman, based upon Nestorian Syriac script, and is used in Mazoun (Oman).
Its language is a variety of South Arabian influenced by Aramaic and Persian and Baloch

 

[Tomislav Addai]

A quick rough sketch of existing trade routes in the 13th century

 

[Tomislav Addai]

So yeah, here we have the linguistic map. What has changed? Well we have some more Turkic inroads into *Turkmenistan* and *Khorasan*, Danes settling the Pommeranian coast and the Hungarian Alfold becoming a melting pot of Cumans, Hungarians and Pechenegs. And then we have the Turks and Armenians settling Anatolia

 

[Tomislav Addai]

A map of religion in the Old World at 1300AD.
What is not depicted: Jewish communities: significant minority in Bética (*Andalusia*), Rhineland, cities of Lower Kemet and Yemen.
Similarly, the Hindu communities on the Kinara (*Swahili*) coast are home to significant Msadeqi and pagan minorities.

Do you guys also want each of the religions described separately? Also, who is willing to write a chapter or two for the next half-a-century ?

 

[ArcBeetle]

View attachment 536744

Do you guys also want each of the religions described separately?

Yes. Please, could you make it?

 

[Aurantiacis]

Will this TL have any non-QBAM maps?

 

[Iron_Lord]

Hey, what Happened to Axum/ethiopia?

 

[Iron_Lord]

View attachment 536744
A map of religion in the Old World at 1300AD.
What is not depicted: Jewish communities: significant minority in Bética (*Andalusia*), Rhineland, cities of Lower Kemet and Yemen.
Similarly, the Hindu communities on the Kinara (*Swahili*) coast are home to significant Msadeqi and pagan minorities.

Do you guys also want each of the religions described separately? Also, who is willing to write a chapter or two for the next half-a-century ?

Also, Whats happening at the center of Axum?