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

[Tomislav Addai]

The Land of the Midnight Sun- A Land of Always Winter
The conditions in Greenland were gradually worsening, although the Norse Greenlanders could not sense actually when the climate has dropped beneath a certain point of of inhospitability. More likely, one could argue that it was in fact a boiling-syndrome, as the decrease in temperature was very gradual. Provided the connection with Norway remains secure, all material necessary could be imported from further southwards, while the Norse provided walrus ivory to the European market, often selling it through middlemen as unicorn horns with magical effects. In fact, with this export item, Greenland provided way more money to Norway than Iceland, which humbled itself mainly to sheep wool.

Walrus tusks were the essential export item of Greenland
However, as the cooling continued, even the most adaptable crops failed, and as the willow groves of the coastal areas were cut down, the very little soil available in the country has sand and grovel blown on top of it, vastly reducing its fertility. With the climate worsening, the waters of the North Atlantic in the Greenland Sea become rougher and more treacherous, and contact with both Iceland and then ultimately Norway weakens. Once the Black Death kills of around a third of Norway´s population, the dangerous maritime link with Norway ceases to exist, as the country itself is troubled with its internal problems and has to deal with the pandemic. Few would dare the risky voyage to the northern end of the world.
People in Greenland had experienced multiple crop failures by now. For quite a time, they had come into contact with a people they named as the Skraelings (1), dressed in seal skins, living a nomadic life and living mainly by hunting the sea mammals for food. Ever since their arrival, the Norse were reluctant to adopt these customs from their neighbours and looked at them with suspicion. Nevertheless, as food was becoming scarce, the Norse were forced to supplement their diet with hunting. Many young men had to attempt risky hunting voyages along the coast, perhaps hundreds of miles away from home, or else risk starvation.

Climate in Greenland is getting colder and colder..
These hunting expeditions in the rough sea were highly dangerous, and it may be assumed that accidents, where many able-bodied men were killed were often common.
Ultimately, the Greenlanders decide that enough is enough. Once a ship blown off-course from Vinland reaches their shores, the Greenlanders approach the captain and plea for the captain to take them with him. At first five ships were equipped and evacuated the Western Settlement. Then, ten ships returned for the people of the Eastern Settlement; a few of them had already moved to neighbouring Iceland.
What happened to the Middle Settlement remains a mystery. Like the buildings in the Western and Eastern Settlements, there remain signs of an orderly abandonment of the buildings. Later explorers found occasional bodies of Norsemen dressed in the Inuit fashion. So perhaps some of them reduced their society and adapted to the ever more hostile environment, and implying the Middle Settlement was the first to be abandoned. Others claim, that the people of the Middle Settlement had abandoned their villages and after perhaps some hunting accidents moved to the Eastern and Western Settlements, or attempted to quit themselves, but their ships sunk in the dangerous waters. Or perhaps they have managed to reach Iceland, where there were abandoned farms after the Black Death. With the Black Death taking a high toll, it may explain why we read no mentions of Greenlander refugees – perhaps there were few of them, and the chroniclers had more urgent things to worry about, not some five hundred people coming to occupy vacant farms.
Vinland – An Isolated Outpost?
By the 14th century, all links between Vinland and Europe are effectively lost. The use of Latin script, until now only sporadic in some official records by this period comes completely out of use, and we can see a resurgence of the use of the runic script – this may be due to other complex changes to the society as well.

By the mid-fourteenth century, the population of Vinland peaks at 350 000. This number, connected with population tensions and a harsher climate is to drop to smaller number, as many head southwards.

The largest settlements are Leifsbudir 30 000, Erikshófn with 20 000 and Straumfjordr (2) with 10 000. Note the fact that Leifsbudir takes over as the capital of the realm rather than Erikshófn.

By now, much of the taiga forest of Vinland has been cut down, as more and more land was taken for agriculture, and trees were cut down for timber. However, by this time, all the fertile land was taken, and as winter is coming, with temperatures getting colder as time passes by, the yields are smaller and crop failures more often. Therefore, many Vinlanders are eager to do the same thing that their forefathers did to arrive in the country they call home in the first place: to look for new lands, available for them to settle, with a more temperate climate.

With roughly 70 000 departing for Degunarsland further southwards, and a another 70 000 having left for Matabessic and Lenapehoking, and another 30 000 establish outposts and small merchant communities or serve as mercenaries across much of the continent, the population of Vinland sinks back to some 190 000 people on the Vinland island itself, which relieves the population pressure on the island.

The Land of Dawn
The wooded coastal areas stretching southwards from the Mikmaq realm as far southwards as the Massachusetts Bay, where the realm of Mattabesic begins are populated by several tribal groupings: the Mikmaq, Maliseet, Penobscott and Pennacook, sharing a common language and culture, known collectively as the Abenaki, or People of Dawn, as their homeland is the Land of the Rising Sun, in reference to the continent they inhabit.

While at first relying on fishing and hunting for living, gradually as the peoples had come into contact with peculiar red-haired, bearded men who possess weapons of an unknown material, and carved peculiar symbols into wood and stone. Formidable warriors, the strangers from the north cut down trees in order to grow a peculiar type of grass and strange animals unseen before.

A depiction of life in the Abenaki communities
Ultimately, one of the chieftains, a man named Gwalni Helgison (4), landed at a place called Oranbega (5) with five ships and two hundred warriors. Gwalni and his men knew of the Abenaki well, there had been indeed Vinlander merchants often arriving at the largest hillfort of the Penobscott tribe named Pessamkuk (6), found on top of a hillock on a small island overlooking the sea, and separated from the mainland by a narrow strait.

Bwalni and his men, armed with superior weapons were able to overcome the amazed Abenaki, and declared themselves “Kings of Dawn” (Døgunarkonung in Icelandic, Degwunakunuk in an indiginizid dialect), and many people from Vinland were more than happy to join Bwalni and his adventurers, who had just carved a realm for his men, just as Karl Hjarlsson has done roughly a century ago further southwards, for farmland has become scarce in Vinland proper.

Roughly seventy thousand Vinlanders have moved southwards into the “Wabanahkih” – or as it has come to be known Degunarsland, literally meaning Land of Dawn.

Lenapehoking and Mattabessic
The realms of Lenapehoking and Mattabesic, established at the mouths of Møkenik and Quinetuket (7) Rivers are strikingly similar: both had been established by Norse adventurers who managed to dominate the coastal Algonquian peoples: the Mohegan or Mohican peoples for Mattabesic and the Lenape in Lenapehoking. By the late 14th century, the kings presiding over the Lenape, ruling over a larger, more populous realm, are able to subdue the realm of Mattabesic to their east.

Both of these realms have become home to significant Vinlander communites – perhaps some 70 000 together

Rise of the Powhatan
So far, we could have witnessed the domination of the Norse over various Eastern Algonquian peoples inhabiting the coastal areas of the Atlantic.

A linguistic map of eastern Mackinack
Tsenacommacah or simplified as Senakomka is the name a native people (8) gave to their land west of the Chesepyook Bay, literally meaning densely populated land. The area has come home to powerful chieftains, with a title of Mamanatowick.

Tsenacommacah, or Senakomka was found in one of the most fertile regions on the continent, and its residents lived in villages protected by wooden palisade, and their people cultivated maize, beans, squash and vegetables. The people were divided into a number of tribes, such as the Appomatoc, Arrohatock, Chesepeake,Kecoughtan, Nansemond,Paspanegh, Potchayick, Powhatan, Quoyocohannock, Warrascock and Weanock – and these being only the tribes in the central region of the Senakomka country.

A reconstruction of a Powhatan village
The chiefs of the Powhatan tribe were the ones who actually became the paramount chiefs of the entire Senakomka region. As such, they ruled over at least 500 000 people, and once having discovered iron ore deposits (9), the Powhatan take advantage of getting knowledge of iron-working techniques, due to gradual diffusion by Norse ironsmiths.

The Cánuáca Seaway
Living north of the Vinland Sea are some hunter-gatherer bands of the Lúmanar, speaking a mixed Irish-Innu language, inhabiting the land of Nithasin. Their lands are attacked by Vinlanders, who subjugate them and demand tribute.

The Vinlanders (as well as number of Greenlander refugees) establish a fortified hillfort at Saguenay, located inland to the northwest of the Cánuaca delta, and has become one of the major places of collecting tribute in the form of both furs and timber, which is sent on small boat down the Saguenay River, where, at the estuary it is again reshipped and sent to Vinland

The Cánuáca (10) River is one of the largest rivers in the Mackinack (11) and connects the Vinland Sea with the Great Lakes, enabling thus access to the Mississippi Plains. As such, the Cánuáca River has come to be one of the most important arteries and trade routes. As mentioned previously, the Cánuáca Valley is populated by Iroquian peoples, more often than not at odds with their Algonquian neighbours.

The major hillforts in the river valley itself are Hochelaga and Stadacona, and this area has already been in contact with the Lúmanar people who had introduced some domestic animals and metal-working during the past centuries.

A little further southwards lies a number of tribes speaking related Iroquian languages: from west to east being Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk. These peoples are now mainly growing maize, and have a matrilineal society.

The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are one of the dominant natural features in the eastern half of Mackinack, consisting of a network of interconnected lakes, beginning with Lake Gitchigan (12) in the west, then continuing with Lakes Michigan and Huron further downstream, then followed by Lake Ontario further eastwards, which is connected to Lake Erie by the iconic Niagara waterfalls.

The Niagara Falls
The Great Lakes, as inland seas with still waters offer an incentive to lacustrine navigation in the area.

When considering linguistics, two different people groups can be found inhabiting the lakeside regions. While the eastern two lakes: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, as well as the eastern shores of Lake Huron are populated largely by Iroquoian peoples, such as the Huron and Wyandot peoples in the Ontario peninsula and the Erie tribe to the south of the eponymous lake, or the Iroquois living east of Lake Ontario, the western parts of the Great Lakes Basin are inhabited primarily by Algonquian peoples – the Potawatomi and Ottawa in Michigan, the large peninsula between lake Michigan and Huron having the shape of a left-hand palm, the Ojibway or Chippewa peoples west of Lake Gitchigan and then the various Meskwaki, Sauk and Kickapoo peoples to the west of Lake Michigan. The sole exception were the Winnebago peoples speaking a Siouan language living at the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan

Lacustrine trade has helped establish a network of trade and exchange of ideas; both the Algonquians and Iroquians have stablished numerous coastal port cities, and in contact with each other. The common crops farmed by peoples here are mainly maize, beans and squash ,but also wild rice, an indigenous plant growing in the region. The peoples of the region also grow orchards of sugar maple, being used for collecting maple syrup.

The Ojibwe warriors are becoming the dominat power in the Great Lakes region
The arrival of iron tools into the Great Lakes region dramatically changes the power relations in the area. The access to this vital metal will give advantage over those that lack it: when considering, there are abundant iron ore mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the home of the Menominee people, and at the north-western shores of Lake Gitchigan, which is home to the Chibeway or Ojibwe people.

As such, these two nations are thus the most likely candidates for expansion in the Great Lakes region. The primary target for Menominee expansion are their neighbours across Lake Michigan: the Ottawas and Potawatomis living in the Left-hand palm Michigan peninsula. The Menominee occupy the region, and push the remaining Potawatomis southwards, into Miami and Erie territory.

A political map of northeastern Mackinack
Meanwhile, the target of Ojibwe expansion is the Oneota civilization, located at the upper reaches of the Mississippi river. This civilization, which shares some traits with the Cahokian complex and has their bearers being the Ho-Chunk people. While these attacks show us signs of plunder and result in a period of decline among the Oneota, there is no evidence of movement of larger groups of Ojibwe into the upper Mississippi region. Rather, the Ojibwe and the Menominee have become feared raiders, attacking many lakeside settlements in the area. The Ojibwe have come to dominate the entire Gitchigan Lake basin and parts of Lake Huron basin​

1. The Thule Inuit
2. Historians speculated that it was L´Anse aux Meadows; I buy into this and consider the two to be the same
3. At Camden, Maine
4. The dude was named originally Bjarni. However, the Abenaki language does have the “r” sound in its phonology.
5. Either in Penobscott or Knox County, Maine
6. Located in Hancock County, Maine
7. Connecticut river – this is the original name that was given by the Mohegan people to the body of water
8. Known to us as the Powhatan
9. In Chesterfield County, VA
10. St. Lawrence River
11. An anglicised name of one of the very few native names of North America I have come across. The original name is Mikinoc Waajew, a name in the Ojibwe language or so meaning Turtle Island. Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-Native-American-names-for-the-North-American-subcontinent
12. Derived from Gichigami, the Ojibwe name for Lake Superior meaning “large body of water!

 

[Tomislav Addai]

For all of you guys I have a second update for Mackinack almost ready . I am now unsure whether horses ought to be introduced to the Great Plains or not

 

[AnonymousSauce]

For all of you guys I have a second update for Mackinack almost ready . I am now unsure whether horses ought to be introduced to the Great Plains or not

Oh please please please, can we have Great Plains horse nomads?

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Oh please please please, can we have Great Plains horse nomads?

To meet the Comanche Khans or the Dakota Horde? Well it is going to be interesting for sure

 

[Tomislav Addai]

The Southeast of the continent of Mackinack is a largely lowland area, with the exception being the Appalachian Mountains, and can be found in the humid subtropical climate zone. Summers in this region are long and winters short and mild. As a result, there are six months available for crops to grow, and this has enabled sustained growth of large populations.

Agriculture and Cuisine
The predominant stable crops grown in this region are maize along with the two remaining being squash and beans. The climate is such that it actually enables multiple harvests a year, thus hastening population growth. Other plants used in agriculture are little barley, knotweed, goosefoot, maygrass, sumpweed and sunflowers. These plants had once been the primary staple foods before the introduction of maize; by the 14th century, they are grown only as a supplement to maize just to supplement the diet, perhaps planted as one fifth in comparison to maize.

Vegetables grown in southeastern Mackinack include tomatoes, pumpkins, beans, peppers, sassafras, while the cultivated fruits include raspberries, blackberries and muscadines. Wild grapes and plums were also common.

It appears that no native domestic animals existed in the region prior to introduction of sheep (which were raised primarily in the Appalachian Mountains) and cattle (soon experiencing a boom in the prairies ) via contact with the Great Lakes region. The hog or pig has also become very common, though there were serious problems with escaped pigs digging out and eating the planted crops.

The swamp rabbit is domesticated in the lower Mississippi region
It appears that swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus), native to the lower Mississippi basin were independently domesticated by the lower Mississippian peoples some time in the 13th-14th century, thus becoming the only animal domesticated in Mackinack outside of Mesoamerica, although most likely the idea came from the contact with Ojibwe people having introduced European domestic animals. The only other domesticated animal was the dog

Trade, Contact and Arrival of Iron Age
The principal artery of the entire region was of course the Mississippi River, being the single largest river in the continent. In its lower course, however, the river was rather volative, and an alternative path, using the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers was often preferred.

The very geography of the Mackinack Continent has encouraged most trade routes to connect the north and the south, rather than the east to the west, or to run diagonally parallel to the Atlantic Coast or the ridges of the Appalachain Mountains. The major exception to this rule were the trade routes located in the south of the Great Plains, connecting the lower Mississippi area to the Hopi, Navajo and Zuni peoples in the southwest of the continent.

Nevertheless, the general pattern allows for contact both with the Cánuáca River basin and ultimately Vinland in the northeast, and then through the *Gulf of Mexico* in the south to connect with Anahuac (1).

The introduction of iron tools to the region results in a sudden change of the previous development. The previous, highly hierarchical social order with matrilineal clans becomes questioned, and previously peripheral groups take over the prominent role, while previous centres of power, such as Cahokia or polities found on the Lower Mississippi are plundered and left to fall into decay.

The general shifting of power potential has thus profited more “rurally” based peoples or tribal groupings, while previously “centralized” polities are pulling the shorter end of the string

The bronze and obsidian ages have empowered the rich and wealthy, and it has been chiefly the priestly class and the merchants who were in power. Bronze being a combination of copper and tin is very expensive, as long-distance trade is needed to bring the two resources together.

With iron being much more common, warfare and thus power dynamics turn the table completely around. No longer is it the question of whom can afford to bring together copper and tin to and forge bronze weapons, resulting in highly hierarchical societies, but with the coming of iron, it gives advantage to the brave and courageous, especially if both physically fit and numerous enough.

Prior to the introduction of iron weapons, the rulers of Cahokia needed not to fear that much their neighbours, for they alone could afford to purchase and manufacture way more bronze weapons than their rural neighbours. However, as is the case within urban societies, the proportion of recruits is far smaller than among rural or tribal populations.

Societies, Urban and Rural
South-eastern Mackinack during the 14th century sees predominantly two types of organized societies. Firstly, there are the “Mississippian” societies of the Natchez, Cahokia, Caddo, or Apalachee. These peoples are known to live in larger fortified cities, with mounds and pyramids at their centre, emulating Anahuacan cities. Society among these peoples is stratified, and population and government is centralized, with often one clearly dominant capital city, where often over half of the population and the entire political power is concentrated.

To contrast these largely city-state are territorial chiefdoms of peoples such as the Cherokee, Choctaw, or Muscogee, who had outright rejected Anahuacan influences and the idea of such concentration of power and strict differentiation of society are frowned upon.

Rather, a more egalitarian organization of the society is preferred, with power being devoluted among numerous local chieftains, being heads of powerful clans. The realms are thus de-centralized, with powerful local chieftains holding the power of the paramount chiefs in check.



Atlantic Region
The Atlantic Region of southeastern Mackinack begins at the southern borders of Senakomka, the land of the Powhatan. One of the larger tribal groupings to their south were the Tuscarora, an Iroquian people living on the lower Roanoke. The dominant power between the Santee and the Nouse Rivers (2) were the Catawba people, strangely enough speaking a Siouan language.

The coastal regions of this area are sparsely populated as they are unhealthy marshy regions. Therefore, the Tuscarora and Catawban peoples, forming the largest population groups in this corner of the continent are not looking towards the ocean. On the contrary, most trade and traffic will have to travel over land. With the rivers flowing from the northwest to the southeast and mostly parallel to each other, they provide little, if any use to trade between communities. Rather, the need arises to construct roads running perpendicular to the rivers in the region,



Florida
The Floridan Peninsula is a tip of swampy land extending into the Atlantic to meet Cuba and the Bahamas. Culturally, it remains more connected to the Carribean Islands than to the rest of Mackinack mainland. The swampy terrain of the Everglades has actually prohibited denser and larger settlements from becoming established in the area.

The major tribe groupings are the Timucua located in the northwest of the peninsula and the Calusa to be found at the southwestern tip; Ais, Tequesta and Jelagua peoples could be found along the southeastern coast. The Apalachee peoples have set up numerous trading stations along the western coast of the peninsula to trade with the Timucua and Calusa peoples.

Muscogeen Peoples

Languages of the southeast
During the 14th century, it has become clear that the Muscogeean peoples are to becoming the most important factor in the Southeast. There exist six major Muscogeean peoples: Muscogee proper, often sometimes referred to as the Creek (3), then Hitchit just north of the Florida Peninsula. These two together form the eastern branch. The central branch is composed of the Chatot, Mobile, Coasati, Alabama and Apalachee languages, while the western branch is made of the Choctaw and Chickasaw languages. More divergent languages can be found in the valley of the Mississippi River and further westwards – the Tunica, Natchez, Chitimacha and Atakapa languages.

While belonging to different ethnic groups, the Muscogeean peoples share many common customs in the organization of their society, as a result of close relation and common geographic environment. One of the major peculiarities in Muscogeean societies is its matrilineal nature. Indeed, you read well. In the south, it is the women, who hold important positions in regard to governing the society, being in charge of the civilian sphere, while the men remain in charge of the military sphere.

The Muscogeean or Creek peoples have thus established themselves to the north of the Floridan peninsula, in the basins of rivers such as the Alabama.

The coastal region between Florida and the Mississippi Delta is in strong contact and under heavy influence of Anahuac, and ball game pitches were found in major Apalachee cities. The Apalachee peoples look to the sea as an opportunity, and have cut down much of the forests surrounding their lands just to build ships and participate in trade. The trade network of the Apalachee connects the chiefdoms of the Tuscarora and Catawba peoples in the northeast, then running through Creek or Muscogee and Hitchit territory to their principal ports. To the northwest, they make use of larger rivers as arteries for trade, but their focus is to the south, trading with peoples living along the coast of the swampy Floridan Peninsula such as Timucua and Calusa, but more importantly, the Apalachee merchants visited the island of Cuba, where they would trade with the Taíno peoples, before visiting the marketplaces of the Maya at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.

A political map of Southeast Mackinack.
Rivalling to the Apalachee are the Pensacola peoples to their west. The Pensacolans specialized themselves more to trading with the Alabama people of the interior, and their trade routes followed the coast westwards, to the mangrove-covered marshes of the Mississippi delta and to the Karankawa peoples living on the coast of Texas

The Alabama people, located at the banks of the eponymous river, have taken advantage of the fact, that the trade routes have diverged into their lands. Controlling an area rich in iron, they are known as formidable mercenary warriors, ready to be hired by foreign kings and princes at places such as Cuba or the Yucatan Peninsula. In fact, the 14th century saw a great number of Alabama mercenaries be hired by Mayan kings.

Lower Mississippi Valley
The lower Mississippi floodplain is inhabited by the Tunica, Natchez (4) and Chitimacha peoples, related to the Muscogeean peoples. Living in marshy floodplains, and with the general reshuffling of power with the arrival of the iron age and the shifting of the trade routes, it appears that what happened to these previously flourishing communities may have been any combination of the following: their cities become targets of Choctaw and Chickasaw raiding and plunder, resulting in a population decline. When hit by heavy floods, the irrigation system falls into disrepair, as there is a lack of manpower to repair them. With that, crops fail and with people having difficulty to find food, they seek to find a new home.

A reconstruction of cities on the lower Mississippi
From archaeological findings we can observe layers of ash and sediments in many of their cities and hillforts during this period. However, far from utterly collapsing, the Natchez are undergoing a prolonged period of decline and crisis, only to emerge once more.

Previously omnipotent Sun Lords, the powerful god-kings of the Lower Mississippi are deposed from absolute power, as military chieftains take up the political power in the area, establishing a military-based royalty.

Cahokia, Shawnee and Cherokee
Cahokia has been the largest city in the Mackinack continent, with an estimated population of 40 000 people at its height. The people of Cahokia appear to have been of Illiwinek ancestry, meaning that the Cahokians also spoke an Algonquin language. Cahokia is one of the major sites that have severely declined due to the introduction of Iron Age, and the city itself was plundered by invaders. The population of Cahokia is subsequently reduced only to a few thousand, while still maintaining a symbolic significance similar to that of the legacy of Rome in the Mediterranean.

As we have no written records as of what has happened to the Cahokians, we may only guess. However a group of historians attributes the fall of Cahokia to the introduction of the horse to the Plains, where these groups have now become very mobile and the hordes an unstoppable force. In Eurasia, it has taken centuries to develop an effective counter for mounted archers –now considering that the introduction of this animal to Mackinack is relatively new, and that Cahokians had previously relied almost exclusively on the fact that they had a better supply of weapons, which are now considered outdated, it makes perfect sense that the attack from the Great Plains came unexpected and once surrounded by horse archers, who just kept riding around them in circles before riding away and returning again, the warriors of Cahokia no idea how to defeat them.

The Shawnee people inhabiting the lower Tennessee Valley and middle Ohio are of the Algonquian stock, and were dwelling in large fortified towns with earthen mounds at their midst. Like many of their neighbours, the Shawnee had a matrilineal society, although the kingship (Sachema) was hereditary by the matrilineal line. This was so as to prevent questioning of legitimacy of claimants to the throne, as monogamy appears not to be a real thing among all the peoples of Mackinack. So technically, you would have the children of the king´s sister or king´s brother (by the same mother) inherit the throne, but not the king´s sons for that matter.

An artist´s depiction of a Cherokee village
The Cherokee people, living in the southern extension of the Appalachian Mountains are distantly related to the Iroquois. Occupying the higher altitudes, the Cherokee peoples were one of the peoples who have adapted rather quickly to the introduction of new domesticated animals and iron-working.

Caddo
The Caddo peoples can be found living to the west of the Lower Mississippi River, in the area of the transition zone from the monsoon region to the Great Plains. As such, the area is far more arid than other parts of the Southeast. The Caddoan people are making great use of cattle.

However, the Caddoans are also remarkable for one major innovation in the Mackinack continent: they are the earliest to make effective use of the horse in warfare. The Caddoans have obtained a small number of horses via the Mississippi trade network, and once realizing the full potential of these animals, they sought to breed them as fast as possible, and at first horses were reserved to messengers, chieftains and their bodyguards, but as the number of horses multiplied, more and more warriors were able to fight on horseback.

The Great Plains
The Great Plains, a stretch of land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, provides a natural grassland corridor, from north to south, between Saskatchewan River in the north to the shores of the Gulf in the south.

This natural grassland zone was inhabited by numerous tribes, chiefly the Lakota (Teton), Nakota (Assinoboine) and Dakota (Santee) in the north, belonging to the Siouan language family, in the north, and the Wichita, Shoshone and Comanche in the south.

The bison is the essential supply of food for the tribes of the Great Plains
While most of the tribes had previously sustained on hunting the bison and growing maize. The previously sedentary cultures of Plains , living in villages of grass houses, pithouses and earth lodges.

All has changed with the introduction of animals such as sheep and cattle. These animals are heavy grazers, and are particularly well adapted to living in large herds in endless steppes. The previous village culture of the Plains Indians, as well as their growing of crops is thus largely abandoned, as vast herds of sheep and cattle now dominate the landscape.

But the sheep or the cattle are not the animal these peoples prized most. It was the horse that was prized and valued most by the Lakota. The horse, allowing much faster transport across open landscape was soon the most prized animal among the peoples of the Plains. The number of these animals was small, as they were not used as much in the eastern woodlands.

However the demand for the horses was high and the Ojibwe, who were controlling much of the western shores of the Great Lakes, armed with iron weapons, carefully protecting their trade were lacking the sufficient numbers for these valuable animals, selling perhaps a few of dozen every year.

At first, the first horse has the shepherds or cowboys on the saddle, takin care of the vast herds of cattle and sheep. Gradually, however as the horses become more and more available among tribesmen, they shift once more back to hunting the bison. Equipped with bows and arrows, and now highly mobile, the Plains tribes choose the much more nutritious bison over the petty sheep and cattle.​

1. Know to us as Mesoamerica.
2. Roughly corresponding to North Carolina and northeastern half of South Carolina
3. Located mainly in Georgia and adjacent parts of South Carolina
4. The bearers of the Plaquemine culture
5. These are the early names for subgroups of the Sioux

 

[Silver01]

this was a really good update so i guess the plagues of this alterntive america where not as big as the otl ? or did miss something?

 

[AnonymousSauce]

Yay, we got our horse nomads! Now I'd love to see a group of Athabascans or Uto-Aztecans or somebody go all Indo-Aryan on Anahuac.

 

[frustrated progressive]

Read most of this yesterday. I'm astonished by the level of creativity, detail, and allohisorical plausibility that @Tomislav Addai has imparted to this world, as well as its sheer comprehensiveness. You've made a devotee out of me.

 

[Tomislav Addai]

For all fans, I have some good news. India will come up soon, most of it is complete, just need to finish a few things bit and there

 

[Food-Oh_Koon]

Thank goodness! Finally an update

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Greetings all, it has been quite a while since I have posted last time. So well this is my attempt to fix it all, now I am going to take a look again at the Indian Subcontinent in the 14th century.

Ceylon and Maldives
The island of Ceylon has for centuries been a bastion of Buddhism in the south of the Subcontinent. Established trade networks have brought communities of Christians and Manicheans onto the island, who have settled in distinct neighbourhoods in the major coastal ports.

The chain of coral atolls known as the Maldives and the Laccadives is now fully in the hands of Msadeqi merchants, who are careful enough to fight with pirates having established a base or two on some smaller atoll.

Deccan
The tip of the Subcontinent consists of two major regions. The Malabar Coast, looking westwards, is known for its close ties to the Middle East and multicultural environment. This area was divided into numerous principalities: the largest being Cochin, Calicut, Venad and Quilon, although the former two remain most prominent.

The Malabar Coast is also known for being one of the regions where Hinduism failed to become a majority religion. In the 14th century, the Nestorians were a plurality in this area, though other faiths were common as well. One of the fast growing communities are the Msadeqi Manicheans, who have managed to convert the local ruler , styled Zamoorin of Calicut, known also by the local name of Kozhikode. Apart from Chistians and Msadeqis, a considerable number of both Hindus could be found in Kerala, who could be found in the deep hinterlands of Kerala as well as many being employed as servants in the city, as well as Jain, Jewish and Zoroastrian communities. The demands for labour were met by not only servants employed from the hinterland, but also slave labour, brought by ships following the monsoon from the Kinari Coast.

A church in Calicut. Nestorianism is the plurality religion in Kerala

The Malabar Coast in the 14th century is thus a cosmopolitan region, being at the heart of the global trade network, rich in spices and seaward looking.

The kingdom of Mysore, continues to occupy the Kannada speaking region. Unlike the Malabar coast, Mysore is a predominantly agrarian region. Unlike in the Malabar Coast, in Mysore we can witness a well-established caste system. Apart from Hinduism which is the prevailing religion of the kings and most of the populace, Jainism continues to be patronized by the state, while a few Msadeqi places of worship exist as well.

To its southeast lay the Tamil-speaking region, which is presided over by the Pandya dynasty. The Pandya dynasty are a local Tamil dynasty which has succeeded the previously ruling Cholas, one of the longest-reigning dynasties in India. The Pandyan dynasty continues to sponsor Tamil literature, and though the prestige of the Tamil language is gradually fading, it still continues being the most prestigious of the Dravidian tongues. Unlike the Malabar coast, the Tamil country is nowhere near as cosmopolitan, and is better known for it being a beacon of Shaivite Hinduism. Pandyan architecture is also known for their impressive rock-carved structures.

The Tamil country is also known for its capable military, composed of infantry, cavalry and elephantry. Bows and arrows, swords and lances were common weapons. Most of the troops were lightly armed – after all considering the climate, they could sweat to death were they to wear a heavy armour. For protection, animal skins and oil was preferred, as well as shields.

Further to the northeast is the Kakatiya kingdom ruling over the Telugu lands. The Kakatiya realm stands out largely for its general absence of the caste system. While the notion of a caste was known, it had little if no importance to the general life of the Telugu kingdom. The Kakatiya kings have sponsored many marvellous works of architecture and Telugu culture.

Scripts used in India

Spoiler: Legend

The coastal regions of the Telugu country were becoming much more prosperous than the inland heart of the kingdom. What we can witness is the growth of the cities like Madurai and actively taking part in the trade network. The shift of population to the coast is likely to be followed by a shift of power as well.

Ultimately even further to the northeast was the realm of Haihaivansi. Occupying an ethnically diverse region of Orissa and Chattisgarh, and nothing much else is outstanding about it.

A political representation of India in 1400AD

Eastern India
Continuing to eastern India, we arrive to the low-lying combined delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. This densely populated region is now home to the Kingdom of Vanga , with its capital at Gauda. Vanga (1) has slightly taken advantage of the weakening of the Shahdom of Hind, which has been the hegemonic power of the Gangetic plains. Vanga, while not being a primarily land power, nevertheless has built a solid army, allowing to defend itself chiefly from the northwest, the direction from where empires localted on the middle and upper Gangetic plain could invade. Other directions featured less organized foes; chiefly being hill-clans interested in raiding, rather than possible full-scale invasion.

Vanga focuses its attention to the sea, being a major exporter of cotton, silk and having a large commercial fleet. Having underwent an agrarian reform and improvement in administration, Vanga has become one of the major powers in the Subcontinent, and continues to make further advances in mathematics, astronomy and commerce.

Literature in the Vangi language, be it in the forms of poetry, epic romance but also philosophical and scientific essays has developed significantly, and Vanga can be considered as one of the major “soft powers” in the Subcontinent.

Languages of India: Nt much has changed, except for some Indo-Aryan advancements in the Deccan

Vanga remains a firmly Buddhist nation, and has put the Kingdom of Ahom, located to the south of the eastern Himalayas in the valley of the Brahamaputra river, to Buddhist faith as well.

The Kingdom of Ahom, only recently converted to Buddhism is practically a buffer of Vanga, known particularly for its major tea exports.

The tea fields of Ahom

In the hilly jungle at the eastern border of the Subcontinent is located Manipur, an enigmatic kingdom still clinging to its own Sanamahist faith. In many medieval maps, Manipur was represented by a bunch of hills forming the border between Vanga and Burma. Manipuri royalty was married in into the royal houses of Ahom and Burma; culturally after all, these folks spoke a language related to the Burmese. Manipur was known in Vanga for selling teak and other wood, essential for Vangi shipwrights, but also selling cardammon, oranges and tea, while also being a frequent source of mercenaries into the Vangi army.

Gangetic Plains
Domineering the Gangetic Plains has been the Shahdom of Hindh, or as sometimes known Shahdom of Hindustan. However, the previously dominant realm was facing hardship as the 14th century progressed. While one of Hindustanis successful campaign has managed to conquer the bigger part of Kathiawar, the continuity of the entire realm was challenged by Abaqid army attacking across the Khyber Pass

The Abaqid dynasty has been ruling over Sogdia and Central Asia, and has been actively preparing for the invasion of India, lured by the tales of the wonders and riches of the Subcontinent. Having superior military organization, experience and skill, the invading army was nevertheless unfamiliar with the tropical climate of the Subcontinent as well as Hindustani deployment of elephants to battle.

The two forces met between the towns of Attock and Rawalpindi in the northwestern part of Punjab. Despite the Shahdom of Hindustan fielding a large number of war elephants and a large number of men altogether, the more mobile and organized Abaqid forces were able celebrate a decisive victory.

The Abaqid army had to face the Hindustanis again near Gujranwala between the Chenab and Ravi rivers. This second Hindustani force was rallied hastily, and a large proportion of it consisted of new recruits with little to no experience, while the veterans were pulled southwards to defend the capital region. Unsurprisingly, the Abaqids scored another major victory at Gujranwala, before establishing a border at the Sutlej River, marking the eastern borderlands of Punjab itself. Abaqid raids continued even further eastwards and southwards, plundering and looting magnificent cities in Rajasthan and the alluvial plains of the Doab.

This major defeat of Hindustan in the 1320s resulted in an internal earthquake as well. Its adversaries saw the moment of weakness as an opportunity to strike against their feared nemesis, resulting in even further weakening of Hindustan. The ruling shahs appear unable to hold the realm together and being incompetent. In 1341 the wuzurg framadar, effectively the prime minister, a man named Piroz of Hardwar, born to a Persianate father and a Hindu mother. Piroz has proven to be a competent commander, defeating numerous Abaqid raiding parties, while being also a competent statesman, securing alliance with the spurious Rajput clans. Piroz of Hardwar ultimately deposed the last Shah, cutting his hair and away his right hand.

The Hardwari Dynasty ruling over a plundered Hindustan has made many accommodations to the prevailing Hindu religion. Many new Hindu temple were erected, and the caste system being recognized as part of the social fabric.

One of the realms established on the ruins of Hindustan was Avadh (2). This region, bound between Vanga, Himalayas and the Hindustani heartland. Avadh is a highly urbanized region, and one where the urban Buddhist culture of India incorporates Persianate influences passed down from the period of Hindustani rule.

The middle and upper Gangetic plains remain under Hindustani rule, though turmoil and civil war are common phenomena during this era, as well as various rebellions, often led by princes or satraps – the independence of Avadh being an example of a clean and successful one; others were bloodier and were suppressed in the end. The resulting depopulation was solved by some migration of peasants from the south, who were largely Hindu, thus by large weakening the Buddhist element in the Gangetic plain.

The Buddhists were the politically and intellectually and militarily dominant elite, yet the vast majority of their subjects were Hindus. This is likely to have further consequences on the stability and continued existence of the Shahdom of Hindustan.

The Indus Valley
Mountainous Kashmir, nicknamed “Garden of India” has been mentioned in a lot of Indian poetry as an idyllic mountain environment. While Ladakh and Baltistan in the high altitudes are a continuation of the greater Tibetan cultural regions, with inaccessible monasteries in the mountain vales, with fabulous warrior monks. Kashmir and Jammu themselves have been conquered by the Abaqids as northern extension of Punjab of some sort. Kashmir is known for its fine cashmere wool, made from the Cashmere goat, the common herd animal bred on the mountain slopes. Unlike elsewhere in India, meat-eating is a common thing, even for Buddhists and Roshblani converts. Kashmir is also known for its tradition of martial arts and is also a place where some of the first warrior monks of the Roshblani – “The Champions of the Light”, also known for their martial arts, taking inspiration from the Tibetan warrior monks.

A mountain scenery of Kashmir

The Abaqid conquest of Punjab was marked of course by a big degree of brutality, with a lot of plunder and devastation taking place. The continued history of Punjab betting invaded has had profound influences on local culture – with a stark martial culture became ingrained into the Punjabi customs, as those who were unable to defend themselves would have failed to pass their genes further down. Carrying a dagger has indeed become an essential part of the traditional costume in Punjab. The “Champions of the Light” are establishing outposts in Punjab.

The Abaqid conquest also resulted in a significant number of Central Asian nobility and warriors settling in the area. Quite a lot of the conquerors were of Manichean background – and adopted the local Roshblani denomination.

A map of the religions of India in 1400AD

​

The region of Sindh, close to the delta of the Indus River has emerged as an independent realm during the havoc and turmoil connected with the weakening of the Shahdom of Hind. The Sodha dynasty (3) have become the new rulers of region. Sindh was distinguished by its largely Christian population, although the new rulers were zealous Buddhists.

An artistic depiction of Rajputs

The Sodha dynasty were a Rajput clan – the Rajputs being descended from the bloodlines of various assimilated ethnic groups, who were considered inferior to the Kshatriya caste – some may have been descendants from the Indo-Greeks, others from Kushans and others of Hunas.

Their clan-based social structure may be traced back to their origins in the Central Asian steppe. The Rajputs were seen by their Hindu countrymen as champions in the struggle against various conqueror dynasties; and as a matter of fact, political unity among the Rajputs was essentially non-existent.

The Sodha dynasty were staunch proponents of Hinduism, and during their reign they sponsored construction of new temples, even in largely Christian areas.

Western India
While the Kathiawar Peninsula has been conquered by the Shahdom of Hindustan, there remain two largely independent realms bordering it. Kathiawar and the region east of the Thar Desert are ruled by various squabbling Rajput clans, previously revolting against the Shahdom of Hindustan, now having reached an agreement with the Hardwari dynasty, which accepted their internal autonomy.

We can see small changes to the social structure of India

In the west, there is Kutch, holding onto its independence also due to favourable terrain (which is however not favourable for most of any other economic activities), as there are large wetlands in the rainy seasons, which turn into saltpans during the dry season.

To the east of the Kathiawar Peninsula, we find the Baroda Kingdom, which is focused mostly on trade. The ruling monarch has converted from Jainism to Msadeqi Manicheism, and many townspeople living in the coastal regions are Msadeqiyyan Manicheans as well; in the hinterlands most are Jainists of the Svetambara sect. Baroda, as well as Hindustani Kathiawar, has benefitted from the trade with the Kinari Coast, and many slaves, sometimes called servants, are found in the households of wealthy Barodian merchants or toiling the fields for the land owners.

Among the states rebelling from the Hindustani Shahdom were also Gwalior, which became a small Hindu principality ruled by a clan of the warrior caste, and Malwa, which becomes known as the centre of Jain culture of the Digambara sect, enabling, together with Baroda, a period of renaissance of Jainism across western India.

The Yadava dynasty, ruling much Maharashtra remains the dominant force in much of the western India, yet having lost the Konkanic Coast, where an independent plutocratic realm dependent on maritime trade establishes itself.

The Konkani Coast shares many characteristics of the Malabar Coast, although it is slightly less cosmopolitan, and Christians dominate the towns, while Jains can be found largely in the hinterlands, with emergent Msadeqi communities in the coastal towns as well.

1. Originally, Bengal was named Banga or Vanga, and the suffix –al came later. I decided to spell it Vanga.
2. Paralleling the Sultanate of Jaunpur, a Muslim realm, whose rulers styled themselves as Sultans of Sharqiya (Sultans of the East). Now Avadh is a predominantly Buddhist and partially Hindu realm
3. Named after one of the Rajput clans of Sindh; analogues to the Samma dynasty

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Ideas for Central Asia in 14th century?

 

[cornycator]

Ideas for Central Asia in 14th century?

Will the ttl-equivalent of the Golden Horde still splinter?

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Will the ttl-equivalent of the Golden Horde still splinter?

Is likely. However, right now I am concerned with the future of the Abaqids (alt-Chagatai)

 

[Tomislav Addai]

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

For all fans, I invite you to join the discord server

 

[Tomislav Addai]

In the Lap of the Himalayas: Nepal
We have missed one major area of the Indian Subcontinent, and that is the sub-Himalayan realms in Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. I would like to hereby thank @Food-Oh_Koon for introducing me to the history of his country.

Given Nepal´s mountainous terrain, it is no surprise that throughout the 14th century it remains disunited. In the western parts of what is known to us as Nepal we have the Khasa kingdom, a solid Vajrayana Buddhist realm, which at times extended to the borders of powerful Indian empires in the Gangetic Plains. The Khasas are an Indo-European people (1).

The Sinja valley, considered to be the core of the Khasa kingdom
As a side note, I mention the independent Buddhist kingdom of Kumaon, located just to the west of the area known as Nepal.

The Kathmandu Valley is one of the established population and power centres in the 14th century Himalayan region. This region of the country is known as Nepal Mandala ruled by the Malla dynasty. The original inhabitants of this region were speaking the Newar language, of Tibetan stock. Gradual exposure to the Sanskrit language used as a prestige language, as well as arrivals of more peoples from the south have resulted in the rooting of the Kathmandu Valley fully into the Indian cultural sphere. The Kings of Newar stylicized themselves as Rajas using Sanskrit terminology and are not to have codified Nepali law in the 14th century – law was written in Newar and Sanskrit languages.

Several other Tibetan-related ethnic groups continue to inhabit Nepal, like the Kirat, the Gurung, the Tamang and the Limbu. The Kingdom of Limbuwan, extending into Sikkim was one of the most powerful of these entities. As general rule, the lowland terrace plains, known as Terai are populated by Indo-Aryan peoples, while the upland valleys, particularly more as one travels east, are populated more and more by Tibetan-related peoples. While also the Tibetan- related groups have adopted Buddhism and many monasteries have been built even in relatively high-altitude localities, elements of pre-Buddhist Tibetan shamanism (called Bon), continue to shape local spirituality.

Tibet – A Land of Yaks and Monasteries
The land of Bhutan, culturally an extension of the vast Tibetan Plateau, located on the southern foothills of the Himalayas was a country divided into many local polities. Bumthang was the most powerful of these petty lordships. Rivalry among various sects of Buddhism appears to have been a major issue in this forgotten corner of the world.

The Tibetan Plateau itself has fragmented into four (five if you count Ladakh as well) major realms: In the southeast, between Lhasa and the gorge that the Brahmaputra River has carved across the Himalayas is the land of U. Further upstream is the realm of Tsang. The realm of U supported the Gelugpa sect, while Tsang favoured the Sakya sect of Buddhism; both realms had many monasteries.

The eastern end of the Tibetan Plateau is called Kham, with its warriors having a reputation of high quality and fierceness. The land itself is on the borders with the Chinese Ming Dynasty, and is marked by gorges of many major rivers, such as the Mekong or the Yangtze.

At the western end of the Tibetan Plateau is the realm of Guge, dominated by the Sakya monastic regime

The realm of Ladakh has undergone periods of rule by both from Kashmir and Guge, before establishing itself as an independent realm altogether. Most of Ladakhi trade is oriented downstream towards Kashmir and Pantzab. Unlike the fertile meadows of Kashmir, Ladakh is situated in a rain shadow, causing it to be much drier than Kashmir, known as the “garden of India”.

The domestic yak- this hardy animal is crucial to the Tibetans
Buddhism has thus become one of the defining aspects of Tibetan culture, and monasteries are common landmarks in the Tibetan Plateau. Statues of Buddhas can be seen very often. Tibetans had for centuries eaten barley noodles and drank butter tea, yak milk or jasmine tea, rice wine or barley beer. Yogurt, butter and cheese, as well as yak meat are common foods in the Tibetan cuisine as well. One of Tibet´s major exports has been its rugs. Given Tibet´s high altitude, astronomy should be one of the science that were well developed, as observing the stars was much easier when you have a shallower atmosphere.

The Splintering of Abaqid Khanate
As has been hinted in the previous update, the Abaqids ruling over a vast Naiman successor realm across much of Central Asia, has succeeded in making an invasion into India. However, as the new khans in the mid-14th century are to discover, holding onto land is not as easy as conquering land.

The Abaqid Khanate, stretching from the Altai to the Thar Desert on the north-south axis and from the Aral Sea to the Taklamakan Desert finds itself utterly overstretched, and demographics don’t help to glue the realm together either. While the Silk Road network of postal stations and Nestorian monasteries does a little to easen the effects, nevertheless, the different parts of this khanate, separated by some of the tallest mountain ranges on the planet ultimately pull the realm apart. The disconnection of the different parts of the Abaqid Khanate may have not been as profound had the Black Death not plagued the area.

Both linguistic and religious difference within the Abaqid Khanate resurface, with an Iranian-speaking and Nestorian Sogdia (with a notable Denawari Manichean minority) in the west, a Turkic speaking northern steppe (known as Turkestan), also Nestorian in religion, a ch language, and Buddhists and Manicheans live next to each other, with ultimately the Indian-speaking Roshblani Manichean Pantzab, all having their cultural differences.
A political map of central Asia in 14th century. Pinkish purple is Karlukistan, green is Sughd and orange is Pantzab

What it takes is a simple succession crisis, with Khan Kaidu having left three claimants to throne. His grandson Tarmashirin (2), son of his eldest daughter rallied support in Pantzab. Taliku, the son of Kaidu, sought support in Sogdia, while the Tarim Basin was the bastion of Kaidu´s younger brother Koncheq. The holding of a kurultai at Samarqand, where the successor was to be chosen has was postponed several times, and after Koncheq was murdered before arriving – his son and Kaidu´s nephew Kebek blamed it on his cousin Taliku and refused to attend the kurultai along with his supporters. Thus, a period of strife followed, but ultimately the Abaqid realm split into three khanates by the mid 14th century:
​

• Multan, ruled by Tarmashirin (sometimes named Dharmashirin) and his successors​
• Sughd or Sogdia ruled by Taliku and his family​
• Karlukistan (3) ruled by the heirs of Kebek.​

Khanate of Karlukistan, True to its Nomadic Legacy
The realm of Karlukistan is the successor state of the Abaqid Khanate located in the east of its former domains. It spans both ends of the Tengri Mountains, including the Tarim Basin and the Taklamakan Desert in the south, as well as the Ili region between Lake Balkash and Aral Lakeand the Tengri Mountains in the north. These two parts themselves are also rather contrasting: the Tarim Basin has its population concentrated in a handful of cities found in oases, which were important stops on the Silk Road. The eastern part of the Tarim Basin is populated largely by Turkic Uyghurs, while its western regions are home to Iranian Sakas.

Manichaeism has been in continuous decline among the Uyghurs after their early medieval khanate had collapsed, and most had adopted the Buddhist religion of their Saka neighbours; however relatively recently, there has been vibrant missionary activity by Manichean preachers from Sogdia proper among the Uyghurs.

Languages spoken in central Asia: we can see Iranic in dark blue, Indo-Aryan in light blue, Tibeto-Burman in one shade of green, and different varieties of Turkic: Oghuz in the southwest, Kipchak dark in the north, Karluk in the centre and uyghur in the Tarim Basin
During the 14th century, the oasis-cities of the Tarim Basin of the Sakas and the Uyghurs are falling into decline, as they were particularly hard-hit by the Black Death, and with Karlukistan being a nomadic realm, taking pride in its Turkic culture. The Karluk language, already having achieved a refined and prestige status during the previous century continues to flourish at this period.

Karluks continue to live a nomadic lifestyle
The Karluk people themselves were largely living a nomadic transhumance lifestyle – shepherding vast herds of horse and sheep, in the steppe and the mountain pastures of the Tengri Mountains. The urbanization rate of the Karluks is very low, down to the absolute minimum, necessary to run the khanate. These include the cities of Almaliq and Balasagun, as well as Taskhent, which stands out as a relatively large city among the Karluks – though when one examines the situation more carefully, it is evident that many of its citizens are actually Turkified Sogdians, rather than Karluks proper.

A Persianate Sughd

The walls of Bukhara, one of the greatest cities of Sughd
The basin of the Oxus, or as it was known locally, Gozan, along with the densely populated Ferghana Valley is the realm ruled by the successors of Taliku. This land is known as Sughd or Sogdia. Unlike Karlukistan, Taliku abandons the steppe origins of their dynasty and embraces the rich cultural heritage of Sughd. While the Sughdian army remains a largely Turkic cavalry force, many local recruits from amongst the sons of the local landed petty nobility are incorporated into the army. The old Naiman language is used rarely if ever, perhaps one of the Abaqids may utter a sentence or two at a kurultai, but as it is not widely understood, apart from a handful of phrases, its use in Sughd is little to none.

The Karluk language retains its importance particularly as the language of the military, as the military of Sughd remains one of the few spheres of the society, where the Karluk people remain dominant. Elsewhere, Taliku and his son Varzak (4) had sought to embrace the culture of the surrounding population.

Writing systems in Central Asia: nothing, if anything has changed since we last came here
Sogdian once again becomes the language of court and liturgy. Khan Taliku has learnt the language gradually and tried to speak in Sogdian during audiences – although in the early years of his reign, his language skills were far from perfect, and his language errors have become a source of anecdotes among the common people. Nevertheless, he did gain sympathy of the common people as a wise and caring monarch. Khan Varzak was fluent in Sogdian himself and surrounded himself by numerous Sogdian writers and poets while having built magnificent palaces and sponsoring also many scholars. One of his favourite past-times was hunting, and was in generally viewed as a fully Iranian monarch. The elaborate court with its strict protocol, numerous plotting courtiers and Varzak´s many mistresses has become a source of inspiration of many historical novels in the later periods (5).

Sogdian carpets are a renown product
Sogdia is renown for its fine carpets and skilful merchants. Sogdian merchants had prospered greatly by the political unification of the Eurasian continent. Owing to their strategic location in the heart of the Silk Road, they made great profit before the outbreak of the Black Death. A century later, they have resumed their trade links, mostly because the warrior ethos of the Turkic nomads did not really acknowledge trade as the best way to accumulate wealth. Apart from the east-west Silk Road, Sogdians operated fur roads across the Karluk and Kipchak country into the Samyedic forest where they bought fur from local chieftains; in the south they traded with the peoples of India and western Tibet.

Being at a crossroad of cultures and civilizations, the Sogdian merchants have always found ways how to adapt. Some say their sons were born with golden tongues. Capable diplomats and negotiators, the Sogdians were able to make their points and bring their goods across a vast continent. In China, Sogdians were known to have been found in almost any city, especially those in the northeast of China, and running many taverns (the drunken Sogdian was a common trope in Chinese literature), while Sogdian maids were known to be exceptionally beautiful (6).

Religion in central Asia. Brown represents the Manicheans - mostly Denwar except Pantzab where it is Roshblani. I believe all of you are familiar with the pink colour used for Nestorians in this thread, while bright pink is for Mahayana Buddhists and pink-purple is for Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhists
While religious tensions between Nestorian Christians and Denawar Manicheans remain, most Sogdians have only a lukewarm relation and affection to religion, and Taliku and Varzak continue to patronize both Christian and Manichean religious institutions. The relationship to Buddhism is a little different, as the khans did not use gold from the royal coffers to sustain them but they ordered the neighbouring villages to sustain the Buddhist monasteries, while being free from royal taxation.

The Khorasmian language of the Lower Oxus by this period is occasionally remembered by quite a few Denawar elect. Nevertheless, as a general means of communication it was dropped in favour of Karluk in the countryside and Sogdian in the river valley.

The Upper Oxus Valley, or Tukharistan (7), ancient Bactria is home to the Buddhist Tukhari people. Its mountainous terrain resulted in quite a few differences from the rest of the Sughd Khanate. The people of Tukharistan were concentrated in many, but small-sized villages located in the deep river valleys, surrounded by high-altitude mountains. The role of the village chiefs remains important among the Tukhari.

Unlike most of the peoples of Central Asia, the Tukharis did not place as much value in the mounted archer cavalry, so favoured by the Turkic peoples. Rather, Tukharistan was renown by their fabulous pikemen and heavy cavalry.

The Tukhari culture is influenced not only by Iranian peoples, but also by influences from further south and east – by influences from Pantzab and Ladakh and the Tarim Basin, although generally these connections are not as often understood or attributed. An example of these connections is the use of Kharoshti script by the Sakas and the Tukharis – and Indian script which originated in Gandhara in northwestern Pantzab. The same path was used to the spread of Buddhism in the past, though Gandhara in the 14th century is no longer Buddhist. The introduction of the highland yak from the Tibetan Plateau is further evidence of connections between peoples living on different slopes of the “Roof of the World”

Loyalty and identity in Tukharistan was felt towards one´s village, clan and chief, rather than the wider realm or Tukharistan as a whole. In Sughd, the Tukhari are known to be short-tempered and hot-blooded, lacking the usual elaborate etiquette of the Persianate urban society.

The Talikids struggled to reign in Tukharistan, as the local chiefs struggled to maintain their autonomy and customs. Buddhist monks of the “True Fire “school of Mahayana Buddhism- this school of Buddhism, broadly belonging to the Mahayana branch, can trace some of its elements to the original Mazdaic (8) beliefs that had been ingrained within the culture of the realm prior to the advent of Buddhism

Of Multan and Pantzab


While Multan and Pantzab got conquered by the Abaqids early on in the 14th century, the areas distinctiveness has made it sure that it during the succession crisis in easily tore itself apart from the rest of the khanate. Tarmashirin, the Abaqid prince that rallied his followers in Multan has sought to adopt the customs of his new-found followers , earning him the name “Dharmashirin”, Dharma being a reference to his open-mindedness towards Indian culture.

It can be argued that Pantzab is the part of the Subcontinent that has experienced much more contact with the rest of Eurasia than any other part of the Subcontinent. The warrior-ethos of the Multani people has become even strengthened once the Abaqids conquered their realm.

Different forms of society organization in Central Asia. Notice the resurfacing of nomadic tribe organization in Karlukistan .
Dharmashirin and his court were fast to accept the Roshblani creed of the Manicheans and Manichean elect or clergy have assumed an important role in the society of Pantzab. Indian caste system has actually resurfaced the original Gnostic roots of the Manichean faith in this corner of the world, which even further strengthens inequality and the hierarchic nature of Pantzabi society (9). While three in five of every Pantzabi are peasants, roughly one quarter of the Pantzabi are artisans and other townsfolk. The remaining fifteen percent belong to the elite of the Pantzabi society, belonging to warrior and clerical castes.
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1. The word Khasa is an archaic term for the language, which later becomes known as Gorkha or Nepali
2. I have come across these names on the wikipedia. These however do not correspond to their OTL counterparts
3. Analogue of “Moghulistan”
4. Notice, this is a Sogdian name he gave his son
5. Being a fan of the Game of Thrones, we could get a number of courtiers like Varys and Littlefinger at the court, and most likely and Tukhari arriving to the court with their short-temper and a sense of honour is likely to face a fast end like Ned Stark in Season 1. Or perhaps they may navigate the court intrigue like D´Artagnan in the Three Muscateers. Be their fate as it would, the reign of Varzak is often written about.
6. With a geographic position and history like Sogdia, the genetics of the population are so diverse, that you can find a vast diversity of phenotypes, from people looking like Greeks to people looking like Chinese or Pashtuns. With each conqueror having also contributed to the genetics, the competition na dnatural selection seem to have selected the best genes, so if there are a people who were inbred, definitely not the Sogdians.
7. Remember the country of Kafiristan in the The Man Who Would Be King? Replace Sicandarism with Buddhism, and you get what I imagine the culture in Tukharistan.
8. Zoroastrian-like
9. Is it really a natural evolution of things that civilizations along great river systems develop high inequality and a rigid hierarchy, as well as a strong religiosity – see Egypt, Mesopotamia, Pakistan, you could argue also the Mississippians of North America. Compare it with the maritime cultures, where the family you were born to and your religion are not of such primary concern- being more the question of your talent or lack thereof that defines your destiny.

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What are your thoughts about developments so far? What would you like to know more about? Next time, we are to be taking a look at Iran. Let me know in the comments​

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Demise of the Ilkhans
The Ilkhanate, ruling over a vast empire stretching from Khyber Pass in the east to the banks of the Eastern Mediterranean in the west has become overstretched to such a degree, that effective governance of their empire has become a pipe-dream. A variant of the feudal system which is in place may be effective for a bold and capable ruler, however in case of a weak khan, the Armenian, Turkic and Lurish clans are almost impossible to be brought into the fold.

The early 14th century has seen a decade without a competent or undisputed ruler, with the succession crisis resulting in a minor being put on the throne, and a regency council being established. This decade of absence of exercise of political authority saw various vassals of the Ilkhanate assert their independence in a gradual, quiet manner. Many outer parts of the empire were thus quick to reassert their own independence – from Anatolia in the west through Caucasus in the north to Khorasan in the east.

Once prince Taraqay (1) came of age he sought to restore his rule over the entirety of the Ilkhanate rather energetically. His aim of bringing the various vassals and warlords under his fold appears to be rather distant, as his authority is respected largely only in a region stretching from the Araxes Valley to Hormuz, on the eastern foothills of the Zagros and inland roughly to Rayy and Ispahan. Taraqay´s authority in the east, in Herat was defied, however by the Qartid dynasty, nominally their vassals, ruling over Herat. Thus Taraqay set out east to bring down the rebellious warlords. What he did not know was an imminent danger arising in the south.

Qartids and Pakhtuns
The eastern end of the Iranian Plateau has come under the rule of two major dynasties. Based in Herat and controlling Khorasan was the Qartid dynasty, an Iranian-descended dynasty having embraced Denawari Manichaeism, while Makran and Zabulistan were ruled by the Bettani dynasty.

Religion in mid-14th century Iranian Plateau​

The Qartids were known to be fielding a formidable cavalry, largely composed of both local and Naiman-descended Qaraunas clans, as well as heavy pikemen. Their geographic position has taught them to become some of the hardiest fighters in Asia, and now the Qartid prince Pattokh was ready to turn away any of the Ilkhan´s attempted invasion forces.

The Qartids are remembered throughout Khorasan for having dotted the landscape with magnificent palaces and gardens. For quite some time, they have been ruling their own little fiefdom with little or no interference from the Ilkhans, and commands from the capital had been regularly ignored. However, in 1339, Ilkhan Taraqay demanded the tax revenue and bannermen from Pattokh. The Qartid prince, while formally acknowledging his suzerainty, did not fulfil his promises. Unlike his predecessors, Taraqay did not buy this and set march upon Herat.

The Bettani are a Pakhtun dynasty, ruling over both Makran and Zabulistan. However, actual control over different parts of this corner of the world is held firmly by the chiefs of the individual clans, who recognize some level of Bettani control over them. Each of the clans , based in a fortified location called a qalat , enjoys considerable autonomy.

The city of Jaguda, on a later painting​

The city of Jaguda, the seat of the Bettani dynasty, was an outstanding city in contrast to generally the rural character of their realm. Many architectural monuments, in forms of palace complexes or Manichean temples can be witnessed even today.

A rather mysterious population are the Brahui peoples in the south. Their origin remains a mystery, as well as their history throughout the centuries – however by the 14th centuries their presence is noted, as “to the east of Makran there are clans who speak a tongue different from all the tongues of Iran and India, unrelated to Persian or Sanskrit.” The geographer went on to say that these people were Buddhists.

Languages of the Iranian Plateau in the mid-14th century​

While Buddhism certainly was a thing in the more remote and mountainous parts of both the Baloch lands and in the mountains of Hindukush, the coastal regions and the broad valley of Zabulistan were Manichean in religion, with traces of the original sun-cult still present among the Pakhtun people. The popular manifestation of Manichean religion generally exhibited many Indian influences, while folk Buddhism in the mountains has also greatly diverged from what would have been considered standard in India.

The Guardians of Fire and the Rebellion of Parbod
The Guardians of the Fire were an underground organization, fighting the Ilkhanate regime in a low-level insurgency as one would label it using modern terms. The Guardians of Fire have been existing roughly since mid-13th century, and were operating largely in south-eastern Persia, making Carmania a difficult province to administer. While numerous retaliatory raids against Persian villages were made by Turkic horsemen, the Guardians of Fire were gaining more and more sympathy amongst the Persian villagers.

The cauldron of fire, an important liturgical object in Zoroastrianism has become the symbol of the Persian resistance fighters​

Their aim was to kick out the foreign horse-lords once and for all from Persia, and re-establish a true Persian Shahdom, something that has not been present in the country sicne the arrival of the Seljuqs. The Guardians of Fire were using a golden cauldron of fire upon a red background, with a scimitar and bow and arrow beneath it.

The man leading the Guardians of Fire in the 1340s was a native from Kerman named Parbod. He has gradually risen up the ranks and command structure of his organization and with the previous commander Mehrbad dead, Parbod decided that the moment has come to spark the flames of open rebellion. After all, he realized that the time to rise from the shadows into the open has come. Khan Taraqay has set campaign eastwards with almost all of his force, and the other warlords, fearing Taraqay may rob them of their autonomy were willing to do little to support him.

The festival of Sadeh is a mid-winter festival in Zoroastrianism tied to lighting of fire. This festival was the opportunity to announce the beginning of the revolt​

In 1341, two days before the feat of Sadeh, the mid-winter festival of Zoroastrianism, which is connected symbolically with lighting the fire to scare of the winter, Parbod and his twenty companions enter the city of Kerman to “light the flames of this land bring about the flame of hope to the land of Persia”. There, in Kerman, thus Parbod declared his rebellion and called for all Persians to flock to his banner.

Unsurprisingly, information was already given to some in the city guard who were known to be trusted, and those were the one present at the ceremony who swore their oath to Parbod, while those deemed as unlikely to be won over were already locked up in the city dungeon.

In spring, on the festival of Khordad Sal (3), Parbod enters the city of Yazd, leading already a host of five thousand men. Taraqay, amidst a field campaign in Khorasan has to return, and deal with this revolt, before it comes out of control.

The Qartids have followed the retreating force of Taraqay, looting Semnan, while Taraqay retreated to Rayy to regroup his forces, leaving his troops in the city and taking command of fresh Rajji (4) troops. He set march upon Ispahan, which he hoped to use as his base from where he would crush this revolting pretender.

He was surprised on march, as Parbod and his men have set up a trap, and once having finished that days march and setting up camp, the exhausted men were assaulted by a surprise attack, resulting in severe casualties for the Ilkhanate troops. Taraqay then sought to Hamadan and Maragheh.

After the victory at Ispahan, Parbod turned southwards to the province of Pars, the ancient heartland of the Achaemenid Dynasty. This province had been held by the Qashqai´s a Turkic nomadic clan, which had arrived already during the conquests of the Seljuqs. Twice, the Qashqais had defeated his forces, ultimately, however, Parbod prevailed. After defeating the Qashqai forces a second time, the Qashqai bey surrendered and swore fealty to Parbod, lying down in prostration. The Qashqai nomads were sent to guard the passes of Zagros and defend the southwest borders of the domains of Parbod, who turned northwards, back to the cities beneath the Elborz

Mazandaran, the Garden of Iran
Squeezed between the Caspian Sea and the Elborz Mountains, this narrow strip of land full of lush vegetation has always been a bastion of the Zoroastrian religion. Even under the Ilkhanate, it has never been fully subdued, as the local marzpans had surrendered to the Ilkhans.

Tabarestan is covered in lush vegetation​

The Bavandids ruling over Taberestan were also patiently waiting for Taraqay to make some major mistakes. Marzpan Rostam VI. , spahbed of the north, has been waiting for the right moment to cross the Elborz passes himself and proclaim himself Shah of Persia. The defeat at Ispahan was just the time. Rostam had Zanjan, Qazvin, Rayy and Goman (5) besieged. Each of the cities, especially Rayy, had a large garrison, and their inhabitants, while not very fond of the Ilkhans, weren’t sympathetic to the cause of Rostam either. Eventually, all but Rayy surrendered.

A Clash of Shahs
However the siege of Rayy had to be interrupted, as Rostam VI. saw the armies of Parbod approach from the south. He sent his nephew, Piroz, to bring him the offer of becoming his darigbed, practically equivalent to the Rhomaic kouroplates and the Frankish majordomo, and Parbod´s heir the title of the Spahbed of the South (6). Such an offer can be described as a generous attempt to unite the two forces. However, Parbod did not agree to this offer and called Rostam to acknowledge him as the shah, and offering the Bavandids the same titles they intended to offer him.

Adarbaigan
The Ilkhans had fled to the plains of Maragheh and Urmia, the region of their capital. These regions had already had a Turkic majority by the year 1300, and has thus become the last vestige of the Ilkhanate, as all of their fiefdoms and bannermen have broken away. Nevertheless, the Ilkhanids continued to field a formidable cavalry force, and are determined to regain their lost territories.

Armenia
In the Armenian Highlands, we can see the various petty lords come together and choose the new Armenian king, Sempad of Taron, marking the rise of the Taronid dynasty in Armenia. The Armenians nobles recognized the need to act united in face of serious threats, yet they wanted to keep a say in the royal decisions. It was the Declaration of Van that established a form of constitutional monarchy, defining the prerogatives of the king, while also declaring the rights and privileges of the nobles and bishops.

Pastoral Tribes of the Zagros Mountains

A political map of mid-14th century Iranian plateau. Note that Syria and Qatriye is not updated​

The Lurish tribes living in the Zagros mountains retreated to their own isolation in the mountains, seeking to be out of the way during the havock brought to the Iranian Plateau in this period. This attitude of waiting the storm out has not unheard of . While much of the country was suffering in wars, the Lurish tribes spread northwest and southeast along the Zagros mountains, repopulating abandoned valley and herding goats, sheep, horses and cattle.

Some scholars claim that Lurish culture best reflects the nomadic traditions of the ancient Iranian tribes, with a high authority of the tribal chieftains. Typical Lurish products remain wool, cloth and weaven carpets, which was the traditional domain of the women, while the men were busy herding the flock in the mountainous terrain.

As the authority of the Ilkhans was collapsing, bands of Lurish bandits frequently attacked and robbed caravans crossing the Zagros Mountains. However, gradually loot was scarcer, as fewer merchants would dare to cross the perilous passes, and soon the Lurs decided that robbing caravans was not the way to go, as caravans would stop passing through their territory, going rather through Urmia or Georgia. This has also made a contribution to the decline in Mesopotamia.

Later, the Lurish chiefs offered safe passage through the Zagros in exchange for tolls, with companies of Lurish men accompanying the caravans across the mountains. This sort of protection racket enacted upon the Silk Road was something that was a thorn in the eye of the merchantsin both Persia and Mesopotamia – however with Persia proper in a state of civil war, it was left solely on the beys in Mesopotamia to deal with this issue.

Mesopotamia
The 14th-century Mesopotamia was very different from the land it was a few centuries earlier. The proportion of urban dwellers had shrunken considerably, and the overwhelming majority of Mesopotamians were living in the countryside.

The decline of urban culture meant firstly the shrinking of the Jewish population in Nehardea. Some Jews have bought land in the vicinity of the Euphrates River and became petty landowners, while others moved out of Mesopotamia altogether.

The Gnostic Mandean community living in small towns and villages of Maisan and Characene have retreated to the safety of the marshlands and to the more inaccessible parts of the country.

Northern Mesopotamia had come to be ruled by the Jalayrid Dynasty, sitting at Karka d Beth Slokh (7), while central Mesopotamia remained as a church land since the Donations of Toghrul, as the demesne of the Catholicos of Qtespon. Southern Mesopotamia was in the hands of the Qepasian dynasty, ruled by the heirs of a certain Cephas of Kaskar, of Assyrian origin.

The Jalayrid dynasty were outraged as trade was declining. Not that they as a Turkic dynasty were specifically concerned by the worries and complaints of the townsfolk. However, what they understood was that trade and manufacturing went hand in hand. And that meant more taxes. The Jalayrids sent numerous punitive expeditions against the Lurs, however most of them ended in defeat, as the Lurish tribesmen were in home territory, and were able to use ambush tactics.



The Turkish beys of Anatolia
In the central Anatalian Plateau, we can see the rise of the Eretnids, a dynasty of Uyghur Turkic origin that seized power to the east of the Halys River (8), while its western banks were domains to the Salghurid dynasty (9)

The Eretnids were quick to embrace the Paulician faith, and have declared it to be their religion of choice. Embracing Paulicianism was an attempt to win over an important part of their Armenian subjects. The Eretnids were rather fast in assimilating into the culture of their subjects, with a lasting legacy of bringing the elite cavalry traditions to that part of the world.

The Salghurid dynasty had established their capital in Ikonium, they named Konya. The steppe environment of Central Anatolia has allowed the Turkic peoples to retain their traditional way of life, making assimilation not happen, unlike in the Eretnid state. Within the Salghurid beylik, it were rather the Armenians who assimilate into the Turkic society, not the other way round, as was the case in the Eretnid lands.

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1. Apart from the name, this man is not based on any historical figure.
2. Ghazni
3. March 26th. This festival is known to commemorate the birthday of prophet Zoroaster
4. In the previous Iranian update, we have learnt that a separate Rajji identity has developed in the cities along the Silk Road – mostly Christians speaking a dialect of Persian with strong Turkic, Khorasani, and Aramaic influences.
5. The city of Qom, as it was known in Old Persian
6. Kirkuk
7. The title of the Spahbed may be equated to the magister militum in the Roman Empire. In the late Sassanid empire, there were four Spahbeds, each responsible for a different cardinal direction. The Bavandid dynasty in Tabarestan has been passing down the title of the Spahbed for generations, even when there was now Shahanshah
8. The Kizilirmak
9. The Karamanids. The word Karamanid dodid not sound propoer to me, but I have found that they were from the Salghur clan of the Oghuz Turks.

 

[cornycator]

What is the orange language in Pakistan there?

 

[ramones1986]

What is the orange language in Pakistan there?

Brahui, a Dravidian language.

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Brahui, a Dravidian language.

Correct. In the text I have very vaguely described its distinctiveness, while not clearly stating "that generally modern scholars have agreed on a link to the Tamil and Malayalam languages in southern India".