The TL that will not die--Muslim Europe, Christian Middle East Version 3.0.
Enjoy!
POD: Heraclius doesn’t launch his coup
Good link: http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h02.htm
Constantinople Falls to Sassanids and Avars (626 AD)-The Sassanid and Avar tag-team takes Constantinople. The Sassanids get greedy and fantasize about getting into Europe like previous Persian overlords (whoever was Shah at the time could claim to be the "new Xerxes" or some BS like that), so they make Constantinople their western capital, thus preserving a lot of its bureaucrats, books, etc. Byzantine monarch and some of his entourage flee to Sicily. The Persians and Avars set the dividing line at the Bosporus; the Persians swallow Asia Minor (and get Constantinople and its enclave on the European side), and the Avars move south into Greece. Enormous numbers of Greeks flee to Sicily and Southern Italy, traditional breadbasket of Greece.
Egypt and North Africa Independent (626-7 AD)-With Byzantium gutted and the Persians already overextended, the Copts in Egypt rise up against the Byzantine governor and establish their own state, defeating Persian incursions. Heraclius challenges Phocas and his entourage in Sicily for control of North Africa. To gain the support of the locals, Heraclius marries the Berber princess (name) and proclaims that once the war is over, he will call a great Synod to discuss theological differences between Orthodoxy and the various splinter sects of North Africa. With the aid of Berber horsemen, Heraclius defeats Phocas and succeeds in establishing a Roman successor regime in North Africa. Lombards devour much of Byzantine Italy, leaving the Romans with control only of the south and Sicily.
Mohammed unifies the Arabs under Islam (610-32 AD)-Events similar to OTL.
Avar Kagan Begins Plotting (628 AD)- The Avars do not appreciate Persian incursions into their territory and the Khan sends some captive Byzantine spies into the Persian empire with the goal of making contract with anti-Khosrau nobles and factions at the Persian court. The goal: Assassinate Khosrau and make a deal with the new Shah to keep Persian influence from spreading into the Avar lands.
Carthaginian Synod Begins (629 AD)-True to his word, Heraclius summons Catholic and Donatist churchmen to Carthage to work out a compromise.
Syracuse Synod (629 AD)-Out of spite, Phocas summons the churchmen of Byzantine lands in Italy to his capital at Syracuse. There, he elects (name), a Greek refugee, as Patriarch of Constantinople (with the eventual goal of returning to the City). The new Patriarch (and the Pope in Rome as well) condemns Heraclius for “dealing with heretics” and expresses hope that he will submit to the ecclesiastical suzerainty of “Constantinople” (read: Syracuse) and the God-ordained authority of Phocas.
Carthaginian Synod Issues Its Verdict (629 AD)-The Synod issues its report. Although not claiming that all sacraments administered by a corrupt priest are invalid, the Synod does make some important changes. The standards for clerical office in the North African church are raised, and all who denied Christ under persecution (relatively rare, this late—perhaps it focuses on clergy who collaborated with the Arian Vandals) or have exhibited other moral failings are expelled from the clergy. The use of icons is greatly limited (full-blown iconoclasm will not come to North Africa for some time). Some clergy Heraclius dislikes are framed and jettisoned, then replaced with supporters of the Emperor. Church lands and wealth are distributed to the peasants or spent on charitable projects, although Heraclius is sure that a good bit is spent on military defenses. Most Donatists agree with the changes, although some of the more fanatical ones retreat into the deserts rather than submit.
Patriarch (Name) Excommunicates Heraclius (629 AD)-Outraged by Heraclius’s compromise with the Donatists, the Patriarch excommunicates Heraclius and his followers for heresy. Pope John IV agrees, although he is soon assassinated by Lombard agents for unrelated reasons.
Persian Civil War Begins (630 AD)-(Name), son of Khosrau, leads some suborned elements of the Immortals in an attempted assassination of his father. This fails, and said son flees to Constantinople. There, he announces his conversion to Orthodoxy and takes his seat in the newly-rebuilt city. Many in the region, tired of Persian mis-government (the Persian court is suffering from Imperial overstretch and has levied high taxes in order to finance reconstruction) and believing a Byzantine revival is on, flock to the preender’s banner.
Phocas Assassinated (630 AD)-Phocas re-establishes the Imperial Court at Syracause, but many blame him for the loss of pretty much all of the Byzantine possessions outside of southern Italy. His personal Excubitor army turns on him and they make Ioannes Laskaris Emperor. Laskaris is less bloodthirsty towards the Heraclid regime in Carthage, but he is determined to upstage his rival by taking back Asia Minor.
Anatolian Foray (630 AD)-The Sicilian forces make a foray towards civil war-wracked Asia Minor, but are defeated in battle on the coast and return home. In the aftermath of the war, Emperor Ioannes decides to focus Byzantine efforts on reclaiming Italy and, in particular, Rome itself.
Persian Civil War Ends (632 AD)-(Name) reaches an agreement with his father. He will rule from Constantinople, while Khosrau will rule from Ctesiphon. There will be free trade between the two halves of Greater Persia and neither will plot against each other. Khosrau, who has just put down a Mazdakite rising, agrees.
Arab Explosion (632 AD)-The ink is barely dry on the treaty between (Name) and Khosrau when the Arab explosion begins. The Persians in the east hold, barely. The Western Persians fall, and the Arabs surge all the way to the borders of Avar Thrace. Constantinople taken. It becomes the new Arab capital, with secondary capitals at Damascus and Mecca. The Maronites aid the Arab invaders, although many Monophysites head to Coptic Egypt, hoping to find peace among their co-religionists.
Greek Uprising Against the Avars (632 AD)-Several Greek cities revolt against Avar taxation and are razed. This sparks a second exodus to southern Italy.
Battle of (Where?) (633 AD)-Persian troops under the personal command of Khosrau defeat the Arab advance. The Immortals and war elephants do lots of damage to the Arab armies, which are forced to withdraw to the other side of the Euphrates.
Birth of St. Thomas of the Oxus (633 AD)-Thomas is born to Nestorian parents in Ctesiphon on the same day that Khosrau defeats the Arab advance.
Arab invasion of Egypt (633 AD)-The Arabs invade Egypt, laying siege to Alexandria. Fortunately, the Coptic leaders saw trouble coming and had prepared militarily, including hiring thousands of Berber horsemen from North Africa. Heraclius, recognizing the Arabs as a real threat (after all, they had defeated the deadly Persians) allows this and even sends some regular forces to help. In a bone-crushing battle that lasted three days, the Arab armies are broken and flee across Suez back into the Levant. "Alexandria" will become Christendom's Tours in this ATL.
Lombards Begin Extorting Tribute from the Venetians (635 AD)-Seeing the Byzantine Empire crumbling, the Lombards begin extorting tribute from the nascent Venetian Republic. The Venetians, too weak to really do anything, pay grudgingly and pray for the opportunity for vengeance.
First Avar-Arab War Begins (640 AD)-Refugees from overtaxed Greece tell the Arabs about how everyone in the area hates the Avars and how the Arabs would be greeted as liberators. Still burning with religious fervor, the Arabs decide to attack.
Battle of Chaeronea (641 AD)-Fought on the site of previous battles, this one is a Pyrrhic victory for the Avars. Peace negotiations begin when uprisings against Avar rule break out behind the lines.
Peace of Constantinople (642 AD)-Canny Arabs wheedle most of Thrace out of the Avars while they deal with Greek uprisings in their rear.
Greek Uprisings Crushed (641-3 AD)-The Avars crush the Greek rebellions again, razing Athens and some other cities. Avars deport large numbers of Greeks into the northern parts of their realm, and settle others in Greek lands. A third exodus to Italy begins.
Ascension of (Name) as Kagan (644 AD)-(Name) becomes Avar Kagan and initiates more tolerant policies. Greeks allowed to return from the north; taxes on the cities lowered. He even publicly flirts with becoming a Christian, and endows some nice churches too. All this is part of a plan for revenge on the Arabs.
Second Avar-Arab War Begins (648 AD)-The war begins with an Avar invasion of Thrace. The people aren’t particularly appreciative.
Battle of Adrianople (648 AD)-The Thracians help the Arabs sneak up on the Avar field armies besieging the city and annihilate them. Arabs push into Avar lands.
Battle of Kavala (648 AD)-In the narrow flat lands between the Rhodope Mountains and the sea, the Avars defeat the Arabs and block their advance.
Landings at Piraeus (649 AD)-Arab naval forces making a daring invasion of Athens itself, outflanking the Thracian battle line. The Kagan takes command of another army and moves south to meet them.
Battle of Mandra (649 AD)-An Avar victory that contains the Arab landing forces, but the Kagan is mortally wounded. He dies soon afterward, and his reactionary son Kuvrat succeeds him.
Ravaging of the Northern Peloponnesus (649-50 AD)-To punish the Greeks for the fact that the Arab naval personnel are largely Greek and to prevent the Arabs from using the resources of the area, the new Kagan ravages the land as he withdraws to Patra and returns to mainland Greece. This act enrages all of Greece against the Avars.
Frankish Warrior Adalger Goes to Britain (649 AD)-The Frankish warrior Adalger, a younger son of a great noble family, goes to Britain to make his fortune. Disdaining allying with the pagan Saxons, he hooks up with (name), a powerful British warlord.
Great Greek Rebellion (649-50 AD)-The Greeks rise up a second time against Kuvrat, the new Kagan. Avar garrisons overwhelmed and massacred by angry mobs. More recent Slavic immigrants to the region, seeing the opportunity to throw off their Avar masters, join in. As Avar power crumbles across mainland Greece, Arab forces stage landings up and down the coast, as well as a major push from Arab Thrace.
Death of the Kagan (650 AD)-Kuvrat is killed in battle against Greek rebels and Arab regulars in central Greece. Slavs and Gepids in Avar armies mutiny, while Slavic tribes outside the Avar borders nibble at the Avars' borders. The Avar Kaganate begins to disintegrate. Kajd, illegitimate son of Kuvrat by a Christian Greek woman, takes commands of the surviving Avarian forces and begins the migration westward, Greek and Arab forces in pursuit.
Adalger Captured, Tortured to Death (650 AD)-Adalger, the Frankish mercenary, is captured by Saxons. Outraged at how much damage he’d done to their cause, and receiving no ransom from his family (the ship sent to Frankia with the demand is lost at sea), they torture him to death. Word of this reaches the warrior’s influential family in Frankia, who want revenge.
Saxon Raid on (Where?) (650 AD)-Saxon warriors, who serve a different Saxon king than the one who killed (name), raid some coastal Frankish ports. They loot, rape, pillage, and take captives for ransom This annoys (name), the Frankish king. Egged on by Adalger’s vengeful family, he begins preparations for the invasion of England.
Avar Death March (650-652 AD)-The Avars make their way through the mountainous Balkan country, pursued by Arab and Greek forces. Large numbers die in the mountains, but the Arab troops, unused to the weather and surprised by dogged Avar resistance, die even faster.
Avars Arrive at Venice (652 AD)-The much-reduced Avars arrive at Venice, which had freed itself from Byzantine control after the fall of Constantinople to the Avars and paid tribute to the Lombards. The Venetian rulers, irritated at increasing Lombard demands, hire the Avars as mercenaries to bolster their military, on the condition that they convert to Christianity. Kajd is baptized and takes the name of Isaac.
Islamic Evangelization of the New Tribes (650-70)-Islamic missionaries evangelize among the Gepids, Slavs, and remaining Avars in the Balkans. Large numbers convert to Islam voluntarily due to the Caliphate's destruction of the harsh Avar regime, though it takes a good while for paganism to be completely eradicated.
Venice-Lombard War (653-655 AD)-Using their fleet and new Avar army, the Venetians tell the Lombards to stick it. The Lombards respond with a failed naval attack on the Venetian island possessions. The Venetians land their Avar-bolstered armies on the Italian mainland and there's head-busting aplenty before the Lombards end extorting tribute from the Venetians and cede some mainland territory to the city-state. During the Battle of Chioggia (654), Kajd/Isaac dies without issue. This is the last glue holding the declining Avar nation together and, combined with the spread of Christianity among the rank-and-file, dooms the Avars to eventual assimilation.
Frankish Invasion of England (652 AD)-The Franks invade southern England. This German-on-German warfare leads (name), Adalger’s former employer, to believe that the time of the Saxons in Britain is coming to an end. He uses his connections with the Franks through his deceased soldier Adalger to obtain an informal military alliance and aid (weaponry, training, etc). He puts this to use in “scooping up” several smaller Celtic kingdoms and adding territories reclaimed from the Saxons to his personal empire.
Franks Defeated in Wessex (653 AD)-The Franks occupy Essex and Sussex, but are defeated inland in Wessex. The Franks, their sea route into England harried by Anglian pirates and beset by internal squabbling, stop for now. SE England will remain part of the Frankish Empire for a good while.
Wessex Falls (654 AD)-The Britons, under (warlord), finish off Wessex. (Warlord) crowned High King. Overtures made to the Frankish occupiers further east, who accept the Britons as allies.
St. Thomas Travels to Northern Persia (654 AD)-Thomas, tiring of non-fruitful efforts to convert the Zoroastrians of Ctesiphon (and fearing for his life after nearly being killed), moves with some disciples to the northern reaches of the Persian Empire. There, they begin mission work among the (name), one of the many nomadic peoples of the region.
War of the Bristol Channel (654-5 AD)-High King (name) and the Irish chiefdom of Leinster fight a war. The cause was Irish piracy and slaving in the west of Britain, particularly in the Channel. It’s fought to a draw, and the peace is sealed by his marriage to Brigid, a princess of Leinster royal family.
Attempted Coup against Lombard King (655 AD)-The Lombard dukes attempt to remove the Lombard king for his defeat by the tributary Venetians. The King, (name), manages to retain his hold on power, but barely. He decides to placate his vassals by offering them the plunder of the city of Rome.
Lombard Invasion of the Papal Domains (656 AD)-The Lombards invade the Papal states by land from the north. Some forces transported by sea to make some landings along the coast by Venetian ships—the Venetians find the attempts to influence Venetian politics by the Pope, who came to power with the aid of a powerful courtesan, to be both hypocritical and threatening.
Birth of Kenneth (656 AD)-The son of High King (name) and his Irish wife Brigid, this boy is heir to the High Kingship and a potential contender for the headship of Leinster in Ireland.
Lombard Sack of Rome (657 AD)-The militia forces raised by Pope John V are no match for the Lombard cavalry (and the infantry they’ve been developing since their cavalry wasn’t up to snuff for the Venetian war). Some Sicilian assistance arrives, but it’s too late. Rome falls to the Lombards mere months after the invasion, and the city is sacked. (A famous piece of art) falls into the hands of some Venetians who were along for the ride; they take it back to the city where it is put prominently on display.
Flight of Pope John (657-8 AD)-The Pope manages to flee Rome before the Lombards sack it. He and his entourage go on an epic journey through the winter, dodging Lombard detachments, local bandits, and bad weather. They make it to Frankish lands in March of 658 AD. John petitions the Frankish king to help restore him to his position, and punish the Lombards for their unholy behavior. The Frankish king refuses, for now. The Papacy sets up shop in Marseilles and dreams of revenge. Some anti-John clergy go to Carthage, where Heraclius sets up the more worthy among them as bishops.
Lombard Consolidation (657-8 AD)-The Lombards consolidate their control of central Italy, setting up their capital in Rome. The Lombard King (name) also establishes a pope of his own, Eugene (what number?). This begins the Great Schism between the pro-Frank Pope in Marseilles and the pro-Lombard Pope in Rome.
First Lombard-Sicilian War (658-660 AD)-The Sicilians invade Lombard territories in hopes of reclaiming Rome. The Byzantines are defeated at the gates of the Eternal City and Ioannes is wounded. The Lombard King was killed in the fighting and his son (name) makes peace, ceding some territory to the Sicilians but retaining Lombard control of the city.
Death of Emperor Ioannes (661 AD)-Ioannes was wounded during the assault on Rome and on the way back to Sicilian territory, his wounds become infected. He names his nephew Marcus Laskaris as his successor before he dies.
First Sicilian-Carthaginian War Begins (661 AD)-Marcus’s succession to Ionnes is a controversial one. He decides to legitimize his authority by declaring war on Heraclius’s empire in North Africa. Sicilian ships immediately blockade Carthage and mount raids ashore.
Gepid Kingdom Established (662 AD)-The Gepids, who are mostly Muslim by now, establish a kingdom in what is now Croatia. The Gepid King is tasked by the Caliphate to continue the spread of Islam among the western Slavic peoples who are too far from the center of Caliphal power in Greece and Asia Minor to proselytize effectively, and to defend the western frontiers of the Caliphate against possible Lombard or Venetian aggression. The Caliphate sends many Greek and Syrian advisors and experts to help the Gepids get settled in the region. The Gepidae are essentially Islamic federatae.
Battle of (Where?) (662 AD)-Sicilian forces under the command of Marcus’s son Constantine land in North Africa and Carthaginian forces engage them. The Berber light cavalry, better suited for desert conditions than the heavy infantry and cavalry of the Sicilians, forces the invaders back to the coast.
Battle of Bizerte (662 AD)-On the beaches of North Africa, the Sicilians defeat the Carthaginians and maintain their foothold.
Second Battle of Bizerte (663 AD)-After building up their forces, the Carthaginians try again. Supplied by sea, the Sicilians defeat the second attack.
Carthaginian Mission to Venice (663 AD)-The elderly but still tough Heraclius sends a mission to Venice, hoping to recruit Venetian ships to cut off the supplies of the Sicilian forces in North Africa.
Treaty of Mestre Made (663 AD)-The Venetians sign a treaty of alliance with the Roman remnant in North Africa. They supply 100 ships to break the Sicilian blockade and cut off the Sicilian invasion force.
Surrender of Sicilians (665 AD)-The Venetians succeed in cutting off the Sicilian invaders from their base in Italy, while Carthaginian forces mount constant harassing attacks. The Sicilian forces, their camps beset by disease and low on supplies, are forced to surrender.
Treaty of Carthage (666 AD)-Marcus comes to North Africa cap-in-hand to make peace with Heraclius. Both Emperors recognize the legitimacy of the others’ domains and pledge a common front against the Arabs, who took advantage of the squabbling of the post-Roman states to indulge in a lot of piratical behavior. The Sicilian soldiers are returned. The religious issue remains unaddressed, for now. Some zealots in Italy point out the fact that the treaty was made in 666 AD as proof that the peace is satanic, a “covenant with hell.”
Death of Heraclius (667 AD)-Heraclius, who at this point is quite elderly, dies. He is hailed by his people as the restorer of Christian unity and the savior of North Africa from Muslims and the madman Phocas. His son (name) succeeds him.
Death of St. Thomas of the Oxus (675 AD)-St. Thomas is killed by a band of shamans from (what nomadic tribe?) annoyed with the successes he’s had in making converts. The death of St. Thomas, who served as a doctor and scholar to (name) the king, leads to…
The Purge of the Shamans (675 AD)-Enraged at the death of his friend Thomas, king (name) all the shamans involved, their families, and their students. This destruction of slightly over half the shamans of the (tribe) dooms paganism among them, even though (name) never becomes a Christian. Many of the dead shamans among (the king)’s advisors are replaced by Nestorian Christians or pagans sympathetic to them.
Death of (Name) (679 AD)-(Name) dies. His son Tughrul becomes king of the (tribe) and converts to Nestorian Christianity. 2/3 of the tribe is already Christian. Tughrul replaces his father’s remaining shamanic advisors with Nestorian clergy, both Persians and (members of his tribe). (The tribe) becomes the first of the many steppe tribes that will embrace Nestorian Christianity. Paganism will wither away and die over the next decade.
Death of Marcus Lascaris (679 AD)-Marcus Lascaris dies and his son Constantine takes power. Constantine is a brilliant soldier and is quite ambitious and devout. He begins planning to end the sad disunited state of Christendom by first deposing the “false” pro-Lombard Pope in Rome and reclaiming the city for the Romans.
Second Sicilian-Lombard War Begins (680 AD)-Using the attack on some Sicilian merchants by some renegade Lombard nobles as a pretext, Constantine launches another war against the Lomabards.
Arrival of the Bulgars (680 AD)-One branch of the Bulgar nation arrives at the northern borders of the Caliphate. At the Second Battle of Adrianople, Arab cavalry are able to decisively defeat a Bulgar attack against Adrianople, but the Caliphate’s forces are defeated at the Battle of Burgas.
Caliph Recognizes the Bulgars (681 AD)-The Caliph recognizes Bulgar control of territories above the Danube River. However, part of the treaty stipulates that Muslim missionaries must be allowed to operate among the Bulgars unmolested.
Gepids Ally with Sicilians (684 AD)-The Muslim Gepids operating out of modern-day Austria are brought into the war with the promise of gold and slaves. They begin raiding the northern reaches of Lombard territory in Italy. At the same time, a new wave of Muslim Slavic pirates attack Venetian interests.
Sicilians Retake Rome (685 AD)-The Sicilians drive the Lombards out of the Eternal City and kill the Lombards’ puppet Pope.
The Pope Returns to Rome, Ending the Schism (686 AD)-Pope Innocent leaves Marseilles and returns to Italy, ending the Schism. Along the way, he and his Frankish allies are attacked by Lombard-allied bandits, but due to the heroism of his Frankish guards, the Pope survives. This begins the tradition of having Frankish soldiers serve as the Pope’s protectors.
Second Sicilian-Lombard War Ends (686 AD)-The Lombards formally cede Rome to the Sicilians, along with all territories south of the Arno. The Lombards are also forced to accept Federatae status and serve as defenders of northern Italy in exchange for a subsidy. The Lombards return to their old capital of Pavia. Constantine, the Sicilian Emperor, makes an elaborate show of reclaiming the city of Rome after centuries of exile and establishes his capital there. The Gepidae are able to shave some territory off the Venetian and Lombard domains and add it to their empire.
Second Sicilian-Carthaginian War (689-694 AD)-Constantine, the Emperor in Ravenna, is feeling omnipotent after driving the Lombards out of Rome and ending the Schism. He decides to break the Treaty of Carthage and restore the Empire of the West. This is all part of his long-range plan—with the heretical Heraclid regime in North Africa destroyed, Christendom will be one step closer to unification. He also desires vengeance on the Carthaginians for the defeat they inflicted on him and his army in North Africa decades before—the only time he was ever beaten.
Bulgar Khan Converts to Islam (690 AD)-The Bulgar Khan converts to Islam and takes the Arabic title of Emir.
Kenneth Elected High King (693 AD)-Kenneth, High King of the Britons and now head of Leinster, absorbs the lands of (what Irish nation) into his territory. However, fearing his growing power, the other Irish lords refuse to elect him High King. The union of Britannia and Ireland will have to wait.
Battle of the Beaches (694 AD)-The Romans attempt to invade North Africa. They’re beaten back with heavy losses.
Battle of Syracuse (694 AD)-North African forces land in Sicily, defeating Roman forces there. The fall of the city where Phocas took refuge after the fall of Constantinople is a major psychological blow, even though its strategic value is not as great.
Constantine Makes Alliance with the Caliph (694 AD)-Seeing his plans unravel, Constantine begins to get a little desperate. He sends diplomats to the Caliph in Constantinople to propose an alliance against the Heraclid regime. The destruction of the Heraclid regime and the establishmnet of Laskarid/Roman authority on North Africa will enable them to divide Egypt between them later. The Caliph agrees to this.
Thomas Marcos Launches Assassinates the Emperor (694)-The Romans’ attempt to make a deal with the Caliphate to destroy the Carthaginian regime is too much for Thomas Marcos, a devout Sicilian admiral, to deal with. He assassinates Constantine when the latter is visiting his headquarters and takes command of the entire Roman military. He quickly makes peace with the Carthaginians and the two join forces to defeat the massive Caliphal fleet heading for Carthage from Constantinople.
Birth of Sean (695 AD)-A son, named Sean, is borne to Kenneth, High King of the Britons and King of Leinster and (the defeated tribe).
Battle of The Strait of Messina (695 AD)-The Sicilian and Carthaginian navies join forces to defeat a Caliphal fleet bent on invading Sicily. This great victory contains the Islamic fleets in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Lombard-Gepid War Begins (696 AD)-Taking advantage of the distraction of the Romans, (name), King of the Lombards, decides to drive the “heathen” Gepids back into the Balkans. The Venetians join in, since much of the Gepids’ new territories in Italy originally belonged to them.
Lombard-Gepid War Ends (698 AD)-The Gepids are forced to retreat into their Pannonian domains and to return all Lombard, Venetian, and Roman captives. This the Gepids do. However, a great many of these captives, who’ve seen the crassness of church politics in Italy firsthand, have converted to Islam, while many who lived under Gepid rule in northern Italy converted as well. The re-established Roman government persecutes them, trying to force them to return to Catholicism. They’re remembered by later generations of Gepid Muslims as the first martyrs.
Battle of the Three Emperors (700 AD)-In this great land-sea battle at Crete, the Ummayyad Caliph is killed in battle. He has only one son, a child of three, and the child’s maternal uncle immediately claims the title of regent and begins negotiations with the Romans.
Roman-Islamic War Ends (701 AD)-The Caliphate, the Roman Empire (Italy), and the Roman Empire (North Africa) sign a peace treaty. The Caliphate agrees to keep the Gepids and Slavic pirates in line. However, both Roman states must set up mosques in their respective capitals for Muslim travelers and guarantee the religious freedoms of Muslims in their domains. The Venetians gain Crete, although they must (for the present) keep it demilitarized.
End of the Ummayyad Dynasty (705 AD)-The child-Caliph and his corrupt uncle are killed by members of the (name) family, a powerful family of Arabized Slavs. (Name), head of the family, becomes the next Caliph.
Lascarid Coup Attempt (720 AD)-When Thomas Marcos dies, the Lascarid family attempts to seize the throne of the Caesars from his young son. This fails and the leading men of the Lascarid family are killed. However, this lays a poisonous legacy that will cause trouble later—Lascarid-Marcid strife will cause many problems later.
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First Viking Raids (795 AD)-The first recorded Viking raid, on some monasteries in northern Bernicia. These Vikings are pagans and don’t have much respect for Christian holy sites (later Muslim Vikings will be better-behaved).
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Arrival of the Magyars (895-96 AD)-The Magyars arrive in the Carpathians after a similar series of events that drove them out of Central Asia occurs. They pass through Bulgar territories, defeating the Bulgars at the Battle of (Where?), but they don’t stop to contest Bulgar lands. They arrive in the Hungarian Plain, destroying the Gepid kingdom and subjugating the Slavic peoples there. However, many of the slaves they take are Muslims, and the Caliphate is quick to send missionaries and gifts, since the Slavs in that region resisted their attempts to impose Caliphal authority. The Venetians, glad that the Slavic pirates have been (momentarily) put down, send gifts and Catholic clergy, seeking to convert the Magyars as well.
Gepid Exodus into Northern Italy (896 AD)-The surviving Gepids march into Lombardy. Heavily-armed and desperate, the Gepids defeat the Lombard armies and their Venetian allies at the Battle of Verona (897). Theoldo, the Lombard king, is killed in battle. He has no sons or daughters.
Pavia Falls (897 AD)-The Lombard capital falls to the Gepids. The Lombard government, weakened as it was by assimilation and the incompetent reign of Theoldo, falls apart.
Northern Campaign (897 AD)-Roman forces move into the crumbling Lombard domains, hoping to salvage what they can. Innumerable bandits are killed and many Lombard lords, fearing the Muslim Gepids, swear loyalty to the Roman Emperor. However, the Gepids are moving into the power vacuum and a clash is inevitable.
Battle of the Po (898 AD)-Roman forces and their Lombard collaborators collide with the Gepids and their Lombard collaborators along the Po River near Piacenza. The Romans defeat the Gepids. However, thanks to the (insert civil conflict), the Romans are too weak to force the Gepids to leave Italy altogether. The Gepids must serve as federatae like the Lombards before them, and pay large indemnities to the Emperor. However, this situation still leaves the Muslim Gepids in control of a significant piece of northern Italy.
Maygar Khan Converts to Islam (902 AD)-Seeking to legitimize Magyar rule over the Slavic Muslim subjects, the Khan converts to Islam. Many Magyar nobles join him in this, although a significant number remain pagan. The Caliph blesses Magyar rule over Hungary and what is now Croatia, Slovenia, and much of Austria. The Magyar makes the point of refusing to take the title of Emir—he is his own man.
Magyar Wars with the Swiss (905-912 AD)-The Magyar Khan goes to war with the peoples of what is now Switzerland. The goal, in addition to spreading the control of Islam, is also to secure some of the passes into Italy.
First Magyar Raids into Italy (920 AD)-The Magyars begin probing northern Italy. Although their attempts to raid the Venetian islands are utterly squashed by the Venetian fleet (their river-crossing coracles are easily slaughtered), they’re able to do a lot of damage to Venetian possessions on the mainland and to the Gepids, Romans, and Lombards.
Battle of Treviso (921 AD)-Roman, Venetian and Gepid forces defeat a powerful raiding band of Magyars intent on sacking the city of Treviso. This puts a stop to Magyar attacks in Italy for a long time.
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Magyar Invasion of Italy (950 AD)-The Magyars invade Italy in force, destroying the Romano-Gepid fortresses guarding the passes in a series of lightning campaigns. At the same time, they sweep downward into the Dalmatian coast, source of Venice’s timber.
Gepid Revolt (951 AD)-The Gepids revolt against the Romans, who’ve been abusing them. Religion plays a role in this as well—there’ve been violent incidents involving Christian missionaries among the Gepids and Muslim missionaries among the (Christian) Romans, while Magyar clerics have proclaimed jihad against the Romans for ruling over Muslim peoples.
Battle of Milan (953 AD)-The Islamic forces of the Gepids and Magyars meet the Romans in battle and destroy them.
Battle Of Adige (954 AD)-The Magyars then turn their attentions on the Venetians. The Islamic forces destroy the Venetian armies holding their mainland territories. However, a Magyar attempt to cross the lagoon is defeated and the Magyars decide to starve the Venetians into submission. Grain shipments from the Italian mainland and from Pannonia are cut off, and Slavic and Magyar pirates are unleashed to harry Venetian ships at sea. The Venetians arrange to import wheat from Egypt and defend against the pirates as best they can.
Battle of Parma (955 AD)-This is another Roman defeat, although not as severe as the 953 battle.
Battle of Carpi (956 AD)-This battle is technically a draw—although the Roman armies are wrecked, the Magyars are so damaged they’re forced to withdraw.
Battle of Ferrara (956 AD)-This is a minor Roman victory, but it’s clear the Roman armies are exhausted. The Emperor decides to make peace.
Peace of Ravenna (956 AD)-The Romans are forced to cede the formerly Gepid lands to the Magyars, although they’re able to preserve all the Romanized territories. The frontier between the Magyar Khanate and the Roman Empire is now at the Po, although the Romans are able to retain control of Milan.
Venice Makes Peace with the Magyars (959 AD)-The Magyar blockade is only a partial success, but the defeat of the Romans makes it clear that Venice is doomed. The Venetians cede all of their mainland territories to the Magyar Khanate and agree to send yearly tribute and allow the Magyars to use their ships.
(more)
Birth of Aardwolf Ibn Theodoric (1001 AD)-He will eventually grow up to become the Emir of the Forests, who will begin the series of wars that will destroy the Frankish Empire.
Ascension of Mehmet IV as Caliph of Constantinople (1089 AD)-The ascension of Mehmet will end the quiescence of the Caliphate, which although retaining authority over most of the old Byzantine lands, has only theoretical power over the Muslim powers of Scandinavia and Central Europe. He immediately claims suzerainty over all the Umma and makes various demands.
Magyar Khan Claims Caliphal Title (1100 AD)-The Magyar Khan, like his ancestor who retained his title as Khan and refused to become an Emir, is irritated with the increasing stridence of Constantinople. Using a very minor theological point as pretext, the Khan denounces the Caliph of Constantinople as a fraud and claims the title for himself. It’s sort of like Henry VIII—Islamic practice in the Magyar lands doesn’t really change, there’s just a new guy in charge. The Serbian Emirate declares for the Magyars, hoping to escape the troublesome Caliphate of Rum.
The Bulanid Turks Conquer Persia (1100 AD)-This tribe, most powerful of the Nestorian Turkic tribes, destroy the (name) dynasty at the Battle of (Where?). Its king, Bulan II, declares himself Persian Emperor. The new Emperor proceeds to drive out the other tribes in his bid to unify Persia. The first to be sent packing are the Chakanid Turks.
Scandinavian Emirates Declare Neutrality (1101 AD)-The Islamic states in Skandistan (Scandinavia) declare neutrality in the battle between the Magyar and Byzantine Caliphates. The Caliph assembles an army and marches northward towards the borders of the Magyar Caliphate. The Magyars assemble their own force and move south to meet them.
Battle of Novi Pazar (1101 AD)-Magyar and Caliphal forces meet in battle somewhere in the Serbian Emirate. Find out what NP means in English and then translate into Arabic for the TL!
Aleppo Falls to the Chakanids (1102 AD)-Forced out of Persia, the Chakanids move into the Caliphate’s Syrian lands. Aleppo is taken by surprise and the passes through the Taurus Mountains are garrisoned to prevent reinforcement from the Caliphate’s heartland in Greece and Asia Minor. The Chakanids then move southward.
Battle of (Where?)-The Caliphate marches an army out of Damascus and meets the Chakanids in battle north of Hama. The Caliphate’s army is destroyed.
Maronite Uprising (1102 AD)-The Monophysite Maronites of Lebanon rise up against the Caliphate and establish an independent state.
Antioch, Damascus Fall to the Chakanids (1102 AD)-Damascus and Antioch, the last two Caliphal centers of power in Syria, fall to the Chakanids.
Pacification of the Deserts (1103-5 AD)-The Chakanid Sultanate now has to deal with guerrilla attacks by Arab nomads operating out of the desert. Being nomads themselves, the Chakanids don’t have problems dealing with them, although owing to the harshness and vastness of the terrain, the campaign does take some time.
Egyptian Invasion of the Levant (1103 AD)-The Egyptians, seeing the Caliphate in dire distress and the troublesome Arab nomads occupied with the Chakanids, invade the Holy Land. They defeat local Arab armies at Arad and Hebron.
Jerusalem Reclaimed (1105 AD)-Egyptian forces enter Jerusalem in triumph, restoring Christian control over the holy city after 400+ years of loss.
Ertugrulids Cross the Euphrates (1106 AD)-The Persians expel the Ertugrulids, another Nestorian horse tribe, from their territories in southern Persia. They establish control of most of present-day Iraq and set up their capital in Baghdad.
Peace Between Caliphs (1107 AD)-Faced with the possible loss of the Holy Cities to the Christian horse tribes, the Caliph in Constantinople makes peace with the Magyars.
Battle of (Where?) (1108 AD)-The Muslim armies attempt to peacefully cross the territories of the Chakanids in order to defend Mecca and Medina, but negotiations fall through. The Muslims defeat the enemy army, but not substantially enough to reclaim control of Syria. Instead, they force the Chakanids to send a large indemnity to Constantinople and to aid them against Ertugrulids.
Battle of (Where?) (1108 AD)-The Muslim armies are defeated by the Ertugrulids as they make their way down the Tigris towards Baghdad.
Battle of (Where?) (1108 AD)-The armies of the Caliphate are utterly destroyed here. The battle begins with the mass defection of the Nestorian “allies” of the Caliphal armies to the forces of Ertugrulids. The Caliph realizes his position is untenable and begins to retreat northward towards the Taurus Mountains. The Caliphal army is sandwiched between the two Nestorian armies and utterly destroyed. The Caliph barely manages to escape with his life and turns himself over to the Egyptians in order to avoid capture by the Nestorian tribes, who would likely kill him. The Egyptians proceed to hold him for ransom.
(What tribe?) Expelled from Persia (1109 AD)-This tribe was one of the toughest and the new Persian dynasty took awhile to get rid of it. They approach the Ertugrulid borders, but are intimidated into stopping by a show of force. However, (name), the Ertugrulid sultan, decides that the (new tribe) would make an excellent distraction for the Caliphate of Rum, which he is sure wants revenge for the destruction of its armies and the humiliation of its Caliph. He will not allow the (new tribe) to settle within his domains, but points out that Oman and the Trucial Coast are rich with pearls. The Ertugrulids escort (the new tribe) to the Persian Gulf.
(New Tribe) Conquers Eastern Arabia (1109-1112 AD)-The Caliphate’s authority has collapsed over the Trucial Coast and the (new tribe) only has to deal with ad-hoc coalitions of sheiks and the city guards of various cities. The conquest of the Trucial Coast, and northern Yemen is relatively quick and bloodless. The Sultan of (new tribe) grants the island of Bahrain to his chief cleric, who re-establishes the ancient Nestorian monasteries that once stood there.
(Name) Returns to Constantinople (1113 AD)-After five years in Egyptian captivity, the Caliph (name) returns to Constantinople. He barely survives an assassination attempt by some of the leading families and decides on a war of vengeance against the “worshippers of the Cross” who threaten Mecca.
Bulanid Shah Declares War on the Caliphate (1113 AD)-Hoping to permanently deprive the Caliphate of its southernmost possessions, the Bulanid Turks declare war on the Caliphate.
Battle of (Where?) (1114 AD)-The Caliphate wins this initial battle, forcing the Bulanid armies
Battle of (Where?)
(New Tribe) Crosses the Empty Quarter (1117 AD)-
Fall of Medina (1118 AD)-
Fall of Mecca (1120 AD)-The Muslims fanatically defend Mecca, but to no avail.
End of the (Name?) Dynasty (1123 AD)-Some of the leading families in Constantinople conclude that the Caliphate of (name) has been cursed by God—hence all the defeats. When he returns to Constantinople, he is quickly killed, along with every male in his family. His wives, daughters, etc are quickly married off to the men of the conspiring families. (Name), a Muslim Greek, becomes the new Caliph.
Caliph of Constantinople and Magyar Caliph Issue Joint Proclamation of Jihad (1150 AD)-Both Caliphs note the conversions (sometimes forcible, sometimes not) of Muslims to Nestorian Christianity and the fact that the Nestorian Turks are imposing excessive taxes on Muslim pilgrims to the Holy Cities. These are their two grounds for jihad. The redirection of Muslim military power eastward saves the Frankish kingdoms from annihilation.
Enjoy!
POD: Heraclius doesn’t launch his coup
Good link: http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h02.htm
Constantinople Falls to Sassanids and Avars (626 AD)-The Sassanid and Avar tag-team takes Constantinople. The Sassanids get greedy and fantasize about getting into Europe like previous Persian overlords (whoever was Shah at the time could claim to be the "new Xerxes" or some BS like that), so they make Constantinople their western capital, thus preserving a lot of its bureaucrats, books, etc. Byzantine monarch and some of his entourage flee to Sicily. The Persians and Avars set the dividing line at the Bosporus; the Persians swallow Asia Minor (and get Constantinople and its enclave on the European side), and the Avars move south into Greece. Enormous numbers of Greeks flee to Sicily and Southern Italy, traditional breadbasket of Greece.
Egypt and North Africa Independent (626-7 AD)-With Byzantium gutted and the Persians already overextended, the Copts in Egypt rise up against the Byzantine governor and establish their own state, defeating Persian incursions. Heraclius challenges Phocas and his entourage in Sicily for control of North Africa. To gain the support of the locals, Heraclius marries the Berber princess (name) and proclaims that once the war is over, he will call a great Synod to discuss theological differences between Orthodoxy and the various splinter sects of North Africa. With the aid of Berber horsemen, Heraclius defeats Phocas and succeeds in establishing a Roman successor regime in North Africa. Lombards devour much of Byzantine Italy, leaving the Romans with control only of the south and Sicily.
Mohammed unifies the Arabs under Islam (610-32 AD)-Events similar to OTL.
Avar Kagan Begins Plotting (628 AD)- The Avars do not appreciate Persian incursions into their territory and the Khan sends some captive Byzantine spies into the Persian empire with the goal of making contract with anti-Khosrau nobles and factions at the Persian court. The goal: Assassinate Khosrau and make a deal with the new Shah to keep Persian influence from spreading into the Avar lands.
Carthaginian Synod Begins (629 AD)-True to his word, Heraclius summons Catholic and Donatist churchmen to Carthage to work out a compromise.
Syracuse Synod (629 AD)-Out of spite, Phocas summons the churchmen of Byzantine lands in Italy to his capital at Syracuse. There, he elects (name), a Greek refugee, as Patriarch of Constantinople (with the eventual goal of returning to the City). The new Patriarch (and the Pope in Rome as well) condemns Heraclius for “dealing with heretics” and expresses hope that he will submit to the ecclesiastical suzerainty of “Constantinople” (read: Syracuse) and the God-ordained authority of Phocas.
Carthaginian Synod Issues Its Verdict (629 AD)-The Synod issues its report. Although not claiming that all sacraments administered by a corrupt priest are invalid, the Synod does make some important changes. The standards for clerical office in the North African church are raised, and all who denied Christ under persecution (relatively rare, this late—perhaps it focuses on clergy who collaborated with the Arian Vandals) or have exhibited other moral failings are expelled from the clergy. The use of icons is greatly limited (full-blown iconoclasm will not come to North Africa for some time). Some clergy Heraclius dislikes are framed and jettisoned, then replaced with supporters of the Emperor. Church lands and wealth are distributed to the peasants or spent on charitable projects, although Heraclius is sure that a good bit is spent on military defenses. Most Donatists agree with the changes, although some of the more fanatical ones retreat into the deserts rather than submit.
Patriarch (Name) Excommunicates Heraclius (629 AD)-Outraged by Heraclius’s compromise with the Donatists, the Patriarch excommunicates Heraclius and his followers for heresy. Pope John IV agrees, although he is soon assassinated by Lombard agents for unrelated reasons.
Persian Civil War Begins (630 AD)-(Name), son of Khosrau, leads some suborned elements of the Immortals in an attempted assassination of his father. This fails, and said son flees to Constantinople. There, he announces his conversion to Orthodoxy and takes his seat in the newly-rebuilt city. Many in the region, tired of Persian mis-government (the Persian court is suffering from Imperial overstretch and has levied high taxes in order to finance reconstruction) and believing a Byzantine revival is on, flock to the preender’s banner.
Phocas Assassinated (630 AD)-Phocas re-establishes the Imperial Court at Syracause, but many blame him for the loss of pretty much all of the Byzantine possessions outside of southern Italy. His personal Excubitor army turns on him and they make Ioannes Laskaris Emperor. Laskaris is less bloodthirsty towards the Heraclid regime in Carthage, but he is determined to upstage his rival by taking back Asia Minor.
Anatolian Foray (630 AD)-The Sicilian forces make a foray towards civil war-wracked Asia Minor, but are defeated in battle on the coast and return home. In the aftermath of the war, Emperor Ioannes decides to focus Byzantine efforts on reclaiming Italy and, in particular, Rome itself.
Persian Civil War Ends (632 AD)-(Name) reaches an agreement with his father. He will rule from Constantinople, while Khosrau will rule from Ctesiphon. There will be free trade between the two halves of Greater Persia and neither will plot against each other. Khosrau, who has just put down a Mazdakite rising, agrees.
Arab Explosion (632 AD)-The ink is barely dry on the treaty between (Name) and Khosrau when the Arab explosion begins. The Persians in the east hold, barely. The Western Persians fall, and the Arabs surge all the way to the borders of Avar Thrace. Constantinople taken. It becomes the new Arab capital, with secondary capitals at Damascus and Mecca. The Maronites aid the Arab invaders, although many Monophysites head to Coptic Egypt, hoping to find peace among their co-religionists.
Greek Uprising Against the Avars (632 AD)-Several Greek cities revolt against Avar taxation and are razed. This sparks a second exodus to southern Italy.
Battle of (Where?) (633 AD)-Persian troops under the personal command of Khosrau defeat the Arab advance. The Immortals and war elephants do lots of damage to the Arab armies, which are forced to withdraw to the other side of the Euphrates.
Birth of St. Thomas of the Oxus (633 AD)-Thomas is born to Nestorian parents in Ctesiphon on the same day that Khosrau defeats the Arab advance.
Arab invasion of Egypt (633 AD)-The Arabs invade Egypt, laying siege to Alexandria. Fortunately, the Coptic leaders saw trouble coming and had prepared militarily, including hiring thousands of Berber horsemen from North Africa. Heraclius, recognizing the Arabs as a real threat (after all, they had defeated the deadly Persians) allows this and even sends some regular forces to help. In a bone-crushing battle that lasted three days, the Arab armies are broken and flee across Suez back into the Levant. "Alexandria" will become Christendom's Tours in this ATL.
Lombards Begin Extorting Tribute from the Venetians (635 AD)-Seeing the Byzantine Empire crumbling, the Lombards begin extorting tribute from the nascent Venetian Republic. The Venetians, too weak to really do anything, pay grudgingly and pray for the opportunity for vengeance.
First Avar-Arab War Begins (640 AD)-Refugees from overtaxed Greece tell the Arabs about how everyone in the area hates the Avars and how the Arabs would be greeted as liberators. Still burning with religious fervor, the Arabs decide to attack.
Battle of Chaeronea (641 AD)-Fought on the site of previous battles, this one is a Pyrrhic victory for the Avars. Peace negotiations begin when uprisings against Avar rule break out behind the lines.
Peace of Constantinople (642 AD)-Canny Arabs wheedle most of Thrace out of the Avars while they deal with Greek uprisings in their rear.
Greek Uprisings Crushed (641-3 AD)-The Avars crush the Greek rebellions again, razing Athens and some other cities. Avars deport large numbers of Greeks into the northern parts of their realm, and settle others in Greek lands. A third exodus to Italy begins.
Ascension of (Name) as Kagan (644 AD)-(Name) becomes Avar Kagan and initiates more tolerant policies. Greeks allowed to return from the north; taxes on the cities lowered. He even publicly flirts with becoming a Christian, and endows some nice churches too. All this is part of a plan for revenge on the Arabs.
Second Avar-Arab War Begins (648 AD)-The war begins with an Avar invasion of Thrace. The people aren’t particularly appreciative.
Battle of Adrianople (648 AD)-The Thracians help the Arabs sneak up on the Avar field armies besieging the city and annihilate them. Arabs push into Avar lands.
Battle of Kavala (648 AD)-In the narrow flat lands between the Rhodope Mountains and the sea, the Avars defeat the Arabs and block their advance.
Landings at Piraeus (649 AD)-Arab naval forces making a daring invasion of Athens itself, outflanking the Thracian battle line. The Kagan takes command of another army and moves south to meet them.
Battle of Mandra (649 AD)-An Avar victory that contains the Arab landing forces, but the Kagan is mortally wounded. He dies soon afterward, and his reactionary son Kuvrat succeeds him.
Ravaging of the Northern Peloponnesus (649-50 AD)-To punish the Greeks for the fact that the Arab naval personnel are largely Greek and to prevent the Arabs from using the resources of the area, the new Kagan ravages the land as he withdraws to Patra and returns to mainland Greece. This act enrages all of Greece against the Avars.
Frankish Warrior Adalger Goes to Britain (649 AD)-The Frankish warrior Adalger, a younger son of a great noble family, goes to Britain to make his fortune. Disdaining allying with the pagan Saxons, he hooks up with (name), a powerful British warlord.
Great Greek Rebellion (649-50 AD)-The Greeks rise up a second time against Kuvrat, the new Kagan. Avar garrisons overwhelmed and massacred by angry mobs. More recent Slavic immigrants to the region, seeing the opportunity to throw off their Avar masters, join in. As Avar power crumbles across mainland Greece, Arab forces stage landings up and down the coast, as well as a major push from Arab Thrace.
Death of the Kagan (650 AD)-Kuvrat is killed in battle against Greek rebels and Arab regulars in central Greece. Slavs and Gepids in Avar armies mutiny, while Slavic tribes outside the Avar borders nibble at the Avars' borders. The Avar Kaganate begins to disintegrate. Kajd, illegitimate son of Kuvrat by a Christian Greek woman, takes commands of the surviving Avarian forces and begins the migration westward, Greek and Arab forces in pursuit.
Adalger Captured, Tortured to Death (650 AD)-Adalger, the Frankish mercenary, is captured by Saxons. Outraged at how much damage he’d done to their cause, and receiving no ransom from his family (the ship sent to Frankia with the demand is lost at sea), they torture him to death. Word of this reaches the warrior’s influential family in Frankia, who want revenge.
Saxon Raid on (Where?) (650 AD)-Saxon warriors, who serve a different Saxon king than the one who killed (name), raid some coastal Frankish ports. They loot, rape, pillage, and take captives for ransom This annoys (name), the Frankish king. Egged on by Adalger’s vengeful family, he begins preparations for the invasion of England.
Avar Death March (650-652 AD)-The Avars make their way through the mountainous Balkan country, pursued by Arab and Greek forces. Large numbers die in the mountains, but the Arab troops, unused to the weather and surprised by dogged Avar resistance, die even faster.
Avars Arrive at Venice (652 AD)-The much-reduced Avars arrive at Venice, which had freed itself from Byzantine control after the fall of Constantinople to the Avars and paid tribute to the Lombards. The Venetian rulers, irritated at increasing Lombard demands, hire the Avars as mercenaries to bolster their military, on the condition that they convert to Christianity. Kajd is baptized and takes the name of Isaac.
Islamic Evangelization of the New Tribes (650-70)-Islamic missionaries evangelize among the Gepids, Slavs, and remaining Avars in the Balkans. Large numbers convert to Islam voluntarily due to the Caliphate's destruction of the harsh Avar regime, though it takes a good while for paganism to be completely eradicated.
Venice-Lombard War (653-655 AD)-Using their fleet and new Avar army, the Venetians tell the Lombards to stick it. The Lombards respond with a failed naval attack on the Venetian island possessions. The Venetians land their Avar-bolstered armies on the Italian mainland and there's head-busting aplenty before the Lombards end extorting tribute from the Venetians and cede some mainland territory to the city-state. During the Battle of Chioggia (654), Kajd/Isaac dies without issue. This is the last glue holding the declining Avar nation together and, combined with the spread of Christianity among the rank-and-file, dooms the Avars to eventual assimilation.
Frankish Invasion of England (652 AD)-The Franks invade southern England. This German-on-German warfare leads (name), Adalger’s former employer, to believe that the time of the Saxons in Britain is coming to an end. He uses his connections with the Franks through his deceased soldier Adalger to obtain an informal military alliance and aid (weaponry, training, etc). He puts this to use in “scooping up” several smaller Celtic kingdoms and adding territories reclaimed from the Saxons to his personal empire.
Franks Defeated in Wessex (653 AD)-The Franks occupy Essex and Sussex, but are defeated inland in Wessex. The Franks, their sea route into England harried by Anglian pirates and beset by internal squabbling, stop for now. SE England will remain part of the Frankish Empire for a good while.
Wessex Falls (654 AD)-The Britons, under (warlord), finish off Wessex. (Warlord) crowned High King. Overtures made to the Frankish occupiers further east, who accept the Britons as allies.
St. Thomas Travels to Northern Persia (654 AD)-Thomas, tiring of non-fruitful efforts to convert the Zoroastrians of Ctesiphon (and fearing for his life after nearly being killed), moves with some disciples to the northern reaches of the Persian Empire. There, they begin mission work among the (name), one of the many nomadic peoples of the region.
War of the Bristol Channel (654-5 AD)-High King (name) and the Irish chiefdom of Leinster fight a war. The cause was Irish piracy and slaving in the west of Britain, particularly in the Channel. It’s fought to a draw, and the peace is sealed by his marriage to Brigid, a princess of Leinster royal family.
Attempted Coup against Lombard King (655 AD)-The Lombard dukes attempt to remove the Lombard king for his defeat by the tributary Venetians. The King, (name), manages to retain his hold on power, but barely. He decides to placate his vassals by offering them the plunder of the city of Rome.
Lombard Invasion of the Papal Domains (656 AD)-The Lombards invade the Papal states by land from the north. Some forces transported by sea to make some landings along the coast by Venetian ships—the Venetians find the attempts to influence Venetian politics by the Pope, who came to power with the aid of a powerful courtesan, to be both hypocritical and threatening.
Birth of Kenneth (656 AD)-The son of High King (name) and his Irish wife Brigid, this boy is heir to the High Kingship and a potential contender for the headship of Leinster in Ireland.
Lombard Sack of Rome (657 AD)-The militia forces raised by Pope John V are no match for the Lombard cavalry (and the infantry they’ve been developing since their cavalry wasn’t up to snuff for the Venetian war). Some Sicilian assistance arrives, but it’s too late. Rome falls to the Lombards mere months after the invasion, and the city is sacked. (A famous piece of art) falls into the hands of some Venetians who were along for the ride; they take it back to the city where it is put prominently on display.
Flight of Pope John (657-8 AD)-The Pope manages to flee Rome before the Lombards sack it. He and his entourage go on an epic journey through the winter, dodging Lombard detachments, local bandits, and bad weather. They make it to Frankish lands in March of 658 AD. John petitions the Frankish king to help restore him to his position, and punish the Lombards for their unholy behavior. The Frankish king refuses, for now. The Papacy sets up shop in Marseilles and dreams of revenge. Some anti-John clergy go to Carthage, where Heraclius sets up the more worthy among them as bishops.
Lombard Consolidation (657-8 AD)-The Lombards consolidate their control of central Italy, setting up their capital in Rome. The Lombard King (name) also establishes a pope of his own, Eugene (what number?). This begins the Great Schism between the pro-Frank Pope in Marseilles and the pro-Lombard Pope in Rome.
First Lombard-Sicilian War (658-660 AD)-The Sicilians invade Lombard territories in hopes of reclaiming Rome. The Byzantines are defeated at the gates of the Eternal City and Ioannes is wounded. The Lombard King was killed in the fighting and his son (name) makes peace, ceding some territory to the Sicilians but retaining Lombard control of the city.
Death of Emperor Ioannes (661 AD)-Ioannes was wounded during the assault on Rome and on the way back to Sicilian territory, his wounds become infected. He names his nephew Marcus Laskaris as his successor before he dies.
First Sicilian-Carthaginian War Begins (661 AD)-Marcus’s succession to Ionnes is a controversial one. He decides to legitimize his authority by declaring war on Heraclius’s empire in North Africa. Sicilian ships immediately blockade Carthage and mount raids ashore.
Gepid Kingdom Established (662 AD)-The Gepids, who are mostly Muslim by now, establish a kingdom in what is now Croatia. The Gepid King is tasked by the Caliphate to continue the spread of Islam among the western Slavic peoples who are too far from the center of Caliphal power in Greece and Asia Minor to proselytize effectively, and to defend the western frontiers of the Caliphate against possible Lombard or Venetian aggression. The Caliphate sends many Greek and Syrian advisors and experts to help the Gepids get settled in the region. The Gepidae are essentially Islamic federatae.
Battle of (Where?) (662 AD)-Sicilian forces under the command of Marcus’s son Constantine land in North Africa and Carthaginian forces engage them. The Berber light cavalry, better suited for desert conditions than the heavy infantry and cavalry of the Sicilians, forces the invaders back to the coast.
Battle of Bizerte (662 AD)-On the beaches of North Africa, the Sicilians defeat the Carthaginians and maintain their foothold.
Second Battle of Bizerte (663 AD)-After building up their forces, the Carthaginians try again. Supplied by sea, the Sicilians defeat the second attack.
Carthaginian Mission to Venice (663 AD)-The elderly but still tough Heraclius sends a mission to Venice, hoping to recruit Venetian ships to cut off the supplies of the Sicilian forces in North Africa.
Treaty of Mestre Made (663 AD)-The Venetians sign a treaty of alliance with the Roman remnant in North Africa. They supply 100 ships to break the Sicilian blockade and cut off the Sicilian invasion force.
Surrender of Sicilians (665 AD)-The Venetians succeed in cutting off the Sicilian invaders from their base in Italy, while Carthaginian forces mount constant harassing attacks. The Sicilian forces, their camps beset by disease and low on supplies, are forced to surrender.
Treaty of Carthage (666 AD)-Marcus comes to North Africa cap-in-hand to make peace with Heraclius. Both Emperors recognize the legitimacy of the others’ domains and pledge a common front against the Arabs, who took advantage of the squabbling of the post-Roman states to indulge in a lot of piratical behavior. The Sicilian soldiers are returned. The religious issue remains unaddressed, for now. Some zealots in Italy point out the fact that the treaty was made in 666 AD as proof that the peace is satanic, a “covenant with hell.”
Death of Heraclius (667 AD)-Heraclius, who at this point is quite elderly, dies. He is hailed by his people as the restorer of Christian unity and the savior of North Africa from Muslims and the madman Phocas. His son (name) succeeds him.
Death of St. Thomas of the Oxus (675 AD)-St. Thomas is killed by a band of shamans from (what nomadic tribe?) annoyed with the successes he’s had in making converts. The death of St. Thomas, who served as a doctor and scholar to (name) the king, leads to…
The Purge of the Shamans (675 AD)-Enraged at the death of his friend Thomas, king (name) all the shamans involved, their families, and their students. This destruction of slightly over half the shamans of the (tribe) dooms paganism among them, even though (name) never becomes a Christian. Many of the dead shamans among (the king)’s advisors are replaced by Nestorian Christians or pagans sympathetic to them.
Death of (Name) (679 AD)-(Name) dies. His son Tughrul becomes king of the (tribe) and converts to Nestorian Christianity. 2/3 of the tribe is already Christian. Tughrul replaces his father’s remaining shamanic advisors with Nestorian clergy, both Persians and (members of his tribe). (The tribe) becomes the first of the many steppe tribes that will embrace Nestorian Christianity. Paganism will wither away and die over the next decade.
Death of Marcus Lascaris (679 AD)-Marcus Lascaris dies and his son Constantine takes power. Constantine is a brilliant soldier and is quite ambitious and devout. He begins planning to end the sad disunited state of Christendom by first deposing the “false” pro-Lombard Pope in Rome and reclaiming the city for the Romans.
Second Sicilian-Lombard War Begins (680 AD)-Using the attack on some Sicilian merchants by some renegade Lombard nobles as a pretext, Constantine launches another war against the Lomabards.
Arrival of the Bulgars (680 AD)-One branch of the Bulgar nation arrives at the northern borders of the Caliphate. At the Second Battle of Adrianople, Arab cavalry are able to decisively defeat a Bulgar attack against Adrianople, but the Caliphate’s forces are defeated at the Battle of Burgas.
Caliph Recognizes the Bulgars (681 AD)-The Caliph recognizes Bulgar control of territories above the Danube River. However, part of the treaty stipulates that Muslim missionaries must be allowed to operate among the Bulgars unmolested.
Gepids Ally with Sicilians (684 AD)-The Muslim Gepids operating out of modern-day Austria are brought into the war with the promise of gold and slaves. They begin raiding the northern reaches of Lombard territory in Italy. At the same time, a new wave of Muslim Slavic pirates attack Venetian interests.
Sicilians Retake Rome (685 AD)-The Sicilians drive the Lombards out of the Eternal City and kill the Lombards’ puppet Pope.
The Pope Returns to Rome, Ending the Schism (686 AD)-Pope Innocent leaves Marseilles and returns to Italy, ending the Schism. Along the way, he and his Frankish allies are attacked by Lombard-allied bandits, but due to the heroism of his Frankish guards, the Pope survives. This begins the tradition of having Frankish soldiers serve as the Pope’s protectors.
Second Sicilian-Lombard War Ends (686 AD)-The Lombards formally cede Rome to the Sicilians, along with all territories south of the Arno. The Lombards are also forced to accept Federatae status and serve as defenders of northern Italy in exchange for a subsidy. The Lombards return to their old capital of Pavia. Constantine, the Sicilian Emperor, makes an elaborate show of reclaiming the city of Rome after centuries of exile and establishes his capital there. The Gepidae are able to shave some territory off the Venetian and Lombard domains and add it to their empire.
Second Sicilian-Carthaginian War (689-694 AD)-Constantine, the Emperor in Ravenna, is feeling omnipotent after driving the Lombards out of Rome and ending the Schism. He decides to break the Treaty of Carthage and restore the Empire of the West. This is all part of his long-range plan—with the heretical Heraclid regime in North Africa destroyed, Christendom will be one step closer to unification. He also desires vengeance on the Carthaginians for the defeat they inflicted on him and his army in North Africa decades before—the only time he was ever beaten.
Bulgar Khan Converts to Islam (690 AD)-The Bulgar Khan converts to Islam and takes the Arabic title of Emir.
Kenneth Elected High King (693 AD)-Kenneth, High King of the Britons and now head of Leinster, absorbs the lands of (what Irish nation) into his territory. However, fearing his growing power, the other Irish lords refuse to elect him High King. The union of Britannia and Ireland will have to wait.
Battle of the Beaches (694 AD)-The Romans attempt to invade North Africa. They’re beaten back with heavy losses.
Battle of Syracuse (694 AD)-North African forces land in Sicily, defeating Roman forces there. The fall of the city where Phocas took refuge after the fall of Constantinople is a major psychological blow, even though its strategic value is not as great.
Constantine Makes Alliance with the Caliph (694 AD)-Seeing his plans unravel, Constantine begins to get a little desperate. He sends diplomats to the Caliph in Constantinople to propose an alliance against the Heraclid regime. The destruction of the Heraclid regime and the establishmnet of Laskarid/Roman authority on North Africa will enable them to divide Egypt between them later. The Caliph agrees to this.
Thomas Marcos Launches Assassinates the Emperor (694)-The Romans’ attempt to make a deal with the Caliphate to destroy the Carthaginian regime is too much for Thomas Marcos, a devout Sicilian admiral, to deal with. He assassinates Constantine when the latter is visiting his headquarters and takes command of the entire Roman military. He quickly makes peace with the Carthaginians and the two join forces to defeat the massive Caliphal fleet heading for Carthage from Constantinople.
Birth of Sean (695 AD)-A son, named Sean, is borne to Kenneth, High King of the Britons and King of Leinster and (the defeated tribe).
Battle of The Strait of Messina (695 AD)-The Sicilian and Carthaginian navies join forces to defeat a Caliphal fleet bent on invading Sicily. This great victory contains the Islamic fleets in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Lombard-Gepid War Begins (696 AD)-Taking advantage of the distraction of the Romans, (name), King of the Lombards, decides to drive the “heathen” Gepids back into the Balkans. The Venetians join in, since much of the Gepids’ new territories in Italy originally belonged to them.
Lombard-Gepid War Ends (698 AD)-The Gepids are forced to retreat into their Pannonian domains and to return all Lombard, Venetian, and Roman captives. This the Gepids do. However, a great many of these captives, who’ve seen the crassness of church politics in Italy firsthand, have converted to Islam, while many who lived under Gepid rule in northern Italy converted as well. The re-established Roman government persecutes them, trying to force them to return to Catholicism. They’re remembered by later generations of Gepid Muslims as the first martyrs.
Battle of the Three Emperors (700 AD)-In this great land-sea battle at Crete, the Ummayyad Caliph is killed in battle. He has only one son, a child of three, and the child’s maternal uncle immediately claims the title of regent and begins negotiations with the Romans.
Roman-Islamic War Ends (701 AD)-The Caliphate, the Roman Empire (Italy), and the Roman Empire (North Africa) sign a peace treaty. The Caliphate agrees to keep the Gepids and Slavic pirates in line. However, both Roman states must set up mosques in their respective capitals for Muslim travelers and guarantee the religious freedoms of Muslims in their domains. The Venetians gain Crete, although they must (for the present) keep it demilitarized.
End of the Ummayyad Dynasty (705 AD)-The child-Caliph and his corrupt uncle are killed by members of the (name) family, a powerful family of Arabized Slavs. (Name), head of the family, becomes the next Caliph.
Lascarid Coup Attempt (720 AD)-When Thomas Marcos dies, the Lascarid family attempts to seize the throne of the Caesars from his young son. This fails and the leading men of the Lascarid family are killed. However, this lays a poisonous legacy that will cause trouble later—Lascarid-Marcid strife will cause many problems later.
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First Viking Raids (795 AD)-The first recorded Viking raid, on some monasteries in northern Bernicia. These Vikings are pagans and don’t have much respect for Christian holy sites (later Muslim Vikings will be better-behaved).
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Arrival of the Magyars (895-96 AD)-The Magyars arrive in the Carpathians after a similar series of events that drove them out of Central Asia occurs. They pass through Bulgar territories, defeating the Bulgars at the Battle of (Where?), but they don’t stop to contest Bulgar lands. They arrive in the Hungarian Plain, destroying the Gepid kingdom and subjugating the Slavic peoples there. However, many of the slaves they take are Muslims, and the Caliphate is quick to send missionaries and gifts, since the Slavs in that region resisted their attempts to impose Caliphal authority. The Venetians, glad that the Slavic pirates have been (momentarily) put down, send gifts and Catholic clergy, seeking to convert the Magyars as well.
Gepid Exodus into Northern Italy (896 AD)-The surviving Gepids march into Lombardy. Heavily-armed and desperate, the Gepids defeat the Lombard armies and their Venetian allies at the Battle of Verona (897). Theoldo, the Lombard king, is killed in battle. He has no sons or daughters.
Pavia Falls (897 AD)-The Lombard capital falls to the Gepids. The Lombard government, weakened as it was by assimilation and the incompetent reign of Theoldo, falls apart.
Northern Campaign (897 AD)-Roman forces move into the crumbling Lombard domains, hoping to salvage what they can. Innumerable bandits are killed and many Lombard lords, fearing the Muslim Gepids, swear loyalty to the Roman Emperor. However, the Gepids are moving into the power vacuum and a clash is inevitable.
Battle of the Po (898 AD)-Roman forces and their Lombard collaborators collide with the Gepids and their Lombard collaborators along the Po River near Piacenza. The Romans defeat the Gepids. However, thanks to the (insert civil conflict), the Romans are too weak to force the Gepids to leave Italy altogether. The Gepids must serve as federatae like the Lombards before them, and pay large indemnities to the Emperor. However, this situation still leaves the Muslim Gepids in control of a significant piece of northern Italy.
Maygar Khan Converts to Islam (902 AD)-Seeking to legitimize Magyar rule over the Slavic Muslim subjects, the Khan converts to Islam. Many Magyar nobles join him in this, although a significant number remain pagan. The Caliph blesses Magyar rule over Hungary and what is now Croatia, Slovenia, and much of Austria. The Magyar makes the point of refusing to take the title of Emir—he is his own man.
Magyar Wars with the Swiss (905-912 AD)-The Magyar Khan goes to war with the peoples of what is now Switzerland. The goal, in addition to spreading the control of Islam, is also to secure some of the passes into Italy.
First Magyar Raids into Italy (920 AD)-The Magyars begin probing northern Italy. Although their attempts to raid the Venetian islands are utterly squashed by the Venetian fleet (their river-crossing coracles are easily slaughtered), they’re able to do a lot of damage to Venetian possessions on the mainland and to the Gepids, Romans, and Lombards.
Battle of Treviso (921 AD)-Roman, Venetian and Gepid forces defeat a powerful raiding band of Magyars intent on sacking the city of Treviso. This puts a stop to Magyar attacks in Italy for a long time.
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Magyar Invasion of Italy (950 AD)-The Magyars invade Italy in force, destroying the Romano-Gepid fortresses guarding the passes in a series of lightning campaigns. At the same time, they sweep downward into the Dalmatian coast, source of Venice’s timber.
Gepid Revolt (951 AD)-The Gepids revolt against the Romans, who’ve been abusing them. Religion plays a role in this as well—there’ve been violent incidents involving Christian missionaries among the Gepids and Muslim missionaries among the (Christian) Romans, while Magyar clerics have proclaimed jihad against the Romans for ruling over Muslim peoples.
Battle of Milan (953 AD)-The Islamic forces of the Gepids and Magyars meet the Romans in battle and destroy them.
Battle Of Adige (954 AD)-The Magyars then turn their attentions on the Venetians. The Islamic forces destroy the Venetian armies holding their mainland territories. However, a Magyar attempt to cross the lagoon is defeated and the Magyars decide to starve the Venetians into submission. Grain shipments from the Italian mainland and from Pannonia are cut off, and Slavic and Magyar pirates are unleashed to harry Venetian ships at sea. The Venetians arrange to import wheat from Egypt and defend against the pirates as best they can.
Battle of Parma (955 AD)-This is another Roman defeat, although not as severe as the 953 battle.
Battle of Carpi (956 AD)-This battle is technically a draw—although the Roman armies are wrecked, the Magyars are so damaged they’re forced to withdraw.
Battle of Ferrara (956 AD)-This is a minor Roman victory, but it’s clear the Roman armies are exhausted. The Emperor decides to make peace.
Peace of Ravenna (956 AD)-The Romans are forced to cede the formerly Gepid lands to the Magyars, although they’re able to preserve all the Romanized territories. The frontier between the Magyar Khanate and the Roman Empire is now at the Po, although the Romans are able to retain control of Milan.
Venice Makes Peace with the Magyars (959 AD)-The Magyar blockade is only a partial success, but the defeat of the Romans makes it clear that Venice is doomed. The Venetians cede all of their mainland territories to the Magyar Khanate and agree to send yearly tribute and allow the Magyars to use their ships.
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Birth of Aardwolf Ibn Theodoric (1001 AD)-He will eventually grow up to become the Emir of the Forests, who will begin the series of wars that will destroy the Frankish Empire.
Ascension of Mehmet IV as Caliph of Constantinople (1089 AD)-The ascension of Mehmet will end the quiescence of the Caliphate, which although retaining authority over most of the old Byzantine lands, has only theoretical power over the Muslim powers of Scandinavia and Central Europe. He immediately claims suzerainty over all the Umma and makes various demands.
Magyar Khan Claims Caliphal Title (1100 AD)-The Magyar Khan, like his ancestor who retained his title as Khan and refused to become an Emir, is irritated with the increasing stridence of Constantinople. Using a very minor theological point as pretext, the Khan denounces the Caliph of Constantinople as a fraud and claims the title for himself. It’s sort of like Henry VIII—Islamic practice in the Magyar lands doesn’t really change, there’s just a new guy in charge. The Serbian Emirate declares for the Magyars, hoping to escape the troublesome Caliphate of Rum.
The Bulanid Turks Conquer Persia (1100 AD)-This tribe, most powerful of the Nestorian Turkic tribes, destroy the (name) dynasty at the Battle of (Where?). Its king, Bulan II, declares himself Persian Emperor. The new Emperor proceeds to drive out the other tribes in his bid to unify Persia. The first to be sent packing are the Chakanid Turks.
Scandinavian Emirates Declare Neutrality (1101 AD)-The Islamic states in Skandistan (Scandinavia) declare neutrality in the battle between the Magyar and Byzantine Caliphates. The Caliph assembles an army and marches northward towards the borders of the Magyar Caliphate. The Magyars assemble their own force and move south to meet them.
Battle of Novi Pazar (1101 AD)-Magyar and Caliphal forces meet in battle somewhere in the Serbian Emirate. Find out what NP means in English and then translate into Arabic for the TL!
Aleppo Falls to the Chakanids (1102 AD)-Forced out of Persia, the Chakanids move into the Caliphate’s Syrian lands. Aleppo is taken by surprise and the passes through the Taurus Mountains are garrisoned to prevent reinforcement from the Caliphate’s heartland in Greece and Asia Minor. The Chakanids then move southward.
Battle of (Where?)-The Caliphate marches an army out of Damascus and meets the Chakanids in battle north of Hama. The Caliphate’s army is destroyed.
Maronite Uprising (1102 AD)-The Monophysite Maronites of Lebanon rise up against the Caliphate and establish an independent state.
Antioch, Damascus Fall to the Chakanids (1102 AD)-Damascus and Antioch, the last two Caliphal centers of power in Syria, fall to the Chakanids.
Pacification of the Deserts (1103-5 AD)-The Chakanid Sultanate now has to deal with guerrilla attacks by Arab nomads operating out of the desert. Being nomads themselves, the Chakanids don’t have problems dealing with them, although owing to the harshness and vastness of the terrain, the campaign does take some time.
Egyptian Invasion of the Levant (1103 AD)-The Egyptians, seeing the Caliphate in dire distress and the troublesome Arab nomads occupied with the Chakanids, invade the Holy Land. They defeat local Arab armies at Arad and Hebron.
Jerusalem Reclaimed (1105 AD)-Egyptian forces enter Jerusalem in triumph, restoring Christian control over the holy city after 400+ years of loss.
Ertugrulids Cross the Euphrates (1106 AD)-The Persians expel the Ertugrulids, another Nestorian horse tribe, from their territories in southern Persia. They establish control of most of present-day Iraq and set up their capital in Baghdad.
Peace Between Caliphs (1107 AD)-Faced with the possible loss of the Holy Cities to the Christian horse tribes, the Caliph in Constantinople makes peace with the Magyars.
Battle of (Where?) (1108 AD)-The Muslim armies attempt to peacefully cross the territories of the Chakanids in order to defend Mecca and Medina, but negotiations fall through. The Muslims defeat the enemy army, but not substantially enough to reclaim control of Syria. Instead, they force the Chakanids to send a large indemnity to Constantinople and to aid them against Ertugrulids.
Battle of (Where?) (1108 AD)-The Muslim armies are defeated by the Ertugrulids as they make their way down the Tigris towards Baghdad.
Battle of (Where?) (1108 AD)-The armies of the Caliphate are utterly destroyed here. The battle begins with the mass defection of the Nestorian “allies” of the Caliphal armies to the forces of Ertugrulids. The Caliph realizes his position is untenable and begins to retreat northward towards the Taurus Mountains. The Caliphal army is sandwiched between the two Nestorian armies and utterly destroyed. The Caliph barely manages to escape with his life and turns himself over to the Egyptians in order to avoid capture by the Nestorian tribes, who would likely kill him. The Egyptians proceed to hold him for ransom.
(What tribe?) Expelled from Persia (1109 AD)-This tribe was one of the toughest and the new Persian dynasty took awhile to get rid of it. They approach the Ertugrulid borders, but are intimidated into stopping by a show of force. However, (name), the Ertugrulid sultan, decides that the (new tribe) would make an excellent distraction for the Caliphate of Rum, which he is sure wants revenge for the destruction of its armies and the humiliation of its Caliph. He will not allow the (new tribe) to settle within his domains, but points out that Oman and the Trucial Coast are rich with pearls. The Ertugrulids escort (the new tribe) to the Persian Gulf.
(New Tribe) Conquers Eastern Arabia (1109-1112 AD)-The Caliphate’s authority has collapsed over the Trucial Coast and the (new tribe) only has to deal with ad-hoc coalitions of sheiks and the city guards of various cities. The conquest of the Trucial Coast, and northern Yemen is relatively quick and bloodless. The Sultan of (new tribe) grants the island of Bahrain to his chief cleric, who re-establishes the ancient Nestorian monasteries that once stood there.
(Name) Returns to Constantinople (1113 AD)-After five years in Egyptian captivity, the Caliph (name) returns to Constantinople. He barely survives an assassination attempt by some of the leading families and decides on a war of vengeance against the “worshippers of the Cross” who threaten Mecca.
Bulanid Shah Declares War on the Caliphate (1113 AD)-Hoping to permanently deprive the Caliphate of its southernmost possessions, the Bulanid Turks declare war on the Caliphate.
Battle of (Where?) (1114 AD)-The Caliphate wins this initial battle, forcing the Bulanid armies
Battle of (Where?)
(New Tribe) Crosses the Empty Quarter (1117 AD)-
Fall of Medina (1118 AD)-
Fall of Mecca (1120 AD)-The Muslims fanatically defend Mecca, but to no avail.
End of the (Name?) Dynasty (1123 AD)-Some of the leading families in Constantinople conclude that the Caliphate of (name) has been cursed by God—hence all the defeats. When he returns to Constantinople, he is quickly killed, along with every male in his family. His wives, daughters, etc are quickly married off to the men of the conspiring families. (Name), a Muslim Greek, becomes the new Caliph.
Caliph of Constantinople and Magyar Caliph Issue Joint Proclamation of Jihad (1150 AD)-Both Caliphs note the conversions (sometimes forcible, sometimes not) of Muslims to Nestorian Christianity and the fact that the Nestorian Turks are imposing excessive taxes on Muslim pilgrims to the Holy Cities. These are their two grounds for jihad. The redirection of Muslim military power eastward saves the Frankish kingdoms from annihilation.
