Bogdanoff
Banned
Why are Turks Orthodox? Who are their ruling dinasty?Hey folks, I'd love to get some input on a map I've been working on:
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The idea behind the map is a realistic take on the famous "Orthodox Ottomans" EU4 strategy. The year is meant to be ~1700, POD ~1200. These aren't the Ottomans of course; they're Orthodox Turks that managed to marry into a position of power within the Byzantine Empire as well as establish themselves in a position of strength in Anatolia. Long story short, they eventually manage to cement their control over both, establishing themselves as the legal successor to the Roman Empire and the protector of the Orthodox faith. Seeing the map in .png form, I'm realizing a lot of the national borders look rather harsh and I may have to recolor them... ugh.
Anyway, everything outside of the Americas, Oceania, and West Africa is complete. The last one is what I'm looking for input on. The region is meant to be much more Islamized than OTL but with Sufism dominating and a potentially large degree of syncretism with local beliefs depending on where you are... lots of things that wouldn't fly closer to Cairo. I'm not very well versed on West African polities and politics prior to colonization and I'm not sure how I should build this region. Assuming the polities are more centralized and religiously similar than OTL, should there be lots of little coastal nations and an empire dominating the interior? Would it still make sense for Mali or Songhai to rise? Assuming close West African ties with Morocco, how do power dynamics in the Gulf of Guinea shift? Any expertise on the matter is greatly appreciated.
Feel free to ask about other parts of the world if something catches your eye. I have explanations, I just would appreciate advice on West Africa above all.