Saframalani
Republic of Saframalani | |
|---|---|
Motto: Peace from God to the People of Saframalani | |
| Capital and | Safghdad |
| Recognised national languages | Saframalani, Asahri |
| Recognised regional languages | Kadish Dwarven, Elven languages |
| Demonym(s) | Saframalani |
| Government | (De jure) Unitary parliamentary republic (De facto) Unitary one-party republic |
• President | Muammar al-Douri |
• Vice President | Ali al-Hashim |
• Prime Minister | Mohamad bin Salman al-Hussein |
| Legislature | National People's Congress |
| Standing Committee of the National People's Congress | |
| National People's Congress | |
| Establishment | |
• Establishment of Saframalani Empire | 1704 |
• Saframalani Revolution | 1902 |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 82,765,000 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 estimate |
• Total | 770,500,000,000 |
• Per capita | 9,309.49$ |
| Currency | Saframalani Dinar (SMD) |
| Driving side | right |
Saframalani (Asahri: صفرامالاني), officially the Republic of Saframalani, is a country in Western Gondwana occupying the territories directly surrounding the Strait of Khaj. The country officially maintains that it is a democratic parliamentary multi-party republic but the country's executive, legislature and armed forces have been under the control of the Sa'athist Party since 1904, many critics of the government refer to the party's rule as totalitarian in nature. The capital city of Saframalani is the city of Safghdad which is also the richest and most populous city in the country, being the nation's traditional capital since the end of the Unification Wars in 1704 and being the birthplace of Saframalani's industrial revolution.
It is the third most populous country on the continent being surpassed only by Aivintis and the Cerdani Democratic Republic in total population number. It is mostly populated by humans with very significant minorities of Dwarves and Elves.
History
Early history (9th century CE - 1702 CE)
Origins of the Saframalani identity (9th-14th century CE)
Much of the ancient history of what is today Saframalani has been over the course of the Safami Dynasty's rule over what are the modern borders of the country. Intense archeological work as well as recovered scripts point towards the fact that the region was much more diverse, though it isn't exactly clear what intelligent species was the most dominant in the ancient period, the Dwarves who have managed to preserve their history, being tolerated by the Safami Dynasty, are believed to be the species that has lasted for the longest time.
Asahri speaking humans are believed to have settled the region sometime in the 9th century CE and have since been the most numerous group of peoples, barring the period of the Ni-rao Empire's rule. These proto-Saframalanis have for a long period of time co-existed with the other species and have forged a particularly strong bond with the Dwarves before and during the rule of the Ni-rao Empire over the region, even developing a Asahri dialect by around 1300 CE of their own that has adopted various characteristics of the local Dwarven languages. Though many proto-Saframalanis and then Saframalanis proper lived in the valley surrounding the Strait of Khaj the true cultural and population centers were located in the mountains around Khaj and on what is the southern coast of modern-day Saframalani where independent princes and kings have resisted the Ni-Rao for centuries, never becoming a part of the Empire.
Decline of the Ni-Rao rule (15th century CE)
The plague that has struck the Orcish population of the Ni-Rao Empire has opened a chance for the Dwarven, Human, Elven and other mountain states to conquer the territories once belonging to the Ni-Rao Empire. With the sale of Reijia to the local lord and rapidly declining imperial authority over the territory of Saframalani. The Ni-Rao have eventually been driven out of the region by the end of the 15th century by the coalition of the mountain states who have conquered the fertile flatgrounds surrounding the strait. The strongest of the Saframalani states was the southern Sultanate of Safghdad, headed by the Safami dynasty that later united the entire region and the centre of state power even in the modern times.
Following the expulsion of the Ni-rao from the land a brief period of peace was brought about as the various states have agreed to confederate under the Khaj League, a very decentralised governmental structure meant to provide a forum for all of the local lords to solve disputes diplomatically and provide mutual protection against a potential return of the Ni-Rao, although the body has largely failed as the memory of the Empire's rule faded and the Unification Wars started.
The Unification Wars (1652-1704)
Main article: Saframalani Unification Wars
The Unification Wars is the name given to the period during which the strongest of the regional states, the Sultanate of Safghdad, has consolidated it's rule over the entirety of what is known as Saframalani. The Safami Dynasty together with the Golden Order, a religious organisation that remained relevant all the way until the collapse of the dynasty's rule, led the people of Saframalani through a 52 years long period of war for unification. The Unification Wars have brought great devastation to many non-Human and non-Dwarven communities as the religious dogma of the Golden Order has enforced the idea of Human superiority over other "unpure" species, in particular the Orcs who the Golden Order eventually hunted to regional exctinction over the course of the wars in order to erase the memory of the Ni-Rao Empire across Saframalani. The Unification Wars are largely considered the most bloody period of Saframalani history and the most intense period of specieism in it's history, with the consequence being the near wiping out of non-Human and non-Dwarven communities across the country's territories.
The Unification Wars were also a period of a significant shift away from regionalism towards the idea of a unified nation-state. While the wars were often noted for their brutality, most of this brutality was aimed at other species. The Unification Wars were considered over in 1702 with the victory of Sultan Shaheed I Safami over the Elven princedoms of the Northern Coast of Saframalani and subsequent declaration of the Empire of Saframalani.
Empire period (1704-1903 CE)
Age of prosperity (1704-1814 CE)
The first century of the Saframalani Empire's existence was marked by relative prosperity and territorial expansion beyond the "core" of it's cultural sphere (the modern day borders of Saframalani) and peace being finally brought to the fertile flatlands and resource rich mountains of the country. The extensive period of peace within the heartland and the competent, but harsh, rule of the many Emperors and the religious authority of the Golden Order have allowed for a homogenisation of Saframalani culture and a sense of national unity to develop among most of the human and dwarven population.
The Age of prosperity however saw the continued extermination of many "impure" communities by the Golden Order, with only the Elves of the northern coast being able to preserve some control over their land, having signed a deal with Emperor Shaheed III in 1764 that has allowed them to maintain their identity and land "in perpetuity" as long as they pledged loyalty to the crown. The 1764 Treaty is a source of conflict to modern day as some Elven separatist groups claim that the Treaty gives them the legal right to secede from Saframalani as the Empire no longer exists, therefore there is no crown to pledge loyalty to.
The majority of the Empire's expansion took place in the northern islands and westwards and usually had a religious tone, with the Golden Order usually being responsible for justifying the expansion to the general population.
The Lutryne Rebellion of 1814 and decline (1814-1902 CE)
In 1814 a wide-spread rebellion headed primarily by Lutrynes against the Empire's repressive and often genocidal rule against them has led to an Empire-wide rebellion. The period has shaken the Empire to the core and nearly led to the fragmentation of the entire state when the forces of the Lutrynes briefly captured the capital city of Safghdad in 1816. A total collapse of authority was only avoided thanks to the infamous "Khaj Campaign" conducted by Crown Prince Ali that took place along the coast of the Khaj strait and led to the destruction of many Lutryne population centres.
Ultimately the Lutrynes agreed to put their arms down as long as they were granted the right to migrate from the lands of the Empire undisturbed. Many Lutrynes, as well as other non-Humans and non-Dwarves, have gradually started leaving the Empire in the 1800s. Aside from this the Empire has lost most of the past century's territorial gains in the West by the end of the 19th century.
With the rapid decline of Imperial authority since 1814 the Golden Order has also suffered greatly. While the religion itself hasn't become less popular the institution of the Golden Order itself has, with many heresies growing like wildfire over the coming decades. The terminal decline of the Saframalani Empire has finished in 1902 with the assasination of Emperor Shaheed VI.
Modern history
The Saframalani Revolution of 1902
Main article: The Saframalani Revolution of 1902
The collapse of the Empire's authority and the Revolution of 1902 has been credited to be the start of Saframalani's modern period. In 1902, on the 18th of February, a group of military conspirators known as the Free Officers Movement alongside the growing Sa'athist Movement have assassinated Emperor Shaheed VI and seized the State Council building, declaring a Republic. The military coup was welcomed by the population, tired of the brutality and authoritarianism of the monarchy and it's nobility, and many Saframalanis joined in protest and military action against the remaining imperial loyalists.
The Revolution has concluded in 1903 when the Revolutionary Army of Saframalani has defeated imperial loyalists in the field and executed much of the imperial family. Saframalani's society was in a deep state of decomposition and the new Republic was noted to have been extremely internally divided and weak with regional military commanders and rebel groups often ignoring the authority of the newly created Parliament. Many regions, especially northern Dwarven and the Elves of the northern coast, have attempted secession. Much of the population has also grown disillusioned with the Republic within it's first year of existence as many of the hated nobles have seemingly entered the political sphere of the new democratic state.
Early Sa'athist period (1904-1930)
Main articles: Sa'athist Party, 1904 Coup d'etat, Saframalani Civil War (1904-1908), Green Terror
Motivated by the preservation of Saframalani's national and territorial integrity the Sa'athist movement has launched a military coup d'etat with many of the FOM officers joining their ranks. The Coup d'etat ended with the abolishment of the 1902 constitution, implementation of martial law and a period of civil conflict and revolutionary terror. Generally known as the Saframalani Civil War the 4 year period of conflict saw significant conflict across the entirety of the nation, although primarily centred around the north where traditional centres of dissent from the central power of Safghdad were located in. Among the most notable events were the declared separations of the Northern Elves and the Kadish Dwarves from the greater Saframalani, the two separatist states formed an alliance to resist any attempts at their subjugation by any of the actors of the Saframalani Civil War. Another very important and impactful rebellion against Sa'athist rule was the rebelion of the Golden Order who organised a Jihad (Holy War) against the secular Sa'athists on the eastern bank of the Khaj Strait, with the Army of the Men of the Golden Order threatening to take over Safghdad during the opening months of the civil war before being repelled by the forces of the newly founded Republican Guard.
The period of Revolutionary Terror, also known as the Green Terror (as the colour green represented the Sa'athist Party), was a large-scale campaign of terror against the opposition to the Sa'athists that took place during the period of the Civil War and for a short time after it was considered as concluded. The Green Terror started shortly after the suspension of the 1902 Constitution by the Sa'athist Party and the Revolutionary Army. The terror was a directed effort at suppressing and destroying any form of organised resistance to the rule of the new military junta, though a disproportionate amount of the terror was applied against the nobility, clergy and the landlords who also saw most of their wealth redistributed. The death toll is hard to estimate due to the state's continued prevention of research into the topic though it is believed to be anything between 100,000 and 200,000 in the non-separatist ideas. The worst of the terror was seen in the Kadish Dwarven and North Elven regions where the continued and persistent resistance of the locals led to the reign of terror lasting far longer and being even more oppressive than in the rest of the country, some estimates say that the death toll in these regions could be up to double of the rest of the country's combined total death toll. The majority of the "silencing operations" were undertaken by the Ministry of Public Security's internal troops, then known as the People's Armed Militia, which is nowadays known as the People's Armed Police and serves a wider gendarmerie role.
After the end of the Green Terror and the Civil war Saframalani entered a stage of reconstruction and rapid industrialisation. Early Sa'athist rule could be described as very similar to the Imperial order as it was still highly authoritarian, led by a military junta. Forced secularisation, gender emancipation and shift towards nationalism and a cult of labour and science also took place during this time. The period of military rule has started to end in 1928 when a new parliament, the National People's Congress, has been created. The early period of Sa'athist Rule has ended in 1930 with the abolishment of the Revolutionary Command Council, the military-led executive body, and the transfer of power to the reinstated office of President and a new executive body known as the Central Committee.
National Rejuvenation period (1930-1980)
The National Rejuvenation period is the period of rule of the second and third generations of Sa'athist leaders. It was a period marked by rapid modernisation of Saframalani's industrial base, implementation of the first Five Year Plans and very significant shifts in Saframalani's socioeconomic structures, with a nascent middle class appearing and rapid urbanisation taking place. Significant shifts have also been made in regards to the administration of the Elven coast and Kadish Dwarven territories, both of which have received the status of Special Administrative Regions in 1932. The SAR have received the right to appoint their own regional governments and possess their own seats within the National People's Congress.
The National Rejuvenation period was marked primarily by rapid technological progress. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Saframalani developed domestic military-industrial complex, aviation, modern shipping and industrial machinery sectors and generally diversified it's economy. Aviation became a particular pride of the nation to this day, with the Sa'athist Party marking the creation of the Air Force and Saframalani airline companies as being one of the great accomplishments of their Revolution. While generally not the most technologically advanced aviation sector the Saframalanis have created many lines of successful combat aircraft adapted with relatively low maintenance hours required and short take off and landing strips which was a necessary capability for the Air Force due to the mountainous topography of the nation.
Aside from restoration of a civilian administration many other important political reforms took place, including a limited form of democratisation as some of the previously banned opposition parties have been allowed back into politics, though they are often refered to as satellite parties by critics of the Saframalani government. Political repression and especially economic interference into the economy has gradually, but rapidly, decreased as time went on though there is still a significant amount of planning that went into particular sectors of the economy that were considered as strategic. The reforms that took place in the 1970s under the leadership of Izzat Ibrahim al-Hussein has ended the era of lifetime Presidents, implementing a term of 5 years and a 2 term limit in 1980 which is generally regarded as the start of the modern period in Saframalani.
While the period was generally peaceful the continued conflict between the Elves and the central government still persisted, with the start of a decades long insurgency in 1978 following apparent interference of the central government in local elections. Transfers of power between Presidents was also often somewhat violent, with purges and other major upheavals still being common during changes in leadership until the reforms of Izzat Ibrahim al-Hussein.
Modern period (1980 onwards)
The modern period of Saframalani history has generally been noted as a golden age in Saframalani's history, largely peaceful aside from the still ongoing elven insurgency. The political, economic and domestic scenes of Saframalani has generally been regarded as stable especially when put against the past periods. Through continued investment and successful policy the state was able to begin the development of a high-tech sector, especially in regards to medicine and industrial automation technologies. The pace of development picked up especially during the start of President Muammar al-Douri's reign in 2015, with his focus on scientific advancement and encouragement of innovation bearing fruit during the 8 years of his rule.
There has been some controversy regarding the current government's comments in regards to the imperial past of Saframalani with a notable return towards a nationalist, expansionist rethoric over the last few years, backsliding in the already meager democratic processes and increasing defence spending with some critics worrying that the Saframalani government might be preparing for potential conflicts in order to return the state's influence over it's "traditional" spheres of influence.
Geography
wip
Government and politics
wip
Economy
wip
Demographics
wip
Culture and religion
wip
Security apparatus and Armed Forces
wip