Ziaraat

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Moham Hallat I Ziaraat
Flag of Ziaraat
Motto: Warhaa Galay (de facto)
Anthem: Warhaa Galay
Capital and largest city	Pay Takht
Official languages	Ziaraa
Ethnic groups (2020)	98% Ziaraa, 2% Other
Religion	Avaskan
Demonym(s)	Ziaraa
Government	Yamjor
• Plaar	Talloh Ay]
Legislature	Ijte
Area
• Total	1,294,612 km2 (499,852 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 estimate	36,225,500
• Density	28/km2 (72.5/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	760.94 Billion
• Per capita	21,005
Gini (2020)	38.7 medium
SDI (2020)	0.882 very high
Currency	Zeel (ZL) (੪)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Ziaraa Time)
Date format	DD/MM/YYYY (CE)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+903
ISO 3166 code	ZIA
Internet TLD	.zi

Ziaraat, officially Moham Hallat I Ziaraat, is a country in north Gondwana. Bordered by Hausberg, Taloria, Talusi, and Meremaa. Its dominant position in northern Gondwana gives it geopolitical importance. Pay Takht is the capital city and the largest city as well as the leading economic and cultural hub. It has 33 million inhabitants and covers an area of 1,294,612km².

(Placeholder for summary of history)

Ziaraat's political system combines elements of ancient tribal governance and Avestian theocracy with the highest office held by a Plaar who is elected and sits for life unless the Ijte feel that the Plaar has broken his vows. The government suppresses some civil liberties by restricting the right to protest and enforcing a dress code.

Etymology

The name "Ziaraat" comes from the name of the ethnic group that dominate Ziaraat, Ziaraa, and the suffix "(a)t" which is Ziaraa for "land of". Thus meaning "land of the Ziaraas". The root name "Ziaraa" is, according to Ziaraa folk lore, derived from the name of a tribal leader and the founder of Pay Takht. Ziaraa was killed by his brother who was in turn killed by Ziaraa's son. Ziaraa's son then finished the city and renamed his tribe after his father. Moham Hallat I Ziaraat, however, states that the word "Ziaraa" applies to every citizen of Ziaraat but ethnic Ziaraas typically call non-ethnic Ziaraas "bhay" which is the Ziaraa word for foreigners.

History

Prehistory

The earliest archaeological artifacts found in Ziaraat confirm a human presence in Ziaraat for atleast 1.5 million years. Ziaraat's artifacts have been found mainly in the Shomaw and Makar zones, mainly at sites such as Warwasi and Tafyeh. During this period, humans led a hunter-gatherer existence.

From the 10th to the seventh millennium BC, early agricultural communities were founded and began flourish in and around the Makar zone. The first evidence of grouped hamlets in Ziaraat were found in the Makar zone. There are dozens of prehistoric sites across the Makar and Shomaw zones, which points to the existence of ancient cultures and urban settlements in and before the fourth millennium BC. After significant agricultural development between the 5th and 4th millennia BC, metallurgy was developed. Initially, it worked on copper and bronze and later included iron and gold.

From 3200 BC to 1200 BC, the territory of present-day Ziaraat was home to several other civilizations such as Malm, Riroar, and Zazend. Zazend, which was the most prominent of these civilizations, developed in the south and continued its existence until the emergence of the Kingdom of Ziaraat. The advent of writing in Zazend began and was developed since the third millennium BC.

Antiquity

By the second millennium BC, the ancient Ziaraa peoples began to spread out of Pay Takht and began founding new cities along the Khulesh river. Cities founded by this sustained wave of expansion include Ihar, Rheyn, Yalbi, and others. The reason for the expansion is not currently known although it is suspected to be the result of increased agricultural efficiency and overpopulation of the other cities.

From the late 10th to the late seventh century BC, the Ziaraa peoples conquered the other civilizations of Ziaraat through a series of rapid invasions and diplomatic conquests. The lesser ethnic groups opted to join the Ziaraas in their rise whereas the greater ethnic groups decided to go to war. At first, the Ziaraas only managed to conquer their immediate neighbours which was mostly the lesser ethnic groups. The Ziaraas eventually began an offensive on the Malmes in the west who wete caught by surprise and offered little resistance. The Ziaraas then launched an offensive on both the Zazends and Riroars. The Zazends eventually surrendered under the condition that their people be spared. The Riroars continued fighting until their king, Eemal, fell in combat. Their cities were pillaged and their people were punished severely. Their population shrank by nearly 60% during this period.

The Ziaraas created their first empire and continued for about three hundred years. Revolts were frequent in thr rural areas of the empire but they rarely developed further than highway banditry. The most significant revolt of this period was the failed revolt of the northern Malmes. They, at one point, managed to secure independence from the Ziaraas. They were eventually put down by the Ziaraas with the northern Malmes cities being razed. After the razing of the northern Malmes cities, the Malmes were enraged and decided to unite under Deoches, the head of a large Malm tribe, who then formed Malm confederacy. The Ziaraas tried to disband the Malm confederacy but failed after Deoches withdrew his forces from the urban areas and began his insurgency from the rural country side. The Malm confederacy continued existing until it formed the Malm Empire.

After the death of Shara Atossa, whos heirs had both died in a civil conflict for the crown, the Malmes and Zazendi began an uprising against Ziaraa rule and inspired the Riroars to do the same. The revolts ravaged the Ziaraat Empire between 616 and 605 BC and freed their respective peoples from three centuries of Ziaraa rule.

The Malm confederacy had survived the Ziaraa Empire and played a crucial role in the Malm Revolts. Due to their role, the Malm people welcomed them as their new rulers. They began to take control over the Malm region and, eventually, two thirds of present-day Ziaraat in the confusion following the Ziaraa Empire's collapse. This marked the end of the first Ziaraat Empire which was dissolved.

In 550 BC, Crus unified the Zazendi tribes and founded the Zazendi Empire. He immidiately began unifying other neighbouring city-states. His eventual conquest of the Malm Empire was a result of revolts and military conquest. The revolts were initially triggered by the introduction of taxes for non-Malm people by the Malm emperor Ayages. The Ziaraas and Riroars were quick to revolt and the lesser ethnic groups joined in the revolts. Crus was quick to take over the revolting areas and circled in on the Malm Empire's capital, Sparthen.

539 BC was the year in which Zazendi forces defeated the Ziaraa army at the last battle for Pay Takht and marked the end of around four centuries of Ziaraa independence and autonomy. Crus entered Pay Takht after the battle and presented to Shara Zahir time two options; accept Zazendi rule or have his city razed and his people killed. Shara Zahir accepted Zazendi rule and was allowed to keep his position although with significant Zazendi oversight.

After the fall of Pay Takht, the Zazends encircled Sparthen and, after a long and bloody seige, captured it and had conquered the Malm Empire. Following Crus's unification of Ziaraat, he began consolidating his territory. He would eventually die after ruling for 30 years. His successors continued to maintain the Zazendi Empire and eventually, under Emperor Darus, annex the territory south of the river Ultaj and north of the river Whool.

The Zazendi Empire is notable for building infrastructure such as the Great Road and a postal service, and the use of an official language, Imperial Zazendi, throughout its territories. The empire had a centralized, bureaucratic administration under the emperor, a large professional army, and civil services, inspiring similar developments in later empires.

Eventually, revolts began after the death of Emperor Ion, the last Zazendi Emperor, and civil war erupted over the succession between his twin sons. The civil war ended with the death of both sons. The territories of the Zazendi empire declared independence during the conflict and left the Zazendi peoples with their pre-empire territory.

In 334 BC, Ishkandar of the Ghilt Riroar tribe conquered the other Riroar tribes and invaded the other kingdoms of Ziaraat. Eventually defeating the king of Malm, Dius III, at the Battle of Issus and continuing to take territory until his premature death. At this point, the Riroars were in a precarious situation. With their leader dead, their reign was fickle. However, due to the swift action of his successor, Akdun, the Riroars were saved after he brutally put down rebellions which inspired fear and kept the populace in check. He also established the Riroar confederacy which would elect a new ruler every ten years. He was elected and kept into power until he died of old age.

In the middle of the second century BC, the Riroars began infighting over who should become ruler and the confederacy collapsed into infighting between factions. This led way to the rise of the second Ziaraa Empire which became the sole power in Ziaraat after rapidly sweeping across the territory of the former Riroar confederacy. The second Ziaraa Empire continued for nearly five centuries, until 224 CE, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Ziaraat which continued to rule for four centuries.

Sometime between the second Ziaraa Empire and the Kingdom of Ziaraat, the other civilizations were assimilated and wiped out by the Ziaraas, leaving the Ziaraas as the sole ethnnic group in Ziaraat. It was after this assimilation that the emperor declared himself to be the Shara, creating the Kingdom of Ziaraat.

Medieval History

In 628, the Avestan religion was founded as an organized and consolidated form of the old pagan religions of Ziaraat. It quickly took hold amongst the populace and was eventually adopted by Shara Pavol. After being adopted by the monarch, Avestan practices were quickly enforced such as a ban on idol worship, gambling, alcohol, and others (many of these were already socially condemned but the religious ban made it state policy). Actions taken to enforce these included religious persecution, demolition of idols, and a ban on the caste system.

The Avestan religion brought with it a relative revival of Ziaraa culture and influence as the old aristocracy was replaced by an Avestan Ziaraa bureaucracy.

During the 10th and 11th centuries, Ziaraat experienced a blossoming of literature, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and art. This period is known as the Ziaraat Golden Age. The Ziaraat Golden Age reached its peak by the end of the 11th century, during which Ziaraat was the main theater of scientific activities of North Gondwana. After the 11th century, Ziaraat began closing itself down to foreigners after the influx of foreigners and foreign religions. Shara Ulah Da began a second religious persecution to purify Ziaraat of foreign religions. All foreigners had to convert or were killed or exiled. The Shara also forced foreigners to assimilate into the Ziaraa ethnic group by forcing marriages and killing those who refused.

In 1350, after the formation of the Reiktic Empire, Ziaraat was further pushed into isolation out of fear of foreign influence, religion, and invasion. During this increased isolation, Shara Dali Dur began militarizing Ziaraat by changing cultural values to be more militant. More emphasis was placed on religious duty, honor, and austerity.

Governance

Law Enforcement

The judiciary enforces laws, settles disputes and carries out justice. The judiciary is structured according to the following hierarchy from the highest court to the lowest: The supreme court, high court, local court. All judges must Khareqs.

The supreme court is the highest court of the land. It makes sure that laws follow the Daschtan. It is the final court for appeals on any matter. It sits in the capitol. The sumpreme court has 11 sitting judges who are appointed by the Ijte and sit for 5 year terms. Rulings made here are legally binding unless said otherwise. Legal bindings can be overruled by a future supreme court with a simple majority.

Each zone has a high court which is situated int the zone's capitol. It receives appeals from lower courts of the zone. The high court has 3 sitting judges who are appointed by the zone's governor and sit for 5 year terms. Judgements here are legally binding unless stated otherwise. The supreme court can overturn legal bindings here with a simple majority.

Local courts conduct trials. They are scattered everywhere there is a Jasim. The presiding judge is the elected Khareq. Judgements here are not legally binding.

The judicial system follows a mix between the Daschtan and Ziaraa traditional law. A single judge uses common sense, statutes, precedent, and the Daschtan to decide on a case. Adversaries must appear in person to the court and have to cross examine eachother and any witnesses if applicable. Legal representation is forbidden, only those directly involved may appear in court. If someone is indirectly involved then they must submit evidence in the form of written evidence or other forms. They can be summoned by the judge. Normally, a police officer is present to ensure security and honesty.

Each zone possesses a police force under the authority of the national government. The national government controls all law enforcement agencies and works with the zonal governments to create local police departments.

Criminal offenses have three severity categories:

Category 1: These offenses are mild and are typically dealt with by community service, fines, light corporal punishment. Offenses include mild assualt, threatening behaviour or actions, and desecration of non-significant property. Category 2: These offenses are stronger than category one but less than category three. These are typically dealt with by corporal punishment, jail, and severe fines. Offenses include theft, hate crime, breach of contract, conspiracy, homicide, and assualt causing actual bodily harm. Category 3: These offenses are severe and are dealt with by severe corporal punishment, life in jail, or, rarely, the death penalty. Offenses include murder, rape, terrorism, and espionage.

Punishments for criminal conduct can include corporal punishment, community service, fines, jail, and, on serious offenses or repeated offenses, the death penalty. The death penalty is scarcely used as it is frowned upon by religion but has been used in special cases such as the execution of serial rapist Zardhusd Khun.