Tales of Two Horizons OOC-II OPEN

[The Industrial States of Columbia]

1835 AH RP
Links: OOC I | IC | Map | Number Map
Lesser Links: Factbook | Maps Thread | Theme

OP Board:
- OP – The Industrial States of Columbia
- Vice-OPs - Senkaku | Alleniana
- Co-OPs - Liecthenbourg|The Kingdom of Glitter | The Jonathanian States

(Op Board subject to change based on who may still be involved and may not be involved)

OP Directives:

Carpe Diem

RP Description:

This world has changed. Where once one horizon was seen as the boundaries of the known world, now there have been two. In the west, England challenged the behemoth of Spain and emerged victorious, bloodying the Iberian mainland into civil conflict and claiming Brasil as her own. The Portuguese left their war torn home to seek better fortunes in the colonies, capitalizing on England's reduced influence in North America to expand into the southern portions of continent. The French too have maintained influence in the New World. Though they have lost Nova Gallia to revolution, French Louisiana remains a font of potential riches. To the north the Kalmar union survived and evolved, once a tool of Denmark now of Sweden, after Gustavus Adolphus claimed the throne. In the east, though Constantinople still fell, the fires of Byzantium remained, and alliance of Balkan states, Venetians and the Morean League drove back the invaders to the walls of Constantinople, before succumbing to petty rivalry and disbanding. The Mamluks have risen to fill the void left by the Ottoman caliphate of our time, biding their time to expand once more. In the far east, the Song have survived the inexorable tides of the former Mongol invaders, and have risen stronger than ever, basking in the fires of production and claiming far distant shores as their own. To the South, the Majapahit conquered and united Nusantara, expanding their lucrative trade and exotic goods far from their home islands. Japan watches warily across the seas, determined to resist the tides of the Song and other great powers by building an empire of their own in the Pacific.

The world has changed, and much change shall yet be seen. Will you build your nation from the ancient mists of time into the fires of industry in the East? In the West, shall you unify petty countries into an all conquering empire? Or shall you brave the New World, to seize riches and glory in wild and vast lands. The choice great leader, is yours...

Roster:

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List of Nations:
1. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland-Liecthenbourg
2. Kingdom of France-Finland SSR
3. Holy Iberian Empire-
4. Kingdom of Aragon-*
5. Kingdom of Piedmont-Corsica -
6. Kingdom of Belgium-
7. United Provinces of the Netherlands-*
8. Kingdom of Scandinavia-Reserved by Krugmar
9. Republic of Switzerland-Alleniana
10. Kingdom of Hannover-
11. Free and Hanseatic City of Bremen-Can be united at player discretion
12. Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
13. Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg-Can be united at player discretion
14. Duchy of Lippe-Detmold
15. Duchy of Brunswick
16. Principality of Anhalt
17. Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg
18. Free and Hanseatic City of Lubeck-Can be united at player discretion
19. Duchy of Holstein
20. Duchy of Weimar
21. Duchy of Saxe-Meinengan
22. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
23. Langrave of Hesse-Kassel
24. Free City of Geissen
25. Duchy of Nassau
26. Duchy of Darmstadt
27. Frankfurt am Main
28. Austro-Bavarian Empire-Currently playing as for nefarious purposes >;)
29. Kingdom of Prussia-The Jonathanian States
30. Grand Duchy of Krakow
31. Grand Hungarian Empire-*
32. Most Serene Republic of Venice-App IP Duchy
33. Kingdom of Milan
34. Kingdom of Tuscany-*
35. Papal States
36. Free Republic of Lucca
37. Kingdom of the Two Sicilies-*
38. Empire of Greater Serbia
39. Grand Duchy of Epirus- Jaslandia
40. Kingdom of Bulgaria
41. Kingdom of Hellas-*
42. Sultanate of Rum-
43. Empire of all Russias-
44. Mamluk Caliphate-*
45. Persian Empire-
46. Khiva
47. Kingdom of the Later Western Liao
48. Bukhara
49. Khanate of Samarqand
50. Kingdom of Afghanistan
51. Most Subime State of Kalat
52. Sikh Empire
53. Dominions of the Oirat Horde
54. Tibetan Empire
55. Empire of the Great Song-Senkaku
56. Kingdom of Nepal
57. Sikkim
58. Bhutan
59. Kingdom of Pagan
60. Kingdom of Siam
61. Dai Viet
62. Kingdom of the Later Jin
63. Kingdom of Joseon
64. Oda Empire-*
65. The Ever Triumphant Empire of Nusantara- Probably not so triumphant anymore, being partitioned
66. Kingdom of Ethiopia
67. Kingdom of Morocco
68. Empire of the Mali
69. Transvaal
70. Orange Free State
71. Paiyoute Confederacy
72. Shoshone Dominions
73. Second Mexican Empire-*
74. Hesperian Union-*
75. Columbian Federation- The Kingdom of Glitter
76. Republic of Nova Gallia-Fascist Republic of Bermuda
77. United States of Central America
78. Gran Colombia
79. Republic of Venezuela
80. Empire of Brasil-the main idea is that it is an Anglic lead multi-ethnic empire with a Hohenzollern on the throne (I had an app IP) ***
81. Andean Confederation
82. Kingdom of Paraguay
83. Kingdom of Casimira-*
84. Republic of Chile-
85. United Emirates of Aden-

Accepted
Reserved
App IP

*ed nations are states who had active players that may still wish to play them, and thus I will scrutinize a bit more when accepting people for these states.

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Rules and Regulations:
There are a fair few rules and guidelines for the RP, listed here. These following six are basic and should be easily understood and followed, and after that will follow more specific info that is more liable to change.
1. Obey NationStates forum rules
2. Obey the OP and those appointed as per their role
3. Make sure you are not metagaming, godmodding, numberspamming, or generally RPing in bad form
4. Have a couple of paragraphs a post and good grammar & spelling
5. Exercise common sense generously
6. Be active every couple of days at least

Beyond the basic rules, there are a few regulations, which is basically a special way of saying special rules for regulating the RP. So rules+1. Each regulation is R.X.~~~ where X is the regulation number and the squiggles are the subject matter.


1.Colonies and Colonization- TBA
2.Casus Belli: A justification for war with another nation. A list shall follow.
3.Technological Progress- TBA
4.Power Status-TBA

Applications and Reservations:

Reservations that are not performed using the proper form will not be considered valid.
Reservation last for exactly 16 hours from the time they were posted, rather than the time they were confirmed, and an extension of a further 16 hours may be requested. A reservation also is invalid once you have posted a full app for the area in question.
Once a reservation has been confirmed by a (Co-)OP no apps shall be accepted in conflict with the app. Other apps may be made though, and accepted should the reservation expire.

Code: Select all

[box][align=center][size=160]Reservation[/size][/align]
[b]Name of the State:[/b]
[b]Area to be reserved:[/b] (Number on the Roster)
[b]Code:[/b] 635[/box]
(Remove everything within the (round) brackets - INCLUDING THIS...)


Code: Select all

[box][u][b]Application[/b][/u]

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Symbols:[/b]
[b]Claims:[/b]
[b]Power:[/b]

[b]Government Structure:[/b]
[b]Ideology/Policy:[/b]
[b]Leaders:[/b]
[b]Capital City:[/b]

[b]Population:[/b]
[b]Primary Ethnic Group:[/b]
[b]Minority Ethnic Groups:[/b]
[b]Description of Ethnicity:[/b]
[b]Language:[/b]
[b]Religion:[/b]

[b]Foreign Relations:[/b]
[b]Military Information:[/b]
[b]Army Size:[/b]
[b]Navy Size:[/b]

[b]Economic Policy:[/b]
[b]Economic Situation:[/b]
[b]Infrastructure:[/b]
[b]Imports & Exports:[/b]
[b]Currency:[/b]

[b]History:[/b]
[b]Miscellaneous:[/b]
[b]RP Example:[/b]
[b]429[/b][/box]

Application

Name: Longer and shorter names of the nation if applicable, both in English and native language (and transliteration perhaps) if possible, and demonym
Symbols: National, popular and other relevant symbols such as flags, anthems, animals, coats of arms, colours, and whatever else you feel pertinent
Claims: The number of your nation on the map, and if you wish, also what land it claims de jure but does not actually maintain control over (Separate map)
Power: What degree of power the nation is; the possibilities are Great Power, Secondary Power, Tertiary Power and Uncivilized (Minor Power), or perhaps slightly more detailed if you wish

Government Structure: How the government works and is created in some level of detail, such as, perhaps mentioning how voting works if it exists
Ideology/Policy: What the government does and acts on; essentially, this is how the government governs
Leaders: Leaders is fairly simple, in that it requires a few of the titles and names of those pertinent to national governance
Capital City: The name of the capital city, or cities if there is more than one and a description of the city if it differs from what is present IRL

Population: Give both the population of your homeland, and the population of any colonies, territories, etc. separately, using evidence such as populstat.info
Primary Ethnic Group: The name of the main cultural, linguistic or otherwise group of your country, or perhaps more than one if there is
Minority Ethnic Groups: All those who do not belong to the main group to be described and mentioned here
Description of Ethnicity: An overall description of the populace, taking into account all factors and information not included elsewhere
Language: The nation's language or languages, whether by legislation, popular usage or else
Religion: The demographics relating to religion, attitudes, the position of the state on it, and everything else religious and relating to the state

Foreign Relations: How the government acts with regards to its neighbours and peers, and how they react
Military Information: How the military as a whole is organised with regards to branches, training, equipment, funding and so on
Army Size: The detailed numbers for the army, with division into where they are stationed, type, branch, active vs reserve, etc.
Navy Size: A count of ships by their type, with a list of names if possible, in addition to a numerical summary of those who man the vessels

Economic Policy: How the government and those in charge of economic policy in general regard the economy, in detail; mercantilism, protectionism, free trade?
Economic Situation: How well the nation is doing economically, with regards to trade deficits, growth, depression, bubbles, sustainability, etc.
Infrastructure: Everything related to infrastructural elements like transport, industry, architecture, etc.
Imports & Exports: The main exports and imports of the country, both internationally and between internal regions
Currency: The name of the currency and some info, such as if and how it is pegged to something, how it is divided, how it is used and so on

History: A history of the nation, from any relevant PODs to the present (As in the year 1835).
Miscellaneous: Anything else that might be relevant for accepting or RPing, either ICly or OOCly
RP Example: Examples of your ability to RP well, which will be more carefully inspected the higher up the power scale you are
429 A number which allows people, especially those who accept apps, to search the thread and find applications easily

[The Industrial States of Columbia]

reserved

[The imperial canadian dutchy]

Reservation

Name of the State:Still Venice
Area to be reserved:32
Code: 635

[Alleniana]

tage

[Jaslandia]

Tage.

[The Kingdom of Glitter]

blep

[Finland SSR]

Secret stalker tags to think about maybe apping and going for culture victory

[Liecthenbourg]

Tag.
Britain, choo choo.

[Yaana Noore]

Open up my position as France to whoever wants it. Right now I just don't have the time.

[Krugmar]

Reservation

Name of the State: Kingdom of Scandinavia
Area to be reserved: 8
Code: 635

[Finland SSR]

Well, why not give it a try.

Reservation

Name of the State: Kingdom of France
Area to be reserved: 2
Code: 635

Expect a lot of things no nation RPer ever even thought of doing.

Like literature.

[Era the Mind]

Well, why not give it a try.

Reservation

Name of the State: Kingdom of France
Area to be reserved: 2
Code: 635

Expect a lot of things no nation RPer ever even thought of doing.

Like literature.

THere are a few that RP about literature, and lesser mentioned things. I'm one of them

[Jaslandia]

Gonna go with something different this time. Let's see how this works out.

Reservation

Name of the State: Mali Empire
Area to be reserved: 68
Code: 635

[The Jonathanian States]

Tag.
Britain, choo choo.

We're going to continue our nefarious plan, right?

Anyway, heyho, Prussia's in the house!

[Era the Mind]

Reservation

Name of the State: Empire of all Russias
Area to be reserved: 43
Code: 635

[Finland SSR]

Application

Name: The Kingdom of France - Royaume de France
Symbols: Flag, the Tricolore
Coat of Arms
Liberty Leading the People
Légitimistes
Bonapartistes
Yeah, I copied them from the last guy's app. Deal with it.
Claims: 2
Power: Baguette Steamroller

Government Structure: Constitutional Unicameral Monarchy. The nation is divided into departments, each one electing a representative to the National Assembly via FPTP voting. The National Assembly is the legislative organ of the Kingdom of France, and does all the things you'd expect it to do, as well as appointing a Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The King is the official representative of the Nation in diplomatic affairs and has a right to veto the National Assembly's resolutions, but wields little actual power in domestic affairs.
Ideology/Policy: Orléanist, Liberalist, Mercantilist
Leaders: By the Grace of God and by the Constitutional Law of the State, King of the French Louis Philippe I d'Orléans
Capital City: Paris
Population: 33,541,000
Primary Ethnic Group: French
Minority Ethnic Groups: Breton, Arab, Berber, Occitan, ethnic groups indigenous to the African colonies, French Louisiana, isle of Hispaniola, all other French colonies in the Americas, and the French establishment in India.
Description of Ethnicity: France's long and complicated history led to it being a mix of all kinds of cultures. Celtic Tails, Germanic Franks, Latin influence and colonialism all play a big part in making the stew that is the French nation. Deeply catholic, aristocratic, but not above rebelling is just a few of the many common occurrences within this ethnicity.
Language: French, and many regional languages.
Religion: Following the ideas of the Enlightenment, the Kingdom of France is a secular nation, with no religion being more important than the other, however, Roman Catholicism is the main religion expressed by the people.

Foreign Relations:
Positive:
Columbian Federation
Kingdom of Corsica-Piedmont
Kingdom of Greece
Holy Iberian Empire
Second Mexican Empire
The Most Serene Republic of Venice
The Hesperian Union
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Neutral:
Empire of all Russias
Kingdom of Belgium
Kingdom of Scandinavia
Republic of Switzerland
Nearly everyone else

Negative:
Austro-Bavarian Empire
Dai Viet
Empire of the Mali
Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Prussia
United Provinces of the Netherlands

Yeah, copied that one as well.

Military Information: Used to be amazing. The Grande Armée was one of the greatest fighting forces ever assembled. The French Army is now a shadow of its former self however. Has the men, but lacks the tactical prowess and discipline that it used to have. The structure of the French Army has remained unchanged since and some officers from the Napoleonic Wars still hold positions, such as Marshal Ney. Unlike the armies of the Ancien Régime and other monarchies, advancement in the French Army is based on proven ability rather than social class or wealth. It follows the Napoleonic ideal that the army is meritocracy, where every soldier, no matter how humble of birth, could rise rapidly to the highest levels of command, much as he had done.
Army Size: About 570,000 men. More can be called up in times of war due to conscription. If the French wished the numbers could rise to 680,000, and with conscription, ('the blood tax') to 800,000.
Navy Size: 68 Ships of the line
38 Frigates
464 Transports

Economic Policy: Laissez-Faire Capitalist
Economic Situation: France largely still is a land of peasantry. However, urbanisation of the largest cities is well under way, and Paris is a leading world capital already. Smaller French towns and the country's many small villages, however, are impoverished and industrially backward. Around the great cities, and in the north and in other areas which had natural resources readily available, large industries have formed. Capital was available through the strong national bank and numerous aggressive private banks largely located in Paris, which finances projects all across Europe. The French capital has become world famous for making consumerism a social priority and economic force, especially through its upscale arcades filled with luxury shops and its grand department stores. These "dream machines" set the world standard for consumption of fine products by the upper classes as well as the rising middle class.
Infrastructure: The opinion that railways can became a national medium for the modernization of backward regions, is developing fast, however France currently does not have a large amount of railways. In 1823, a royal decree authorized the first railway company (Saint-Étienne to Andrézieux Railway) and the line was first operated in 1827, for goods, and for passengers in 1835. From 1830 to 1832, the line from Saint-Étienne (important coal and iron industrial centre) to Lyon (main town in the south of France) was opened, for goods and passengers, becoming the first passengers line of continental Europe. However, there is some opposition to the building on railways as it could impinge upon the profitability of the canals, as France has a great deal of capital invested in water-borne transport.
Imports & Exports: Exports textiles (linen, woolen), furs, coal, iron, machinery, food. Imports timber, raw materials, anything to make more railways.
Currency: French Francs. You know the drill.

History: PoD to 1813
1813 - Napoléon is decisively defeated at the Battle of Leipzig.
1814 - Napoléon accepts the Treaty of Chaumont. France returns to its borders as of 1792, Napoléon is exiled to Elba and joined by his wife Marie Louise, their son Napoléon II becomes Emperor. Talleyrand is appointed regent by the Coalition.
1820 - Napoléon II dies without issue. A Royalist coup prevents the throne passing to Joseph Bonaparte, living in Columbia at the time (he does little to press his claim). Louis XVIII is crowned as King of France. Napoléon unsuccessfully attempts to escape Elba.
1822 - Marie Louise give births to twins by Napoléon. A son, also named Napoléon, and a daughter, named Joséphine.
1824 - Louis XVIII dies without issue. His brother Charles X is crowned.
1825 - The unpopular Anti-Sacrilege act was passed.
1827 - Charles X dismisses the National Guard.
1830 - Algeria invaded by France to improve Charles' dismal popularity.
1830 - Charles signs the July Ordinances to pacify the French people. It has the opposite effect.
1830 - The July Revolution. Charles X is forced to abdicate and Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans, is elected King of the French. The Bourbons go into exile in Great Britain.
1831 - Joseph Bonaparte is offered the position of Governor of France, which he accepts. Napoléon excludes Joseph from his 'succession'.
1832 - Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoléon I enrolls in the Swiss Army.
1834 - Charles X dies, his son becoming the legitimist pretender Louis XIX.

ja

Miscellaneous: sorry
RP Example: Does this count?

[Kryskov]

You people just don't know when to give up ;-;

[Baja California y Sonora]

Okay.

[The Kingdom of Glitter]

Tag.
Britain, choo choo.

Gib Texas y Seattle

[Jaslandia]

Application

Name: The Mail Empire – Manden Kurufaba
Symbols: Flag, Coat of arms, Mansa Musa
Claims: 68
Power: Minor/Uncivilized. On a regional level, Mali could easily be considered a Great Power.

Government Structure: Semi-constitutional parliamentary monarchy. The ruler of the Mali Empire is the mansa (emperor), who has the power to enact edicts, introduce policy, and manage foreign affairs and defense. There is also a unicameral parliament, the Gbara, which consists of a portion local lords, elders, and tribal chiefs from around the empire, with members of the Gbara being appointed by the mansa and a special committee of local leaders. The Gbara have some control over internal and economic matters, although if the Gbara’s vote is less than a 2/3rd majority, the mansa can veto the Gbara. The mansa's veto is final, and the Gbara cannot override a veto.

Ideology/Policy: Imperialism, free trade, liberalism (to some extent), monarchism
Leaders: Musa IV, Mansa of Mali
Muhammad Kouyate, Prime Minister of Mali

Capital City: Timbuktu
Population: 10 million
Primary Ethnic Group: Manden/Mandinka
Minority Ethnic Groups: Bantu, Tuareg/Moor, Fula, Songhai

Description of Ethnicity: The Mandinka, a branch of the Manden ethnic group, are the founders of the Mali Empire. Proud and strong, the Mandinka also have a rich cultural tradition. Though much culture and learning is spread through oral tradition such as stories and proverbs, rich oral history are passed through the generations by storytellers called griots; the most notable example of this oral tradition is the epic poem Epic of Sundiata, which tells a (somewhat legendary) account of Sundiata Keita, founder of the Mali Empire. In addition, the Mandinka are proficient at music, often using music to accompany their storytelling.

Language: Malinké, Mandinka, Bambara, Fulani, and Bozo

Religion: While the state religion is Sunni Islam, and the Malian state is heavily based on Islam, most other religions have been granted freedom of worship within Mali. Islam was originally spread by the Berber merchants of North Africa (with whom Mali has close trade relations), and most Malian rulers, merchants, and nobles follow Islam, as it grants them closer relations with their trading partners. Among the common people, Sunni Islam is less prevalent, and most commoners either practice traditional African religion, or a blend of African animism and Sunni Islam. As a result, Mali is relatively tolerant and diverse; in addition to Muslims and adherents of traditional religions, there are a small numbers of Christians and Jews within the empire.

Foreign Relations:
Positive:
Kingdom of Scandinavia
Columbian Federation
Kingdom of Aragon
United Provinces of the Netherlands

Neutral:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Kingdom of Morocco
Mamluk Caliphate
Everyone else

Negative:
Kingdom of France
Holy Iberian Empire

Military Information: The Army of the Mali Empire is relatively modernized, but it is still unknown if this force could take on a major European power. While Abdulhamid I and Musa IV have both expanded and modernized the army, with modern uniforms, modern weapons, and even modern artillery, only the elite Mansa’s Guard regiments of the Malian Army (around 5,000 of the 50,000 total troops) are skilled in the use of these weapons, and these units use gunpowder weapons exclusively. Another 8,000 men have less training with guns and artillery, but can still use them in addition to spears and javelins. However, the rest of the army (37,000) does not have access to modern weaponry, and only use spears or javelins in battle.

Army Size: The army is composed of around 50,000 men, including 5,000 cavalry. The size of the army can rise to 80,000 men through conscription.

Navy Size: N/A

Economic Policy: The government takes a mostly hands-off approach to the economy, with some exceptions. Recognizing the importance of trade to the Mali Empire, the government does little to regulate trade, merely taxing it. However, the Malian government has been active in encouraging industrialization, urging investors to build new factories, and offering various incentives; however, despite the government's best efforts, there are currently no active factories in the Mali Empire.

Economic Situation: While Mali’s lack of industrialization has caused it to fall behind Europe, Mali is still economically prosperous. Mali has continued trade with the Berbers and Moroccans to the north, most commonly exchanging Malian gold for salt from Morocco. Often, Malian merchants will then sell their gold, copper, and salt to the Europeans by selling them to the British or Scandinavian colonies in West Africa. In addition, improved roads have done much to facilitate trade within Mali.

Infrastructure: While the infrastructure of Mali is still fairly poor, it is improving. Starting from Abdulhamid I, the Malian government supported programs to upgrade Mali’s roads; however, these programs have been small, have focused almost exclusively on cities, and it is often difficult to maintain these roads after they are built. The Malian government has also attempted to promoted manufacturing and industry, but so far without success.

Imports & Exports:
Imports: Manufactured goods, guns, textiles, luxury goods, machinery
Exports: Gold, copper, salt, limestone, livestock

Currency: Malian dinar, though barter persists in some areas.

History:

The Mali Empire originated in the 13th century, when Sundiata Keita enlarged his small state, rebelled against the Kaniaga Kingdom, and eventually unified the region and established an empire. From his capital at Niani, Sundiata created a centralized state, founded upon Islamic culture and control of the trade routes that ran across West Africa.

After Keita’s death, his successors expanded on his conquests, conquering more gold- and copper-producing regions. However, the early Mali Empire was also wracked with recurrent issues of succession, a problem which plagued the Empire throughout its history. In spite of this, most of these early emperors (or ‘mansas’) were competent, and those who were unskilled or insane were often removed through coups.

However, the Mali Empire reached its height under Musa Keita I of Mali, better known to the West as Mansa Musa. Musa took the throne in 1312, supposedly seizing power after his predecessor left to explore the Atlantic Ocean and never returned. Musa was skilled in both administration and war. Under Mansa Musa, approximately 24 cities were conquered, including Gao, Djenne, and Timbuktu. The University of Sankore was founded in Timbuktu, and under Musa’s patronage, Timbuktu become a legendary city of learning, science, arts, and trade.

In 1324, Mansa Musa went on the traditional Muslim pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca. Reflecting the great wealth of his empire, Musa traveled in style, bringing along 100 camels loaded with gold. Musa spent extravagantly wherever he went, with his spending being so lavish that after he passed through Cairo, runaway inflation occurred that took decades to recover from. Musa’s travels also piqued the interests of Europeans, who now saw West Africa as a mysterious land of wealth – the African equivalent of El Dorado.

Despite Mali’s prosperity during the reign of Mansa Musa, the empire declined after his death, eventually collapsing into several smaller states. The Songhai Empire emerged in the same region in the late 1400s, and for a period of time revived the greatness and legacy of Mali, but Songhai too fell in 1591, after being conquered by a technologically-superior Moroccan force. While the actual authority of Morocco held in Mali fluctuated, much of the former Mali Empire was under the control of Morocco from 1591 until 1783.

For the next several centuries, Mali was under the control of Morocco. However, after the death of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of Morocco in 1603, the Moroccans proved unable to exert strong power in West Africa. However, after brief revolts in various Malian and Songhai cities were put down by Moroccan troops, the Malians decided against seeking independence from Moroccan rule, and contented themselves with the vast autonomy granted to them by successive Moroccan sultans. Trade continued to flourish, and with the Moroccans ensuring stability, cities like Gao and Timbuktu could once again rise to become great cultural centers.

However, as Moroccan rulers struggled against Berber pirates and incursions by Europeans, and with the extravagances of the Sultans draining the treasury, Morocco turned to Mali for revenue. In 1775, Sultan Mohammed III of Morocco issued an edict levying new taxes on Mali, and sending agents to Mali to actively enforce these taxes. Something such as this had not occurred since 1630, and many (possibly influenced by similar rhetoric coming out of Britain’s American colonies), claimed that since Mali had been self-governing for over a century, Moroccan authorities had no right to impose new taxes.

Among those who spoke out against the taxes as Abdulhamid Rashid al-Saqqaf, a scholar from Timbuktu. Al-Saqqaf was the parent of merchants, and through Berber trading partners, the al-Saqqaf family learned much about the outside world. At age 18, Abdulhamid entered Oxford University in England, where he graduated with high honors. Returning home, Abdulhamid al-Saqqaf spent 5 years traveling around the former Mali Empire, and upon his return to Timbuktu, became a scholar at the University of Sankore. Al-Saqqaf became known for his radical and reformist views, and was the most vocal and visible supporter of a faction that urged transformation of Mali along Western lines. Thus, al-Saqqaf quickly became the leader of the nascent Malian independence movement.

The final straw for Malian autonomy advocates came in 1777, when Morocco under Sultan Mohammed III became the first nation to officially recognize the Columbian Federation (the former American colonies of Britain). Many noted the Sultan’s hypocrisy, as he seemed to show favor to the Americans who protested British taxation and imposition of authority, while rejecting Malians who made the same protests. In 1778, Mali rose up in revolt against Morocco, initiating the 10-year long Malian War for Independence.

Despite having no military background, Abdulhamd al-Saqqaf (who was only 38 at the time) quickly became a leader of the rebel forces, assisted by numerous other military commanders. Though the Moroccan forces were outnumbered, the war was still a back-and-forth struggle; however, the Malians did succeed in rallying other West African peoples, including those not under Moroccan control, around the Malian cause. This was accomplished by promoting an image of a new West African empire, which would revitalize the region and enable it to stand up against foreign incursion (i.e. the Europeans). Finally, in 1783, Morocco recognized Malian independence in the Treaty of Gao, and Abdulhamid al-Saqqaf was crowned Mansa as Abdulhamid I.

While Mansa Abdulhamid was eager to enact his vision of a new West Africa, he knew he had to temper his reforming attitude. Instead of creating a parliament fully elected by the people, Abdulhamid created the Gbara, a legislative assembly consisting of tribal chiefs and local lords from throughout the Mali Empire. Abdulhamid also promulgated a new religious liberty law, sponsored new roads throughout the empire, and increased the use of modern weapons like muskets and cannons in the Malian military. However, in his eagerness to reform, some accused Abdulhamid of being a tyrant who sought to disrupt the traditional way of life in West Africa, and Abdulhamid was overthrown in favor of his son Khalifa in 1801; Abdulhamid was exiled to England, where he died in 1816.

While Mansa Khalifa II was as much of a reformist as his father, Khalifa had a shrewd political mind, and knew how to shift the burden of reforming from himself to the Gbara. Through bribery, persuasion, or (in rare cases) assassination, Khalifa filled the Gbara with reformers and those sympathetic to the deposed Mansa Abdulhamid, and then subsequently delegated many powers to the Gbara. As expected, the people loudly reacted against the centralization and new taxation imposed by the Gbara, so in response, Khalifa emerged as a mediator, creating an elected Parliament to represent the people. In addition, throughout his reign, Khalifa called in European advisers (primarily British and Scandinavian) to assist in other reforms, such as building new schools for the commoners and building modern infrastructure for cities like Timbuktu and Gao. While some reforms (such as the elected Parliament) ultimately did not last, Khalifa further put the nation on a path to modernization.

Mansa Khalifa died in 1831, and was succeeded by his 29-year-old son Musa IV. While his reign so far has been brief, Mansa Musa IV has emphasized stability and peace in response to the tumultuous changes of Abdulhamid and Khalifa. In response to disputes with France, Musa has also expanded and modernized the military. While the Mali Empire is still a new state with much to prove, if given wise leadership, Mali can emerge as a strong state, ready to take on the coming tide of European colonization.

Miscellaneous: N/A
RP Example: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=356890&start=25#p26381138
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[Alleniana]

Well, why not give it a try.

Reservation

Name of the State: Kingdom of France
Area to be reserved: 2
Code: 635

Expect a lot of things no nation RPer ever even thought of doing.

Like literature.

*resists urge to link posts*

You people just don't know when to give up ;-;

>>>give up

@Finland, France and some others had signed some documents and things, I'll TG you their content.

[Jaslandia]

In case no one noticed, my Mali app is completed.

[The Industrial States of Columbia]

In case no one noticed, my Mali app is completed.

My main question would be where did ye get your population stats? (I know west africa has had historically a pretty healthy population, but I have not really seen much in the way for accurate population statistics for that region)

[Jaslandia]

In case no one noticed, my Mali app is completed.

My main question would be where did ye get your population stats? (I know west africa has had historically a pretty healthy population, but I have not really seen much in the way for accurate population statistics for that region)

This site gave 20 million during the time of the historical Mali Empire, and I adjusted that figure to account for the passage of time and the expanded borders of the Mali Empire. This is the only site I've seen that's given exact numbers for the population of the Mali Empire.

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/mali-empire-ca-1200

[Era the Mind]

Application

Name: Empire of All Russias
Symbols: Coat of Arms
Imperial Standard
Claims: 43
Power: World Power

Government Structure: Absolute Monarchy
Ideology/Policy: Capitalism; consolidate, advance, expand
Leaders: Emperor Iyeremey Kabalov
Capital City: St. Petersburg

Population: 59,875,923
Ethnic Groups: The Ethnic Groups
Description of Ethnicity: The Russians, as a whole, are a people that are most notable for their sturdiness, their intelligence, and their willingness to screw others over while somehow still maintaining good relationships, and their attempts to expand the state into a better nation
Language: Russian
Religion: Eastern Orthodox

Foreign Relations:

Allies

Positive

The Oda Empire
Persian Empire
Khiva
Sikh Empire
Kingdom of Later Western Lao

Neutral

The United Kingdom
Kingdom of France
Holy Iberian Empire
Mamluk Caliphate
Republic of Switzerland
Persian Empire
Grand Iberian Empire
Papal States (verging on negative)
Everyone else

Negative

Empire of the Great Song
Bukhara
The Kingdom of Afghanistan
Kingdom of Prussia

Enemies

Turkey/Sultanate of Rum

Military Information: The Russian military has recently undergone reorganization into a highly structured military force with the versatility and power of ranks underneath them, and is no longer the largely unorganized force it once was. The Russian military possesses about average technology for a Great Power of the time, and finds that it has a balance between how advanced they are, efficiency discipline, strength, and numbers.
Army Size: 2,978,791 as a whole
Navy Size: 28 Ships-of-the-Line, 149 frigates & other ships

Economic Policy: Neo-serfdom based agricultural economy
Economic Situation: Currently attempting to reorganize economy, and start it bustling again to harness the natural resources of the Empire of Russia
Infrastructure: Infrastructure has been focused on greatly for quite a good amount of time, and, while still being developed, it had been greatly improved since 1798
Imports & Exports: Imports: Grain, other agricultural products, timber, iron, & coal, gold, metals, other precious materials Exports: Weapons, industrial technology, equipment, & materials, & exotic goods, gold, metals, oil
Currency: The Russian Ruble, a coin of silver with some gold & platinum.

Recent History:

Up until around the 1800s the history of the Empire of All Russias had largely remained as it was in the real world, but that was when the old regime was toppled, and a regime of innovators appeared. With the old throne toppled, it had become more and more evident of the failure that the that the last royal family to lead the multi-continental Russian Empire had been. They had adhered to traditional ways, refused to advance technology, put the Empire in jeopardy with outdated legislation, and, furthermore, didn’t want to build up infrastructure. That all changed with the Kabalov family taking power around the year of 1798, and that was when change truly began to take part. At that point in time the current emperor’s parents were charged as the Emperor and Empress of the Empire of all Russias, and they did quite a marvelous job.

The Kabalov royal family reorganized the entire Russian Empire under their rule, and their legislation is still being enacted due to the sheer scale that had been undertaken by the family. Under the rule of the current Kabalov, this legislation continues to be enforced as things across the entire nation are improved. Agricultural centers, the development of infrastructure, and the updating of various buildings nationwide had been focused on for the past 30 years or so. This had provided the room for the military of the Russian Empire to expand, while the military of the Russian Empire had also been reorganized to fit modern standards so that they could function better. Technology had been improved, and the political status of the nation had been taken a hold of to gain more political allies in the world. As of now, it is notable that the current emperor has enacted laws that call for parks, and a wide variety of other things to be built to harness and prolong the natural beauty of the nation, while industrial centers are kept away from these areas to further insure the survival of nature.

A final enactment of the last Kabalov family was an ongoing war with a collective of nations that included the Sultanate of Rum in an attempt to gain territory. The bitter relationship has been continuous for the better part of 30 years, and border skirmishes initiated by either the Russians or their enemies occur often. As of now, however, the Russian Empire has gained the upper hand in their war due to the recent reorganization of their military. Prior to this reorganization, the Russian military, while advanced technologically, had not been very advanced strategically, and tactical developments such as these allowed for the nation to achieve a kind of hold over the areas around them. Now, it is up to the Russians and the rest of the world to either sit back, stop the war, watch the fireworks, or indulge themselves in conflict in the regions that encompass Asia.

Miscellaneous: N/A
RP Example:

Part One

Ilzacoatl & the Proclamation

All around the leader of the alliance that the Aztecs had taken up to defeat a horrid foe there was music from the sounds of drums, and the voices of men and women, and dozens upon dozens of people were dancing. The group was celebrating a victory that they had just gained word of, but Iltzacoatl had taken a group of high statured men to the side away from the celebration to speak of things of high importance. There he stood, among this group of men draped in the now customary leather armor studded with gems of onyx that they had taken a liking to, attempting to choose his words carefully.

“Tonight, we have celebrated victory over our foes and the total control over this valley, but we must also think of the future. I have decided that I will be sending an exploration/conquering force of 120,000 men to the south, as having heard word back from the 70,000 to the north I have come to the conclusion that there are lands of plentiful, fertile soil, and gorgeous animals.” The men looked among each other as their emperor drank from a golden cup, setting it down to speak once more as he took in the reactions of the men. They were surprised that he was still using such large amounts of men, but the massive amounts of land that they had to explore were going to be hard to traverse, and they needed more than the usual amount of land. Over 2,000,000 soldiers were under the control of Iltzacoatl, and he was going to make use of them.

“This group of 120,000 men will be let by Ohtli's brother, our esteemed general Ihuicatl, and accompanied by a group of cartographer's much like the northern party was." The men cheered Ihuicatl, and Ihuicatl gave a wide grin.

“We need to expand, and train our soldiers, and as such I will also be putting our group through extremely difficult training regimens. These regimens will involve training them in a variety of weapons, non-stop day-to-day regimens, and will often lead to the death, or even people dropping out of their conscriptions.” Some of the men frowned, but they nodded as they understood that they needed to improve efficiency to become a stronger fighting force that embraced quality instead of quantity.

“I have also spoken to a man known by the name of Necali, and he has been creating a new written language that embraces something new. I have also backed his attempt to teach the masses how to read and write this language, which he has been developing for the past decade. I am proud to say that our children are our future, and with our mandatory education for every man, woman, and child, that we will be the brightest nation of the land!"

Necali, the Education, & the Written Language

Once, the only written language that the Aztecs had was basically a bunch of pictures, but now after twelve years of hard work the scholar and priest Necali has created a gorgeous handwritten knowledge, and taught it to the priests of the land. His life’s work has been an attempt to teach those others than priest how to read and write, to make all the people in the land intellectuals capable of embracing the beautiful art of writing, and now with the backing of the Emperor he no longer has to rely on his children for this. Necali had a smile on his face as he looked up to his class, and he acknowledged that while this would be something difficult that these young children were the future of his nation.

He had already taught them the basic alphabet that he had created, and now he stood to approach one of the students he noticed was having issue reading the material out loud. He pointed simply to the place on the codex that the class was passing around and using as a talking stick where he was supposed to be reading. The boy muttered his thanks, and Necali began to patrol around the room under the watchful gaze of some of the parents.

The parents were here to see what all the fuss was about, and even a few of the Imperial court were here to see if they could get private training for their children so that they didn’t have to attend this public schooling. Necali, as head of education of the Aztec Empire, was opposed to private education, and instead recommended that they donate if they want the public education to be greater. Seeing how excellent the children were doing was leading to the wealthier nobles, and the Imperial court members to seriously take this thought into account, and Nicali could already see the local public schools being better funded.

Centenite & the Ship

Centenite was a brilliant inventor that could be compared to many of the world’s greatest inventors had the Aztecs known to compare these people to them, and now he stood in front of a drawing of a relatively small ship that he wanted to put into production. He had already lettered Iltzacoatl, and behind him were the Imperials that Iltzacoatl had sent to look over the situation so that he could give his idea to them. He based the drawing off of one of the things that he had seen a long time ago, sailing across the land, and eventually landing on the shore that he was at.

Centenite almost lost his life that day, but now he bravely stood here as the Imperials prepared their thoughts, and questions, with the wealthy man’s near-shore home sporting a dock he built himself, and the boat itself. The Aztecs had some experience in how to create boats, just enough to explore some of the eastern islands, and he was enjoying the feeling that the boat builders he had hired were competent enough to build a boat capable of housing twenty four men. They may not have had cannons, or anything similar, but the holes where those were supposed to be were capable of being seen.

If only Centenite had been able to bring those strangely colored men who strayed from their path from a few years back into his home so that they might be able to educate him on how this worked. All he could do for now, however, was sketch, and build a boat that could greatly expand the empire’s reach if the Imperials wanted to fund the project. Aztec culture was advanced, and inventors were lauded for their intellect, and Centenite was about to be embraced by the Imperial courts.

Ohtli & the Warrior’s Band

It had been several months since Ohtli had been sent out with the 70,000 men, 12 cartographers, and the several dozen or so architects that were going to help in the building of new cities, and the exploration of wherever it was that they were going to go. Within each of the 3 groups there were several scholars, so that the men didn’t kill themselves by eating the wrong fruit, and now Ohtli was at the camp he was commanding everything from.

Ohtli had began the construction of 3 forts spread out several dozen days away from the nearest city, and he was speaking to a few of his higher ranking men about his trips between them, and how his visits to their commanders went. There were around 10,000 men stationed here at this camp, and they were busy building some actual shelter, and making sure that they weren’t all going cold from the rain. It was an interesting season this day, but Ohtli had his thoughts on the fact that reports were coming in about men that were spotted who wore odd body paints, and loin cloths, and he acknowledged the fact that, perhaps, there were others farther out from the city.

There had long been reports about these mysterious men,, and the way that they looked, but no one he had known had actually been this close to one until the last night. There had been peace for a while, and it was as if people had disappeared from the land over the past decade, but perhaps they were just hiding from the Aztecs. Last night Ohtli saw one of these supposed savages himself, and he enjoyed the thought that maybe his warriors would get to enjoy a good battle. If they didn’t, however, it was no big loss, but the land couldn’t be this vast without other men around them, and the Aztecs knew that there had to be more than a few factions, and lands, and Ohtli was going to relish in the battles to come. He was a tactician that craved war, and peace had gone on for too long.

Part Two

Zuni - The First Encounter

1,000 men had detached from the camp’s primary force to meet unknown forces gathering outside of the camp’s defense border a few kilometers away. These men, once identified by getting closer to them, were known as the Zuni. The Zuni had been avoiding the Aztecs for quite some time, evading their forces, but the Aztec camp was noted to be fairly close to one of their cities. The other Aztec forces had detached in the opposite direction, yet the camp still posed a threat in the eyes of the Zuni, so the local village’s leaders gathered several hundred men.

The Zuni were a regional power according to the codex that the Aztec Lesser Commander leading the forces had, and the young man had a slight frown on his lips. However, the group that was confronting them a few kilometers outside of the camp, and making their own camp outside of their village, were smaller than their force. The Lesser Commander, Achauhtli, was worried that this would go badly.

He had been sent by the Commander himself to lead 1,000 of the group of 10,000 of the forces best men to confront the forces gathering outside, but he acknowledged the language barrier would cause an issue. He yelled out to the Zuni a greeting, who responded with a strange, raging scream that could only be described as a war cry as they rose up, and gathered into a formation.

“Shield wall!” Arrows came raining down upon the party, and the shield wall, which had been formed hastily, was penetrated in some areas by the thirty or so arrows aimed at it. The arrows killed at least 4 men, and wounded several others.

“Archers!” Archers of their own fired at the shieldless men flaming arrows, and downed quite a few. The Zuni had been forced to run outside of their encampment, and several arrows hit the easily burnable village behind them.

“Damn,” Achauhtli commanded the spearmen in their heavy, and thick leather armor to raise their bladed weapons up against the men charging at them now with two fingers.

“Archers!” He raised his own spear, and he impaled a man with the obsidian tip of the blade.

The battle would be over in a few hours, the enemy village burned to the ground, and a new territory conquered by the Aztec group, and the Mayans that accompanied them. Achauhtil just hoped it would have gone differently.

Past the Mayan Expanse

Past the expanse of the Mayan territory, a gathering of 120,000 men had split into two groups and occupied the two territories just southeast of the nearest Mayan cities. They encountered no other indigenous men, and were able to lay out a camp to rest. They each sent a messenger, and a convoy, back to the Aztec Commander at Mayan capital closest to them.

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