1618: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-OPEN]

[Arvenia]

Is it okay to play as Ukraine?

[Tracian Empire]

Is it okay to play as Ukraine?

As a state in Ukraine yes. But it would likely be Rus', Kievan or Ruthenian

Seeing as Ukraine as a name and a concept did not exist at this point in time and it could not have existed yet properly because Ukraine means borderland and it was still used as such (Pereyaslavl, Pskov, and other areas were described as borderlands)

[Elsbrat]

Is it okay to play as Ukraine?

Could you consider picking up Ukraine as well as the territories that were claimed by the original Crimean reservation so we can have another major player in Central Asia? So Ukraine, to Kazahkstan, and Uzbekistan and probably the little bit of Russia in that area that's left. please and thank you

[Dogutrakya]

(Image)
Flag of the Tughlaq Dynasty

(Image)
The Tawhid Banner, military flag

(Image)
Black Standard of Prophet Muhammad, caliphate flag

EMPIRE AND CALIPHATE OF INDIA
ہندوستان - हिंदुस्तान - Hindustan
"La illah ila Allah, Muhammadan rasulullah, Allahu Akbar"

---

Full Nation Name: Empire (and Caliphate) of India, commonly: Hindustan

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Overall the app looks alright to me, I will need to double-check a few things, but one fundamental issue is quite obvious - I don't think that such a majority for Islam is feasible. Muslim dynasties ruled over India pretty much for a comparable period to real life in this timeline, and in real life, only about 20-30% of India was Muslim. I don't think that any amount of concentrated missionary efforts could take it up to 70%, particularly in a region like India. At the most I think that something like a 40% is what might be in the realm of possibility.

Well, it is more widespread now because thr central government used religion as a tool to attract people with economic development. Historically, the Indus and Bengal regions were majority Muslim, in the case of the Indus it was due to their proximity to Central Asia and the Middle East (which allowed greater Arab/Persian influence, both political and economic), and there is the same case in Bengal where Islam spread through trade. Generally the leaders converted to Islam first, and then their whole subjects followed suit. In this timeline, Islam's position as the religion of merchants and bureaucrats are bolstered by state support. Also, half of the Muslims are urban, compared to a minority of Hindus. Proselytizing also targets the lower casted (Dalits, Sudras, etc.) and tribes (Scheduled Tribes) that has seen little influence of mainstream Hinduism, hence the greater success. Most importantly, Hindustan made Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu) the official language, and translated the Qur'an into it, which increases the attractiveness of Islam to the common people.

Maybe 70% is too high, but I think somewhere between 55% to 60% Muslim would be more reasonable.

[Oscalantine]

Full Nation Name: The United Kingdom of Albion

Sorry for the delay. My app is done and ready for review.

[American Pere Housh]

I'm withdrawing from this rp.

[Arvenia]

I may have to play as a Mongol state based in European Russia.

[Tracian Empire]

I may have to play as a Mongol state based in European Russia.

That might be feasible

[Arvenia]

I may have to play as a Mongol state based in European Russia.

That might be feasible

Thank god. So much land is getting chewed up right now.

[Arvenia]

Reservation

Nation Name: Ruzakh Khanate (Ресеқ Хандығы/Рузахское Ханство)
Territory: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Crimea, North Caucasus, European Russia and Ural Federal District
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*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

[Tracian Empire]

Reservation

Nation Name: Ruzakh Khanate (Ресеқ Хандығы/Рузахское Ханство)
Territory: Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Crimea, North Caucasus, European Russia and Siberia
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*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

The parts of Siberia that are free are unlikely to be controlled by anyone but native hunter-gatherers

For the rest reservation accepted, but do keep in mind that you've already let a reservation expire in this iteration without finishing an app so you won't be able to extend it, so I'd recommend focusing on the app.

[Arvenia]

Reservation

Nation Name: Ruzakh Khanate (Ресеқ Хандығы/Рузахское Ханство)
Territory: Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Crimea, North Caucasus, European Russia and Siberia
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*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

The parts of Siberia that are free are unlikely to be controlled by anyone but native hunter-gatherers

For the rest reservation accepted, but do keep in mind that you've already let a reservation expire in this iteration without finishing an app so you won't be able to extend it, so I'd recommend focusing on the app.

I will.

[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name: The United Kingdom of Albion

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Accepted

[Tracian Empire]

Overall the app looks alright to me, I will need to double-check a few things, but one fundamental issue is quite obvious - I don't think that such a majority for Islam is feasible. Muslim dynasties ruled over India pretty much for a comparable period to real life in this timeline, and in real life, only about 20-30% of India was Muslim. I don't think that any amount of concentrated missionary efforts could take it up to 70%, particularly in a region like India. At the most I think that something like a 40% is what might be in the realm of possibility.

Well, it is more widespread now because thr central government used religion as a tool to attract people with economic development. Historically, the Indus and Bengal regions were majority Muslim, in the case of the Indus it was due to their proximity to Central Asia and the Middle East (which allowed greater Arab/Persian influence, both political and economic), and there is the same case in Bengal where Islam spread through trade. Generally the leaders converted to Islam first, and then their whole subjects followed suit. In this timeline, Islam's position as the religion of merchants and bureaucrats are bolstered by state support. Also, half of the Muslims are urban, compared to a minority of Hindus. Proselytizing also targets the lower casted (Dalits, Sudras, etc.) and tribes (Scheduled Tribes) that has seen little influence of mainstream Hinduism, hence the greater success. Most importantly, Hindustan made Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu) the official language, and translated the Qur'an into it, which increases the attractiveness of Islam to the common people.

Maybe 70% is too high, but I think somewhere between 55% to 60% Muslim would be more reasonable.

That would still be a bit too high I think. from my understanding of the situation, the Delhi Sultanate had to act the way it did, tolerant and with a very limited movement to spread Islam because of the situation it was in. An active spreading of Islam would likely result in serious unrest that would not be particularly compatible with the recovery and expansion of the Sultanate as presented in your app.

Bengal was majority Muslim, but it seems that it became so because of the collapse of Buddhism in the region. The Hindu and then Muslim conquests damaged the already existing clergy and religious structures, as Bengal was a big center of Buddhism and the core of Buddhism in empires such as the Maurya and the Pala, so it collapsing led to a void which was filled by Islam. That would not be the case in the rest of India - Hinduism was already historically prevalent and Hinduism is not particularly centralized nor does it have a centralized and learned clergy.

From what I've also seen and talked with people who are more familiar with the region than I am, the notion that the lower castes of Hinduism converted to Islam to easily is a point of contention among historians. Islam in India had its caste system too, with the foreign Muslims at the top, so they'd be just leaving one caste system for another.

India was perhaps more urban than let's say Europe, but most of the population was still rural. I found a few graphs, and it was at about 5% in India in 1600. Rural communities are more tightly integrated, they have personal shrines and local temples. Any campaigns to convert rural regions to Islam would need to disrupt local temples, and major temples and deal with the widespread Hindu clergy. They would have to create conditions that would force them to convert, because rural communities are always the most resistant to change - and that would simply read to more unrest and opposition than it would to Islam rising. Not great for the work of the Tughlaqs to restore the decayed Delhi Sultanate

Translating the Qur'an would likely help, as would a more focused campaign to spread Islam in urban areas and maybe other more peaceful ways to encourage conversion, which is why I am content with the idea of Islam being more widespread than it was in real life, but them having a majority is highly unlikely. 40% is I believe completely fair, maybe 45% but this I feel is a bit unrealistic.

But in the end, a large portion of Muslim is not necessary for you to be able to face your southern neighbor. They are after all a Christian nation in a nation with very few Christians, so there is also the out of character concept that I don't think Hindustan absolutely needs a huge number of Muslims.

And the last point that I did not mention the last time around - I don't think that the Tughlaqs would abandon a language of prestige such as Persian. Persian and Arabic would be significant and would be a connection to the west and to the traditional centers of Islam from which emigrants would come to Hindustan, emigrants who would be seen as more authentically Muslim and who would be filled with theological and religious knowledge from the Islamic centers of learning of the west - which was something that the Delhi Sultanate practiced - I remember the story of Ibn Battuta all too well - and is something that is likely to happen even if the Tughlaqs would no longer encourage such a migration. And I don't think that they would stop encouraging it because there would still be a gap between the court and the general populace. The Tughlaqs are Turkic and Muslim, and would likely still look West.

A higher use of Hindu and Urdu might make sense, particularly in the local administration, but the court is unlikely to completely drop Persian or to stop using Persian altogether.

[Northern Socialist Council Republics]

Full Nation Name: The formal name of the polity is Konungsríkið Norðurland (da), which literally translates to "the Kingdom of the North", or Norðurland for short. It is, however, more commonly called Skáney (da) / Scandinavia (en) / or Scandia (la), especially abroad.
Majority/Official Culture: Norðurland is nominally a bicultural state; the population of Norðurland, or at least that part of it educated enough to have a national identity, hold a Nordic civic-national identity. The dominant primary culture is Scandinavian, the language of which is spoken by roughly five-sixths of the Nordic population, and the other primary cultures are the Finns and the Sami, the languages of which are spoken by the final sixth.
Territorial Core: The legally defined territory of the Kingdom of the North includes the nations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, stretching from the Eider River in the south to the Arctic sea in the north and from Denmark Strait in the west to the Karelian forests in the east; Norðurland also maintains a small colonial presence on the southwestern coast of Greenland. In addition to this legally-defined territory, Norðurland also effectively controls through a network of personal unions, vassalage relationships, trade companies, and suborned elections a number of subject states around the coast of the Baltic Sea and has a colonial presence on the northeastern coastline of North America. A map is provided.
Territorial Claim: In Europe, Norðurland maintains the official position that it has no territorial disputes with any of its neighbours. The Nordic colonial subjects in Greenland and North America, however, have sweeping territorial claims, far larger than the amount of territory which they actually control or have even explored at all.
Capital City: By the 1537 Nordic Realm Act, Norðurland has no single capital and the capitals of its component nations (Roskilde, Sigtuna, Niðarós, and since 1570 Turku) are considered to be 'leading cities' of equal legal status. However, the de-facto capital of the realm, the city in which the monarch typically resides and the Stórþing assembles, is not any of these four cities but instead Copenhagen (da: Kaupmannahöfn).
Population: Very roughly, the population of Norðurland itself may be estimated at around 2.4 millions, split roughly 800,000 each for Denmark and Sweden and 400,000 each for Norway and Finland; the population of Greenland is a negligible addition to this figure. In addition to the kingdom proper, the various subject states of the kingdom collectively have about 800,000 between them.

Government Type: Norðurland is a unitary constitutional elective monarchy.
Government Ideology/Policies: Each of the four recognised estates of the kingdom has different and often mutually contradictory political objectives. The aristocracy is interested in decentralisation of the Nordic state, the clergy in the maintenance of the unique Nordic social order, the citizens of the towns in maritime colonialism and commerce, while the peasantry often throw their weight behind the monarch.
Government Focus: Given the brewing religious turmoil in the Holy Roman Empire and as a country that has as its official religion a branch of Christianity different from that of all of its neighbours, Norðurland is currently focused on frustrating the Holy Roman Emperor's efforts to forge a religiously unified realm by assisting the fortunes of Hussite and Dutch-Reformed movements in the Holy Roman Empire.
Head of State: His Majesty Gustav II Adolf Vasa, the King of the North, rules as the head of state since his election in 1611.
Head of Government: The monarch of the realm is both the head of state and de-jure head of government. Nonetheless, his powers are limited by both law and tradition and Count Axel Oxenstierna, Realm Chancellor of the North, serves as the de-facto head of government.
Government Description: By the unwritten constitution of Konungsríkið Norðurland, the sovereignty of the Nordic state is invested in the monarch and parliament of the realm, whose collective will is absolute. The monarch, who rules as both the head of state and de-jure head of government in the country, is elected for life upon the death of his or her predecessor. Nominally, by the 1537 Nordic Realm Act, the parliament of the realm (da: Stórþing) may elect any man or woman fully sixteen years of age born within Norden Proper and subject to the Nordic Crown to rule Norðurland as its monarch. In reality, though, the Swedish Vasa dynasty had effectively captured the electoral process since before the kingdom was even united and have in Norðurland's eight decades of history never failed to raise one of its own to the throne - to the point that the current monarch, Gustav II Adolf of Vasa, was elected as king despite not being fully sixteen years of age when his predecessor died. The other component of 'monarch and parliament', the Stórþing Norðurlands, is a parliamentary assembly of 208 representatives, consisting of 52 representatives nominated by each of the four recognised estates of the realm. There are no regular elections, but each entity entitled to nominate members to the Stórþing may choose to replace their delegate with another at any time. Of the 52 representatives of the First Estate, the 35 bishops and archbishops of the Nordic Church nominate one each, one each represents the Sami shamans, the Jewish community leaders, and what remains of the Scandinavian polytheist communities, while the remaining 14 are distributed between the realm's various scientific, artistic, and otherwise intellectual communities. The 52 representatives of the Second Estate are nominated by the noble houses of the realm, with each of the tiers of Nordic nobility (dukes, counts, barons, and the untitled nobility) nominating 13 each. Nomination as a representative of the Second Estate is usually for life, although representatives are sometimes recalled on the basis of gross immoral behaviour while in office. The 52 representatives of the Third Estate are allocated between the chartered towns and cities of the realm, with smaller towns often nominating a single member on a rotating basis. Some of these representatives are appointed by the city councils of the town or city which they represent, while others are subject to regular elections with varying degrees of suffrage. Finally, the 52 representatives of the Fourth Estate represent the interests of Farmer's Associations and Provincial Councils and thus, broadly, the interests of the realm's peasantry.

Majority/State Religion: Norðurland has designated Christianity as its official state religion and maintains a state church, which subscribes to a branch of Christianity known as Alpinism. The kingdom practices a relatively high degree of religious tolerance; it maintains recognition of several religions whose worship as a community is legally protected as well as the principle that private religious practice is free.
Religious Description: Alpine and Boreal Christianity are branches of the Christian religion that developed in Norway and Sweden respectively after the official conversion of the Scandinavian kingdoms to Christianity in the 10th Century but before Scandinavian polytheism faded from cultural relevance among the general population in the late 13th. Both originated by combining Chalcedonian theology with some of the cultural and ritualistic elements of traditional Scandinavian polytheism, but unlike Boreal Christianity, which developed in a more explicitly syncretic direction over the 12th and 13th Centuries, Alpine Christianity was heavily influenced by religious developments in Continental Europe, especially the various Catholic heresies of the High Medieval Era and later proto-Protestant movements such as the Hussites. By the early 17th Century, Alpine Christianity is a heavily Protestant faith (with features such as a state church, clerical marriage, scripture and services in the vernacular, etc.) that is nonetheless clearly distinct from the Continental Protestant movement by its subscription to clerical poverty and a celebratory attitude towards human and natural aesthetics. Within the broader Christian religion Alpine Christianity is characterised by its thorough rejection of iconoclasm, holding a celebratory stance towards the natural world and human experiences as well as being supportive of artistic, cultural and scientific endeavours.

Economic Description: Like almost all other settled human societies of its time, the dominant component of the Nordic economy is subsistence agriculture. In addition to this, the vast territories of Norðurland are rich in natural resources which are fairly heavily exploited, while its coastal cities also hold a near-stranglehold on Baltic trade and an extremely strong position on North Sea trade. The country does have a substantive manufacturing sector, especially in metalworking, but this mostly satisfies domestic demand and is not a profitable export industry to the scale that natural resources such as fish, copper, or tar are.
Major Production: While the Nordic lands are a large exporter of many natural resources, it is especially renowned for its copper, of which it controls two-thirds of Europe's total production and which provides much of the funds necessary to maintain the Nordic Army.

Army Description: With a politically weakened aristocracy, Norðurland developed a centralised standing army relatively early in its history and is in the early 16th Century seeking to professionalise and modernise this standing army. With a strongly unified state, a politically mobilised peasantry, and heavily militarised institutions inherited from its bellicose history, the morale and cohesion of the Nordic Army is superb; given its relatively well-educated populace and the realities of defending its vast and thinly-populated terrain, so is its logistical and organisational capabilities.
Army Weakness: Norðurland is thinly populated and its lands are poor in fertility. Furthermore, the political pluralism of the country means that its state is quite limited in its ability to raise revenue from its population. These factors mean that the Nordic Army is perennially poorly manned and poorly armed, and is only considered fit for a regional power of its stature by virtue of the quality of its men.
Naval Description: Norðurland faces no peer competition on the seas. No matter what it does, it would never be able to seriously challenge the great naval powers of Albion or the Netherlands, and no matter what they do the small statelets of the southern Baltic coast would never be able to seriously challenge it. Consequently in recent decades the Nordic navy has evolved away from direct battle capabilities in favour of greater flexibility and trade protection, something further encouraged by its vast mercantile and maritime communities, from which truly enormous numbers of ships can be impressed during times of war but whose seagoing craft are, obviously, not built for war and thus fare extremely poorly in cannonry battles. Given its strategic peacetime objectives of securing Baltic dominance and protecting its New World colonies from brigands, the small, improvised standing navy that Norðurland maintains in times of peace should suffice for its purposes.
Naval Weakness: Norðurland's primary naval weakness is the extent of its responsibilities. The country not only has colonial and mercantilist interests in North America, but it is also a heavily maritime-oriented society with nearly all of its large cities on the coast and politically and economically important fishing communities, the Navy is obliged to protect them all and the loss of any of them would incur serious political and economic costs to the Nordic state. Should it ever find itself seriously facing the wrath of Albion or the Netherlands, its ability to continue prosecuting whatever wars it is involved it would dry up very quickly.

National Goals: Each four of the Estates represented in the Nordic government are interested in expanding their power at the expense of the other three, but as a whole Norðurland is relatively content with its internal peace and prosperity and with its place in the broader world. Thus, while it is somewhat motivated to expand its colonial interests in North America, the primary objective of the Nordic state is to defend the status quo by putting down any potential competitors to Baltic trade and by pre-emptively breaking up any potential coalitions that might be formed against itself.
National Issues: Scandinavia is technologically and economically underdeveloped, with most of its surplus wealth being generated by selling off natural resources to more developed industrial interests in the Netherlands and the Rhineland and by transporting trade goods produced in other countries. If Norðurland is to truly thrive in the 17th Century, its current social sophistication is not enough; it must develop sophistication in material affairs as well.

History: Scandinavia entered written history in the Viking Age, usually defined 793-1066, during which its seafarers engaged in maritime trade, raided coastal settlements around Europe, and colonised far-flung territories. The period ended with the consolidation of the region into three centralised Christian kingdoms (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) and the loss of the farthest reaches of Scandinavian settlement due to hostile neighbours and harsh Arctic climates. Centuries of coexistence between Chalcedonian Christianity and Scandinavian polytheism, in addition to influence from the various High Medieval Christian cults in Continental Europe, led to the Scandinavian Christian community developing its own branches of Christianity, which brought it into conflict with the Catholic religious orders of the South Baltic. This conflict was exacerbated by competition over the colonisation of Eastern European pagan territories, with the Germans eventually holding Livonia and Estonia while the Swedes emerged victorious north of the Gulf of Finland.

This, combined with a desire to check the increasing strength of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea and prevent German domination of the Scandinavian trade, led to centuries of conflicts between the Scandinavian kingdoms and their southern neighbours, collectively known as the German Wars (usually dated 1247-1523). The pressure of the German Wars led to several social and political changes in Scandinavia. First, diplomatically, it led to closer relationships between the Scandinavian kingdoms. As all three were elective monarchies with a tradition of crowning by acclamation, over 14th Century the Scandinavian kingdoms began electing the same monarch to their respective thrones more and more often, until the nobles of the three kingdoms agreed to formalise that tradition of personal unions in the 1396 Treaty of Lund. Second, the military demands of frequent wars led to the establishment of standing armies and thus to political centralisation, empowering the crown and the already fairly influential Scandinavian peasantry at the expense of the nobility, clergy, and the burghers. The growth of Poland at the expense of the Baltic Germans and the religious turmoil of the First Hussite War fatally weakened the South Baltic German states, leading to the Scandinavian kingdoms ultimately emerging victorious from these wars, capturing Reval in 1448, sacking Lübeck in 1497, and then conquering what remained of Livonia in 1521.

The Scandinavians were able to pressure the Empire into tolerating its own Alpine Christian faith in 1512 and recognising it as a protected faith under the Peace of Augsburg in 1556, largely by leveraging the latent threat of potential Scandinavian support to Bohemia and by presenting the installation of Scandinavian burghers to the city councils of Lübeck and Stralsund in the early 16th Century to the Holy Roman Emperor as a fait-accompli. The Emperor was, furthermore, forced to recognise the release of the City of Stralsund from the Duchy of Pomerania-Wolgast in 1512 and then had that city recognised as a Free and Imperial City a few years later. While the Baltic trade league that the Scandinavian kingdoms sponsored was nominally a partnership in equals and presented itself as such, it was obvious from the start that the league essentially amounted to a subjugation of its south Baltic members - Lübeck, Stralsund, Bergen-auf-Rügen, and Riga - under Scandinavian interests.

Closer bonds between the Scandinavian kingdoms, their increasingly centralised administrations, and the continued ascent of the Scandinavian peasantry ultimately culminated in the Realm Act of 1537, which superseded the 1396 Treaty of Lund, abolishing the personal union between the Scandinavian kingdoms in favour of directly integrating them into a singular kingdom, with a single government and parliamentary assembly in which the interests of the clergy, nobility, citizens of the towns, and the peasantry were to be represented on equal terms.

The ideas of first the Renaissance and then the Protestant Reformation found fertile ground in the newly united Nordic kingdom as books and ideas flowed backwards into Scandinavia from its newly established sphere of influence and the clergy, increasingly stripped of its former secular powers, embraced artistic and cultural pursuits. While Norðurland continues to maintain that its Alpine Christianity remains unique and the only true faith, it is clear that in religious matters the kingdom has sided with the ideas of Protestantism over those of Catholicism, something which draws the increasing ire of the Holy Roman Emperor as he eyes the kingdom's southern Baltic subject states.

With rapidly rising literacy, a nascent New World trading company sponsoring small settlements in the North American coast, and the influx of new innovations from the Netherlands into the armies and the manufactories alike, Norðurland is sweeping into the Early Modern Era prosperous and content, but the rising religious turmoil in the Holy Roman Empire may draw the kingdom into its vortex...!
RP Sample: 2060: A New Era

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[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name: The formal name of the polity is Konungsríkið Norðurland (da), which literally translates to "the Kingdom of the North", or Norðurland for short. It is, however, more commonly called Skáney (da) / Scandinavia (en) / or Scandia (la), especially abroad.

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Accepted

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

[quote="Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States";p="39761283"

Full Nation Name: The Caliphate of Al-Andalus
Majority/Official Culture: The Caliphate is culturally extremely diverse. The largest percentage of the population speaks some form of Spanish, though the Spanish populace mostly makes up the peasant class in rural areas and in the North, similar to the Portuguese in the West. Andalusian Muslims are the next-biggest group, forming much of the southern urban population and filling many of the positions of power. Their culture is dominant, but still a (large) minority. Berbers make up the next-biggest part of the population, and finally there is a sizeable population of Jews on the Peninsula.
Territorial Core: Iberia, the Azores, the Balearic Islands, much of the New World (including South America, Mexico, the Caribbean and some parts of Portugal.
Territorial Claim: The Caliphate officially lays claim to dominion over the entire Muslim world, as well as all the undiscovered lands in the Americas.
Capital City: Cordoba
Population: 10 million in Iberia, in the colonies population levels are historical

Government Type: Elective semi-centralised monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies: Combination of technocratic meritocracy and a theocratic militarist state, depending at which level you look.
Government Focus: Colonial expansion, market expansion, discovery, scientific progress and internal economic development
Head of State: Caliph Abdus Samad al-Kanan
Head of Government: Hajib Muhyddeen el-Safi
Government Description: The government of Al-Andalus has a sharp split between the worldly and the divine. The religious institutions are higher in hierarchy, and are headed by the Caliph. Included here are not only the mosques and the religious tenants, but the legal courts and the traditional educational institutions as well. Meanwhile, the mundane government deals mostly with the army and the navy, and increasingly with international shipping and import taxes. The balance of power between these institutions is shifting, and has been shifting for over a hundred years. While traditionally the army and the navy relied on the wealth of the Caliph and the support of religious institutions, these forces have increasingly gained wealth through foreign wars and colonial expansion. The advent of the cannon has made field battles more and more important, and this has led to the creation of large centralised armies. The more meritocratic secular government also enjoys more and more support from the up-and-coming merchant class. More and more, the Caliph and his institutions rely on the protection of the secular army and the Hajib, the chamberlain of the Caliph.

The position of Caliph is elected through a complicated process. Only descendants of Mohamed can be elected to the position, and these are usually selected from one of the elite families in Andalusia. These candidates are vetted by the supreme Islamic court, appointed by their predecessor. Traditionally, virtue and knowledge of law have been important factors. However, over the last 100 years, the position of Caliph has become a bargaining chip, and support by the army now is one of the main factors being considered.

The Hajib is appointed by the Caliph, but only the Court can remove a Hajib, meaning that the position is politically secure. Factually, hajibs can often appoint their successors by making them their deputies for a time, ensuring that they are the best pick for the job once the previous one dies or resigns. The power of state can eb and flow between Caliph and hajib regularly, as one or the other has more allies within the state. The same goes for the various branches of each pillar of government. Under the Caliph, the courts, the mosques, the universities, or any number of charitable institutions, as well as some of the noble families, can enjoy precedence and power over the others. The army and navy vie for power in the secular arm, together with more commercial interests and again, the power of the various noble families. As in every aspect of society, religion is important in both pillars, having more or less influence depending on the eb and flow of society. Currently, the universities hold most sway under the Caliph, while the hijab is in the pocket of colonial governors with a militaristic view on scripture.

Majority/State Religion: Sunni Islam

Economic Description: Andalusia has a pretty urbanised economy that centres around manufacturing, Islamic banking, ship production and oversees trade. Andalusia is the gateway to the riches of South America. As such, many silver smiths, increasingly Jewish refugees from the rest of Europe, are engaged in high-level jewellery making.
Major Production: Financial assets, ships, jewellery, art, books, manufactured goods, sugar


Army Description: The army of European Andalusia is centralised around the Hajib, the chamberlain of the Caliph. They owe loyalty to the Caliph, but their entire administration is run through the Hajib, whose offices take care of pay, supply and promoting or demoting officers. The professional army is centred around the thalith, which translates into ‘a third’. The thalith is made up of both pikemen and musketeers, as well as men wielding swords and shields. The long pikes are modelled after those of Alexander the Great, whose methods have long been studied in the universities of Andalusia. Though powerful, the thalith can only be as strong as their cavalry escort. Andalusian cavalry is renowned for their quality, discipline and courage. While the thalith engage in a field battle, covered by artillery, it is the job of the cavalry to both protect the cannon and exploit weaknesses in the enemy line that might lead to a total route. However, as time progresses, the thalith have proven themselves more and more powerful, and more and more able to defeat an enemy on their own, which has threatened the position of aristocratic elites in the cavalry.

How different is the colonial army. While nominally falling under the hijab, colonial forces are more like militias and are paid for and controlled by various colonial governors, who act more as warlords. Following more than 100 years of jihad in the New World, siphoning more and more religious warriors looking for gold and conquest, the soldiers of the New World are the most zealous and religiously motivated in the entire empire. They are world-renowned for their skill and much sought-after as mercenaries, though they are likely to turn against any non-believer, or any unguarded treasure. The large-scale thalith has no function in the New World, and as such these armies are more loosely organised around musketeers and especially swordsmen, who are the face of the Andalusian empire abroad. Bands of these mercenaries are also active in western Africa, engaging in slave capture missions in the name and in pay of local rulers.
Army Weakness : Besides internal conflicts of competing command structures and loyalties, the time of the thalith is slowly drawing to an end. Improved cannon and firearms make the cumbersome pike-oriented thalith a sitting duck. While the effects of this will take time to materialise, and it will take until the 1640s until the formation is truly obsolete, it is showing its weak points already. Besides, having a large centralised army under the practical command of the head of government instead of the head of state is a recipe for internal unrest. More and more, the secular government is calling for an end of isolationism and a more practical involvement in Europe.
Naval Description : The Andalusian navy is its true pride. It needs to be, to protect Andalusian trade and holdings all over the world. Andalusian shipping reaches from South America to Indonesia, even up to China and Japan. These far-flung colonies and routes require a strong fleet to protect them, as well as the Mediterranean trade which Andalusia covets, so Andalusia has built itself one of the most powerful fleets in the world, based around large ships-of-the-line and armed trade ships. Unbeknownst to the Caliph, the Great Port of Cartagena has been expanding construction of transport ships in order to enable naval invasions in conjunction with the army.
Naval Weakness : The navy is expensive. So expensive, in fact, that the state cannot actually pay for it through taxes. It requires a constant supply of gold and silver from the New World, as well as trade income, to remain viable. Thus, it is a venture that Andalusia has tied itself to: the fleet requires an empire as much as the empire requires a fleet. Thus, Andalusia needs to constantly expand its trade reach in order to justify the expense and to actually pay for the expense. Currently, trade is being expanded into the Indian ocean and the Malaccan straits, though it is hard to compete with the established empires that already exist there. It is looking more and more likely that a major naval conflict, in which privateers can capture enemy shipping, is the only way to truly balance the books, which makes a war necessary just from a financial standpoint.

National Goals : To strengthen and unify worldly Islam, to spread Andalusian knowledge around the world, and to make a pretty penny doing so, while retaining a dominant position in Europe.
National Issues : Andalusia is currently relatively peaceful and isolated from European affairs. In order to affect the world and become a true player in politics, Andalusia will have to contend itself with its European rivals, and that might mean drawing the ire of European Christendom. Meanwhile, Islam remains divided between various powers. Internal unrest and looming governmental crisis is also something that must be considered.

National Ambition/Aspirations : Peace v. war: is it possible for a power in Europe to maintain peaceful relations and be a patron of arts, science and culture, or must such a power always devolve to war?

History : In 1212 AD, the shepherd Martín Alhajam, living near Las Navas de Tolosa, decided not to interfere with the looming battle between Muslim and Christian forces in the area, rather fleeing to safety with his flock. Only for a moment did he consider leading the Christian forces through the gap of Despeñaperros, before deciding that risking his life was not worth the possible results. Robbed of the strategic value of this pass, the Christians would have to face the forces of Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir in open battle. Here, the archers of the Almohads reigned, and the numerically superior forces of the Caliphate vanquished the united Christian forces, inflicting incredible casualties. The fact that the existence of Gaul made it hard for Christian troops to enter the peninsula certainly helped as well. No matter the reason for the victory, the Almohad troops marched straight north. Not long had the Christian kings been defeated in battle or they started warring amongst themselves, each petitioning to the Caliph to sell out the others to maintain their positions. None were heeded. The army of the Caliph marched north, subjugating Castille and further accepting the vassalage of Sancho VII. The other Christian states were left in disarray. Officially, Muhammad al-Nasir claimed that this was because it was easier to keep the Christians in check this way, but in reality, he had neither the time nor the manpower to wage a substantial war against the Christian kingdoms, and this way he could buy a few more years of peace.

In reality, his hold over Andalusia was not as strong as he might have hoped. With the conquest of much of Castille and the middle of Iberia, Andalusia had reached a tipping point where it could no longer be stably governed from Maghreb. Over the next few decades, the Andalusian taifas, or city-states, began asserting more and more of their dominance, under the leadership of the taifa of Cordoba. The short-lived republican government of Abu al-Hazm was used as an inspiration, and slowly but surely Al-Andalus developed a shadow administration which was far more direct and effective than the provincial rule from Maghreb. When Idris II, 'al-Wathiq' was assassinated by a palace slave in 1269, this shadow government declared their independence, without electing a new caliph. The various taifas would come together as an Al-Andalusian confederacy.

It was an idea not long for this world. While initially united because of the sudden disposition of the Maghreb caliphs, which allowed each city-state to bestow upon itself a form of republican government, the city-states soon began to diverge. Grenada and the surrounding cities were conquered by Berber adventurers who laid claim to Al-Andalus as a whole. From the north, the Christian kings began to encroach more and more, threatening to re-establish Castille. One by one, the city-states fell to either internal infighting or foreign intervention. Still, what can be called the Andalusian Confederacy reigned peacefully for forty years, and was only officially disestablished in 1340, though it had been long-defunct since then.

The incursion of a large Christian force into Castille, capturing Burgos, would finally trigger the various Andalusian city-states and Berber mercenary groups to form an uneasy alliance. It was recognised that Christian rule over Al-Andalus would end badly for the Muslim and Jewish populations there. So, in 1329, the Grand Council of Cordoba elected a new caliph for Al-Andalus )and technically for Maghreb too). The picked candidate was Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid, a Berber warlord who was seen as the best military commander of Islam. His views were fundamentalist, though, and while his Jihad managed to recapture Burgos and re-established rule there, also defeating and capturing Aragon, his rule at home was vicious. He used his power to remove opposition from the Grand Court, which had been established to put a check on the powers of the caliph. In full command of the army, al-Mutamid imagined that he was beyond reproach.

When he died in 1391, his nephew took over from him, safe in his dependence on the army. He was however not ready for court intrigue. The Night of Roses, a palace coup, would see the end of his short dynasty. In one night, on the eve of the Ramadan, he and his entire family were assassinated. The Islamic courts had had enough. In his place was elected Abbad al-Mu'tadid, a lowly Andalusian emir whom nominally ruled over Cordoba, but who had always shared power with the court and the ministerial council there. This started a golden age of Andalusian culture and science, with almost every city establishing some form of university. This was also when many religious restrictions were lifted, and young men were allowed to travel abroad to attend Christian universities. Meanwhile, for a short time, even women were allowed to attend university in some cities, though the influx of European ideas would eventually lead to more regressive views on women entering the mainstream. This period is the origin for many latin translations of ancient texts from Rome and Greece, which had only survived in Arabic until that point, and many Europeans would attend Andalusian universities to learn about these translation, as well as cartography and astronomy.

In 1492, Abdul Kader al-Rahimi made the most accurate map of the world so far. From his calculations, he concluded that the world was about 90 percent water and 10 percent land, which he considered to be incorrect. There had to be a balance of land and ocean, he hypothesised, and that meant that there had to be an enormous landmass yet undiscovered, most likely in the vast ocean between Europe and Asia. With funding from various universities, he got together a crew and made the dangerous voyage, against the protestations of many of his colleagues who did not see why the division between land and sea had to be 50-50. Still, al-Rahimi made the voyage, and against all olds discovered a whole new continent, the Americas.

‘Discovery’ and subsequent conquest of his area was mainly left up to private individuals, with the caliph only legislating some aspects. The Aztec empire was subjugated more by missionaries, who converted the Aztec emperor to Islam and advised him, until disease, famine and civil war led his people to voluntarily submit to the rule of the Caliph of Andalusia. This was not without violence either, as jihad was waged against any cities that did not voluntarily submit, and the threat of Berber mercenaries descending on Tenochtitlan was certainly part of the reason for their subjugation. However, it was not as violent as it could have been, and Islamification of the area was gradually achieved. How different was the subjugation of the Incan empire, which was achieved purely by military conquest. Their empire was carved up between mercenary warlords and their people were enslaved, with only the most convincing converts escaping massacre. This area would long elude control from Cordoba.

In 1530, the caliph in Cordoba legislated his control over the New World, stating that all conquest made by his subjects were his, by right, and that his domain extended over all Islamic lands outside of the Old World. While initially insecure, the caliph would eventually wrest control using the navy, protecting only shipping from ports that had accepted his governors. In 1535, the caliph outlawed slavery of Muslims, and mandated that every captive would get the chance to covert before being enslaved, and that every convert would have to be released. This policy would hardly be universally applied, as colonial warlords found many theological arguments to doubt ‘insincere conversions’, but it did hasten the spread of Islam throughout the New World, and made imams into protectors of their flock. For labour, then, the new warlords, ancestors of the later plantation owners and mine prospectors, would turn abroad: partially to sub-Saharan Africa, where prisoners of war could be found; a class of subjects for whom the caliph had created a loophole. Also, since Christians were known to be firm in their beliefs, more and more Christians, both from Europe and Africa, were sold into American slavery, partially with the help of North African pirates. The increased demand for slaves also increased Mediterranean piracy as a direct result.

Now, it is a century later. In order to protect trade interests, Andalusia has remained politically largely neutral, and isolated from European affairs. Their American trade would do the talking. However, this neutrality is coming under pressure. More and more other Europeans are setting foot in the New World, and claiming territories that rightfully belong to the caliph. Some argue that Al-Andalus, a learned bastion which translated the classics, is the successor of the Roman Empire and should establish itself as a European empire, to do away with its Christian rivals and conquer Rome itself. Others are more pragmatic, seeing war as a way to raid enemy shipping. Andalusia, with the best fleet on the continent, is set to win any naval engagement they partake in. Many voices whisper that in order to take their place in the sun, loyal allies should be sought on the continent, to spread Andalusian influence there. Yet others crave the unification of Islam. One thing is certain: the golden age of peace and prosperity is not so certain anymore, but whether maintaining it will require spilling blood or isolation, no-one knows.

#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)[/quote]

Finished. I rushed my history, though I will make it up with better writing.

[Tracian Empire]

[quote="Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States";p="39761283"

Full Nation Name: The Caliphate of Al-Andalus


Finished. I rushed my history, though I will make it up with better writing.

Accepted

[Arvenia]

Currently WIP

Full Nation Name: Ruzakh Khanate (Ресеқ Хандығы/Рузахское Ханство)
Majority/Official Culture: A strange mix between Kazakh and Russian
Territorial Core: European Russia, North Caucasus, Ukraine, Crimea, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ural Federal District
Territorial Claim: Siberian Federal District, Far Eastern Federal District, Belarus, South Caucasus and the rest of Central Asia
Capital City: Mäskew (Moscow)
Population:

Government Type: Unitary Absolute Elective Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies: Social Conservatism, Interculturalism, Expansionism and Semi-Feudalism
Government Focus: Territorial expansion, cultural assimilation, political stability and economic development
Head of State: Maikil Khan
Head of Government:
Government Description:

Majority/State Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Description: [[OPTIONAL]]

Economic Description: [[A short description of your economy, does not need to be detailed considering the era]]
Major Production:


Army Description: [[Describe your nation's army in as much detail as you can]]
Army Weakness:
Naval Description: [[Describe your nation's navy in as much detail as you can]]
Naval Weakness:
Further Military Description: [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals: [[What are the main objectives of your nation?]]
National Issues: [[What needs to be fixed in order for your nation to achieve its true potential?]]
National Figures of Interest: [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations: [[OPTIONAL]] [[Not really set objectives, but rather the big picture that your nation is drawing towards]]

History: [[Can be formatted in paragraphs or as a bulletpoint timeline.]]
RP Sample: [[Either a link to a past post, or an example written right here.]]

#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

I could need some help with my application ASAP.

[Dogutrakya]

Flag of the Tughlaq Dynasty


The Tawhid Banner, military flag


Black Standard of Prophet Muhammad, caliphate flag

EMPIRE AND CALIPHATE OF INDIA
ہندوستان - हिंदुस्तान - Hindustan
"La illah ila Allah, Muhammadan rasulullah, Allahu Akbar"

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Full Nation Name: Empire (and Caliphate) of India, commonly: Hindustan
Majority/Official Culture: Hindustani is the primary and ruling culture, supplemented by Persian. Minority cultures present are Bengali, Pashtun, Baloch, Odia, Gujarati, Rajasthani (Malvi, Marwari, etc.), Marathi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Nepali, Mizo, Assamesse, Tibetan, etc.
Territorial Core: Hindustan at its height
Territorial Claim: Southern India and its possessions
Capital City: Delhi
Population: India is one of the most populous nations in the world, with a population of more than 70 million.

Government Type: Sultanate; Theocratic Absolute Monarchy under Sharia law
Government Ideology: Islamic law forms the basis of administration, with all laws derived from the Sharia as written in the noble Quran and Prophet Muhammad's hadiths. For the dhimmi (non-Muslim) populations of Hindustan, separate courts and laws exist largely derived from the legal systems of conquered states.
Government Focus: Expansionist; Hindustan seeks to eradicate what it calls a kafir menace in Southern India, and reunite India under Muslim control.
Head of State: Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Shah Tughluq VII, Sultan-e-Azam, Amīr al-Muʾminīn

Head of Government: Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, Wazir-e-Azam

Government Description: Hindustan is an absolute monarchy governed by Sharia law of sacred Islamic texts. The law is derived from the holy Qur'an, as well as sahih (verified) Hadith, which are deeds and words of the Prophet Muhammad. The two Hadith that form the basis of Mughal law are Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, both from the ninth century, as those are the two books generally considered the most authentic after holy Qur'an itself. Successive Delhi sultans of old have made efforts to translate and distribute the Qur'an and Hadith into various languages, including Hindustani, Bengali, Odia, and various Rajasthani languages to aid conversion. It should be regarded that none of these copies are authentic, though; only the pure, Arabic Qur'an holds the ultimate truth.

The Sultan serves as head of state, and the prime religious authority as Amīr al-Muʾminīn (commander of the faithful). As Caliph, he is the vicegerent of God on Earth. Hindustani monarchs claim descent from Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatima (the Ahlul Bayt), and sayyids (desecendants of Muhammad) in Hindustan are forbidden to marry into anyone who is not part of the extended Imperial dynasty. This is done to keep the Caliphate claim firmly in the Tughlaq Dynasty's hand. Below him directly is the Grand Vizier (Wazir-e-Azam), responsible for most matters of government. The Vizier forms a cabinet to address various matters of government; ministers are appointed by the Sultan on his suggestion. Normally, several dhimmi (non-Muslims) are present in the cabinet, their purpose is to organize jizya tax levied on non-Muslims and to patron the cultural as well as religious activities of non-Muslims in the Empire.

Hindustan is further subdivided into several Subah (province), governed by a Zamindar (from subahdar, "viceroy of Subahs"). These are appointed by the Sultan, although there exists hereditary Zamindars, rulers of previous kingdoms that were conquered by the Delhi Sultanate. Hereditary Zamindars are granted the title Nawab, and they are exclusively Muslim. Hindu Zamindars may take the title Raja, and this is particularly popular in Rajasthan and northern Deccan among the Rajput community. Muslim Subahs follow Imperial law, as being Muslims, they are governed by the Caliph in accordance with Sharia law. Hindu, or significant Hindu-populated Subahs, have separate courts, with the Hindu courts applying their own legal system, largely derived from former states. Hindus and other religious minorites are technically exempt from draft, and they had to pay jizya tax to compensate, but nonetheless past monarchs have called upon their Hindu subjects to fight, ostensibly as "mercenaries".

Majority/State Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Description: Sunni Islam is the official and majority religion of Hindustan, professed by about 45% of the population. Muslims in Hindustan form a diverse demographic, from Baluch in the western extremity, to the Bengals in the east, Kashmiris in the north, and Deccan Muslims bordering South India. because of this, it is often said the Empire is united because of Islam; this fact is often celebrated by Muslims across Hindustan. Massive conversion and proselytizing efforts done since the Delhi Sultanate era has converted immense amount of people to Islam. Typically, after a state is conquered, its leaders are given the offer to convert and become part of the Imperial bureaucracy, and as such they are also able to marry into the Imperial dynasty. This is then extended to the local chieftains and governors who will take Islam first, and their retinues following suit. This up-to-down conversion mechanism has been very effective in converting many ethnic groups that are traditionally Hindu to Islam; the Odias, Nepalis, Kashmiris, and Rajasthani-speaking groups in the Deccan has seen over half of their population becoming Muslim.

The government, however, through Hindu Zamindars and ministers on the Imperial Cabinet, continue to fund Hindu temples and restore broken ones. The Sultan sponsored both Muslim and Hindu scholars, and even those from Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism. The first university in India was established in Delhi by past Delhi Sultans, and is an important center of philosophy and religious studies. Notably, many mosques are designed in the form of Hindu temples, instead of the Persian dome structure common in earlier Indian Muslim states, as a form of synceretism. Hindustan also sheltered Jews, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians that are normally persecuted in neigboring states. Following the rise of a Christian kingdom in the south, however, Christians have been increasingly persecuted and their rights curtailed. Many are forced to convert to Islam and denounce their old faith. While they are one of the ahl ul-Kitab (People of the Book), Christian communities have seen their political and economic privileges reduced so much that they are more limited than lower-caste Hindus in the country. European contact with Hindustan, however, has played a major part in alleviating these problems, as European churches, particularly those of Protestant confession, are commonly seen as more reliable than the native Christian sects.

Economic Description: Hindustan is a major economic center of the region, producing a significant portion of the world's gross domestic product. Hindustan is fairly self-sufficient; crops are abundant and ubitquous, from wheat to rice to barley; maize and potatoes, introduced by Europeans, are gaining popularity even though cultivation of them are uncommon. Hindustan straddles the Indo-Gangetic Plain, one of the most fertile and populous regions of Earth, and naturally hosts a massive population as well as economic output matching it. The most important of Hindustan's provinces, however, is Bengal - which is also called the Paradise of Nations. It has the largest subnational economy in the world, producing all kinds of grains, textiles, agricultural produces, and handicrafts. Major cities are Dhaka and Calcutta in Bengal; Delhi, the national capital, Lahore and Chandigarh in Punjab, Lucknow and Agra around the Ganges Plain, Ahmedabad and the newly-founded city of Mumbai in Gujarat, and Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Nominally, the economy is centrally-regulated, and all taxes are paid to the Sultan. In practice, however, each subah set their own economic policy, from encouraging industrialisation and free trade in Bengal and Punjab, to very feudal in Rajasthan. Banks and proto-stock exchanges exist in Hindustan, issuing credits in form of dastawez (loan deeds) and hundi, a form of IOU. Although riba is forbidden in Islam, and has been interpreted commonly as interest, it is not illegal in Hindustan; specifically only compound and extreme interest is declared forbidden. While Hindustan mints silver and copper coins as currency (Rupiya and dam, respectively), fiat or paper money also exists (in the form of the hundi, or IOUs). It is generally not considered forbidden to charge interest on these, as they are not inherently valuable. This practice is somewhat regulated. There are subahs, such as Bengal, which required administration and license to make banking operations legal. In poorer parts of Hindustan, such practice is rather less regulated and as a result corruption became more common.

Major Production: Grains (wheat, rice, and barley), fine cotton muslin and silk, textile (yarns, thread, silk, jute, calico, cloth/piece goods), liquors and wines, salt, ornaments, fruits, metals (ingot and processed), indigo, opium, pepper, ginger, saffron, maize, tobacco, potato, sugar, oils, butter, tar, resin, nitre, ships and woodwork.

Army Description : The Hindustani army is a sizeable force, comprised of a professional army, auxilliaries, and mercenaries. The professional standing army, numbering 50,000 strong, is the Sultan's personal force. In addition to this, he can also call over an additional 200,000 levies, although these levies possess lesser training than the professional force. Auxilliaries (mostly Rajputs, feudal levies, and tribes) can provide another 150,000 personnel for the Hindustani army, although calling upon all of the Sultan's subjects is a truly extraordinary occassion; and one that has never happened. Numerous cavalry and war elephants are also integrated into the military.

Hindustani strategy incorporates firearms, considered the most important cornerstone of the military. Hindustani soldiers are armed with swords (primarily scimitars) and matchlock muskets. The bandukchi (musketeers) serves as line infantry, they are primarily the members of the Sultan's professional army. They are well-paid, receiving sacks of grain and a piece of silver as stipend, they are well-trained in swordfighting and firearm use, and they control a series of fortifications spanning across Hindustan that serves as base. Imperial levies are in contrast lesser-equipped and lesser-trained, although most of them generally carries a musket as well. Artillery serves an important part in Hindustani warfare. Medium and heavy cannons break enemy fortifications, and they scare war elephants - creating massive panic, chaos, and confusion across enemy lines. Swivel guns and zamburak (a type of small, protable self-propelled artillery) are heavily employed in warfare, which are used by cavalry and artillery corps in tandem with musketeers to poke holes and create chaos in enemy ranks. Zamburaks are particularly effective on the rugged Deccan terrain, due to the difficulty of transporting heavy cannons. Hindustan possessed a fairly advanced metal industry, and is able to produce many of its cannons domestically and at lower cost.

Feudal and tribal levies are even less equipped and trained than Imperial levies, but nonetheless their sheer numbers provide an advantage for the Hindustani military. In fact, numerous tribal and local groups have acquired reputation as fierce and excellent fighters; chief among them are the Rajputs, a Hindu class of warriors originating in Rajasthan. Rajputs have traditionally been allied with the Delhi Sultanate, and subsequent Hindustani rulers have continued this association and patronage towards them. They are exempt from jizyaw (non-muslim tax), and they have provided soldiers in every Hindustani campaign so far.
Army Weakness: Due to the sheer size of the army, logistics and organization are rather difficult when additional levies are called. This provides a major problem that must be addressed if Hindustan is ever to mount a campaign towards the South.

Naval Description: Hindustan's navy was historically neglected and played second fiddle to the enormous army, but this has began to change. Previous administrations has bulit Hindustan a fairly large amount of warships, capitalizing on the country's ever-growing shipbuilding industry. It is predominantly a defensive force, though efforts are currently underway to transform it into an offensive power. The navy is commanded by two Amir al-Bahr (lit. "Lord of the Sea") responsible for each of India's two coasts; they are in turn subordinate to the Maritime Chamber, that regulates resources allocated to the navy and anti-piracy measures. Hindustan primarily employs Gulf Arabs to serve in the higher-ranking posts of the navy. This is to provide training and experience stemming from centuries of Arabian naval tradition towards native Indian sailors. Sailors are primarily recruited from coastal trading regions; Gujarat and Bengal most among them.

The cheaper cost of metal production in Hindustan has allowed the navy to keep cannons on many of its ships. Mostly these are swivel guns designed to prevent and eliminate boarding enemy soldiers. Both grapeshots and roundshots are fired from these cannons. Larger guns are also present on some of the bigger ships; these vessels form the backbone of each fleet because of their ship-sinking ability.
Naval Weakness : The Hindustani navy is not as large as many of its neighbors; the primary issue, however, is the lack of training and naval tradition of Indian sailors. The navy has never gone through a period total war before, their experience primarily fighting against pirates and privateers. Therefore, Hindustan also relies upon hired privateers, which are notoriously unreliable. It is also expected that the Arab admirals can transfer their knowledge of naval warfare and strategy towards the sailors, though this process would certainly take a long time.
Further Military Description : N/A

National Goals: Weaken South India and eventually conquer the Deccan Muslim states, increase production output of trade goods, gain more European technology, and replacing South India as the foremost naval power of the Indian Ocean.
National Issues: Hindustan needs to address discontent in some of its Hindu constituents and satisfy them. The growth of Hindustani naval power is also essential to the economic growth, and if Hindustan were to improve its economic influence in this part of the world, it needs to gain sufficient naval influence to seize a larger portion of international trade.
National Figures of Interest : -
National Ambition/Aspirations: Reuniting India under Muslim rule.

History:

• 1206: Qutbuldin Aibak, a mamluk (military slave) of Muhammad Ghori, ruler of the Ghurid Dynasty, seized power in Delhi after he was assassinated. Thus began the Delhi Sultanate.
• 1210: After Qutbuldin Aibak's death, his successor Aram Khan attempted to take the throne, but was deposed and killed by Aibak's son-in-law Shamsuddin Iltumish. Iltumish's reign marked the start of a massive campaign that extended Delhi rule over the Ganges and Indus. Iltumish's armies captured Multan and Bengal, and foothills of the Himalayas from its remaining Hindu rulers, as well as Ranthambore from the Rajputs.
• 1290: Successive rulers of the Mamluk dynasty saw Delhi territory diminishing; most notably the Rajputs reestablished their indendence. Shamsuddin Kayumars's sudden death led to speculation that a powerful noble, the Pashtun Jalaluddin Khalji, might be behind it. Nonetheless, Khalji ascended to the throne and started another war to recapture Ranthambore, which he succeeded at.
• 1316: When the last Khalji ruler, Alauddin Khalji died, a slave converted to Islam named Khusro Khan launched a coup against the Sultan's children, killing his heir and massacring the entire Khalji dynasty. Khusro Khan reverted back to Hinduism, and many countries under Delhi rule declared war on him as a result. Khusro Khan was oppressive, even to his Hindu subjects, which caused the Rajputs to rise in rebellion against him. Eventually, Delhi's aristocracy invited Punjab governor Ghazi Malik to march on the capital and launch a coup against Khusro Khan.
• 1321: Ghazi Malik renamed himself Gjhaziuddin Tughlaq, thus starting the Tughlaq dynasty that would rule Delhti and Hindustan afterwards. He was crowned as Sultan of Delhi.
• 1324-1325: Ghaziuddin Tughlaq attacked Bengal, then uder the rule of Shamsuddin Firoz Khan of the Bengal Sultanate. Bengal is incorporated as a part of the Delhi Sultanate, now once again straddling from the Indus to the Ganges.
• 1330: Muhammad bin Tughlaq ascended the throne. This Sultan was a ruler fixated on conquest and military gain - he attacked Malwa, Gujarat, and all the way to Chittagong. Muhammad bin Tughlaq conquered the Malabar Coast, and he attempted to solidify his control over the Sultanate by executing numerous Islamic scholars, ulemas, governors, nobles, and evem sayyids (descendants of the prophet Muhammad). The economy fell to its worst state during his reign; the Ganges plain is rife with lawlessness, and many lords became robber barons because they had to pay exorbitant taxes. Finally, he moved the entire Delhi aristocracy tot he Deccans, and settled a massive amlunt of Muslims there, that it would form a new stronghold of Islam in India a century later.
• 1340: Muammad bin Tughlaq's nephew Firoz Shah rose in revolt against him. Firoz Shah was rather tolerant, and he also gained support of the Indian ulema, popularizing him in the Delhi aristocracy. Most notably, Firoz Shah agreed to abolish the jizya tax for every Hindu prince that assisted him against Muhammad bin Tughlaq. The Rajputs became his primary Hindu supporters, and as a result, most of them are exempt from jizya to this day. Firoz Shah defeated Muhammad bin Tughlaq in his capital of Daulatabad, and was proclaimed the next Delhi Sultan right after Miuhammad bin Tughlaq's death. Most of his reign is spent on campaigns restoring Delhi rule upon territories that revolted during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign.
• 1359: Delhi's armies conquered Bengal for the third time. This time, Firoz Shah Tughlaq proclaimed Dhaka as a "junior capital" of the Sultanate, and sent his heir to administer the region from the city. He also organized a mass wedding between Delhi and Bengal nobles so that the chances of these two countries splitting up again would be lessened. He bulit a series of fortifications across the Ganges, solidifying Delhi control over the region. Firoz Shah died in Lucknow while preparing a campaign to conquer the Odia realms. Firoz Shah was an educated Sultan who patronized the arts and philosophy. He constructed mosques and universities, as well as restored Hindu temples of the Rajputs.
• 1398: Plans to invade the Odia states are put to halt because of Timurid incursion. The Timurids are soundly defeated by Sultan Mahmud Khan's army as they crossed the Indus, thus ending the Timurid campaign into India.
• 1425: A succession crisis triggerred by the death of the Eastern Gangas's unpopular monarch Bhanudeva IV engulfed Odisha. Civil war broke out between those loyal to the dynasty and supporters of Bhanudeva's minister Kapilendra. In the midst of this conflict, a Tughlaq army marching from Bengal commanded by the Sultan and his relative Nusrat Shah marched across the coast to Odisha, launching a campaign towards the war-torn state that would be finished five years later. Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah died in 1430, with Nusrat Shah succeeding him.
• 1440-1500: This era saw less conflicts and wars occuring compared to the 14th century, dubbed the "Century of Blood' by many Muslim historians. Sultans of Delhi funded conversion efforts in its newly-conquered territories in the Deccan and Odisha, with varying degrees of success. The Holy Qur'an was translated to Hindustani and Bengali during this period. The end of the 15th century saw Muslims eclipsing Hindus in population growth, and ultimately overall population.
• 1500-1530: Campaigns towards upper Kashmir and Assam, as well as the vassalization of hill tribes in eastern Bengal. During this time a succession crisis happened in the Delhi Sultanate because Nasruddin Muhammad, the Tughlaq Sultan, died without an heir, prompting his two brothers to vie for the throne. One side invited the Turkic warlord Babur to attack Delhi, but despite his initial success, Babur was defeated by the next Tughlaq ruler, Abdullah I. With the death of his brother in battle, Abdullah was proclaimed Sultan; he married his eldest daughter to Babur and granted him land in Uttar Pradesh to settle. Abdullah I adopted many of Babur and the Mughal clan's battle tactics, including the use of cannons. Firearms and artillery became more integrated into Delhi military.
• 1561: Abdullah II ascended the throne as the Sultan of Delhi. While his dynasty is Turkic in origin, Abdullah I (his grandfather) married a Persian noble of Hashemite origin, and this made him a descendant of Prophet Muhammad's family, although many would consider it invalid because it is not passed through the male line. Nonetheless, Abdullah II pressed the claim, and he had his ulemas declare himself Caliph of the Hashemite line, and that his country's name would be changed into something more reflecting of its geography and culture: India, called Hindustan in the native language of the country. Abdullah II also elevated Hindustani to court language status - a rather symbolic move, because it already serves as the language of administration, and practically is as common in the Capital as Persian, but cemented the country's shift into an Indian nation, no longer a foreign dynasty ruling over a city. He and subsequent Hindustani emperors maintained calm relations with Persia. This process was accomplished with the help of his prime minister, Babur, the Turkic warlord that was rewarded with land by his father decades ago.
• 1591: Akbar ascended the throne. Wary of the rising Safavid dynasty, Emperor Akbar sought to improve relations with Persia instead. Akbar arranged a marriage between his heir, Nasruddin, and the daughter of the Persian ruler. Baluchistan, a Persian-speaking region, was given to Persia as a dowry; the Hindustanis eliminated a mountainous, hard to control province, and the Persians received a portion of ethnic Persian (Baluch) territory, without any conflict, and resulting in a quasi-alliance instead.

RP Sample:

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[The V O I D]

Full Nation Name: Das Österreichisch-Bayerische Reich, or in English, the Austro-Bavarian Realm, is also rendered occasionally as Das Vereinigte Königreich Österreich und Bayern, or the United Kingdom of Austria and Bavaria; Österreich-Bayern, or Austria-Bavaria, is also acceptable.
Majority/Official Culture: The Austrian and Bavarian cultures are dominant, generally leading to a German bent within the Empire; though there is significant influence from the Italian territories, particularly Venice.
Territorial Core: Austria, Bavaria, Slovakia, Western Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Venice/Northern Italy.
Territorial Claim: The King of Austria and Bavaria claims to be the Holy Roman Emperor, a claim legitimized by the Papacy; as a result, the Austro-Bavarian Realm exerts massive influence over the entirety of the Holy Roman Empire and the King/Emperor claims dominion over it to some degree.
Capital City: Vienna serves as the Royal Capital of Austria, as the King is from Austria first and foremost; however, Vienna only serves as the legislative capital for the Royal Council of Austria, which technically governs all of the Realm except for Bavaria. Munich serves as the capital for the National Council, the legislature that governs Bavaria for its King, who is also King of Austria and ruler of the Austro-Bavarian Realm.
Population: Approximately 15 million people live in the Austro-Bavarian Realm as a whole.

Government Type: Constitutional Dual Monarchy.
Government Ideology/Policies: Imperialist, Catholic/Pro-Papacy.
Government Focus: The Austro-Bavarian Realm places most emphasis on its ability to leverage influence within the Holy Roman Empire, whether through martial, cultural, economic, or other means; it is also quite interested in maintaining territorial integrity.
Head of State: His Royal Majesty, Ferdinand II, King of Austria and Bavaria, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Head of Government: His Highness, Francesco I de Medici, the Duke of Tuscany and President of the Imperial Council serves as the head of government for the Royal Council and thus, for Austria and much of the Empire; His Excellency, Maximilian I, the Duke of Nordgau and President of the National Council serves as the head of government for the National Council and thus, for all Bavaria. Their noble titles also allow them much influence; for instance, the Duke of Tuscany rules Tuscany and Genoa, and his family has significant influence over much of the northwestern Italian provinces of the Empire. The Duke of Nordgau, on the other hand, rules northern Bavaria directly from Nuremberg, with southern Bavaria more directly administered by the King and National Council (and thus, in his position as its President, the Duke of Nordgau de facto governs Bavaria for and in the name of the King, answering only to him).
Government Description: The Abkommen der Menschen (lit. “Agreements of the People,” “People's Agreements,” “Accords of Men”) were the document upon which the Habsburg Realm established its government after conquering Bavaria in 1350; these were amended in the Bavarian Compromise of 1531 to allow substantial autonomy to the Kingdom of Bavaria compared to the other provinces and duchies of the Realm which Austria led.

Under this constitution, the United Kingdoms are proclaimed to be Roman Catholic realms that pay fealty to the Pope in all religious affairs, and proscribes the necessity of the Holy Roman Empire as a state that “coexists” with the Realm. The Royal Council is a bicameral legislature, formed by the House of Lords and the Chamber of Representatives.

The House of Lords is predominantly formed by the nobles of the Realm-at-large, including the Duchy of Tuscany and Genoa, the Duchy of Venice, the Duchy of Croatia-Slovenia, and the Duchy of Hungary; the House of Lords also has the Lords Spiritual, who are by-and-large the most powerful Bishops or Archbishops of the Realm and considered direct representatives of the Papacy. There are also the Lesser Peerage and the Life Peerage, who are both acknowledged and permitted by the King to serve for life in the House of Lords.

The Chamber of Representatives is a body of ten individuals from each Duchy and province of the Empire, whom are elected for a single ten-year term by landowners, landlords, and merchants and tradesmen. At least one Representative from each Duchy, for a term, can also be appointed directly by the Dukes of the Realm for great service, selected from among scholars and others.

The Compromise of 1531 also granted substantial autonomy to the Kingdom of Bavaria; the Kingdom of Bavaria was, essentially, able to create a National Council. The Duchy of Nordgau that governs northern Bavaria from Nuremberg, and the Archduchy of Munich (as the King is simultaneously an Archduke) governs southern Bavaria, are the primary forms of nobility in the Kingdom; as a result, the National Council is largely a unicameral body formed of elected representatives under a system not dissimilar to the Chamber of Representatives' function for the rest of the Empire - however, the clergy get some seats reserved for them, about fifteen extra seats, for a total of 35 seats.

Presidents of either Council are usually elected by the National Council for Bavaria, and by the House of Lords for the Royal Council of the Realm. The National Council also creates the executive ministries that assist the President, whilst the Chamber of Representatives is permitted to do the same for the President of the Royal Council.

The National Council creates all legislation for the Kingdom of Bavaria, with the President having the ability to veto said laws or else grant them his assent; the Chamber of Representatives and House of Lords can draft Imperial Laws for the Realm, with the President of the Royal Council having the ability to veto those or grant them his assent as well.

When either President grants their assent, the bills in question go to the King to receive Royal Legitimacy; essentially, a “final assent and command to implement” for said law. If the President(s) veto a bill, however, the respective Councils can petition the King to overrule said veto, who can do so with a Royal Decree.

The King is the absolute commander of the Royal Armies for the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Realm-at-large, respectively; combined with his word being an extremely important piece for any legislation, the fact that he controls diplomatic relations, etc., and thus the Austro-Bavarian Realm is more or less united economically, diplomatically, and militarily, even if there is substantial autonomy for Bavaria in comparison to the rest of the Realm.

The judiciary of the Realm is, conversely, still a singular branch for both the Kingdom of Bavaria and the rest of the Realm to avoid any conflict of precedence or rulings in law. The Royal Court is formed of five Judges, two from Bavaria, two from Austria, and one selected from among the Duchies; cycling through which Duchy is chosen every time a Judge is replaced. Judges serve on the Court for life. The Royal Court is the final court of appeals for civil or criminal affairs, no matter one's station; however, it has no power to deem laws unlawful - such matters are petitioned to the King directly.

Majority/State Religion: Roman Catholicism.
Religious Description: Due to how the Accords/Agreements were worded, along with the Austro-Bavarian Realm's influence/prestige in the Holy Roman Empire, its closeness with the Papacy, and the King's status as Holy Roman Emperor as well, the Austro-Bavarian Realm is thus inherently Roman Catholic, with almost no permissive attitudes towards a lack of such faith.

Economic Description: Much of the economy of the Realm is based upon trade by the Genoese and Venetians, whenever or wherever possible in the Mediterranean. Alternatively, there are a handful of farming guilds and the like as well.
Major Production: Agricultural Products, to some extent, due to the farming guilds and the like.


Army Description: The Royal Army of Bavaria is formed predominantly by levies trained by veterans of previous conflicts; whilst they are not a standing army, the Duke of Nordgau can - in the King's name or with his assent - summon the levies together. They are well-armed and trained, but nonetheless only come into standing service when called, and are otherwise utilized to capture bandits or other criminals. The Bavarian Royal Army thus has only just over a thousand men-at-arms used to deter bandits and the like, but more can be called if it comes to war.

The Austrian Royal Army is formed by the levies of the various Duchies, as well as a general levy service that the King may call. Each service answers to their appropriate commanders or lieutenants from each Duchy; however, all must answer first and foremost to the King and his appointed Generals, for a more uniform level of structure/hierarchy. In a similar situation to the Bavarian Royal Army, it is not precisely a standing army for war, but rather just well-armed and well-trained men-at-arms used for deterring banditry and other such criminal acts or disturbances to the King's Peace. The Austrian Royal Army is, however, larger than the Bavarian Royal Army simply by virtue of land it comes from; standing at a few thousand strong.
Army Weakness: The Royal Armies are not standing armies and any battles they get into are mostly against bandits or those who would break the King's Peace; if the Royal Armies were summoned to war, the influx of new troops that would need to be trained and armed would mean it'd take time and resources to train and arm them.

Another major point is that the Royal Armies often have difficulty working among themselves with a regiment from a different Duchy or province; thus, while the command structure and hierarchy might be uniform, regiments must oft be segregated and commanded by those from each appropriate Duchy or province, as it will be difficult to say the least to do otherwise.
Naval Description: The Royal Navy is predominantly formed by the Duke of Venice and the Duke of Genoa and Tuscany's naval forces that can be pressed to serve the King more directly, should the King request it.

The Venetian fleet is mostly formed of a few hundred sailors that have modified various sloops and trade-ships to arm them, in order to help defend the Adriatic as well as to protect actual trade ships in the Mediterranean from piracy; more often than not, the Duke of Venice often also acts as the Admiral of the Venetian Fleet.

Likewise, the Genoese fleet is similarly structured for the western Mediterranean and its trade for the Realm.
Naval Weakness: The Royal Navy has no deep-water ships for beyond the Mediterranean, and are predominantly commanded by their respective Dukes or Duchesses rather than the King directly; it is unlikely that such would change in the event of a war at sea, given the King has entrusted these Dukes with said power. This also means there is a slight amount of competition between parts of the Royal Navy, which can cause internal friction.
Further Military Description: N/A.

National Goals: Papal Supremacy: The Austro-Bavarian Realm, as one of the major states in the HRE and with King Ferdinand II also as Holy Roman Emperor, seeks to restore Papal Supremacy and lead a counter-reformation eventually.

National Security: The Austro-Bavarian Realm seeks to assure its own security and more general aims, namely by claiming more lands directly for the King of Austria and Bavaria.
National Issues: Power of the King: The first and most major issue that needs to be resolved by the King is the question of his powers; whilst there is a precarious balance of government, King Ferdinand II hopes to sway the Dukes of Nordgau, Genoa and Venice to his side; this will allow him much political sway considering their own influence over the people.
National Figures of Interest : Ferdinand II, King of Austria and Bavaria, Holy Roman Emperor.
National Ambition/Aspirations: Restore Papal Supremacy and increase the power and prestige of Austria and Bavaria even further.

History: 1340-1350: An unexpected famine in Austria leads Duke Otto I to seize the lands of the Duchy of Bavaria, supposedly to ensure all the Austrians are fed but also as a result of said famine striking down most eligible Dukes aside from his children with Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria. In 1350, the Abkommen der Menschen document is drafted and signed; the Duchy of Austria becomes a proper Kingdom, whilst the Dukes of Bavaria will rule as Dukes in Nordgau as the Duchy of Bavaria becomes a province of the Kingdom. The Habsburgs begin their rise to power in the Holy Roman Empire.

1350-1477: The Austrian Realm expands further, through advantageous marriages and politicking into the northern Italian Duchies to be convinced to join Austria voluntarily, whilst parts of Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and other places are absorbed by force. The Kingdom of Austria slowly but surely assures its own power within the Empire. The House of Habsburg begin marrying into other major duchies, the most notable of which leads to the acquisition of the Netherlands/Low Countries by Charles V, a member of the House from that land. It is a combination of this and other factors that halt the Bohemian offensive against the Kingdom.

1477-1550: Over the course of these decades, the Kingdom of Austria attempts to stop the rise of Protestantism within its own borders as well as attempts numerous punishments against the Dutch for starting the movement; alas, much of these attempts fail. Fears of a Bavarian revolt lead to the Bavarian Compromise of 1531, an addition to the proto-constitution of the Kingdom, reorganizing the Kingdom into the United Kingdoms of Austria and Bavaria, oft referred to as the Austro-Bavarian Realm. Other Duchies are also given more power in the House of Lords, among other restructuring actions.

Unlike with Bavaria, however, the Kingdom seeks a harsh punishment for the Dutch's perceived responsibility for this affair; and so the States-General are established in the Netherlands to govern them and be far easier to control.

1551-1584: The Kingdom of Austria, through its power within the Holy Roman Empire, continues to harshly punish the Dutch for their continued resistance to Recatholicization. Eventually, the States-General attempts to declare independence, breaking away from Austrian control; outraged, the Austrian Army begins to invade and siege many Dutch cities, massacring two entire populations in the process. As the Twenty Years' War progresses, Austrian agents successfully assassinate the rebel and heretic William the Silent.

1584-1603: The war continues, but the Austrian morale begins flagging as it drags on and victories are returned by swift defeats, and the war seems destined to stalemate - that is, until the advent of the 1600s, when Maurice the Terrible utilized treacherous new means to slaughter Austria's leal men at arms. Rudolf II chooses to acknowledge the Dutch's independence, but further issues an Imperial Edict exiling them from the Holy Roman Empire entirely - though, privately, Rudolf II and many Catholic Austrians celebrated the death of Maurice the Terrible once his demise was known to the world.

1603-Present: The Austro-Bavarian Realm continues efforts of Recatholicization within their borders; Rudolf II dies unexpectedly, whilst King Matthias abdicates early as a result of ill health. Ferdinand II becomes both King of Austria and Bavaria, as well as Holy Roman Emperor.

The King has become known for two features: first, he is extremely Catholic and hates Protestants with an unenviable passion; and second, he has an almost morbid fascination with death by burning; going so far as to convince his allies within the Councils of the Kingdom to make any crime worthy of death have a mandatory death-by-burning sentence, reaffirming an edict by a prior Holy Roman Emperor within the law of his lands. But Ferdinand is not yet satisfied, and eyes his neighbors to the north and has had a disdainful glare for the Netherlands on atlases of Europe for many years now, and many of his advisors suspect that the King has begun plotting, even as he has slowly begun attempts at eroding the power of the Councils...

RP Sample: I've been here before. Y'all know me.

#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

This is heavily WIP still, might need help further developing it. Thoughts on what's there so far are welcome.

[Arvenia]

Currently WIP

Full Nation Name: Ruzakh Khanate (Ресеқ Хандығы/Рузахское Ханство)
Majority/Official Culture: A strange mix between Kazakh and Russian
Territorial Core: European Russia, North Caucasus, Ukraine, Crimea, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ural Federal District
Territorial Claim: Siberian Federal District, Far Eastern Federal District, Belarus, South Caucasus and the rest of Central Asia
Capital City: Mäskew (Moscow)
Population: 13,250,000

Government Type: Unitary Absolute Elective Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies: Social Conservatism, Interculturalism, Expansionism and Semi-Feudalism
Government Focus: Territorial expansion, cultural assimilation, political stability and economic development
Head of State: Maikil Khan
Head of Government: Same as above
Government Description: The Khan of the Ruzakh Khanate is usually elected by the Kurultai when the previous Khan has passed away. The Ruzakh Khanate is semi-feudal and its feudal lords are called "Boyars". The Ruzakh Khanate is largely seen as a mix of the Kazakh Khanate and the Tsardom of Russia. The Kazakh rulers of the Ruzakh Khanate have long abandoned their nomadic ancestry after adapting to the cultural beliefs of their Slavic neighbours.

Majority/State Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Description: Sunni Islam is the dominant religion of the Kazakh people. Both the Russian and Ukrainian populations are predominantly Eastern Orthodox, while other religions include Judaism and Shamanism. As a result, non-Muslims are ordered to pay a large sum of jizya. Many non-Muslim boyars are ordered to pay jizya as well.

Economic Description: The Ruzakh economy is semi-feudal, but Maikil Khan has made a decision to enforce economic development in order to transition from feudalism to a new economic model. The Ruzakh Khanate is primarily agricultural, but many of its towns have produced a number of luxury goods and housed many shops. Weapon manufacturing, shipbuilding, banking and animal breeding have become commonplace in the Ruzakh Khanate. Winter, however, is a big issue for farmers.
Major Production: Livestock, wood, beverage, metal, leather, food and luxury goods.


Army Description:
Army Weakness:
Naval Description:
Naval Weakness:
Further Military Description: [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals: [[What are the main objectives of your nation?]]
National Issues: [[What needs to be fixed in order for your nation to achieve its true potential?]]
National Figures of Interest: [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations: [[OPTIONAL]] [[Not really set objectives, but rather the big picture that your nation is drawing towards]]

History: [[Can be formatted in paragraphs or as a bulletpoint timeline.]]
RP Sample: [[Either a link to a past post, or an example written right here.]]

#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

Almost finished with my application. I could need some help with military and probably history.

[Tracian Empire]

Currently WIP

Full Nation Name: Ruzakh Khanate (Ресеқ Хандығы/Рузахское Ханство)


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I am not sure what Ruzakh means. It feels like a mix of Rus' and Kazakh and that's not exactly how those words work.

And other than that I'm really not sure. From my understanding, Kazakh as a term became strictly associated with what are today the Kazakh people relatively late - as before that it was simply used in general for independent groups - think of the Cossacks. The first appearance of groups and khanates which could be described as Kazakh came long after the Russians had escaped the Tatar yoke, so I'm not sure why you chose this convoluted route instead of something simpler, if you want to wish a Russian-Tatar state.

But as for how the Tatars would have annexed and integrated the Rus' principalities that I am not sure. Or how they would have enforced jizya, seeing as in real life the Golden Horde exempted the Rus' clergy from paying.

And military and history are among the most important parts of the app. But I'm not sure what to suggest. Other than to scrap the Ruzakh concept and to put some research into the Golden Horde, or to keep the Kazakh name but only keep Ukraine, the Caucasus and Kazakhstan and to focus more on the etymology of Kazakh.

And as for the history - again, you use the Golden Horde and the Tatar yoke as a starting point, and the military would depend on how tribal the Tatars would still be.

[Tracian Empire]

(Image)
Flag of the Tughlaq Dynasty

(Image)
The Tawhid Banner, military flag

(Image)
Black Standard of Prophet Muhammad, caliphate flag

EMPIRE AND CALIPHATE OF INDIA
ہندوستان - हिंदुस्तान - Hindustan
"La illah ila Allah, Muhammadan rasulullah, Allahu Akbar"

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Full Nation Name: Empire (and Caliphate) of India, commonly: Hindustan

#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

Accepted

[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name: Great Yuan


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I still have my reservations, but acting upon the fact that Nova told him that the app can be accepted - accepted