Arsania (Pacifica): Difference between revisions

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== Etymology ==
== Etymology ==
== History ==
== History ==
=== Prehistory ===
=== Migratory Period ===
=== Mediaeval Period ===
==== Orszon Kingdom ====
==== Horde Invasion ====
In the 13th century, the first Arsanian horde, the Blue Horde, arrived in the Marahu Basin. They settled just South of the Orszon Kingdom, and for decades roamed nomadically in the plains. The people here would trade with the Orszon subjects, and the Khan's of the Horde had met with the Kings of Orszon several times. One fateful meeting was between King Gyula Palchek and Khan Derebeg in 1281, which was commemorated in a stone tablet, today preserved in the National Museum. The meeting discussed trade relations and gift-sharing that happened between the two. The Blue Horde would gradually leave their nomadic lifestyle and begin entering Orszon's territory to settle. The first sedentary Arsanians would offer their fealty to local Orszon Lords and assimilate into their feudal system.
Around the middle of the 14th century, the Yellow Horde arrived in the region, and began pushing the Blue Horde away from their territory. Led by Khan Ingen, the Yellow Horde sought to unite the two nomadic people into one and took over the fertile plains of the Orszons. Between 1342 to 1346, Ingen would fight the Blue Horde, eventually slaying Khan Olten in 1346, and beginning their invasion into Orszon a year later. King Ilhem Palchek would die together with Khan Olten's successor, Prince Muham in the Battle of Sebigen in 1348. Ingen would go on to defeat Orszon sorties and the final Orszon city fell in 1350. Most of the Orszon people migrated northward, and settled in the Bolu Hills, forming a rump state. Khan Ingen, however, was assassinated in 1351, and his vassals soon turned against each other in a prolonged conflict. The Marahu Basin was in complete anarchy for almost a century, until the arrival of the White Horde in 1442.
==== Irina Dynasty of Imperial Arsania ====
The White Horde, led by the semi-legendary Empress Irina, defeated the warring hordes in just two years, and settled in the region by 1444. She secured the fealty of the Blue and Yellow Hordes Lords, as well as a pact with the rump Kingdom of Orszon, making her the unquestionable ruler of the lands, and the first Empress of Arsania. In 1446, she began the construction of the Korankord, a massive wooden fortress in the confluence of Marahu River and its biggest tributary. She held court there, where she presided over thirty five years of peace and prosperity. Her son, Emperor Tolgun, began minting gold coins in his name and established the Lord's Council in Korankord, formalising the first governments of what would become Arsania. Tolgun took the name ‘Emperor of the Four People', referring to the Orszons and the three Arsanian Hordes. Around this time, traders from the Kingdom of Arcana, in what is now modern Livana, began sailing upstream of the Marahu River and founded a trading post in Korankord, securing a treaty with Emperor Tolgun in 1502 which not just allowed the traders to settle, but also permitted them to construct manufactories near Korankord, and even went as far as to tolerate Rationalist preachers that came with them. The modern Arcana Quarter in Altiniyye would develop out of the old Arcanan post.
Emperor Tolgun died in 1505, and was succeeded by his infant 12 years-old grandson, Emperor Mejid I. For the first time, the title of Grand Vizier was established to help the infant Emperor rule. The first Grand Vizier, Orhan Karman, would go on to serve Mejid I until 1524, when he retired and became a Sufi preacher. Mejid I'd reign would see Korankord grow into a sizable city, with around ten thousand to twenty thousand citizens. His early years were plagued with revolts from the Blue and White Hordes who felt the infancy of the Emperor had made him illegitimate. Orhan Karman led the Emperor's cavalry to defeat six revolts between 1505 to 1512, and pacified the unruly Lords using gunpowder for the first time. To support his campaigns, Orhan built roads and bridges across Arsania, and improved the older Orszonian infrastructure. In 1514, a huge uprising led by Hurumet Ghazi broke out in the north. Hurumet quickly seized most of the northern territories, and even briefly conquered Orszon. He was eventually killed by a cannonball, in the Battle of Ysildir in 1516, thanks to Orhan's purchase of Arcanan cannons and gunpowder. Hurumet's death ended any hope of a successful rebellion, and Mejid's rule was secured.
The rest of the 16th century was quite peaceful for Arsania. Imperial authority gradually strengthened as the Hordes began to settle down. The roads and bridges that Orhan Karman built led to the development of farming settlements and new trade routes. The Emperor sponsored the building of bazaars in these growing settlements, and appointed local Beys, or Governors from the local nobilities, to oversee taxation and maintain peace. Eventually, most of the Arsanians had settled, and only a minority of them still live nomadically, mostly  in the western bank of the Marahu. Population of the region soared as more Arsanians became farmers and produced food. The Empire also built communal warehouses and watermills through the Beys to help the peasant farmers. Some of the earliest Sufi Mosques were constructed in this era, some of which, like the Iqlima Mosque, and the Celevi Mosque still stand today, preserved as national heritage objects, and boasts the ancient Arsanian decorations. Mejid I died in 1532, his reign was followed by the reigns of Mejid II (1532-1555), Fatima I (1555-1573), Malik I (1573-1590), and Mejid III (1590-1609), all of whom presided over relatively peaceful and prosperous reigns.
==== The Twin’s War ====
In 1609, Mejid III died, leaving three daughters, the first two of whom were the twins, Princess Amina and Princess Rachel. Amina was born first, and was technically the legitimate successor of Mejid III, but Rachel was married to the Grand Vizier, Ahmad Pasha, who arranged a palace coup and proclaimed Rachel as the new Empress. Amina escaped the coup with her family, and declared herself the rightful Empress in the East. A Civil War broke out in Arsania, and the two sides were locked in a bitter struggle for almost ten years. In 1611, Rachel attacked Oszron and plundered the region to pay for mercenaries, while Amina's forces attacked Arsanian Lords that refused to take sides. Both sides used brutal strategies to defeat the others, which caused severe casualties. The massive use of gunpowder led to many settlements and fields being burned down. It was said that the eight years that followed Mejid III's death killed more than a quarter of Arsania's population.
The war went back and forth, and the control of the Marahu River became the primary objective of both sides. In 1617, Amina's forces won a decisive victory in the Battle of Elbig on May 20th, and then went on to besiege Korankord. Rachel and her court managed to escape before the stronghold fell, however the siege caused a massive fire that destroyed the century-old fortress and all its contents on June 7th. Korankord's destruction was soon followed by Rachel's army mutinying, and turning into stragglers, terrorising the countryside. Grand Vizier Pasha was killed in the Battle of Kisling on August 5th, and Rachel was finally captured by Amina's forces on August 13th. However, Amina's victory was overturned, when the youngest of the Princesses, Princess Sera, marched out of Orszon with her husband, the King of Orzson, Ferenc Istvan and an army of ten thousand. Sera's forces defeated Amina's exhausted army, and captured the pretenders, ending the war decisively. Sera forced her sisters into Sufi convents, and declared herself as the ‘Great Restorer’. Sera, however, was assassinated a year later on midsummer eve of 1619, leaving the throne to her one year-old son, Malik II.
=== Early Modern Period ===
==== Maliki Era ====
[[File:Ahmet II.jpg|thumb|Malik II portrait within the Book of Kings, ca. 1693.]]
Under the guidance of his father and Grand Vizier, Ferenc Istvan, Malik II would go on to be Imperial Arsania's most successful and respected monarch. Istvan would rule in his son's name for 12 years, between 1619 to 1631, and would serve as his son's Grand Vizier until his death in 1669. In the first 12 years, Istvan focused on reconstruction. The entirety of the Marahu Basin was in disarray, famine was widespread, and important trade routes were severed. Istvan demolished the rubles of Korankord, and began the construction of what would be known as Altiniyye; ‘The Golden City', named after its gold workshops and mints that sprung out throughout Malik II's reign. Istvan rebuilt the bridges crossing the Marahu and left his mark in history by building the Sera Bridge, to this day still the longest bridge crossing the Marahu in Arsania, connecting the western banks to the east right where Altiniyye was constructed. Istvan also gave his own homeland further autonomies, and to reconcile the warring factions of the Twin's War, founded the Lord's Assembly in Altiniyye, serving as a formal place to settle inter-family disputes amongst Arsania's nobility.
When Malik II reached the age of 13, much of Arsania was already on its way to recovery, and famines had been eliminated in most areas. Malik II reformed the old Beylik system, and established the Nine Eyalets System, each corresponding to local allegiances and identities, to be led by Governors that he himself appointed. Malik also formalised the Royal Court by founding official offices, such as the Imperial Treasury, the Imperial War Department, and the Imperial Public Works Department in 1636.
[[File:Blue Mosque Courtyard Dusk Wikimedia Commons.jpg|thumb|Iqlima Mosque, 2017.]]
Utilising his formal bureaucracy, Malik II would went on to built several grand projects, including building the new Iqlima Mosque in Altiniyye, rebuilding and expanding old Orszonian aqueducts, and paving the roads and bridges across Arsania with gravel. Malik II hired the architect Kurgan Ali to build the new Iqlima Mosque and the Mavisaray Palace (literally the ‘Blue Palace’ due to its lapis decorations) and sponsored many of Ali's works, including the Sebirge Grand Mosque, and the Great Spire of Birse. Beyond grand constructions, Malik II ordered the buildings of parks and fountains in Arsania's major settlements, inspired by the Mediterranean Renaissance in Arsania's southern neighbours. In 1638, helped by the Arcanan artist Jonathan Iza, Malik II established the Imperial Art College, and began patronising its students to create some of the most beautiful and highly-valued pieces to date. The pieces he patronised included Jami Dulgan's paintings, including the Red Sun painting he did in 1652, Bolsamache's calligraphy and stonemasonry arts that decorates the Iqlima Mosque, and Sulaiman Inuqi's tapestries. The now world-famous Arsanian rugs first appeared around this period, where several rug manufacturers were established, some of which received Imperial sponsors. Cotton growing reached a new level of productivity, and much of the lower part of the Basin was dedicated to cotton and flax. Silk was eventually introduced to Arsania via Arcanan traders, and became a sensation within the Empire. Arcanan traders scored massive profit during this era, and their quarter in Altiniyye grew exponentially. Around this time, between 1640 to 1650, the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was founded in the Arcanan Quarter, and became Arsania's biggest Rationalist building.
==== Imperial Expansion under Malik II ====
In 1639, Malik II began a series of incursions into the Matamba Region, seeking to gain access into the Zambezi River. The first expedition, led by Zubair Annam, managed to reach Mount Orbruz, and claimed the surrounding region in the name of the Empire. In 1642, a second expedition went straight through Matamba, reaching the Zambezi River and established a trade post there. However, within just two years, the post was abandoned due to constant attacks by the Matamba people. A third expedition was finally launched, under the command of General Orguz Pasha, an army of almost five thousand cavalry galloped into the Savannah, and faced the King of the Kingdom of Numan, King Agzelas. A battle ensued, somewhere in northern Matamba, and Orguz Pasha's army was routed. This defeat forced the Emperor to meet with representatives of the six kingdoms of Matamba, and agreed upon a peace treaty that honours Matamba's boundaries, while allowing the Empire to establish trade routes in the Zambezi River, and roads connecting to them.
In 1648, the Imperial Army reached the Bailtemmic Great Ranges, and claimed Mount Roghuz as part of the Empire. Arsania began settling people in the region and built a road into it, when the Illinians rose up in rebellion. The Mountain people of Illinia, secluded from the migratory hordes and warring tribes of the Marahu Basin, had been isolated from the rest of the world and lived peacefully for centuries. Initially, they traded with the Arsanians, and were even a close ally to the Yellow Horde during Ingen's conquest. However, they resisted imperial attempts to conquer their territory, and gave a hard fight. Three Imperial attempts to build the Bolgu Fortress to suppress the Illinians failed, and the Emperor was forced to send an army of ten thousand men. The Empire eventually subdued Illinia after almost 20 years of skirmish, and their tribal leaders were forced into signing the Roghuz Treaty of 1662.
=== 18th Century ===
[[File:1710s view of Istanbul (cropped).tif|center|thumb|801x801px|Engraved panorama of Altiniyye circa 1709, painted by Ilya Sorum.]]
Malik II died in 1679, and was succeeded by his daughter, Fatima II who reigned for nineteen years between 1679 to 1698, continuing much of her father's policies and kept the relative peace. Under her reign, the printing press was introduced to Arsania, and she promoted the printing and publishing of the Qur’an. She encouraged mosques across Arsania to teach basic literacy, by providing Mosques with annual grants, while building the first public library in Arsania as part of the Iqlima Mosque complex. For this, Fatima II was, and still referred to today as the Scholar Queen. After Fatima II, successive male rulers dominated Arsania, from her son, Malik III (1698-1710), Mejid IV (1710-1728), Ahmad I (1728-1759), and Ahmad II (1759-1792). Malik III embarked on several expeditions into the mouth of Marahu River, and established trade posts along the way. He was accredited for the creation of Arsania’s Special Forces today for his role in establishing the River Regiment. In 1715, Mejid IV began the construction of eleven bridges spanning over the Marahu River, and started the construction of an outpost of what would be now the city of Beyazşehir.
The 18th century saw Arsania solidifying its borders and dominating the Marahu Basin. Ahmad I crushed the Blue Horde Rebellion in Uzşehir in 1732 after attempting to reform the semi-nomadic groups into sedentary settlers. This secured the Empire's southern frontiers, and stopped the hordes from antagonising the Eswatsan Kingdoms. Ahmad I started the very first five-years census in the empire in 1740 and created the Imperial Bureau of Citizenship. The census showed that there were approximately 16 million citizens of the Empire, 3 million of whom were Ornezsis. Using the data acquired from this census, Ahmad I commissioned basic services into the rural areas, such as public postal service and common granaries, to be administered by the local governors. Ahmad I was credited for the steady rise of population that would go on from 1740 all the way to the 1800s.
=== 19th Century ===
==== Zambezi War ====
==== Orszon Uprising ====
==== The Imar Period ====
==== Mejidian Era ====
=== 20th Century ===
==== Iqlima Revolution ====
==== The Great War ====
== Government and Politics ==
== Government and Politics ==
Arsania is a federal Commonwealth, where its 9 Eyalets have high degrees of autonomy. The central government of Arsania, hosted in the city of Atiniyye, is divided into three main branches; the Executive Cabinet led by the President, the legislative branch in the form of the Commonwealth Assembly, and the Supreme Court which carries the judicial duties of the central  government at the highest level. The central government, or usually referred to as the Commonwealth Government, is stipulated and arranged within the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992.
Arsania is a federal Commonwealth, where its 9 Eyalets have high degrees of autonomy. The central government of Arsania, hosted in the city of Atiniyye, is divided into three main branches; the Executive Cabinet led by the President, the legislative branch in the form of the Commonwealth Assembly, and the Supreme Court which carries the judicial duties of the central  government at the highest level. The central government, or usually referred to as the Commonwealth Government, is stipulated and arranged within the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992.
 
[[File:Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul cropped.jpg|thumb|300x300px|The Sublime Gates of the Beyazev Palace, the seat of the Executive Cabinet, 2019.]]
The Executive Cabinet comprised the Commonwealth’s ministries and departments that run the daily administration and governance of the Commonwealth at the national level. There are currently 7 Commonwealth Ministries, and 12 Commonwealth Departments. The Executive Cabinet is formed and led by the Commonwealth President, which is elected by the Commonwealth Assembly for a single term of five years. The President is the Head of State and Government of Arsania, which entitled him or her to executive powers that includes appointing ministers and departmental chairmans into the Executive Cabinet, making diplomatic decisions and setting foreign policies, appointing and receiving foreign dignitaries, and so on. The President also has powers to propose laws to the Assembly and to enact Presidential Decrees which carry the weight of law for his/her term in office. Beyond these powers, the President also has special powers such as granting pardons to felons, distributing honours, and to declare emergencies during times of national troubles. The President also held the title of the Chief of the Armed Forces, High Police Commissioner, Chairman of the National Economic Committee, and the Protector of the Sufi League, representing his roles in defence, security, economic policy, and religious duties. The President is elected through a national election held every five years, and can hold office for up to two terms.
The Executive Cabinet comprised the Commonwealth’s ministries and departments that run the daily administration and governance of the Commonwealth at the national level. There are currently 7 Commonwealth Ministries, and 12 Commonwealth Departments. The Executive Cabinet is formed and led by the Commonwealth President. The President is the Head of State and Government of Arsania, which entitled him or her to executive powers that includes appointing ministers and departmental chairmans into the Executive Cabinet, making diplomatic decisions and setting foreign policies, appointing and receiving foreign dignitaries, and so on. The President also has powers to propose laws to the Assembly and to enact Presidential Decrees which carry the weight of law for his/her term in office. Beyond these powers, the President also has special powers such as granting pardons to felons, distributing honours, and to declare emergencies during times of national troubles. The President also held the title of the Chief of the Armed Forces, High Police Commissioner, Chairman of the National Economic Committee, and the Protector of the Sufi League, representing his roles in defence, security, economic policy, and religious duties. The President is elected through a national election held every five years, and can hold office for up to two terms.
 
[[File:TBMM, August 2022.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Commonwealth Assembly Chamber inside the Mavisaray Palace, 2016.]]
The Commonwealth Assembly is the sole unicameral representational body of Arsania. The Deputies of the Assembly are elected from their local constituencies, and are responsible to legislate and debate laws, oversee the Executive Cabinet, approve annual budgets, and other legislative duties. To execute these responsibilities, the Assembly is separated into several ‘functional committees’ such as the Defence Committee, the Commerce Committee, and several others that are formed or dismissed in an ad-hoc fashion. The Assembly can also summon members of the government and the public for questioning and hearing to help them fulfil their legislative functions.  The Deputies are elected for a five-year term by their electorates in a mixed-proportional representation voting system, ensuring that local representation and vote percentages are accounted for when allocating seats in the Assembly. The Assembly Speaker, elected once every year from amongst his or her peers, is tasked to chair and mediate debates according to the Assembly’s rules. There are currently 469 Deputy seats in the Assembly, which changes according to population and electoral map changes.  
The Commonwealth Assembly is the sole unicameral representational body of Arsania. The Deputies of the Assembly are elected from their local constituencies, and are responsible to legislate and debate laws, oversee the Executive Cabinet, approve annual budgets, and other legislative duties. To execute these responsibilities, the Assembly is separated into several ‘functional committees’ such as the Defence Committee, the Commerce Committee, and several others that are formed or dismissed in an ad-hoc fashion. The Assembly can also summon members of the government and the public for questioning and hearing to help them fulfil their legislative functions.  The Deputies are elected for a five-year term by their electorates in a mixed-proportional representation voting system, ensuring that local representation and vote percentages are accounted for when allocating seats in the Assembly. The Assembly Speaker, elected once every year from amongst his or her peers, is tasked to chair and mediate debates according to the Assembly’s rules. There are currently 469 Deputy seats in the Assembly, which changes according to population and electoral map changes.  
 
[[File:Sıhhiye-Ulus metro çıkış.jpg|thumb|Anti-Corruption Commission Headquarter in Altiniyye, 2023.]]
Besides the main branches of government, there are also independent agencies separate from these branches, and serve directly under the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992. These agencies include the Anti-Corruption Commission which was formed in 1992 to combat rampant corruption and was given huge independence to operate free of interventions, while at the same time, given privileges to demand cooperation from government bodies, including the armed forces, the police, and intelligence agencies. The Commonwealth Audit Board oversaw and kept the accountability of government and large corporations’ financial transactions. The Commonwealth Reserve which is Arsania’s central bank and mint, regulates monetary policies of the Commonwealth, and is the sole body that can print and circulate Arsanian Liras. The Sufi League, which comprises all major scholars of the Sufi faith within Arsania, presides over Sufi laws in Arsania, and represents the faith’s opinions and demands to the government. The Judicial Commission decided upon the appointment of judges, to test their qualification, and oversee their conduct in court. The National Economic Committee, which is chaired by the President, represents the major economic sectors of the Commonwealth, including both shareholders and trade unions, and helps the government formulate annual economic and welfare policies.  
Besides the main branches of government, there are also independent agencies separate from these branches, and serve directly under the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992. These agencies include the Anti-Corruption Commission which was formed in 1992 to combat rampant corruption and was given huge independence to operate free of interventions, while at the same time, given privileges to demand cooperation from government bodies, including the armed forces, the police, and intelligence agencies. The Commonwealth Audit Board oversaw and kept the accountability of government and large corporations’ financial transactions. The Commonwealth Reserve which is Arsania’s central bank and mint, regulates monetary policies of the Commonwealth, and is the sole body that can print and circulate Arsanian Liras. The Sufi League, which comprises all major scholars of the Sufi faith within Arsania, presides over Sufi laws in Arsania, and represents the faith’s opinions and demands to the government. The Judicial Commission decided upon the appointment of judges, to test their qualification, and oversee their conduct in court. The National Economic Committee, which is chaired by the President, represents the major economic sectors of the Commonwealth, including both shareholders and trade unions, and helps the government formulate annual economic and welfare policies.  
=== Law and Order ===
=== Law and Order ===
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The Commonwealth Defence Force (Topluluğu Savunma Kuvvetleri) abbreviated as the TSK, is the military branch of the Commonwealth Government. The TSK is divided into three main branches; the Commonwealth Ground Forces, the Commonwealth Air Forces, and the Commonwealth Special Forces.
The Commonwealth Defence Force (Topluluğu Savunma Kuvvetleri) abbreviated as the TSK, is the military branch of the Commonwealth Government. The TSK is divided into three main branches; the Commonwealth Ground Forces, the Commonwealth Air Forces, and the Commonwealth Special Forces.
== Geography ==
== Geography ==
Arsania covers an area of around 425,568 square kilometres. Arsania is naturally bordered by the Zambezi River in the west, separating it from Sallodesia, and confluences of the Marahu River in the North and South. To the east lies the Great Bailtemmic Ranges, where Arsania’s highest peak, Mount Mavitepe (5,700 m) is located. This area, which is occupied by the Ilkesi Eyalet, is prone to earthquakes due to its position near a subduction zone. The vast majority of Arsania lies on the Central Marahu Basin, an expansive and relatively flat area with little to no elevation changes. The Marahu River is one of the largest river systems in Bailtem. Its main body flows from the Central Bailtem Lake, which is one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world, and split Arsania into two, before meeting the Seiko Sea in Southwestern Pelinai. The river’s main tributaries within Arsania are the Kopluku River which flows from Mount Mavitepe, Biraz River which flows from Penhalonga Peak in Sallodesia, and the Sagliki River which separates the Ornezsti Eyalet from the rest of Arsania. Because of the River, Arsania is geographically separated into Eastern Arsania and Western Arsania. Eastern Arsania has around 60% of the population and thus is more densely populated than Western Arsania. It hosted the nation’s biggest city and capital, Altiniyye, and the fourth largest city, Cayakale. However, the area here is much more rural, where most of the manduse is for agricultural purposes. Western Arsania, containing around 40% of the population, is much more urbanised due to much of its lands being undeveloped wilderness. The Eswatsa Special region and the Uzşehir Eyalet occupies the grassland plains known as the Uzstan Plain in the southwestern area of Arsania. This area is sparsely populated and produces little agriculture.  
[[File:00 2399 Mount Ararat, Turkey.jpg|thumb|Mount Ararat from the Ilkesi Eyalet, 2022.]]
Arsania covers an area of around 425,568 square kilometres. Arsania is naturally bordered by the Zambezi River in the west, separating it from Sallodesia, and confluences of the Marahu River in the North and South. To the east lies the Great Bailtemmic Ranges, where Arsania’s highest peak, Mount Mavitepe (5,700 m) is located. This area, which is occupied by the Ilkesi Eyalet, is prone to earthquakes due to its position near a subduction zone. The vast majority of Arsania lies on the Central Marahu Basin, an expansive and relatively flat area with little to no elevation changes. The Marahu River is one of the largest river systems in Bailtem. Its main body flows from the Central Bailtem Lake, which is one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world, and split Arsania into two, before meeting the Seiko Sea in Southwestern Pelinai.
The river’s main tributaries within Arsania are the Kopluku River which flows from Mount Mavitepe, Biraz River which flows from Penhalonga Peak in Sallodesia, and the Sagliki River which separates the Ornezsti Eyalet from the rest of Arsania. Because of the River, Arsania is geographically separated into Eastern Arsania and Western Arsania. Eastern Arsania has around 60% of the population and thus is more densely populated than Western Arsania. It hosted the nation’s biggest city and capital, Altiniyye, and the fourth largest city, Cayakale. However, the area here is much more rural, where most of the manduse is for agricultural purposes. Western Arsania, containing around 40% of the population, is much more urbanised due to much of its lands being undeveloped wilderness. The Eswatsa Special region and the Uzşehir Eyalet occupies the grassland plains known as the Uzstan Plain in the southwestern area of Arsania. This area is sparsely populated and produces little agriculture.  
=== Climate ===
=== Climate ===
Almost the entirety of Arsania fell under the humid subtropical climate. This climate represents hot and humid summers that have a mean temperature of around 22 °C and mild winters, with mean temperature of around 10 °C. Only Ilkesi Eyalet receives a small mediterranean and polar climate near the Great Bailtemmic Ranges. The Central Marahu Basin receives year-round precipitation, with huge increases during spring and summer time. Storm season lasted between September to February, and is the main cause of Marahu River’s annual flooding.  The region’s narrow shape and its location where cold and warm wind met causes Arsania to suffer through tornados in winter, some has been recorded reaching type 4 and has caused huge damages, especially in and around the Uzstan Plain. Blizzards and heavy snowfall in Ilkesi follows the patterns of seasonal storms in the rest of Arsania, though Eastern Arsania received larger water volume due to the rain-shadow effect of the Mountains.  
Almost the entirety of Arsania fell under the humid subtropical climate. This climate represents hot and humid summers that have a mean temperature of around 22 °C and mild winters, with mean temperature of around 10 °C. Only Ilkesi Eyalet receives a small mediterranean and polar climate near the Great Bailtemmic Ranges. The Central Marahu Basin receives year-round precipitation, with huge increases during spring and summer time. Storm season lasted between September to February, and is the main cause of Marahu River’s annual flooding.  The region’s narrow shape and its location where cold and warm wind met causes Arsania to suffer through tornados in winter, some has been recorded reaching type 4 and has caused huge damages, especially in and around the Uzstan Plain. Blizzards and heavy snowfall in Ilkesi follows the patterns of seasonal storms in the rest of Arsania, though Eastern Arsania received larger water volume due to the rain-shadow effect of the Mountains.  
== Economy ==
== Economy ==
Arsania is considered an upper-middle income country, with a relatively high human development index. Arsania is classified as a developing economy, and part of the emerging newly-industrialised countries in Pacifica. However, poverty is still a significant problem in the nation, with around 4% of its people living under the poverty line, and almost 32% are prone to economic upheavals. Unemployment rate in Arsania has been stagnant at around 7%, and the government is trying to absorb the unemployed through strategic investments, including expansions of state-owned manufactories. Economic disparity also plagued the economy, with the nation being classified as medium in its Gini index, and around 20% of its citizens earned more than 80% of the total annual income.  Services comprise more than 73% of the GDP, mostly in financial, telecommunication, and government services, with a significant contribution from the informal service sector. Around 30% of the GDP is contributed by the manufacturing sector, and the remainder 7% came from the agriculture sector. Arsanian economy is relatively diversified, though its manufacturing sector has been dominated by the textile and food industry.  Arsania enjoyed a trade surplus for the past five years, exporting primarily textiles and raw resources, while importing almost all of its energy needs. Economic growth has been taking pace since the 2010s, though had slowed in more recent years due to the uncertain foreign investment climate. Due to rising inflation, the government and the Commonwealth Treasury has been enacting deflationary policies that kept back the growth rate from expected trajectories.  
[[File:View of Levent financial district from Istanbul Sapphire.jpg|thumb|Levent Financial District in Altiniyye, 2023.]]
 
Arsania is considered an upper-middle income country, with a relatively high human development index. Arsania is classified as a developing economy, and part of the emerging newly-industrialised countries in Pacifica. However, poverty is still a significant problem in the nation, with around 4% of its people living under the poverty line, and almost 32% are prone to economic upheavals. Unemployment rate in Arsania has been stagnant at around 7%, and the government is trying to absorb the unemployed through strategic investments, including expansions of state-owned manufactories. Economic disparity also plagued the economy, with the nation being classified as medium in its Gini index, and around 20% of its citizens earned more than 80% of the total annual income.  Services comprise more than 73% of the GDP, mostly in financial, telecommunication, and government services, with a significant contribution from the informal service sector.
[[File:Textile Machines (14623455085).jpg|thumb|A textile manufactory near Cayakale, 2014.]]
Around 30% of the GDP is contributed by the manufacturing sector, and the remainder 7% came from the agriculture sector. Arsanian economy is relatively diversified, though its manufacturing sector has been dominated by the textile and food industry.  Arsania enjoyed a trade surplus for the past five years, exporting primarily textiles and raw resources, while importing almost all of its energy needs. Economic growth has been taking pace since the 2010s, though had slowed in more recent years due to the uncertain foreign investment climate. Due to rising inflation, the government and the Commonwealth Treasury has been enacting deflationary policies that kept back the growth rate from expected trajectories.  
[[File:Ultra Galaxy, Istanbul (P1100189).jpg|thumb|Cargo Ships straddling the Marahu River, 2016.]]
The biggest agricultural goods produced in Arsania are rice, cotton, corn, and dairy products. Arsania is one of the largest exporter of raw cotton in Pacifica, though much of the harvest went straight to supply Arsania’s huge textile industry. The textile industry employs almost 18% of Arsania’s workforce in 2023, and is the largest manufacturing chain in the country. In the mining sector, Arsania extracts large amounts of nickel and quartz sand. These raw resources are mostly imported to be turned into high-end electronics in other countries, but recently the government began a series of initiatives designed to develop the electronic industry in Arsania. Apart from these, Arsania mines little amounts of iron ores, precious metals, and limestone. In the service sector, the government comprises the largest percentage of employment, with the telecommunication and financial services trailing behind it.  
The biggest agricultural goods produced in Arsania are rice, cotton, corn, and dairy products. Arsania is one of the largest exporter of raw cotton in Pacifica, though much of the harvest went straight to supply Arsania’s huge textile industry. The textile industry employs almost 18% of Arsania’s workforce in 2023, and is the largest manufacturing chain in the country. In the mining sector, Arsania extracts large amounts of nickel and quartz sand. These raw resources are mostly imported to be turned into high-end electronics in other countries, but recently the government began a series of initiatives designed to develop the electronic industry in Arsania. Apart from these, Arsania mines little amounts of iron ores, precious metals, and limestone. In the service sector, the government comprises the largest percentage of employment, with the telecommunication and financial services trailing behind it.  
== Demographics ==
== Demographics ==
== Culture ==
== Culture ==
[[Category:Arsania (Pacifica)]]
[[Category:Arsania (Pacifica)]]

Latest revision as of 00:48, 5 September 2024

Arsanian Commonwealth

Jumuiya ya Madola ya Arsanian (Eswatsan)
Arsán Nemzetközösség (Orszonish)
Flag of Arsania
Motto: Birlikte Sonsuza
Together Forever
Anthem: Dörtnala Mart
Galloping March
Location of Arsania in the South Pacific
Location of Arsania in the South Pacific
Largest cityAltiniyye
Official languagesArsanic
Recognised regional languagesEswatsan
Orszonish
Ethnic groups
(2020 census)
36% White Arsan
32% Black Arsan
10% Eswatsan
9% Ornezsi
8% Illisi
5% Blue Arsan
Religion
(2020 census)
73% Sufism
17% Rationalism
10% Indigenous Beliefs
Demonym(s)Arsanian
GovernmentPresidential Federal Republic
• President
Evren Karadeg
Aisha Malik
LegislatureCommonwealth Assembly
Area
• Total
425,568 km2 (164,313 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate
46,812,480
• Density
110/km2 (284.9/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
$ 733.22 billion
• Per capita
$ 15,663
Gini (2023)41.9
medium
HDI (2023)Decrease 0.734
high
CurrencyArsanian Lira (A₺) (ARL)
Time zoneUTC+3
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy CE
Driving sideleft
Calling code+177
World Forum CodeAR
Internet TLD.as

Etymology

History

Prehistory

Migratory Period

Mediaeval Period

Orszon Kingdom

Horde Invasion

In the 13th century, the first Arsanian horde, the Blue Horde, arrived in the Marahu Basin. They settled just South of the Orszon Kingdom, and for decades roamed nomadically in the plains. The people here would trade with the Orszon subjects, and the Khan's of the Horde had met with the Kings of Orszon several times. One fateful meeting was between King Gyula Palchek and Khan Derebeg in 1281, which was commemorated in a stone tablet, today preserved in the National Museum. The meeting discussed trade relations and gift-sharing that happened between the two. The Blue Horde would gradually leave their nomadic lifestyle and begin entering Orszon's territory to settle. The first sedentary Arsanians would offer their fealty to local Orszon Lords and assimilate into their feudal system.

Around the middle of the 14th century, the Yellow Horde arrived in the region, and began pushing the Blue Horde away from their territory. Led by Khan Ingen, the Yellow Horde sought to unite the two nomadic people into one and took over the fertile plains of the Orszons. Between 1342 to 1346, Ingen would fight the Blue Horde, eventually slaying Khan Olten in 1346, and beginning their invasion into Orszon a year later. King Ilhem Palchek would die together with Khan Olten's successor, Prince Muham in the Battle of Sebigen in 1348. Ingen would go on to defeat Orszon sorties and the final Orszon city fell in 1350. Most of the Orszon people migrated northward, and settled in the Bolu Hills, forming a rump state. Khan Ingen, however, was assassinated in 1351, and his vassals soon turned against each other in a prolonged conflict. The Marahu Basin was in complete anarchy for almost a century, until the arrival of the White Horde in 1442.

Irina Dynasty of Imperial Arsania

The White Horde, led by the semi-legendary Empress Irina, defeated the warring hordes in just two years, and settled in the region by 1444. She secured the fealty of the Blue and Yellow Hordes Lords, as well as a pact with the rump Kingdom of Orszon, making her the unquestionable ruler of the lands, and the first Empress of Arsania. In 1446, she began the construction of the Korankord, a massive wooden fortress in the confluence of Marahu River and its biggest tributary. She held court there, where she presided over thirty five years of peace and prosperity. Her son, Emperor Tolgun, began minting gold coins in his name and established the Lord's Council in Korankord, formalising the first governments of what would become Arsania. Tolgun took the name ‘Emperor of the Four People', referring to the Orszons and the three Arsanian Hordes. Around this time, traders from the Kingdom of Arcana, in what is now modern Livana, began sailing upstream of the Marahu River and founded a trading post in Korankord, securing a treaty with Emperor Tolgun in 1502 which not just allowed the traders to settle, but also permitted them to construct manufactories near Korankord, and even went as far as to tolerate Rationalist preachers that came with them. The modern Arcana Quarter in Altiniyye would develop out of the old Arcanan post.

Emperor Tolgun died in 1505, and was succeeded by his infant 12 years-old grandson, Emperor Mejid I. For the first time, the title of Grand Vizier was established to help the infant Emperor rule. The first Grand Vizier, Orhan Karman, would go on to serve Mejid I until 1524, when he retired and became a Sufi preacher. Mejid I'd reign would see Korankord grow into a sizable city, with around ten thousand to twenty thousand citizens. His early years were plagued with revolts from the Blue and White Hordes who felt the infancy of the Emperor had made him illegitimate. Orhan Karman led the Emperor's cavalry to defeat six revolts between 1505 to 1512, and pacified the unruly Lords using gunpowder for the first time. To support his campaigns, Orhan built roads and bridges across Arsania, and improved the older Orszonian infrastructure. In 1514, a huge uprising led by Hurumet Ghazi broke out in the north. Hurumet quickly seized most of the northern territories, and even briefly conquered Orszon. He was eventually killed by a cannonball, in the Battle of Ysildir in 1516, thanks to Orhan's purchase of Arcanan cannons and gunpowder. Hurumet's death ended any hope of a successful rebellion, and Mejid's rule was secured.

The rest of the 16th century was quite peaceful for Arsania. Imperial authority gradually strengthened as the Hordes began to settle down. The roads and bridges that Orhan Karman built led to the development of farming settlements and new trade routes. The Emperor sponsored the building of bazaars in these growing settlements, and appointed local Beys, or Governors from the local nobilities, to oversee taxation and maintain peace. Eventually, most of the Arsanians had settled, and only a minority of them still live nomadically, mostly  in the western bank of the Marahu. Population of the region soared as more Arsanians became farmers and produced food. The Empire also built communal warehouses and watermills through the Beys to help the peasant farmers. Some of the earliest Sufi Mosques were constructed in this era, some of which, like the Iqlima Mosque, and the Celevi Mosque still stand today, preserved as national heritage objects, and boasts the ancient Arsanian decorations. Mejid I died in 1532, his reign was followed by the reigns of Mejid II (1532-1555), Fatima I (1555-1573), Malik I (1573-1590), and Mejid III (1590-1609), all of whom presided over relatively peaceful and prosperous reigns.

The Twin’s War

In 1609, Mejid III died, leaving three daughters, the first two of whom were the twins, Princess Amina and Princess Rachel. Amina was born first, and was technically the legitimate successor of Mejid III, but Rachel was married to the Grand Vizier, Ahmad Pasha, who arranged a palace coup and proclaimed Rachel as the new Empress. Amina escaped the coup with her family, and declared herself the rightful Empress in the East. A Civil War broke out in Arsania, and the two sides were locked in a bitter struggle for almost ten years. In 1611, Rachel attacked Oszron and plundered the region to pay for mercenaries, while Amina's forces attacked Arsanian Lords that refused to take sides. Both sides used brutal strategies to defeat the others, which caused severe casualties. The massive use of gunpowder led to many settlements and fields being burned down. It was said that the eight years that followed Mejid III's death killed more than a quarter of Arsania's population.

The war went back and forth, and the control of the Marahu River became the primary objective of both sides. In 1617, Amina's forces won a decisive victory in the Battle of Elbig on May 20th, and then went on to besiege Korankord. Rachel and her court managed to escape before the stronghold fell, however the siege caused a massive fire that destroyed the century-old fortress and all its contents on June 7th. Korankord's destruction was soon followed by Rachel's army mutinying, and turning into stragglers, terrorising the countryside. Grand Vizier Pasha was killed in the Battle of Kisling on August 5th, and Rachel was finally captured by Amina's forces on August 13th. However, Amina's victory was overturned, when the youngest of the Princesses, Princess Sera, marched out of Orszon with her husband, the King of Orzson, Ferenc Istvan and an army of ten thousand. Sera's forces defeated Amina's exhausted army, and captured the pretenders, ending the war decisively. Sera forced her sisters into Sufi convents, and declared herself as the ‘Great Restorer’. Sera, however, was assassinated a year later on midsummer eve of 1619, leaving the throne to her one year-old son, Malik II.

Early Modern Period

Maliki Era

Malik II portrait within the Book of Kings, ca. 1693.

Under the guidance of his father and Grand Vizier, Ferenc Istvan, Malik II would go on to be Imperial Arsania's most successful and respected monarch. Istvan would rule in his son's name for 12 years, between 1619 to 1631, and would serve as his son's Grand Vizier until his death in 1669. In the first 12 years, Istvan focused on reconstruction. The entirety of the Marahu Basin was in disarray, famine was widespread, and important trade routes were severed. Istvan demolished the rubles of Korankord, and began the construction of what would be known as Altiniyye; ‘The Golden City', named after its gold workshops and mints that sprung out throughout Malik II's reign. Istvan rebuilt the bridges crossing the Marahu and left his mark in history by building the Sera Bridge, to this day still the longest bridge crossing the Marahu in Arsania, connecting the western banks to the east right where Altiniyye was constructed. Istvan also gave his own homeland further autonomies, and to reconcile the warring factions of the Twin's War, founded the Lord's Assembly in Altiniyye, serving as a formal place to settle inter-family disputes amongst Arsania's nobility.

When Malik II reached the age of 13, much of Arsania was already on its way to recovery, and famines had been eliminated in most areas. Malik II reformed the old Beylik system, and established the Nine Eyalets System, each corresponding to local allegiances and identities, to be led by Governors that he himself appointed. Malik also formalised the Royal Court by founding official offices, such as the Imperial Treasury, the Imperial War Department, and the Imperial Public Works Department in 1636.

Iqlima Mosque, 2017.

Utilising his formal bureaucracy, Malik II would went on to built several grand projects, including building the new Iqlima Mosque in Altiniyye, rebuilding and expanding old Orszonian aqueducts, and paving the roads and bridges across Arsania with gravel. Malik II hired the architect Kurgan Ali to build the new Iqlima Mosque and the Mavisaray Palace (literally the ‘Blue Palace’ due to its lapis decorations) and sponsored many of Ali's works, including the Sebirge Grand Mosque, and the Great Spire of Birse. Beyond grand constructions, Malik II ordered the buildings of parks and fountains in Arsania's major settlements, inspired by the Mediterranean Renaissance in Arsania's southern neighbours. In 1638, helped by the Arcanan artist Jonathan Iza, Malik II established the Imperial Art College, and began patronising its students to create some of the most beautiful and highly-valued pieces to date. The pieces he patronised included Jami Dulgan's paintings, including the Red Sun painting he did in 1652, Bolsamache's calligraphy and stonemasonry arts that decorates the Iqlima Mosque, and Sulaiman Inuqi's tapestries. The now world-famous Arsanian rugs first appeared around this period, where several rug manufacturers were established, some of which received Imperial sponsors. Cotton growing reached a new level of productivity, and much of the lower part of the Basin was dedicated to cotton and flax. Silk was eventually introduced to Arsania via Arcanan traders, and became a sensation within the Empire. Arcanan traders scored massive profit during this era, and their quarter in Altiniyye grew exponentially. Around this time, between 1640 to 1650, the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was founded in the Arcanan Quarter, and became Arsania's biggest Rationalist building.

Imperial Expansion under Malik II

In 1639, Malik II began a series of incursions into the Matamba Region, seeking to gain access into the Zambezi River. The first expedition, led by Zubair Annam, managed to reach Mount Orbruz, and claimed the surrounding region in the name of the Empire. In 1642, a second expedition went straight through Matamba, reaching the Zambezi River and established a trade post there. However, within just two years, the post was abandoned due to constant attacks by the Matamba people. A third expedition was finally launched, under the command of General Orguz Pasha, an army of almost five thousand cavalry galloped into the Savannah, and faced the King of the Kingdom of Numan, King Agzelas. A battle ensued, somewhere in northern Matamba, and Orguz Pasha's army was routed. This defeat forced the Emperor to meet with representatives of the six kingdoms of Matamba, and agreed upon a peace treaty that honours Matamba's boundaries, while allowing the Empire to establish trade routes in the Zambezi River, and roads connecting to them.

In 1648, the Imperial Army reached the Bailtemmic Great Ranges, and claimed Mount Roghuz as part of the Empire. Arsania began settling people in the region and built a road into it, when the Illinians rose up in rebellion. The Mountain people of Illinia, secluded from the migratory hordes and warring tribes of the Marahu Basin, had been isolated from the rest of the world and lived peacefully for centuries. Initially, they traded with the Arsanians, and were even a close ally to the Yellow Horde during Ingen's conquest. However, they resisted imperial attempts to conquer their territory, and gave a hard fight. Three Imperial attempts to build the Bolgu Fortress to suppress the Illinians failed, and the Emperor was forced to send an army of ten thousand men. The Empire eventually subdued Illinia after almost 20 years of skirmish, and their tribal leaders were forced into signing the Roghuz Treaty of 1662.

18th Century

Engraved panorama of Altiniyye circa 1709, painted by Ilya Sorum.

Malik II died in 1679, and was succeeded by his daughter, Fatima II who reigned for nineteen years between 1679 to 1698, continuing much of her father's policies and kept the relative peace. Under her reign, the printing press was introduced to Arsania, and she promoted the printing and publishing of the Qur’an. She encouraged mosques across Arsania to teach basic literacy, by providing Mosques with annual grants, while building the first public library in Arsania as part of the Iqlima Mosque complex. For this, Fatima II was, and still referred to today as the Scholar Queen. After Fatima II, successive male rulers dominated Arsania, from her son, Malik III (1698-1710), Mejid IV (1710-1728), Ahmad I (1728-1759), and Ahmad II (1759-1792). Malik III embarked on several expeditions into the mouth of Marahu River, and established trade posts along the way. He was accredited for the creation of Arsania’s Special Forces today for his role in establishing the River Regiment. In 1715, Mejid IV began the construction of eleven bridges spanning over the Marahu River, and started the construction of an outpost of what would be now the city of Beyazşehir.

The 18th century saw Arsania solidifying its borders and dominating the Marahu Basin. Ahmad I crushed the Blue Horde Rebellion in Uzşehir in 1732 after attempting to reform the semi-nomadic groups into sedentary settlers. This secured the Empire's southern frontiers, and stopped the hordes from antagonising the Eswatsan Kingdoms. Ahmad I started the very first five-years census in the empire in 1740 and created the Imperial Bureau of Citizenship. The census showed that there were approximately 16 million citizens of the Empire, 3 million of whom were Ornezsis. Using the data acquired from this census, Ahmad I commissioned basic services into the rural areas, such as public postal service and common granaries, to be administered by the local governors. Ahmad I was credited for the steady rise of population that would go on from 1740 all the way to the 1800s.

19th Century

Zambezi War

Orszon Uprising

The Imar Period

Mejidian Era

20th Century

Iqlima Revolution

The Great War

Government and Politics

Arsania is a federal Commonwealth, where its 9 Eyalets have high degrees of autonomy. The central government of Arsania, hosted in the city of Atiniyye, is divided into three main branches; the Executive Cabinet led by the President, the legislative branch in the form of the Commonwealth Assembly, and the Supreme Court which carries the judicial duties of the central government at the highest level. The central government, or usually referred to as the Commonwealth Government, is stipulated and arranged within the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992.

The Sublime Gates of the Beyazev Palace, the seat of the Executive Cabinet, 2019.

The Executive Cabinet comprised the Commonwealth’s ministries and departments that run the daily administration and governance of the Commonwealth at the national level. There are currently 7 Commonwealth Ministries, and 12 Commonwealth Departments. The Executive Cabinet is formed and led by the Commonwealth President. The President is the Head of State and Government of Arsania, which entitled him or her to executive powers that includes appointing ministers and departmental chairmans into the Executive Cabinet, making diplomatic decisions and setting foreign policies, appointing and receiving foreign dignitaries, and so on. The President also has powers to propose laws to the Assembly and to enact Presidential Decrees which carry the weight of law for his/her term in office. Beyond these powers, the President also has special powers such as granting pardons to felons, distributing honours, and to declare emergencies during times of national troubles. The President also held the title of the Chief of the Armed Forces, High Police Commissioner, Chairman of the National Economic Committee, and the Protector of the Sufi League, representing his roles in defence, security, economic policy, and religious duties. The President is elected through a national election held every five years, and can hold office for up to two terms.

Commonwealth Assembly Chamber inside the Mavisaray Palace, 2016.

The Commonwealth Assembly is the sole unicameral representational body of Arsania. The Deputies of the Assembly are elected from their local constituencies, and are responsible to legislate and debate laws, oversee the Executive Cabinet, approve annual budgets, and other legislative duties. To execute these responsibilities, the Assembly is separated into several ‘functional committees’ such as the Defence Committee, the Commerce Committee, and several others that are formed or dismissed in an ad-hoc fashion. The Assembly can also summon members of the government and the public for questioning and hearing to help them fulfil their legislative functions. The Deputies are elected for a five-year term by their electorates in a mixed-proportional representation voting system, ensuring that local representation and vote percentages are accounted for when allocating seats in the Assembly. The Assembly Speaker, elected once every year from amongst his or her peers, is tasked to chair and mediate debates according to the Assembly’s rules. There are currently 469 Deputy seats in the Assembly, which changes according to population and electoral map changes.

Anti-Corruption Commission Headquarter in Altiniyye, 2023.

Besides the main branches of government, there are also independent agencies separate from these branches, and serve directly under the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992. These agencies include the Anti-Corruption Commission which was formed in 1992 to combat rampant corruption and was given huge independence to operate free of interventions, while at the same time, given privileges to demand cooperation from government bodies, including the armed forces, the police, and intelligence agencies. The Commonwealth Audit Board oversaw and kept the accountability of government and large corporations’ financial transactions. The Commonwealth Reserve which is Arsania’s central bank and mint, regulates monetary policies of the Commonwealth, and is the sole body that can print and circulate Arsanian Liras. The Sufi League, which comprises all major scholars of the Sufi faith within Arsania, presides over Sufi laws in Arsania, and represents the faith’s opinions and demands to the government. The Judicial Commission decided upon the appointment of judges, to test their qualification, and oversee their conduct in court. The National Economic Committee, which is chaired by the President, represents the major economic sectors of the Commonwealth, including both shareholders and trade unions, and helps the government formulate annual economic and welfare policies.

Law and Order

The law system of Arsania took the form of the Common Law system, where cases are determined through the use of precedents and opinions made by previous or higher rulings. The old Imperial Code was abolished following the Iqlima Revolution of 1932, and the new Commonwealth Government decided to adopt the new system on the basis of flexibility. Arsanian secular court system is arranged into three levels; the Commonwealth Level, the State Level, and the District Level. The Commonwealth Supreme Court is the highest judicial body of Arsania where all cases that have been appealed to them are dealt through a cessation decision, and its decisions become precedent for all interpretation of laws. There are seven sitting judges of the Supreme Court, all appointed for life by the Judicial Commission, and are only impeachable through the approval of the Commission, the Assembly, and the President. Besides the secular court system, the Sufi adherents have their own Religious Court, where they deal with matters such as divorce, inheritance dispute, and others through the use of Sufi laws. Though secular courts also dealt with these kinds of cases, the Religious Court dealt them with much more privacy and less public scrutiny. The Religious Court and their judges are under the supervision of the Sufi League.

The Commonwealth Police is the main law-enforcement body of Arsania. The Police is administered by the Ministry of the Interior, and serves under court rulings. States, however, have their own Police force within their own jurisdiction, but they are put under the chain of command of the Commonwealth Police. There are approximately 20,000 officers serving in the Commonwealth Police, and approximately 30,000 more in the numerous State police forces. Beyond the Police, the Commonwealth Civil Guard, a branch of the Commonwealth Ground Forces and administered by the Ministry of Defence, helped carry out security duties, especially in rural areas. The Internal Intelligence Bureau is the main internal intelligence agency of the Commonwealth, dealing with security issues, working together with the Police and the Civil Guard. The National Security Committee is an ad-hoc representational body, chaired by the Police Commissioner, to coordinate security measures and discuss threats within the borders of the Commonwealth.

Administrative Division

Arsania is divided into nine States or Eyalets, one Special Region, and four Metros. This first-tier division, usually referred to as State Governments, is governed by elected Governors and local State Assembly. Since the ratification of the Commonwealth Treatises of 1992, the Eyalets received huge autonomous powers, including the right to raise their own local taxes and set their own local laws, and also responsibilities into local infrastructure and emergency services. The Eyalets have their own constitutions, and though generally operate in similar fashion, have their own unique set of rules and customs. The Eswatsa Special Region has the highest level of autonomy amongst the divisions, where they kept much of their local customs, including their own local division, law enforcement force, and especially their traditional elective monarchical system, though it has been revised into a constitutional system since 2011. Metros on the other hand are led by elected Mayors and local Metro Assembly, and functioned much like Eyalets, except that they are much more urbanised. Eyalets and Metros are further divided into Districts for administrative reasons. Districts are non-political divisions, and are there for only administrative services such as publishing citizen identification papers, birth and death certificates, and registrations into welfare programs. Districts would be further divided into Communes, which are administered by elected Chairmans and Communal Assemblies.

List of Division

Commonwealth Eyalets / States

  • Beyazar
  • Ilkesi
  • Koymir
  • Markiisi
  • Merkezi
  • Ornezşti
  • Saribolge
  • Uzşehir
  • Yurusler

Special Region

  • Eswatsa

Metro

  • Altiniyye
  • Beyazşehir
  • Cayakale
  • Kirmizisi

Military

The Commonwealth Defence Force (Topluluğu Savunma Kuvvetleri) abbreviated as the TSK, is the military branch of the Commonwealth Government. The TSK is divided into three main branches; the Commonwealth Ground Forces, the Commonwealth Air Forces, and the Commonwealth Special Forces.

Geography

Mount Ararat from the Ilkesi Eyalet, 2022.

Arsania covers an area of around 425,568 square kilometres. Arsania is naturally bordered by the Zambezi River in the west, separating it from Sallodesia, and confluences of the Marahu River in the North and South. To the east lies the Great Bailtemmic Ranges, where Arsania’s highest peak, Mount Mavitepe (5,700 m) is located. This area, which is occupied by the Ilkesi Eyalet, is prone to earthquakes due to its position near a subduction zone. The vast majority of Arsania lies on the Central Marahu Basin, an expansive and relatively flat area with little to no elevation changes. The Marahu River is one of the largest river systems in Bailtem. Its main body flows from the Central Bailtem Lake, which is one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world, and split Arsania into two, before meeting the Seiko Sea in Southwestern Pelinai. The river’s main tributaries within Arsania are the Kopluku River which flows from Mount Mavitepe, Biraz River which flows from Penhalonga Peak in Sallodesia, and the Sagliki River which separates the Ornezsti Eyalet from the rest of Arsania. Because of the River, Arsania is geographically separated into Eastern Arsania and Western Arsania. Eastern Arsania has around 60% of the population and thus is more densely populated than Western Arsania. It hosted the nation’s biggest city and capital, Altiniyye, and the fourth largest city, Cayakale. However, the area here is much more rural, where most of the manduse is for agricultural purposes. Western Arsania, containing around 40% of the population, is much more urbanised due to much of its lands being undeveloped wilderness. The Eswatsa Special region and the Uzşehir Eyalet occupies the grassland plains known as the Uzstan Plain in the southwestern area of Arsania. This area is sparsely populated and produces little agriculture.

Climate

Almost the entirety of Arsania fell under the humid subtropical climate. This climate represents hot and humid summers that have a mean temperature of around 22 °C and mild winters, with mean temperature of around 10 °C. Only Ilkesi Eyalet receives a small mediterranean and polar climate near the Great Bailtemmic Ranges. The Central Marahu Basin receives year-round precipitation, with huge increases during spring and summer time. Storm season lasted between September to February, and is the main cause of Marahu River’s annual flooding. The region’s narrow shape and its location where cold and warm wind met causes Arsania to suffer through tornados in winter, some has been recorded reaching type 4 and has caused huge damages, especially in and around the Uzstan Plain. Blizzards and heavy snowfall in Ilkesi follows the patterns of seasonal storms in the rest of Arsania, though Eastern Arsania received larger water volume due to the rain-shadow effect of the Mountains.

Economy

Levent Financial District in Altiniyye, 2023.

Arsania is considered an upper-middle income country, with a relatively high human development index. Arsania is classified as a developing economy, and part of the emerging newly-industrialised countries in Pacifica. However, poverty is still a significant problem in the nation, with around 4% of its people living under the poverty line, and almost 32% are prone to economic upheavals. Unemployment rate in Arsania has been stagnant at around 7%, and the government is trying to absorb the unemployed through strategic investments, including expansions of state-owned manufactories. Economic disparity also plagued the economy, with the nation being classified as medium in its Gini index, and around 20% of its citizens earned more than 80% of the total annual income. Services comprise more than 73% of the GDP, mostly in financial, telecommunication, and government services, with a significant contribution from the informal service sector.

A textile manufactory near Cayakale, 2014.

Around 30% of the GDP is contributed by the manufacturing sector, and the remainder 7% came from the agriculture sector. Arsanian economy is relatively diversified, though its manufacturing sector has been dominated by the textile and food industry. Arsania enjoyed a trade surplus for the past five years, exporting primarily textiles and raw resources, while importing almost all of its energy needs. Economic growth has been taking pace since the 2010s, though had slowed in more recent years due to the uncertain foreign investment climate. Due to rising inflation, the government and the Commonwealth Treasury has been enacting deflationary policies that kept back the growth rate from expected trajectories.

Cargo Ships straddling the Marahu River, 2016.

The biggest agricultural goods produced in Arsania are rice, cotton, corn, and dairy products. Arsania is one of the largest exporter of raw cotton in Pacifica, though much of the harvest went straight to supply Arsania’s huge textile industry. The textile industry employs almost 18% of Arsania’s workforce in 2023, and is the largest manufacturing chain in the country. In the mining sector, Arsania extracts large amounts of nickel and quartz sand. These raw resources are mostly imported to be turned into high-end electronics in other countries, but recently the government began a series of initiatives designed to develop the electronic industry in Arsania. Apart from these, Arsania mines little amounts of iron ores, precious metals, and limestone. In the service sector, the government comprises the largest percentage of employment, with the telecommunication and financial services trailing behind it.

Demographics

Culture