Umirid Empire

The Umirid Empire was a state that controlled much of Near East between 775 BCE and late third century. It was founded in the 7th century BCE, consolodating after the death of Prophet Jorchek, under the reign of Umir I the Great, who became leader of the Akhadic communities shortly before Jorchek died.

With Askhabad as its capital and control of lands between the Galisian empire and northwestern Ostara, the Umirid Empire was at the centre of interactions between Eastern Brigidna and Ostara for four centuries. At the beginning of the 5th century BCE, during the peak of its power, the Umirid Empire contained 21 provinces and several vassal states. Some of these were later absorbed into the Umirid Empire, while others were granted various types of autonomy during the course of the next centuries.

In the 3th century, the Umirid Empire experienced their last period of decadence, which resulted in constant social unrest, power struggles, and social wars which resulted in the loss of most of their territories and eventually to its final collapse and partitioning in several states.

History

823 BCE: Jorchek is born in Ashkabad to Kyrzbek parents. He would be killed in Ashar in 769 BCE. His body would be desecrated and thrown from the city walls into the river. His life and teachings would be the foundation of Akhadism, which would come to dominate the eastern Near East by the end of the millennium. 800 BCE: Tyrosian civilization reached its peak, inhabiting much of the Pythian Sea and Terran Sea coastline in largely independent city-states. By this time, the influence of Tyros over its old colonies would have waned significantly. 787 BCE: Jorchek is said to receive visions from Akhad and begins preaching in the name of this new god. 784 BCE: Ashkabad is saved from defeat by an unknown enemy by Jorchek's tactical genius. Jorchek is hailed a hero and much of the populace convert to Akhadism. 783 BCE: The ruler of Ashkabad attempts to assassinate Jorchek out of fear of his growing influence. A popular revolt in response leads to the overthrow of the ruler of Ashkabad. Jorchek would lead the Akhadic faithful on campaigns throughout the southeastern Near East, conquering much of modern-day Zargistan and Gallia. 775 BCE: Jorchek is said to have received a vision from Akhad, leading him to abdicate political power. He goes on great journeys, travelling and preaching across the Near East. His trusted adviser Umir takes his place as the political leader of the Akhadic faith, beginning what historians would call the Umirid Empire. 769 BCE: Jorchek arrives in Ashar. He is arrested by the Asharite authorities and given to a frenzied crowd of Raastican zealots, who beat him to death, desecrate his body, and throw his corpse from the city walls into the river. 767 BCE: Ashar is invaded and massacred by the Umirid Empire. Its surviving populace is forcibly converted to Akhadism and many Akhadists resettle there. The Kutsal Peyabes is built in Jorchek's memory. 600 BCE: The Umirid Empire expanded eastward, consuming the majority of modern-day Zargistan. 400 BCE: The Umirid Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent, ruling over much of the southern Near East. 290 BCE: The Galasian Empire invades the Umirid Empire, pushing the Umirids' western frontier back to their heartland in Zargistan. 98 BCE: Galasian Empire and Sentrite Empire invade the Mahkal Empire, partitioning its southern territories between one another. The Galasian Empire would gain much of what would later become western Angiris while the Sentrites would gain nearly all territory east and south of Azreae west of Arreatian Mountains, including much of modern-day Pythos. 46 BCE: The death of Imperator Galivas IV of the Galasian Empire leads to a civil war between his three sons; Arnus Valarian, Kolin Marius, and Breton Thoros. 12: The Galasian Empire collapses following half a century of civil war and rebellion. The Kingdoms of I'valis and Corali are formed from the remains of the Galasian southern provinces and adopt the imperial government format while retaining the Galasian culture. Valadria and Anderis reclaim their original cultures from before the Galasians arrived centuries earlier.

Government

During most of its history, the state organization of the Umirid Empire was a system with two main dimensions, the military administration and the civil administration. The monarch was the highest position in the system. The civil system was based on local administrative divisions based on the local needs and geographical nature.

Although it is often considered as a theocratic state, the state had control over the clergy. The official title of the Umirid monarch was "Derebeyi bal-Sadik" (meaning "Commander or Defender of the Faith"). The rulers of the Umirid Empire officially considered that the state's primary responsability was to defend and extend the land of the Akhadic believers and to ensure security and harmony withing its borders.

The Umirid Empire was unprecedented and unequaled in the Akhadic world for its size and duration. Most of the Umirid dynasties were ethnic Ashkedi in origin, and most of the Umirid monarchs were from the Uğur tribe. On twelve occasions, the monarch was deposed (replaced by another Umirid official, often a relative of the monarch) because he was perceived by his rivals as a threat ot the state.

Head of state

The highest position in the Umirid Empire, "Derebeyi bal-Sadik", was claimed by the Umirid monarchs starting with Umir I. The Umirid monarch, considered the political and spiritual leader of all Akhadic believers, served as the Empire's sole regent and considered to be the embodiment of its government, although he did not always exercise complete control.

Central and local governments

Though he was considered the supreme monarch, the Umirid monarch's political and executive authority was often delegated. The politics of the state had a number of advisors and ministers gathered around a council known as Kural. Originally, the Kural was formed by elders of the main tribes. Its composition was later modified to include military officers, local elites, and imperial clergy.

Throughout Umirid history, specially in later centuries, there were many instances in which local governors acted independently, and even in opposition to the ruler.

Law

The Umirid Empire legal system accepted the Zokuk or Akhadic religious law over its subjects. The Umirid Empire was organized around a system of local jurisprudence, and more secular commerce and trade legislation co-existed with religious law. The jurisdictional complexity of the Umirid Empire was aimed to permit the integration of culturally and ethnically different groups. Still, religious law had preference on most issues.

The Great Akhadic Council, and advisory council formed by Akhadic clergymen and scholars, had a huge influence in matters law and religious doctrine, as well as government policy, although it lacked executive or legislative powers.

Military

The first military unit of the Umirid Empire was an army that was organized by Umir from the tribesmen inhabiting the Ashkabad province following the 783 BCE revolt. The military system became an intriate organization with the advance of the Empire. The Umirid cavalry depended on high speed and mobility rather than heavy armour, using bows and short swords on fast horses, and often applied tactics typical to Kyrzbek warriors, such as pretending to retreat while surrounding the enemy forces inside a crescent-shaped formation and then making the real attack. The Umirid army became during several centuries of on the most advanced fighting forces in the Near East, until the invasion of the Galasian Empire in the fourth century BCE.

Administrative divisions

The Umirid Empire was first subdivided into provinces, with governors appointed by the Umirid monarch.

Economy

The Kingdom of Ashar and nearby states relied on money economies before the Akhadic conquest, and that system remained in effect during the Umirid Empire. Asharite copper coins were still in use until the monetary reforms in 559, in which gold coins named saraliks.

Demographics

At is peak at the 4th century BCE, the Umirid was the third highest populated country in the Near East and Eastern Brigidna.

Language

Old Askhadic language was the official language of the Umirid Empire. It was an Ekremic language highly influenced by Kyrzbek and Ahmadi languages. The Umirid elite had several influential languages: Old Ashkadic, spoken by the majority of the people in the Umirid provinces except in the western coastal and the northeastern provinces; Galasian, only spoken by the educated; Kyrzbek and Asirian, spoken in the eastern provinces and the military, and Ahmadi language, spoken in the southern provinces.

Old Askhadic served as the official administrative language and it was used in Akhadic prayers, while Asirian was mainly a literary language for the educated in the northeastern provinces.

Because of the low literary rate, ordinary people had to hire scribes to be able to communicate with the government. The ethnic groups continued to speak within their families and neighborhoods with their own languages. In villages where two or more populations lived together, the inhabitants would often speak each other's language. In the main cities, people often spoke their family languages, many of those who were not ethnic Askhadi spoke Old Askhadic as a second language.

Religion

The main Akhadic Askhadi tribes were at the top of the society and saw it as their duty to rule over the conquered areas. Despite the fact that Akhadism teaches the equality of all Akhadic believers, the Ashkadi tribes held themselves in higher steem than Akhadic of other ethnicities.

Akhadism was the official religion, and religious law was the base of all legislation.

Non-Akhadic groups were given a legally protected status as second-class citizens as long as they accepted and acknowledged the political supremacy of their Akhadic rulers, i.e., paid a tax, which the Akhadic believers did not have to pay. Although they could not hold the highest public offices in the Umirid Empire, they had many bureaucratic positions within the state. Non-Akhadic communities still continued to produce literature within their communities, but as time wore on, many of the intellectuals converted to Akhadism, leading to a lack of great thinkers and clergy in the non-Akhadic communities.

Akhadic sects regarded as heretical ranked even below other non-Akhadic believers. Arda II ordered the massacre of 20,000 Ahmadi and Haşadi in 681 BCE, and thousands of Galasians were massacred as well during the reigns of Bülent I and Arda III following the invasion of the 5th century BCE.

Culture

The Umirid Empire absorbed some of the traditions, art, and social practices of cultures in the regions they conqured, and added new dimensions to them. Numerous traditions and cultural traits of previous empires (in fields such as architecture, cuisine, music, leisure and government) were adopted by the Umirid Empire, who elaborated them into new forms.

Education

Education in the Umirid Empire was largely divided on ethnic and religious lines: few non-Akhadic attended schools for Akhadic students, and vice versa. Most institutions that did serve all ethnic and religious groups taught in Old Ashkadic.

See also

• Akhadism
• Umir