Difference between revisions of "Archive:Norjihan"
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Norjihan (/nɒd͡ʒɪhan/; Norjihani: <small><small>{{cs|SJU|nodjinen}}</small></small> /noʊd͡ʒaɪnin/), officially The Serene Gennist Republic of the Lesser Norjihan (Norjihani: <small><small>{{cs|SJU|va damcaxen cezyvozo ge genows nodjinen sillazen}}</small></small> /vɛ dɛmiɛχin ɕizivoʊzoʊ gi ginɔs noʊd͡ʒaɪnin saɪɬɛzin]), is a country in the region of [[Southern Baredina]], border to the west by [[The Kingdom of Szezkia | Szezkia]], to the north by [[Izovangia]], to the west by [[Withei]] and to the south by [[Spitinda]] and [[Yaichalo]]. Norjihan's territory has an area of 587,698 km2 (226,911.47 sq. miles) and is fairly high, with the highest point being Mount Shazanosh at 3,009m, although the lowest points of Norjihan, although then there are area that are 10m below sea level and below, all these are mainly on the border with Szezkia in the [[Govegzosh Plain]]. The population as of 2017 (estimated) is 30 million, of whom almost all are of Szezko-Norjihani ethnicity, with 2% others (mainly from surrounding countries and not counting non-humans, who aren't citizens). The capital of Norjihan is [[Hajenired], also the largest city in Norjihan which makes up 9.7% of the entire population. The majority language is [[Norjihani]], with small communities of other languages, mainly on the borders with other countries (however, Norjihani is encouraged greatly). | Norjihan (/nɒd͡ʒɪhan/; Norjihani: <small><small>{{cs|SJU|nodjinen}}</small></small> /noʊd͡ʒaɪnin/), officially The Serene Gennist Republic of the Lesser Norjihan (Norjihani: <small><small>{{cs|SJU|va damcaxen cezyvozo ge genows nodjinen sillazen}}</small></small> /vɛ dɛmiɛχin ɕizivoʊzoʊ gi ginɔs noʊd͡ʒaɪnin saɪɬɛzin]), is a country in the region of [[Southern Baredina]], border to the west by [[The Kingdom of Szezkia | Szezkia]], to the north by [[Izovangia]], to the west by [[Withei]] and to the south by [[Spitinda]] and [[Yaichalo]]. Norjihan's territory has an area of 587,698 km2 (226,911.47 sq. miles) and is fairly high, with the highest point being Mount Shazanosh at 3,009m, although the lowest points of Norjihan, although then there are area that are 10m below sea level and below, all these are mainly on the border with Szezkia in the [[Govegzosh Plain]]. The population as of 2017 (estimated) is 30 million, of whom almost all are of Szezko-Norjihani ethnicity, with 2% others (mainly from surrounding countries and not counting non-humans, who aren't citizens). The capital of Norjihan is [[Hajenired]], also the largest city in Norjihan which makes up 9.7% of the entire population. The majority language is [[Norjihani]], with small communities of other languages, mainly on the borders with other countries (however, Norjihani is encouraged greatly). | ||
The Proto-Norjihani culture originally arrived in the area that comprises modern Norjihan and Szezkia in the late 3rd Century (it is unknown when exactly), being lead by Gennist Prophet and legendary King [[Mahadras Mahadrin]]. The beginnings of Modern Norjihan can be traced to the creation of the title of High Chief of the Norjihanis in 1175, to lead the tribes in war and diplomacy and to act as a figurehead. The first High Chief was [[Mahiraz I]], who gave himself the title and then ensured the other chiefs agreed, either through war or diplomacy. Over time, the High Chief gained more powers; after the 'War of Brothers' from 1369-1374, [[Fengalle I]] established most of the major powers, including personal taxes for the chief and the ability to raise an army at order. In 1524, [[Vasan Vomeja]] secured this powers, and in all but name became a King. The title of High Chief had always been elective, although only 4 tribes had ever held the title. The Kingdom of Norjihan was founded in 1564 by [[Govegz I]] after he usurped the last High Chief, Djerev Szečky. The Council of Hajenired established Lordinal dominance over Norjihan in 1706, after a long civil war, establishing an elected body to advice the King made up of representatives of all the tribes. The Grand Council of 1726 consolidated these powers and narrowly avoided another civil war. In 1896, Klárus Olboros became King of All Norjihanis following the death of Yrettap Llodinou, and the [[House of Olboros]] have been the monarchs of Norjihan since, except during the 34 year dictatorship from 1950-1984; they fled to Letzia after the [[Dark Revolution]]. | The Proto-Norjihani culture originally arrived in the area that comprises modern Norjihan and Szezkia in the late 3rd Century (it is unknown when exactly), being lead by Gennist Prophet and legendary King [[Mahadras Mahadrin]]. The beginnings of Modern Norjihan can be traced to the creation of the title of High Chief of the Norjihanis in 1175, to lead the tribes in war and diplomacy and to act as a figurehead. The first High Chief was [[Mahiraz I]], who gave himself the title and then ensured the other chiefs agreed, either through war or diplomacy. Over time, the High Chief gained more powers; after the 'War of Brothers' from 1369-1374, [[Fengalle I]] established most of the major powers, including personal taxes for the chief and the ability to raise an army at order. In 1524, [[Vasan Vomeja]] secured this powers, and in all but name became a King. The title of High Chief had always been elective, although only 4 tribes had ever held the title. The Kingdom of Norjihan was founded in 1564 by [[Govegz I]] after he usurped the last High Chief, Djerev Szečky. The Council of Hajenired established Lordinal dominance over Norjihan in 1706, after a long civil war, establishing an elected body to advice the King made up of representatives of all the tribes. The Grand Council of 1726 consolidated these powers and narrowly avoided another civil war. In 1896, Klárus Olboros became King of All Norjihanis following the death of Yrettap Llodinou, and the [[House of Olboros]] have been the monarchs of Norjihan since, except during the 34 year dictatorship from 1950-1984; they fled to Letzia after the [[Dark Revolution]]. | ||
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==History== | ==History== | ||
===Proto-Baredan Migations=== | |||
Studies from geneological studies and historical evidence suggest that the Proto-Baredan people arrived in Bareda between 300-100 BCE, centered on the Yai valley with small groups in the northern plains, seemingly coming from the same region as the Ydtobogan peoples who now live in Ekuosia. Other information supporting this includes the potential linguistic link between the Kauzic languages and the Baredan languages, and the general trace of the culture in archeological sites coming down from Ekuosia. Not much is known about the Proto-Baredan culture due to the lack of concrete evidence from archeology, although it is known that modern Norjihanis are the descendants of the Proto-Baredans. It is also clear that the Proto-Baredans had interactions with the Xhovian aboriginal culture of the region, and the Xhovians appear to have caused the modern spread of the Baredan peoples. | |||
[[File:Stonetown.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A section of the ruins at [[Dorëlytuvin]]]] | |||
The majority of the information that we know about the Proto-Baredans comes from the remains of Dorëlytuvin in modern Yaichalo, the only major archeological site of the era linked to the Baredan peoples. It was the destruction of this site and others by an influx of Xhovian tribes which led to the Norjihani and Szezk tribes leaving the area and arriving in the region that is now Norjihan and [[Szezkia]], displanting the local 'Fisherman Culture'. This movement was led by [[Mahadras Mahadrin]], the first King of the Norjihanis and a prophet of Genn in the [[Mahadran Gennism|Mahadran Gennist]] faith. | |||
===Mahadran Culture=== | ===Mahadran Culture=== | ||
The first major civilisation and cultural grouping in Norjihan was the Mahadran culture, centred on the city of [[Mahagrazh]] | The first major civilisation and cultural grouping in Norjihan was the Mahadran culture that existed from roughly 300CE until around 600CE, centred on the city of [[Mahagrazh]] which is now a major tourist site near the city of [[Hajenired]]. At its prime, it is believed to have been a major trade hub and the centre of a powerful civilisation, but for whatever reason in the early 6th century the Mahadran culture collapsed, the cities were abandoned and the Mahadrans returned to the tribal ways of their ancestors. This has led some to believe it was a cultural backlash that caused the abandonment of the cities; the Mahadran cities are unlike anything else in Norjihan, likely due to the influences that arrived via trade with the early Ydtobogan peoples. | ||
[[File:Mahagrahz.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The palace complex at [[Mahagrazh]]]] | [[File:Mahagrahz.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The palace complex at [[Mahagrazh]]]] | ||
However, this (if it is at all the case) can only partly explain what happened. One later written source, written by a priest from Hajenired, suggests that some sort of 'plague' befell the Mahadran civilisation. What sort of plague this was is unknown, although a decline caused by an epidemic is amongst the most likely scenarios despite the lack of evidence to back up the source. It is possible that hill tribes harried the cities as well, or maybe a mixture of all of these things led to it; Norjihani historian [[Makiso Llodinou Yran]] said that 'It is impossible for us to know what happened to the Mahadrans, only that they suddenly declined and returned to tribalism, completely abandoning the old cities'. | However, this (if it is at all the case) can only partly explain what happened. One later written source, written by a priest from Hajenired, suggests that some sort of 'plague' befell the Mahadran civilisation. What sort of plague this was is unknown, although a decline caused by an epidemic is amongst the most likely scenarios despite the lack of evidence to back up the source. It is possible that hill tribes harried the cities as well, or maybe a mixture of all of these things led to it; Norjihani historian [[Makiso Llodinou Yran]] said that 'It is impossible for us to know what happened to the Mahadrans, only that they suddenly declined and returned to tribalism, completely abandoning the old cities'. | ||
One of the distinguishing marks of the Mahadran cultures are the ruins of 'Dom Movytishinen', or 'Stone Towers', which are cylidrical towers with rounded tops and balcony like structures in the middle, and stairs on the outside which could quickly be removed due to the construction of the towers; they were of a dry stone construction typical of early Baredan structures. It is unclear what these towers are for; they may have been guard towers or beacons, but their abundance in the landscape suggests an important function. Many are local landmarks and serve as ruins, but the best preserved one is found at the abandoned capital at Mahagrazh. The cylindrical structure fits with the earlier Baredan cultures, for whom arches and circles were important symbols. This suggests that the Mahadran culture was a stange almagamation of Baredan ideals and outside aspects, especially in the large towns were important buildings were often rectangular in shape (although arcs could be found within them). | One of the distinguishing marks of the Mahadran cultures are the ruins of 'Dom Movytishinen', or 'Stone Towers', which are cylidrical towers with rounded tops and balcony like structures in the middle, and stairs on the outside which could quickly be removed due to the construction of the towers; they were of a dry stone construction typical of early Baredan structures. It is unclear what these towers are for; they may have been guard towers or beacons, but their abundance in the landscape suggests an important function. Many are local landmarks and serve as ruins, but the best preserved one is found at the abandoned capital at Mahagrazh. The cylindrical structure fits with the earlier Baredan cultures, for whom arches and circles were important symbols. This suggests that the Mahadran culture was a stange almagamation of Baredan ideals and outside aspects, especially in the large towns were important buildings were often rectangular in shape (although arcs could be found within them). | ||
===Early Medieval Norjihan=== | |||
After the collapse of this culture, the Norjihanis divided back into their previous tribal units based on new cities, built in a much simpler fashion than the grand ruins of cities like Mahagrazh, which were soon viewed with awe and suspicion as 'Cities of the Spirits'. However, it was far from the 'Dark Ages' that many historians prescribe it as. As the Old Norjihani language appeared, priests and artists created pieces such as the 'Book of Prayers', the first traceable religious text of Mahadran Gennism which seemingly survived the collapse of the Mahadran culture, and poetry also seems to have flourished with epics like 'The Battle of Tyrango', still widely studied today, being written (many of the authors have no names and are simply grouped by similarities) | |||
It is known that the Norjihani tribes did in some sense have a common identity as they often banded together to deal with wars and outside influences, and even influenced events such as the first Phe'eran War in Sjuu, and despite the broken nature of Norjihan there was some structure, created by a 'Council of the Tribes' which met every year to deal with intertribal disputes and other concerns. Tribal conflict was very common and several tribes became stronger, most especially the Szečky, the Rona, the Vomeja and the Hyventura. This loose confederational structure meant that overall Norjihan suffered, with the average age (from skeletal remains) dropping to 32, from 43 during the Mahadran period. Beyond several artifacts and the texts of later historians, there is not much knowledge about what happened at the time. | |||
===Late Medieval Period=== | |||
Norjihani Medieval history is mostly split into two sections, Early and Late. The Early period, as aforementioned, is noted for the lack of evidence surrounding it and the loose confederation of the tribes. However, in 1175, the Vomeja chief Mahiraz was crowned as High Chief of Norjihan, which represented the beginning of a change in Norjihani culture and society. The creation of the elected High Chief did not come without bloodshed, after Mahiraz killed the Ronish chief Bramos at the [[Battle of the Grand Conspiracy]]. The [[Grand Conspiracy]] was composed of Bramos, Polen Bavadi and Uko Jasam, three chiefs who were uncomfortable with the amount of power yielded by Mahiraz, who had established Vomeja as a major power with trade links to Ekuosia and a great centre of learning centred on [[Hajenired]]. Bramos had invited Mahiraz and his court to a grand feast in Ronyg, and attempted to kill them. However, Mahiraz had been informed and instead marched his army on Ronyg, and Bramos fled. The forces of Polen and Uko arrived, and the battle was fought two days on a field 5 miles from Ronyg. The death of Bramos spelled the end of the conspiracy, and Mahiraz used it to convince the tribes to crown him High King, with his capital in Hajenired. | |||
[[File:MahirazI.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A 17th century portrait of [[Mahiraz I]]]] | |||
The Grand Chief, however, was a rather powerless and symbolic figure. Outside of Hajenired, which was the cultural and financial centre of Norjihan that modelled itself on cultures in Ekuosia, the influence of the High Chief was barely felt, despite the later image of Mahiraz I as a great unifier of the Norjihani people. The tribal situation remained much the same, with individual chiefs yielding power over tribal regions and individual tribal conflicts continued much the same as before. The powers of the High Chief increased over time however. Beginning with Janam II in 1497 in his 'Bill of Powers', the High Chiefs gained more and more powers, establishing an elected generalship and a central army, a levy on the tribes and several other powers, as power became more and more centralised on Hajenired. When Vasan Vomeja died in 1549, the High Chief was effectively a king, except he had no power over the army and the tribal chiefs retained the right to raise their own armies and tax their own citizens. | |||
In 1549, Djerev Szečky became High Chief of the Norjihanis, much to the annoyance of [[Govegz Rona]], chief of the Rona. Govegz refused to accept Djerev as High Chief, and according to one contemporary source he spat on Govegz's crown and refused to pay the Royal Tax; Govegz has stood for the title of High Chief but was seen as too much of a reformer. However, Govegz's close childhood friend (and potentially lover) Urasi Volmeja remained in the court and the two began a conspiracy to bring down Djerev, after Govegz swore fealty to Djerev in 1552. In 1555, the death of Grand General and the swearing in of Govegz on the same day into the position (he was in Hajenired at the time) meant the army was under his control, and 5 days later Govegz siezed power. He personally killed Djerev and had the majority of the Szezk court murdered, along with Djerev's wife and children (legend dictates this was done by Urasi, and this seems to have some historical credence). However, some of the court escaped and a group of soldiers failed to kill Zagrov and Alsja Szečky, who became the founders of the royal family of [[Szezkia]], which became independent following the [[Battle of Avdjereg]] | |||
===Kingdom of Norjihan=== | |||
Govegz Rona quickly secured his grip on power, including murdering the High Priest of Genn and his own brothers, as well as 10,000 Szezk women and children in the [[Massacre of the Field of Hanaszg]]. He merged his title of Grand General with the title of High Chief, and in 1564 crowned himself [[King of All Norjihanis]]. Govegz's reign was amongst the most bloody in the history of Sahar, with rebellion after rebellion quashed and potentially 1 million people killed during his 8 year reign. He was killed under suspicious circumstances, perhaps by his son [[Llavydga]]. [[Thuhan Rona]] then came to the throne and proved a bad fit, being more interested in male lovers than his kingship, which led to the [[Rebellion of the Tribes]] and the foundation of the Tribal Council, an advisory council made up of representatives of the Tribes which was beginning to morph into a traditional aristocracy. Thuhan was murdered in 1577, aged 26, by Lavydga, who then became King, and he revoked all of the traditional powers of the tribes (although the council remained) and ruled in a similar, yet less bloody, style to his father. Lavydga died in 1598, and his son Ystan began a more calm, stately style of Kingdom. He granted estates to members of his court, who styled themselves in an aristocratic style yet were also proud of their tribal ancestory and claimed their titles from that root, and Hajenired became the official capital of the state. | |||
[[File:Rasmusllodinou.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Rasmuz Lordinal]], the first Lordinal King of Norjihan]] | |||
In Hajenired in the 1680s, a family of merchants called the [[Lordinal]]s (Llodinou in Norjihani) were granted patronage by [[King Amorroz]], and recieved the city of Hajenired itself as their estate after the previous holder died. The Llodinous soon manipulated this to their advantage, and in 1706 [[Rasmuz]] Llodinou siezed the throne of Norjihan, then held by the unpopular [[King Gagan II]]. This was met with little resistance, and so the Llodinou dynasty took power. The Lordinal variety of [[Norjihani]] became the prestige form (previously this had been Vomeja) and all other languages were persecuted so that today only Norjihani, especially the Lordinal variety as the standard, remain. In general, however, the reign of Rasmus Llodinou was a golden age for Norjihan, with the nation (especially the aristocracy) becoming immensly rich through trade and the arts flourished. | |||
The peace of the Lordinal reign didn't last forever however, as in 1758 [[Faren II]] took the throne of | |||
==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
Revision as of 18:28, 17 February 2017
| The Serene Gennist Federation of the Lesser Norjihan va damcaxen cezyvozo ge genows nodjinen sillazen |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Motto: waɵan ge genvag nodjinenows ɵwegina
Wathan gze Gzenvagz Nodjinenows thwegzihna There is no Norjihan without Gzen |
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| Capital and largest city | Hajenired | |||
| Official languages | Norjihani | |||
| Recognised regional languages | Szezk | |||
| Ethnic groups (2016) | Szezko-Norjihani - 98%, Other - 2% | |||
| Demonym | Norjihani | |||
| Government | Federal Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy | |||
| - | King of All Norjihanis | Uzedlem Olboros
.jpg) |
||
| - | Prime Minister | Jula Boren | ||
| - | Prince Elect | Vuren Lorndinal | ||
| Legislature | The Councils | |||
| - | Upper house | Council of the Tribes | ||
| - | Lower house | Council of the People | ||
| Establishment | ||||
| - | Formation of the Kingdom of Norjihan | 1564 | ||
| - | The Grand Council | 1762 | ||
| - | The Fall of Vadini | 1984 | ||
| Area | ||||
| - | Total | 587,698 km2 226,911.47 sq mi |
||
| - | Water (%) | 4% | ||
| Population | ||||
| - | 2017 estimate | 30,000,000 | ||
| - | Density | 51.04/km2 132.21/sq mi |
||
| GDP (PPP) | 2015 estimate | |||
| - | Total | ₣110,500,130,256 | ||
| - | Per capita | ₣20,090.93 | ||
| Gini (2015) | 30.1 medium |
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| HDI (2016) | 0.83 very high |
|||
| Currency | Fagzamuz (FGZ) | |||
| Time zone | NMT (SCT+1) | |||
| Date format | yyyy.mm.dd, CE | |||
| Drives on the | left | |||
| Calling code | +591 | |||
| Internet TLD | .no | |||
Norjihan (/nɒd͡ʒɪhan/; Norjihani: nodjinen /noʊd͡ʒaɪnin/), officially The Serene Gennist Republic of the Lesser Norjihan (Norjihani: va damcaxen cezyvozo ge genows nodjinen sillazen /vɛ dɛmiɛχin ɕizivoʊzoʊ gi ginɔs noʊd͡ʒaɪnin saɪɬɛzin]), is a country in the region of Southern Baredina, border to the west by Szezkia, to the north by Izovangia, to the west by Withei and to the south by Spitinda and Yaichalo. Norjihan's territory has an area of 587,698 km2 (226,911.47 sq. miles) and is fairly high, with the highest point being Mount Shazanosh at 3,009m, although the lowest points of Norjihan, although then there are area that are 10m below sea level and below, all these are mainly on the border with Szezkia in the Govegzosh Plain. The population as of 2017 (estimated) is 30 million, of whom almost all are of Szezko-Norjihani ethnicity, with 2% others (mainly from surrounding countries and not counting non-humans, who aren't citizens). The capital of Norjihan is Hajenired, also the largest city in Norjihan which makes up 9.7% of the entire population. The majority language is Norjihani, with small communities of other languages, mainly on the borders with other countries (however, Norjihani is encouraged greatly).
The Proto-Norjihani culture originally arrived in the area that comprises modern Norjihan and Szezkia in the late 3rd Century (it is unknown when exactly), being lead by Gennist Prophet and legendary King Mahadras Mahadrin. The beginnings of Modern Norjihan can be traced to the creation of the title of High Chief of the Norjihanis in 1175, to lead the tribes in war and diplomacy and to act as a figurehead. The first High Chief was Mahiraz I, who gave himself the title and then ensured the other chiefs agreed, either through war or diplomacy. Over time, the High Chief gained more powers; after the 'War of Brothers' from 1369-1374, Fengalle I established most of the major powers, including personal taxes for the chief and the ability to raise an army at order. In 1524, Vasan Vomeja secured this powers, and in all but name became a King. The title of High Chief had always been elective, although only 4 tribes had ever held the title. The Kingdom of Norjihan was founded in 1564 by Govegz I after he usurped the last High Chief, Djerev Szečky. The Council of Hajenired established Lordinal dominance over Norjihan in 1706, after a long civil war, establishing an elected body to advice the King made up of representatives of all the tribes. The Grand Council of 1726 consolidated these powers and narrowly avoided another civil war. In 1896, Klárus Olboros became King of All Norjihanis following the death of Yrettap Llodinou, and the House of Olboros have been the monarchs of Norjihan since, except during the 34 year dictatorship from 1950-1984; they fled to Letzia after the Dark Revolution.
The Royal Family are nowadays a symbolic figurehead of the old power, but retain the right to block laws and recall the Councils as necessary, as well as being the main diplomatic figurehead, meaning the Monarch is vitally important in foreign affairs. Most functions are taken by the Councils, a bicameral system made up of the Council of the Tribes, which contains representatives from each of the 9 federal areas (named and related to the 9 biggest historical tribes), and the Council of the People, which is made up of elected representatives elected every 5 years and representing 657 constituencies. The Prime Minister of Norjihan is the head of government and manages the running of Norjihan. The central federal government controls many aspects of life, although the individual 'Tribes' each have an extensive amount of power to control local affairs; for example, the federal government decides how large a budget the health system will recieve, whereas the 'tribal' governments decide where within their local systems the money they are allocated will go.
Norjihani culture is quite different to that of neighbouring countries, and especially compared to the Szezk. Norjihani culture has been influenced greatly by Mahadran Gennism, a major subsect of Gennism which places Mahadras Mahadrin, legendary King of the Norjihanis, as a prophet of Genn. 49% of all people life in rural Norjihan, which has a culture based around agriculture and agrarianism, which thanks to the fertile climate of Norjihan means that the country serves as a 'breadbasket' for South Baredina. Modern city life in Norjihan has been influenced mainly by Szezk culture, although it retains its focus on personal reflection, faith in Genn and being involved in some sort of art. Modern technology is slowly working its way into Norjihan, with 80% of people having some sort of connection to the internet; all of this is imported, as Gennism forbids the creation of technology that 'damages or scars the land of Kalkatur'. Norjihan is relatively well developed, and quality of life (especially in rural areas) are generally very high. The more community based approach to politics makes it distinct from nearby Szezkia.
History
Proto-Baredan Migations
Studies from geneological studies and historical evidence suggest that the Proto-Baredan people arrived in Bareda between 300-100 BCE, centered on the Yai valley with small groups in the northern plains, seemingly coming from the same region as the Ydtobogan peoples who now live in Ekuosia. Other information supporting this includes the potential linguistic link between the Kauzic languages and the Baredan languages, and the general trace of the culture in archeological sites coming down from Ekuosia. Not much is known about the Proto-Baredan culture due to the lack of concrete evidence from archeology, although it is known that modern Norjihanis are the descendants of the Proto-Baredans. It is also clear that the Proto-Baredans had interactions with the Xhovian aboriginal culture of the region, and the Xhovians appear to have caused the modern spread of the Baredan peoples.
The majority of the information that we know about the Proto-Baredans comes from the remains of Dorëlytuvin in modern Yaichalo, the only major archeological site of the era linked to the Baredan peoples. It was the destruction of this site and others by an influx of Xhovian tribes which led to the Norjihani and Szezk tribes leaving the area and arriving in the region that is now Norjihan and Szezkia, displanting the local 'Fisherman Culture'. This movement was led by Mahadras Mahadrin, the first King of the Norjihanis and a prophet of Genn in the Mahadran Gennist faith.
Mahadran Culture
The first major civilisation and cultural grouping in Norjihan was the Mahadran culture that existed from roughly 300CE until around 600CE, centred on the city of Mahagrazh which is now a major tourist site near the city of Hajenired. At its prime, it is believed to have been a major trade hub and the centre of a powerful civilisation, but for whatever reason in the early 6th century the Mahadran culture collapsed, the cities were abandoned and the Mahadrans returned to the tribal ways of their ancestors. This has led some to believe it was a cultural backlash that caused the abandonment of the cities; the Mahadran cities are unlike anything else in Norjihan, likely due to the influences that arrived via trade with the early Ydtobogan peoples.
However, this (if it is at all the case) can only partly explain what happened. One later written source, written by a priest from Hajenired, suggests that some sort of 'plague' befell the Mahadran civilisation. What sort of plague this was is unknown, although a decline caused by an epidemic is amongst the most likely scenarios despite the lack of evidence to back up the source. It is possible that hill tribes harried the cities as well, or maybe a mixture of all of these things led to it; Norjihani historian Makiso Llodinou Yran said that 'It is impossible for us to know what happened to the Mahadrans, only that they suddenly declined and returned to tribalism, completely abandoning the old cities'.
One of the distinguishing marks of the Mahadran cultures are the ruins of 'Dom Movytishinen', or 'Stone Towers', which are cylidrical towers with rounded tops and balcony like structures in the middle, and stairs on the outside which could quickly be removed due to the construction of the towers; they were of a dry stone construction typical of early Baredan structures. It is unclear what these towers are for; they may have been guard towers or beacons, but their abundance in the landscape suggests an important function. Many are local landmarks and serve as ruins, but the best preserved one is found at the abandoned capital at Mahagrazh. The cylindrical structure fits with the earlier Baredan cultures, for whom arches and circles were important symbols. This suggests that the Mahadran culture was a stange almagamation of Baredan ideals and outside aspects, especially in the large towns were important buildings were often rectangular in shape (although arcs could be found within them).
Early Medieval Norjihan
After the collapse of this culture, the Norjihanis divided back into their previous tribal units based on new cities, built in a much simpler fashion than the grand ruins of cities like Mahagrazh, which were soon viewed with awe and suspicion as 'Cities of the Spirits'. However, it was far from the 'Dark Ages' that many historians prescribe it as. As the Old Norjihani language appeared, priests and artists created pieces such as the 'Book of Prayers', the first traceable religious text of Mahadran Gennism which seemingly survived the collapse of the Mahadran culture, and poetry also seems to have flourished with epics like 'The Battle of Tyrango', still widely studied today, being written (many of the authors have no names and are simply grouped by similarities)
It is known that the Norjihani tribes did in some sense have a common identity as they often banded together to deal with wars and outside influences, and even influenced events such as the first Phe'eran War in Sjuu, and despite the broken nature of Norjihan there was some structure, created by a 'Council of the Tribes' which met every year to deal with intertribal disputes and other concerns. Tribal conflict was very common and several tribes became stronger, most especially the Szečky, the Rona, the Vomeja and the Hyventura. This loose confederational structure meant that overall Norjihan suffered, with the average age (from skeletal remains) dropping to 32, from 43 during the Mahadran period. Beyond several artifacts and the texts of later historians, there is not much knowledge about what happened at the time.
Late Medieval Period
Norjihani Medieval history is mostly split into two sections, Early and Late. The Early period, as aforementioned, is noted for the lack of evidence surrounding it and the loose confederation of the tribes. However, in 1175, the Vomeja chief Mahiraz was crowned as High Chief of Norjihan, which represented the beginning of a change in Norjihani culture and society. The creation of the elected High Chief did not come without bloodshed, after Mahiraz killed the Ronish chief Bramos at the Battle of the Grand Conspiracy. The Grand Conspiracy was composed of Bramos, Polen Bavadi and Uko Jasam, three chiefs who were uncomfortable with the amount of power yielded by Mahiraz, who had established Vomeja as a major power with trade links to Ekuosia and a great centre of learning centred on Hajenired. Bramos had invited Mahiraz and his court to a grand feast in Ronyg, and attempted to kill them. However, Mahiraz had been informed and instead marched his army on Ronyg, and Bramos fled. The forces of Polen and Uko arrived, and the battle was fought two days on a field 5 miles from Ronyg. The death of Bramos spelled the end of the conspiracy, and Mahiraz used it to convince the tribes to crown him High King, with his capital in Hajenired.
The Grand Chief, however, was a rather powerless and symbolic figure. Outside of Hajenired, which was the cultural and financial centre of Norjihan that modelled itself on cultures in Ekuosia, the influence of the High Chief was barely felt, despite the later image of Mahiraz I as a great unifier of the Norjihani people. The tribal situation remained much the same, with individual chiefs yielding power over tribal regions and individual tribal conflicts continued much the same as before. The powers of the High Chief increased over time however. Beginning with Janam II in 1497 in his 'Bill of Powers', the High Chiefs gained more and more powers, establishing an elected generalship and a central army, a levy on the tribes and several other powers, as power became more and more centralised on Hajenired. When Vasan Vomeja died in 1549, the High Chief was effectively a king, except he had no power over the army and the tribal chiefs retained the right to raise their own armies and tax their own citizens.
In 1549, Djerev Szečky became High Chief of the Norjihanis, much to the annoyance of Govegz Rona, chief of the Rona. Govegz refused to accept Djerev as High Chief, and according to one contemporary source he spat on Govegz's crown and refused to pay the Royal Tax; Govegz has stood for the title of High Chief but was seen as too much of a reformer. However, Govegz's close childhood friend (and potentially lover) Urasi Volmeja remained in the court and the two began a conspiracy to bring down Djerev, after Govegz swore fealty to Djerev in 1552. In 1555, the death of Grand General and the swearing in of Govegz on the same day into the position (he was in Hajenired at the time) meant the army was under his control, and 5 days later Govegz siezed power. He personally killed Djerev and had the majority of the Szezk court murdered, along with Djerev's wife and children (legend dictates this was done by Urasi, and this seems to have some historical credence). However, some of the court escaped and a group of soldiers failed to kill Zagrov and Alsja Szečky, who became the founders of the royal family of Szezkia, which became independent following the Battle of Avdjereg
Kingdom of Norjihan
Govegz Rona quickly secured his grip on power, including murdering the High Priest of Genn and his own brothers, as well as 10,000 Szezk women and children in the Massacre of the Field of Hanaszg. He merged his title of Grand General with the title of High Chief, and in 1564 crowned himself King of All Norjihanis. Govegz's reign was amongst the most bloody in the history of Sahar, with rebellion after rebellion quashed and potentially 1 million people killed during his 8 year reign. He was killed under suspicious circumstances, perhaps by his son Llavydga. Thuhan Rona then came to the throne and proved a bad fit, being more interested in male lovers than his kingship, which led to the Rebellion of the Tribes and the foundation of the Tribal Council, an advisory council made up of representatives of the Tribes which was beginning to morph into a traditional aristocracy. Thuhan was murdered in 1577, aged 26, by Lavydga, who then became King, and he revoked all of the traditional powers of the tribes (although the council remained) and ruled in a similar, yet less bloody, style to his father. Lavydga died in 1598, and his son Ystan began a more calm, stately style of Kingdom. He granted estates to members of his court, who styled themselves in an aristocratic style yet were also proud of their tribal ancestory and claimed their titles from that root, and Hajenired became the official capital of the state.
In Hajenired in the 1680s, a family of merchants called the Lordinals (Llodinou in Norjihani) were granted patronage by King Amorroz, and recieved the city of Hajenired itself as their estate after the previous holder died. The Llodinous soon manipulated this to their advantage, and in 1706 Rasmuz Llodinou siezed the throne of Norjihan, then held by the unpopular King Gagan II. This was met with little resistance, and so the Llodinou dynasty took power. The Lordinal variety of Norjihani became the prestige form (previously this had been Vomeja) and all other languages were persecuted so that today only Norjihani, especially the Lordinal variety as the standard, remain. In general, however, the reign of Rasmus Llodinou was a golden age for Norjihan, with the nation (especially the aristocracy) becoming immensly rich through trade and the arts flourished.
The peace of the Lordinal reign didn't last forever however, as in 1758 Faren II took the throne of