Balak Numudu
| Numudu | |||||
| |||||
| Capital | Numudu | ||||
| Languages | Balak, Coastal Jutean | ||||
| Government | Mixed colonial and local administration | ||||
| History | |||||
| • | Treaty of Sitti and Balakia | 1874 | |||
| • | De facto end of the colony | 1955 | |||
| • | De iure restoration of Jutean sovereignty | 1974 | |||
Balak Numudu, alternatively known as Colonial Numudu, was a colony in the northern part of the island of Jute.
Origin
The colony was officially established under Balak administration in 1874 as a result of the Treaty of Numudu and Balakia, to give the Balak Empire access to the resources and markets of Jute and the Ystelian mainland, and to provide a base from which pirates that frequently raided Balak and other merchant ships could be fought.
Territory
According to the Balak Empire, it consisted of the coastal Jutean city of Numudu and surrounding territories, however, Jutean understanding was that only a single free-harbor zone in the town of Numudu was under Balak control. The confusion arose from the specific interpretation of the phrasing "Community of Numudu", as a "community" in Balakia is generally used to refer to an entire town and sometimes its surroundings, whereas in Jute an unspecified "community" refers exclusively to neighborhood-level administrative divisions that can not have more than 1,000 inhabitants. This was a frequent source of conflict and friction between natives and colonial officials, the most famous being the Zaratan Incident.
Culture
Balak Numudu is known to be the birthplace of Jutean Kaseh and an aggressive variety of Balak swing dance, and also was the gateway for many Balak and other international dishes. Via its port many new ingredients were brought to Jute and numerous noodle establishment, mobile and stationary, could be found, with some still existing in the modern day.
Zarasaism was the predominant religion of Balak Numudu. A gharam, a simple Zarasaist temple, was constructed soon after establishment of the colony, incorporating local materials and some local designs into the traditional Balak architecture by necessity. It was one of the cultural centers of the colony, and its undisputed religious center.
Decolonization
After the loss of the Balak mainland in 1952 the remaining territories still considering themselves as making up the Balak Empire gave up on enforcing the claim on Balak Numudu that de iure would have only expired in 1974, with the settlers either leaving or naturalizing, becoming citizens of Jutean communities.