Gurkani Sultanate (Principia Moderni IV Map Game)

The Gurkani Sultanate, sometimes referred to as the Sultanate of Gurkan or Gurkaniyan, is a state that borders the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Persian Gulf and controls the majority of Central Asia. The Sultanate is generally regarded as a successor state to the Timurid Empire, established by Timur's heir and son, Shahrukh Mirza.

Following decades of political, economic and cultural success, the death of Timur Beg Mirza in 1406 shook the foundations of the Empire he had built, pushing it into civil war. Timur's son and designated heir, Shahrukh Mirza would fight his own brother, Miran Shah for the Empire whilst Timur's grandson, Pir Muhammad would crown himself the Khan of Crimea.

The Battle of Sarai in 1409 however would lead to the capture of Sarai, the capital of the rebellious forces by Shahrukh Mirza. He would proceed to execute his brother, Miran Shah and reunite the Timurid Empire under a single banner. However, not keen on repeating the mistakes of his father, Shahrukh Mirza would subsequently announce the establishment of the Gurkani Sultanate to signify a new united and progressive era.

History
For more information in regards to earlier history, see main article: History of the Timurid Empire

Establishment
The establishment of the Gurkani Sultanate on September 22, 1410 under Sultan Shahrukh Mirza was seen as a turning point in Persian and Turkic history, as the region had never been united under a proper Kingdom since the days of Seljuk Turks. During the early days of the Sultanate, the Imperial authorities had taken note of the need for the Gurkani to develop diplomatic ties with its neighboring states, and therefore the Sultan had soon established matrimonial alliances with the Ottoman Empire, and the Abbasid Calipate. To further expand the scope of Gurkani influence, the Sultan had established the Compact of Iskenderun in the same year to facilitate trade between Europe and Asia. The revenue collected annually from the tariffs levied on merchants utilizing the Compact would very soon exceed what the Sultan, and many of his courtiers had expected; allowing for the Sultanate to divert funds towards the construction of naval fleets in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and the Persian Gulf as well as the development of cannons and firearms. It would indeed be this very period during which the Sultan would establish a marvelous Sunehra Quila (Golden Fort) at Isfahan. By 1414, seeking to ease tensions between the Turkic authorities and the Tatar locals, the Sultan had married his daughter, Marian Mirza to the leader of a major tatar tribe, Karimov Ishakiv and subseuqently granted independence to the Astrakhan Khanate. The Khanate under his son-in-law would not however survive for much long, as it would very soon be invaded and conquered by the Russian Boyardom. With the Sultanate completely cut off from the Black Sea, the Gurkani army invaded the Kingdom of Georgia the same year, and defeated the Georgian forces at the Battle of Tbilisi. The Sultanate would continue to peacefully co-exist with it's neighbouring state until 1420, primarily due to the Sultan resorting to spending hours in the company of his harem and his wife, the Sultana managing the affairs of the state. In 1420 however, with the Fall of Constantinople, the army invaded Genovese territories in Crimea in order to strengthen Gurkani presence in the Black Sea. Despite the harsh environment, and resilient defense; the Gurkani army would eventually prevail after winning the Battle of Theodoro. The same year, the rulers of Trebizond would capitulate peacefully to the Gurkani Sultanate, having no other alternative due to the end of the Byzantine Empire and the growing threat of an Ottoman invasion. Following this, a period of peace and prosperity would exust throughout the Sultanate until the outbreak of a major famine in 1430. Whilst initially causing a major issue in Central Asia due to continuous raids on caravans carrying foods to the starving populace, the famine would finally be dealt with by 1432. In the aftermath of the famine, the Amirs of Samarkand and Bukhara would be assigned with the task of rounding up all those suspected of having engaged in raids, a decision the Sultanate would later suffer grievely over. In 1434, Ulugh Beg Mirza ascended the throne following the death of Shahrukh Mirza and immediately set out to fund the development of educational madrassahs throughout the Sultanate. The same year, the Sultan established the House of Wonders in Isfahan, however his works would prove to be of little value to the increasingly discontent Turkic population of Central Asia. On 1439, a rebellion by the Turkics would spark a major conflict in the region. The Turkic rebels proclaimed the Uzbek Sultanate, and occupied most, if not all of Central Asia. They would proceed fo execute the Crown Prince stationed at Samarkand and declare sovereign rule. The Jalayirids would simultaneously stage a revolt, and would call the Abbasids to intervene. The Sultan would soon find himself caught up inbetween two major revolts and invasions by the Ottoman and Abbasid Empires. Regardless of that, the Sultan would remain steadfast and assign Zeeshan Beg to Mosul whilst Mahmud Mirza to Trebizond. Despite the hard and difficult battle, the Gurkani forces would finally defeat the Abbasids at Mosul, capturing and slaying the Caliph Al Najm. In Trebizond, the Ottoman forces would similarly be defeated and their offense repulsed. In 1440, the Russians would launch an attack from the North, overtaking Crimea whilst the Sultan reorganized the Gurkani forces. In 1441, the Russian forces would however be encountered by a major army led by Mahmud Mirza in the Caucasis, leading to a hasty retreat by the Russians back to their territories. The Gurkani forces would chase the Russian forces till Rostov on Don at which point the Sultan would finally accept a white peace offer by the Russians. A simultaneous white peace offer by the Ottomans would also be accepted in 1442 whilst the Uzbek Sultanate would collapse on their own due to inter-ethnic differences. Whilst the people would celebrate to rejoice at the victory, in truth, the Gurkani had won only a pyrrhic victory. The massive territorial loss of the eastern section of the Empire would severely weaken the power of the Sultan, forcing him to abdicate the throne in 1445. In the brief period between the wars end, and his abdication, Balochistan was reconquered and annexed by Gurkani troops. Following Ulugh Begs abdication, Zeeshan Beg Mirza would ascend the throne and due to his marriage with Saima Daula; they would officially unite the Gurkani and Jalayirid thrones. The new Sultan would quickly establish an alliance with the Delhi Sultanate in 1446, in 1447; in one of the most important events to have occured in the Middle East, the Gurkani Sultan denounced the Abbasid Caliphate and converted to Shia Islam. This action would practically destroy any and all Abbasid influence in Persia whilst elevating Gurkani sovereignty. Seeking to establish themselves as the true Caliphs and leaders of the Muslim World however, the Sultan would invite the Zaidi Imam to Persia and declare him the Caliph in 1449. In the coming years, the Bahamani Sultanate and the Mogadishu Sultanate would similarly convert to Zaidi Islam and drastically expand Gurkani global influence.

Politics
The Sultanate is an absolute hereditary monarchy, and the general system for governance was developed by Shahrukh Mirza and Ulugh Beg. The current Sultan is Suleiman Shah Mirza and the current Caliph is Al Mu'ayyad Muhammad

The religious matters of the Sultanate are governed to a certain degree by the Caliph in Persia who effectively serves as a figure-head, appointed directly by the Sultan and is capable of being removed by the Sultan. The Caliph himself and his various representatives act as advisors for the Sultan over matters concerning religion and religious issues in the state. On the provincial scale however, the Qazi acts as the supreme authority for religious affairs, below the Sultan.

The Gurkani Sultanate is also divided into provinces, with an Amir appointed for each province by the Sultan, responsible to maintain peace and calm in their respective province. The Amir is responsible to impose reforms in their respective provinces in order to modernize and develop them, and each province is given a specific budget from the state treasury based on the resources, population and size of each province. The Amir is also responsible for raising a specific number of soldiers annually, through military colleges and institutions who would then be enlisted into the national military. Besides the Amir, a Qazi is appointed by the Sultan for each province, as a judge to make decisions based off the Shariah Law, with jurisdiction over all legal matters regarding Muslims. The religious minorites are not tried under the Shariah Law, and are faced with their own laws based off their religion. A Dewan is also appointed by the Sultan for each respective province, for collection of tax, to regulate the receipt and disbursement of the revenue of each province. These Dewan are transferred from province to another after a two year period. The Amir, Qazi and Dewan are directly answerable to the Sultan and not to one another.

To generally keep himself aware of the situation throughout the Sultanate, and to directly handle complaints of the people against particular Amirs, Qazis or Dewans, a two houses have been established. The Upper House, also known as the Majlis e Shura consists of prominent members of the Gurkani dynasty. The Upper House generally acts to advise the Sultan on all matters, and can even impeach an incumbent Sultan if a majority is reached. One is elected into the Majlis e Shura through a proposal forwarded either by the Sultan or the Lower House, after which debates and discussions are held amongst the members and a decision is made. Members of the Majlis e Shura cannot themselves propose for anyone to join and a member of the Majlis e Shura can never become Sultan. The Lower House, referred to as the Majlis e Aam constituting of a larger body, consists of representatives of various tribes and dynasties with whom a dynastic union has been established. The Majlis e Aam is called into session on every month, and members of the Majlis e Aam can have direct audience with the Sultan to raise complaints against any particular person or any decision. Members of the Lower House are elected by their own respective tribes and families.

Annually, the Majlis e Shura, Majlis e Aam, Amirs, Qazis and Dewans gather together at Isfahan to discuss national as well as provincial issues. Besides this gathering, the Amirs, Qazis, Dewans and Majlis e Aam are summoned twice annualy to discuss issues after which they are allowed to return to their respective provinces. The Majlis e Shura in contrast remain at the capital to advise the Sultan and are collectively summoned on special, and random occasions depending upon the situation.

Subdivisions
The current division of land in the Gurkani Sultanate is into three different types of divisions. Khedivates are autonomous territories with special needs or are considerably far away from central authority. As such, they are ruled by Gurkani Princes who may or may not have established a dynastic union with the local tribes. Their rulers are hereditary, have broad control over what happens in their own realm, and can, within limits, raise and manage their own armed forces. The rulers of Khedivates form part of the Majlis e Aam, and are summoned to the capital every month. Wilayets are 'provinces' with an Amir appointed by the Sultan to rule over the province for any specific time period. They maintain a certain amount of autonomy but are generally linked to the central authority, and are provided with a federal budget from the state treasury which the provincial authorities can either utilise or save up in the provincial treasury. Tax and revenue collected in a Wilayet by a Dewan is transferred to the state treasury, and in certain situations; the provincial revenue sent to the state treasury may be much larger to what is directed back to the province in the form of a federal budget. In contrast, the Khedivates are not provided with a federal budget, and they depend upon their provincial treasury which is made up from revenue and tax collected from the populace. 20% of all revenue collected in Khedivates is transferred to the state treasury at Isfahan. Wilayets are further divided into Sanjak or provincial districts, which each having an Amil appointed, who are generally military governors. They also collaborate with Dewans and Qazis on issues such as tax collection and imposing a law. Besides Khedivates and Wilayets, Eyalets exist which are generally 'federal districts' directly under the control of the Sultan, with no Amir appointed. Eyalets are generally cities with significant importance to be put directly under the Sultan.

Khedivates and Wilayets also tend to have their own laws, but their are certain 'national' laws that apply to the entire Sultanate.

{{legend|pink|Khedivate}} {{legend|lightblue|Wilayet}} {{legend|wheat|Eyalet}}

Military
The Gurkani Military is the descendant of the legions and navy of the Timurid Empire. The military has historically been famous for its strength and power, and it still maintains that prowess.

Army
The Gurkani Army is based on the organizational unit called the Kateebat, and each regimental commander is known as a Quaid. The overall commander of the armed forces, other than the Sultan, is known as the Rais. The size of the standing army is roughly around 10,000 soldiers. Imperial guard units include the Isfahan Guard and the Khursheed e Shere, a latter being an elite infantry unit.

Since the military reforms of Shahrukh Mirza, a battalion has been changed from a formation of 300-500 soldiers to one of 1000 soldiers. In addition, the technology possessed by the Imperial Guard units has been substantially improved.

The military was reformed once again following the ascension of Ulugh Beg. The basic unit of the new Army was renamed Faleeq, although the size of the regiment remained unchanged. The Khursheed e Shere were also now instructed to guard the Majlis e Shura and any of the Majlis e Aam while they are in Isfahan, as well as receiving certain benefits.

During the Timurid Interrugnum, the Gurkani Army was left vastly underfunded and manned, resulting in large-scale instability and revolts. At that time the most common equipment of the Army were swords, spears, and crossbows along with shields and chain mail. As the Sultanate recovered and could afford more training and advanced weapons for its troops.

By the time of Ulugh Beg's ascension, the Gurkani Army was one of the strongest in Asia, capable of fielding over 400,000 on the field and perhaps more depending on the severity of the situation. It was also one of the most technologically advanced in the region, with sophisticated line tactics, siege artillery, and the finest cavalry available.

Prominent Gurkani generals of the modern era include Shahrukh Mirza, who famously won at the Battle of Azov and Mahmud Mirza, responsible for securing victories in the Battles of Trabzon, Kalat, Kandahar and Moscow.

Navy
The Gurkani Navy was developed during the reign of Shahrukh Mirza, who imported ships from Castile and employed Castilian, Venetian and Epiriot men to construct the Gurkani fleet. Later, Milanese and English men would also participate in the building of the Gurkani fleet. The Sultanate has major shipyards at Iskenderun, Kerch, Gamrun, Basra and Adana to monitor piracy and secure the protection of merchant ships.

The total size of the navy stands at around 400 warships.

Economy
Directly after the Gurkani Interrugnum, the Royal Treasury of the Gurkani Sultanate had largely been reduced to a few coins, and the Sultanate faced difficulty in maintaining its integrity as it increasingly faced revolts. Initially, increased taxes to fill up the royal treasury sufficed, but eventually the Gurkani Sultanate was able to regain control over the global spice trade. With time, the nation expanded upon its borders and soon established dominance over the Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea whilst opening itself to the Mediterranean and Black Sea; thus obtaining control of various trade routes to Asia. Since then, the Gurkani Sultanate has established a massive trade empire and asserted itself as a major center for international commerce.

Trade
The former capital of the Sultanate, Samarkand exists as a major commerce and cultural center in India, largely being utilised as a land route for China. The importance of the city has grown with time, in particular due to the establishment of the Second Compact of Iskenderun, and the opening of China to foreign merchants. As such, given that Samarkand acted as the only viable route to China, it therefore played a major role in South East Asian and Far East trade. The Gurkani Sultanate itself exists at the junction of trade routes on the Silk Road, leading to the Russian Principalities, India and China. Besides Samarkand, the Gurkani capital of Isfahan exists at a strategic location and has helped to solidify Gurkani control over the Persia, whilst the port city of Gamrun has allowed the Sultanate to maintain proximity with the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz.

Currency
The currency was reformed by Sultan Shahrukh Mirza in 1410, standardizing the currency and also officially introducing gold currency due to a desperately needed reform. The official currency in the Gurkani Sultanate is the Gurkani Ashrafi, so named after the Ashrafi coins used by previous Persian dynasties. The well-regulated gold-based Ashrafi is widely utilised in the Sultanate, and plays a major role throughout the the world as the major currency in commerce and trade.

Bait-ul-Maal
Bait-ul-Maal, (literally, The house of money) is the department that deals with the revenues and all other economic matters of the state, based in Isfahan where the royal treasury is also present. It is headed by a Treasury Officer assisted by Dewans, specifically appointed by mutual consultation between the Sultan, Majlis e Shura and Majlis e Aam. A separate Accounts Department is also set up and it was required to maintain record of all that was spent.

All revenue and tax collected in every Wilayet by their respective provincial Dewan is transferred to the Roya Treasury at Isfahan. In contrast, from Khedivates the Dewan transfers only 20% of all revenue and tax to the royal treasury, sending the rest to the provincial treasury of the Khedivate which is why the Khedivates are never provided with a federal budget. Annually, 80% of all the revenue at the royal treasury is divided into varying federal budgets, assigned to each Wilayet and is then transferred to provincial treasury of that particular Wilayet. In some circumstances, it is possible for the revenue collected from a Wilayet to be greater or lesser than the federal budget assigned to it. From the remaining 20% of the royal treasury, 10% is assigned to Eyalets and as such, distributed directly by the Sultan. The remaining 10% is kept in the form of reserves to be utilized in times of warfare, plague, famine, or if any Khedivate, Wilayet or Eyalet went bankrupt. In case of war spoils, a small portion is usually distributed amongs the soldiers with the rest being transfered to the royal treasery.

Nobility
The most senior nobles in the Sultanate are, as expected, the Sultan and the Caliph. The latter in truth however serves simply as a figure-head and holds no actual power. Below them are the Majlis e Shura which constitutes of senior and influential members of the royal family. The Majlis e Aam consisting of the Nawabs of various tribes and Khedivates inside the Sultanate, are the next most senior. Below the Majlis e Aam are the Amirs, Dewans and Qazis, answering to the Sultan only. On par with the Amirs, Dewans and Qazis is the Crown Prince, who is to succeed the Sultan. Below him are members of the the Royal Family, the Sultan's Imperial Guard, such as the Nishan e Ghazi, as well as minor nobles and any recipients of foreign honors.

Commoners
Most of the Sultanate is composed of commoners, or people who have no noble blood or reward. Despite this, it is entirely possible for commoners to become nobility, if they were ever to marry into the royal family or were granted land by the Sultan.

There are no serfs in Gurkani society nor have there ever been, although a system does exist where locals are provided with daily wages by landlords. Slavery is legal in the Sultanate, although it is generally discouraged as a social stigma and possessing Muslim slaves is a crime. As such, the majority of the slaves possessed are Non-Muslim and usually foreigners

Art
The Sultanate is known for its many versions of art. The medieval art of the Sultanate has existed for more than a thousand years, and it is now a characteristic part of traditional Turko-Persian culture. Murals and sculptures are also prominent in Gurkani art, and such art is recognized by the liberal elite as having a major role in Gurkani culture. In contrast, the conservative masses denounce molding of sculptures as immoral.

Architecture
The Sultanate has a wide array of architecture that sets it apart from the rest of the world. Some prominent structures include the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Gur-e-Amir, Eram Gardens and the Agha Bozorg Mosque.

Cuisine
Gurkani cuisine has evolved over the millennia, but at the current mostly consists of meat, particularly mutton or chicken, vegetables and dairy products, along with luxury foods like honey. The Sultanate is a melting pot of cuisine, and it has changed widely over time.

Calender
The Gurkani Sultanate uses the Islamic Calender, which puts the date of 1400 A.D. as 802 A.H. (After Hijri). One of the first reforms of Shahrukh Mirza was to make the Islamic calender official along with the Persian Calender which had historically served as the Calender for the authorities of Isfahan. As of now both calenders, that is Islamic and Persian are officially used in the Sultanate.

Ethnic Terms
The Sultanate is noted for its distinct way of referring to ethnicities. While all members of the Sultanate are generally considered as part of the same Ummah except for Non-Muslims, it has a diverse background of Persians, Oghuz Turks, Uzbeks, Tatars and Arabs etc.

In referring to other ethnic groups outside the Sultanate, "Usmaniyya" or "Uthmaniyya" is used to describeTurks. In the same manner, "Hindu" is used to describe people of Indian descent, Roosi is used to describe people of East European descent, and "Misri" is used for people who are of Arabic descent.