Mansuriyya Caliphate (Principia Moderni III Map Game)

The Mansuriyya Caliphate, commonly known as 'Mansuriyya is a small nation that encompasses modern-day Kuwait and southern Iraq.

History
Ancient- 14th Century Mansuriyya

Occupation by Mashriq Caliphate
In mid 15th century, most of Mesopotamia was conquered and vassalized by the [[Mashriq Caliphate (Principia Moderni III Map Game)|Mashriq Caliphate].

Formation of the Caliphate
By 1459, the Mansuriyya Caliphate had risen from the ashes of the remains of Mashriq. It had first comprised of only Baghdad and the surrounding cities, but had expanded at a rapid rate, eventually encompassing most of southern Mesopotamia. Attempts to vassalize the region by the Ottomans was repelled by desert raiders on Fatih's payroll.

Culture
The nation is predominantly Islamic, although traces of Assyrian Christians still remain. While the new Caliphate has not made an announcement regarding other religions, it is anticipated Fatih will make a statement soon.

Fatih ibn Nuqayd
Fatih ibn Nuqayd, most commonly referred to as Fatih is the first leader of the Mansuriyya Caliphate. Born into an impoverished family in the slums of Baghdad circa 1423, Fatih was soon abandoned by his father and left with his mother to fend for themselves. Raised under a strict yet loving mother, Fatih was educated in Islam and memorized the holy Quran by age 7. His mother died of malnutrition on his 11th birthday. By 14 he had joined one of the many bandit camps that wandered between the cities of Mesopotamia. Having abandoned the Quran years ago, Fatih was a hardened criminal who had partaken in many raids. However, two years later, Fatih's group was hunted down and captured by the authorities. All were put to death except for Fatih, whose intelligence during an interrogation attracted the notice of one of the officials of Mosul province. He was taken away and later adopted by Nuqayd ibn Haroun al-Rashid, where he received his surname. He was educated in the ways of government and social life by his father. Nine years later, Nuqayd was executed by the government on false charges of treason by the governor, who had always seen Nuqayd as a threat to his power. Nuqayd's entire family was ordered to be executed by extension. Fatih escaped after receiving a warning from one of his father's servants. Afterwards, Fatih studied Islam for over 15 years in a small hamlet. Armed with only a Quran, he survived only by the goodwill of his neighbors. He soon made his closest (some would say only) friend in the village, a young man only a year older by the name of Abd al-Kadir, the son of the chief of the village. Both were intensely interested in Islam and would spend hours poring over the Quran in al-Kadir's (relatively) large home. After 15 years of his exile, his new adopted home was attacked by a group of roaming desert raiders. Most of the village was slaughtered. Fatih and al-Kadir were captured. After spending 2 years as a slave, Fatih had risen to the rank of head slave and had gathered the support of the other slaves, including al-Kadir. In the middle of the night, Fatih set the other slaves free. After finding weapons, the 50+ slaves systematically murdered their masters. However, in the ensuing battle, al-Kadir was mortally wounded and died. Faced with being truly free once more and having lost his only friend, Fatih organized the slaves and the remnants of the bandits into a mighty and fearsome group. Disciplined and excellently trained, they soon became known as the Black Army, and grew from a small camp of bandits to an entire community. When the Mashriq Caliphate collapsed in 1459, Fatih swiftly advanced onto Baghdad, where he was pleased to find the governor who had killed his father still ruled from. In an act of unprecedented charity, he allowed the governor to live and allowed him to stay in the government as an advisor. Within a month Fatih had reorganized the entire city government of Baghdad, changing it from one responsive to orders from Egypt to a self-sufficient government geared for expansion.