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Another WIP, just gotta work on Military
Official Name: Kingdom of Khazaria
Unofficial Names: Khazaria, Khazar Khanate, Jewish Turkistan
Capital: Sarkel
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Population: c. 5 Million
Standing Army: 60,000
Primary Industries: Agriculture, Mining, Textiles
Trade Goods: Stone, Furs, Precious Metals, Asian Goods
Friends: Poland-Hungary, Cromwell Britain, Grand Duchy of Moskva
Enemies: Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Republic of Novgorod
The Khazars are first mentioned in European Sources around the year 630 AD. They are a turkic people who broke from the Gokturk Kaganate and dominated the region of the North Caucasus and the Pontic Steppe.
The Khazars had long been little more than a buffer state for the Byzantine Empire, but after a series of vicious wars with the Eastern Slavs, the Khazars felt that they no longer wished to act as a Roman Proxy in eastern wars. The Khazars threw off their alliance with Byzamtium. To show they were subject to neither the the Christian world, nor to their enemies in the southeast. The Khazars chose to convert to Judaism, and with vigor and stern laws following, the Khazar commoners found themselves with no choice than to follow the king's new found faith. Judaism was seen as odd at first, and many resented it, but soon it would creep into all aspects of their lives, with the very essence of being a Khazar tied to Judaism. The religion gave them a sense of unity.
With that, it came time when the Khazars took note of Byzantium's favoring of the Rus people. Seeing a threat to their nation, Khazaria attacked the Rus and burned Kiev to the ground, exiling the Kievan Rus to the far north. Byzantium was furious at their former ally, and began a series of attacks on Ukraine and the Caucasus. Khazaria got lucky, however, because during their long and bloody war with Byzantium, and unforseen enemy attacked Byzantium, the Seljuks. With Byzantium focused on the Seljuk threat, Khazaria managed to wrestle back control of Ukraine, but forever lost their hold on most of the southern caucasus. With Byzantium out of the way, the Khazars could rest and recover from their wounds while the enemy was torn to pieces. For so long their only enemy had been the Russian Principalities, and they assumed no threat would rise up in the Middle East for a long time.
Instead it came from the East. In 1250, Vast armies of Horse archers and nomads, the Golden Horde. The war with them was by far the worst the Khazars had ever fought, the Mongols pushing them west, and consuming Khazaria’s eastern lands with vigor. The war began to slow eventually, with the Khazars pushing back against the Horde, enlisting the aid of their former nemesis, the Russians. The Shield of Khazaria and Russia managed to fend off the Mongols in the Battle of Kazan (1268), who turned their sights south to Persia instead. The War was won, but not without huge costs. The East was devastated, Khazaria was exhausted and the Russians saw it as a chance to once again attack. Eventually the dust had settled, and Khazaria was stable again. But one more threat would test the survival of Khazaria. From the South came the Ottomans, using Byzantium's old route of Ukraine. Crimea was the first to fall to a naval attack, with the Ottomans moving up from the Crimean Bosphorous while the more poured in from the Balkans. It seemed this would be end of Khazaria, if not for a mutual enemy of the Ottomans. With the help of an alliance with Hungary-Poland, Khazaria managed to expel the Ottomans from Western Ukraine while Khazaria kept them out of Crimea. The two continued a two prong attack into the Balkans to make progression more difficult for the Turkish forces, eventually wearing them down into a peace agreement; however when the Habsburgs betrayed Hungary, Khazaria found itself too weak to drive out the Ottomans alone, choosing simply to keep them at bay out of Ukraine.
Finally, Khazaria had a lasting peace. The nation resumed their status quo. Then came the Kara-Khazar Revolt (1632), where the Kara-Khazarlar, the Commoner Class, demanded that the Royals cease their mistreatment of the laborers and artisans. With the end of the revolt came a precedent of what would become the Humanistic Movement in Khazaria. The ideals of the Kara-Khazar Revolt would lead growing liberal and progressive movements all throughout the nation. In 1700, Khazaria finds itself as a powerful nation under the leadership of Khan Zachariah III with a population seeking a change in social policy and the hierarchy of power.
Khazaria maintains a very Friendly Relationship with the United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland, their alliance intact since the days of the Ottoman Wars. Khazaria sees the many Russian and Turkic states it neighbors as gnats that should be used however the King sees fit.
Khazaria has a population of about 4,500,00 people. Spread out across the vast lands. Most of these people are still pastoral nomads or farmers, with a large population city dwellers. Most of the population are of the Turkic Khazar ethnic group
Khazars bear a great resemblance to other people from Asia, but are notable for their white skinned complexion, and hair colors ranging from Blonde, Brown and Red. The Khazars are almost entirely Jewish, save for a very small Tengriist minority. The Second most prominent ethnic group in Khazaria are Russians, Russians are primarily Christian, with a significant Pagan minority in the East. Cities with major Russian populations include Kiev. The Khazars are undergoing an effort to Judaize the Russians. Bulgars are the third major minority in Khazaria, primarily settled around the Volga to Crimea region, with the cities of Kazan, Bulgar and Bağçasaray. Bulgars are a Muslim ethnic group, and speak a Turkic language akin to Khazar.
Following the populist uprising of the Karakhazar Revolt, the King has been forced to make concessions for his people. Most notably is the implementation of the Black Charter (Hebrew: אמנה שחורה; Russian:черный чартер; Khazar: siyah tüzük) which created the People’s House, a senatorial house originally comprised of the Russian and Kazar nobles with support of the Jewish Clergy, who felt that the Khan had too much unchecked power. The Khazarian government is comprised of 3 houses
Beit ha-Malek
The Royalty, comprised of the Khan and his close family. the Beit ha-Malek creates all laws and makes all revisions to the existing decrees, but these decisions are under the scrutiny of the People’s House, and the House of the Law, who may choose to nullify a decree that they find detrimental to the well being of the people or against the law. The King may also choose to approve or nullify a law that the house of people proposes.
Beit ha-Goy
The Senate, comprised of land owning nobles across the country. The house is separated into the Higher House, comprised of the Ak-Khazar, nobles of pure Khazar ancestry, and the Kara-Khazar, lesser nobility and common people comprised of those of Mixed or Russian descent, often elected. Most law is proposed by them, and either approved or denied by the king. The also may choose to deny a decree of the king, with the support of the Beit ha-Torah. Only the Beit ha-Goy may propose a war decree, which must be approved by both the Beit ha-Torah and the Khan.
Beit ha-Torah
The Clergy, who assure that the decisions of the king and nobility adhere to both civil and religious law. All members of this house are educated religious officials, almost entirely comprised of Rabbi or Levites. This house also acts as a high court, judging the most serious matters.
Poland-Hungary: Khazaria and Poland-Hungary have amiable relations since their days of alliance against the The Ottoman Empire. Poland-Hungary is Khazaria's primary European trade partner, regulating their stream of Asian goods.
Valois Union: Khazaria is friendly to the Valois, primarily due to their support of Poland-Hungary and hatred of the Holy Roman Empire and Portugal.
Novgorod: Novgorod is Khazaria's sworn enemy, an affront to all they stand for, in a brutal rivalry dating back to the conquest of the Rus.
Moskva: Moskva is Khazaria's agent among the Russians, serving their interests and acting as a proxy for their wars with the Russian states.
Portugal: Khazaria dislikes Portugal, seeing them as a threat to trade.
Khazaria is blessed with fertile plains and many natural deposits of minerals and precious metals. While these alone are enough to support the nation, they are also blessed by Location, being right at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As such, Khazaria acts as a central hub for trade between continents, which it passes on to Poland-Hungary. The Valuable trade goods aid them very much, which leads to Khazaria's dislike of colonies like Portugal's. The Khazars seek new horizons in trade, pushing them further east, back towards their ancestral homelands in search of goods.
TBA
Official Name: Kingdom of Khazaria
Unofficial Names: Khazaria, Khazar Khanate, Jewish Turkistan
Capital: Sarkel
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Population: c. 5 Million
Standing Army: 60,000
Primary Industries: Agriculture, Mining, Textiles
Trade Goods: Stone, Furs, Precious Metals, Asian Goods
Friends: Poland-Hungary, Cromwell Britain, Grand Duchy of Moskva
Enemies: Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Republic of Novgorod
History:
The Khazars are first mentioned in European Sources around the year 630 AD. They are a turkic people who broke from the Gokturk Kaganate and dominated the region of the North Caucasus and the Pontic Steppe.
The Khazars had long been little more than a buffer state for the Byzantine Empire, but after a series of vicious wars with the Eastern Slavs, the Khazars felt that they no longer wished to act as a Roman Proxy in eastern wars. The Khazars threw off their alliance with Byzamtium. To show they were subject to neither the the Christian world, nor to their enemies in the southeast. The Khazars chose to convert to Judaism, and with vigor and stern laws following, the Khazar commoners found themselves with no choice than to follow the king's new found faith. Judaism was seen as odd at first, and many resented it, but soon it would creep into all aspects of their lives, with the very essence of being a Khazar tied to Judaism. The religion gave them a sense of unity.
With that, it came time when the Khazars took note of Byzantium's favoring of the Rus people. Seeing a threat to their nation, Khazaria attacked the Rus and burned Kiev to the ground, exiling the Kievan Rus to the far north. Byzantium was furious at their former ally, and began a series of attacks on Ukraine and the Caucasus. Khazaria got lucky, however, because during their long and bloody war with Byzantium, and unforseen enemy attacked Byzantium, the Seljuks. With Byzantium focused on the Seljuk threat, Khazaria managed to wrestle back control of Ukraine, but forever lost their hold on most of the southern caucasus. With Byzantium out of the way, the Khazars could rest and recover from their wounds while the enemy was torn to pieces. For so long their only enemy had been the Russian Principalities, and they assumed no threat would rise up in the Middle East for a long time.
Instead it came from the East. In 1250, Vast armies of Horse archers and nomads, the Golden Horde. The war with them was by far the worst the Khazars had ever fought, the Mongols pushing them west, and consuming Khazaria’s eastern lands with vigor. The war began to slow eventually, with the Khazars pushing back against the Horde, enlisting the aid of their former nemesis, the Russians. The Shield of Khazaria and Russia managed to fend off the Mongols in the Battle of Kazan (1268), who turned their sights south to Persia instead. The War was won, but not without huge costs. The East was devastated, Khazaria was exhausted and the Russians saw it as a chance to once again attack. Eventually the dust had settled, and Khazaria was stable again. But one more threat would test the survival of Khazaria. From the South came the Ottomans, using Byzantium's old route of Ukraine. Crimea was the first to fall to a naval attack, with the Ottomans moving up from the Crimean Bosphorous while the more poured in from the Balkans. It seemed this would be end of Khazaria, if not for a mutual enemy of the Ottomans. With the help of an alliance with Hungary-Poland, Khazaria managed to expel the Ottomans from Western Ukraine while Khazaria kept them out of Crimea. The two continued a two prong attack into the Balkans to make progression more difficult for the Turkish forces, eventually wearing them down into a peace agreement; however when the Habsburgs betrayed Hungary, Khazaria found itself too weak to drive out the Ottomans alone, choosing simply to keep them at bay out of Ukraine.
Finally, Khazaria had a lasting peace. The nation resumed their status quo. Then came the Kara-Khazar Revolt (1632), where the Kara-Khazarlar, the Commoner Class, demanded that the Royals cease their mistreatment of the laborers and artisans. With the end of the revolt came a precedent of what would become the Humanistic Movement in Khazaria. The ideals of the Kara-Khazar Revolt would lead growing liberal and progressive movements all throughout the nation. In 1700, Khazaria finds itself as a powerful nation under the leadership of Khan Zachariah III with a population seeking a change in social policy and the hierarchy of power.
Khazaria maintains a very Friendly Relationship with the United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland, their alliance intact since the days of the Ottoman Wars. Khazaria sees the many Russian and Turkic states it neighbors as gnats that should be used however the King sees fit.
Khazaria has a population of about 4,500,00 people. Spread out across the vast lands. Most of these people are still pastoral nomads or farmers, with a large population city dwellers. Most of the population are of the Turkic Khazar ethnic group
Khazars bear a great resemblance to other people from Asia, but are notable for their white skinned complexion, and hair colors ranging from Blonde, Brown and Red. The Khazars are almost entirely Jewish, save for a very small Tengriist minority. The Second most prominent ethnic group in Khazaria are Russians, Russians are primarily Christian, with a significant Pagan minority in the East. Cities with major Russian populations include Kiev. The Khazars are undergoing an effort to Judaize the Russians. Bulgars are the third major minority in Khazaria, primarily settled around the Volga to Crimea region, with the cities of Kazan, Bulgar and Bağçasaray. Bulgars are a Muslim ethnic group, and speak a Turkic language akin to Khazar.
Government Overview
Following the populist uprising of the Karakhazar Revolt, the King has been forced to make concessions for his people. Most notably is the implementation of the Black Charter (Hebrew: אמנה שחורה; Russian:черный чартер; Khazar: siyah tüzük) which created the People’s House, a senatorial house originally comprised of the Russian and Kazar nobles with support of the Jewish Clergy, who felt that the Khan had too much unchecked power. The Khazarian government is comprised of 3 houses
Beit ha-Malek
The Royalty, comprised of the Khan and his close family. the Beit ha-Malek creates all laws and makes all revisions to the existing decrees, but these decisions are under the scrutiny of the People’s House, and the House of the Law, who may choose to nullify a decree that they find detrimental to the well being of the people or against the law. The King may also choose to approve or nullify a law that the house of people proposes.
Beit ha-Goy
The Senate, comprised of land owning nobles across the country. The house is separated into the Higher House, comprised of the Ak-Khazar, nobles of pure Khazar ancestry, and the Kara-Khazar, lesser nobility and common people comprised of those of Mixed or Russian descent, often elected. Most law is proposed by them, and either approved or denied by the king. The also may choose to deny a decree of the king, with the support of the Beit ha-Torah. Only the Beit ha-Goy may propose a war decree, which must be approved by both the Beit ha-Torah and the Khan.
Beit ha-Torah
The Clergy, who assure that the decisions of the king and nobility adhere to both civil and religious law. All members of this house are educated religious officials, almost entirely comprised of Rabbi or Levites. This house also acts as a high court, judging the most serious matters.
King Zachariah ben Samuel III Qadim, the 3rd king to ascend to the throne since the Karakhazar Revolt. His Dynasty, the House of Qadim, rose in the aftermath of the revolt, when the nobility had King David VIII executed. With the support of the clerics, and the appeal of being a mixed Khazar-Bulgar family to the Kara-khazars, yet still purely turkic to keep the Ak-Khazars happy. It was this Zachariah who negotiated the alliance with the Grand Duchy of Moskva, supporting their conflict with the Republic of Novgorod, and opening trade to them.
Foreign Relations
Poland-Hungary: Khazaria and Poland-Hungary have amiable relations since their days of alliance against the The Ottoman Empire. Poland-Hungary is Khazaria's primary European trade partner, regulating their stream of Asian goods.
Valois Union: Khazaria is friendly to the Valois, primarily due to their support of Poland-Hungary and hatred of the Holy Roman Empire and Portugal.
Novgorod: Novgorod is Khazaria's sworn enemy, an affront to all they stand for, in a brutal rivalry dating back to the conquest of the Rus.
Moskva: Moskva is Khazaria's agent among the Russians, serving their interests and acting as a proxy for their wars with the Russian states.
Portugal: Khazaria dislikes Portugal, seeing them as a threat to trade.
Economy
Khazaria is blessed with fertile plains and many natural deposits of minerals and precious metals. While these alone are enough to support the nation, they are also blessed by Location, being right at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As such, Khazaria acts as a central hub for trade between continents, which it passes on to Poland-Hungary. The Valuable trade goods aid them very much, which leads to Khazaria's dislike of colonies like Portugal's. The Khazars seek new horizons in trade, pushing them further east, back towards their ancestral homelands in search of goods.
Military
TBA
