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Starting in 665 CE, the expanding [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]] began its conquest of the southwestern states of [[Alshar]]. The wali of the Bulkawan wilayat, a certain Malik Ibn Harun landed in [[Pukhgundi]] with thirty thousand troops and secured the submission and conversion of its rulers to Islam. He reorganized the kingdom into the Alsar Wilayah with himself as governor. Founding the fort of Haras at the eastern edge of Pukhgundi's territory and leaving a small garrison, Malik Ibn Harun continued his eastern march along the coast into the territory of the Kingdom of Lakdu, his army augmented by five thousand levies from Pukhgundi. Ibn Harun then gained the allegiance of the Lakdu vassal king of Sikam, impressing him with the size of his army and the tenets of Islam. Proceeding east and with his army led by Sikam guides, he outmaneuvered the Lakdu army and defeated it at the battles of Lodran and Porus, ending the kingdom's organized resistance. | Starting in 665 CE, the expanding [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]] began its conquest of the southwestern states of [[Alshar]]. The wali of the Bulkawan wilayat, a certain Malik Ibn Harun landed in [[Pukhgundi]] with thirty thousand troops and secured the submission and conversion of its rulers to Islam. He reorganized the kingdom into the Alsar Wilayah with himself as governor. Founding the fort of Haras at the eastern edge of Pukhgundi's territory and leaving a small garrison, Malik Ibn Harun continued his eastern march along the coast into the territory of the Kingdom of Lakdu, his army augmented by five thousand levies from Pukhgundi. Ibn Harun then gained the allegiance of the Lakdu vassal king of Sikam, impressing him with the size of his army and the tenets of Islam. Proceeding east and with his army led by Sikam guides, he outmaneuvered the Lakdu army and defeated it at the battles of Lodran and Porus, ending the kingdom's organized resistance. | ||
[[File:Hephthalites_chieftain_late_5th_century.jpg|thumb|Coin minted with an image of wali Malik Ibn Harun, used as proof of treason against Caliph Mansur I]] | [[File:Hephthalites_chieftain_late_5th_century.jpg|thumb|Coin minted with an image of wali Malik Ibn Harun, used as proof of treason against Caliph Mansur I]] | ||
Ibn Harun spent all of 667 conquering the now disunited urban centers of Lakdu. He added the territory into the wilayat of Alsar, tried to supress local paganism and endowed new mosques to help propagate the Islamic faith. Unlike other Audonian nobles, Ibn Harun was an enthusiastic supporter of conversion of local populations despite the diminishment in taxation from dhimmi sources. Ibn Harun next sent spies north and east to ascertain the most advantageous route of expansion for the Caliphate. To the east his spies reported the existence of the kingdom of Nasrad who served as a buffer state for a large empire named ''Korun'', with well guarded border forts and vast armies. To them he sent an embassy promising peaceful intent and offered to continue the peaceful trade relation that had been maintained with Lakdu, an offer that was accepted. To the north his spies reported a peaceful, pastoral society who lived in small cities with palisades or in temples in the mountains, the agents reported the name of the country as Dagnum. Malik Ibn Harun determined to attack the tribes of Dagnum to his north first and dispatched letters back to Bulkawan asking for reinforcements with which to attack Korun after. | Ibn Harun spent all of 667 conquering the now disunited urban centers of Lakdu. He added the territory into the wilayat of Alsar, tried to supress local paganism and endowed new mosques to help propagate the Islamic faith. Unlike other Audonian nobles, Ibn Harun was an enthusiastic supporter of conversion of local populations despite the diminishment in taxation from dhimmi sources. Ibn Harun next sent spies north and east to ascertain the most advantageous route of expansion for the Caliphate. To the east his spies reported the existence of the kingdom of Nasrad who served as a buffer state for a large empire named ''Korun'', with well guarded border forts and vast armies. To them he sent an embassy promising peaceful intent and offered to continue the peaceful trade relation that had been maintained with Lakdu, an offer that was accepted. To the north his spies reported a peaceful, pastoral society who lived in small cities with palisades or in temples in the mountains, the agents reported the name of the country as Dagnum. Malik Ibn Harun determined to attack the tribes of Dagnum to his north first and dispatched letters back to Bulkawan asking for reinforcements with which to attack Korun after. On the eve of the start of his invasion in 668, Malik Ibn Harun was recalled to Audonia, probably the victim of intrigues against him due to his martial success and the size of the territory he governed. He considered resisting the summons but relented when his soldiers mutinied and made it clear they would not follow him into rebellion against God's Caliph. In early 676 Ibn Harun's replacement arrived from Audonia, the wali of Umard, Musa Al Ghanim. For his efforts, Malik Ibn Harun was made wali of a smaller province in the Audonian interior and would go on to be arrested and executed in 690 after plotting to kill the Caliph and install Mansur's nephew on the throne. | ||
On the eve of the start of his invasion in 668, Malik Ibn Harun was recalled to Audonia, probably the victim of intrigues against him due to his martial success and the size of the territory he governed. He considered resisting the summons but relented when his soldiers mutinied and made it clear they would not follow him into rebellion against God's Caliph. In early 676 Ibn Harun's replacement arrived from Audonia, the wali of Umard, Musa Al Ghanim. For his efforts, Malik Ibn Harun was made wali of a smaller province in the Audonian interior and would go on to be arrested and executed in 690 after plotting to kill the Caliph and install Mansur's nephew on the throne. | |||
Wali Musa Al Ghanim took command of all Oduniyyad forces and began the campaign with roughly 36,000 troops although he left behind around five thousand cavalry under Khamis Muminir to suppress a pagan uprising in Lakdu. Marching north he defeated several forces of Dagnumites, amounting to merely a few mid sized warbands. As he marched around the countryside he found no large army to fight but was instead constantly being ambushed and harassed by small groups. Getting word that local monks reported on the movements of his army to his enemies, Al Ghanim directed his force to the White Peak Monastery, which was rumored to house several holy relics revered by the Dagnumites. Al Ghanim approached on the monastery and after finding its gates closed to him, laid siege to it. Al Ghanim ordered the setting of mangonels on a nearby hilltop and commenced a bombardment that lasted for three days. Two direct attacks on the gates were repulsed by the monks. A week into the siege the Muslims were informed by spies they had left behind on their march that a large force of at least forty thousand warriors was quickly moving towards White Peak and would be upon the besiegers within a week. Unwilling to abandon the siege Musa Al Ghanim ordered that the pass leading to the monastery be fortified with a palisade while at the same time sending his swiftest riders to alert Khamis Muminir of his pressing need. On March 30th of 676 the tribal army under Ataliqan arrived at the mountain pass to see his way blocked by the wooden palisade erected by the Muslims. With the tables turned and the besieger now being the besieged, Ataliqan ordered his army to storm the palisade, beginning the Battle of Rauran Pass. Ataliqan's troops tried to bring down the wall with makeshift rams, hacking into it with axes and climbing it by hand or with ladders. Each time they were repulsed by a combination of the efforts of the muslim defenders and the mangonels Al Ghanim had repositioned to overlook the pass. The monastery defenders also began routinely sallying forth to put pressure on the muslim rear. On the second day of the battle the palisade was first breached and then brought down with hooks and ropes. A fierce melee ensued in the confined space of the pass, with Musa Al Ghanim being speared through the neck by one of Ataliqan's bodyguards. Just as the morale of the Muslims was wavering, the cavalry of Khamis Muminir arrived and proceeded to charge straight into the back of Ataliqan's army. The surprise arrival of the cavalry and the repeated charges sent the enemy into a panic as they were squeezed between the two Muslim forces. Ataliqan tried to rally his forces but was cut down in the melee and his army was completely routed. | Wali Musa Al Ghanim took command of all Oduniyyad forces and began the campaign with roughly 36,000 troops although he left behind around five thousand cavalry under Khamis Muminir to suppress a pagan uprising in Lakdu. Marching north he defeated several forces of Dagnumites, amounting to merely a few mid sized warbands. As he marched around the countryside he found no large army to fight but was instead constantly being ambushed and harassed by small groups. Getting word that local monks reported on the movements of his army to his enemies, Al Ghanim directed his force to the White Peak Monastery, which was rumored to house several holy relics revered by the Dagnumites. Al Ghanim approached on the monastery and after finding its gates closed to him, laid siege to it. Al Ghanim ordered the setting of mangonels on a nearby hilltop and commenced a bombardment that lasted for three days. Two direct attacks on the gates were repulsed by the monks. A week into the siege the Muslims were informed by spies they had left behind on their march that a large force of at least forty thousand warriors was quickly moving towards White Peak and would be upon the besiegers within a week. Unwilling to abandon the siege Musa Al Ghanim ordered that the pass leading to the monastery be fortified with a palisade while at the same time sending his swiftest riders to alert Khamis Muminir of his pressing need. On March 30th of 676 the tribal army under Ataliqan arrived at the mountain pass to see his way blocked by the wooden palisade erected by the Muslims. With the tables turned and the besieger now being the besieged, Ataliqan ordered his army to storm the palisade, beginning the Battle of Rauran Pass. Ataliqan's troops tried to bring down the wall with makeshift rams, hacking into it with axes and climbing it by hand or with ladders. Each time they were repulsed by a combination of the efforts of the muslim defenders and the mangonels Al Ghanim had repositioned to overlook the pass. The monastery defenders also began routinely sallying forth to put pressure on the muslim rear. On the second day of the battle the palisade was first breached and then brought down with hooks and ropes. A fierce melee ensued in the confined space of the pass, with Musa Al Ghanim being speared through the neck by one of Ataliqan's bodyguards. Just as the morale of the Muslims was wavering, the cavalry of Khamis Muminir arrived and proceeded to charge straight into the back of Ataliqan's army. The surprise arrival of the cavalry and the repeated charges sent the enemy into a panic as they were squeezed between the two Muslim forces. Ataliqan tried to rally his forces but was cut down in the melee and his army was completely routed. | ||
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The Nasrad kingdom, being a subject of the Chen Daxian dynasty could expect to be aided in case of conflict. Therefore Governor Walid determined that the invasion had to proceed as swiftly as possible to prevent Daxian reinforcements from arriving in time to the aid of their vassals. The Odduniyad's began an invasion of Nasrad with two separate armies, moving swiftly through the countryside. The Nasrid forces declined to give open battle and adopted a prolonged defensive strategy of attrition. The Nasrids converted the thousands of irrigation canals of their territory into trenches, spiked pits and positions to harass the mostly cavalry force of the Odduniyads. They also quickly erected hundreds of inexpensive mud towers that could house two or three archers in them, surrounded by sharpened stakes. | The Nasrad kingdom, being a subject of the Chen Daxian dynasty could expect to be aided in case of conflict. Therefore Governor Walid determined that the invasion had to proceed as swiftly as possible to prevent Daxian reinforcements from arriving in time to the aid of their vassals. The Odduniyad's began an invasion of Nasrad with two separate armies, moving swiftly through the countryside. The Nasrid forces declined to give open battle and adopted a prolonged defensive strategy of attrition. The Nasrids converted the thousands of irrigation canals of their territory into trenches, spiked pits and positions to harass the mostly cavalry force of the Odduniyads. They also quickly erected hundreds of inexpensive mud towers that could house two or three archers in them, surrounded by sharpened stakes. | ||
In 725 the Caliph Abdul Hakan declared a jihad upon Daxia who began to be called Kafiristan (land of the unbelievers) for a series of | In 725 the Caliph Abdul Hakan declared a jihad upon [[Daxia]] who began to be called Kafiristan (land of the unbelievers) for a series of [[Daxia]]n raids on the border city of [[Khov|Khovedjan]]. Governor Walid Al Muminir was commanded to throw back the infidels past the Arik Mountain range which marked the traditional boundary between the two realms. | ||
===Post Caliphate Period | ===Post Caliphate Period (860-1400)=== | ||
====Border skirmishes==== | ====Border skirmishes==== | ||
Following the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Horoz plain in 1060, the kingdom of Ghanim fell into the sphere of the [[Daxia|Chen]] dynasty. Emboldened by the victory at Horoz, the Chen dynasty initiated an invasion of | [[File:Battle-of-Taraz.jpg|thumb|Ancient Chen dynasty mural depicting the Battle of Taraz against the Lakdu Sultanate]] | ||
After the loss of control by the [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]] by the year 860, the territory of modern Rusana was divided in three independent kingdoms at the time: Lakdu in the southwest, Ghanim in the east and Al-Zawad in the north; Ghanim being the closest to [[Daxia]]. Relations between these Oduniyyad successor states and the empire was fractious, with the [[Daxia]]ns never forgetting the Muslim invasions in the name of spreading their religion. In 870 the Chen court made the determination to send forces into Ghanim to destroy the remnants of the Shang dynasty that had taken refuge there, and if feasible and practical, to force the kingdom of Ghanim to become a tributary and buffer state. General Qu Hou; a veteran of the last Oduniyyad jihad, was given command of the army and advanced into Ghanim's territory at the head of forty thousand men and six thousand Degei auxiliary cavalry, pursuing an estimated twenty thousand Shang loyalists under General Bi Liao. Too outnumbered to stand his ground, Bi Liao sought to evade battle at every turn and sent messengers to the local ruler asking for support. Bi Liao's messengers painted Qu Hou's incursion as an invasion aimed at Ghanim rather than a punitive expedition solely aimed at the Shang remnants. Seeing the sizable Chen army continue to make its way westward, King Farukh agreed to join forces with the Shang to oppose it. Farukh mustered thirteen thousand men, consisting mostly of lightly armored footmen with the exception of the kings own fifteen hundred strong infantry bodyguard clad in heavy lamellar mail. He also brought forth twenty war elephants he had bought from [[Pukhgundi]]. The joint Ghanim-Shang force moved to intercept Qu Hou's army and the two forces came into contact at the Battle of Horoz Plain. | |||
Altough numerically inferior, Bi Liao decided to give battle due to the fact the [[Degei Confederation|Degei]] cavalry appeared to have deserted Qu Hou and he expected his elephant squadron and the king's heavy cavalry to give him the decisive edge. Unbeknown to him the Degei had separated on purpose from the main army shortly after entering Ghanim and shadowed them at a distance, and were now rushing to approach his army from the rear. At the onset of the battle Farukh's elephants were sent charging against Qu Hou's center, nearly buckling it until concentrated volleys of fire arrows and rudimentary rockets caused the elephants to panic and turn back just as Bi Liao's infantry was charging, crashing into them and throwing their lines into a panic. Liao now tried frantically to rally his panicking men to face the [[Daxia]]n charge while Farukh led his elite bodyguard forwards to buy the main force time to reorganize. As Liao's men slowly managed to bring the elephants down while losing ground to Hou's advance, the Degei nomad cavalry arrived at the battle, releasing several volleys that killed and wounded hundreds of men before charging into the rear of Bi Liao. This charge broke the morale of the joint army and sent it into panicked fleeing. Bi Liao was killed by Degei horsemen while trying to escape and his severed head was presented to Qu Hou, while King Farukh was captured and forced to prostrate before Qu Hou. In the aftermath of the battle the kingdom of Ghanim retained its independence but was was forced into becoming a tributary of the Chen dynasty, handing over both the infant Shang pretender, the king's own heir as a hostage and the fertile plains around Lake Doyeon to the Chen. The fate of the child emperor of the Shang is unclear after this, the most common theory being that he was asphixiated by eunuchs with a pillow on his way back to the Chen court. Following the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Horoz plain in 1060, the kingdom of Ghanim fell into the sphere of the [[Daxia|Chen]] dynasty. | |||
Emboldened by the victory at Horoz, the Chen dynasty initiated an invasion of Al-Zawad intending to gain the southern shore of lake Doyeon. As the Chen marched south in the direction of Al-Zawad's heartland, their enemy divided its forces into three separate armies, refusing to engage general Qu Hou's larger army in the open. After reducing several fortresses in late 861, Qu Hou marched on the Al-Zawad capital. The main Al-Zawadid army finally stood in his way to give battle at the village of Pasdar but unbeknownst to Qu Hou his army was being flanked from the east and the west by the other two formations. The initial battle went in favor of the larger Chen army but as it was close to overwhelming the Al-Zawadid infantry the auxiliary armies initiated their attack from the rear and eastern flank. The morale of the Chen collapsed upon being close to encirclement and a rout soon initiated. Qu Hou broke free of the trap with a few hundred horsemen and fled north while the bulk of the Chen infantry tried to flee west, only to get bogged down and picked off in the marshes. The defeat at the battle of Pasdar ended the Al-Zawad expedition and dented Chen military prestige altough Ghanim's own weakened position at the time precluded it taking advantage to throw off its vassal status. | |||
====Fragmentation into taifas==== | ====Fragmentation into taifas==== | ||
The constant warring during the 13th century accompanied by the financial burdens upon the central treasuries, the decrease in manpower for the civilian economy and agriculture left the Muslim states on the western border of the new [[Daxia|Zhong dynasty]] in a vulnerable position. Discontent with the ruling families both from within and outside grew exponentially. Lakdu's royal family, the Menguzid dynasty, were overthrown in a palace coup by Vizier Rukh Al-Din with support of the army only for the army to split later, engendering a civil war to restore the Menguzids to the throne. Al-Zawad saw the emergence of a Shia prophet who styled himself as the Chakosh Khodaa (Hammer of God), he raised a massive peasant rebellion that straddled the usual Sunni-Shia religious divide and used it to cast down the Ferguzids and installed a theocratic regime that lasted 8 years before collapsing to infighting. Amidst all this upheaval, local grandees such as Beys, emirs and regional military commanders began pulling away from weakened central authorities, withholding taxes and assistance. Even after a tentative restoration of the Menguzid family in 1325, the dynasty's actual control only extended to five cities outside of the capital and local rulers disputed the Menguzid claim to the title of sultan. After the Chakosh Khodaa's death, nine of his disciples declared themselves variously as successor prophets, caliphs or ayatollahs and fought fierce battles against one another resulting in the permanent fragmentation of Al Zawad by 1258. | |||
Taifa was a local administrative unit used for taxation during the Oduniyyad period, usually an area with between 200 and 500 households was considered a taifa. By the middle of the 13th century the former sultanate of Al-Zawad had devolved into some 26 independent taifas and Lakdu was likewise divided into seven great taifas. Individually the disparate taifas were weak and they began falling under the influence of the Zhong court, Emperor [[Chengzi]] was interested in keeping his western borders safe by having stable yet weak neighbors. The [[Daxia]]ns did not look upon the rulers of the taifas as equals, any agreement made with them was seen as temporary. At times the Zhong directly supported specific taifas, during 1320 they helped Emir Mawlana of the Bagudids attack and conquer the Gorzifon taifa which had raised tariffs on [[Daxia]]n pottery; Mawlana's grandson Ali would be unseated years later for failing to submit his tribute on time. The Zhong dynasty showed little interest or inclination to advance territorially beyond the Arik mountain range, neither did it wish to rule over vast numbers of Muslims. Therefore the policy of Zhong officials was to divide and conquer of the taifas, only striking if one taifa became too powerful. | |||
====Daxian Viceroyalties period==== | ====Daxian Viceroyalties period==== | ||
===Modern Era=== | ===Modern Era=== | ||
====Unification and | ====Unification and civil war==== | ||
Main article: [[Rusani Civil War]] | |||
Starting in 1946 popular unrest, communal and religious violence and persistent drought led to the eruption of violent revolts against the monarchies of Ghanim, Lakadu and Barpubad. An underground organization called the Unity Party that advocated the overthrow of the royal families and the unification of all the former Odduniyad wilayat of Rusa into a single nation state began to plot to hijack the popular anti-monarchist sentiments and ride the wave into power. The Unity party had for years been extending its network of supporters into the security forces and militaries that protected the royal establishment. On march 1947 at the beginning of Ramadan, army units sympathetic to the Unity party carried out simultaneous coups and overthrew the three royal dynasties. The Lakdu royal family was machine gunned down at one of their residences, Ghanim's king was simply prevented from landing his plane as he returned from a visit abroad and was forced to fly to [[Kandara]] and the Barpubad sultan abdicated at gunpoint and sent into internal exile. Street protests supported by the Unity party calling for unification quickly overtook any other proposal, with the borders seen as artificial constructs to keep the Rusani Muslim nation weak, fragmented and vulnerable to external forces. Ghanim's army commander, General Javad Spabod announced the creation of the Rusana Revolutionary Military Command that would include officers of all the three former militaries and act as an executive national body. The junta's first act was to formalize the unification of the three kingdoms into the Islamic Republic of Rusana. | Starting in 1946 popular unrest, communal and religious violence and persistent drought led to the eruption of violent revolts against the monarchies of Ghanim, Lakadu and Barpubad. An underground organization called the Unity Party that advocated the overthrow of the royal families and the unification of all the former Odduniyad wilayat of Rusa into a single nation state began to plot to hijack the popular anti-monarchist sentiments and ride the wave into power. The Unity party had for years been extending its network of supporters into the security forces and militaries that protected the royal establishment. On march 1947 at the beginning of Ramadan, army units sympathetic to the Unity party carried out simultaneous coups and overthrew the three royal dynasties. The Lakdu royal family was machine gunned down at one of their residences, Ghanim's king was simply prevented from landing his plane as he returned from a visit abroad and was forced to fly to [[Kandara]] and the Barpubad sultan abdicated at gunpoint and sent into internal exile. Street protests supported by the Unity party calling for unification quickly overtook any other proposal, with the borders seen as artificial constructs to keep the Rusani Muslim nation weak, fragmented and vulnerable to external forces. Ghanim's army commander, General Javad Spabod announced the creation of the Rusana Revolutionary Military Command that would include officers of all the three former militaries and act as an executive national body. The junta's first act was to formalize the unification of the three kingdoms into the Islamic Republic of Rusana. | ||
Altough nominally the same nationality now, the spirit of unity began to disintegrate amid bitter quarrels and the junta soon came to be divided along regional lines. The Unity Party also had envisioned having its military sympathizers give way to the party's political primacy, instead it was being marginalized and kept at arms length from all decision making processes. General Spabod and his Ghanim clique adopted a policy of empowering islamic hardliners in order to confront the Unity Party on the streets, with the Lakdu and Barpubad members of the junta supported the party. Tensions boiled over in 1953 after the Unity Party carried out an assasination attempt on General Spabod by bombing his military motorcade with RPG's. The Ghanim clique retaliated by outlawing the party and arresting the leading members of the Barpubad clique that supported it. This represented the definitive break up of the revolutionary military command into openly hostile factions. On one side stood the newly formed Front for the Defense of the Homeland(FDH) composed of the military forces aligned with the Ghanim clique, hardline islamists from Jamaat-e-Islami and the Party of God. Arrayed against them stood the National Congress for the Defense of the People(NCDP) formed by the Lakdu clique, the remains of the Barpubad clique and the Unity Party. Various groups such as the Christian Defense Militias and the Kassar Front would join the NCDP as the FDH made incremental gains early in the war. | Altough nominally the same nationality now, the spirit of unity began to disintegrate amid bitter quarrels and the junta soon came to be divided along regional lines. The Unity Party also had envisioned having its military sympathizers give way to the party's political primacy, instead it was being marginalized and kept at arms length from all decision making processes. General Spabod and his Ghanim clique adopted a policy of empowering islamic hardliners in order to confront the Unity Party on the streets, with the Lakdu and Barpubad members of the junta supported the party. Tensions boiled over in 1953 after the Unity Party carried out an assasination attempt on General Spabod by bombing his military motorcade with RPG's. The Ghanim clique retaliated by outlawing the party and arresting the leading members of the Barpubad clique that supported it. This represented the definitive break up of the revolutionary military command into openly hostile factions. On one side stood the newly formed Front for the Defense of the Homeland(FDH) composed of the military forces aligned with the Ghanim clique, hardline islamists from Jamaat-e-Islami and the Party of God. Arrayed against them stood the National Congress for the Defense of the People(NCDP) formed by the Lakdu clique, the remains of the Barpubad clique and the Unity Party. Various groups such as the Christian Defense Militias and the Kassar Front would join the NCDP as the FDH made incremental gains early in the war. | ||
The hostilities began with clashes in the capital of [[Tabish]] between the FDH and the NCDP, with the FDH being victorious in evicting their rivals from the entirety of the city after three weeks of fighting. | The hostilities began with clashes in the capital of [[Tabish]] between the FDH and the NCDP, with the FDH being victorious in evicting their rivals from the entirety of the city after three weeks of fighting. | ||
====The Little Incursion==== | ====The Little Incursion==== | ||
[[File:DuanQirui.jpg|thumb|[[Qiu Heng]] ordered military intervention in the [[Rusani Civil War]].]] | |||
During the presidency of [[Daxia]]'s [[Qiu Heng]] he sought to address the rebuilding of the traditional [[Daxia]]n sphere of influence, nations like the newly formed Rusana and [[Canpei]] had drifted out of their relations of dependence. The [[Rusani Civil War]] had been raging almost since he was first democratically elected and he wanted the disruption to border security and trade to end. He also was unwilling to countenance a victory of the conservative and islamist forces that formed the FDH due to their extreme hostility to [[Daxia]]. The FDH wanted to expel all [[Daxia]]ns and ethnic groups related to them from Rusana, these groups totaled some fifteen percent of the population at the time. [[Qiu Heng]] was convinced the FDH's secular opponents, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (NCDP) led by [[Farrukhzad Khosa]], were unable to achieve victory on its own after almost nine years of a slogging war. After a series of meetings in November 1962 with [[Farrukhzad Khosa]], an agreement was finalized to 'assist the legitimate government of Rusana in restoring its territorial integrity'. The state propaganda apparatus began driving the narrative that ethnic [[Daxia]]n's were in grave danger of annihilation and that a short and victorious war was needed to save them. On December of the same year some forty thousand Daxians entered into Rusana from the Xiazhai Pass in the far south; this military action would be known as [[the Little Incursion]] in Daxian history, after the term the president used for the operation. | During the presidency of [[Daxia]]'s [[Qiu Heng]] he sought to address the rebuilding of the traditional [[Daxia]]n sphere of influence, nations like the newly formed Rusana and [[Canpei]] had drifted out of their relations of dependence. The [[Rusani Civil War]] had been raging almost since he was first democratically elected and he wanted the disruption to border security and trade to end. He also was unwilling to countenance a victory of the conservative and islamist forces that formed the FDH due to their extreme hostility to [[Daxia]]. The FDH wanted to expel all [[Daxia]]ns and ethnic groups related to them from Rusana, these groups totaled some fifteen percent of the population at the time. [[Qiu Heng]] was convinced the FDH's secular opponents, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (NCDP) led by [[Farrukhzad Khosa]], were unable to achieve victory on its own after almost nine years of a slogging war. After a series of meetings in November 1962 with [[Farrukhzad Khosa]], an agreement was finalized to 'assist the legitimate government of Rusana in restoring its territorial integrity'. The state propaganda apparatus began driving the narrative that ethnic [[Daxia]]n's were in grave danger of annihilation and that a short and victorious war was needed to save them. On December of the same year some forty thousand Daxians entered into Rusana from the Xiazhai Pass in the far south; this military action would be known as [[the Little Incursion]] in Daxian history, after the term the president used for the operation. | ||
Boosted by [[Daxia]]n mechanized forces and modern aviation, the NCDP began a series of successful offensives over the course of two months that pushed the FDH back towards the Mursi river in disarray and then forced them across with terrible losses of men and vehicles. Some 7,000 men from the FDH are thought to have been killed fighting to defend the FDH perimeter on the south bank of the Mursi as its limited transport capacity struggled to ferry as many of the trapped troops to the other side. The FDH lack of modern planes meant that their armored columns were prone to being destroyed by enemy aviation before they could be properly deployed for battle or were blown up piecemeal as sitting ducks. By July 1963 the NCDP had made further advanced north and retaken the capital of [[Tabish]] almost without a fight, the FDH too battered and demoralized to be able to mount an effective defense even with the benefit of fighting on an urban area, which generally favors the defenders. Only a month later the two sides of the civil war signed a cessation of hostilities that froze the conflict lines, the FDH only controlled a corner of territory in the northwest, some 8% of Rusana while their rivals controlled the rest of the country. [[Qiu Heng]] had maintained his promise to the people and delivered a short and victorious war. The NCDP began the process of reasserting its control over the destroyed country and rebuilding its political structures, only now heavily in debt to [[Daxia]] politically, militarily and economically; with numerous Daxian bases established in its territory. The [[Rusana Patriotic Alliance]] which is the direct political successor of the NCDP continues to steer Rusana into its neighbor's embrace, to the point of dependence. | Boosted by [[Daxia]]n mechanized forces and modern aviation, the NCDP began a series of successful offensives over the course of two months that pushed the FDH back towards the Mursi river in disarray and then forced them across with terrible losses of men and vehicles. Some 7,000 men from the FDH are thought to have been killed fighting to defend the FDH perimeter on the south bank of the Mursi as its limited transport capacity struggled to ferry as many of the trapped troops to the other side. The FDH lack of modern planes meant that their armored columns were prone to being destroyed by enemy aviation before they could be properly deployed for battle or were blown up piecemeal as sitting ducks. By July 1963 the NCDP had made further advanced north and retaken the capital of [[Tabish]] almost without a fight, the FDH too battered and demoralized to be able to mount an effective defense even with the benefit of fighting on an urban area, which generally favors the defenders. Only a month later the two sides of the civil war signed a cessation of hostilities that froze the conflict lines, the FDH only controlled a corner of territory in the northwest, some 8% of Rusana while their rivals controlled the rest of the country. [[Qiu Heng]] had maintained his promise to the people and delivered a short and victorious war. The NCDP began the process of reasserting its control over the destroyed country and rebuilding its political structures, only now heavily in debt to [[Daxia]] politically, militarily and economically; with numerous Daxian bases established in its territory. The [[Rusana Patriotic Alliance]] which is the direct political successor of the NCDP continues to steer Rusana into its neighbor's embrace, to the point of dependence. | ||
==== | ====Modern era==== | ||
==Geography and Climate== | ==Geography and Climate== | ||
[[File: | [[File:Contrasts_(4292970991).jpg|thumb|A view of Band e-Amir Valley in northern Rusana]] | ||
The | The majority of the country experiences a tropical climate due to its proximity to the equator. This translates into warm temperatures throughout the year, with slight variations between seasons. The lower lands, which form the bulk of the country, benefit from a tropical savanna climate characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. These seasonal shifts influence not only the flora and fauna of the region but also the livelihoods and cultural practices of the local population.There is a monsoon season with frequent flooding due to heavy rainfall, and a dry season with significantly less rainfall. There are four distinct seasons in Rusana: a cool, dry winter from December through February; a hot, dry spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southeast monsoon period, from June through September; and the retreating monsoon period of October and November. Rainfall can vary greatly from year to year, and patterns of alternate flooding and drought are not uncommon. | ||
The geography of Rusana is varied, the | The geography of Rusana is varied, the eastern part of the country is dominated by the vast Arik mountain range that begins in the north and extends south all across the [[Daxia]]n border. West of the mountain range, the terrain descends into verdant lowlands and plains with few distinct orographic features. This area is bound to the north by the southern end of the Hongse river that flows from [[Canpei]] and to the south by the Akhdar river, as a result this region is extremely fertile making this the agricultural breadbasket of the country. | ||
==Government and Politics== | ==Government and Politics== | ||
===Government=== | ===Government=== | ||
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===Major Tribes=== | ===Major Tribes=== | ||
===Religion=== | ===Religion=== | ||
A majority of Rusana's population adheres to Islam, approximately 84% of the population answered in the affirmative if they practiced the religion in the last census. Of said percentage approximately 62% belong to the Shia school and 38% belong to the Sunni school. Since the end of the civil war, Islam has been recognized as the official state religion and gets important financial endowments thanks to this status. After Islam, Christianity is the second largest religious group, amounting to roughly 13% of the population. Christianity is predominantly practiced by people belonging to ethnic minority groups such as the Kassar people(who are exclusively Christian), the Tauqi and Yue. Christianity is a recognized minority religion and has protected status in Rusana. | [[File:Blue_Mosque_in_the_northern_Afghan_city_in_2012.jpg|thumb|National Mosque of Rusana in the capital of [[Tabish]]]] | ||
A majority of Rusana's population adheres to Islam, approximately 84% of the population answered in the affirmative if they practiced the religion in the last census. Of said percentage approximately 62% belong to the Shia school and 38% belong to the Sunni school. Since the end of the civil war, Islam has been recognized as the official state religion and gets important financial endowments thanks to this official status. After Islam, Christianity is the second largest religious group, amounting to roughly 13% of the population. Christianity is predominantly practiced by people belonging to ethnic minority groups such as the Kassar people(who are exclusively Christian), the Tauqi and Yue. Christianity is a recognized minority religion and has protected status in Rusana. | |||
==Culture== | ==Culture== | ||
===Music=== | ===Music=== | ||
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Rusana has a mixed economy that is heavily slanted towards the primary sector and resource extraction. Agriculture, fishing, mining and oil extraction account for over forty percent of the national gross domestic product. The agriculture sector is the single largest employer in the country, accounting for some 25% of jobs. Despite this it suffers from chronic underfunding by government and decaying water infrastructure. Rusana depends on water sources located in [[Daxia]] for up to 35% of its needs. The current status and cubic meters of water alloted for Rusana are under constant renegotiation which creates uncertainty for Rusani farmers. Despite all these hurdles, Rusani olives and citruc are prized in the region for their high quality and taste. | |||
The mining and oil industries are mostly in the hands of [[Daxia]]n companies due to the lack of funds and necessary technology by local companies to properly exploit these resources. The Rusani government typically enters in royalty sharing contracts with [[Daxia]]n transnationals. Light industry and manufacturing that is not capital intensive represents the next largest sector of the economy, with a focus on consumer goods. This allows the Rusanan economy to cover the entire supply chain for many perishable goods that it in turns exports to parts of [[Audonia]]. Tourism was a moribund sector due to insecurity until only a few years ago but greater policing of tourist areas is leading to a bit of a small boom in visitors, which gives the local economy a much needed injection of foreign currency. | |||
Rusana has sizable proven reserves of natural gas, however due to a lack of funds for investment to develop gas fields, the country has partnered mainly with [[Daxia]]n gas companies to get the industry going. A Rusana-Daxia gas pipeline with the capacity to transport 2.3 billion cubic feet per day of dry gas is slated to be operational by the second quarter of 2032, with completion of the Rusana section at approximately 72%. Rusana also has modest domestic oil reserves, these reserves stand as of 2030 at 27.8 billion barrels of proven reserves. The national oil company continues exploration in tandem with foreign oil companies to discover new fields. | |||
[[File:Soap4.jpg|thumb|Soapmaking workshop in [[Tabish]]]] | [[File:Soap4.jpg|thumb|Soapmaking workshop in [[Tabish]]]] | ||
Supply inefficiencies, widespread corruption and political instability have proven to be persistent obstacles to sustained economig growth, averaging a growth of only 3% annually for the past ten years. The government has planned to adress many of the systemic economic problems with its 'Future Rusana 2050' plan which calls for tax reform, increased road, power and water infrastructure to boost regional connectivity, increased funding for security, the creation of a national anti corruption watchdog among other initiatives. The clear inability of the government to fund even half of these plans has led critics to believe that Daxian funding might eventually be brought in, with attached strings. | Supply inefficiencies, widespread corruption and political instability have proven to be persistent obstacles to sustained economig growth, averaging a growth of only 3% annually for the past ten years. The government has planned to adress many of the systemic economic problems with its 'Future Rusana 2050' plan which calls for tax reform, increased road, power and water infrastructure to boost regional connectivity, increased funding for security, the creation of a national anti corruption watchdog among other initiatives. The clear inability of the government to fund even half of these plans has led critics to believe that Daxian funding might eventually be brought in, with attached strings. | ||
===Agriculture=== | |||
[[File:Pouteria_sapota_02_fruit_on_branch.jpg|thumb|A tree of the bozeh fruit, one of Rusana's tree fruits.]] | |||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
File:Bread2.jpg|Automated bakery | File:Bread2.jpg|Automated bakery | ||
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File:Grapes.jpg|Vineyard in Dofzul region | File:Grapes.jpg|Vineyard in Dofzul region | ||
File:Salt workers.jpg|Workers gathering salt above ground | File:Salt workers.jpg|Workers gathering salt above ground | ||
File:Olives3.jpg|Merchant offering a variety of olives in a bazaar | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Military== | ==Military== | ||