Matokté Tashnacate

Great Matokté
1302–1498
War sigil
Government	Nomadic empire
Načá
• 1302-1340	Falling Sword
• 1494-1498	Little Bow
History
• Unification of the Earplanne	1302
• Collapse	1498
Today part of	Arcerion Kelekona Istrenya Paulastra the Cape

The Matokté Tashnacate was a large nomadic empire based in the Earplanne region of Crona. Originating in the eastern plains of modern Arcerion, the indigenous Matokté peoples eventually subdued the other nomadic tribes of the area and began a long period of conquest which eventually led to it conquering and subsuming much of the North Songun civilization and briefly becoming the predominant power in central Crona. After a period of preeminence, it entered rapid decline and dissolved into several tashnacates, each ruled by a different constituent tribe of the original Great Matokté. Most of the successor tashnacates persisted until the end of the 18th century, though the most prominent and wealthy were eventually overrun by Varshan.

The brief existence of the Tashnacate completely rearranged the political landscape of central Crona. Its conquest of the North Songun civilization, and vacuum that formed after its collapse, led to both the zenith of Varshan's power in the early modern period as well as political fragmentation necessary to accomodate the first Occidental colonies decades after Aster's expedition. It also left a defining cultural impact on Earplanne, becoming the ideal for generations of succeeding nomads and nomadic polities. Most of the political and cultural systems employed by the Tashnacate would become the expected norm in Earplanne until the nomads were finally subdued by Occidental colonists many centuries later.

Etymology

The term Matokté in the languages of the Earplanne generally means "bear hunter", and it referred to the specific tribal groups who established the empire. Its origin is not known but the term appears to have been used in some North Songun civilization records to refer to a specific group of nomads as early as the 10th century. The indigenous name of the polity translates as Great Matokté. The term "Matokté Tashnacate" (a tashnacate being a state ruled by a "horse chief") is commonly used both in vernacular and scholarly applications. Though it is an exonym, the name is a reasonable approximation of the name used for the polity by the North Songun civilization and other contemporaries.

History

Conquests of Falling Sword

The equestrian statue of Falling Sword in Kurst, entitled The Conqueror.

Government

The governance of the Tashnacate varied greatly over the course of its history, beginning with a nomadic empire seated on the back of a horse before transitioning to an empire of nomads ruled from a central court. Throughout its entire history, however, most power was concentrated in the hands of one man - the Načá, the leading man of the Matokté tribe in addition to the other titles due the ruler of the empire.

Unlike father-to-son succession or election by tribal council, as was common elsewhere in Crona, the Matokté Načá possessed a unique succession system; this system, called "the proving" by Occidental scholars, is based on the traditional system of the Matokté and was implemented by Falling Sword upon his establishment of the empire. Upon the death or end of the reign of a Načá, a regency council of sorts was formed among the chief generals of the Tashnacate to govern the empire for one year. During that year, the various sons (and in some instances brothers or even cousins) of the previous ruler would make their claim to rule the Tashnacate. Any rival claimants would resolve their competing claims by single combat to the death rather than by civil war. At the end of the regency period, the man left standing became the new Načá. Any male relatives who did not make a claim were no longer seen as having any legitimacy to rule, while male relatives who made a claim but did not engage in single combat were not only socially discredited but also criminals. In the middle and later Tashnacate, presumptive heirs (eldest and strongest sons) and their supporters would unleash a wave of violence just prior to the death of the Načá, usually during periods of debilitating illness on part of the sitting ruler. These dynastic purges functionally required the perpetrator to emerge victorious in the proving to avoid becoming an outlaw; in some rare cases, a deathly ill Načá would recover and be forced to execute their son for their deeds. In any case, the succession system provided short term stability - no major civil wars plagued the Tashnacate prior to 1450 - but in the long term provided for a creeping loss of legitimacy by means of shrinking the ruling dynasty. The regency councils also eventually proved to be an issue, as starting in 1470 they would frequently assume power for longer than a year and would eventually begin to decide the outcome of provings in advance so as to install a puppet Načá. Beginning in 1476, the role of Načá had largely been reduced to figurehead legitimizing figure for the rule of powerful, non-dynastic generals.

Unlike many other monarchies, the Načá was not always a life position. Most men who would rule as Načá would die in the position, and it was largely expected that warrior men of the Matokté should die in battle rather than reach old age. However, some of the most successful Načá lived to very old age and eventually resigned the role. The circumstances under which a Načá would resign are not well understood, but most common characteristics include sustained debilitating illness or injury or very old age. Upon their resignation, a former Načá would be forced to take on a new name, and for all intents and purposes they were considered to be a new man who did not share the obligations (or consequences) of their previous identity. As such, any children born after their resignation would have no claim on the role of Načá. In most cases, resigned Načás lived lives of luxury and respect, though one died in obscure poverty and two were murdered by their successor. Due to the new identity assumed by former Načá, historians have had difficulty counting the exact ratio of men who died as Načá as opposed to those who resigned.

Subjects

The day-to-day administration of the Tashnacate was largely done by subordinates of the Načá, who ruled over geographic areas, collected taxes and tribute, and maintained a certain number of warriors. The subtashnacans (an Occidental term) were initially the most prominent type. These were realms created by Falling Sword and given to those sons which agreed to forego claiming the role of Načá in the proving, an agreement which nominally included all of their descendants. The subtashnacans, once large ranges from which Falling Sword's sons ruled, were gradually divided in subsequent generations, losing prominence by 1400 as they more closely resembled feudal constellations of allegiance. The more important and initially secondary subordinates were those of the allies. These were tribes which allied to Falling Sword or the Matokté upon establishment of the Tashnacate as well as those which readily submitted during his initial conquests. In addition to their traditional lands, allies were given control of most of the lands of their enemies. Increasingly, they were also allowed to take control of lands from disloyal subtashnacans, as the Načá preferred their rule to that of a disloyal dynasty member. Over time, the allied tribes became the most powerful subordinates of the Tashnacate, especially as the cities and farms of the North Songun civilization were conquered and awarded to allies rather than dynasty members. Upon the collapse of the Tashnacate, most of the allied subordinates continued to rule their allotted lands under successor tashnacates, often with Matokté dynasts as nominal Načás.