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History of Urcea (1098-1214): Difference between revisions
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{{Template:History of Urcea sidebar}} | {{Template:History of Urcea sidebar}} | ||
The '''History of Urcea from 1098-1214''', sometimes also called the '''Early Kingdom Period''', consists of period of time proclamation of the [[Golden Bull of 1098]] to the rise of the House of Cónn in 1214. This period saw the new Kingdom establish itself as a major power in the southern [[Levantine Empire]], expanding its holdings and acquiring a coveted vote in the [[Collegial Electorate]]. Characterized by peace and stability under the House of Yustona, the fall of the house ushered in dynastic uncertainty that would lead to generations of conflict after the ascension of the House of Cónn in 1214. | The '''History of Urcea from 1098-1214''', sometimes also called the '''Early Kingdom Period''', consists of period of time proclamation of the [[Golden Bull of 1098]] to the rise of the House of Cónn in 1214. This period saw the new Kingdom establish itself as a major power in the southern [[Levantine Empire]], expanding its holdings and acquiring a coveted vote in the [[Collegial Electorate]]. Characterized by the relative peace and stability under the House of Yustona, the fall of the house ushered in dynastic uncertainty that would lead to generations of conflict after the ascension of the House of Cónn in 1214. The period also saw the reign of King Niall I, who some historians call Urcea's "first excellent ruler", who instituted expansion and legal reforms which make up key parts of the modern [[Constitution of Urcea]]. | ||
The grant given under the [[Golden Bull of 1098]] should not be understood to constitute a cohesive political entity; it elevated the Archduke Riordan and his heirs to the level of Kings and consequently made their lands Royal domains, but it did not give them wide-reaching powers over the other Imperial vassals of the former [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]]. The distinction between the King as ruling over a cohesive territory called [[Urcea]] and over a Kingdom within the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] called Urcea caused a great deal of confusion during the early periods of Urcean historiography. Consequently, historians developed the term [[Imperial Kingdom of Urcea]] to describe the entity in which the vassals of the area did the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] homage | Much of the period is characterized by the rule of the Julio-Yustona Dynasty - [[Urcea]]'s first dynasty - which was notable among contemporaries for their progeny; Riordan II had fourteen children, and his son, Niall I, managed six. The realm remained stable during the reign of these early Kings, providing an important source of manpower for the Emperor and an equally important "check" on Imperial power, contributing to emerging political precedent for a limited role of the [[Emperor of the Levantines|Emperor]] in the individual affairs of the Princes of the Empire. The borders of the Kingdom remained stable under this period as well; the Kings valued the then-status quo position of the realm within the Empire, though some small gains were made - most notably extending the realm south to the Callan River, acquiring what is today known as the province of [[Callan]]. The Kingdom's aggressive posture with regards to its southern boundaries began to put it directly in conflict with the Duke-Elector of [[Canaery]], which it eventually incorporated. Urcea also looked westward towards the [[Creagmer republics]], which came increasingly under its sway. | ||
The grant given under the [[Golden Bull of 1098]] should not be understood to constitute a cohesive political entity; it elevated the Archduke Riordan and his heirs to the level of Kings and consequently made their lands Royal domains, but it did not give them wide-reaching powers over the other Imperial vassals of the former [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]]. The distinction between the King as ruling over a cohesive territory called [[Urcea]] and over a Kingdom within the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] called Urcea caused a great deal of confusion during the early periods of Urcean historiography. Consequently, historians developed the term [[Imperial Kingdom of Urcea]] to describe the entity in which the vassals of the area did the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] homage as part of their legal obligations to the Holy Levantine Empire. | |||
== Julio-Yustona dynasty == | == Julio-Yustona dynasty == | ||
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Riordan I, crowned [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] following his [[History_of_Urcea_(800-1098)#Late_Archducal_period|participation in the northern uprising]], did not have long to reign as King and died roughly two and a half years later in August of 1100. His eldest son, Aedanicus, was {{wp|sterile}} and also had extreme physical limitations, although scholars have debated the extent of these limitations as they are not clearly defined in the sources. A small consensus indicate that Aedanicus may have been {{wp|developmentally disabled}}. Aedanicus died after an uneventful two years on the throne and was succeeded by his brother Riordan II. | Riordan I, crowned [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] following his [[History_of_Urcea_(800-1098)#Late_Archducal_period|participation in the northern uprising]], did not have long to reign as King and died roughly two and a half years later in August of 1100. His eldest son, Aedanicus, was {{wp|sterile}} and also had extreme physical limitations, although scholars have debated the extent of these limitations as they are not clearly defined in the sources. A small consensus indicate that Aedanicus may have been {{wp|developmentally disabled}}. Aedanicus died after an uneventful two years on the throne and was succeeded by his brother Riordan II. | ||
During this time, the great numbers of possible male heirs (both close and distant) lead to dynastic instability in [[Urcea]] that would eventually go on to become an existential problem in later centuries. The relatively successful reign of Riordan II ended in 1118 following sixteen years spent mostly establishing Urcea's royal dignity among the princes of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. Riordan was succeeded by his son, Aedanicus II. Aedanicus II's reign was greatly consumed by the issue of succession as he managed eight daughters but no sons. The lack of a male heir lead to a decreasing state of mental stability for the King according to contemporary and modern historians. In late 1130 Aedanicus attempted to legitimize his bastard son Donnchad, a decision which served as the "last straw" and lead to the creation of a powerful palace faction. With tacit approval from the [[Catholic Church|Church]], the faction moved quickly, and Aedanicus was murdered in a supposed hunting accident on 19 January 1131. His brother, Niall, was never directly implicated but was assumed by both contemporary and modern historians to be the leader of the palace faction and its prime architect. The same day his brother was murdered, Niall became [[Apostolic King of Urcea]]. His nephew, Aedanicus's bastard son Donnchad, was quickly imprisoned for supposedly plotting against the new King and disappears from the historical record following his imprisonment in February 1131. | During this time, the great numbers of possible male heirs (both close and distant) lead to dynastic instability in [[Urcea]] that would eventually go on to become an existential problem in later centuries. The relatively successful reign of Riordan II ended in 1118 following sixteen years spent mostly establishing Urcea's royal dignity among the princes of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. Riordan was succeeded by his son, Aedanicus II. Aedanicus II's reign was greatly consumed by the issue of succession as he managed eight daughters but no sons. The lack of a male heir lead to a decreasing state of mental stability for the King according to contemporary and modern historians. In late 1130 Aedanicus attempted to legitimize his bastard son Donnchad, a decision which served as the "last straw" and lead to the creation of a powerful palace faction. With tacit approval from the [[Catholic Church|Church]], the faction moved quickly, and Aedanicus was murdered in a supposed hunting accident on 19 January 1131. His brother, Niall, was never directly implicated but was assumed by both contemporary and modern historians to be the leader of the palace faction and its prime architect. The same day his brother was murdered, Niall became [[Apostolic King of Urcea]]. His nephew, Aedanicus's bastard son Donnchad, was quickly imprisoned for supposedly plotting against the new King and disappears from the historical record following his imprisonment in February 1131. | ||
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The [[Julian dynasty]] had long sought to secure control of both banks of the [[Urce River]] and the land between it and the coast, even before the [[Golden Bull of 1098|establishment of the Kingdom in 1098]]. This land had been part of [[Latin League]] polities prior to the establishment of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] and now comprised of the [[Creagmer republics]] - a series of {{wp|mercantile republic}}s occupying the land on what is today [[Urcea]]'s western shore. | The [[Julian dynasty]] had long sought to secure control of both banks of the [[Urce River]] and the land between it and the coast, even before the [[Golden Bull of 1098|establishment of the Kingdom in 1098]]. This land had been part of [[Latin League]] polities prior to the establishment of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] and now comprised of the [[Creagmer republics]] - a series of {{wp|mercantile republic}}s occupying the land on what is today [[Urcea]]'s western shore. These lands were considerably wealthy from their strong position in the [[Odoneru Ocean|Odoneru]] trade market, with contacts and clients as far abroad as [[Kiravia]]. Although King Niall I was the first King to truly focus on Urcea's access to the sea and control of these wealthy cities, his predecessors has also made attempts to bring them within Urcea's direct orbit with varying degrees of success. Efforts were made during the 1110s and 1120s to emphasize the Apostolic King's right to tax these cities as their [[Imperial Kingdom of Urcea|legal liege]], but these efforts were largely rebuffed. | ||
== Southern orientation == | |||
The reign of King Niall I and its focus on coastal access was not exclusive to its relationship with the [[Creagmer republics]]. To the south of the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona|Duchy of Yustona]] sat the Duchy of [[Callan]], a marshy and lightly populated area which marked the traditional demarcation area between [[Urcean people|Urceans]] and [[Caenish people|Caens]]. Upon its creation by [[Conchobar I, Emperor of the Levantines|Emperor Conchobar I]], the Duchy was intended to separate the lands of the [[Julian dynasty]] from the Caenish realms, which were themselves intended to be a powerful check on [[Hištanšahr]] along with marches to the south of Yustona. Politically, Callan was intended to be a realm largely dependent on Royal authority and was a key ally of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines|Southern King of the Levantines]] during the existence of the Southern Kingdom. Since the establishment of the [[Imperial Kingdom of Urcea]], Callan had become increasingly politically isolated. With the unexpected death of the Duke in 1136, Niall I claimed an abstract right to the Duchy citing the authority of the Southern Kingdom and invaded the Duchy in the same year. Although the invasion was resisted by local magnates, Niall overcame them and incorporated the Duchy as a personal holding in 1137. The invasion received some condemnation by both the [[Catholic Church]] and from other rulers within the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], but the incorporation became permanent. Although Urcea had acquired its first coastal territory, Callan did not have any port cities and the King began to invest significant attention and resources into the coastal fishing village of Sangran. While it would not become a major port city for some time, the initial investments expanded the small fishing village into a walled city of about five thousand by the end of the 1150s. | |||
During this period of "southern orientation", the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona|Duchy of Yustona]] was elevated by the King of Urcea to a Grand Duchy in 1138, incorporating many of the bordering {{wp|march}}es with [[Gassavelia]] into a more direct political arrangement. | |||
Not unlike the revolt in 1098, the [[Emperor of the Levantines]] called on the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] once again in 1143, as the so-called "''Caenish League''" was formed in revolt under the leadership of the Elector of Canaery in an effort to expand the [[Collegial Electorate]] to a greater number of Princes within the Empire. The rationale for the Elector siding with the league are not well understood, given that it would reduce Canaery's influence, but it is thought by a consensus of historians that many of the league members - those who would stand to benefit - were viewed by the Elector as marriage prospects for his many daughters, thus potentially increasing his power. Whatever the case may be, again like in 1098, the Emperor decided to incentivize participation in the conflict by offering the Apostolic King a prize for his participation in the revolt; the prize the Julio-Yustonas had been seeking for decades, the [[Electorate of Canaery]], was offered as spoils for King Niall I's participation in the war. The reign of Niall I proved to be the high water mark for the dynasty; his predecessors had successfully maneuvered for Niall to have a relatively strong claim on the Electorate of Canaery, so his ascension in the Electorate was viewed with additional legitimacy once the Emperor granted it to him in 1144 upon the conclusion of the war. Niall was the first King-Elector of Urcea, though for the next several hundred years, the Kingdom and the Electorate would be administered as separate realms with a common ruler. After the war, in 1146, the King and [[Great Landsmeet]] were at an impasse over expenses incurred as a result of the conflict. King Niall desired to levy a tax to pay back what he owed for large army of mercenaries called upon during the war. As part of the disagreement, the King and Great Landsmeet eventually decided to convene a new body which would be comprised entirely of [[Social class in Urcea|privilegiata and freemen]], known as the "Common Council" - the [[Concilium Daoni]] in its earliest form. The Common Council was convened to create independent compromises between the King and Great Landsmeet as a kind of impartial arbitrator between the two, and was comprised of designees from each Estate of the freemen and privilegiata rank. In its earliest form, the total number of representatives from each Estate was inconsistent, ranging from fifteen to forty. The King designated his [[Procurator|Royal Treasurer]] as responsible for organizing meetings of the Common Council, creating the role of "President of the Common Council" that the [[Procurator]] still nominally holds today. The new Common Council - the [[Concilium Daoni]] - ruled in the King's favor, and the Great Landsmeet begrudgingly agreed to the tax. | Not unlike the revolt in 1098, the [[Emperor of the Levantines]] called on the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] once again in 1143, as the so-called "''Caenish League''" was formed in revolt under the leadership of the Elector of Canaery in an effort to expand the [[Collegial Electorate]] to a greater number of Princes within the Empire. The rationale for the Elector siding with the league are not well understood, given that it would reduce Canaery's influence, but it is thought by a consensus of historians that many of the league members - those who would stand to benefit - were viewed by the Elector as marriage prospects for his many daughters, thus potentially increasing his power. Whatever the case may be, again like in 1098, the Emperor decided to incentivize participation in the conflict by offering the Apostolic King a prize for his participation in the revolt; the prize the Julio-Yustonas had been seeking for decades, the [[Electorate of Canaery]], was offered as spoils for King Niall I's participation in the war. The reign of Niall I proved to be the high water mark for the dynasty; his predecessors had successfully maneuvered for Niall to have a relatively strong claim on the Electorate of Canaery, so his ascension in the Electorate was viewed with additional legitimacy once the Emperor granted it to him in 1144 upon the conclusion of the war. Niall was the first King-Elector of Urcea, though for the next several hundred years, the Kingdom and the Electorate would be administered as separate realms with a common ruler. After the war, in 1146, the King and [[Great Landsmeet]] were at an impasse over expenses incurred as a result of the conflict. King Niall desired to levy a tax to pay back what he owed for large army of mercenaries called upon during the war. As part of the disagreement, the King and Great Landsmeet eventually decided to convene a new body which would be comprised entirely of [[Social class in Urcea|privilegiata and freemen]], known as the "Common Council" - the [[Concilium Daoni]] in its earliest form. The Common Council was convened to create independent compromises between the King and Great Landsmeet as a kind of impartial arbitrator between the two, and was comprised of designees from each Estate of the freemen and privilegiata rank. In its earliest form, the total number of representatives from each Estate was inconsistent, ranging from fifteen to forty. The King designated his [[Procurator|Royal Treasurer]] as responsible for organizing meetings of the Common Council, creating the role of "President of the Common Council" that the [[Procurator]] still nominally holds today. The new Common Council - the [[Concilium Daoni]] - ruled in the King's favor, and the Great Landsmeet begrudgingly agreed to the tax. | ||