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History of Urcea (1098-1214): Difference between revisions
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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. | 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. | 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]] along the [[Urcean frontier|southern wilderness]] 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. | ||
== End of the House of Yustona == | == End of the House of Yustona == | ||