Urgench

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**Urgench**

Flag of Urgench
Motto: Peace is Wealth
Map of Urgench (click to expand)
Region	The Pleiades
Capital	Tabriz (summer) Urgench (winter) Karakorum (ceremonial)
Official Language(s)	Old Mongolian (Imperial Court) Persian (Government) Tocharian (Law)
Leader	His Divine Majesty the Emperor
Population	4.194 billion
Currency	The Darang
NS NSTracker Sunset XML

The Confederated Sublime Khanate of Urgench, more commonly called the Sublime Khanate or the Empire of Urgench, sometimes called the Khanate of Heaven, is a proud member of United Nations Old Guard and is the successor state to an empire founded in the 15th century by a mongol warlord called Borrod Ingizd, who came to be known as Tengri Khaghan or the Heavenly Khan.

1 History
2 Government structure
- 2.1 Since New Era reforms
3 The remnants of factionalism and imperial patronage in Urgenchi politics
4 Culture and religion
5 Economy
6 Additional materials

[edit] History

According to the Secret History of Mongkha Khan of Kashgar, Borrod, a Mongolian by birth who claimed kinship with Jenghiz Khan, joined the service of the Uzbek descendants of Jenghiz Khan, the Shaybanids. Borrod mutinied and overthrew the great Shaybanid Khan Mohammad al'Shaybani and instituted a second Mongol Empire. Borrod, ever after known as Tengri Khaghan, extended the dominions of the Shaybanids and quickly reconstituted the former Mongol empire, within his own lifetime he had exceeded this by conquering much of eastern Europe and western Asia which he formally added to the empire, outstripping the great Jenghiz Khan in the extent of his possessions.

After Tengri Khaghan came a series of great emperors, including his son Kochu Chimtay who built the fabulous tomb and mausoleum of his father at Karakorum and wrote the official history of his reign. The great grandson of Tengri, Negubei the Poet sponsored a very great renaissance in the arts and built the House of Eternal Felicity in Tabriz, the world's largest palace complex. Negubei employed the incomparable architect Ali Sayed Hosseini of Isfahan who's extravagant style and use of exotic and rare materials expressed perfectly the new majesty and wealth of the mongol Khans. Indeed Negubei's son Agbarjin Temur employed his father's favourite architect to build the city of Tengrapur in northern india. Much as other conquerors of India had done before the emperors of Urgench built themselves a city to impose their might and mastery on the peoples of India, and Agbarjin's Tengrapur surpassed them all. Called the city of a thousand pavilions, Tengrapur was designed to afford the emperors and their noble court the opportunity to show off their wealth and exquisite taste.

After the short reign of Agbarjin Temur's son, Agbarjin's eldest Daughter, Mailun Khatun, was made empress and ruled for fifty years, mostly from the chinese provinces of the empire which she beautified with palaces and improved with wise policies and new agricultural practices. Mailun Khatun's Grand Chancellor, Alexius of Pontus, was one of the first to hold this title to achieve renown as a great statesman. He skillfully guided his mistress's policy and loyally served her interests, particularly in the west of the empire, untill his death by poisoning at the hands of jealous nobles, who met a terrible justice at Mailun Khatun's hands for their crimes. Perhaps it was the partisans of these felons who started the false rumours which persist to this day of an affair between Mailun Khatun and her loyal minister. Indeed the falsehood became so popular in later years that it formed the inspiration for many a poet and opera composer's work and Mailun Khatun's youngest son even became known as Adai the greek ( a title none would have dared to use in his presence ).

In later centuries Zayaghatu the fat made himself famous for convening the first Imperial Diet and infamous for sponsoring Urgench's tiny northern neighbour Aundotutunagir in a shamefull and bloody war with the empire's western neighbours the Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway.

Tengri Khaghan depicted in Indian mode ( from the Viceregal palace at Tengrapur)

The Tang Wars

With the minor but extremely ugly exception of the Karelian Wars, or the Great Northern War as it is also known, Tengri Khaghan's successors had ruled unchallenged over the greater part of Asia and Europe for nearly five hundred years. However during the reign of Emperor Gaykhatu 8th the Chinese provinces of the empire rose against Karakorum ( then the primary capital of the empire ) under a pretended descendant of the last Tang dynasty Emperor Tang Aidi, and fought for their freedom. The war was inconclusive for its first twenty years and a cease fire was signed at Hungdow in 2057, but this resolved nothing and was merely a pause for both sides to gather strength. In this first phase of the war close to 26,000,000 had died. The Chinese leader Tang Bao was confirmed in possession of the southern portion of China which Tengri's descendants had never made claim to. The death 12 years later of Gaykhatu 8th and the enthronement of the youthful Gurgant 12th reignited Desire within the empire for a decisive victory against China to secure the borders of the Sino-Mongolian provinces. Gurgant 12th invaded Tang China in 2070 with forces approaching 20,000,000. This second war with the resurgent Tang dynasty was a disaster, within 10 years the Chinese had forced Gurgant's army back beyond the inner Mongolian frontier reducing it by 16,000,000 in the process. Gurgant took his own life during the Chinese artillery bombardment of Wuyuanchow.

Gurgant's nephew Yangchihar 12th was quickly installed as emperor, Gurgant having died childless. Yangchihar 12th signed treaties with Tang China which extended the borders of China to within 700 km of Karakorum. This humiliating peace was followed six years later by an invasion by the Chinese army which laid waste to the Mongolian heartland of the empire. Karakorum was completely devastated and Yangchihar 12th was killed during the ignominious retreat into central Asia.

Yangchihar's eldest child was his daughter Uzgurtani, she was made Empress and the capitol moved to Urgench not far from the Aral sea in Turkistan. Uzgurtani lead the campaign against the Chinese and with great loss of life on both sides took back the Sino-Mongolian region of the empire permanently forcing the second Tang dynasty beyond the Yangtze river.

From Uzgurtani to Qabul Khaghan

from this point on Tengri Khaghan's empire was to be known as the Khanate (Empire) of Urgench. The Imperial government's move to central Asia changed the nature of the empire, making it more Turkic influenced and more streamlined in governance than before. Uzgurtani's reign was long and extremely prosperous, her successes against China making her the greatest ruler since Tengri.

Six centuries later another conflict rocked the empire of Urgench this being the Caucasian wars, which in three installments saw the European provinces of the empire fight for their independence. Led by the principalities of Russia these provinces took a guerrilla war to the Caucasian mountains and fought the vast armies raised against them to the point of mutual exhaustion.

The last of the great congresses of Derbent conferred on many of the European vassal states the status of Autonomous regions. Mongol viceroys were removed from the Kingdom of Hungary, the Ukrainian Khanates and the principalities of Muskovy who have remained loyal to the empire ever since. The treaty of Derbent conferred the new name of the Confederated Sublime Khanate of Urgench upon the Empire.

In 3001 the then Emperor Qabul-Khaghan was overthrown in a palace coup. His lunacy and cruelty had made him odious even to his own family. His son the current Emperor (who's name may not be used out of traditional deference) has instituted the so called "New Era" in which a real form of democracy has been promulgated. The Imperial Diet is now elected by proportional representation and the traditional system of government through aristocratic families who often ruled their lesser khanates as de facto kings has been ended.

[edit] Government structure

Until the current reign the Emperors theoretically ruled Urgench as autocrats, except in those lands granted democratic autonomy by the Treaty of Derbent. In reality however most Emperor's had always relied on the advice and expertise of the ministers they appointed to the Divan ( the Imperial Cabinet of ministers ), they especially relied upon their Grand Chancellors, some of whom rose to become great potentates in their own right.

During the early phases of Urgench's history the Emperor's ruled without the assistance of a parliament but the inclusion of the Kingdom of Hungary ( which had its own parliament ) and contact with other European states with parliamentary institutions prompted Emperor Zayaghatu to constitute the first Imperial Diet modelled on that of the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire which was the Sublime Khanate's closest western european ally at the time.

The first session of the Imperial Diet sat in October of 1801 at Tabriz in the pavilion of the widow built to honour Tengri Khaghan by his wife Nur Ismaine of Khiva. 200 hundred deputies from every corner of the empire, mostly of noble rank, were asked by Emperor Zayaghatu to discuss the possible issues then facing the empire and advise the Divan on how best to address them. 5 years later three purpose built Halls of the Imperial Diet were completed in Tabriz, Urgench and Karakorum respectively so that the Diet might follow the traditional progress of the Imperial Court from one capital to the next.

These early Diets were small, but were gradually expanded into roughly the same Circles as those later re-affirmed by the Treaty of Derbent with 2000 deputies in all. For much of its history the Imperial Diet ( as opposed to the autonomous regional and state Diets created after the Caucasian Wars ) retained the purely advisory character of its foundation with only minor increases to its sphere of influence.

When the current Emperor came to power, after his father Qabul Khaghan had been deposed, he saw fit to transform the structure of government in The Confederated Sublime Khanate by promulgating an Imperial Bull called "The New Era" in which he fully democratised the Empire. The changes to the structure of government contained in this Bull are outlined below.

[edit] Since New Era reforms

The Halls of the Imperial Diet in Urgench.

Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy with a representative democracy

Founding document: The Golden Bull of the Yasaq, The Re-foundation Document, The Treaty of Derbent
Constitution: consists of many Documents, Imperial Bulls, legal pronouncements of the Quiriltai and the documents mentioned above

Head of State: His Divine Majesty the Emperor
Head of Government: The Grand Chancellor of the Empire (currently his Excellency Tamerlane Khan of Samarkand and Bhukhara)
Commander in Chief: The Jade Marshall ( currently his Excellency Babur ul'Mulk Khan of Mazandaran)
Executive Branch: The Imperial Council (sometimes called "the Heavenly Court" and sometimes "the Divan" )
Legislative Branch: The Imperial Diet, which consists of- The council of Khans, the Tribal council, the Council of Autonomous Regions and States, the Sino-Mongolian circle, the Trans-Siberian circle, the Trans-Oxianian circle, the Indo-Parthian circle, the Jagataite circle, the Caucasian circle, the Council of Moscovy, the Anatolian circle,( Circles are elected by strict proportional representation, with multiple seat constituencies and multiple preferences. Councils are in some cases self selecting and in others appointed).
Judicial Branch: The Quiriltai, and the Supreme Military Tribunal.

[edit] The remnants of factionalism and imperial patronage in Urgenchi politics

The Dowager Empress in youth.‎

The new era reforms created a very different political landscape in Urgench but there remains a large conservative minority who wish to see a return to the ancient customs and to rule by the Khanly families and aristocracies. The Icon of this form of politics is the Dowager Empress Sorghakhtani who's traditional role at court and government ministries make her a very powerful influence on government and culture.

The Dowager Empress is idolised by millions of Urgenchi women as an ideal of motherhood and Imperial dignity. In her lifetime she has seen very many governments rise and fall and she is adept at scheming to achieve her aims. Lingering but unsubstantiated rumours persist that the Dowager was somehow involved in the palace coup which saw some of her younger sons overthrow their tyrannical father but whatever the veracity of these claims for many decades she dutifully morned her husband and lived within sight of his tomb untill her decision to move to the Principality of Nakchevan and Arjish in Lavinium which is one of the possessions of her daughter-in-law, Princess Uanhartan, who is the wife of the disgraced Prince Kharonn (the Emperor's eldest younger brother).

This has not stopped her forming a considerable power base among the more traditional politicians and Khans of the empire, in particular Khan Nogai of Tabagatai, Urgench's minister for Foreign Affairs and many in his Huspadet ("Conservative") party. Currently this faction is supported by some elements within the European autonomous regions of the empire in particular the Princes of Ryazan and Chernigov who's dynasties have family ties to the Borjigin-Ingizd ruling house of Urgench. These elements pose a serious threat to the stability of Tamerlane the grand chancellor's Ennenmet ("New perspective" ) Party government.

A substantial majority of Khans of the Council of Khans in the Imperial Diet consider the Dowager Empress to be the true voice of the Emperor who's pronouncements are heavily censored by the office of the Grand Chancellor in order that they conform with government policy. The conflict between the Ennenmet party, Tamerlane the Grand chancellor and the faction led by the Dowager Empress will see whether or not the New Era reforms, which are the political mandate of Tamerlane, will continue to transform the destiny of the empire of Urgench.

[edit] Culture and religion

The vast nature of the empire of Urgench has meant the forced accommodation of myriad religions, cultures, languages and ethnicities. As a matter of policy the Emperors have always kept their own religious beliefs private to stop any faith drawing on imperial power to gain hegemony. The court of the emperors was for many centuries dominated by traditional mongol custom, but this has softened and begun to include elements of Turko-Persian and European manners.

The rule of the emperors was always light and in most cases the provinces were allowed to develop their cultures in ways that suited themselves, leading to a vast difference in behaviour and customs across the empire. No single language was ever chosen as the state language but Old Mongol is the language of court and Persian the language of government, while Tocharian (an ancient Indo-European language of central Asia) is the language of the law.

Until the late 1950's many religions were practiced through out the empire, but after a series of small scale, but ugly sectarian conflicts in western Asia the popularity of many of the larger faiths (already congregationaly reduced) began to wane. Currently the proportion of Urgench's citizens who profess a religious affiliation is statistically insignificant.

Humanism, democracy and mutual acceptance are the dominant socio-cultural trends and have neutralised much if not all inter-ethnic and inter-racial tensions that may have existed within the empire.

The empire regards itself as the preeminent civilisation and as a model for all nations to follow, this cultural arrogance has lead many Urgenchis to regard most non-Urgenchis as at least semi-barbaric and with a paternalistic pity which many non Urgenchis find somewhat difficult to stomach, but this attitude is never truly chauvinistic and rarely extends to actual contempt. One barbaric habit most Urgenchis find particularly objectionable however is speaking loudly or shouting since they consider it good manners to speak no louder than a whisper.

Over the centuries the empire has developed a complicated and refined intellectual life, poetry, music and the visual arts have all flourished in a nation in love with luxury. Poetry, in line with the best Turco-persian tradtion is particularly esteemed in Urgench and several of the empire's greatest literary figures are poets, such as Tahmasp of Merv, Bilqhana of Damascus, Shah Argun of Jend, Isaac of Sinope, Xiao Huang of Yunnan, and Borjijit of Imil. Several Emperors have been noted poets also including Negubei called "the Poet", and Ukhaantu 2nd author of " The white Pony ", a favourite with children all over the empire.

The Hunduk Institute, The University of the Empire at Khodzhent

The empire's Universities are justly well regarded, having been well funded and endowed by emperors and wealthy aristocrats for many centuries they are now funded from the Imperial treasury through the Ministry of Education. The University of The Empire has three campuses, one in Khodzhent, one in Bhukhara and another in Constantinople these three are the show cases of the empire's highest intellectual achievement. Khodzhent, is famed for its Law and History departments, while Bhukhara specialises in the sciences while Constantinople has world famous departments of Languages, Linguistics, Philosophy and Economics. Also at Khodzhent is the world famous Hunduk institute of Medicine founded by Dr Adnan Ali Hunduk, the apprentice of the pharmaceutical genius Dr Nabil Rustemi who invented Dew Drugs.

The numerous regional universities of the empire are also highly esteemed, chief among these are the Universities of Tabriz, Ryazan, Vretslav, Krakow, Budapest, Trebizond, Jerusalem, Isfahan, Herat, Kucha, Tengrapur, Gwalior, Kaifeng, Tianshen, and Dolonor.

The Traditional Orchestras and Opera companies of Tabriz, Urgench, and Ryazan boast some of the world's greatest virtuosi in Mongol Harp, Nose Flute, and Jitarra, and have produced many famous singers who have performed the works of the empire's revered composers.

[edit] Economy

The economy of the Confederated Sublime Khanate is both large and diverse. The Divan has nearly always encouraged free trade and enterprise while seeking to insure the stability of the Empire's internal market. Monopolisation and anti-competitive practices are strongly regulated against. With only a few notable exceptions the backbone of the economy consists of large numbers of medium sized limited companies.

The geographical size of the Empire and and the size of its internal market has made Urgench self sufficient in most things and it is very much a net exporter.

The primary industries of the Empire in order of magnitude are Pharmaceutical/Perfume manufacturing, Banking, Geothermal energy production, Agriculture, Mining, Arms manufacturing, Textile manufacturing, Gambling, Jewellery production, and Publishing.

The Pharmaceutical industry was revolutionized during the late 1980's by the work of Dr. Nabil Rustemi of the University of The Empire at Bhukhara who's first generation "Dew drugs" ( which dramatically extended life, youth and good health ) allowed him to found the Yorta corporation. Following his example numerous other laboratories synthesized their own Dew Drugs which have been successively improved over the centuries. The libertarian policy of the Divan on recreational drug use has also allowed these pharmaceutical companies to develop and market ever more refined and efficacious substances which frequently have both recreational and health improving effects, these hybrid chemicals are endemic in use throughout the empire.

Palace of Commerce, Tabriz

The development of ever more effective trans-dermal and inhalant delivery systems for drugs has also allowed Urgenchis to combine their passion for perfumes and fragrances with their desire to improve their health. It is common for Urgenchis to wear trans-dermal patches which contain Dew Drugs ( which keep them youthful and healthy and extend their lives ), various recreational substances ( which may also improve perception or other faculties ), and perfumes of numerous varieties and combinations. These patches release their doses of these substances at regular intervals.

Initially these kinds of innovation were restricted in use to higher socio-economic groups but the Divan, realising their ability to improve the lives of the entire population of the empire, began subsidising use of Dew drugs for all. Currently consumption of latest generation Dew drugs, self adaptive recreational drugs and the perfumes which are commonly combined with them is at an all time high, making this industry the Empire's most successful.

The banking sector is dominated by the national banks of many of the Empire's smaller autonomous states, who's tax rates and regulations are frequently less than the those in the Crownlands. This has lead many Urgenchis to apply for citizenship in the states who's banking they use. Currently the largest banks in the Empire are all national banks of small autonomous principalities, the top five are The Royal Bank of Zanjan ( owned by Hithum the Zanjankhan ), The State Bank of Mazandaran ( owned by the Khan of Mazandaran ), The Bank of the People ( based in the autonomous principality of Dolonor and Koshot ), The Amalgamated Bank of Sarai and Caffa ( joint owned by the Khans of Sarai and Caffa ) and the Tartarovsky Bank ( owned by the Princes of Ryazan ).

Clearly banking has become one of the primary sources of income for those noble families who before the New Era reforms held sway over vast swathes of the Empire and who once raised taxes upon their appanages in the name of the Emperor, who allowed them to keep generous portions of this revenue. In line with the Treaty of Derbent the Divan recoups some of the loss to the exchequer which allowing these autonomous state banks creates by levying larger amounts of tribute upon the rulers of the autonomous states in question. However the wealth of these rulers and the control they have over this sector of the economy is a matter of concern to the Imperial Government which is actively encouraging the establishment of foreign banks in the empire in an attempt to introduced more competition.