Tajaran History

Pre-Contact History

For as long as Tajara care to remember, Adhomai had always been under the rule of nobility. The oldest historical text that exists in Tajaran possession dates back at least three thousand years and talks about the presence of nobles. Many historians agree that the trend of blood rule is more deeply-rooted in Tajaran existence than was before considered.

The tajaran history is divided into the following periods: Pre-History, Incarnate Dominion, Migration Period, Warring Kings Era, Gunpowder Age, Steeple Peace, Galactic Age.

The traditional Adhomian calendar uses the start of the Incarnate Age, in 1158 B.C., as its epoch. The current year 2461, would be 3619 in the Adhomian calendar.

Pre-History

The ancient past of the Tajara is poorly documented and historical texts are almost non-existent; meticulous combing and destruction of educational material by millennia of harsh rule resulted in total atrophy of most scientific arts in Tajaran society. Little is known about Tajara civilization before 500 B.I./1500 B.C.

The south of Ras’narr, between the Razhar and Khazan mountains, is the cradle of the tajaran civilization. The first recorded culture is known as the Proto-Hharar, they were responsible for the invention of agriculture, writing and the foundations of the religion that would develop into the S'rand'marr Worship and the Ma’ta’ke pantheon. The earliest form of government were local monarchies supported by religious authorities; the ruler and their families were considered of divine origin. Most of the settlements were similar to rural fiefs, with the population working for those dynasties in trade of their protection. Urbans centers started to appear around places of worship, with Trizar and Mezuma being the most important ones.

In 150 B.I./1308 B.C. a nomadic horde, also known as the Proto-M’sai, migrated into the region of Southern Ras’narr. Modern archaeological evidence indicates that they were natives from the plains close to the the Nraz’i mountains. This new tajaran people clashed with the sedentary Proto-Hharar. Riding Zhsram into battle and using curved bows as their weapons, they were able to raid the northern territories with little resistance. This threat was only subdued in 25 B.I./1183 B.C when the king of Mezuma, Dirrnavirr'Almalik, defeated the nomads in battle.

Instead of expelling or exterminating the invaders, the Proto-M’sai were assimilated into the tajaran civilization. They were employed as soldiers and enforcers by Dirrnavirr'Almalik, creating the foundations of the modern M’sai ethnicity. The nomadic leaders intermingled with the Proto-Hharar aristocracy, giving birth to the Njarir’Akhran. Dirrnavirr'Almalik launched a military campaign against the remaining independent territories, subjugating the entire south of Ras’narr in twenty-five years. At the end of his conquest Dirrnavirr proclaimed himself as a living avatar of the Sun gods, adopting the title of Incarnate, inaugurating the start of the Incarnate Dominion.

Incarnate Dominion

Southern Ras’narr experienced a long period of prosperity under the rule of the Incarnate, a dynasty of kings that claimed to be the divine manifestation of the Suns themselves. Each Incarnate would adopt the name of Dirrnavirr'Almalik when crowned, affirming to be the continuation of the previous monarch.

The fields of metallurgy, science and religion saw great advances during this age. The holy city of Sana Sahira was founded in 150 A.I./1008 B.C., serving as the seat of the main priesthood. The urban population grew exponentially, burdening the peasants with increasing demands for food and other materials. In 180 A.I./978 B.C. the Incarnate turned his attention to the tajaran population living at the eastern mountains of Ras’narr, the Proto-Zhan-Khazan. In a military effort he subdued most of their tribes, transferring their population to the fields and mines of the dominion. Those that managed to escape the abduction adopted a nomadic lifestyle, becoming the Rhazar'Hrujmagh.

It was during this time that the caste system, that is still a living part of the tajaran society, was institutionalized. Each ethnicity had their place and duties enforced by law, interbreeding was punished with death or exile. This social structure would remain in place for the rest of the tajaran history, only being challenged in modern times. This era lasted until 800 A.I./358 B.C., when harsh winters, plagues and constant revolts caused the collapse of the dominion. The Incarnate dynasty and title came to an end when the last of the divine Kings was assassinated by a group of rebellious peasants. The kingdom of Mezuma was then split into several city states and territories controlled by nobles. This disaster marked the start of the Migration Period.

Migration Period

Due to the difficult conditions at Southern Ras’narr, several nobles families accompanied by their serfs and retinues migrated to other regions of Adhomai, establishing their own kingdoms, towns and fiefs. The rest of Ras’narr was settled by the first wave of migrant, establishment societies similar to the ones that they experienced at the south. Amohda and Das’nrra were reached using paths of ice created by the harsh winters. The first settlers of those islands organized themselves into villages based around fishing and archaic shipwrighting. The continent of Harr’masir was left uninhabited during this period, even if amohdan sailors were aware of its existence.

The lack of central leadership strengthened the priesthood, changing the religion that venerated the deceased God King into the church of S'rand'marr. The concept of the Incarnate as the avatar of the Suns was abandoned, with Dirrnavirr'Almalik being considered only prophet or a great leader by the priests. The theology of the faith shifted to justifying the existence of the caste system, alongside with legitimizing the rule of the nobility.

The Migration Period came to an end in 1270 A.I./112 A.D. with the foundation of Shastar kingdom in Das’nrra. With the severe winters coming to an end, the new monarchies started to expand and compete with each other, inaugurating the Warring Kings Era.

Warring Kings Era

This age was marked by the expansion and the constant warring between the monarchies established after the end of the Migration Period. Advances in farming, medicine and construction techniques allowed the population numbers to blossom once more, encouraging further territorial expansion. The countless kings started to compete with each other, subjugating all independent towns and cities found in the way. The power and importance of the nobility grew even stronger, with most of the population being forced into a state of servitude in the fields.

The system of serfdom characteristic of this age, named Ras’narr Model by historians, would be enforced until the end of the first tajaran civil war. Zhan-Khasan and Hharar peasants would work in large plantations and mines owned by Njarir’Akhran nobles. Serfs had no political rights, social mobility or access to education. The M’sai were the designated martial caste, serving as soldiers and law enforcers under the service of the nobility. The few existing cities were usually inhabited by free artisans, unlanded nobles, merchants, clergy or philosophers.

The period of wars between kingdoms lasted from 1270 A.I./112 A.D. until 1900 A.I./742 A.D., at this point most of the territories were under control of the major monarchies. A long period of relative peace followed, with trade between countries starting to flourish. Crevus in the Kingdom of Das’nrra, initially a small fishing town founded during the Migration Period, was indispensable in establishing naval trade routes between Das’nrra, Ras’narr and Amohda. The most rich nobles families in Crevus played an important role in the kingdom’s politics at the time, influencing the king into investing into ambitious expeditions to explore the seas of Adhomai.

In 2107 A.I./949 A.D. the first colony, a settlement that would become the city of Baltor, was founded in Harr'masir as a result of an expedition financed by the Kingdom of Das’nrra. For the next few years, several other colonies were established into the continents by many of the Adhomian kingdoms. This new competition for territories sparked another period of conflicts, referred to as the Colonial Wars of Harr'masir, between those states. Many peasants and nobles families were relocated to these new lands, serving as their settlers and guardians. The politics of displacement and the constant warfare created a powerful feeling of resentment in the colonists of Harr'masir.

The Colonial Wars of Harr'masir came to an abrupt end in 2378 A.I., when an ambitious Rhazar'Hrujmagh caravan elder started a campaign of conquest against the nations of South Ras’nrr. Tajrhalrr Jrruzhani was a famous nomad mercenary of his time, that managed to acquire a large fortune under the service of the Kingdoms of Mezuma and Nazira. Using his experience and wealth he was able to unite several nomadic caravans under his control.