Arshavat

Arshavat (: أرشاوط, Arshāvat), officially the Social Federation of Arshavat (Taji: اتحاد اجتماعی أرشاوط, Ettehād-e Ejtemā'i-ye Arshāvat), is a sovereign country spanning the eastern half of Escar and parts of Amphia. It is the second largest country in the world, covering an area of over 1.8 million square kilometres. It has borders with East Kuiju, Liang, Dai Hoa, Kyrossia, and Valourium. Arshavat is a multi-ethnic, multilingual society, though almost all the major languages are influenced by Taji, the official language of the federation. Its many ethnicities are usually grouped into eight nations: the, , , , , ,, and. They are represented by the eight stars on the Arshavati flag. Arshavat has a population of over 260 million people, making it the most populous country in the world. The country consists of nine constituent republics, as well as the Special Capital District. The federation's capital is Bahramabad, its largest city and financial centre is Markent, and its largest urban area is the Southwestern Megalopolis.

Modern humans first arrived in Arshavat no later than 50,000 years ago. Permanent agricultural communities dotted southwestern Arshavat around 11,000 years ago, evolving into the complex Hauzak Basin Civilisation, which flourished around 3000 BCE. Starting around 1600 BCE, the, the ancestors of the modern Ajam people, began to migrate into southern Arshavat. The admixture of the Aryamans and the native Terkani people gave rise to classical, the language of the Mahagrantha and historical Granthic religion. By the dawn of the, Siddhism was established as a major religion and by 100 CE became the dominant religion south of the Merudandas. The Kaurava dynasty became the first kingdom to unite the various Ajam polities around 200 BCE and ushered in a golden age which continued under its successor, the Tushara dynasty. This era, referred to as the classical period, saw major increases in population, the entrenchment of a Siddhist culture, and the development of a sophisticated maritime trade network.

The medieval period is described as starting in the sixth century CE when several famines caused the decline of centralised government and emigration from urban centres to rural settlements. Around this time, several waves of migrated into what is today Sharvan, partially assimilating the local Erkin people. These pastoralist migrants are accepted as the ancestors of the Irman people. The most lasting influence of the Eastern Aryaman migration into Arshavat was the establishment of Hanaf. The multi-ethnic First Imamate extended throughout all of Sharvan, and the various Erkin tribes that migrated north brought this new religion with them and established Hanafic polities: the name Yedişehir, literally meaning seven cities, refers to the seven dominant Hanafic city-states established by the Erkins. Towards the end of the fourteenth century, civilisations on both sides of the Merudandas had developed complex, centralised polities that were better able to resist the invasions of the Grand Ejenate compared to contemporary western Escaric states.

While the Kuijuan invasions were unsuccessful in penetrating into Arshavat, they introduced gunpowder weapons to the region, which were widely adopted. Several waves of Erkins established ; one of the most successful states would later become the Kingdom of Patharkhand, which lends its name to the modern-day Ajam region. The spread of these gunpowder empires led to a sharp decrease in Siddhist adherents and the Hanafisation of the region. The term Arshavat was first widely used to refer to the area encompassed by most of the modern-day country to refer to the Irmanised Hanafic world in this era and was a key concept in the struggle between the largest powers of the time: the Ajam-dominated Patharkhandi Empire and the Sihrani Commonwealth, a political union of Erkin and Irman states under a single crown. Military pressure from Yashiman colonial powers and the disastrous Sihrani-Zusean War led to the decline of the Commonwealth and eventually to the unification of Arshavat by Jahangir II of Patharkhand in 1864.

The newly unified Empire of Arshavat lasted less than half a century before the May Revolution broke out, ending the imperial monarchy and leading to the Arshavati Civil War. Following their victory, the Charkist faction established the Social Federation of Arshavat. In 1928, Ardashir Bahram transformed the Charkists into the totalitarian Absolutist Party of Arshavat and led the country through the Endwar and into the 1950s. His successors continued much of his policies and established the Collectivist Bloc. Ethnic tensions in the 1970s exploded into a series of revolts known as the Intifadas, which led to a major decline in the country's reputation and economy. The Karahisar Accord signed in 1979 ended the Intifadas and led to a reform movement known as Tajdid, which partially liberalised the totalitarian regime: a popularly elected lower house was introduced to the legislature along with other political and social reforms. However, Arshavat has experienced under the leadership of Beyazid Kurt and his successor, Hossein Razavi.

Arshavat is organised as a federal presidential constitutional republic. However, it is usually described as a totalist state governed by the Absolutist Party of Arshavat. Arshavat is a with a strong economy, which is the world's second largest by nominal GDP and the largest by PPP, as well as the largest in Escar by nominal GDP. It is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter, with a broadly diversified and growing service economy. It ranks highly in quality of life, education, and health measurements, but ranks lowly in government transparency, freedom of the press, and other civil and political liberties. The international community has particularly criticised Arshavat for its human rights abuses, especially regarding media censorship, mass surveillance, religious persecution, and extrajudicial punishments. It is a nuclear-weapons state with the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and highest military expenditure. It is a founding member of the Ordic League, CODEX, and FETO. It is considered the leader of the Collectivist Bloc.

Etymology
The term Arshāvat first appeared in the early fifteenth-century epic poem, the Takhtnameh, which chronicles the invasions of the Grand Ejenate and the Aqsart Khedivate. It originally referred only to the plains of Darwas and western Yedişehir. By the eighteenth century, it referred more broadly to the Hanafic world, much of which is covered by modern-day Arshavat but excluding much of Valkh and some parts of Terkana. Following the unification of Arshavat, King Jahangir II reorganised the country into the Empire of Arshavat to religiously legitimise rule over the  and. Despite the brevity of time in which the monarchy existed, Arshavat became so deeply associated with the Irmanised Hanafic cultural sphere in the public mind that the Absolutist Party of Arshavat decided to use the old name for the newly-established state.

There is no scholarly consensus as to the origin of the term; however, there are several theories. The most popular theory claims that it is a compound meaning the land of thrones from ʿarsh, meaning throne, and  -vát, an adjectival suffix meaning like or full of. Many linguists consider this to be a mere folk etymology, noting that such a compound would result in ʿArshvat or ʿArshivat. Some historians argue that it is a corruption of a Pandit compound of varṣā́, meaning rain, and -vát, but experts point out that this would have evolved into Barkhāvan and is totally unattested in the historical record. Despite the lack of consensus, these two theories remain popular with the public and has become politicised: the pure-Pandit and Ibranic theories are often respectively used as surrogates for regional disputes between southern and northern Arshavat.

Prehistory


Evidence of early stone tools excavated in Bayantal confirms a hominid presence as late as 100,000 years ago. Most of these artefacts are preserved in the hot and dry climates of central and eastern Arshavat, at sites such as Mezel-e Sīmir and Al-Qadimah. A few skeletal remains have also been found, belonging to various human species such as remains in northeast Arshavat and  remains in southwest Arshavat. Modern humans first arrived in the region no later than around 50,000 years ago in the and had largely displaced archaic humans by 25,000 years ago. Around 11,000 years ago, Arshavat entered the as agriculture was developed. Throughout the next millennia, advancements were made in pottery, animal husbandry, and, eventually, metalworking. Perhaps the most important developments was human settlements, and by the fourth millennium BC networks of permanent agricultural villages dotted the many rivers of northern Arshavat.

The Arshavati gave rise to one of the earliest civilisations in the world, the Hauzak Basin Civilisation, centred around Manjar and flourishing around 5,000 years ago. The Hauzak Civilisation was a sophisticated polity notable for its complex aqueducts and irrigation systems, the massive scale of its agriculture for the time, and the sheer number of residential abodes which survive to the modern day. Some scholars identify the Hauzak civilisation as being partially related to the. On the other side of the Merudandas, the Sablagh culture lived a nomadic lifestyle subsisting from herding livestock, hunting game, and gathering wild plants, though there is also some evidence of limited horticulture and permanent settlements. Some scholars likewise identify the Sablagh culture as the ancestors of the, though this is disputed. This theory has been offered by Erkin politicians as evidence for their controversial nativist claims that Erkins have been inhabiting northern Arshavat since prehistory.

Ancient period


Around 1600 BCE, the migrated into southern Arshavat from the Antargiri Pass. While early modern theories suggest that this was a violent invasion, contemporary scholars agree that the migration took place over several centuries and had both violent and peaceful interactions between the indigenous population and the Western Aryamans. The latter referred to the former as, a word which has no clear Aryaman origin. Some scholars propose that mlecchá was a self-designation, perhaps in the ; indeed, one possible Terkanic derivation is mel-akam, meaning high country (a possible reference to the Daman Highlands of northern Patharkhand). By 1200 BCE, the mlecchas and the Hauzak Basin Civilisation had both been superseded by a Granthic culture dominated by the Western Aryamans. It was around this period that the prayers, rituals, and hymns of historical Granthic religion was compiled into the Mahagrantha, which to this day remains an important book in Granthic religions.

The next centuries saw the spread of the Western Aryamans across the whole Daman Highlands and the rise of various iron-age kingdoms. The mlecchas, confined to the southern coasts of Patharkhand, would later become the Terkani people: Terkana is itself a word which means southern. While at first the kingdoms only engaged in few territorial disputes and raids, climate change due to intensive agriculture combined with a decade of intense, prolonged droughts in the middle of the sixth century BCE led to a centuries-long period of warfare and destruction known as the Arshavati dark ages. In the early fifth century BCE, prolonged social change gave rise to the Asvīkāra movement, which saw the establishment of several religious alternatives to ancient Granthic tradition. The most successful of these, Siddhism, emerged directly as the result of one of the many destructive wars of the dark ages that led to near-total destruction of the Siddha's tribe. By the third century BCE, most people had adopted one of the new Asvīkāra religions.

Classical period


Starting in 218 BCE, the Kaurava dynasty began a series of conquests over the entire Daman Highlands, which was completed with the unification of northern Patharkhand in 176 BCE under Shantanu II. The Kauravas were the first to unite the warring polities, establishing a relatively stable peace lasting two centuries. Under this stability, agriculture flourished and the Aryaman population rapidly expanded. The to the south had likewise unified under a single ruling state, the Aila dynasty, which ruled over the southernmost Arshavati coasts for almost all of the classical period. Several wars were fought between the Kauravas and the Ailas, the former of whom sought control of the fertile lands over which the latter ruled. By the dawn of the Common Era, the central palace's authority was lost to the regional military governors who ruled autonomously. These petty warlords sought to gain more influence through wars, culminating in the disastrous Dakshin Wars which drained the Kauravas of their resources. The last Kaurava ruler, Aśvatthāmā, was slain by Bhīma the Red in the Sack of Ayodhya of 28 CE, marking the start of the decline of the earlier Classical period.

The period of warfare following the Dakshin Wars is known as the Crisis of the First Century, lasting from 24 CE to 79 CE. The Tushara dynasty founded in 74 CE succeeded the Kauravas under Yajñasena, who was originally a warrior slave from Bāhlika (which scholars identify with modern-day Valkh), by uniting the region once again. Scholars generally agree that the rise of the Tushara dynasty marked a shift to the later Classical period. This era was marked by much greater peace and stability, as well as the establishment of peaceful relations with the mlecchas and maritime trade with foreign states in modern-day Chanha, Liang, Dai Hoa and Sahil. Tushara's wealth was widely renowned in Escar, a third century CE Huxian treatise referring to it as Yínshānguó, or the kingdom of silver mountains. The second ruler, Padmāvatī, accepted Siddhism and declared it the official state religion in 89 CE. By the end of her reign in 131 CE, Siddhist and  dotted southern Arshavat and missionaries spread the religion abroad via the Crosswind Sea. The Tushara dynasty lasted for over five centuries before peacefully dividing into several successor kingdoms in 591 CE.

The period of warfare following the Dakshin Wars is known as the Crisis of the First Century, lasting from 24 CE to 79 CE. The Tushara dynasty founded in 74 CE succeeded the Kauravas under Yajñasena, who was originally a warrior slave from Bāhlika (which scholars identify with modern-day Valkh), by uniting the region once again. Scholars generally agree that the rise of the Tushara dynasty marked a shift to the later Classical period. This era was marked by much greater peace and stability, as well as the establishment of peaceful relations with the mlecchas and maritime trade with foreign states in modern-day Chanha, Liang, Dai Hoa and Sahil. Tushara's wealth was widely renowned in Escar, a third century CE Huxian treatise referring to it as Yínshānguó, or the kingdom of silver mountains. The second ruler, Padmāvatī, accepted Siddhism and declared it the official state religion in 89 CE. By the end of her reign in 131 CE, Siddhist and  dotted southern Arshavat and missionaries spread the religion abroad via the Crosswind Sea. The Tushara dynasty lasted over five centuries before peacefully splintering apart into various smaller kingdoms in 591 CE.

Medieval period


Starting in the middle of the sixth century CE, the migrated into what is today Sharvan. The incoming Aryamans intermixed with the local population, and for a few centuries the two groups cohabited the Sharvani steppe peacefully. Chief among the cultural innovations to the region which the new Aryamans brought with them was classical Ibranism, a religion which centered around the oral tradition of the assimilated tribes. The ʿIbrānīs were related to the and shared common religious beliefs including  and  theology. The new Ibranic religious tradition intermixed with those native to Sharvan, mostly Siddhism and some remnants of historical Granthic religion, to create a unique syncretic environment. In 798 CE, an Ibranic scribe and merchant named Ahmad ibn Abi Zayd declared himself a prophet sent by God to reform the one, true, universal faith. Ahmad called people to turn to God, thus the name of the religion: Hanaf, meaning inclination or turning. Important beliefs introduced by Ahmad included strict, , a system of religious law known as Sabil, and the Holy Furqan, Hanaf's central religious text.

The new Hanafic reforms, including the abolition of debt bondage and opposition to idolatry, were met with fierce resistance from the local tribal leaders of Azal where Ahmad preached. In April 800 CE, the early Hanif community left Azal and founded the community of Ma'wan in an event known as al-nafy, or the exile. To this day, the Hanafic calendar is reckoned to begin with the exile, for which reason it is sometimes called the nafāwī calendar. Following the exile, the Hanafic community engaged in intermittent warfare with the various tribes of Sharvan until 812 CE, when the whole Taj valley was united under Ahmad's authority. The newly founded First Imamate rapidly expanded, conquering modern-day Gorestan and beginning to expand into northern Arshavat. The expansion was halted, however, when the Imamate fell in 856 CE during the Great Fitnah. The war between the followers of Ahmad's grandson Zayd ibn Mustafa and the prominent tribal leader Jamshid al-Ahmar resulted in the destruction of the main male line of the House of the Prophet. The Second Imamate was proclaimed in 864 CE by Ja'far al-Mustafa, the Zayd's first paternal cousin, ending the Fitnah.

The Second Imamate was much more decentralised than its predecessor, ruling directly only over the Taj Valley while recognising religious allegiance from the various Hanafic polities. Furthermore, while Ibranic remained the liturgical language of worship, became the lingua franca of the burgeoning Hanafic world. The Tajified and Hanafised and  travelled north, displacing and assimilating the native. The Eastern Aryamans, by then known as the Irmans, split into two main groups: the in the north and the  in the south. By the second millennium CE, the Second Imamate had shrunken to only include the interfluvian plain where Ma'wan lies. In 1048 CE, the main line ended once again and transitioned to the final Third Imamate under Hasan ibn Haytham, the most prestigious cadet branch of the Prophetic line. The Third Imamate continues to the present day, though only as a mostly ceremonial religious office.

Early modern period


The later medieval period, which was a period of relative peace and stability, came to an abrupt end with the First Northern Invasion in 1348 CE. The Grand Ejenate, which had risen to power several decades prior, invaded from modern-day Darwas into the western plains of Yedişehir.

Politics
The current Constitution of Arshavat, adopted in 1981, defines the country as a   under the guidance of the Absolutist Party of Arshavat in a system known as. However, it is most described as a totalist state under strict party control. Arshavat has been criticised, or praised, as being and. The state has an all-encompassing role, with every aspect of life influenced directly by the federation and/or the party. While direct popular elections for the Chamber of Delegates have been held since 1982, eligible candidates at every level must be members of the Absolutist Party and are selected by a nomination board composed of senior party officials. There are three branches of government, though the dominating role of the party often leads it to be unofficially called the fourth branch of government:


 * Executive: The president is the commander-in-chief of the military, can choose to approve or veto legislative bills before they become law, and appoints the members of the cabinet, who administer and answer directly to the president. The vice president constitutionally serves to act in the place of the president should the latter be unable to discharge their duties. The vice president often serves as the president's primary representative to the legislative branch and sometimes represents the president in diplomatic events.


 * Legislative: The Supreme Consultative Assembly has the power to, to , to , to , and to . The lower house, the Chamber of Delegates, is composed of representatives elected at the provincial level. The upper house, the Chamber of Councillors, is an advisory body made up of corporate delegates whose task is to supervise and advise the lower house. In practice, both houses are usually controlled by senior party leadership.


 * Judiciary: The Supreme Court of Arshavat and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the president, adjudicate disputes under . The Constitutional Court of Arshavat has the sole power of . Other federal courts exist with more specialised jurisdictions, such as the Administrative Court of Arshavat. Ordinary judges serve regular terms and are often at risk of political pressure; the judges of the Constitutional Court however are appointed for life on the advice and approval of the Constitutional Commission.

Absolutist Party


The Absolutist Party of Arshavat is the sole legal political party. It espouses a variant of called Ghazavism, named after the revolutionary Mostafa Ghazi, which calls for the entirety of society to be incorporated into the state. The Absolutist Party distinctly rejects liberal parliamentary democracy or reform as a viable means to reach an absolute society, instead advocating for a political revolution creating a guided democracy supervised by the party. The party is composed of delegates from the various regional parties that handle governance of the republics, which are themselves composed of delegates from local and provincial party committees. The party's National Congress is the largest political gathering in the world. At its plenary sessions, the Congress elects the members of the Central Committee, which exercises the party's power and authority while the Congress is not in session. The Central Committee further delegates tasks to its various bureaus, commissions, and directorates. The Chairman of the Central Committee is the de facto leader of Arshavat and is usually also the President of Arshavat (though this is not currently the case under President Hossein Razavi).

The party directly influences every level of politics. All elected and appointed state officials, as well as certain civil servants (such as prosecutors, law enforcement agents, and election officials) are required by law to be party members. Candidates for any political office are likewise first approved by the national Nomination Commission for eyalet and federal elections or by local nomination boards for any lower posts. Many party institutions function parallel to their state equivalents. For example, security for state officials and events are generally provided by the Revolutionary Guard, the paramilitary wing of the party, rather than the Arshavati Armed Forces. Furthermore, extrajudicial investigations into party and state officials are initiated the party's Central Disciplinary Commission. While the party cannot impose criminal sanctions, Arshavati courts generally enforce party mediation orders; these often involve heavy restitution payments and temporary to permanent suspension from the party, a death sentence for any career in politics, civil service, or executive management. These parallel structures ensure that real political power remains in the hands of the party and its small elite rather than with the state.