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Sathrati

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The Emirate of Sathrati together with the Imperial Dominion of the Marquessate of Zy-Rodun and the Counties of Yardistan, Amity, and Mirioth
Flag of Sathrati
Flag
Coat of Arms of Sathrati
Coat of Arms
Motto: Zełe au ka rinei āvāvi
(Classical Āirumāli, translation unknown)
Anthem:
Location of Sathrati
Map versions n/a
Capital Novi Nigrad
Largest city Erudition, Nordagaat
Official language(s) Istvanistani
Official religion(s) Cedrism, Holodomatic Cedrozurvanism, local cults
Demonym Sathrati
 - Adjective Sathrati
Government Feudal
 - Emira of Sathrati and Marchioness of Zy-Rodun Salome Ylva Octavia
 - Principal Secretary of State Aurangzeb Tokaraizadeh al-Osman
 - Legislature Council of Sathrati
Establishment 1542 (as emirate)
1673 (as independent state)
Area
Population 148,368,808
Currency
Calendar
Time zone(s) DBD
Mains electricity
Driving side Left
Track gauge
National website
National forum
National animal TBD
National food TBD
National drink TBD
National tree
Abbreviation SAT

The Emirate of Sathrati together with the Imperial Dominion of the Marquessate of Zy-Rodun and the Counties of Yardistan, Amity, and Mirioth (often shortened to Sathrati) is the most populous imperial dominion of Shireroth. Between 1671 and 1685, Sathrati was a quasi-independent state.

Political geography

Sathrati is located south of the Benacian continent, consisting of the main islands (and their associated smaller islands) of Yardistan, Mirioth, Amity, and Zy-Rodun. The government of the Emirate has full control over Zy-Rodun. Government on the other islands has between been delegated to the Council of Sathrati.

The Emirate of Sathrati, established in 1542, refers to the territories held by the Emir or Emira of Sathrati in that capacity. As such, the Emirate of Sathrati as a legal personality is distinct from Imperial Dominion of the Marquessate of Zy-Rodun and the Counties of Yardistan, Amity, and Mirioth, established in 1673, which is the territory held by the Emir of Sathrati.

During the independence of the emirati government (1673-1685), the two personalities were, for reasons of international law merged, although in national Sathrati law they were somewhat distinct.

The Imperial Dominion consists of the Marquessate of Zy-Rodun (held by the Emira) and the subordinate counties of Yardistan, Amity and Mirioth. The counts owe the Marchioness (that is the Emira) allegiance as their feudal lady, as Marchioness. The Emira holds the title of Marchioness as a title associated with that of the Emira. In theory, the Emira is subordinate to the Qaysar-e Qayasirat, that is the Kaiseress, who currently is the Kaiseress. As such, she is as Kaiseress the feudal lady over herself as Emira, and as Emira the feudal lady over herself as Marchioness, and as Marchioness the feudal lady over the counts (which are held by others who are not her).

Government

See also Council of Sathrati, Constitution of Sathrati, Protocols of Erudition

Under the Protocols of Erudition, negotiated during 1674–1675, the governance of Sathrati was effectively outsourced to the Honourable Company, who assumed responsibility for overseeing reforms of public administration, customs & revenues, and security, in return for the right to collect rents and dues across the islands on behalf of the court of the Emira, which received a significant annual remittance in turn.

The Council of Sathrati, comprised of the Marchioness of Zy-Rodun, the Count Palatine of Mirioth and Amity, and the Count of Erudition, from the Imperial Peerage, alongside three councillors appointed as representatives of the Benacian Continental Theatre Command of the Raspur Pact, the Benacian Directorate of the Honourable Company, and the House of Ayreon-Kalirion, and the Lord Lieutenant of the island of Amity formed the governing body of the Emirate following the acknowledgement of imperial sovereignty in 1685 AN.

Legislative representation

Sathrati has been represented in the Legislature of Shireroth since the 1717 Shirerithian general elections. The islands of the Emirate are an electoral stronghold of the Imperial Humanist Party of Shireroth within the Western Imperium of the Imperial Republic.

Adelsraad

Party Votes Percentage Seats
Imperial Humanist Party of Shireroth 703,084 56.34% 6
Mango-Strengthening Movement 158,084 12.67% 1
Throne Loyalists 149,444 11.97% 1
Reform Society 83,952 6.73% 1
Imperial Democratic Party 66,940 5.36% 1
Yardistani Annexation Corps 64,490 5.17% 1
Socialist Union of Yardistan 13,095 1.05%
National Movement for Human Ecology 8,950 0.72%
Total 1,248,039 100.00% 11

Folksraad

Party Votes Percentage Seats
Imperial Humanist Party of Shireroth 42,107,480 54.79% 102
Mango-Strengthening Movement 9,208,103 11.98% 22
Throne Loyalists 6,300,937 8.20% 15
Reform Society 5,080,925 6.61% 12
Socialist Union of Yardistan 4,501,763 5.86% 11
Yardistani Annexation Corps 3,950,816 5.14% 10
Imperial Democratic Party 3,601,661 4.69% 9
National Movement for Human Ecology 2,104,927 2.74% 5
Total 76,856,612 100.00% 186

Defence and security

Under the Protocols of Erudition, the Jaysh al-Sathrati provided the military and naval forces of Sathrati under a contracted obligation to serve the Emira through the orders of the Council of Sathrati, subject to the articles of war, and all other laws, regulations, and provisions relating to the military and naval forces of the Honourable Company. Accordingly the pay and expenses of the Jaysh whilst performing it's duties within the islands are defrayed out of the revenues of Sathrati.

Additional volunteer paramilitary forces are provided on a discretionary basis by the Sathrati Vanguard Corps of the Imperial Humanist Party of Shireroth through its Regional Sector Party in Sathrati. These forces being available to the Council of Sathrati on account of the Principal Secretary of State also serving as the Archon of the IHPS.

During the Emergency of 1730, the ESB, feudal, and N&H forces available to the Council of Sathrati were brigaded under the command of Lors Bakker-Kalirion, officer commanding of the Southern Banner Group, however the contributions of allied forces would not extend beyond the limited commissariat and inspectorate contingents whose presence in the islands had continued after Operation Jagdbeute.

Relations with the Imperial Court

Beginning in 1722 AN, the Council of Sathrati has paid for a political officer to reside in Shirekeep and attend upon the Chamber of Petitions and Pleas so as to represent the interests of the Council at the Imperial Court in Raynor's Keep.

A discretionary fund is also maintained for the cost of gifts and incidental considerations for courtiers, such as may be occasioned from time to time.

History

The independence of the Emirate was mooted by the Imperial Regency when the Regency realised that it had little access to the sea. A friendly state in south Benacia, associated with Shireroth and the Raspur Pact, with a feudal system of government, and considerable autonomy to the counties, with democratic institutions in place for both noble citizens and and commoner citizens [previously called denizens].

The enactment of the Protocols of Erudition effectively quashed Sathrati's fleeting independence, creating a system of corporate governance that remained under Imperial sovereignty whilst enjoying the protection of the Black Legions in a manner similar to Florencia and the Iridian Isles, in the west.

The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company, in accordance with rights vested in or exercised by the Corporation of the Seneschal of the march on behalf of the Corporation of the Marchioness of Zy-Rodun, pursuant to The First Protocol (Governance) of the Technical Cooperation Agreement & Structural Assistance Programme Between the Raspur Pact and Emirate of Sathrati, resolved on 20.XII.1676 to create and incorporate the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands, a subsidiary of the Honourable Company, to serve as the local treasury and bank of government deposit, as well as a universal and commercial bank, with capital initially sourced from the Benacian Directorate, with branches initially in Aqaba, Novi Nigrad, Erudition, Nordagaat, and elsewhere.

In that same meeting, The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company approved and ratified the creation and incorporation of the Postal Bank of the Marquessate, to promote rural thrift and to mobilize civic savings for local development, with authority and license as a universal and commercial bank, with capital initially sourced from the Sathrati Treasury.

Likewise, The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company approved and ratified the creation of Gold Star Ferry Corporation, with capital from the Benacian Directorate, to ensure ferry services within the islands, and that a 45% stake of Gold Star Ferry Corporation be sold to residents after five years of operation.

Finally, The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company approved and ratified the planning and construction of and international airport, air bases and suitable commercial ports and piers at Novi Nigrad, Erudition, and Nordagaat, and a naval shipyard at Arg-e Daniyal.

Under supervision of the Sathrati Committee of The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company, with Director Garvin Hendriksson as Chair, and His Serene and Eminent Highness Director The Prince of Molivadia as Senior Vice Chair, and subsequent appointment on 21.I.1677 of Azardokht al-Osman, the foregoing corporations grew from strength to strength, with the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands expanding to Nivardom, Bandar-e Saghi, Mehrshahr, Raspur, and Mirran in the Zylenisi Dependency, Acarid City and Lapano in Florencia. Fledgling exports, particularly to Raspur Pact nations, bolstered investor and consumer confidence.

In 1679, in a boost for local capital, the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands was designated as an official government depository bank of the Imperial State of Constancia, its Government, and its instrumentalities, or to otherwise maintain custody of funds thereof. This money was used for internal consumer and business lending purposes, and helped spark an economic, employment, and housing boom in the islands.

1683 saw the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands expanding to Zugashvili, Eklesia, and Mishagrad in the Unified Governorates of Benacia. In 1684, The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company approved and ratified the acquisition, by the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands, of two percentum of the shares of Anzarolexion via purchase on the open market.

In 1685, The Board of Directors of the Honourable Company approved and ratified the branch expansion of the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands, a subsidiary of the Honourable Company, to Cape Isabella, in Transegale, Principality of Arboria, in the Bovic Empire of the Natopian Nation, as well as to Merensk and Port Benacia in the Unified Governorates of Benacia. Incorporation once more into the Imperial Republic of Shireroth that same year further improved commercial opportunities/

With increased trade and tourism opportunities, 1686 witnessed the Board of Directors of the Honourable Company approving and ratifying the incorporation of Euran Sathrati Business Airlines, its new flag carrier. The Board of Directors likewise approved and ratified the initial routes to Tirlar, Arboria Proper, Principality of Arboria, Natopia; Eadricton, MSU, Natopia, and Merensk in the Unified Governorates of Benacia.

In 1685 AN the Council of Sathrati voted to accept the appointment of Lord Daniel Mortis du Grifos to the Lord Lieutenancy of the island of Amity by the Kaiseress of Shireroth; this being an act that, combined with a ceremony of acclamation held on the fortieth jubilee of the Kaiseress Noor's return to Shirekeep, effectively marked an acknowledgement of Imperial sovereignty for the first time since the Kalirion Fracture in 1671.

The economy of the Emirate would continue to be dominated by plantations and resource extraction over the next forty-five years.

Of the intervening years, the following can be noted:

  • 1686
  • 1687
  • 1690
  • 1696
    • Tanilo Lamifo Woodfield's term on the Council ends with the departure of Sanama from the Raspur Pact's joint military command structure.
  • 1704
  • 1705
    • Rumours began to circulate in the salons of Novi Nigrad about Aurangzeb Tokaraizadeh al-Osman's infatuation with Zahira, a famed courtesan from the Guild of the Lotus. Zahira was renowned for her beauty, wit and skill at sacred dance.
  • 1707
    • Zahira took up residence in al-Osman's palace, allegedly to provide instruction in ancient dances and rites. Her presence caused a scandal among the conservative nobility.
  • 1709
    • Costly renovations and a lavish expansion were undertaken at al-Osman's palace complex to accommodate Zahira's tastes and entourage.
    • The Guild of the Lotus attained unprecedented influence at the principal secretary's court.
  • 1712:
    • Al-Osman installed Zahira's half-brother Mazdak as his personal secretary against opposition from his kinsmen.
    • Rumours of al-Osman's conversion to a forbidden sect spread, denied by the court.
  • 1715
    • The first modern census is conducted in Sathrati, showing a total population of 148,368,808.
    • At the census, Zahira's staff and revenues from "dancers' lodges" across the islands are enumerated for the first time.
    • Several senior residents of the Honourable Company resigned in protest over Zahira's perceived influence.
  • 1717
    • Sathrati is represented in the Shirerithian legislature for the first time after the general elections.
  • 1718
    • An Attempted assassination of Zahira by religious hardliners failed, leading to a harsh crackdown on dissent.
    • Construction begins on an elaborate complex centered on a sacred dance theater in Novi Nigrad's entertainments district.
  • 1722
  • 1724
    • Lord Alexander's term ends after just two years.
  • 1725
    • Outrage erupted when the lavish Sacred Dance Theatre in Novi Nigrad's entertainments district, funded by heavy taxes, was exposed as a debased pleasure palace dedicated to Bassarid and Vanic revelry.
    • In the ensuing uproar, damning evidence surfaced that Zahira and her half-brother Mazdak had been systematically embezzling state funds and relics for their doomsday cult.
    • Zahira was banished from the Guild of the Lotus for her involvement in a subversive sect. Mazdak, meanwhile, was seized by comital authorities in Novi Nigrad and executed for treason after a show trial.
    • A grieving Aurangzeb al-Osman, his legacy in tatters, was forced to renounce his mistress. Zahira herself is exiled from Sathrati aboard a ship bound for Chryse. Her subsequent fate was determined by the Wheel of Misfortune and her fate entered onto the Register of Woe in 1730 AN.
    • The House of Osman organised a "court of honour", which moved to restrict Aurangzeb's powers and install new checks on the Principal Secretary to restore confidence and reform governance.
  • 1728
    • Former regional and international airports in Sathrati are transferred to the Honourable Air Corporation for restoration to operational status, though remaining closed to commercial traffic.
  • 1729

The period between 1686-1729 appears to have been one of general peace, economic development and consolidation of Sathrati's reintegration with the Imperial Republic under the corporate stewardship of the Honourable Company. Infrastructure like the national airline, banking network and facilities were expanded, while the islands' legislatures and representation in the imperial government were established. However, tensions with the Imperial Government had been rising by 1730 which led to the crisis situation that year.

The Emergency of 1730, beginning in the eighth month of that year, was an invasion scare in the Emirate of Sathrati when an intervention by Imperial Forces to overturn the Protocols of Erudition and depose the Council of Sathrati was expected.

The crisis would see the Honourable Company go to considerable lengths to protect its long established investments in the region.

Demographics

1715 Shireroth census
County Total population Nobles Denizens (A) Denizens (B) Denizens (C) Denizens (D)
Yardistan 94,735,648 1,037,873 6,015,203 64,553,271 22,905,025 224 276
Mirioth 16,108,293 151,119 1,100,765 9,644,270 5,161,599 50,540
Amity 36,993,476 274,704 2,811,981 17,260,360 16,485,017 161,414
Zy-Rodun 531,391 12,349 44,751 155,577 315,624 3,090

Economy and infrastructure

Agriculture

Coffee

The fertile soils and tropical climate of the Sathrati islands proved ideal for cultivating coffee. Following Sathrati's reincorporation into the Imperial Republic in 1685, the Honourable Company saw an opportunity to develop large-scale coffee plantations in the islands.

The company leveraged its strong financial position, access to capital through subsidiaries like the Imperial and Emirati Bank of the Sathrati Islands, and existing trade networks to rapidly expand coffee production. Vast tracts of land were acquired and cleared for plantations on the major islands of Yardistan, Mirioth and Amity.

A feudal-style plantation system emerged, with the Honourable Company as feudal lord overseeing a hierarchy of plantation managers and workers. Cheap labour was provided by indentured workers and agricultural serfs bound to the plantations. Living conditions were harsh, with workers housed in basic barracks and subject to strict discipline.

Advanced agricultural practices were implemented, including irrigation systems, fertilisers, and plant cultivation techniques to maximise yields. Coffee processing mills and warehouses were constructed adjacent to the plantations. The company's shipping lines and new railway networks transported the harvested coffee to port cities like Novi Nigrad for export.

By the 1700s, Sathrati had become a major global producer and exporter of coffee. The Honourable Company's plantations supplied much of the demand in Shireroth and allied Raspur Pact nations. Revenues poured in, which the company reinvested into further expansion of plantations and supporting industries like brewing and roasting.

However, the plantation system's reliance on exploited labour drew criticism from reform movements. Unrest among workers occasionally erupted into revolts that had to be forcibly put down. Nevertheless, coffee remained a crucial cash crop anchoring Sathrati's economy through to the Emergency of 1730.

Aviation

From the earliest days of the Imperial Republic, each major city of the isles had a dedicated airport that served the public day and night. These were however only used by the nobility, as well as by visiting foreign businessmen and tourists who travelled over long distances. For the majority of the lower social orders from isle to isle, the ferry was the main approved method.

The majority of these airports had fallen into decay even before the Kalirion Fracture, with the airport at Novi Nigrad being maintained by the Honourable Company to facilitate limited international services operated by Sathrati Airlines.

As of 1728 AN, these former regional and international airports had been placed into the custody of the Honourable Air Corporation for restoration to an operational standard. Whilst capable of receiving and dispatching aircraft, evidenced by regular flights by C-11 Mula and T-5/A-5 Tejón de Miel aircraft sporting the livery of the ESB, these airports remained closed to commercial traffic and the general public whilst heavy construction work was undertaken in the terminal buildings and around the perimeters of these sites.

Civil aviation sites
MOS Code Airport Name Local area served Operator / Status
SHER Erudition Regional Airport Erudition (Amity) Honourable Air Corporation / Undergoing restoration, closed to public
SHGR Grifonagaat Regional Airport Grifonnagaat (Mirioth) Honourable Air Corporation / Undergoing restoration, closed to public
SHNE Negrixnaht Regional Airport Negrixnaht (Amity) Honourable Air Corporation / Undergoing restoration, closed to public
SHNO Nordagaat International Airport Nordagaat (Mirioth) Honourable Air Corporation / Undergoing restoration, closed to public
SHNN Novi Nigrad International Airport Novi Nigrad (Yardistan) Honourable Air Corporation / limited international flights to Eadricton, Merensk, and Tirlar.
SHRH Rholpelo Regional Airport Rbolpelo (Amity) Honourable Air Corporation / Undergoing restoration, closed to public
Military aviation sites
Station Serves Operator
Arg-e Daniyal Mirioth Sathrati 7th (Air Support) Division, Jaysh al-Sathrati
Arg-e Ardashir Amity Sathrati 7th (Air Support) Division, Jaysh al-Sathrati
Chel Modan Airfield Zy-Rodun Raspur Pact General Inspectorate of Benacia Command
Lunasja Airfield Yardistan Sathrati 7th (Air Support) Division, Jaysh al-Sathrati
Fesanasja Airfield Yardistan Sathrati 7th (Air Support) Division, Jaysh al-Sathrati
Vjemajnstaan Airfield Yardistan Sathrati 7th (Air Support) Division, Jaysh al-Sathrati

Culture