Surenid succession dispute of 1731

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Background: the death of Surenšāhbanu Mitradokht

On the 12th day of the 1st month of 1731 AN, the reigning monarch Surenšāhbanu Mitradokht of the Suren Confederacy passed away at the age of 86. Her death marked the end of a tumultuous 35-year reign that saw the Confederacy embroiled in multiple conflicts, including the Third Euran War and the brutal suppression of the Bitter Spring revolt.

Circumstances

Few official details were released about the cause of Mitradokht's demise. According to court chroniclers, the Shahbanu had been in visibly declining health for several months prior. She was reportedly bedridden since late 1730 after suffering a severe coughing fit and respiratory distress.

Rumours swirled that Mitradokht may have been a victim of the lingering radiation sickness that plagued the region from the Babkhan Holocaust over a century prior. Skeptics questioned if her death was simply due to complications from old age and the stress of ruling through the chaotic events of 1730 AN. Accusations also surfaced that she had been in fact poisoned by a faction within the court.

In traditional Zurvanite fashion, all of the Shahbanu's personal effects, clothing and items she came into contact with were burned as per funerary rites. Her body was prepared for an elaborate ceremony combining ancient Babkhan rituals and Mazdian burial rites overseen by the Zurvanite high priesthood.

The preparations took place under a veil of secrecy enforced by the loyalist 7th Cavalry Division. A period of strict mourning protocols commenced across the Confederacy during which normal administration ground to a halt.

Succession

With no appointed heir named during her lifetime, Mitradokht's death triggered a succession crisis. As per the customs and tradition of Imperial Babkhan monarchy, the throne would pass to the eldest surviving member of the House of Suren. However, internal feuding between the various branches of the dynastic clan had left the direct line of descent unclear and rife with internal conflicts.

The complex web of marriages between members of different clan factions, as well as the systematic disinheritance of rivals, had muddled what should have been a straightforward hereditary succession. Multiple pretenders to the Shahdom emerged in the ensuing power struggle.

In the interim, a regency council comprised of powerful satraps and the highest ranks of the military and clergy took charge. Their first priority was maintaining order and stability in the aftermath of the Bitter Spring crackdown. However, internal divisions quickly became apparent on the crucial question of determining the new Surenshah.

With the situation growing increasingly unstable, Constancian observers predicted a high likelihood of civil war breaking out if a generally accepted Surenshah was not enthroned soon. Having depended on Mitradokht's ability to hold the fractious Confederacy together through her personal prestige, the foreign allies with interests in the Confederacy found themselves in a precarious position.

The claimants

As Mitradokht's health deteriorated in her final years, attention turned to the question of succession. The leading contender emerged as Dāryuš Vištāspa of the Suren, the Crown Prince and Mitradokht's nephew. Born in 1686 AN to Dāryuš of the Suren and Bānū Aspadanadoḵt, Dāryuš Vištāspa had been spared from execution upon Mitradokht's ascension and had risen through the ranks to become Chief of Staff for the Surenid Armed Forces in 1722 AN.

However, Dāryuš Vištāspa's claim was immediately challenged by Mirza Rustaham Sūrēn, a distant cousin through clan membership who served as governor of the Trucial Isles. This set the stage for a struggle within the Surenid court, with various factions aligning behind the two claimants.

The Vištāspa Faction

Dāryuš Vištāspa's primary supporters included:

• Bab-e Dīvān - The executive council headed by Astabadh Rashid Sanook, which sought to maintain continuity and stability.
• Euramehr Arteshbod Ardashir Ghul - The powerful Defence Minister who commanded significant loyalty from the military ranks.
• Mobads and Herbads - The Zurvanite clergy, who favored Dāryuš as the legitimate heir to preserve the dynastic line.

Dāryuš could also count on the backing of the Euran Economic Union and the Trans-Euran Command of the Raspur Pact. As the clear favorite of the Pact, his ascension would ensure the continued influence of the Committee of Euran Salvation over the Suren Confederacy.

The Rustaham Faction

On the other hand, Mirza Rustaham Sūrēn's challenge rallied support from elements disgruntled with foreign domination and the present government's close ties to the Raspur Pact. His supporters included:

• Provincial Nobility - Satraps and landowners resentful of centralised government control, who saw Rustaham as a means to assert more autonomy.
• Babkhan Nationalists - Groups like the remnants of the Babkhan Restoration Movement, who sought to expel foreign influence and revive Babkhan identity.
• Disillusioned Military Officers - Sections of the officer corps unhappy with the regime's suppression of the Bitter Spring protests.

While lacking the clear legitimacy of the Vištāspa claim, Rustaham's faction capitalised on deep-seated grievances against the prevailing hegemony and the repeated use of force against the Surenid populace by Mitradokht's regime.

The interregnum

With his military credentials and direct lineage to the Suren dynasty, Dāryuš Vištāspa was still seen as the most viable candidate to assume the throne. However, Rustaham's challenge added a new dimension of uncertainty to the transition of power.

Concerns remained over Dāryuš' ability to navigate the complex web of Constancian influence while addressing the simmering discontent among the Surenid populace. A heavy-handed crackdown could reignite widespread unrest, while excessive concessions to nationalist sentiments risked alienating the vital economic and military backing from allied powers that had propped up the regime thus far.