Mokshatiana
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| Flag of Mokshatiana | |
| Motto: "Atmano mokshartham jagadhitya cha" | |
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| Region | South Pacific |
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| Capital | Ramakrishnapur |
| Official Language(s) | Mokshatiani, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Persian, Tamil, Tibetan, Sanskrit |
| Leader | Sri Shankar Sen, Pres. |
| Population | large |
| Currency | rupee |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Democratic Republic of Mokshatiana is a populous nation in the South Pacific. It is known for its classical liberal social and economic policies, its rapidly growing economy, and its tremendous attention to religion and religious freedom. Born out of a group of Indian mystics seeking to set up a free religious paradise, its devotion to religious, social, and economic freedom has rose out of the mystics fierce independence and devotion. This is embodied in the nations motto "Atmano moksharthan jagadhitya cha," which, in Sanskrit means "For one's own freedom and the salvation of the world." Despite its fiscally neo-liberal practices, the devotion and mysticism practiced by its people renders Mokshatiana one of the most charitable nations in the world.
The name Mokshatiana deserves from the Sanskrit word "moksha," or liberation, and the suffix "yana" from the Sanskrit word meaning rought "the age of."
History
Mokshatiana was founded in 1910 by a delegation of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, a mystic and charitable sect of the Hindu tradition. Seeking to set up a nation based on the independent and freedom-oriented Vedanta Hindu tradition, a highly accepting and open religious sect which accepted members of all religion. The nation soon grew, attracting many different sects of Hinduism as well a large delegation of Sufi Islamic mystics, Buddhists, as well as laypeople from all over India and Asia promised a good life and freedoms.
In 1912, two years after the government's founding, the proposed anarchist system of the nation was abandoned because of the rising crime figures. Instead, a limited social government was put in power. The religious often shut themselves off from religious debate; the few who did enter only did so as reminders of freedom and disassociation. The government was mostly run by businessmen and concerned citizens. In fact, these two bodies roughly formed the dualistic core of the first two parties of the nation: the Democratic Party of Mokshatiana, and the Liberal Party.
The Democratic Party was consistently the safeground of the concerned citizens of Mokshatiana- they advocated a publically-minded, social government meant to protect the people. In general, they supported higher taxes, tougher stances on crime, protectionism, decreased immigration, and bigger government. They were, and their descendents remain, generally socially conservative and economically moderate to left-wing.
The Liberal Party was the stronghold of businessmen, the youth, the middle classes, rural populations, and, occasionally socially-oriented clergy. In general, they supported a hands-off approach more similar to original intentions, advocating government as necessary but evil. They supported minimal taxation, lax social standards, self-discipline, free trade, human rights, and smaller government. They were, and their descendents remain, socially liberal and economically right-wing.
In 1915, the ruling Democratic government moved to involve Mokshatiana in the First World War, which lead to a massive split in the nation and a rebellion which led to a state being carved out of Mokshatiana by angry Liberals. This, and a boycott of nearly all Mokshatianan goods, left the Democratics paralyzed, and were forced to retract the declaration of war. This situation lead to a split between socially more liberal Democrats and the mainstream Democrats. Some joined the Liberals, others formed a new party- the Pacifist Party, later renamed Sattva, the Sanskrit word for Moderacy. This party lasted for a short while before rejoining the Democratic Party, which itself moderated its views. To this day, the wing is known as the Moderate Democrats.
In 1936, the Moderate Democrats proposed and passed a large series of new social programs which greatly increasted the size of government. This lead to another split in this party ranks, with small-government social conservatives forming The Conservative Democratic Party. Four years later, a sweeping Liberal victory lead to the abandonment of many of the social and economic programs set up by the Moderate Democrats, which made them a strong and popular party. This weakened the Moderate Democrats, who had no real base given the fact that many of the conservative members of the party had already left. The former Moderate Democrats allied themselves with the Liberals, forming the Liberal Democratic party, which retooled itself as a classical liberal party. Meanwhile, the Conservative Democrats (now the Democrats, again) moved a bit to the economic left to cover the ground of the missing party. In addition to this, the Radicals, a group of far-left labour advocates, had now formed a party called Labour, now a growing force.
In 1948, for the first time, a true left-wing party, Labour, won the election. Their ideas were novel, and, surprisingly, worked for three terms. In 1960, however, protectionism and fair trade restrictions had crippled the nation's economy, and a huge backswing to the right elected the most unlikely of combinations, a one-term, one-off coalition between the Democrats and Liberal. Since then, the nation has remained fairly stable, with Liberal ruling steadily from 1964-1980, with a brief interlude of one term by the now center-left Labour, and the Democrats ruling from 1980-1992, before being upstaged until now by the Liberals.
The main parties currently are the Liberals (classical liberal), Democrats (center-right, economically protectionist), Labour (center-left), Greens (ecologist, running the gamut from extreme free-market to communist), and Liberty (anarcho-capitalist).
Demographics
The population of Mokshatiana is large and steadily growing. The population is moving from very farm based to mostly city dwelling. The largest city is Ajadabad, with a population of 14 million in the city and 27 million in the metropolitan area. Navi Kolkata, Narenpur, and Allahshahr are the next largest metropolitan areas. The capital, Ramakrishnapur, is a relatively small city of only about 1 million, and was planned as such for decentralization purposes.
The literacy rate is 99% for people over the age of 15. The largest religion is Hinduism, with a 60% majority, followed by Islam with about 25% of the population. Buddhists are, and have historically held, a solid 7%. 5% are Sikhs, followers of new movements, agnostics, and atheists. A remaining 3% are followers of the Ramakrishna Math order, but not declared Hindus, as well as followers of Sufi orders but not declared Muslims.
Mokshatiana is home to a large number of languages. The language of the government and most urban areas is the homegrown Mokshatiani, a synthesis of Bengali, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Persian. Most other communities speak their native languages. English and Sanskrit are widely used as linguae francae and taught in schools.
Culture
Mokshatiana draws heavily from the culture of the land of its origin. It is a pluralistic, diverse, and egalitarian land, highly tolerant of difference and change. The people are educated and very literate, showing great interest in philosophy, culture, and diversity. Families are generally well-respected for religious reasons, and nuclear families, while common, give frequent support to extended families.
Much of the festivities of Mokshatiana are religiously based, although, due to the plurality of religion in Mokshatiana, many religious aspects become obsolete in the face of 'a good time.' Traditional Hindu festivals such as Divali, Holi, Dussehra, Navratri exist alongside Islamic eids and frequent Sufi gatherings. Dancing and singing is very common in Mokshatiana, and music is a constant part of life. It is heard everywhere, in public, and in homes. Prayer is often in musical form, and dances frequently accompany these prayers.
There are many forms of Mokshatiani music. While most of Mokshatiani music is borrowed from India, Pakistan, and Iran; there are several homebred forms. The meaning of the word bhajana is entirely different in Mokshatiana than in India, as it refers to a classical musical style. Drawing from the spiritual Hindu bhajan and the pensive but energetic Muslim qawwali to create a musical style that is energetic and danceable, yet spiritually aware. The style uses Indian instruments like mridanga, sitar, harmonium, swarmandal, tabla, and dhol. Using varying tempos, modes, and vocal techniques, songs can last up to half an hour. Bhajana is so popular that the style has been used for non-religious purposes, and is currently viewed as a real genre.
The country, being heavily literate, is a hotbed of literary activity. It is full of poets and writers, and the people read with great vigour. Poets, such as Chandrasekar Sen, and Ali Akbar Irfani, are widely respected as cultural icons. Modern writers, like Aditya Younessi, are also widely read.
