Transoxiana

Transoxiana

Flag of Transoxiana
Motto: In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
[1]
Region	The Heartland
Capital	New Samarkand
Official Language(s)	Transoxian Turkish, Arabic (Termri and Upper Oxus dialects), Persian, Uzbeg
Leader	His Imperial Majesty, the Timurid Sultan Rukh
Population	ca. 200 million
Currency	tarka (equals 100 dinars)
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The Timurid Sultanate of Transoxiana (often referred to simply as "the Sultanate") is an economically powerful Islamic state in The Heartland. The most populous country on the continent of Alcedonia, Transoxiana has become prosperous in recent years thanks to its massive oil reserves and widespread industrial development. The traditionalist government and society of the Sultanate have had to deal with the challenges of domestic pressures from dissatisfied elements of the country's population, and misunderstanding and hostility from other states in the region.

Geography

The Sultanate occupies a large swath of territory in inland Alcedonia, in the Southwestern quadrant of the Heartland. Inhospitable deserts dominate much of the south and west of the country, though the wastes are now known to contain most of Transoxiana's plentiful oil reserves. The Oxus and Taraxas river valleys have hosted the vast majority of the Sultanate's population since the dawn of history. Sarnya Koli is the largest lake found in the Sultanate, being the final destination of the country's major rivers and bordering both Termristan and the Ghulam Steppes.

Government

Transoxiana is still an absolute monarchy, with the Sultan advised by the Council of Nobles or Begs, chosen from the ranks of the civil services. The country's aristocracy act as civil servants in the capital of New Samarkand, and feudal lords outside it. Opposition and pro-democracy parties are ruthlessly crushed by the security elements of the Touman, and the Virtue Ministry secret police, the Swords of Unity.

The most democratic element of Transoxian goverance is the Council of Imams, an organization of Sunni religious leaders who are very influential on matters of religion. The 100 members of the Council are now chosen by a vote of all Sunni male mosque-goers, and serve a renewable five-year term. The leader of the Council is the imam who garners the most votes, who then becomes Grand Mufti of New Samarkand: the current Grand Mufti is Imam Bahadur. The Council of Imams has no official power in the government, but the Sultans have typically respected the decisions and fatwas of the body. Transoxiana's Shiite minority is represented by the Transoxiana Shia Conference, but that organization is more authoritarian in structure.

Politics

Political parties have been officially banned in Transoxiana since the advent of the New Basic Kanun or Law Code in the 1940's; Sultan Abdulhamid VII regarded political parties as too divisive for the Sultanate. Several illegal political movements do operate in Transoxiana, among them seperatist movements in the Shia province of Sogdiana, clandestine pro-democracy groups and Arab nationalist parties. The Uzbeg minority has also periodically fomented open revolt against the Sultan. The government has often branded these movements as "terrorists", but has typically exaggerated the nature and degree of the threat such groups present, in order to squelch opposition.

Major political disputes in Transoxiana have therefore been confined to the begs who rule the country, and the imams who direct the Sultanate's spiritual life. Three broad factions in the halls of prayer and power have come into conflict in recent years: traditionalists, who wish to protect the Sultanate's unique Islamic culture from the outside world; modernists, who want to pull Transoxiana towards further normalization with other states and peoples; and centrists, who aim to chart the middle course between the other two groups. At the current time, Sultan Rukh is more influenced by the centrists among the nobility and religious leadership.

Economy

Oil and natural gas are the major economic engines of the Transoxian economy, having transformed the Sultanate from a landlocked backwater to one of the top economic powers in the Heartland. The Sultanate has not been content to rely solely on natural resources, and programs launched by Sultan Arslan II and continued by his son Sultan Rukh have seen the growth of a strong manufacturing sector in the country. Foremost among the Sultanate's other industries are automobile manufacturing and textiles.

Transoxian silks, carpets and other traditional artisan goods are amongst the finest in the world.

Related Links

List of Transoxian Rulers