Amaranth

Amaranth is the easternmost major realm in Eard. It borders Euskalerria in the north and the Matriarchate of Periaslavl in the north and west. To the east is the Sea of Wrath. To the south and west, across the Irmak River, is the Vildaranesa, an area of barbarians and raiders with even less political unity than those of the Kreisens in the west.

 

Politics

Amaranth is the youngest of the major realms in Eard, having only become a single unit, such as it is, in 1942 IR. Prior to that it was a collection of smaller realms, each ruled by a rajah, but in 1942 IR, Devraj Chaudhari, ruler of the Devrai, united what is now Amaranth and became maharajah. The Chaudhari Dynasty continues to this day, though Devrha Chaudhari is clearly not the ruler Devraj was.

More and more, the rajahs have claimed more independence. They still technically owe their allegiance to the maharajah, who is described as their God-Emperor, but that allegiance is perfunctory at best anymore. The Chaudhari and the Devrai are no longer seen as pre-eminent, and various rajahs are scheming to either break away or take over the title themselves.

In other words, right now Amaranth is a snake pit of treachery. This is exacerbated by the militaristic feudalism (see Military below) that characterizes the social order in most of the sub-kingdoms. Also, The quantity and quality of Amaranthine resources, along with the trade routes starting from Markanda, have created several large mercantile companies who routinely interfere in the already unstable politics of the nation.

 

Economy

Amaranth is large enough to possess many natural resources. It is primarily known for spices, especially peppers and tea, which are much prized elsewhere. This spice trade continues to bring great wealth to the realm, and was one of the primary tools Devraj Chaudhari used to claim the throne in the 1900s.

Also of note is their cotton production. The Empire of Makhaira views cotton as a sign of luxury and wealth, and given their own competition among their nobility, this means it imports vast amounts to feed that desire.

Of course there are many mineral deposits, especially in the southeast. Rajani steel makes perhaps the best blades known in Eard. Venkati bronze is prized for nautical and maritime uses, as it seems to avoid corrosion better than most materials. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and many other gemstones also come from Amaranth.

Several large mercantile corporations vie for the greater shares of these resources, though they have not yet been able to completely eliminate individual traders.

 

Military

Amaranth is an entirely feudal nation. There are a bewildering number of local terms for various titles throughout Amaranth, but they are collectively known as Sardaari. Each owes allegiance to higher-ranked Sardaari, culminating with their rajah, who owes allegiance to the maharajah.

Part of that allegiance is, of course, feudal levies of troops. These troops vary in terms of quality, weapons, and tactics to fit their particular traditions and terrain. However, all warriors in Amaranth follow the ethos of Singhkharana, the Honor of the Lion. This honor code pushes them to continually prove their courage and skills in battle, meaning they tend to constantly look for opportunities to fight.

This has led them to be considered as fractious neighbors by both the Periaslavlans and Euskalerrians, as Amaranthine warriors often cross the border looking for both honor and plunder. The Euskalerrians, with own codes of chivalry, often view borders as unimportant in the pursuit of chivalric virtue, but wealth is much more important to Amaranth's warriors. Rare are the times these borders are truly peaceful.

 

Founding

In the late 1800s, The Devrai began gaining control of the Spice Trade. Fierce winters had closed off many routes through the mountains west of Markanda, forcing much of the trade to sail from Devrapatnam south through the Beloye Sea to Basilopolis. This route, though at times risky because of pirates from Dagger Islands, was at least open.

Hence, the great mercantile companies were forced to pay passage to the Devrai, who became fabulously wealthy. This allowed them to dominate southern Amaranth to a degree heretofore unseen. As te years passed, they demanded the allegiance of rajah after rajah until in 1942 IR, Devraj Chaudhari finally accepted the oaths of those few rajah who had remained independent to that point.