Akhemai Empire
The Akhemai empire was the first and greatest of the Anshari empires. Founded by Vizhyarshtai I, it exploded out of Hirun, a region of northern Anshar, to conquer Urshapt, Kolkheti, and parts of the Zhangpa Plateau. It is known today for its religious and cultural tolerance, the opulence of its rulers, and its wars with Remara.
History
The Akhemai empire grew out of the tribal conflicts in Anshar following the collapse of Ishtakar and Nefrekar. For much of this period, the Anshari fought amongst themselves as small tribal confederations, alternatively paying homage to Urshaptim states or the Kolkheti to get an advantage over each other, eventually becoming largely united beneath the Hiruni people. One day, a week after the death of Shah Mazdravangu and the ascension of his young son Vizhyarshtai, a strange woman demanded to see him. Intrigued, the new shah allowed it, and as she entered he immediately fell in love. Her name was Ferangaz, she said, and was a peasant woman from the village of Harak. The god Ahrumazd had spoken to her, she said, and told her that the Narshurad Dominion had become degenerate and it fell to her and Vizhyarshtai to liberate the people of Urshapt from their corrupt rule. A more sensible person would attempt to check if this story was true, but Vizhyarshtai was a young man, and gripped with desire for Ferangaz. Besides, he was naive, and incredibly religious at that. Immediately, he agreed, although not before asking for her hand, which Ferangaz blushingly gave.
The blessings of Ahrumazd were self-evident. Sweeping down from the hills of Anshar into the fertile plains below, the Anshari forces were victorious time after time due to the magic of Ferangaz and the courage and skill of Vizhyarshtai's men. Together, they conquered not only the Narshurad dominion but subjugated through diplomacy many of the kingdoms of southern Urshapt. Then they turned their attention to the east. The necrodolatrous Kolkhetians to the east were unwilling to abandon those practices, and so the two rode into the mountains of Kolkheti and drove the lich-kings into the frontiers. Vizhyarshtai appointed one of the Kolkhetian nobles to oversee the region as his eastern frontier, before turning his attention once more southwards, for the serpent-pharaohs of Mitsrayim had grown nervous and attacked their new neighbor while occupied in Kolkheti, thinking to take advantage of the collapse of Narshur. This set off a great and terrible war, during with Vizhyarshtai unfortunately lost his life.
Disbandment
The western regions of the empire, in Urshapt and Anshar, were annexed by the Remaran Empire, and in the east fractious hill-tribes proved impossible to fully pacify. The empire dissolved
DISBANDED/DISSOLVED
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Demonym
Akhemid
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Official State Religion
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