Gökhan's Demand

It was May in the 200th Year of the Prophet. The armies the Three Cities Pact had mustered to resist the hosts of Gökhan and Xylil had been shattered, and Gökhan was on the way to Ridayda. Gökhan sent a messenger to Ridayda ahead of his host, delivering a letter to the Ridaydan assembly. In that letter, he demanded to be allowed into the city and named Emir. Though the demand was blatantly illegal under the laws of the city, the Ridaydan assembly debated it bitterly for two days. Ultimately, they forced their emir to abdicate and passed laws to allow the coronation of a foreigner. Gökhan would rule for three months, a period that would be known as one of the darkest periods of Ridayda's history.

Historical Details

Public Reaction

When the contents of the letter were made public, there was a public outcry and public demonstrations against the idea of rule by a Beirhamin. When the assembly ultimately chose to accede to Gökhan's demands, parts of the city rioted for days. The assembly had only partially restored order when Gökhan arrived, quashing the first wave of dissent against his rule.

Legacy

The original text of Gökhan's demand has been preserved. Though Gökhan's decrees and the laws that allowed his rule to begin with were swiftly reversed after the Sabirids left the city, the letter remains as a warning of the danger the Beirhamin can pose when united. Kept in the archives of the Ridaydan Assembly, Gökhan's letter reminds the Ridaydans that the Beirhamin remain dangerous.

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Gökhan's Demand

Blessed is this day under the watchful eye of Tenrisi.
I am Gökhan, son of Saruhan and Kadin, Kagan of the Sabir. I am the spear of the steppe and the arrow of the sky. I have won more battles than there are stars in the sky. I have defeated more foes than there are blades of grass on the steppe. I command a host of ten thousand warriors. My warriors are mighty, and unfailing in their devotion. I have come to honor your city and your assembly with my presence. On the 23rd of May I will arrive, and I shall be honored as Emir. You will greet me as your liege, for god has ordained that the strong shall rule the weak, and the great shall impose dominion on the small. I shall rule, for I am great.
If you bar your gate, or deny me my rightful honor, I shall sack your city. I will reduce your assembly to the earth, and I will turn the rivers red with Runberi blood. I will burn Ridayda, and reign over the cinders.
I am coming.
Gökhan Saruhan Kadin Sabir, Kagan of the Sabir

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Authoring Date

19th of May, on the 200th Year of the Prophet

Authors

• Gökhan Saruhan Kadin Sabir