Indhiri
The Indhiri are the largest human group in the Daunastiya and Gahnjhal regions of Ærellion, with a significant minority in the Apastajaii region, and are predominantly followers Vishalaan religion. The Karadatra Empire is an Indhiri-dominated nation, as are the Mamalk states. Indhiri have moderately dark skin with their hair and eyes also being dark; in this way they are similar to the other Jhasdic cultures. The Indhiri consider themselves to be at the forefront of the Jhasdic peoples, with this sentiment being most pronounced in their elites. Like many of the other Jhas, the Indhiri practice both the caste system and colorism, believing that those with lighter skin are more deserving of the finer things in life. Thus, the upper castes typically have somewhat lighter skin, though it would be very wrong to call them white. The Indhiri are distinct from other Jhas in that a much more significant portion of their ancestors originate from the Sui'akim Raharim region of Ærellion. These peoples migrated to their modern homelands due to conflict with orcs and goblins, which allowed them to dominate their now-homelands due to sophisticated military tactics. This migratory group would come to intermarry with locals, forming the proto-Indhiri culture which has long since been firmly established. Since the upper classes intermarried less often, they ended up with slightly lighter skin.
The Indhiri are one of the most populous human cultures in the entire world, and as such they can be split into a myriad of different ethnic groups. The full list of Indhiri ethnicities is as follows; Karydika, Leletic, Mahara, Pourva, Sarvard, Adhanaka, Sabsahaar, Nichavaali, Shikaara, Semeeru, and Mamalk. Each of these groups has their own proud histories. Currently one of the dominant groups as well as the second largest by population, the Karydika are the ethnic group which lend their name to the Karadatra Empire. Spreading out in a roughly circular radius from the point where the region's two main rivers almost (but don't quite) intersect, as well as slightly east, their homeland is a rich and fertile region. The Karydika people developed separately from their fellows due to the presence of the Karadatra March, which was a border teritory of the Dudurian Empire. This allowed them to manage their own affairs and pay less taxes, as well as avoid religious proselytization from the Dudurians. Consequentially, Karadatra became home to a number of Vishalaan religious orders and their shrine, some of which persist to this day. When Andhaliman founded the Karadatra Empire, he took many of his countrymen with him to staff high-level positions, and clergymen from the region spread across the state. In this way, values of the Karydika people have become tightly interwined with the Vishalaan religion and thus deeply influenced the other cultures. In the modern day, most of Karadatra is under de jure control of several temples which have gained political power, and its nobility is largely concentrated in the remaining crown possessions in the region. Since their population is so large, Karydika of any caste may be commonly found, with a higher than average concentration of nobility and clergy due to their historical dominance of the Karadatra Empire.
One of the many cultures bordering the Karydika are the Leletic. Stretching southeast from the Karadatra and the river systems, they live mainly along the de facto southern border of Karadatra, mostly in the less dense jungles which can be found in this part of the nation. The Leletic were one of the many Indhiri peoples under the Dudurian Empire, and they did not have formal autonomy. However, being far away from any major cities and rivers of the Dudurians, they were mostly ignored and therefore had strong de jure autonomy, which contributed to the rise of powerful nobility. Under the Karadatra Empire, these families have expanded their lands at the expense of the [tbd] people living to their south, becoming a valued and loyal populace and working closely with the Karydika. They have been strongly affected by Karydika clergy, which has helped them retain their conservative ways. The Leletic are on average one of the poorer Indhiri groups, with most being in the lower castes, though the lumber industry has elevated some. However, their nobility are some of the most powerful Indhiri, in particular due to their control over the southern slave trade and as a source of loyal levies. Although many of the southern tribes have fallen outside of Karadatran control in recent years, the Leletic have continued to launch slave raids, securing the supply.
Northeast of the Leletic, the Sabsahaar are concentrated around the northeast lakeside. With the lake being central to the Dudurian Empire, they were largely converted to the Adhavāda faith due to Dudurian efforts to religiously unify the peoples surrounding the lake. Though such campaigns were successful, following the establishment of Karadatra as an Empire they were eventually re-converted to the Vishalaan faith. Due to this, large amounts of the Sabsahaar were stranded in the lower castes because the Vishalaan clergy looks down on those who left the faith, even if they return. This has created a very unequal society in the Sabsahaar lands, generating unrest. Due to their low status, most Sabsahaar lands were seized by the royal domain and remained under direct management, especially the [tbd], a stretch of land between lake and river known for being exceptionally fertile. The canal city of [tbd], linking lake to river, would later become the royal capital and remains the seat of the Karadatra Empire to this day, despite its majority Sabsahaar populace.
Inland from the Sabsahaar, and north of the Karydika, the Semeeru are dominant. Living in and around the less developed and consequentially deeper forests of the northern Karadatra Empire, they are a militaristic group who have long been the vanguard against attacks from the north, which is ironic because they are the closest Indhiri to the native peoples there. Much as in the south, they have also traditionally been charged with management of the northern tribes, and similarly many of these tribes have begun slipping from state control. Still, they maintain a strong military frontier, especially important considering the encroachment of the Zngaoang Empire upon the north. They are fairly high in the caste structure despite their darker-than-average skin; this is because they are considered militarily powerful.
To the west of the Semeeru, the Shikaara are sandwitched between Semeeru, the Sarvard people (discussed below), the jungle tribes, and the northern Ghuraki. They are a lower-caste group, and historically were largely ignored by the powers of the region. Never conquered by the Dudurians, they were a tribal people close to the borders of Karadatra before they were conquered and reintroduced to the rest of Indhiri society. Always considered lesser due to their lack of martial traditions and focus on farming over religion and philosophy, they have largely fallen under control of Sarvard lords.
In the far west, and in lands no longer controlled by the Karadatra empire, the Sarvard are dominant. Sarvard are considered fierce fighters, and were only brought under the control of the Karadatra Empire, having never been under the control of the Dudurians; previously organized in warlord states fighting one another for dominance. The zone of Sarvard settlement is roughly in a line from the coastline to the border with the Semeeru to their north, and bounded in the west by dark elven states. However, their easternmost border is generally porous and in modern times there are a number of Sarvard settlement within typically Karydika lands, and vice versa. The Sarvard, like the Semeeru, are considered powerful warriors and often formed the backbone of the military during the heyday of the Karadatra Empire. The independence bid and later success of this movement in the 1940s was a huge blow to the Empire and weakened it enough that they could no longer suppress rebels. Ever since gaining independence, the Sarvard have been focused on fighting back raids the goblins who revolted from the Anemoi Wind Stewardships, and thus they have been unable to expand their lands at all. Still, they remain a major threat to the Karadatra
South of the Sarvard and Karydika lands and concentrated around the delta region, the Adhanaka are the most populous Indhiri ethnicity, though they are also downtrodden and confined to the lower castes. Under the Karadatra Empire, these people were treated harshly and many were forced into debt slavery or even outright slavery when they revolted against oppression. The majority of Adhanaka would no longer be under Karadatra control after 1925, when some of the wealthy lords of the delta declared a rival government. This soon led to a massive slave revolt, which ended in about half the delta being freed. While Karadatra itself tried to intervene and regiain control, their armies failed to penetrate the state despite the region bordering the Karydika heartland. This was due to the growing disloyalty of Sarvard-led troops, with many of the military leaders wishing to keep the empire weak to prepare for their own independence bid. Since this time, many of the Adhanaka have become disillusioned with the Vishalaan faith; though other religions are not yet a majority the loyalty of the Adhanaka to the Vishalaan principles is dropping by the day. Even if they were to be re-integrated this could cause issues for smooth governance of the region.
Scattered along the southern coast, the Nichavaali are a minor population group, mainly composed of fishermen and traders. The main counterpart to the Adhavāda traders to their east during the height of the Karadatra Empire, they were nonetheless largely ignored, usually relegated to the mid to lower castes, and therefore held little to no loyalty to Karadatra. With the revolt of the delta lords, slaves, and later Sarvard, many of the Nichavaali quitely left the state apparatus, founding their own nation. The Nichavaali communities scattered along the coast have largely been unified by this new government, but the survival of this state is tenuous due to its disconnected and coastal nature making it hard to defend against outside threats. Smaller communities still exist within the delta and the small coastal territories still held by Karadatra, and unifying with these Nichavaali by defeating their neighbors would surely propel them to success.
There are also three Indhiri ethnicities which are scattered about the lands, with no typical place of residence. These are the Mahara, Pourva, and Mamalk. The Mahara are an elite ruling caste which has become their own sub-ethnicity due to endogamy within their caste. Most of the elite are Mahara, although as mentioned above there are several other groups which count themselves under the elite. Many venerable, priestly, and warrior lines can trace their origins back to the Mahara, and being part of this group is a sign of pride. Thus, the Mahara control marriage with an iron fist, only marrying within their ethnicity or with royal lines. Although inter-caste and inter-ethnic marriages are rare among most other Indhiri as well the Mahara take pride in what they see as their "pure blood" and take this policy to its extreme. Most Mahara will only legitimize fully-Mahara children, a sentiment not shared by the ruling family of Karadatra (which is why they are not considered Mahara but rather Karydika). The Mahara lords make up their own faction in the Karadatran court, opposed to the previously mentioned nobility, though this faction has been greatly weakened by the betrayal of the delta lords in the 1925 uprising.
The endogamous attitude of the Mahara is similar to the Pourva, who are a mixed group of Indhiri settlers found in the eastern lands populated by Rabasaji peoples, and who have formed their own ethnic communities. Karadatra loyalists, they have been dismayed with the loss of the Empire's control over the land, but not enough to revolt. Their reluctance to revolt is largely due to their lack of military experience, as most Pourvans were employed as bureacrats and magisters of the eastern lands, even if their line can be traced back to land grants to former military men. They see themselves as superior to the eastern peoples, as they are largely descended from middle-caste Indhiri who have proudly served the state for generations. Therefore, their communities have been quite an issue for these new eastern states to manage, demanding autonomy and greater rights, as well as a role in governance. Their dedication to the Vishalaan faith also causes issues for the Adhavāda-majority Rabasaji states.
Perhaps the most famous Indhiri culture, the Mamalk are unique in that they are not an ethnicity at all, at least not yet. Composed of a myriad of different ethnic groups, Mamalks have a unique lifestyle and distinct culture from the rest of the Indhiri. This is because the Mamalk are slave soldiers, a caste of their own. These soldiers have had a huge influence in the development of the Karadatra Empire, though their services waxed and waned as their influences fluctuated against military castes such as the Sarvard. The Mamalk life is a hard one, but the Mamalk leaders have great wealth and strong, disciplined armies, which allowed them to hold onto lands in the east during revolution. These leaders then realized they could simply declare themselves as kings and sever attachment to the Empire, and several of their states revolted during the 1900s, leading to the establishment of independent Mamalk states. While these states continue to sustain themselves via slave imports, they have also begun building up a real population base by marrying locals, which they were not allowed to do when under the purview of the Karadatra Empire, as allowing slave soldiers to marry was totally forbidden.
The Indhiri are one of the most populous human cultures in the entire world, and as such they can be split into a myriad of different ethnic groups. The full list of Indhiri ethnicities is as follows; Karydika, Leletic, Mahara, Pourva, Sarvard, Adhanaka, Sabsahaar, Nichavaali, Shikaara, Semeeru, and Mamalk. Each of these groups has their own proud histories. Currently one of the dominant groups as well as the second largest by population, the Karydika are the ethnic group which lend their name to the Karadatra Empire. Spreading out in a roughly circular radius from the point where the region's two main rivers almost (but don't quite) intersect, as well as slightly east, their homeland is a rich and fertile region. The Karydika people developed separately from their fellows due to the presence of the Karadatra March, which was a border teritory of the Dudurian Empire. This allowed them to manage their own affairs and pay less taxes, as well as avoid religious proselytization from the Dudurians. Consequentially, Karadatra became home to a number of Vishalaan religious orders and their shrine, some of which persist to this day. When Andhaliman founded the Karadatra Empire, he took many of his countrymen with him to staff high-level positions, and clergymen from the region spread across the state. In this way, values of the Karydika people have become tightly interwined with the Vishalaan religion and thus deeply influenced the other cultures. In the modern day, most of Karadatra is under de jure control of several temples which have gained political power, and its nobility is largely concentrated in the remaining crown possessions in the region. Since their population is so large, Karydika of any caste may be commonly found, with a higher than average concentration of nobility and clergy due to their historical dominance of the Karadatra Empire.
One of the many cultures bordering the Karydika are the Leletic. Stretching southeast from the Karadatra and the river systems, they live mainly along the de facto southern border of Karadatra, mostly in the less dense jungles which can be found in this part of the nation. The Leletic were one of the many Indhiri peoples under the Dudurian Empire, and they did not have formal autonomy. However, being far away from any major cities and rivers of the Dudurians, they were mostly ignored and therefore had strong de jure autonomy, which contributed to the rise of powerful nobility. Under the Karadatra Empire, these families have expanded their lands at the expense of the [tbd] people living to their south, becoming a valued and loyal populace and working closely with the Karydika. They have been strongly affected by Karydika clergy, which has helped them retain their conservative ways. The Leletic are on average one of the poorer Indhiri groups, with most being in the lower castes, though the lumber industry has elevated some. However, their nobility are some of the most powerful Indhiri, in particular due to their control over the southern slave trade and as a source of loyal levies. Although many of the southern tribes have fallen outside of Karadatran control in recent years, the Leletic have continued to launch slave raids, securing the supply.
Northeast of the Leletic, the Sabsahaar are concentrated around the northeast lakeside. With the lake being central to the Dudurian Empire, they were largely converted to the Adhavāda faith due to Dudurian efforts to religiously unify the peoples surrounding the lake. Though such campaigns were successful, following the establishment of Karadatra as an Empire they were eventually re-converted to the Vishalaan faith. Due to this, large amounts of the Sabsahaar were stranded in the lower castes because the Vishalaan clergy looks down on those who left the faith, even if they return. This has created a very unequal society in the Sabsahaar lands, generating unrest. Due to their low status, most Sabsahaar lands were seized by the royal domain and remained under direct management, especially the [tbd], a stretch of land between lake and river known for being exceptionally fertile. The canal city of [tbd], linking lake to river, would later become the royal capital and remains the seat of the Karadatra Empire to this day, despite its majority Sabsahaar populace.
Inland from the Sabsahaar, and north of the Karydika, the Semeeru are dominant. Living in and around the less developed and consequentially deeper forests of the northern Karadatra Empire, they are a militaristic group who have long been the vanguard against attacks from the north, which is ironic because they are the closest Indhiri to the native peoples there. Much as in the south, they have also traditionally been charged with management of the northern tribes, and similarly many of these tribes have begun slipping from state control. Still, they maintain a strong military frontier, especially important considering the encroachment of the Zngaoang Empire upon the north. They are fairly high in the caste structure despite their darker-than-average skin; this is because they are considered militarily powerful.
To the west of the Semeeru, the Shikaara are sandwitched between Semeeru, the Sarvard people (discussed below), the jungle tribes, and the northern Ghuraki. They are a lower-caste group, and historically were largely ignored by the powers of the region. Never conquered by the Dudurians, they were a tribal people close to the borders of Karadatra before they were conquered and reintroduced to the rest of Indhiri society. Always considered lesser due to their lack of martial traditions and focus on farming over religion and philosophy, they have largely fallen under control of Sarvard lords.
In the far west, and in lands no longer controlled by the Karadatra empire, the Sarvard are dominant. Sarvard are considered fierce fighters, and were only brought under the control of the Karadatra Empire, having never been under the control of the Dudurians; previously organized in warlord states fighting one another for dominance. The zone of Sarvard settlement is roughly in a line from the coastline to the border with the Semeeru to their north, and bounded in the west by dark elven states. However, their easternmost border is generally porous and in modern times there are a number of Sarvard settlement within typically Karydika lands, and vice versa. The Sarvard, like the Semeeru, are considered powerful warriors and often formed the backbone of the military during the heyday of the Karadatra Empire. The independence bid and later success of this movement in the 1940s was a huge blow to the Empire and weakened it enough that they could no longer suppress rebels. Ever since gaining independence, the Sarvard have been focused on fighting back raids the goblins who revolted from the Anemoi Wind Stewardships, and thus they have been unable to expand their lands at all. Still, they remain a major threat to the Karadatra
South of the Sarvard and Karydika lands and concentrated around the delta region, the Adhanaka are the most populous Indhiri ethnicity, though they are also downtrodden and confined to the lower castes. Under the Karadatra Empire, these people were treated harshly and many were forced into debt slavery or even outright slavery when they revolted against oppression. The majority of Adhanaka would no longer be under Karadatra control after 1925, when some of the wealthy lords of the delta declared a rival government. This soon led to a massive slave revolt, which ended in about half the delta being freed. While Karadatra itself tried to intervene and regiain control, their armies failed to penetrate the state despite the region bordering the Karydika heartland. This was due to the growing disloyalty of Sarvard-led troops, with many of the military leaders wishing to keep the empire weak to prepare for their own independence bid. Since this time, many of the Adhanaka have become disillusioned with the Vishalaan faith; though other religions are not yet a majority the loyalty of the Adhanaka to the Vishalaan principles is dropping by the day. Even if they were to be re-integrated this could cause issues for smooth governance of the region.
Scattered along the southern coast, the Nichavaali are a minor population group, mainly composed of fishermen and traders. The main counterpart to the Adhavāda traders to their east during the height of the Karadatra Empire, they were nonetheless largely ignored, usually relegated to the mid to lower castes, and therefore held little to no loyalty to Karadatra. With the revolt of the delta lords, slaves, and later Sarvard, many of the Nichavaali quitely left the state apparatus, founding their own nation. The Nichavaali communities scattered along the coast have largely been unified by this new government, but the survival of this state is tenuous due to its disconnected and coastal nature making it hard to defend against outside threats. Smaller communities still exist within the delta and the small coastal territories still held by Karadatra, and unifying with these Nichavaali by defeating their neighbors would surely propel them to success.
There are also three Indhiri ethnicities which are scattered about the lands, with no typical place of residence. These are the Mahara, Pourva, and Mamalk. The Mahara are an elite ruling caste which has become their own sub-ethnicity due to endogamy within their caste. Most of the elite are Mahara, although as mentioned above there are several other groups which count themselves under the elite. Many venerable, priestly, and warrior lines can trace their origins back to the Mahara, and being part of this group is a sign of pride. Thus, the Mahara control marriage with an iron fist, only marrying within their ethnicity or with royal lines. Although inter-caste and inter-ethnic marriages are rare among most other Indhiri as well the Mahara take pride in what they see as their "pure blood" and take this policy to its extreme. Most Mahara will only legitimize fully-Mahara children, a sentiment not shared by the ruling family of Karadatra (which is why they are not considered Mahara but rather Karydika). The Mahara lords make up their own faction in the Karadatran court, opposed to the previously mentioned nobility, though this faction has been greatly weakened by the betrayal of the delta lords in the 1925 uprising.
The endogamous attitude of the Mahara is similar to the Pourva, who are a mixed group of Indhiri settlers found in the eastern lands populated by Rabasaji peoples, and who have formed their own ethnic communities. Karadatra loyalists, they have been dismayed with the loss of the Empire's control over the land, but not enough to revolt. Their reluctance to revolt is largely due to their lack of military experience, as most Pourvans were employed as bureacrats and magisters of the eastern lands, even if their line can be traced back to land grants to former military men. They see themselves as superior to the eastern peoples, as they are largely descended from middle-caste Indhiri who have proudly served the state for generations. Therefore, their communities have been quite an issue for these new eastern states to manage, demanding autonomy and greater rights, as well as a role in governance. Their dedication to the Vishalaan faith also causes issues for the Adhavāda-majority Rabasaji states.
Perhaps the most famous Indhiri culture, the Mamalk are unique in that they are not an ethnicity at all, at least not yet. Composed of a myriad of different ethnic groups, Mamalks have a unique lifestyle and distinct culture from the rest of the Indhiri. This is because the Mamalk are slave soldiers, a caste of their own. These soldiers have had a huge influence in the development of the Karadatra Empire, though their services waxed and waned as their influences fluctuated against military castes such as the Sarvard. The Mamalk life is a hard one, but the Mamalk leaders have great wealth and strong, disciplined armies, which allowed them to hold onto lands in the east during revolution. These leaders then realized they could simply declare themselves as kings and sever attachment to the Empire, and several of their states revolted during the 1900s, leading to the establishment of independent Mamalk states. While these states continue to sustain themselves via slave imports, they have also begun building up a real population base by marrying locals, which they were not allowed to do when under the purview of the Karadatra Empire, as allowing slave soldiers to marry was totally forbidden.
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