Suhq (suħq)
"People often forget that before conquering the Nagarajya and establishing the Malikate of Saba, the Malika conquered several smaller nations in the Southeastern Region. The most notable of these was the Kingdom of Suhq, on the island of Qutra." - Lykomedes of Thalessos
For about two hundred years after the death of Hundaru of Telmun was killed, the Telmunic Empire remained the major power in the Southeastern Region, ruling everything from the Kaphtor Islands to Saba. But when the Nagarajya arose on Saba in 2345, the empire's grip on the region was shattered. In its place arose many smaller kingdoms which proved much longer lasting than the Empire itself. One of the largest of these was the Kingdom of Suhq, which was based on the island of Qutra.
The Kingdom of Suhq was founded by the Suhqatri, who were descended from the original soldiers who had conquered Qutra under Hundaru. Those soldiers had been originally from a half-dozen cultures around the Southeastern Region, with the largest numbers drawn from the Telmun and Kaphtori ethnicities. Over the centuries, they became the Suhqatri, bringing elements of all their cultures together into a unique configuration.
The Suhqatri had been long dissatisfied with the rule of a distant Emperor when the Nagarajya formed on the island of Saba. As the upstart nation took up more and more of the Empire's time and resources, it became clear that the Telmunic Empire no longer had the ability to retain control over the region, and could not even provide basic support to the local populations. In 2457, the Suhqatri crowned Shamshiramtha Aqhata as the Queen of the Suhq, and refused to pay tribute to the Empire any longer.
The Suhqatri and the Taniyn
The Suhqatri were not the only people on the island of Qutra. Long before the arrival of Hundaru and his armies, the Taniyn lived on the island. They are an ethnicity of the Kikipua, and are related to the Naga of Saba. Much of Suhq's history has been shaped by the tensions between these two groups.
Before the Kingdom of Suhq was founded, the Suhqatri kept within the laws Hundaru had laid down regarding the treatment of conquered populations, which were intended to reduce the chance of rebellion. This required the soldiers of the Empire to treat the Taniyn with a certain amount of respect, and not to abuse them or give them reason to complain or take up arms. However, the two groups were never comfortable with each other - the Taniyn resented the invaders, and the Suhqatri were suspicious and distrustful of the Taniyn.
After the establishment of Suhq, relations between the Suhqatri and Taniyn deteriorated. Queen Shamshiramtha and her successors placed restrictions about the Taniyn, forcing them to live in desolate locations and removing legal rights and protections from them. This was worsened during the several wars between Suhq and the Nagarajya; the government of Suhq considered the Taniyn as natural allies of the Naga, and would treat them as spies and enemy combatants. While the Taniyn endured through the centuries of Suhqatri rule, they suffered greatly throughout.
The End of Suhq
Thus, when the Malika came north from the Telmun Islands intent on conquering Qutra, she found willing allies among the Taniyn. While they had rebelled against Suhq many times in their history, they had never before had the support of an outside force. With the support of the Malika's Telmun army and her incredible magic, the final rebellion of the Taniyn succeeded at overthrowing the Suhq throne. In return, the Taniyn joined in the invasion of Saba and were the only Kikipua group to substantially aid in the overthrow of the Nagarajya. When the Malikate of Saba was formed, the Taniyn were given control over the newly formed Qutra Muhafazah, and remain the most favored and privileged group of Kikipua in the nation today.
2457 - 3521
The Abna Suhq
The Abna Suhq (or Sons of Suhq) are a group of dissidents within the Malikate of Saba. Their primary aim is to reestablish the Kingdom of Suhq and gain their independence from the Malikate of Saba. The Abna Suhq are almost entirely humans of the Suhqatri ethnicity, and many of them advocate for a "pure" Suhq, where all the Taniyn have been killed or driven from the island entirely. This group was responsible for the short-lived Abna Suhq Rebellion, after which most of their members were hunted down and executed. The survivors hide within the Suhqatri populace, waiting for another opportunity to strike out against the Malikate and the Taniyn.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
Maybe they should have treated the Taniyn a lot better and things would be different today. Or maybe not, if that rebellious group is anything to go by.
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