Berbers
The Berbers, who call themselves Amazigh, are the controllers of Tunisia and related or control the regions around this country.
Structure
The Berbers are organised into the state of Tunisia, along with a mix of Arabian, and Umayyad (Moors) states either side. They have a Governor that controls the state and offer allegiance to the Umayyads who rules them as a client state. The governor is free to run the country of Tunisia as he sees fit, as long as he pays fealty & backs the Umayyad Caliphate and it's Emirs. A limited form of civil service is below the governor that runs the country, the treasury, and the military on a day-to-day basis, while the Imams of the local Islamic mosques control the religious aspect of life. For the latter, they usually have at least one Imam attached to the court, to oversee that it is ran in accordance with the religious laws laid down in the Koran.
Culture
The Berbers are wary of foreigners, mainly Europeans, who have carried out a number of wars & attacks on their soil over the centuries, and like the Umayyads who control them view such people as much as potential enemies as potential friends. They are generally peaceful though, and religion plays a major part of their culture. They were originally pagan, believing in spirits & gods of their ancestors along with imported deities from Greece, Rome, and the Levant. A number of smaller more isolated settlements and tribal nomads still practise this. Also, there is minor groups of Christians (usually Arran & Coptic), and Jewish people living in the region too. Most of the latter two is welcome but taxed heavily compared to Muslims. The pagans are sometimes shunned for not believing in the correct path.
Many Berbers are usually reserved around strangers, and see their own culture as superior. They have built a number of buildings that are impressive, especially military, noble, and religious buildings that are highly decorated & maintained. Many are tied to the old Umayyad Caliphate and any changes in architecture or life in general eventually trickles down to them. They have an especial dislike though of anything to do with the northern regions of the Iberian Peninsula due to the ongoing tensions there with the locals & their own overlords. There is also an undercurrent of hatred towards anyone of Roman / Italian extraction too, due to the Punic Wars, but will generally put it to one side as & when needed.
Public Agenda
The Berbers generally want to live in peace, mainly because their state is at a point that the larger empire of the Abbasid Caliphate lies to the east, while the Umayyad Caliphate lies to the west. They are likely to be caught up in any tensions there if either decide to strike out at the other.
They are willing to trade with almost anyone due to their position too, allowing most to bypass the northern coast to the east being made up of desert primarily.
Assets
The Berbers have a nautical tradition and skilled in the use of ships. Also, they have access to timber, and some minerals in the form or ores & gems. Also, since it juts out in a way that everything coming east along the top of southern Mediterranean by ship can easily stop over allowing for trade to take place. To the south with the salt lakes, they have a safe place to farm salt, and can use the desert to disappear into meaning few enemies, especially in heavy armour, can follow them for long.
History
The Berbers were originally made up of many smaller tribes of nomads living in the region that over time mingled with foreigners such as the Greeks, Romans, Umayyads, Arabs, Phoenicians, and Vandals. Over the centuries, many have settled down into settlements including cities such as old Cathay, that allowed them to form into a united people taking in the old tribes as the dominant people.
Given this, they spoke their own dialect and this adapted over time taking in elements of other languages.
They had lived in the region for thousands of years with smaller bands of groups like the Phoenicians, Romans & Vandals eventually arriving & intermingling. Eventually the Arabs arrived and gave them their language and Islam.
Type
Geopolitical, State
Location
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Related Plots
Comments