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Scenario Details:
The Fatimids have united their dynastic lands and now have turned their eyes towards Africa proper. To the South and West lie, to them, many nations that are still infidel, but they deserve to know of the word of Allah. If they will not accept Allah willingly, they will do so by the sword. Meanwhile, in the many nations of Africa, they are wary about the encroaching Muslims, for they offer two choices to the Nubian, the Abyssinian, the Kushite, the Coptic, the *Jew*. To all free men. Embrace Allah or be enslaved. And their wariness is beginning to turn to hostility. Why should they submit?
Egypt:
After the fall of the last of the pharaohs of Egypt and shifting in the powers of Rome and her allies, change came to Africa. Kingdoms rose and fell. The Nubians, the Kushites, even the Abyssinians are all fragments of their former power, broken and disjointed. And then came Islam. Then came the invasion of the Caliphs. When it came to warfare, the two main cultures nearest to Egypt, the Nubians and Kushites, their martial prowess with the bow saw them to victory more often than not. In fact, in 652, there was a major peace treaty, called the Baqt, between the Muslims rulers of Egypt and Nubia due to the Nubians using exactly that weapon, with great accuracy and deadly fervor. For centuries, that treaty stayed intact, the Muslims coming no further South, and the Nubians no further North. No longer. The Fatimids wish to spread Allah to all corners of the Earth, and Nubia and its surrounding nations are next.
Nubia:
The Lower Nile has a long history of maintaining a distinct identity despite thousands of years defined by the invasions of the northern region. In ancient times the Pharaohs subjugated the region of Kush and incorporated it into their great kingdom. The beliefs and religion of old Egypt were quickly adapted and would remain a pivotal part of the culture up until the rising influences of Christianity and Islam would dominate the lower Nile. The Kingdom Of Kush would rebel against the ruling dynasty of Egypt in ancient times and establish the 25th Dynasty which would rule for over 100 years and establish the southern region as being worthy of respect and power. The political independence of this region would vary over the next thousand years as the Egyptians, Macedonians, Romans, Aksum, and several others would wield varying degrees of power over the region though normally it maintained a large degree of autonomy. The region was known for being heavily urbanized with communities being large and complex on various cities along the Nile. For the most parts there were three independent kingdoms there known as Nobatia, Makuria, and Alotia.
With the power of Rome shifting to Byzantium as the Eastern Roman Empire became the most powerful force in the world, Egypt became increasingly important to the Emperors as every part of the Empire had to be utilized in fighting off the Sassanids . Therefore Justinian sent missionaries to the lower Nile region and successfully managed to convert the rulers there with a mixture of threats, gifts, and theological converting. This was done less out of ecclesiastical fervor and more as a means to stabilize a border region and make allies against the Empires enemy to the east. This would have a very long lasting impact as Orthodox Christianity would make deep roots and play an important part of the regions culture until the modern day.
In archery the Kushite and Nubian people found their strength as their skill with the bow would allow them to achieve many martial results which would have been otherwise impossible. This can be no better seen than the victory of the first battle of Dongola where the Kingdom of Makuria managed to slaughter the invading Caliphates army with a massive army primarily made up of by archers. This battle and the second invasion that followed not long after resulted in the Muslim armies suffering their first real failures to conquer a region for Islam. It resulted in the creation of the Baqt which was a treaty between the Muslims in Egypt and the Nubian Kingdoms in the southern Nile region.
While the Nubians and Kushites ready themselves to combat the Islamic onslaught, to their South, the Abyssinians also ready for war. The Coptic and Jewish leaders rattle their swords at each other, long-seated hatreds sparking and snapping like a new fire. While the Coptics yearn to reunite the Kingdom of Abyssinia, the Jews dream of a new Israel. A bloody conflict sure to come.
Between the Nubians and the Abyssinians lay the Beja. Many of their lands have already fallen to Islam, thought the people do not yet believe. The Southern Beja tribes seek to reclaim the lands stolen from them, while the Northern ones crave the completion of their conquest. No matter which of them wins their impending conflicts, the land its people will be changed for decades to come.
And to the West, lies the Gateway to Western Africa. The Western nomadic tribes guard the peoples of Western and Central Africa from the Muslims of the Maghrebi coast. These two regions have long butted heads, but now the aggression reaches new heights. The Kanemi have fought their Muslim neighbors to a standstill for generations, but their most recent monarch has been reported to be a weak and affluent King. The other Central African nations are splintered and squabble amongst themselves, providing an easy target to the Ashar'i should they finally break through the Kanem stopgap.
The Baqt:
The treaty that was signed in 652 creating peace between the muslim rulers of Egypt and the southern Christian kingdoms. It has been unbroken for over 400 years and stands as a testament to the difficulty in conquering the southern Nile.
the Arabs would not attack Nubia and the Nubians would not attack Egypt
the citizens of the two nations would be allowed to freely trade and travel between the two states and would be guaranteed safe passage while in the other nation
immigration to and settlement in the other nation's lands was forbidden
fugitives were to be extradited, as were escaped slaves
the Nubians were responsible for maintaining a mosque for Muslim visitors and residents
the Muslims had no obligation to protect the Nubians from attacks by third parties
360 slaves per year were to be sent to Egypt in exchange for cargoes of wheat and lentils. These slaves had to be of the highest quality, meaning that the elderly and children were excluded. The slaves sent had to be a mix of male and female. In some reports an extra forty were due which were distributed among notables in Egypt.
What is my role?:
You will be steering one of the nations of the region, be it a major power or simply a nation of interest in either spreading Islam to the furthest reaches of Africa, diplomatically or otherwise, or repelling the Muslim scourge and securing peace and freedom for your people, by whatever means necessary. Will the Muslims prevail as they have so often? Or will the scattered and comparatively miniscule rulers of Africa beat back the horde and reunite the great African Kingdoms?
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