NationStates Jolt Archive

This is being slapped together mainly because of the conflict (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=578888) with half of Christendom, which seems ready to descend upon us. Apparently II does not have very many Muslim, anti-Christian, or pro-underdog nations!

I don't know whether it will also become my factbook (I've got one, in my signature, for AMW, but since that only covers Portugal and uses RL population figures it's only good for reading about a few shared traits), but for now it's supposed to let people know what my nation is about, and decide whether the want to attack it, help it, or whatever else. The on-going conflict can be discussed here out of character.

Needless to say, the Andalusians could do with finding some sympathy, given that they're only reacting to the enslavement of a hundred million people and the slaughter of eight thousand Muslims and wounding of twelve thousand more, in The Scandinvans.

Geography

The United Taifas of Al'Andalus cover the mainland territories of Spain and Portugal, plus the Balearics, and Atlantic islands which I assume were discovered and colonised by Moorish sailors.

Ceuta and Melilla have changed hands numerous times over the centuries, but recently had been independent city states lead by their European populations but compelled to pay tribute to Al'Andalus.

I would say that I don't mind Doomingsland controling Morocco, except that a Christian-dominated Morocco with the support of a pan-Mediterranean empire would probably have lead us to take a different course of action in the first place and not attack Ceuta and Melilla. For this reason at the moment I'm not really willing to accept a Morocco with anything other than at least nominal Muslim majority control, though I don't mind that being through another player. (So, I'm okay with what Doomingsland has proposed so far.)

(I am curious, though, about the possibility of illiciting support from Muslims living under Doomani(?) occupation, assuming such people exist in significant numbers...)

On Taifan politics et cetera

The nation is known in full locally as Al'Tawā'if al'Andalus al'Muttahidah and conventionally as The United Taifas of Al-Andalus (abbreviated as the UTA), and is described as a, "federal Sultanate with specified powers delegated to Sultan of the UTA and other powers reserved to the Emirs of the member Taifas."

Probably the closest thing in reality would be the UAE in that each Taifa (Emirate) has a lot of internal autonomy. Some enforce Sharia law, some are laid back agrarian backwaters, and some are littered with skyscrapers, sports stadia, and foreign retail franchises. As to the number of Taifas, I haven't really worked it all out, but so far Portugal's division is concluded with some nine Taifas sharing that territory, so you can imagine that with Spain added it's not a small number of states. The degree of control that Amirs have over their states is evident in the fact that Ceuta and Melilla were paying the Sultan to keep his Amirs in check and prevent them from raiding the Christian city states, which, left to their own devices, they would do with their local armies.

The capital is at Gharnātah (Granada), but there are plenty of places for the government to relocate itself, as each state had its own capital. Al'Išbūnah (Lisbon) would be a likely fall-back, but there are others, too. The premier is the hereditary Sultan, currently one Abu Saifullah Abdulhadi al'Wafi ibn Sabur al'Andalusi, who usually goes by the name Abu Saifullah owing to his great pride in his son and heir, Al'Cid Abdulfattah Saifullah ibn Wafi ibn Sabur al'Andalusi, said to be the most handsome and athletic man in Al'Andalus. Abu Saifullah, second Sultan of the Saburid Dynasty, is usually found wearing suits cut by Henry Poole & Co of London, and has followed his father's legacy of economic modernisation and of bringing the often wayward Amirs to heel (such as by ending their plunderous raids on Ceuta and Melilla and cracking down on their infighting by encouraging artistic, sporting, and military competition).

The UTA has a high income economy that is still some way behind the biggest European economies in per-capita terms but is booming under the Saburid dynasty and, owing to this room for growth, is attracting major foreign investment. Tourism to the beach resorts of Taifas such as Labla and Ukhshunuba (the Algarve) and to the cultural wonders of the whole nation is also massive. Most of the popular tourist and investment hotspots are in Taifas ruled by Amirs who're as likely to get drunk over a game of winner-takes-the-concubine chess as they are to attend daily prayer.

In fact, the Sultan's opinion of his son is a cause for major concern in Al'Andalus, as he has wrecked more than one supercar in the last year, and in every case had alcohol on his breath and a different girl in the passenger seat. Al'Cid for his part has frequently raged against various Amirs, accusing them of un-Islamic behaviour and belittling his father for not getting rid of them all and declaring a Saburid Caliphate.

Finally, the practice of Dhimma. Approximately 16% of the population are non-Muslim. 7% are Jews, and currently perhaps the most comfortable of the ahl al'dhimmah, though at various times through history they have been particularly persecuted. 5% are Roman Catholic, 2% other Christian, and 2% other faiths or non-religious. In practice, many who claim adherence to a particular faith are not actually observant, as per many Amirs who claim to be Muslim but wouldn't know there was any reason for them not to wash down a pork dinner with a glass of wine.

Apart from anything else, religion in most Taifas is to a large degree about taxation and military service. If you want to dodge taxes, you're a Muslim, if you want to dodge military service, you're a dhimmi. Muslims pay alms on their wealth and income, which is used to provide welfare for other Muslims, amongst other things, while dimam are exempt from this. In theory, land taxes are higher on non-Muslims, but in practice most Muslims end up paying the higher level. Dimam are exempt from conscript obligations. In the end, taxes for Muslims and Dimam are different but not necessarily higher for the latter (though they are in some cases).

'People of the Book' (Jews and Christians as well as Muslims), Zoroastrians, Mandeans, Sikhs, and since the rise of the Saburids, Hindus and Buddhists in Al'Andalus constitute the peoples of the dhimma, and have particular tax law applicable to them, freedom from conscription, freedom of worship, and the protection of the Sultan. They are prevented from attempts to spread their religious views. A few Hindus came across from Ceuta and Melilla, and some people took up Buddhism during the last few decades, leading to the Saburid decision to include these as Dimam.

Foreign people of any of these faiths are not considered in the same light, except perhaps were they are under the protection of another Muslim authority. They, and the 2% of the Andalusian population who are not considered Dimam, may fare rather more badly in Al'Andalus. Most of the 2% make up the nation's poorest ranks, and unprotected non-Muslims abroad may be taken as slaves, as has happened in Ceuta and Melilla.

Military

The Sultan is commander-in-cheif, and can draw on the armies maintained by each Amir when need be. Of course their are national standards on training and equipment so that these many independent armies can work together, almost as if the United Taifas are their own little NATO or Warsaw Pact. However, the Amirs tend to compete with one another, as they do in arts, sports, and so on, for prestiege held amongst one another, which is perhaps all that people born into fabulous weath and power really have to gain or lose. This is why Al'Andalus has more palaces than perhaps any other nation, publishes more poetry per capita that probably any other, and is world famous for its elaborate architecture.

The Amirs try to one-up each other by filling as much of their their military manpower quotas as possible with volunteers rather than conscripts, proving that they have the best motivational skills and their people are the most patriotic and brave, and they are constantly organising mock battles with one another, parading their troops and equipment, and splashing out on importing top-notch foreign equipment and having it modified to conform with Andalusian standards where necessary. In real combat, the Jeish Al'Andalus (army of Al'Andalus, a blanket term for all services, not just the ground forces) is very inexpeirenced, having been at peace for centuries, but its troops are especially well trained, and even the conscript ranks tend to be quite disciplined. Partrly owing to the turn-over of conscripts there are large reserve forces maintained because of the fear that such a day as this may come and new Crusades be directed against the Muslim dynasties (and partly because some Amirs expect a break-down of their system to come some day, and hope to capitalise by taking over weaker neighbouring Taifas).

Special forces include small shadowy outfits maintained by some of the Amirs and often active in espionage against one another, and, nationally the following:

The Ghāzīs, equivalent to Mujahideen, Al'Andalus' wagers of Jihad as-sayf- struggle by the sword. Generally these are offensive commando-type forces, hence their involvement in the amphibious assault on Ceuta. Of all Andalusian warrios these have the most fierce reputation, as even during times of peace on the peninsula they have traveled abroad, ostensibly in the cause of holy war, though they have shown a habit for plunder and hostage taking, largely because they don't receive a regular salary, which makes them a jolly grouchy bunch, all in all. Still, people only choose to become a hard-living and often dirt-poor Ghāzī because of their extreme religious devotion, so despite their excesses in and after combat these can be considered truely fanatical warriors prepared to die for Islam.

The Saqāliba, the Slavs, though not all are actually Slavic, as the Arab and Berber rulers of Al'Andalus make relatively few distinctions between the various Christian European peoples. Drawn from Eastern Europe, these are the equivalent to Mamluks. Accordingly, they are warrior slaves, usually raised from infancy to be exactly that. Traditionally they may have been captured in raids or purchased on the market, but the current generation were, often as not, orphans taken from the countless neglected and neglectful institutions that came to litter Eastern Europe after the collapse of so many Communist governments there. Some were quietly bought for a few dollars a head, others stolen from orphanages that couldn't care less, and all raised as Muslims to guard the Sultan. This was because several Sultans were killed by their own bodyguards in the past in order to benefit the Amir from whose Taifa they hailed: orphaned slaves from a distant country don't know where they come from, and have no loyalty but to the 'father' they have been taught to know and love since childhood. A few Saqāliba have in later life become famous poets, writing of their experiences, and some have even become Amirs in their Taifas, rewarded by the Sultan for good service when a vacancy is created by the death or disgrace of a princely line. Every bit as fanatical as the Ghāzīs, their devotion is more often first to the Sultan's person and rule, and only second to the wider calling of the faith, and they will -and often do- lay down their lives to protect their master.

Al'Murabitoun, the sentinels. Military volunteers who choose to live in Ribats, often apart from mainstream society, intending to preserve their religious purity and defend Al'Andalus against reconquista and threats to the Islamic order of things. At times they've kicked up fusses in some Taifas where they feel that people are becoming too lax in their observance, but today they mostly man defensive strongholds existing in many Taifas, as usual each Amir trying to best his neighbours by laying claim to the strongest fortifications in the Union. Generally they are not expected to surrender in the course of their duty to defend Europe's Islamic outpost, lest they risk surrendering their place in paradise.

Al'Futuwa, the courageous young men of Al'Andalus. Arguably not an elite force, this is more a militia comprised of young Andalusian males keen to prove their manliness and heroism. Their training and equipment is far from what the above three forces utilise, but their numbers are hard to gauge and their enthusiasm is boundless. Often sports teams, social clubs, religious organisations, and even theatre groups will have a Futuwa unit associated with their membership, and it is these that would likely form the most energetic component of any insurgency were Al'Andalus to suffer foreign occupation. Some former Fityan go on to join the Ghāzīs, while other men only join a group later in life when they feel that they have something to protect.

Yeah, like I said, I have absolutely no problem with Morrocco being a Muslim NPC for this.

In the Mediterranean, when I took those territories, I tended to engage in mass genocide, enslavement, and/or forced conversions (yes, I do have an Inquisition) and repopulate those territories with Catholic Doomani (primarily for the purpose of not having to worry about insurgencies and rebellions, secondarily for the fact that the Doomani aren't too keen on infidels populating their territory). However, I do allow Muslim pilgrims into Jerusalem, so if you want to stir up some trouble in there that could be pretty interesting I think.

Rival Amirs with individual militaries? I smell a market!
Do these Amirs tend to procure arms locally (i.e., either in their territories, or from factories of other Amirs), or from abroad? If the latter, perhaps your Amirs might consider the Confederacy of Defense Corporations, among other arms manufacturers, for military procurement? See the link in my signature for my storefronts.

Scan, how exactly did that gigantic armada of yours get that close to Spain that quickly...?

I mean mine's barely a third the size and already in the Mediterranean when this all started and is further away then your's...

Scan, how exactly did that gigantic armada of yours get that close to Spain that quickly...?

I mean mine's barely a third the size and already in the Mediterranean when this all started and is further away then your's...God dang it, one of my posts did not make it through due to my internets.

I will change it quickly.

Well, I hope the changes are acceptable now and I hope that it does not seem like some noob godmoding.

Yeah, looks alright now.

I finally got up another post. I hope it isn't too bad- I had a lot to respond to, and Al'Andalus is really up against it, so we're having to think hard and fight harder.

At first I had started writing a response to ballistic missile strikes from the Doomani fleet, and was thinking it odd that destroyers had such weapons, until I re-read and realised I had screwed the whole thing up, so apologies if what I ended up posting seems a little awkward or rushed!

Oh, sorry to Defence Corporations... in principle yes, you probably could find markets amongst the Amirs, so long as your systems can be made compatible with others in use across the Union. However, at a glance it looked as if, for example, your tanks cost ten times more than something like a Challenger 2 while having the performance of something not far ahead of an AMX-30, sooo... probably the best chance for selling such things to Al'Andalus would be to pimp them to the extreme and market them as a way for Amir-X to out-do Amir-Y's stretch-Hummer ;)

No problem. Yeah, my tanks suck; to be fair, we're out on the Pacific Rim - tanks aren't as important out here as ships and planes, so I haven't went with new, better tanks yet. I do at least admit that they're 'second-line' tanks.
Ego-boost weaponry, on the other hand, was exactly the idea I was thinking in selling a market.
I do have some nice planes now, along with a neat coastal defense sub. Any weapon on my storefront whose name links to an independent thread is on the NS Draftroom and has undergone review there (except the R-25, which has extensive discussion but no independent thread, and the T-36, which got ignored on NSD but got an independent thread).
As for compatibility issues, we've got engineers to handle that sort of thing.

I finally got up another post. I hope it isn't too bad- I had a lot to respond to, and Al'Andalus is really up against it, so we're having to think hard and fight harder.

At first I had started writing a response to ballistic missile strikes from the Doomani fleet, and was thinking it odd that destroyers had such weapons, until I re-read and realised I had screwed the whole thing up, so apologies if what I ended up posting seems a little awkward or rushed!

Oh, sorry to Defence Corporations... in principle yes, you probably could find markets amongst the Amirs, so long as your systems can be made compatible with others in use across the Union. However, at a glance it looked as if, for example, your tanks cost ten times more than something like a Challenger 2 while having the performance of something not far ahead of an AMX-30, sooo... probably the best chance for selling such things to Al'Andalus would be to pimp them to the extreme and market them as a way for Amir-X to out-do Amir-Y's stretch-Hummer ;)To clarify my military transports will be meeting with a Scandinvan military escort soon enough. The bombers, are older versions piloted by veteran crews who are literally being used as cannon fodder so that my media can have a field day praising the victorious dead. Though of course there are about one thousand bombers so you can't hit them all.:p

Then after they are dead another bomber flight will be sent out as your defenses have been weakened and the next time they will be high flying ones to so you can have the chance to see the bombs coming down upon your cities in a holy shower of loving fire.

This is being slapped together mainly because of the conflict with half of Christendom, which seems ready to descend upon us. Apparently II does not have very many Muslim, anti-Christian, or pro-underdog nations!

Hey, right up to the point your nation attacked a third-party neutral, you might have been able to gather support. Taking Ceutas and Melilla could've even been justified-had you not enslaved part of the populations and openly boasted such-there are LOTS of anti-Slavery nations out there, who might've been persuaded to join with the Andalusian Taifas against someone, but your Sultan and his viziers didn't work it that way-instead, they started a war without lining up alliances against an enemy that has lots of alliances. (not to mention, apparently, enough budget to waste strategic bombers and crew on a tactically unnecessary suicide mission for propoganda purposes when you're already giving him all the propganda he needs to motivate his dominant populace just by doing what you've done. It's a bit like starting an argument with a man who buys his ink by the barrel-by throwing bottles of ink at him.)

Strategically, the Taifas have put themselves in the position of Iraq in 1989, only without the funding from Oil or the neighbourhood popular support, or the powerful sponsors that might intercede diplomatically (i.e. no Saudi Royal Family, Pakistan, or even a Syria to ask the leader of the coalition attacking you to just stop after liberating what you took.)

There's only one logical outcome from this, unless you can pull some allies in-you're going to lose, and lose badly, possibly becoming someone's "Protectorate" or "Mandate" (read: Colony) in the manner of Egypt or India under the British, or pre-israel Palestinian Mandate.