[Forum Game] - Caliphate on the Edge

Returning from the victorious, although costly campaign against the Catalan March, Al-Hajib Muhammad Ibn Abi Aamir begins to set up further agricultural projects in the whole al-Mawsat plain. Agricultural methods are finally standardized, following the model of Tulaytulah and Saraqusta, and applying the new methods from Al-Gharb, developed originally by Vizier Sulayman. This project will be a long one, though it will certainly bear fruit. It is also of note that the Palace of al-Hajib is finally completed, and it is as astonishing in beauty as the Caliphal palace of Madinat al-Zahra, which it is build next to. The Hajib is expected to officially inaugurate it to selected guests next year.
[-20,000 Dinars to al-Hajib, +1,500 income to Qurtuba in 1 turns, +0,500 to Isbiliya, Yayaan, Istiyya for 3 turns, +7,000 income to al-Hajib in 2 turns, +20 clout to al-Hajib, Palace Finished, finally ]

Funds are provided by al-Hajib for the continued redevelopment of the cities of al-Mawsat, looking into providing sewerage systems and new housing. This new work is especially focused on Qurtuba, which continues to enjoy large-scale population growth. A large Roman era ruin is inspected by officials, and repaired to a large stadium and hippodrome in which annual games shall be held, featuring dramatic performances, athletic games and horse races.
[-20,000 Dinars to al-Hajib, +15 clout, +4,500 income to Qurtuba, +1,500 income to Qurtuba in 1 turn, +2,500 income to al-Hajib ]

Caliphal envoys sign the peace treaty with Count Ramon, stabilizing the Northern frontier. These envoys then continue to the other side of the Pyrenees, where they negotiate with Hugh Capet himself, at Toulouse. With great diplomatic skill, and bribery, they are able to negotiate a normalization of relations, though the Franks remain wary of the strengthened Caliphate.
[-2,500 dinars to al-Hajib, +5 clout ]

A number of Mustarabin travel to Rome, in order to negotiate with the Pope himself. Their primary goal is to reassure that the Caliphate doesn’t wish religious conflict, and that the seizure – and destruction – of Barshiluna were purely a dispute between secular lords. The rights of the Christians of the Caliphate are also reassured by the Hajib, who makes it officially possible for them to depart for pilgrimage, and all Christians given right to travel through the Caliphate for pilgrimage. This leads to some resentment among the higher echelons of the religious members of the Caliphal court, who believe that the Hajib is courting the Pope due to weakness. These claims are mostly dismissed, as the Caliphate is stronger than ever.
[+5 clout to al-Hajib ]

In Ishibilya the Imam of the local mosque, Abul-Faraj ibn Isfandiyar ibn Qutaybah al-Sakhtyani performs charity work, meets with locals, and overall tries to show himself as a pious servant of Allah. This strengthens his popularity among the people, with more of them flocking to al-Sakhtyani to gain religious guidance.
[-2,500 dinars, +25 clout ]

Wali Muhammad ibn Shiba al-Qebab funds his own dancing troupe which is said to portray their devotion to Allah by their dance and with the move of their bodies as a medium. But some say the group was created to show the cultural achievements of al-Qebab. Nevertheless, it becomes very popular and even presents itself in the Caliphal court.
[-5,000 dinars, +1,000 income, +20 clout ]

Wali al-Qebab builds many markets across the Coras of al-Yazirat and Rayaa. These are profitable to both him and the members of the Al-Jm'eyh al-Maghribi trade league. Such profits.
[-10,000 dinars, +2,500 income to al-Qebab, +1,500 Caliphal trade income, +0,500 income to Maghreb trade league members. ]

A peculiar man named Abu Dawud ibn Ishaq al-Nisawi appears in the port of al-Yazirat, establishing businesses in several properties around the city.

Wali Naadir ibn Haneef ibn Tariq al-Shahin decides to continue his large-scale improvement projects in al-Mariyya. Housing is build for the poor, and new workshops are opened for them to work in. Artisan products, ceramics, metals and such are produced on even wider scales in the city. After these projects are completed, al-Mariyya is likely to compete with the other, older, cities of the Southern coast. To further this goal, Wali al-Shahin starts to lay preparations for the construction of a large shipyard.
[-55,000 Dinars, +15,000 income to al-Shahin, +2,500 income to Garnatah for 4 turns, +20 clout to al-Shahin, foundations for a shipyard prepared ]

Wali Nasir ibn Ahmad ibn Bakr al-Fayuz continues to expand both his silk and ivory businesses. On the silk side, he concentrates on securing the current markets and expanding his market share, while the ivory begins expanding to Sham, Misr and Rum. The ivory from Sub-Sahara is very very valuable, but the prices and supply might chance drastically due to reasons al-Fayuz doesn’t control. But so far, ivory business is expanding.
[-25,000 Dinars, +17,500 income, +1,500 caliphal trade income ]

On the faraway islands, Moses Maimonides continues to assert his authority. He starts by creating a plan full of intrigue. Moses claims to promote friendship between him and the residents of the island, and invites the chieftains, including King Guanariga, and their families to a large feast. However, a number of armed men, who seem to have received training, and most importantly seem to all be Jews, surrounds the locals and they are all sold to slavery. This is followed by a large scale attack on the island, and by the end of the year over half of it lies under the control of Moses. Though, this campaign has been costy to his men, the selling of slaves gives him much profit. The question remains, how long can he be the only one profiting from the island of Gando, as the news of the discovery are spreading to more and more people.
[+7,500 Dinars, +15 clout ]

Back in al-Andalus, Moses Maimonides continues to invest in hemp farms, seeking to make sure most of production is in his hands. Hemp production is not very wide in al-Andalus, as the agricultural focus is on more profitable goods. Thus the prices of land bought by Moses do not match the profits that well. Nevertheless, the hemp ropes and fabric coming from these plantations is of quite high quality.
[-15,000 Dinars, +7,000 Income ]

GM NOTE: The update should be tomorrow. If you haven’t yet send orders, do it now!

In Tulaytulah, Regent Ghalib al-Nasir orders the further expansion and improvement of the city. This time the focus is on the walls of the city, as new foundations for stronger walls are laid around the older walls, creating more space for the city to grow. The new areas of the city are to be built following a strict city plan, as al-Nasir hires experts to prepare sewers, roads, public fountains and even hospices for the poor. Granaries, bakeries and houses for rent are also under construction. This project will surely make Tulaytulah the Second largest city of the Caliphate, much to the resentment of the Southern nobles, as people continue to fear the sudden population movements.
[-50,000 Dinars to al-Nasir, 1/3 “New Tulaytulah”, +5,000 income, +2,500 income to Tulaytulah, +10 clout ]

Troops of al-Tagr al-Awsat are sent north to man further forts and outposts along the Douro, to make sure the area is kept safe. Military installations dot the countryside, and it is clear that the Douro frontiers in the Coras of Salamanqah and Soria are the safest frontiers of the Caliphate. The soldiers are paid especially well for that year, to make sure they have money to spent, turning many garrisons to small towns.
[-12,500 to Public Treasury, +2,500 income to Salamanqah, +1,500 income to Soria, +5 clout ]

Ghalib al-Nasir also generously offers money to attract settlers to the region. Many people flock from southern parts of the Caliphate, and from the Maghreb. Skillful workers start to prepare the production of luxury goods such as almonds, beans, grapes, figs, oranges, lemon, eggplant, apricots and artichokes, hoping to make the Douro valley a centre for these, more valuable agricultural products. Rumors tell that some people flock even as far as from the land of Sham, though that is only on a small scale. In Tulaytulah al-Nasir also establishes a commission of alchemists, learned men and agricultural engineers to complete a task to improve the output of the fields.
[-25,000 Dinars to Ghalib, +5,000 income to al-Nasir, +2,500 income to Salamanqah, +1,000 income to Soria, -0,500 income to Isbilya, Qurtuba, Tudmir and Maridah, +10 clout ]

In the Caliphal Library a new and important work is started on copying books for larger use in other cities of the Caliphate, many being sent to cities like Tulaytulah or Saraqusta.
[-2,500 Dinars to Public Treasury]


Vizier Jafar Al-Mushafi wishes to improve the diffusion of knowledge by establishing a Madrasah at Tudmir. Many of the books copied in Qurtuba arrive here to establish the base of texts for the Madrasah’s library. Many scholars flock to the site, and work is begun on a further translation of Greek and Latin texts to Arabic, as well as completing new historical, sacred and technical texts in Arabic.
[-10,000 to Public Treasury, +15 clout to al-Mushafi ]

The army of al-Sharq is increasingly drilled, as maneuvers are conducted near Turtusha after the threat of the Christian invasion is gone. Thousands of new recruits are also taken to arms and sent to the new frontier, though it still remains unknown how the area will be organized in the Caliphal administration, but it by now already is under de facto control of the Nabiya of al-Sharq.
[-12,500 to Public Treasury, +5 efficiency to Retinue of al-Sharq, +1,000 cavalry, +4,000 infantry ]

Vizier Jafar al-Mushafi marries daughters of the important merchant families of al-Sharq, promising their members trade advantages in return, and bringing the number of his wives to the maximum of four, as ruled by the Prophet. In addition to this , the Vizier creates a vast harem of jāriya, slaves, from Saqaliba, Steppe Turks, Nubians and other peoples. The court of al-Mushafi is now filled with remarkable beauty of many kinds, as many of the harem girls have been taught poetry, music and dance.
[-10,000 to al-Mushafi, +10 clout to al-Mushafi ]


Kathir ibn Fath ibn Qasim al-Thairti decides to expand his silk business, by hiring experienced silk weavers to work his silk and make his more money. However, the competition on the silk trade field is huge, as many other merchants are annoyed by the rise of the new contenders, al-Thairti and al-Fayuz. Al-Thairti’s expansion draws money away from both them and al-Fayuz.
[-30,000 to al-Thairti, +5 clout to al-Thairti, +12,000 income, -2,000 income to al-Fayuz ]

Al-Thairti also trains a group of mercenaries, apparently for the service of some financial venture operating in the Caliphate. However, due to an apparent bureaucratic error, no note is actually given from the said financial establishment about accepting said mercenaries, thus they are still in al-Thairti’s command by the end of the year.
[-10,000 to al-Thairti, +2,000 Merc. Infantry, -3,000 income due to upkeep ]


Eliazer ibn Rueben ibn Moshe al-Shariq invests into his shipwrights in the region of al-Sharq, benefiting also the co-owner of this joint venture, Zalmedin Yūsuf ibn Bakr ibn Sahl al-Banu Lakhm. Now, the shipyards can put out multiple ships out a year, including both merchant and war ships, making them an important competitor to Vizier Sulayman’s shipyards…
[-20,000 to Al-Kartl al-Masryf al-Andalus, +3,000 income, +6,000 income to al-Banu Lakhm, -1,500 income to Vizier Sulayman]


Al-Kartl al-Masryf al-Andalus continues to expand all over the Caliphate, winning more and more of the market share. Al-Shariq also gives the Caliphal Court an interest-free gift loan of 10,000 Dinars to assist them in military matters, gaining him respect in the Court, though many are also wary of his power in the financial field of the Caliphate.
[+15 clout, bank stats to be updated]

After praying to Allah for months, a healthy daughter is born to Sahib al-Ziman Zia al-Haq Habib and his wife Kamal.
[+5 clout]

The Sahib al-Ziman makes a detailed study of the Kitab al-Maliki by the Persian physician Ali ibn al-Abbas al-Majusi. Noting that the losses of the Caliphate have been heavy in the recent wars, Zia al-Haq Habib starts the creation of a new military medical policy. Mobile Dar al Shifaa are to follow the armies of the Caliphate, in order to provide help to wounded soldiers. The first of these Dar al Shifaa makes it debut in Turtusha after the end of the war in the North, and its skilled surgeons are able to heal and help many soldiers. This creation might yet revolutionarize the warfare of the Caliphate, as currently most losses come from diseases and wounds, not from the enemy sword.
[-10,000 to Public Treasury, +2,500 Other Military Expenses, +10 clout to al-Haq Habib]

Qadi Muhammad ibn Umar al-Bakri continues his investigations in the north. Finally after long discussions with locals of the Larida region, he is able to find a lead, which might prove to be decisive in solving the case. Confident in this, the Qadi prepares to officially announce the offender.

The traveler Azhar ibn Ebrahim ibn Fahim al-Farsi ends his visit in the fareastern land of Sin, and purchases a local ship, setting sail for an Eastern island he has heard of from Buddhist monks. Before leaving he fills his ship with Chinese specialities. Arriving to the land of Wa (as the islands are called by the Chinese), al-Farsi is astonished by its brilliance in culture, poetry and arts. Al-Farsi stays at their capital, Kyoto, for the rest of the year, as he is unable to continue to his journey, due to not finding anyone willing to travel further away from mapped lands.
[-2,500 to al-Farsi, +10 clout to al-Farsi ]


GM NOTE: Stats someday this week, as I am not home it may take some time.

Orders due Saturday the 7th at 23:59 GMT