Regional Dev Diary 6: Enlil FINALLY shows off Southern India
Well kids, I am finally showing you India, land of Totem Poles, Teepees, Feathered Helmets, and Smallpox for everyone.
Not Northern India, which is Gupta and vassals, nor Bengal, which is the Manipur dev diary. Just Southern India.
Kalabhras Empire:
Ruling over near all of the Tamils, ths Kalabhras are a real South Indian powerhouse, whith 3 lesser states, Pallava, Gangas, and Kadamba acting
a buffers between the Kalabhras and the more powerful, yet declining Vakatakas.
Their vassals though are more interesting.
The majority are Tamil Hindus, which are the following dynasties:
Chola
Pandyan
Chera
Alupa
There is also a pagan ruler, the Nampikkai Dynasty which is a vassal of the Pandyan.
The buffer states are:
Pallava, another Hindu Tamil state
Kadamba, the first nation to use Kannada in government
Gangas, the only Jain ruler.
Also, on the Island of Sri Lanka, the Moriyans continue to rule the Island after Kashyapa's father liberated the island from the Seven Dravidians.
Religons:
Hinduism:
Guys, don't make me do this
Hindu Heresies:
During this time period, Hinduism was impacted by various Heterodox schools, radically different from Mainstream Hinduism. The difference is so great in these, and the violence that would be needed to make these Heterodox schools dominant, Hinduism now has heresies. Hinduism will no longer spawn heresies past a certain point, to acknowledge the end of this era.
Ajivika:
One of the four main Nāstika Schools, which are Jainism, Buddhism, Cārvāka, and Ajivika, only Cārvāka and Ajivika never became powerful enough to develop into their own religions. Their priests go naked, and they commit suicide when they feel they are too old to be of use. They also believed in determinism, that one's actions cannot change one's fate, which is predetermined.
Features in Game:
1. Pacifistic like Jainism
2. Rulers can commit suicide at any time
3. Cannot hold any feasts
Sramanic:
Sramanic represents the various smaller sects that formed during this time, as I'm sure you don't want be making a unique and bland religion for ever single on of those provinces.
Features in Game:
1. Boost to learning
2. Some events regarding the disunity of this religion
Dravidian Paganism:
The paganism of the native Dravidians. I don't really have much flavor for them, so any suggestions would be great.
Dev Diary 6.5: Enlil combats rebels
Religions and Support:
Hypsistarian:
Widespread syncretic religion combining the Mystery Cult of Jupiter-Sabazaios, Thracian Paganism, and Judaism. They are in their own religious group, but their time is short, as around 420, the Empire has begun to crack down on them, taking property and temples, meaning there are now no playable Hypsistarians, as the religion managed to continue under the radar of the Empire, as they were then warring the Goths and Sassanians.
Features:
Relatively featureless, as they mostly accepted Jewish traditions save for circumcison, and had no form of organization.
Cybelian and Hellenic:
Even in the year 480, the Hellenic pagans were a sizable population which often backed various claimants to the throne seeking to end persecution.
Nicene:
Pretty widespread
Jewish:
Smyrna had a large Jewish community, which though not the majority, was a place of unrest because of the mob action of the strongly vocal Jewish minority. They have that province in game to create the unstableness in the area.
Melchesdechian:
Monarchistians who believe that Melchesdech is the messiah, due to a variety of gnostic texts and interpretations in the bible. This is not to be confused with the 9th century Athinganoi, but a gnostic sect that existed from the 4th-6th centuries.
Monatist:
Incorrectly spelled, should be changed to Montanist. Their beliefs were as follows:
1. Very strict ethical standards
2. Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, and Confessors had the power to forgive sins
3. Female Bishops
4. Strict fasts
5. Prophets dyed their hair and stained their eyelids
6. could not remarry after divorce or death of partner
7. Women could not wear ornaments
8. Continued to have many Prophets, in the style of the Greco-Roman Oracles.
9. The Holy Spirit was supreme, and the Prophets' messages could supersede even Jesus or Paul, as they gave the most recent prophecy.
Now I would like to have all of this in game, but I have no idea on how to prohibit marriage and give special clothing.
Pneumatomachi:
Their name, meaning "Combators against the Spirit", denied the Holy Spirit's divinity
Cultures:
Greek: Tended to be popular
Tsakonian: We discussed this in the forum
Phrygian: The ancient language of Phrygia still exists in Northwestern Anatolia, as it will until the early 7th century.
Galatian: Various writers talked about how the celtic Galatian language was corrupting the nearby Greek.
Isaurian: Zeno!
Lycaonian: Seemed weird to have Greek there, so Lycaonian is here, as it is possible for it to have survived seeing how Phrygian and Galatian has. If there is objection to this, I will change it from the Anatolian Group to the Byzantine Group and call it a Greek dialect.
Pontic: Widespread here, definitely going to stay.
Here is a sneak peak for the next dev diary, Region Diary 7: There was a Scandinavia before Vikings?