This was originaly meant as overhaul of Islamic mechanics, but evolved into a set of ideas centered around The Qabila - the Arab tribe.
If put together, it could fit into a medium or large sized DLC (and partly its acompanying patch) and would offer some features:
1) centered around the main topic:
- mechanics for Arab tribes and tribal confederations
- Asabiya-tribal coherence- mechanic to override malfunctioning decadence
- new government and other mechanics for muslims such as enhanced role of religion etc.
- military and administrative slaves and slave companies etc.
2) fair amount of features usable anywhere:
- cadet branches
- scholarly institutions such as universities and madrasas
- playable inland trade entities
- playable religious orders
3) map overhaul of the muslim world and Africa.
Here is where I would imagine the lands of the Qabilas just before the arrival of the Seljuks:
The Qabila means tribal confederation in Arabic and it would be a mechanic somehow similar to nomadic Horde in the steppe areas, but with some specifics directly tied to the desert.
It would be a tool based on culture - every dynasty of particular culture (the entire Arabic group, the Kurds, the Baluch, the Berbers, the Beja, possibly the Turks when they accept Islam) will naturaly and inevitably be part of some Qabila, even if it is a single member Qabila*. This also includes the sedentary tribes, which would be the only ones suffering from Decadence.
* however such a single-member tribes can last no longer than one generation - once the founder of the Qabila dies, his youngest mature son will create his own clan separate from the older, or (if there is only one mature son), the Qabila will become part /clan/ of the closest Qabila.
Every Qabila will work similarily to Horde, but with some important differences (to be explained later). Basically it will consist of number of clans (dynasties) and each of them will have its internal 'Asabiya, and so will the entire Qabila (its 'Asabiya will be defined later).
Overview of the Qabila - Tribal confederation
The basic idea is to create a principle dichotomy between Decadence and 'Asabiya.
Every dynasty's goal would be to keep its 'Asabiya as high as possible and to avoid falling into decadence.
Every dynasty/clan will have its own tribal army (like Horde) unless its 'Asabiya hits zero or its decadence is too high (Yes, the sedentarized dynasties can still have their own tribal army, but remarkably weaker than their nomadic counterparts).
The trick is that a dynasty/clan with high decadence is weakening the 'Asabiya of the entire Qabila and therefore, if the decadence reaches limit for decadence revolt as we have it now, it won't be some randomly generated adventurer who would dethrone the dynasty, but its own Qabila, in particular the leading clan (if there is any), or the strongest (if there is no leading clan ATM) with others most probably joining him.
When the decadent dynasty clan is defeated (yes the question is when, not if, because the decadent bastards will always lose to the keepers of the 'Asabiya!), the its members will be haunted like dirty dogs, just like it happened to the Umayyads and other decadent dynasties, and even the line of 'Ali (though in this case not through decadence). After a series of such brutal murders (starting with the most decadent ones, obviously), the leader of the remnants may be able to survive via hiding (event) and emerging as adventurer somewhere in the edges of islamic world. Possibly he could not only re-create his dynasty (which would technically survive), but create its own, single-clan Qabila and furthemore even a branch of islam (if the religious authority of his own branch is either weak or too strong.
But of course, there are tools how to prevent fading Tribal coherence or how to make its effects on the ruler smaller. For instance the use of slave armies or administrative slaves to govern your lands:
What has already been outlined:
1) Nomadic, sedentary and highland Qabilas
2) Leadership in the Qabila, the 'Asabiya concept
3) The ghulams - slave armies and governors
4) The Mulk government system
5) 'Asabiya - the tribal coherence
6) Madrasas and Universities - the scholarly institutions
7) Changes to the Iqta government
8) Inside the Qabila confederation and few more words about the Oasis holding
9) Trans-Saharan trade route and few things about Inland republics
10) Historical ingame examples of Qabilas + Creation of Cadet branches
11) Religious movements and Military orders
then there are posts where some details are further explained:
- Some ideas about islamic clergy in Qabila DLC
- Few details/info about map expansion in Africa (covering parts of the Sahara and few additions to West Africa)
- some thoughts on events about scholarly disputations and their interaction with the ruler
- Some details about how the ghulams rise in power and become threat to their eployer. + Ghulams' cultural specifics
- More details on how the tribes in Qabila confederation interact with each other and outer world
- Imperial bureaucracy in Islam + example of Imperial mechanics as they would work in Seljuk Sultanate
- Some very basic ideas about enhancement of West Africa
- Basic outline of possible Minority/Merchant communities, and some more details about them
Some of the features outlined can be picked and used separately, others would IMHO work fine only if integrated with others. Maybe this could be inspiring for the devs or modders.
Other things can still be outlined or discussed...
PS: For those who like this thread, I also opened another set of suggestions about Imperial bureaucracy
If put together, it could fit into a medium or large sized DLC (and partly its acompanying patch) and would offer some features:
1) centered around the main topic:
- mechanics for Arab tribes and tribal confederations
- Asabiya-tribal coherence- mechanic to override malfunctioning decadence
- new government and other mechanics for muslims such as enhanced role of religion etc.
- military and administrative slaves and slave companies etc.
2) fair amount of features usable anywhere:
- cadet branches
- scholarly institutions such as universities and madrasas
- playable inland trade entities
- playable religious orders
3) map overhaul of the muslim world and Africa.
Here is where I would imagine the lands of the Qabilas just before the arrival of the Seljuks:
We all know how Decadence concept is problematic since its beggining. One of the major problems I see is that when taking this concept from Ibn Khaldun, the authors have splited it from the major part of Ibn Khaldun's theories - the 'Asabiya - the tribal consciousness or tribal unity.
The game also desperately lacks mechanics for desert tribes and this suggestion would solve it by introducing:
The Qabila (the Arab tribe)
The idea of this DLC is to:
1) Add several new mechanics mainly to the Islamic rulers, but some of them may be used also for others.
2) Offer a new bookmark between 867 and 1066, especially in the Iranian intermezzo, preferably in the late 960's or early 970's
3) Offer a map overhaul of West, North and East Africa as well as the entire Middle East all the way into Persia and Central Asia
4) A tiny map expansion in West and central Africa offering more space to West Africans to play and expand, some place for the desert tribes (who will receive a new government) and a trade route to West Africa
5) 2 new government types, one specific for Muslims (Mulk), and one for Desert nomads (Qabila) – mainly Muslim, but not exclusively (There were Christian Beja/Blemmyes or pre-Islamic West African Touaregs).
6) A tribal mechanic (Asabiya), which should fix/replace decadence, a deeper interaction between the ruler and Islamic clerics. Introduction of Madrasas (Islamic schools) – a new tool for education (modified version could work for Christian Universities)
7) Possibly include inland trade states (republics) and new mechanics for West Africans
8) Possibly another new government to cover the religious orders such as Almoravids or Almohads, with possible usage also for Christians – the Monastic or knightly orders.
9) introduce new system military and administrative slaves - Ghulams/Mamluks, who will, in case of muslims replace mercenaries
The game also desperately lacks mechanics for desert tribes and this suggestion would solve it by introducing:
The Qabila (the Arab tribe)
The idea of this DLC is to:
1) Add several new mechanics mainly to the Islamic rulers, but some of them may be used also for others.
2) Offer a new bookmark between 867 and 1066, especially in the Iranian intermezzo, preferably in the late 960's or early 970's
3) Offer a map overhaul of West, North and East Africa as well as the entire Middle East all the way into Persia and Central Asia
4) A tiny map expansion in West and central Africa offering more space to West Africans to play and expand, some place for the desert tribes (who will receive a new government) and a trade route to West Africa
5) 2 new government types, one specific for Muslims (Mulk), and one for Desert nomads (Qabila) – mainly Muslim, but not exclusively (There were Christian Beja/Blemmyes or pre-Islamic West African Touaregs).
6) A tribal mechanic (Asabiya), which should fix/replace decadence, a deeper interaction between the ruler and Islamic clerics. Introduction of Madrasas (Islamic schools) – a new tool for education (modified version could work for Christian Universities)
7) Possibly include inland trade states (republics) and new mechanics for West Africans
8) Possibly another new government to cover the religious orders such as Almoravids or Almohads, with possible usage also for Christians – the Monastic or knightly orders.
9) introduce new system military and administrative slaves - Ghulams/Mamluks, who will, in case of muslims replace mercenaries
The Qabila means tribal confederation in Arabic and it would be a mechanic somehow similar to nomadic Horde in the steppe areas, but with some specifics directly tied to the desert.
It would be a tool based on culture - every dynasty of particular culture (the entire Arabic group, the Kurds, the Baluch, the Berbers, the Beja, possibly the Turks when they accept Islam) will naturaly and inevitably be part of some Qabila, even if it is a single member Qabila*. This also includes the sedentary tribes, which would be the only ones suffering from Decadence.
* however such a single-member tribes can last no longer than one generation - once the founder of the Qabila dies, his youngest mature son will create his own clan separate from the older, or (if there is only one mature son), the Qabila will become part /clan/ of the closest Qabila.
Every Qabila will work similarily to Horde, but with some important differences (to be explained later). Basically it will consist of number of clans (dynasties) and each of them will have its internal 'Asabiya, and so will the entire Qabila (its 'Asabiya will be defined later).
Overview of the Qabila - Tribal confederation
The basic idea is to create a principle dichotomy between Decadence and 'Asabiya.
Every dynasty's goal would be to keep its 'Asabiya as high as possible and to avoid falling into decadence.
Every dynasty/clan will have its own tribal army (like Horde) unless its 'Asabiya hits zero or its decadence is too high (Yes, the sedentarized dynasties can still have their own tribal army, but remarkably weaker than their nomadic counterparts).
The trick is that a dynasty/clan with high decadence is weakening the 'Asabiya of the entire Qabila and therefore, if the decadence reaches limit for decadence revolt as we have it now, it won't be some randomly generated adventurer who would dethrone the dynasty, but its own Qabila, in particular the leading clan (if there is any), or the strongest (if there is no leading clan ATM) with others most probably joining him.
When the decadent dynasty clan is defeated (yes the question is when, not if, because the decadent bastards will always lose to the keepers of the 'Asabiya!), the its members will be haunted like dirty dogs, just like it happened to the Umayyads and other decadent dynasties, and even the line of 'Ali (though in this case not through decadence). After a series of such brutal murders (starting with the most decadent ones, obviously), the leader of the remnants may be able to survive via hiding (event) and emerging as adventurer somewhere in the edges of islamic world. Possibly he could not only re-create his dynasty (which would technically survive), but create its own, single-clan Qabila and furthemore even a branch of islam (if the religious authority of his own branch is either weak or too strong.
But of course, there are tools how to prevent fading Tribal coherence or how to make its effects on the ruler smaller. For instance the use of slave armies or administrative slaves to govern your lands:
What has already been outlined:
1) Nomadic, sedentary and highland Qabilas
2) Leadership in the Qabila, the 'Asabiya concept
3) The ghulams - slave armies and governors
4) The Mulk government system
5) 'Asabiya - the tribal coherence
6) Madrasas and Universities - the scholarly institutions
7) Changes to the Iqta government
8) Inside the Qabila confederation and few more words about the Oasis holding
9) Trans-Saharan trade route and few things about Inland republics
10) Historical ingame examples of Qabilas + Creation of Cadet branches
11) Religious movements and Military orders
then there are posts where some details are further explained:
- Some ideas about islamic clergy in Qabila DLC
- Few details/info about map expansion in Africa (covering parts of the Sahara and few additions to West Africa)
- some thoughts on events about scholarly disputations and their interaction with the ruler
- Some details about how the ghulams rise in power and become threat to their eployer. + Ghulams' cultural specifics
- More details on how the tribes in Qabila confederation interact with each other and outer world
- Imperial bureaucracy in Islam + example of Imperial mechanics as they would work in Seljuk Sultanate
- Some very basic ideas about enhancement of West Africa
- Basic outline of possible Minority/Merchant communities, and some more details about them
Some of the features outlined can be picked and used separately, others would IMHO work fine only if integrated with others. Maybe this could be inspiring for the devs or modders.
Other things can still be outlined or discussed...
PS: For those who like this thread, I also opened another set of suggestions about Imperial bureaucracy
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