Early Expansion
As new nation surrounded by powerful rivals, Kurdistan turned to it's former slaves (though that was a relationship centuries dead) for support. The Mamluks as they were known were quick to accept the deal, Kurdistan had destabilized 1 of their greatest rivals in the region and were strategically placed to aid in any war with the growing power of the Ottoman Empire.
Armed with a powerful ally to discourage outside interference, Kurdistan looked to strengthen its position. It's 1st target was a weak Turkish tribe, the Dulkadir. Led by Shah Cyrus himself, the Peshmerga stormed across the border, quickly sweeping the Turks aside leaving the path to their capital open to siege.
As the Peshmerga besieged the Turkish stronghold, many Kurdish officials began to use the war for personal profit.
This hint of corruption did not discourage the movement of Syrian Christians migrating into Kurdish territory hoping to be free of Turkish rule. While some of the more hardline Muslims sought to resist this population shift fearing that they'd bring war or attempt to convert the faithful, the royal court (and to a lesser extent, the Kurdish people) welcomed them. With these migrants, Kurdistan would have a larger pool of recruits for the army as well as new economic opportunities.
The war with the Dulkadir went well and the Turks submitted to Kurdish rule. Not only did this expand the borders of Kurdistan but also filled the royal treasury with the spoils of war.
Moving quickly to build on the momentum of victory before the other regional powers could react, the Peshmerga turned north in hopes of eventually gaining access to the Black Sea.
As news spread of Kurdistan's welcoming of Christian refugees, many Christian communities across Syria and Anatolia chose to uproot themselves and flee Turkish oppression in Kurdistan. Again the Muslim hardliners resisted however the Kurdish people proved more open minded and welcomed these Christians and their faith with open arms.
In the capital controversy flared up after the Shah's cousin (1 of 6) carelessly spoke of Kurdistan's regional ambitions to an Ottoman ambassador at court.
In the end this lapse in judgment didn't provoke a response and the war was successfully concluded. Again the Peshmerga returned home in glory and weighed down heavily by Turkish loot.
The influx of so much wealth wasn't entirely a boon for Kurdistan. Among the merchant class, agitated by European revolutionaries, was a radical economic ideological group called the capitalists. Protesting the centralization of wealth and political power in the hands of the nobility and tribal leadership, they demanded a share of the profits gained in Kurdistan's wars.
Kurdistan soon found itself at odds with the Ottoman Empire after a land survey showed that previous maps had drawn the border incorrectly and that much of the land the Ottomans claimed in Anatolia was, by rights, Kurdish. Shah Cyrus, not wishing to provoke a war, rejected these findings and confirmed Ottoman dominion of the disputed lands.
Angered by the growing Christian presence in Kurdistan and sensing weakness after the Shah's capitulation to the Ottomans, leading social conservatives rallied the people in the capital demanding the implementation of Sharia. The city guard was quickly mobilized and the protesters were dispersed before the hotter heads among them could escalate things.
The following months proved peaceful in the capital and news of the Peshmerga's latest victories were met with celebration.
As Kurdistan grew increasingly prosperous, new innovations began to be made. The most notable example of this was a new method of irrigation that brought more water to crops while actually using less water. The resulting bumper crop led to a surge in tax revenue.
Despite Kurdistan's unlikely rise to regional greatness, the Muslim hardliners refused to relent. In their pious rage, the Royal Library was nearly burned down. Thankfully the city guard was, after much bloodshed, able to put down the riot.