Revolt of the Eight Hundred

The Revolt (or Revolts) of the Eight Hundred, also known as the Risings of the Eight Hundred and, more rarely, as the First White Crow Risings were a series of popular uprisings that took place in Rafia almost entirely within the year of 1229. The revolts were organized and planned by the Rafian Courts-General as a way to prevent John I of Rafia from ascending the throne de jure uxoris given his marriage to Princess (later Queen) Eva of Rafia, the only daughter of the late king Maurice III of Rafia, who, due to the Rafian male-exclusive succession law in vigour at that time, could not take the throne as monarch in her own right.

Background

King Maurice III of Rafia was widowed of his queen-consort, Anne, in 1213, who died during the birth of their only daughter, Princess Eva of Rafia. After an accident while riding his horse that same year, whereby a wood stake on a fence pierced his groin, ripping through his genitalia and perineum, the king was left in very poor health, only slowly recovering from his wound. After the healing process was mostly done, an exam was conducted on the king by the renowned court physician at the time, Sir Leuvis van Dieter, who concluded that after the massive tissue damage sustained, the king would most likely no longer be able to maintain intercourse, let alone produce another child. This event shocked all of Rafia, who were expecting the king to re-marry and produce a male heir; since this could no longer be achieved, this event left the succession to the throne of Rafia dependant on a woman, who, according to the Rafian Primogenital Law, could not ascend the throne as queen-regnant. For the royal line to continue unimpeded, a husband would be needed to ascend the throne himself as King of Rafia, and thus the search began for a husband for the young princess. A seemingly suitable marriage was found in the 9 year old Martin (Rafian: Martien), who had just become Duke of Stehnheuvel due to the death of his father Peter II of Stehnheuvel (Rafian: Pieter II Van Stehnheuvel), in Proventatio 1214. Arrangements were made between the royal house and the young duke's mother and regent, Hildegaarde van Stehnheuvel, and a document decreeing their betrothal was stamped by the king and ratified by the Courts-General in late 1215. This elopement was of great interest to many, since it meant the Crown would, in time, inherit the lucrative Duchy of Stehnheuvel as a crownland, and the House of Stehnheuvel was, as members of the Rafian high nobility, sure to be sympathetic to the Courts-General, assuring these of a monarch collaborative with their causes, giving them tighter authority. Although everything seemed to be mostly under control by this point, the situation was worsened when the duke fell gravely ill with the coral plague in 1226 and subsquently died little over a year later, at 21 years of age. With the king himself showing signs of ill health, the throne was once again headed towards an uncertain fate. Thus, another search was called for a new suitor for the now-13 year old princess, and John Van De Lange (Rafian: Jan Van De Lange), heir to the Duchy of Kruisburg, was found to be suitable by the king's advisors. Though with Eva and John's marriage the monarchy would stand to gain much stability (by not having to place a foreign king on the throne) and the eventual inheritance of the Duchy of Kruisburg by the royal line, the prospect of this union angered the Rafian Courts-General, as they are comprised near entirely of members of the Rafian high nobility, whose powers of government and general influence had been heavily suppressed by the Van De Lange Lords-Regent during the Regency Period of 1178-1181; thus, in 1215, it was decreed by the king, with the agreement of the Duke of Kruisburg, that they would be betrothed to marry when Eva reached 16 years of age. This confirmation drew the ire of many in the Courts-General, who began plotting to revolt against John if he ever ascended the throne and place William Van De Raaf (Rafian: Willem Van De Raaf), the head of House Van De Raaf, the former ruling house of Rafia deposed in 1177, on the throne in his stead.