Sablean Empire (Sablɛan Empire)
Sablean Empire is one of the most powerful countries on the continent of Astra and has an ambition to be the most powerful country in the world. It directly controls a big area of southern Astra and a has a few subject nations.
History
The empire was founded in the year 50 DA through a unification of several Sablean countries. For this achievement the first emperor is known as George the Great. From that point came about 1000 years of all power being held in the hands of the monarch.
Trade with the Lion Empire
Around the year 1000 DA Sablean Empire started to establish trading outposts in the Lion Empire, a country across the sea to south of Astra. Throughout the years those outposts have grown to cities and became melting pots of cultures and religions. While still governed by Sableans who are mostly of the Solaran faith, people from all over Astra as well as local Sandhearts can be found here.
Revolution of 1100
In the year 1100 DA the era of the emperors' absolute power came to an end. There were several factors that led to the revolution. A drought that caused a food shortage, emperor's extravagant lifestyle and the defeat of the Imperial Army at Brotherhood Port.
Emperor John IV, last of the Georgian dynasty, tried to combat the food shortage by getting direct control of trade and resources of Brotherhood Port. However, the Empire's rival, the Kingdom of Ravona, decide to stand by the small republic and aided Brotherhood Port in the war. As the result, the Sablean Army was defeated and the Empire had to pay massive war reparations to Brotherhood Port. Those payments limited the the budgets of both the Empire and the Emperor significantly. However, John V enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. In order to be able to sustain it he had to take money meant for other, often more important, places in the country.
When the people learnt of the Emperor's budget mismanagment they were angry. In cities throughout the Empire, including the trading outpost in the Lion Empire, protests began. In many places the army was ordered to shoot at the protesters, but soldiers refused to follow the order and joined the protest.
Just a couple of weeks after the protests started the Imperial Palace in Sunspire was surrouned by protesters. Leaders of the revolution proclaimed the provisional people's government and declared John V removed from the throne. Just a few days after that proclamation the Emperor and his wife were dragged out from the palace and excecuted.
The Constitutional Monarchy
After the execution of the Emperor and Empress the provisional people's government started the process of fixing the mistakes of the monarch. The budget deficit was the most serious problem and had to be addressed first. Before implementing more permament measures a special tax was created for the nobility. Leaders of the provisional government were saying that the richest have to contribute more to the country. The collection of the new tax didn't happen without protests, but was successful.
In the matters of government, the leaders of the revolution were supporting a republican and democratic approach. Meanwhile, the nobility, still angry about the tax, wanted a return of the monarchy. The disagreement was very close to turning into a civil war. One of the nobles, Duke Alfred Moore, gathered an army and started march on the capital. Luckily, he was open to negotations. The result of those negotations is the Sablean Constitution. It created a system in which the Emperor has to cooperate with the elected parliament and a cabinet of ministers formed by the parliament. Alfred Moore became the first Emperor of this new system.
Technological Level
The last 100 years have been a period of rapid industrialization for the Sablean Empire. The invention of the steam engine allowed for mass production of goods and creation of massive fortunes.
Sablean Empire is also in a period of innvention in sciences, including medicine. Many new discoveries and invention allow for more effective treatment of diseases. Advances were also made in the area of disease prevention, both on a small and big scale.
Religion
The vast majority of the population of the Sablean Empire are the followers of the Solaran Church. In the biggest cities some followers of other religions can be found. The most common followers of foreign religions are the Sandhearts of the Lion Empire who follow the Great Lion.
Atheists are also present in the Empire, but they are viewed as something odd and can face some prejudice. For example, it would be very unlikely for an atheist to sit in the parliament.
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