Empire of Tsenacommacah
Territory
Government Description
Tsenacommacah is a shining monument to feudalism. The country is functionally divided into lordships, usually ruled over by generals or local chieftains who pledge fealty to Imperial Authority. The Emperor rules strongest near the capital on the waters of the Chesapeake, but the further west one goes. The less the government begins to exist.
Near the Capital city, the Emperor lives in his palace, deep in the heart of the capital city of Werowocomoco (formerly Yihakannippeng). His rule is absolute, however functionally his rule never gets past Tsenacommacah proper. The conquered people get more autonomy the farther out they are, however the earliest conquered people are near extinct due to integration into the greater culture of the Tsenacommacah people.
The Current Emperor of Tsenacommacah is Sunukkuhkau IV, who's conquest of the Cherokee has cemented his position of authority over the people. Like all Emperors, Sunukkuhkau rules over his people with fear and authority, and is quick to dispatch military force over those who rebel against his or his general's rule. His name means "He who Crushes" and any who were witness to his invasion and conquest of the Cherokee Kingdom will testify to the appropriateness of his name.
History
Tsenacommach begins with the movement of Algonquian speaking people towards the Tidewaters some time ago. Their usage of wild rice as a staple crop and deer herding as livestock seems to suggest that their ancestors came to the Tidewater from Canada through Massachusetts. The Tidewater Algonquian started out in a multitude of tribes and chiefdoms, primarily centered around the coast. For a long time, there was little in the way of contact between the Tidewater Algonquian and the outside world, with the primary conflict in the region being between the most powerful tribes in the area and the city states within them, the Powhatan, the Arrohateck, the Appamattuck, the Pamunkey, the Mattaponi, and the Chiskiack. Territorial battles, mostly for hunting and agricultural lands were frequent, even intratribal warfare between city states was not unheard of. Though these people had a common history, a common language and culture, they remained divided. That was, until the year 200 BC, when the city of Yihakannippeng, located in Powhatan territory, began to initiate conquests on its neighboring city-states, displaying authority over its conquered people and centralizing the region. The man behind this growing move towards centralization was named Wahunsenacawh. Wahunsenacawh was the Werowans (king) of Yihakannippeong, and through his conquests of other Powhatan clans and city-states, soon found himself a legitimate means to call himself Mamanatowick (Supreme King) of the Powhatan. This new centralized state found little opposition from the other small nations of Tsenacommacah. And soon Wahunsenacawh claimed authority over all of the Tidewater. He declared himself Mamanatowick of All Tsenacommacah, and divided up the authority of all his new conquests among his supporters, creating a feudal system of government based on reward for conquest. As a symbol of his authority, Wahunsenacawh changed the name of his city state from Yihakannippeng (house by the water) to Werowocomoco (City of the King) and took the regnal name of Mokawan ((The Sun) Rises) to signify his transition of the old way of life to a new one.
King Mokawan set about creating laws for his new Empire. A central theme was a desire to keep the Powhatan rich, and keep conquered peoples too weak and poor to resist the Empire. Mokawan instituted a unified code of law, laws of tribute, the rights of the Powhatan and Citizens, the rights and protections of Conquered people, and means by which the conquered may attain rights and full citizenship. Most prominent of these was service in the Imperial Military. Mokawan died at age 56 after 30 years of rulership, leaving his eldest son, Mokawan II in charge of his infant empire.
With the death of Mokawan I, and the rise of his son, came rebellion as the Appamatuck ceased paying tribute and took up arms, refusing to recognize the authority of Mokawan II. The Appamatuck War took a toll on the young empire, as other tribes were divided between loyalists and rebels. Ultimately, the war was won by the Forces of Mokawan and the loyalist tribes. The war ended with the extermination of the Appamatuck and their supporters, with any survivors being enslaved or exiled. Their lands and property were dispersed among the soldiers, and those who fought were all granted full citizenship, however, the scale of the Appamatuck War raised a problem, that there was not enough land confiscated from the rebels to repay the soldiers. This pushed the need to expand the nation outward, and caused the empire to look southward.
In 129 BC, Mokawan II and his generals declared war on the Croatan Kingdom and their Tuscarora allies. The Croatan conquest was spearheaded by the Cultural Hero of Katawamsawang, who lead the primary invasions and attacks on Croatan cities. After 3 years, The Tsenacommacah made short work of the Kingdom and their allies. Thus began the period of integration. The lands were divided up among soldiers and the conquered were accounted for.
Integration was a long process, and by no means an easy one. While the Algonquian Croatan were easier to assimliate, the Empire found difficulties in dealing with the Tuscarora, who were culturally and lingustically unrelated to the greater Empire. They were known to be unruly, and in time staged 3 rebellions. The 2nd Rebellion, the Akawěñtc'ākā' Rebellion, began with the death of Mokawan II in 100 BC. Katawamsawang, this time in his old age, no longer the young commander who fought in the conquest of the South, crushed the rebellion in 97 BC, and diplaced many of the Tuscarora southward, only for them to attack again in the 3rd and final Tuscarora uprising, the Skarū'rěn Rebellion, in 83 BC. Following the defeat of the Tuscarora in this war, it was infered that they were largely rebelling due to regrouping and hiding in the south, and thus all Tuscarora individuals were gathered up in 77 BC, taken to the northern reaches of the empire, and expelled into the harsh northern lands, and left to scatter across the Continent.
During this time, the Empire experienced a period without any real strong leadership. The Age of Stagnation is marked by the rise of Mokawan III, and his assassination by rivals who blamed him for the 2nd and 3rd Tuscarora uprisings, and instated the Emperor Wompsikukahkas, who was known for his cruelty, such as the expulsion of the Tuscarora, and the forced relocation of the surviving descendants of the Appamatuck as "punishment" for their ancestors' rebellion. Wompsikukahkas was killed 3 years into his reign, and replaced with the successor Ketassames, who reigned for 5 years before he was deposed of for his pacifistic attitudes by a warrior faction, who instituted the very warlike Emperor Wompsikukahkas II, who was killed in battle against the Cherokee Confederation 13 years into his reign. His successor would be Wompsikukahkas III, who descided against the more war-centric foreign policy of his predecessor, and opted for a mix of economic hegemony, and alliances that would allow for enemies of the empire to be destroyed, and allies protected and integrated at a later date, all while preserving the good standing of Tsenacommacah.
However, there needed to be reformations to the economic structure of the Empire in order to create a proper economic hegemony over the smaller kingdoms. The Emperor instituted a wide program of economic reform and tax legislation to stimulate and grow the economy of the empire. Wompsikukahkas III reforms were met with great success, and he used the growth the spread out control of the empire over new vassal states and to grow the power of the empire. Wompsikukahkas III commissioned a military reform to allow greater equality between the ranks and foreign legions in the army. Using the growing economic power, A general named Kaukont began a reform to standardize equipment, and reduce the inequality between older, younger, citizen and foreign troops. As well, Kaukont petitioned to Wompsikukahkas III to allow for the government to provide standard equipment to increase the recruitment into the military. The request was granted, and the Government took it upon itself to provide standardized equipment to all soldiers. These reforms to the structure of the Empire made Wompsikukahkas III known as "The Emperor who turned Tsenacommacah from a land of wood to a land of Stone and Iron"
Wompsikukahkas III died at the age of 63 after 40 years of reign, and is widely regarded as the greatest of the Tsenacommacah Emperors. His successor, his son, Wompsikukahkas IV, does not live up to his legacy. Wompsikukahkas IV lived his life partaking in excess as a result of the prosparity his father bestowed. Wompsikukahkas IV was assassinated in a military coup and replaced with a military leader, Opchanacanough, the son of the great general Kaukont, who took the regnal name Manìtench, The Hands of God.
Manitench was responsible for the annexation of several northern vassal states, and expansion across the Chesapeake. Manitench II filled out the Empire's northern borders. Manitench II instituted the current division of power following his realization of the ineffectiveness of the current organization. For the next long years, the nation was pretty much at peace, with occasional movements north. Until the rise of Sunukkuhkau IV, who instituted the invasion of the Cherokee Kingdom and its annexation. At 800 AD, the nation stands ready to take on the world, even if the nation is begging to wane in it's power.
Military
Economy
International Relations /Issues / Disputes
