A vast, multi-continental empire with it's central power coming from it's original Paorrian state.
Countries
Kantebury and its territories have been solidified as the Kantebury Empire, Four countries make up the Empire’s vast reach.
Paorrian
Greater Kantebury
This is the largest section of the Empire. It consists of what is the original country of Kantebury as well as many of the Nomadic Lands and more peaceful Nations of the Paorrian Center.
It holds the Empire’s Capital of Mumban.
Jhardhandi
The second Paorrian Country under control of the Empire. At the south of the empire, Jhardhandi stays independent from Greater Kantebury because of its shear wealth.
Off Paorr
Kwazulite
On Araz, The Kantebury Empire has a small colony called Kwazulite.
Kantyre
South of Paorr, The colony of Kantyre sits on the west half of the Isle of Tyre in the Canton Islands.
History
After years of fighting over the region of Kantebury, after the collapse of the great empire, countries began to form. It is believed a group of four founding factions united, crowned a king, and established the Kingdom of Kantebury.
It would be generations later before the expansion started. Their King, Chandragupta Ahmmad Porus the Second, thirsted for power, and he hated Kantebury's stance next to other growing nations on Paorr. He embraced modern fighting tactics and technologies, like the newly acquired guns, and he began an expansion of his empire.
Unable to advance on the neighboring nations to the north or over the mountains of the east, Kantebury eyed their neighbors to the west and south. These lands consisted of many minor city-states and nomadic tribes whose lands had been left alone by more powerful neighbors. Kantebury's armies invaded and began to easily annex many of the small countries, kingdoms, and nomadic lands.
The scores of refugees fled to the Kingdom of Jhardhandi, and with them stories of the coming armies. Many neighboring kingdoms, city states, and nomads fled with them, or armed and fortified. Before the armies of Kantebury arrived, war would be declared.
After reaching the coast, Chandragupta was delighted to announce the construction of port cities and a grand naval fleet. He wanted trade with distant nations on the other side of Paorr. He wanted access to more lands to plunder. And, he headed south.
Smaller nations pleaded for aid from their neighbors. Jhardhandi decided to aid, and they united with several of their neighbors into a new Jhardhandi Kingdom. Those who wouldn't join the kingdom, still allowed Jhardhandi armies to enter their borders to help fight Kantebury.
It was around this time the King was relishing in his many victories. His armies were not gaining experience, his generals were proving their expertise. He began to throw around the term 'Empire' to describe his collected lands. However; it would be his son, Saleshkumar Ahmmad Porus, who would be crowned emperor of Kantebury, and lead Kantebury into the age of the Empire. It was also Emperor Saleshkumar who moved the empire's capital to the Riverside city of Mumban due to its warmer weather, bustling economy, and luxuries.
Jhardhandi had declared war on the Kantebury Empire. Through fighting and many battles, Jhardhandi lost a great deal of farmland and nations as they were pushed back. It was around these battles the ex-farmer soldiers and refugees known as 'Perdadu' began teaching their fighting styles to the armies of Jhardhandi and began forming an organization around what they had begun to teach. They set up strongholds in the temples of many monks in several regions and fought valiantly to defend the lands.
Eventually the lines began to hold and peace treaties were struck. The two Kingdoms were now under a fragile peace treaty. The Kingdom of Kantebury had now officially named itself an Empire. As a part of the treaty, Jhardhandi annexed the rest of the lands not already in their kingdom to prevent a loop hole where Jhardhandi troops had to withdraw from the lands the Kingdom did not hold.
At the end of the war, an aggressive neighbor to the east of Jhardhandi decided to attack to claim additional land. Jhardhandi was left trying to regain miles of land taken in a surprise attack while their armies were across the country. It kicked off a year and a half of bloody fighting. Jhardhandi, weakened from two wars, actually began to run out of funds and soldiers.
Kantebury, who had began buying large amount of Jhardhandi goods, offered a new treaty that would make an alliance of the two kingdoms. Jhardhandi was apprehensive at first, but when deserting and a handful of losses lead to Jhardhandi losing more land, they became desperate. They signed an alliance treaty for the Kantebury Empire to send troops and war supplies to their front lines in return for select border lands they had wanted in the war.
However, it was not to be. Kantebury started a full-scale invasion under the guise of "support". The unopposed armies of Kantebury marched on the capital. They held the King and his court hostage until they had signed a full surrender to the Kantebury Empire. The Kingdom of Jhardhandi was annexed. After signing over command of their armies to Kanteburian generals, the full might of the Kantebury Empire pushed back the invaders from Jhardhandi land.
Peace was established, and the Empire began amassing soldiers, training new recruits, and offering amnesty to the Perdadus they had fought against. At this time, neighboring kingdoms were getting worried, and they reached out to strong Paorrian nations asking for aid. The choice to ask the empire's northern neighbor of Clarusia was unanimous. Gathering together many nations including the bordering nations of the empire, Clarusia, Monte-Diamont, and featuring declarations of support from other nations, Clarusia announced the Clarusian Border Alliance with language confirming 'neutrality', but heavily implying that if a signing member of the treaty were to attacked, annexed, or retaliated against in any way by a 'rapidly expanding nation' it would be seen as a direct threat to Clarusian neutrality. Clarusian officials hoped it was vague enough they wouldn't have to act upon it. Many of the signers hoped it meant the might of Clarusia would invade Kantebury should they attack any of them.
And the Kantebury Empire took it as a direct threat from most of Paorr. Although at first they reached out to many nations to make their own such pact, the Empire found itself alone in this matter. The Empire yielded, and the Kantebury expansion came to an end.
Greater Kantebury was founded to solidify the Nomadic plains and hills as part of the Empire, as well as to give the country named after the Empire more resources and not appear weak to other countries within the empire. The country of Jhardhandi was its sister country, allowing the wealthy lands and country a feeling of independence while keeping them tethered to the empire.
It would be several generations of leadership to work out how to unite the peoples under the imperial flag and establish the empire as a new, powerful Paorrian nation instead of a fragile alliance between people. New ideas were tried and incorporated. Jhardhandi culture, clothing, music, and religion were advertised as patriotic and "Kantebury". The royal Jhardhandi Royal family was welcomed as royalty should be to the Capital in Mumban. Plays were commissioned honoring Jhardhandi war heroes and Jhardhandi history and legends. The Perdadu were named elite soldiers of the Empire, and they became the knights of the land, shrouded in legend and nobility that a simple farmer could attain with study and loyalty.
It would take several more generations before the Emperor was unhappy with the state of the empire. The decision was made to expand, and the Emperor began seeking out lands far from Paorr to colonize and expand. Survey teams brought him two options, A cluster of islands holding the promising island of Tyre, and Well Island.
The Emperor sent a force to make colonies on these islands. Well Island would be a tragedy the empire would never forget. Tyre would be a unexpected success. Kantyre would be created and become an instant financial success.
A few years later, the empire would declare Well Island a failure, and instead set its sights on Araz. Sending a large survey crew, they settled on a southern Araz area. The country of Kwazulite was form soon after.
The fighting against the Orange tribe was a rare blessing for the emperor. It allowed them to reinvest in weapons and military technology and stoke fires of imperial unity using an "us vs them" approach. Shipping thousands of soldiers, war supplies, and technologies to Kwazulite, the Empire has united their empire and effectively spread across of Orr.
The Kantebury Empire has stayed like that. Generations of inclusion turned the Empire into a cultural center of Paorr. The nations they had annexed began to become just as apart of the Empire as Kantebury. Soon Kantebury’s hostile nature was replaced by the beliefs of the people they annexed. Now, despite glorifying war and maintaining an army; Kantebury is a (generally) peaceful nation, often holding foreign talks and treaty negotiations in hopes of piece.
Culture
Most of the Kantebury Empire’s culture has blossomed from the peaceful nations and nomadic tribes it annexed in its expanse. Festivals and parties are important in social gatherings of any type. Most diplomatic conferences and treaty signings are usually followed up with a festival or grand party. They popularized the idea of a “national holiday” 200 years before any other Paorrian nation.
Although militaristic policing and glorifying warfare can be found in the Kantebury’s culture, they are well known for many great philosophical peace negotiators and are the home of many of the world’s renown peace talkers. Although expanse and control of the Empire sits high on political opinion, they also value discussions and treaties to actual warfare.
Of course, their pride and nationalism still come out in Kwazulite. The ongoing conflict with the Orange Tribe Vibranni is celebrated as a source of heroes and heroism. Soldiers and Perdadu return from tours in Kwazulite as heroes, and stories, plays, and songs are created to celebrate them.
The Mashak, the Chanter, Sitars, Veenas, Violins, Thavil Drums, and Snare drums are common in the Empire for instruments. The Empire loves to adopt and build on many instruments from around Paorr. Orchestras have more modernly started holding concerts and accompanying large productions of plays.
Industry
The original Kantebury had very little in the way of exports. They were a country of philosophers and thespians. They had mined out most of their natural materials (iron and coal) by the time they had expanded. However, they still have plenty of saltpeter and use what little coal and sulfur to produce large amounts of black-powder for their own use as well as a popular export. They have a large amount of cattle and farming. Wheat and rice farming also feeds a large portion of the Empire as well as a good portion of Eastern Paorr.
Jhardandi has a large spice operation, and also is involved in light textile trade. Their major contribution is from their coal, saltpeter, and copper mines. In the jungle they have an advanced lumber operation.
Kwazulite has a large sugar cane farming system and some small tobacco trade. The sugar cane farms are by far the highest yielding export the Empire has and is heavily defended. They also have a small diamond trade.
Kantyre uses the rich soil of the Island to grow the tropical bananas loved by most of Paorr’s wealthy.
Government
The Empire has a Democratic Monarchy.
There are four royal families. Two who branch from Kantebury’s ancient royal family, One is the Royal Family from the mighty Nomad nations of old and One is from the Jhardhandi royal family.
When a ruler dies, a great election is held. The eligible royal families choose a successor (usually next in line) and a great book is written on all the candidates. Since there are no debates between the royalties, this book acts as the citizen’s guide on the candidates in order to vote. A massive election is held which takes an entire year. After that, the chosen victor will rule until dying or impeachment. Imperial rule is held by the Emperor. Greater Kantebury and Jhardandi are ruled by the Emperor and the Royal families, while Kwazulite is ruled by an emperor appointed official. Kantyre is the only country which democratically elects a ruling official (who is approved by the Emperor) called a governor.
The Emperor is surrounded by his or her court. The court consists of royal advisors of the Emperor's choosing,as well as the delegation from Greater Kantebury, delegation from Jhardhandi, delegation from Kwazulite, and the delegation of Kantyre. The Emperor is also advised by the supreme general, the highest ranking officer who overseas the generals and admirals of the empire's military. It is typical for the advisors to consist of a vizier, an advisor of healing (a high ranking doctor and physician to the Emperor), an advisor of commerce, as well as the princes and princesses of the other royal families. The emperor can have as many advisors as they wish, or as few (or leaving out members of opposing royal families) as they wish. Typically, the minimum would consist of those listed above.
The current reigning royal family is of the Jhardhandi royal family, Emperor Maharajah Reginald Jadejahkumar.