A Kingdom In the Clouds: A Ü-Tsang AAR

[darkhaze9]

I always hate it when a wily heathen converts to get out of a holy war - although I'll certainly make use of the tactic myself.

Here's hoping the streak of victories in the ongoing war continues under our new monarch.

 

[Viden]

Now is when you convert to Nestorian Christianity and restore Tibet.

 

[Andrzej I]

Andrzej I: Wow, very cool. Well I may need to pick your brain at some point! Though less of that pro-Wei talk!

Do let me know whenever! Would be glad to offer my advice in supporting Wei and Nestorianism

The irony of a ferociously devout Nestorian Christian leading the forces of a Bön holy war would have been obvious to many. It was certainly obvious to the Mongolian princess herself, as she noted in her letters to her daughters. Still Ebegei was willing to fight. She might not have liked the Bön faith but she liked Buddhism even less and she was also a patriot for her adopted homeland.

Definitely seeming Ebegei might become a favorite character of mine. The fact she's willing to set aside her fervor to try and further the ambitions of her family and adopted homeland definitely has me liking her more and more

 

[RossN]

Gyelmo Purgyal Torma in February 985 AD.
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Part Nine: Gyelmo Purgyal Torma (985 to 987 AD) & the Regency Council (987 to 1003 AD)

Gyelmo Purgyal Torma had little of her warlike mother to her, save perhaps a certain strength of will. Nor was there was much of her father. If there was anything owed to the past in the young queen of Ü-Tsang it was to her grandmother the late Zhang Que. Torma was an intelligent and gracious young woman, even if she had a near volcanic temper in times of stress and she found much to admire in the decorum of the old Wei princess who had been such a figure of her childhood. Throughout her brief reign in the rare moments she was able to spend in peace Torma would consciously model herself on her grandmother's template. This was less mindless aping of a foreign culture - Torma spoke Tibetan, wore coral and turquoise jewelry and dressed in the long woolen robes (chuba) rather than the silk garments of a Wei lady - than it was the sense of calm and cultivated female monarch [1].

Torma's appreciation for her Wei heritage did stretch to an Imperial marriage. Unable to find an appropriate husband among the local barons the Gyelmo turned to the Middle Kingdom. The current Emperor was a distant cousin and Torma saw the opportunity to win prestige and the continuing good will of the Son of Heaven without marrying someone with a pre-existing power base in Ü-Tsang. The Gyelmo could well recall her grandmother's stories of the great barons and as quiet as they were now she would not invite intrigue into the royal court.

Prince Chong was a learned young man with a passion for falconry and finance and a religious pragmatism that verged on impiety. Zhang Chong had the same tolerance for religions other than his nominal Taoism that had aided Zhang Que. Unlike that august lady Chong had far more passion for gold and silver than matters of the soul, with any talk of faith met with amused disdain. Even if he was not personally corrupt and none could dispute his intellect the Wei princeling would make few friends in Taktsé, something that would soon have consequences.

The day of Torma's coronation saw a run of poor omens across Ü-Tsang. Strange beasts were heard roaming the streets of Lhasa during the night and at dawn one of the great horse enclosure was found with the gates open at three prize steeds dead at the claws of unknown animals. In far Nagormo violent storms swept across the arid land causing sudden floods and rockslides. In Gyangzê a prominent soothsayer dreamed of the fall of the Purgyal family. Some, hearing of these eerie things wondered whether the young Gyelmo would fall in battle.

They were wrong but Torma would still not live to see her third year on the throne. More comfortable than her late father in the command tent she did briefly lead her armies in Kamarupa and winning the Battle of Kamatapur in November 985, but after marriage Torma returned to Taktsé. It was only away from the world of swords and arrows and the perils of forced marches and sieges that the troubles truly started. Torma had inherited not just her father's throne but the curse of his poor health. it began with chest pains and then with all the familiarity of an old friend coming to call grew far worse. Purgyal Torma, the twenty three year old monarch of Ü-Tsang was already dying.

It would almost have been better for the kingdom had the Gyelmo passed away late in 985 or early the following year as the shadow of cancer stretched across her. A temporary respite in the first half of 986 brought with ill-founded optimism, and a pregnancy. Even at the outset some of the monarch's personal attendants privately wondered whether she would last the course, and for all their smiles and platitudes Torma was no fool and could read the look in their eyes and the sweat on their brows. She fought long and hard for a life and as it became clear she wouldn't win she fought long and hard for the life of her son.

On 12 February 987 Torma gave birth to a boy. The infant, given the name Dharmapala spent mere moments in his mother's arms before being spirited away by the midwife, terrified at the omen that might have been should the mother die with the prince in her arms. Torma did not die that night or the next, but she would not leave her bed again. Bolstered by spells, prayers and incense she delayed the end for two more weeks.

Gyelmo Purgyal Torma dies, 28 February 987 AD.

​

Torma had retained her mind to the end so there had been no regent and now she was gone there was no obvious figure to step from the grieving court.

Ebegei Sartaq lived still but the Mongolian queen was not a popular figure at court, outside the more hawkish circles. Her Christianity had been tempered by her close relationship with her husband and then her respect and pride in her eldest daughter. As regent she would have far greater authority and the fact that two of her youngest daughters had begun to practice Nestorianism made the Bön courtiers nervous. Zhang Que might have been able to rule while keeping her faith separate from her subjects but Ebegei was not a woman who kept her passions hidden.

As little support as Ebegei had among the wider aristocracy it was still greater than the support enjoyed by Zhang Chong. Ebegei was at least someone who had gained the respect of soldiers and had a long history in Ü-Tsang. Chong was not yet twenty and his already mentioned personality flaws won him scant friends. As Dharmapala's father and as a Wei prince he could not be pushed aside completely but his position was an isolated one.

That left Torma's sisters and council. The eldest of the sisters, the twenty two year old Purgyal Kelzang, the Chieftainess of Gyangzê quickly staked her claim to the regency. Unfortunately for Princess Kelzang her lifestyle which had gained the intimate friendships of both men and women had left her open to blackmail by many. Forced to give away favours Kelzang found her powers evaporating quickly and before summer she had been forced to resign in place of the Lönchen Taknye, a lowborn man of unrivaled intellect and learning marred by the stain of cruelty. He in turn would prove less than adept at keeping his footing in the palaces intrigues of Taktsé.

In fact during the long minority of Dharmapala no single figure would ever enjoy the kind of authority Zhang Que had held in her time as regent. Different members of the council would at one time or another enjoy seniority for years at a time and figures temporarily pushed aside could make comebacks as Princess Kelzang did after Taknye died of natural causes but it is best to consider the regency as one long period of rule by the royal council collectively with the man or the woman in the chair simply the first among equals. No individual member had the status to make their mark on Ü-Tsang.

Ü-Tsang and Kamarupa after the Great Holy War, August 987 AD.
​

As the intrigants struggled for power in Taktsé matters were finally coming to a head in Kamarupa. The first half of 987 had seen the last attempt by the Maharajah Harasimhadeva to regain control of the contested kingdom. The Tibetan armies had proven too strong and on 24 June he sent a letter to Archpriestess Lha, begging for peace.

The end of the war left the Archpriestess in a delicate position. Leaving Kamarupa in the hands of the infant Dharmapala was far from ideal. On the other hand the armies of Ü-Tsang had essentially won the war and even now Ebegei moved to consolidate the cities under her control. The head of the Bön faith recognised the reality of the situation and officially assigned the Kingdom of Kamarupa to Dharmapala and his heirs.

The conquest of Kamarupa increased the total territory ruled from Taktsé by more than a quarter and the population by nearly a third. The new country was primarily Buddhist, though pockets of Old Bön faithful were present in the west and there were many Hindus and Jains. Culturally it was more of India than Tibet for all the old Emperors had ruled portions of the land. For the regency council it would prove a blessing and a curse.

Essentially Kamarupa was legally a separate entity to the old Kingdom of Ü-Tsang, unified only in the person of the monarch. Of course in reality the monarch had yet to learn how to crawl let alone rule so functionally it came under the control of the same council. Considering the state of the regency it might seem surprising that such a large patrimony remained intact until Dharmapala reached his majority. The truth was that most members of the council were not great barons in their own right. Rather their fortunes and status derived from the wealth of the royal household and they were not inclined to reduce that wealth by parceling out the new land. Better to base oneself in Taktsé and have a voice at court than to manage potentially rich lands far away.

While the administration of Kamarupa drew most of the council's attention it was not the only difficulty facing Ü-Tsang during Dharmapala's minority. There were no aggressive wars but the government would face revolts by Buddhist malcontents along with the usual barbarian raiders. The most serious threat was Qinghai. The tiny kingdom to the northeast had previously almost been conquered by Yumtän. While the Tibetans had been busy with the Great Holy War Qinghai had itself been invaded by Tengri worshiping barbarians, led by one Bülin the Conquerer who swept aside the native Bön rulers. In September 992 High Chief Bülin, arrogant and ambitious to a fault invaded Ü-Tsang. The resulting war took three years before the barbarians were put down, at which point the Wei Empire promptly stepped in and conquered the bandit kingdom. As ever the revival of Chinese power was met with mixed feelings in Ü-Tsang [2].

Saris Binyamin, regent of Ü-Tsang and Kamarupa in July 997 AD.​

In July 997 Saris Binyamin became the last and long serving head of the regency council. Saris was then forty two and the Gyalpo's spymistress. She was not of noble birth exactly, though her Radhanite Jewish father had been a successful merchant and member of the court. Not a popular woman she did at least have the virtue of honesty and could be counted on to put the interests of the kingdom ahead of all else. In between successful attempts to fight off court threats to her position Saris would keep an appropriate paranoid eye on the great barons and other potential threats.

One aspect in Saris's rise to the top was that she was the second woman of a minority faith to rule the kingdom. While not popular her reputation suffered more from her ample paranoia and tactlessness than her personal Judaism. The Great Holy War had unleashed many passions and there was a real hardening of views against Buddhists but generally Ü-Tsang remained relatively tolerant in matters of faith. The gods were many and so were the paths to them. A Taoist, Nestorian Christian or Radhanite Jew could still find his or her place in Lhasa or Taktsé. Only when the person was seen as overzealous and intolerant or impious and cynical as Ebegei and Chong had been respectively did belief become a problem.

Beyond her strict court duties Saris and her predecessors had limited involvement in their monarch's life. Dharmapala was reared by court tutors and by his father. If Prince Chong felt cheated out of true political power he at least at the comfort of directing his son's education and training. Chong, no warrior himself was enamored of the history of his adopted homeland and the great martial kings of old. He was determined that his son should follow in those footsteps. That proved enough of a challenge. Dharmapala was a shrewd boy and it was obvious that he understood much of what he learned but the teenage monarch was neither diligent or fond of study, preferring to be almost anywhere else than mastering calligraphy the classroom or sparing in the courtyard. There was another reason why he was distracted during his education, though this was not widely known even in Taktsé.

At age fourteen Dharmapala discovered aspects of the world his tutors had never disclosed.

​

On 12 February 1003 the regency came to an end. At the age of sixteen Dharmapala was finally ready to begin his personal rule.


Footnotes:

[1] Though naturally the monarch's clothing was also of exquisite standard and richly dyed.

[2] The great famine that had nearly destroyed the Wwei finally drew to a close in 996 and though the Wei had not yet returned to the Golden Age they had enjoyed in the middle of the century they were once more the great power in the known world.

 

[RossN]

Normally I devote at least a chapter per-monarch but because Torma's reign was so tragically short and because the regency had no one consistent regent I combined the two.

Since we are at the beginning of a new century in-game I think I will do a bit of an overview of the wold if people are interested?

Great Holy Wars against one of the proponents of Ahimsa? I love it

Well yes, but what you have to remember is *mumble, mumble, mumble.* Makes all the difference.

There is a certain irony in the fact that the most tolerant of all the Gyalpos thus far has presided over not one, but two aggressive holy wars That being said, your narrative goes a long way in making that involvement seem plausible. Politics and duty have a nasty habit of overriding personal convictions, even for one as powerful as Yumtän.

Thank you and yes, very much agreed on Yumtän. I think he was also worried about dying as the only king to date who had not expanded the borders of his realm.

His reign is proving an interesting mix of contradictions.

And I wouldn't dare cross his wife

Indeed! I love the characters this game brings up, and it is part of why CKII has such a strong place in my heart. It is almost more like a roleplaying game than a strategy game.

Hey RossN - I knew the handle seemed familiar from somewhere! I'm reading along and enjoying.

Hi Thragka! Very cool, this really is a small world right? I hope you continue to enjoy this and keep providing feedback!

I always hate it when a wily heathen converts to get out of a holy war - although I'll certainly make use of the tactic myself.

Here's hoping the streak of victories in the ongoing war continues under our new monarch.

Alas she did not live long enough to enjoy the victory, which took some of the joy from it.

Now is when you convert to Nestorian Christianity and restore Tibet.

Honestly if a Nestorian preacher had arrived I would have done that in a moment. The Bön reformation does add a few wrinkles to the idea though!

Do let me know whenever! Would be glad to offer my advice in supporting Wei and Nestorianism

Definitely seeming Ebegei might become a favorite character of mine. The fact she's willing to set aside her fervor to try and further the ambitions of her family and adopted homeland definitely has me liking her more and more

Yes she is very cool.

As I said above i rather regret not going Nestorian. Bön is fascinating but a Nestorian kingdom, wow...

 

[Andrzej I]

A Taoist, Nestorian Christian or Radhanite Jew could still find his or her place in Lhasa or Taktsé.

I love the diversity of the kingdom. Really reflects what a mixed culture Central Asia had during this period, with numerous religions and peoples thriving there, even if only for a time

Since we are at the beginning of a new century in-game I think I will do a bit of an overview of the wold if people are interested?

Absolutely would like that!

Honestly if a Nestorian preacher had arrived I would have done that in a moment. The Bön reformation does add a few wrinkles to the idea though!

Well, there is an opening...

the fact that two of her youngest daughters had begun to practice Nestorianism

Got a few aunts who are practicing, and I imagine fairly high in the succession?

 

[DensleyBlair]

The litany of characters thrown up by this game continues to fascinate and delight in equal measure. I don't think I can remember ever having read an AAR with such diverse interests accounted for. Really makes for a rich story.

I'll add to the calls for a world overview also.

 

[darkhaze9]

A world overview would be great, I'd like to see what sort of environment our mew monarch is emerging into.

 

[Viden]

The fate of the young queen is a shame.

I would also like to see a world overview.

 

[Lord Decobius]

An envoy from the Chinese has arrived bearing this message regarding the world update:

Certain folk *cough Andrzej I cough* were heard rejoicing in the streets, but the rest of the court sharpened their swords...

Really cool AAR, you weave a rich tapestry of culture, conquest, and intrigue. I am curious though: you're almost completely encircled by the WP at this point and the drought is over. What are your plans for liberating the rest of Tibet? That long regency could not have come at a more inopportune time...

 

[GoukaRyuu]

Ouch, at least she gave birth to a son of the dynasty first. I didn't know female rulers could also get a spouse from China (I don't usually play with that DLC).

I would love to see some of what is going on in the outside world.

 

[Specialist290]

RIP Torma, we hardly knew ye. Important as the fact is, it's particularly unfortunate when your only real accomplishment is giving birth to a son to continue the family line...

Add another vote to the list of those who would enjoy a glimpse at what has become of the wider world.

 

[RossN]

A political map of the known world, 1003 AD.
​

Appendix: The World in 1003 AD


The dawn of the Eleventh Century saw Europe, the Near East and Central Asia all recovering from the turmoil of recent years. The exact cause of the chaos varied with the West suffering from religious wars over holy places while the East was more influenced by the waxing and waning of China. Waves of barbarians, be they fighting from the saddle of warponies or carried across icy seas by longships had made their mark across the globe. Conversely the Silk Road and other trade routes had remained a vital artery of civilisation, carrying trade, ideas and often as not simply news.

It was the determined travelers that bridged the gap. Whether Radhanite Jewish merchants, the canny traders of Genoa, Christian and Muslim pilgrims or even wayfaring Taoist sages many of the elites had, at least in the broadest sense, an idea of what was going on the in the far corners of the world. The Gyalpo of Ü-Tsang for instance was nor in reliable direct contact with the Roman Emperor in Constantinople but he was familiar with merchants from "Fulin" (as the Chinese and Tibetans called Eastern Rome.)

Three great empires stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Bengal. A fourth empire, the greatest of them all lay so far to the east as to be almost a mythical place to many in Western Europe and North Africa. Those closer to the Wei Empire knew that it was a very real state, but despite its immense wealth and the wide circle of tribute states that bowed to the Emperor the Middle Kingdom remained mostly offstage, remote and unknowable, descending on Central and Southern Asia like an avalanche or sending gifts to monarchs who had pleased the Son of Heaven. China held herself - and was held by others - to be a state apart. This applied to both her successes and her troubles; when the Wei were prosperous and trade ran through the Silk Road like wine down drunkards throat. When the Wei were troubled the trade slowed - but so did the armies of the Jade Dragon. Imperious, frustrating, enigmatic, magnificent, China was all these things.

All this remoteness and aloofness forbid a close study of the Wei Empire during the reign of the Emperor Zhang Renzong. Instead we should turn to the three other great empires that dominated the known world in this period.

Samrat Susarman of the Pala Empire.​

The great Pala Empire, also known as the Deccan Empire was by far the premier kingdom of India. More than half the subcontinent was ruled by Samrat Susarman 'the Fowler'. Originally of Bengal descent the Pala family had entrenched themselves in the south where they almost alone of the great Indian kings had avoided bending the knee to the Wei. The current 'Samrat' ['emperor'] was fifty one and an odd alchemy of a man. Susarman had many virtues but his relationship with the truth was not one of them and in his younger days he had acquired a reputation as a spinner of intrigues. Now in the middle of his life he seemed content to reign and look after his family and his falcons but many of the wise wondered just what lay behind that amiable smile...

To the north of the Pala Empire and sharing her Hindu faith lay the Pratihara Kingdom while to the east lay Bengal and Bihar, both ruled by strands of the Pala family that cleaved to Buddhism in opposition to their imperial cousins. All these kingdoms, though prosperous and powerful paid tribute to the Wei. Hindu Punjab, ruled by a sept of the Pratihara disdained such allegiance and for the moment maintained a precarious independence.

Caliph Abdul-Qadir of the Abbasid Caliphate.​

Further west lay the immense Abbasid Caliphate. Though not quite as omnipresent as it had been in the Eight Century the Abbasids still controlled all of Arabia and Old Persia and in sheer size and population the Caliphate almost rivaled the Wei themselves. The leader of the Abbasids, Caliph Abdul-Qadir was a man of contradictions. Not quite thirty the Caliph was a passionate huntsman, often to be found out in the wilds with his tamed cheetahs. Despite such hobbies he was not adverse to the company of his fellows and could grow animated in conversation. His faith was strong if perhaps inflexible for one who ruled over so many in such variety. Unfortunately all these good or at least energetic qualities were bound in a slothful body and mind. Though still strong and trim it was likely only a matter of time before Abdul-Qadir would find it difficult for a steed to bear his weight on the longer hunts...

Though the heartland of the Caliphate was in Mesopotamia and Old Persia the Caliph's court was actually located in Gondar in Ethiopia. Once a bastion of Christendom this land had been taken for Islam, but what worried the Caliph was less the Christians than his brother Muslims. The great Tulunid Sultanate controlled Egypt and most of Muslim North Africa. Though nominally subordinates of the Caliphs the Tulunids were proudly independent and the rivalry between the two dynasties simmered like the desert at mid-day. At some point there would be a reckoning in this corner of the world.

Basileus Bosporios of the Roman Empire.
​

The ancient enemy of the Abbasid's and the third great empire west of the Wei were the Byzantines or more appropriately the Roman Empire with its glittering capital Constantinople, the Queen of Cities. The Roman Empire had not undergone a Justinian like expansion but the last century and half had seen continuous steady growth and prosperity and, in defiance of tradition, religious unity often missing elsewhere in Christendom. The Basileus Bospiros 'the Missionary' of the Makedon family was not the most endearing of men to wear the purple - greedy, uncouth, given to cruelty and increasingly overweight (he had a good ten years on his counterpart the Caliph), Bospiros nevertheless had a certain sense of justice and a sympathy for the Jewish people.

The Basileus's philo-semitism stood him in good stead with the Khaganate of Khazaria. The Khazars, among the richest and most powerful of the horse nomads had been Jewish for many years now, a defiant monothestic presence in the still mostly pagan world of the steppes. To their north and east stretched a bewildering and to outsiders interchangeable world of barbarians who occasionally intervened in life as raiders and bandits but had little to do otherwise with the civilised world.

West of the Khazars lay the sprawling Kingdom of Poland, a bastion of Slavic paganism. The Poles were the mightiest of the western barbarians, with their influence spreading as far west as the British Isles were via marriage and war with the Norse and Danes parts of those far realms actually gave their allegiance to King Gosciwuj 'the Evil'. The Scandinavians themselves also remained pagan by and large, and mostly disunited. The exceptions - in terms of unity - were the Kingdom of Denmark and the small yet growing Norse Kingdom of Skotland.

Beyond Poland lay Christian Europe proper, though the very term implies a degree of unity that didn't exist. The Karling Kingdoms (West Francia, East Francia and Aquitaine) remained prominent, though they were a far cry from the days of Charles the Great when for a moment it seemed as if Western Europe would be under one throne. One of the Karling states of old, Italy, had collapsed completely during the Tenth Century and in her place the Serene Republic of Genoa had filled the power vacuum.

Genoa was, perhaps, the greatest Christian city outside Constantinople but she represented something very different from the imperial capital, an empire based on trade rather than laurels. The Genoese were the great merchants of the Mediterranean world and even beyond Genoese accents could be heard on streets as far away as Lhasa and Taktsé. The city state herself was home to febrile politics and the current ruler the Doge Ausonio IV of the di Crivelli clan was a strange and sordid figure, said to indulge in monstrous appetites but Genoese wealth and Genoese power left her towering over her mercantile rivals and had won the republic a handsome hinterland in Liguria.

Still Genoa did not contest the Mediterranean alone and her might was matched and exceeded by the Umayyad Caliphate. The Umayyads contested North Africa with the Tulunids and the surprisingly resilient pagan African Kingdom of Mali but in the Iberian Peninsula their power was unchallenged. Najib 'the Mutilator', the Caliph (or Badshah to those Muslims who acknowledged only Abdul-Qadir) ruled a great and mighty kingdom, rivaling the Romans for wealth, civilisation and military strength. Perhaps only a concern that war with Aquitaine would unite all of the Karlings against him had kept him content with his borders or perhaps it was sheer confidence in domain and his disdain for the cold and wet lands beyond the Pyrenees.

A religious map of the known world, 1003 AD.​

Beyond the secular world of kings and merchants lay something at least as powerful: faith. The Tenth Century had seen more religious turmoil than at any time in history since the birth of the Rashidun Caliphate three centuries before.

Of all religions at the beginning of the Eleventh Century, perhaps the two most stable were the oldest: Hinduism and Judaism. The Hindu faith was of course native to India, though pockets of the faithful could be found dotted across Central Asia. Most of the rulers of the subcontinent, including the mighty imperial Pala dynasty claimed this belief system. Though there were regional differences of course there were no heretical movements of any importance. Judaism was the majority religion of the Khazars, a significant and stable state but most Jews lived elsewhere as minority populations from West Francia all the way to China. They were perhaps the most widespread of all the religions, if far from the most numerous. Again there were regional peculiarities; a Rhadanite Jewish inhabitant of Lhasa would speak Tibetan as his his everyday tongue while his coreligionist in Baghdad would know Arabic. Still there was very much a strong feeling of a universal Jewish identity and pride among the People of the Book.

Jainism, another Indian religion that vied with Hinduism and Judaism for venerability was almost as widespread as Hinduism but far less politically powerful. Most Jains lived under Hindu or Buddhist rule and though there was little sign of the religion fading there was equally little sign of it becoming a major force. Even the idea of religious revolt or holy war was anathema to the practicing Jains.

Islam were overwhelmingly represented by the Sunni strand of the faith. Even the existence of two rival Caliphates - the Umayyads and the Abbasids - was a legacy of ruthless political feuding between dynasties as against a deep religious split. The past century and half had seen mixed fortunes for the Muslims. Islamic rule over Iberia had been consolidated and Ethiopia had been conquered. A golden age of Islamic culture, art and science was flourishing in Spain and Persia. However there had been failures; the Romans had largely pushed the Muslims out of Anatolia and in parts of Africa, notably Mauritania Islam was under threat from a strong revival of African paganism.

In terms of population Christianity at least rivaled Islam and Hinduism. However it is hard to speak of one single 'Christianity'. The so-called Orthodox Church led by the Patriarch of Constantinople was internally stable and successful not only within the Roman Empire but outside it as well where missionaries had enjoyed some success north of the Danube. Unfortunately the rest of Christendom was hopelessly split. The Roman Catholic Church theologically very similar to the Orthodox creed, save for the supremacy of Latin rather than Greek and the supreme authority of the Bishop of Rome. For a brief period in the late Ninth Century it had appeared as if the Roman Church might have become the dominant force in Europe. Sadly the impact of pagan adventurism and, infinitely worse, heresy had shattered this unity and a run of poor Church leadership had encouraged the growth of radicalism. Though the Pope still lived in Rome and enjoyed a certain authority, Europe was a kaleidoscope of competing Christian movements like the Cathars and the Fraticelli.

There were other Christian churches only thinly connected to either Rome or Constantinople and of these the Church of the East deserves special mention. The Nestorians, as they are better known, were not as numerous as their Orthodox brothers and sisters and were not especially politically powerful but their cosmopolitanism rivaled that of the Jews (and indeed Radhanatie Jews and Nestorian Christians frequently found themselves neighboring communities in the cities of the Orient.)

Buddhism was widespread but had never quite recovered from the collapse of the Tibetan Empire and the subsequent anti-Buddhist mindset in the Tibetan successor states with weaker Buddhists states like Nepal vanishing from the map. Nevertheless the strong Buddhist kingdoms of the northeastern part of the subcontinent gave the followers of the Buddha a strong voice.

Bön (and the conservative pre-reformation Old Bön) was almost entirely a religion of the Tibetan Plateau. Bön was polytheistic and shamanistic but had absorbed much philosophical thought on the nature of the soul and enlightenment from Buddhism giving it an air that was often difficult for outsiders to grasp. The monarchs of Guge and Ü-Tsang had not attempted to spread their faith by missionary work and so despite its political power and numerous adherents the Bön world view remained little known in foreign states.

Another religion closely associated with a state was Taoism, with its strong links to China. Unlike Bön Taoism was quite widespread, carried initially by Han merchants, mercenaries and sages. Outside the Wei Empire no kingdom espoused Taoism as a national faith, though it was very strong in parts of Ü-Tsang. Then again with the might of the Middle Kingdom was any other voice needed?

The paganism of much of Europe in its Germanic and Slavic branches and the Tengrism of the nomads were important and deserving of study but their impact on the wider world was limited, and even among themselves the riot of variation and differing oral traditions makes any overview difficult. The paganism of Africa on the other hand had reformed into something organised and had successfully pushed back Islam in the Magreb. Whether the consolidation of Mali heralded a religious expansion, or was doomed to falter before the Caliphate remained to be seen...

 

[RossN]

I love the diversity of the kingdom. Really reflects what a mixed culture Central Asia had during this period, with numerous religions and peoples thriving there, even if only for a time

Absolutely would like that!

Well, there is an opening...

Got a few aunts who are practicing, and I imagine fairly high in the succession?

Thank you and yes I love the diversity myself. It does give Tibet the feel of being more of a crossroads rather than an isolated place.

I'm not sure how practical a Nestorian kingdom is, but i have to admit it does make me think!

The litany of characters thrown up by this game continues to fascinate and delight in equal measure. I don't think I can remember ever having read an AAR with such diverse interests accounted for. Really makes for a rich story.

I'll add to the calls for a world overview also.

Thanks. Really the game itself does the work of creating them, but I do try and bring the characters to life. I know this is a history book AAR but i still want it to feature people.

The fate of the young queen is a shame.

I would also like to see a world overview.

Yes, it was a sad event and a real blow.

A world overview would be great, I'd like to see what sort of environment our mew monarch is emerging into.

Cool, hope you enjoy it!

An envoy from the Chinese has arrived bearing this message regarding the world update:


Certain folk *cough Andrzej I cough* were heard rejoicing in the streets, but the rest of the court sharpened their swords...

Really cool AAR, you weave a rich tapestry of culture, conquest, and intrigue. I am curious though: you're almost completely encircled by the WP at this point and the drought is over. What are your plans for liberating the rest of Tibet? That long regency could not have come at a more inopportune time...

Hah!

Thank you. I have to admit while I am very fond of the Jade Dragon DLC and strongly recommend it China *is* a little overpowered. To be fair I've been dealing with an actively expansionist China but still they shouldn't be subduing most of India right?

Ouch, at least she gave birth to a son of the dynasty first. I didn't know female rulers could also get a spouse from China (I don't usually play with that DLC).

I would love to see some of what is going on in the outside world.

Yes, poor Torma.

I was also (happily!) surprised female rulers could marry Chinese princes, but it adds a certain something!

RIP Torma, we hardly knew ye. Important as the fact is, it's particularly unfortunate when your only real accomplishment is giving birth to a son to continue the family line...

Add another vote to the list of those who would enjoy a glimpse at what has become of the wider world.

I know. I had high hopes for her too, both as an effective character and as an interesting character to write about.

 

[Levgar]

If you got a chance to, how would you reform the bon faith?

 

[DensleyBlair]

A fragmented world for sure, but one which throws up lots of possibilities. Some hideous borders, naturally, but overall things don't seem terrible. Britain is a mess, though. Would be interested to know what's going on there.

And fun to see Umayyad Spain so dominant. The idea of a world with no Reconquista always in trigs me for some reason.

 

[Riotkiller]

Catholic MA must be amazingly low!

 

[Specialist290]

East and West both appear very much to be in a state of flux here. The collapse of Catholicism in Europe is definitely going to have ramifications for their development down the road, with the central institution underpinning "Christendom" giving way to a hodgepodge of beliefs warring against one another almost as much as against outsiders looking in.

I'm always a little chuffed to see the Khazars thriving Who are the Germanic pagans immediately on their border, and how did they get there?

 

[stnylan]

A sad ending for a queen with so much promise.

I had not realised the Western Protectorate had managed to stretch its arms so very far.

 

[RossN]

Gyalpo Purgyal Dharmapala in 1003 AD.​

Part Ten: Gyalpo Purgyal Dharmapala 'the Glorious' (1003 to 1032 AD)

Purgyal Dharmapala assumed full power at the age of sixteen but he had spent almost his entire life as the ruler. His father Prince Chong had been a stern tutor, hoping to mold his lone child into a great and powerful monarch. Perhaps that very sternness and ambition had sown the seed of its own destruction. Though all who met him knew Dharmapala was sharply intelligent, his attitude to his studies had been disinterested, almost rebellious. At sixteen he was of no very great height or build and if his face was pleasing enough there was a hint of idleness to his smirk and the glint in his eyes. He spoke often and glibly, lacing his words with humour even in the most gravitas gilded situations. At least at first he did not cut a very impressive figure.

It is easy to exaggerate this image of the dilettante princeling. Dharmapala might have lacked a certain seriousness but he wasn't stupid, chronically lazy or driven by mindless lusts. His court was a wry place but wit was prized most of all when combined with ability. Likewise though it was an open secret that the Gyalpo tended to look at handsome young men rather than beautiful woman no courtier achieved rank based on good looks.

Breaking family tradition twice over Dharmapala married a Tibetan woman of the Bön faith. This was not due to a sudden attack of religious fervour; like most of the royal dynasty the Gyalpo was conventionally pious and personally tolerant in religious affairs. Instead in July 1008 he married Palrin Chimey of Gar, a sixteen year old noblewoman from Guge. Gar itself lay deep inside the rival Tibetan kingdom and the prospect of their child inheriting a toehold in Guge was enticing. The marriage would in time develop into something more affectionate but whether because of Dharmapala's preferences or other issues the union remained without an heir for many years.

Had Dharmapala died without children the throne would have gone to one of his aunts. Originally this was Princess Purgyal Wangmo of Gyangzê, a woman renowned for her greed, gluttony and lack of piety. Her death at the age of forty two in 1011 was met with a sigh of relief from many, but others were far more concerned about the woman who took her place as heir presumptive. Princess Trikar of Ü-Tsang.

Trikar was then thirty five, some twelve years older than her nephew. She was married and and though not in the first blush of youth it was believed (accurately as it turned out) that she would bear children. She was a well groomed, tall woman with fine features and a healthy demeanor unusual in a dynasty often dogged by ill health. The princess was not without her vices for she could be shockingly lazy. It was two other aspects of Trikar that were far more worrying, both traits inherited from her mother the awesome Ebegei Sartaq. Raised largely by that Mongol matriarch Trikar had clung to Mongolian habits of dress and speech. She had also become a Nestorian Christian.

Princess Trikar 'the Blessed' in 1016 AD.
​

Even before took power in his own right Dharmapala was known as 'the Glorious' for the victory of his kingdom in the Great Holy War of the 980s. Obviously the monarch, an infant at the time had not personally led the war effort but it had been fought in his name and thanks to it would become monarch not simply of Ü-Tsang but Kamarupa too. He was not simply a Gyalpo but now to his numerous mostly Assamese speaking subjects in Kamarupa he was a 'Maharaja'.

The existence of Kamarupa as a kingdom in her own right created many headaches for the Gyalpo and his court. Not because the region was poor; far from it. Kamarupa was richer and more fertile than most of the actual Tibetan Plateau outside those cities and lands such as Lhasa and Taktsé that directly benefited from the Silk Road winding through them like gold thread on a royal banner. The population, outside the existing Bön and Tibeto-Burman cultural strongholds of Lhoyu and Monyul were Buddhist Assamese, but all things considered proved surprisingly willing to convert to the religion and in some cases culture of their new rulers. Between 1003 and 1032 Dharmapala would officially found cities at Namsai and Bameng and an impressive temple-monastery at Charaideo, further increasing the prosperity of the region.

The problem was that as a separate kingdom under the traditional inheritance laws of Tibet the crown of Kamarupa would be split from whoever inherited Ü-Tsang. In fact the default heir, legally speaking was Dharmapala's father Prince Chong, and after him various Wei princes. Had the Gyalpo died of illness in 1011 there was a very real chance that one of his crowns would go to a Nestorian and the other to a Taoist.

Dharmapala had no intention of splitting his inheritance, whoever that inheritor happened to be. Fortunately he was in a position to enact that change. In contrast to Ü-Tsang with its menagerie of great barons and ancient chieftainships the land of the smaller kingdom was mostly owned directly by the monarch. Dharmapala's holdings in Kamarupa were far more extensive than in Ü-Tsang and there was little to stop him simply changing the law. In February 1017 he did just that, declaring that while he had no intention of changing the law in Ü-Tsang which remained a hereditary monarchy, the throne of Kamarupa would in future be elective. It was a canny move. Not only did it not infringe on the rights of the great barons in theory it even broadened those rights. In practice it meant whoever the current Gyalpo chose. Even combined the other 'electors' - those Tibetan aristocrats granted land in Kamarupa - would have been outweighed by the votes held by the monarch and since those barons and chieftains directly owed their titles to Dharmapala they could be relied on to vote with the Gyalpo.

In 1017 that heir to both kingdoms was beginning to look like Princess Trikar. After nearly a decade of marriage Chimey had never fallen pregnant and their was a growing consensus that she was barren and even if she wasn't Dharmapala's inclinations were a hindrance to conjuring up an heir. Trikar was admittedly older than her nephew but her general health was better.

On the evening of 15 April 1017 Princess Trikar dined on gong'a momo, her favourite dish [1]. The princess's appetite had noticeably increased in recent months and the servants slyly wondered whether she would continue to keep her trim figure for long. Other than the larger than average size of the portion little seemed amiss when the household retired for the night. Unfortunately one member would not wake up the following morning...

The sudden death of Princess Trikar would prove a mystery for historians ever since. Some believed that it was simply natural causes and given the poor health of so many of the Purgyals there may have been something to this. Others darkly hinted at the desire to remove a Christian heir to the throne. The Tibetan aristocrats were religiously tolerant, save against the ever treacherous Buddhists but that did make a Nestorian monarch any more palatable. The trouble is that even among the barons and the shamans there was no obvious suspect who would be desperate enough and determined enough to order the deed. Whatever the cause the sudden absence of Trikar left Dharmapala reeling. Though the princess had children they were too young and too far from the succession to inherit and instead scholars believed the heir would be an obscure aristocrat named Purgyal Thönmi. Thönmi's claim to the the throne rested on being the great grandson of Yumtän 'the Festive'. It was a thin link but with Dharmapala's own lack of siblings and the early deaths of his aunts there were now few with a link to royal bloodline. Thomi himself at the age of twenty seven was not an endearing character - he was greedy, cruel and an impious man but he was at least culturally Tibetan.

Purgyal Thönmi in 1017 AD. This near anonymous nonentity was - briefly - heir to the throne.
​

The Gyalpo still hoped to have a child of his own. To that end he was desperate enough to take on a royal concubine, consult shamans for spells and elixirs to aid in fertility and prayed to all of the gods. It was only in early 1023 after two decades in power and after having all but surrendered to fate that finally it happened. Dharmapala had been so wrapped in the Xi Sui affair that he was almost the last man in Taktsé to know his wife was with child [2].

The birth of a daughter (Princess Tricham) in October 1023 provoked a universal sigh of relief. Dharmapala was still only thirty six but his grandfather had not reached forty mother had not lived to see to see twenty six. After the death of Princess Trikar there were whispers across Ü-Tsang that the gods had cursed the royal family, but now there was a new wellspring of optimism. Unfortunately for her Purgyal Tricham would not have long to enjoy this fortune. When the royal concubine Kuladevi subsequently gave birth to a son in July 1025 the poor girl found herself demoted in favour of her half-brother Prince Sumnang.

Dharmapala had hoped to be a warrior king and for most of his subjects and foreign observers the image was just that. Yet the battles of adventures of his reign proved infinitely less stressful than his domestic life. The endless, humiliating court gossip over his sexuality, the long disappointment over his failure to have children and the political headaches of trying to confirm his inheritance all sapped some of the life from the Gyalpo. In his thirties he already had wrinkles and the first strands of silver coursing through his hair, something which the monarch who could be vain took to hiding beneath hats and helms.

The sad irony was that Ü-Tsang had reached a period of great prosperity during the autumn of Dharmapal's reign. Though there were still the recurring irritants of bandits and adventurers the countryside and towns of eastern Tibet boomed - indeed so great had been the growth of population that the founding of the cities of Namsai and Bameng in Kamarupa had been to relieve population pressure in the arid landscape of the Tibetan Plateau. The source of all this wealth was the Silk Road, once more in full flow from and to the Wei Empire. However though the Silk Road provided the life blood of prosperity for Ü-Tsang it was the use of that coin raised from the steady tromp of merchants and wayfarers that ensured the land grew very rich. Dharmapal was generous with his income, most notably increasing the splendour of the Taktsé Gardens which was beginning to grow in stature as a fabled place - stories abounded of it being inhabited by demigods, protected by snow lions or perpetually in blossom.

Unfortunately despite the supposed mystical qualities of the Taktsé Gardens Dharmapala's health proved all too reminiscent of his family. A brush with gout in his twenties weakened him, but what really it was stress that stalked him like an assassin. Momentarily he would find balm for his soul as in the birth of his children, or in the reconciliation with his father after Dharmapal had grown into the warrior the Han prince had always hoped he would be. These periods proved fleeting however and as the Gyalpo entered his forties he suffered long stretches of fatigue. To his credit Dharmapala's wry tongue proved as quick as ever and he proved incapable of panic. Yet every morning there a new crease in his face, a new rivulet of silver in his hair...

In January 1030 the Gyalpo's gout flared up again and faced with murderous pain Dharmapala agreed to radical measures.

Dharmapala seeks radical treatment for his poor health, January 1030 AD.

​

The gruesome procedure cured Dharmapala after a fashion but left its mark. The Gyalpo was forced to don a mask in his interactions with the world. the mask itself was a beautiful thing of silver and had been crafted by the finest smiths in Tibet but its very beauty only drew more attention to what it concealed. For a man who had taken care of his looks the ravaging of his face was a tragedy only exceeded by the sense of pity he could feel around him. In such circumstances even his old levity faded away and like his grandfather before he preferred the seclusion of the Taktsé Gardens , and least when he was away from the command tent.

For a little over two years the monarch of Ü-Tsang hovered in this twilight existence. On 1 April 1032 the Gyalpo's servants found their master in bed and proved unable to wake him. Even through the ruined face it seemed - almost - as if Dharmapala wore an expression of relief...

The death of Gyalpo Purgyal Dharmapala, 1 April 1032 AD.
​

Footnotes

[1] Fried dough made with eggs and flour and stuffed with meat paste.

[2] More of this strange affair later.