Empire of India

The Empire of India, sometimes referred to as the Indian Empire or Hindustan, is a state that borders the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and controls the majority of Southern Asia. The Empire is generally regarded as a successor state to the traditional Hindustan Empire for it is the second Empire to have united India since 1745. However, it is the Sultanate of Bengal that is generally considered as the de facto predecessor, given that it was Sultanate of Bengal the of  that united India.

Following centuries of political, economic and cultural success, the virtual collapse of the Hindustan Empire in 1790 dealt a deathblow to the Akhand Bharat ideology. The 7 successor states to the Hindustan Empire were ethnically diverse nations and as such, the chances of India uniting once again were regarded as nill.

History
For more information in regards to earlier history, see main article: History of the Bengal Sultanate

Establishment


The establishment of the Indian Empire on June 6, 1888 under Empress Farah Shah was seen as one of the turning points of Indian history, as India had not ever been united since the days of Ashoka. The Imperial authorities had particularly taken note of the need for the Indian Empire to be recognized as the sole representative of the Indian people, and hence the Empire had immediately set out to press the Roman Empire, Lankan Empire and Hamburg to give up foreign enclaves. Attempts to gain international recognition forced the Empire to even apply for the 1890 Olympics, unaware of what was yet to await them in the future. On March 24, 1891, the previously mentioned states had soon turned in their respective enclaves to the Indian Empire as per the [Agreement (Principia Moderni III Map Game)|Kolkata Agreement] , which many historians have considered a major event since no Asian power had been able to effectively pressurize a European state during those times. The agreement not only increased the morale and pride of the Indian people but led to rise of nationalism throughout Asia as well. The Indians no longer saw threat from the 'white man' and soon launched an attack upon Netherlands on February 4, 1894. The War of Indian Hegemony that was subsequently fought led to the complete defeat of the Dutch Empire by Indian forces and international recognition of the might of the Indian Empire, who were able to soon occupy Aceh despite protests by the Spanish Empire. Only a single year later, on 1895, the Tripartite Pact was signed in Baghdad between three major Asian powers who had recognized each others capability and the collective interest in combating the menace of Communism and Imperialism. By 1898, the Indian Empire would drastically expand its sphere of influence as it would attempt to meddle with Lankan affairs by effectively forcing Lanka to withdraw a controversial law that restricted Tamil

Military
The Indian Military is the descendant of the legions and navy of the Hindustan Empire. The military has historically been famous for its strength and power, and it still maintains that prowses.

Army
The Indian Army is based on the organizational unit called the Kateebat, and each regimental commander is known as a Quaid. The overall commander of the armed forces, other than the Empress, is known as the Rais. The army numbers around 720,000 total soldiers. Imperial guard units include the Kolkata Guard and the Janissaries, with the latter being named in remembrance of the Ottoman elite infantry units.

Since the military reforms of Jalaluddin Fateh Shah, a battalion has been changed from a formation of 300-500 soldiers to one of 1000 soldiers. In addition, the technology possessed by the Imperial Guard units has been substantially improved.

The military was reformed once again following the Ashrafi Revolution. The basic unit of the new Army was renamed Faleeq, although the size of the regiment remained unchanged. The Janissaries were also now instructed to guard the Majlis e Shura and any of the Majlis e Aam while they are in Kolkata, as well as receiving certain benefits.

After the Bengali Fitna, the Bengali Army was vastly underfunded and manned, resulting in large-scale instability and revolts. At that time the most common equipment of the Army were swords, spears, and crossbows along with shields and chain mail. As the Empire recovered and could afford more training and advanced weapons for its troops.

By mid 19th century, the Bengali Army was one of the strongest in India, capable of fielding over 1,200,000 on the field and perhaps more depending on the severity of the situation. It was also one of the most technologically advanced in the subcontinent, with sophisticated line tactics, siege artillery, and some of the finest muskets available. By this point most armor had been phased out, but plate armor was still available for the Kolkata Guard and the heavy cavalry. Eventually, the Bengali Army was renamed the Indian Army.

Prominent Indian generals of the modern era include Imran Ashraf Shah, who famously won at the Battle of Rakhsevana and conquered Deccan.

Navy
The Indian Navy was once the most powerful navy in the world, but now the navy is a shadow of its former self. The Empire has major shipyards at Kolkata, Mahmudpur and Chittagong. The navy appears to have reclaimed a significant level of prestige following its decisive victory over Deccan in the Battle of Shahipur.

The total size of the navy stands at around 400 warships.

Economy
Directly after the Bengali Fitna, the State Treasury of Bengal had largely been reduced to a few coins, and the Empire faced difficulty in maintaining its integrity as it increasingly faced revolts. Initially, loans from Jaunpur to Bengal sufficed, but eventually Bengal was able to regain control over global jute and muslin trade. With time, the nation expanded upon its borders and soon established dominance over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean thus obtaining control of various trade routes to Asia, passing directly through the Straits of Malacca. As such, India had re-established the trade empire it once possessed and was able to assert itself once again as a major center for international commerce. By the 20th Century, the Indian Empire which replaced the Sultanate of Bengal had one of the largest economies.

Trade
The former capital of India, Pandua existed as a major commerce and industrial centre in India, largely being utilised as a land route for Chinese and Indian trade. The importance of the city grew with time, in particular due to the conquest of India by Bengal, and the opening of China to foreign merchants. As such, many looked towards the silk road passing directly through Pandua, and therefore, the city played a major role in South East Asian and Far East trade. India itself existed as the junction of trade routes on the Southeastern Silk Road, which passed directly through Pandua. Moreover, India was a center of the worldwide muslin, silk and pearl trade, thus establishing a total monopoly over European markets for such goods. Besides Pandua, the Indian capital of Kolkata existed at a strategic location and helped to solidify Indian control over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, which allowed Indiato maintain proximity with the Straits of Malacca. Therefore, Kolkata had soon taken over the position as the epicenter of South Asian trade.

Currency
The currency was reformed by Empress Farah Shah in 1888, standardizing the currency and also officially introducing gold currency due to a desperately needed reform. The official currency in the Indian Empire is the Indian Tanki, so named for the once-existant Bengali barter system, renamed as the Indian Tanki from Bengali Tanki in 1888. The well-regulated gold-based Tanki is widely utilised in India, implemented in the former two and plays a major role throughout the the world as the major currency in commerce and trade.

Bait-ul-Maal
Bait-ul-Maal, (literally, The house of money) is the department that deals with the revenues and all other economic matters of the state, based in Kolkata where the state treasury is also present. It is headed by a Treasury Officer assisted by Dewans, specifically appointed by mutual consultation between the Empress, Majlis e Shura and Majlis e Aam. A separate Accounts Department is also set up and it was required to maintain record of all that was spent.

All revenue and tax collected in every Wilayet by their respective provincial Dewan is transferred to the State Treasury at Kolkata. In contrast, from Khedivates the Dewan transfers only 20% of all revenue and tax to the state treasury, sending the rest to the provincial treasury of the Khedivate which is why the Khedivates are never provided with a federal budget. Annually, 80% of all the revenue at the state treasury is divided into varying federal budgets, assigned to each Wilayet and is then transferred to provincial treasury of that particular Wilayet. In some circumstances, it is possible for the revenue collected from a Wilayet to be greater or lesser than the federal budget assigned to it. From the remaining 20% of the state treasury, 10% is assigned to Eyalets and as such, distributed directly by the Empress. The remaining 10% is kept in the form of reserves to be utilized in times of warfare, plague, famine, or if any Khedivate, Wilayet or Eyalet went bankrupt.

Nobility
The most senior noble in the Empire is, as expected, the Empress. Below him is the Majlis e Shura which constitutes of senior and influential members of the royal family. The Majlis e Aam consisting of the Nawabs of various tribes and Khedivates inside the Empire, are the next most senior. Below the Majlis e Aam are the Amirs, Dewans and Qazis, answering to the Empress only. On par with the Amirs, Dewans and Qazis is the Crown Prince, who is to succeed the Empress. Below him are members of the the Royal Family, the Empire's native knightly orders, such as the Nishan e Ghazi, as well as minor nobles and any recipients of foreign honors.

Commoners
Most of the Empire is composed of commoners, or people who have noble blood or reward. Despite this, it is entirely possible for commoners to become nobility, if they were ever to marry into the royal family.

There are no serfs in Indian society nor have there ever been, although a system does exist where locals are provided with daily wages by landlords. Slavery is legal in the Empire, although it is generally discouraged as a social stigma and possessing Muslim slaves is a crime. Despite this, slavery is still present in many areas of the Empire, and is only absent in the urban areas.

Art
The Empire is known for its many versions of art. The medieval art of the Empire is known as Sadanga or Six Limbs, and it is a characteristic part of traditional Indian culture. Murals and sculptures are also prominent in Indian art, and such art is recognized by the liberal elite as having a major role in Indian culture. In contrast, the conservative masses denounce molding of sculptures as immoral.

Architecture
The Empire has a wide array of architecture that sets it apart from the rest of the world. Some prominent structures are the Mausoleum of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, Adina Mosque, the Somapura Mahavihara and the Baitul Mukarram.

Cuisine
Indian cuisine has evolved over the millennia, but at the current mostly consists of seafood, vegetables and dairy products, along with luxury foods like honey. The Empire is a melting pot of cuisine, and it has changed widely over time.

Calender
The Indian Empire use the Islamic Calender, which puts the date of 1900 A.D. as 1317 A.H. (After Hijri). One of the first reforms of Mahmud Shah I was to make the Islamic calender official along with the Bengali Calender which had historically served as the Calender for the authorities of Pandua. As of now both calenders, that is Islamic and Bengali are officially used in the Empire.

Ethnic Terms
The Empire is noted for its distinct way of referring to ethnicities. While all members of the Empire are generally considered as part of the same Ummah except for Non-Muslims, it has a diverse background of Bengali, Tamils, Telegus, Punjabis and Assamese etc.

In referring to other ethnic groups outside the Empire, "Timurid" or "Mugol" is used to describe Central Asians. In the same manner, "Burmi" is used to describe people of Burmese descent, Hispanivi is used to describe people of European descent and "Vijaynagri" is used for people who are of Tamil descent.