Udian Empire

The Empire of Udia (ikh uzun zasag) is a vast political formation in western Outer Ausarea. It is nominally constituted of all territories that are under the authority of the Emperor of Udia and observe Udian imperial law. It is politically centred on the Zakhirgan, surrounded by imperial states in varying degrees of effective independence from or subservience to the central authority; the area has no notion of discrete sovereignty. The Empire is an ancient institution that is a direct descendant of Ancient Udian civilization and has evolved significantly throughout its millennia-long existence.

Antiquity
The Empire was first established in the High Antiquity civilization of Ancient Udia. Early on, the concept that evolved into the 'empire' as perceived today was no more than common customs and religion shared by Udians, seen as a natural alignment with good and divinity. The kingdom of Aza under Khotin conquered other kingdoms along the Tansun river in the 13th century BCE creating the Ancient Udian Empire, which was a heavily centralized bureaucracy that focused Ancient Udian worship through Khotin's dynasty alone, establishing the office and institution of 'Emperor'. The Antiquity collapse brought an end to the culture represented by the Khotinid empire but the succeeding Selean Empire totally inherited Khotinid institutions. The Seleans created a single financial system in the region through the moumukehot and its political theorists further normalized the notion of the Empire as a fluid entity, such that the temporary abolition of the Emperor's office and the rise of the Neo-Udian states in the 4th century BCE was not perceived as a major break in imperial history.

The steppe-based Byggal Empire claimed the vassalage of Neo-Udian river kingdoms in the 1st century CE and the Byggal rulers revived the imperial title for themselves while spreading Crelism to the west. Byggal integration of the economies and cultures of the Kataran and the Tansun brought even more social conflict that was moderated through the imperial institution and Crelist clergy.

Modern history
Despite the best efforts of its rulers, the Arsugin Empire suffered decline as overland trade routes in Ausarea fell behind maritime alternatives rapidly being expedited out in the Age of Confluence in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thus an almost existential struggle between the Empire and the world outside of it began which would last for centuries. However, statesmen trying to reform and strengthen the Empire were hindered by local parochial interests, as well as harassment from competitors: the Turonian Paramony would establish a sphere of influence over Udia in the Paricanic Wars and carefully contain local attempts at reform. Nevertheless, intellectuals, lords, and magnates alike were intent on pursuing modernization, and they turned to Tasgol, Tarsia, and Vasarean powers opposed to the Dunwich Pact for this purpose.

The reformer Sargur Engkebat established the Zakhirgan by demediatizing most states in western Udia and creating a modern bureaucratic government in 1885. This allowed resources and political initiative to be focused on assertion of the Empire. There was also successful economic experimentation in imperial states, but driving out sakanwata influence was never fully successful, even though substitutes were being found, and Vasarean technocrats known as nokhod were assisting with economic projects. However, the interests of different groups leading the empire were already at variance with the tremendous economic and political changes: the popular religious movement of Sodancianism emerged in reaction to the upheaval, which the state was constantly in an uneasy relationship with, and internal tensions drove participation in the First Ausarean War from 1920 to 1924. As the Empire was set back in the war, factional rivalries caused full-on civil war, first with the nokhod led by Miroslav Malenkov taking over and extending participation in the war (only to be deposed by Cesrardo treaty bloc forces), and then the Sodancian War where the Sodancians and recalcitrant nokhod had to be suppressed by aristocratic interests with foreign support.

After these wars, Udia fell into further economic ruin. However, the elites became more amenable to Turon following the Great Reaction, and accepted Turonian assistance in reconstruction, allowing Turonian influence to re-enter the region. Tensions flared up again when Optimalists backed by Savaria attempted to reform the Empire and expel Turonian interests, leading to the long and drawn-out proxy war known as the Renovation War from the 1940s to 1980. Turon and its local allies, defeating the Optimalists, emerged triumphant, and the region has almost fully entered the Turonian sphere of influence, with instruments of the imperial state being used to expedite economic integration and political cooperation of local domains with Turon, and central authority in the Zakhirgan being steadily hollowed out.

Composition
In Udian political theory the Empire is synonymous with the reach and practice of Udian imperial law, and acceptance of authority of the Emperor of Udia. The empire can not be comprehended as a discrete, sovereign entity, but the Zakhirgan, an area covering most of Udia subject directly to the Emperor through a bureaucracy, is its political center, acting as a state with great resources and leverage over other subject polities.

Besides the Zakhirgan, there are several imperial states who have traditional monarchies, ritually mediating between their subjects and the Emperor. In actuality, these polities may or may not be effectively subordinate to Zakhirgan influence, or possess independent presence on the international stage. The empire includes the following states:
 * Budun
 * Choman
 * Dalbai
 * Gunchen
 * Khuay
 * Navaan
 * Polugnu
 * Rallue
 * Sedebal
 * Sypyhia
 * Zorkan
 * Zorod