Catalaunia

The following is a draft page for the Catalaunian Empire.

=Historical Summary=

Early history (to AD 289)
In prehistoric times, the region that was to become known as Catalaunia was home to a Neanderthal culture such as that found at the Mezmaiskaya cave. The earliest Neolithic sites in Catalaunia were the Oldowan culture c. 7100 BC and Denisova, site of the Kama culture c. 6000 BC.

The Slavic-speaking people who would eventually found Catalaunia appear to have entered Moscovia at some point during the latter half of the 1st millennium BC (c. 500-1 BC), eventually intermingling with the earlier Finno-Ugric people, with Slavic names appearing in written record as early as the 2nd century BC.

During the 1st millennium AD, a very intimate cultural symbiosis developed between the Finno-Ugrics and the Slavs throughout Moscovia which included wide-spread bilingualism. The influence of Ugrian (a language isolate) on Slavic (eventually to become known as Catalaunian), and vice versa is evident in all areas, from lexical borrowing on a massive scale, to syntactic, morphological, and phonological convergence. Catalaunian gradually replaced Ugrian as the spoken language of Moscovia somewhere around the middle of the 1st millennium AD (with the exact time being a matter of scholarly debate), although Ugrian continued to be used as a sacred, ceremonial, literary, and scientific language in Moscovia until the twelfth century.

The Catalaunian cities of Moscow, Vladimir, Kolomna, and Suzdal seem have to been established by AD 23. However, it is likely that they were initially Ugrian-dominated administrative centers. In the Catalaunian Monarch List, the earliest King recorded is Rurik. He reigned from approximately 173 to 223 AD. Archeologists have uncovered a document where he concluded a treaty for the operation of a trading colony in Smolenskian territory, with "king" Sviatopolk of the fellow Slavic speaking kingdom of Smolensk (now determined to be the vizier to the actual King of Smolensk, Iziaslav).

Rurik was succeeded by his son Igor (r. c. 223-236), and then a further thirteen rulers (Askold, Dir, Oleg, Sviatoslav I, Yaropolk, Vseslav I, Sviatoslav II, Rostislav I, Vsevolod I, Michael I, Libuov, Boris I, Gleb), who reigned between 236 and 405. Very little, aside from legend (such as the tales surrounding the "wisdom" of Yaropolk and the "virtuous" deeds of Vsevolod and Michael I) is known about these Kings, but it is believed that they were semi-nomadic, pastoralist rulers. It was not until the seventh century that they became fully urbanized and fixed their permanent court in Moscow.

Hunnic and Neo-Ugrian Empires (289-573)
During the Hunnic Empire (289-469), the Catalaunians, like all the Catalaunian speaking Moscovian Slavs (and also the Ugrians), became subject to the dynasty of the Huns, centered in a yet unidentified location on the Lower Volga. The Hunnic Empire founded by Balamber the Great claimed to encompass the "great wilds of the eastern world", outside of the boundaries of the Roman Empire. The Huns referred to the region of Catalaunia as Calamadium, and it had been known to the Ugrians as Katalaunia.

Catalaunian rulers were subject to Balamber and his successors, most notably Attila the Hun, and the city of Moscow became a regional administrative center of the Empire, as evidenced by the Volok-Lamsky scrolls. During this period, the Turkish-speaking Huns came to rule an empire not only encompassing Moscovia but also extending over all of Volga Bulgaria, Mari, Mordva, and down to the Caspian Sea, and west to Central Hungary, the Danube River, and the outskirts of Moesia.

By this point, the Catalaunians already had established commercial ties in Novogrod and Finland, documents being discovered showing Catalaunian traders at Helsinki and Vilmanstrand requesting for the assistance of their overlord Balamber. However, towards the end of Balamber's reign, the Catalaunian faction rebelled against him: "the tribes of Catalaunia of the upper country, in their turn attacked, but they submitted to his arms, and Balamber settled their habitations, and he smote them grievously."

The Hunnic Empire was destroyed by economic decline and internal civil war, followed by attacks from the barbarian Avar people in 469. The rulers of Catalaunia during the period between 469 and 511 once again became fully independent, as the Avars are only known to have administered the southern steppes. However, the Monarch List is the only information from Catalaunia during this period.

Most of Catalaunia briefly became part of the Neo-Ugrian Empire (or 3rd dynasty of Turo, now known as Novogrod-Seversky), founded in c. 511. Ugrian domination extended as far as the city of Moscow, but appears not to have reached Vladimir and the far north of Catalaunia. Catalaunian rulers appear to have remained largely under Ugrian domination until the last third of the sixth century.

Old Catalaunian Period
Rostislav II (c. 573-593), appears to have been the first fully urbanized ruler of Catalaunia, and is traditionally held to have dedicated temples to the god Dazbog in the city of Moscow. He was followed by Rostislav III (c. 593-600), Mstislav I (c. 600-609), and Vsevolod III (c. 609-619), of whom little is known aside from Mstislav I conducting various building works in Moscow.

Vladimir I (c. 619-632), is believed to have overthrown Vsevolod and founded a dynasty which lasted for more than two centuries, until Sviatopolk II was overthrown by Yaroslav I in 831. Vladimir is believed to have conducted further building works in Moscow, and is also credited with the creation of Catalaunia's first formal guards regiments, the "men of valor", from which the much later Imperial Guards would ultimately claim their heritage.

Alexis (c. 632-636), the son and successor of Vladimir I, is the earliest Catalaunian ruler to be attested in contemporary sources. He was mentioned by the Byzantine historian Theophylact Simocatta in his work, The Geography of Foreign Nations, written c. 633, during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Hercalius. Simocatta stated that "Alexei, king of the Catalaunians, is regarded by his neighbors as the most industrious king of the barbarians of Scythia and Sarmarita..." Alexis ruled during a period in which Catalaunian commercial activity was radiating out to the Volga River, and down to as far as Chernigov and Novogrod-Severisky, from whence Avar, Slavic, and Ugrian merchants traded their wares with Constantinople and the Greek colonies in the Crimea.

Abram (c. 636-670), son and successor of Alexis, is known from his inscriptions in Ugrian, where he claimed to have "washed the gods" and "established liberty" for the Slavs in the cities of Kozelsk, Vyazma, and Tver. Scholars have speculated that Abram conducted campaigns to the Volga and Oka Rivers to relieve his fellow Slavs from Khazar and Bulgar invasions. He too conducted further construction projects in Moscow, including the embellishment of temples to Dazog, Jarilo, and Lada.

Sviatopolk I (c. 670-710), son and successor of Abram, vigorously expanded Catalaunian colonies and outposts in Smolensk and Novogrod during his long reign. It was during his reign that Catalaunian commercial ties were established with the peoples of the Kola Peninsula, including the Lapps, and the Samoeds of northern Russia. Catalaunian outposts appeared at Torzhok, Ladoga, Novogrod, and Pskov, specializing in the trade of furs, timber, metals, and grain.

Arkady (c. 710-724), son and successor of Sviatopolk I, built a major temple for the god Perun. He further strengthened the fortifications of the city of Moscow and maintained Catalaunia's colonies in Novogrod and Smolensk.

Alexander I (c. 724-763), son and successor of Arkady, reigned as King of Catalaunia for 39 years, almost as long as the reign of his grandfather Sviatopolk. Alexander I is known for his work in refortifying Moscow, and for his expeditions against Ryazan, Murom, and Nizhniy Novogrod along the Oka River, consolidating Catalaunian commercial relations with the Mordovians and Mari. Besides this, very little is known about this King.

Vladimir II (c. 763-771), son and successor of Alexander I, came to the throne at an advanced age, due to his father's long reign. During his eight years, he continued his father's work in furthering Catalaunian economic ties and waged a series of wars with Volok-Lamsky, Tver, and Torzhok to the northwest of Moscow.

Boghdan (c. 771-826), son and successor of Vladimir II, had an even longer reign than either Sviatopolk I or Alexander I-55 years. During his reign, Catalaunia was wealthy and powerful as the center of an extensive trade network which now reached from the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea in the northwest, down to the Caspian and Black Seas in the south. Boghdan, however, came under attack from the half-Khazar Prince of Murom, Yaroslav, who, however, he managed to defeat in front of Moscow. Yaroslav was not to return until taking the Catalaunian city of Dmitrov, one of the Kingdom's chief commercial outposts, and then overthrowing Sviatopolk II (c. 826-831), the son and successor of Boghdan.

Yaroslav I (c. 826-858), usurped the throne of Catalaunia, seized the city of Pereyslavl, and established a second residence for the Kings of Catalaunia there. He placed his sons in key geographical locations and gave them responsibility to look over their areas. While he was at Moscow and Pereyslavl, his eldest son, Vasily, was made Governor of Dmitrov.

A main target for Catalaunian expansion was Vyazma, which controlled the caravan route between Moscovia and Polotsk. The king of Vyazma, Valentin, was assassinated by his own servants, probably on Yaroslav's orders. Yaroslav seized the opportunity and occupied the kingdom c. 844. He put his second son, Vyacheslav, on the throne of Vyazma, and then returned to Pereyslavl. With the annexation of Vyazma, and shortly thereafter, the conquest of Tver and Ryazan, Yaroslav soon controlled a dominion encompassing almost all of Moscovia, Murom-Ryazan, parts of Chernigov, and the northern territories of Mordva.

While Vasily was a competent governor, his younger brother Vyacheslav was not possessed of the same skills, something which King Yaroslav made a point to note. He remained in constant communication with his sons, and kept firm control over their actions. At one point, he arranged a political marriage between Vyacheslav and Olga, daughter of the Grand Prince of Peryaslavl along the Dnieper. Vyacheslav already had a wife, and attempted to subordinate Olga. His father, however, ordered him to honor Olga as his queen and consort.

Gennady, King of Galich in northern Moscovia, made an alliance with Yaroslav in order to conquer the Vyatka Territory c. 853. Yaroslav later turned on his ally and attacked Galich, annexing a number of territories including Rostov, Kostroma, and Beloozero, along the Sukhona River.

Vasily I (c. 858-883), son and successor of Yaroslav I, was confronted with a number of challenges, as he attempted to defend his father's conquests. To the east and northeast, he had the Mari, Perm, Yugra, Chud, and Samoyed tribes; to his south, the fellow Slavic kingdoms of Chernigov, Novogrod-Seversk, Pereyeslavl, and the emerging Kiev (which had been founded during the reign of Alexander I c. 750), and to the northwest, the Finns and Livonians. Although politically astute and a capable soldier, Vasily I became embroiled in a struggle for dominance with Mstislav (c. 847-889), who had turned Kiev from an relatively insignificant kingdom into a regional power. The name of Kievia would eventually be applied to all of the regions along the Dnieper River and down to the Black Sea.

Gerasim (c. 883-893), son and successor of Vasily I, was arranged by his father to marry the daughter of the Livonian king Andrus. But he could not resist the pressures that had confronted his father. Mstislav eventually prevailed over Gerasim (c. 885), after having conquered Pereyeslavl, Turov-Pinsk, Novogrod Seversk, and Chernigov, and defeated Volga Bulgaria. The Catalaunian monarchy survived, but Catalaunia lost control of Murom-Ryazan, Vyazma, and its territories along the Sukhona River, with Gerasim and his immediate successors becoming vassals to Kiev.

Georgy (c. 893-900), son and successor of Gerasim, was confronted with numerous conspiracies against his person. His reign saw the contraction of Catalaunian economic contacts with Novogrod, Finland, and the Samoyeds, probably because of the dominance exerted by Kiev on Moscovia's trade routes. Georgy was in turn succeeded by his brother Gavril (c. 900), who reigned for only a short time before he was deposed and driven from the city of Moscow by the Catalaunian commander Denis, thereby allowing for Ilia to seize the throne.

Ilia (c. 900-907), was not of royal descent, and his claim to the throne was challenged by many among the nobility. There was in fact, a rebel faction at Dmitriov led by a rival claimant, Yury, who ultimately deposed and assassinated Ilia c. 907 and seized the Catalaunian throne. Yuri too, was not of royal descent, and he was assassinated after only two months on the throne. Within the span of a single year, there followed to the throne Yaroslav II, Sviatopolk III, Mstislav II, and Michael II, each of whom only managed to hold power for a brief time.