Taxili

Taxili (IAff. taxilʲi) was the namesake capital of the Early and Later Taxili Empires. It was one of several cities to arise in the Affalhaq as the regions human carrying capacity approached its limit. Attempts to increase the various city's arable fields brought it and many other cities into conflict with each other. Initially a minor city in the Affalhaq political scene, by -2050 NR it became the dominant player in the region. Within the next two hundred or so years, the city gradually grew into an empire. It imposed it's culture and language upon its newly conquered subjects.

The Early Taxili Empire

The Early Taxili Empire is the most ancient of empires in the Affalhaq, entering its prime by about -1850 NR following a two century long period of gradual expansion. The empire imposed its culture and language upon all of the Affalhaq, north to the southwestern coast of the Great Salt Sea, and east into the jungle. Its leaders initiated vast campaigns of city building in conquered areas, officially to bring civilization to the frontier, but in truth as centres of power from which to rule from and collect much wanted resources. The lasting legacy of this is the expansion of the Affalhaqic languages, from a small crescent north of the ocean, into a vast area in the south of D'ekaš. The following hundred years saw the slow decline of the empire—slowly its ability to project power fell, and territories at its periphery were lost to ambitious nobles rebelling against the central government, or to incursions by hostile peoples. By -1500 NR, the empire had been reduced to its core, and neighbouring polities were instead jostling for power in the region. It would seem that Taxili would be relegated to nothing but a minor power in the region.

The Later Taxili Empire

In -1121 NR, the city, now subject to the neighbouring Tsoluhãtsã, gained independence following a war between Tsoluhãtsã and her rival Atsẽhe. Free to once again act on her own whims, the city once again began to repeat her ancient ambitions. In -1099 NR, she gained revenge on Tsoluhãtsã, absorbing it into her own empire, and took her place as rival to Atsẽhe. The ceremonial throne was completed in -1072, accompanied with a brand new palace in -1067. A series of wars from -1053 NR to -934 NR saw the dismantling of Atsẽhe and the rise of the Later Taxili Empire. Unfortunately, the empire was short lived: in -892 NR the particularly nasty Ahesã III lost favour with his generals, and was unceremoniously deposed of in the firepit of the ceremonial throne. The new military junta did not hold onto power however, and the Burning of Taxili the following year preceded the dissolution of the empire into several squabbling states, each headed by local officials or generals.