Surda

Surda is a fictional country, invented for the series. I did so in order to be more able to have it suit the story. It takes elements from the real world, but still leaves me the freedom to make it however it is I want to make it for the story.

Surda is a small chain of volcanic islands at roughly 22°N, 63°E where the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates meet. It is 100 km long end to end.




History

It was first settled by Indian traders in the 500s BC. A strong navy and the wealth from being a trading hub kept them as many small but prosperous independent kingdoms throughout the classical age. They had tin and copper mines, but they had problems of impurities that made them not particularly profitable. And while it allowed them to cheaply make bronze, the bronze age had long passed before the mines were active. Those not involved in trade or mining were usually involved in fishing. Very little of the islands were suitable farmland (with no major rivers to feed them) so aside for some minor grazing land, seafood became the primary staple food. In 714 they were attacked by an Arab fleet who successfully conquered the wealthiest island of Madtha. The other islands joined together to retake it over the next three years. When trying to decide who owned the reclaimed island, since its former rules had been killed, infighting broke out and continued off and on for generations. It resulted eventually in the first unified kingdom of the whole island chain in 802.

This new unified Surdanese Kingdom reemerged as an important trading port between India, the Arab world, and the East African Coast. They formed a particularly large and prosperous slave and spice trade and were famously good boat builders. Because of the constant contact with the Muslim world, more and more Muslims began to settle on the island chain. While still a minority, they made up a lot of the traders and were disproportionately wealthy. There were tensions, but the Hindu Majority still held most of the power.

During the Delhi Sultanate, war broke out with the Surdanese Kingdom leading to eventual conquest of the whole island chain by 1386. Muslim families largely supplanted or married into the old Hindu ruling class over the following generations. In 1451 as the Delhi Sultanate fell to incursions from another dynasty, the islands broke off to form the Surdanese Sultanate with its seat of power in Dakhari. They quickly worked to build a gunpowder navy and were able to resist conquest from both the Mughal and Safavid Empires. Muslims remained a numerical minority, but quickly grew to adopt many of the traditions of the island. Inter-faith marriage, especially among the ruling families was exceedingly common as a way to ease religious tension. One of the early rulers in particular, Shaha the Wise even went so far as to blend Hindu culture and festivals into official observance even by Muslims.

As Britain began to build it's power, both in India and Iran, Surda felt the pressure as well. They eventually relented and signed a treaty in 1861 to make itself a protectorate of Britain just as most of India had become. It remained part of the British Empire for almost exactly a century, gaining independence November 1, 1963. It became a constitutional Sultanate with an elected parliament. The prime minister runs the government while a restored Salton has limited powers but is the head of state.

Modern day

The country became noteworthy to global affairs after the fast rise in value for certain rare earth metals. The mines on the island produced copper and tin, but were always burdened with higher than usual impurities. Impurities that had no use throughout most of history but which became essential and lucrative minerals to the technological world. By 2020, their production was second only to China. As technology allowed them to mine deeper than they ever had, they also began to find large veins of platinum and other precious metals. It has brought in a fantastical level of money for an otherwise small country, concentrated in the hands largely of the rich, but the prosperity has not gone totally unnoticed by everyone else.

At the time the story takes place, the population has grown to 480,000. It makes it a very dense nation, ranking in the top 20 densest sovereign nations on earth. Most of the population has historically been concentrated on the main five islands that surround the Bay of Surda. The outer islands are now however a tremendous source of wealth, most of the (easily accessible) mineral deposits are found on those less populated and less developed islands. The GDP per capita is very high, $68,494 in modern dollars. However, there are a hand full of people who make so much from their mines and mineral rights that it greatly distorts the picture. A more "typical" income would be closer to ~$19,000.

Surdanese culture is largely a mix between Hindu and Muslim practices, but has many unique features. The tie to the water is unmistakable. Swimming is a near universal activity. Pools and water gardens have traditionally been the sign of decadence and luxury among the rich. The warm and consistent temperature also kept dress minimal, airy, and commonly topless. The history of inter-marriage between the two religions kept the people unusually tolerant of religious diversity. It also lead to a fusion of Indian and Muslim style in art, architecture and music like is common in much of Northern India. This slightly more liberal attitude kept the Muslim population from ever really radicalizing in any significant numbers.

One tradition imported from India is the Basivi. Basivis are woman who offer themselves in ritual servitude to the Gods. They would serve however the priests would need them to serve, which often included time serving in the courts and homes of nobles who are patrons of the temple. In return it's a way for these women to elevate their family's status, and to bring support to their family from the religious order they serve. Some offer themselves for life, which is a commitment that elevates not only the living family, but all future generations beyond them. Since the move towards employment contracts and the rise of unemployment, there has been a resurgence in the Basivi tradition. Contracts puts in writing what had been custom for a long time, the basic needs of a family of a Basivi would be met making it a very attractive offer for many.

Zainab comes from one of the older and wealthier families of the island. They came to power following the conquest by the Sultanate, and have been an important family since. The current head of the family (and therefore the bulk of its wealth) is Zainab's eldest uncle, Omid.