Second Kingdom of Enqusqo

The Second Kingdom of Énqusqó, also known as the Empire of Tsétlaxó-Cílonyósqu, is the longest ruling polity to have existed on the Énqusqan peninsula. From its founding in 957 to its eventual demise at the hands of Salian colonial efforts in the late 17th century, it left an important cultural mark on the south of Vidina and the nations on the Kidal Sea. Many reforms of government, law, art and religion arose during its over 700-year-long existence.

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War of Flowers
The founding of the Second Kingdom in 957 CE marked the end of the War of Flowers. The war was won by the young princess Póo Mín Tsel of Cílonyósqu after a protracted siege of the palatial complex of Tsétlaxó, which was made the new capital of the empire to boost prestige and legitimacy. Styling herself after the mythic Kings of the First Kingdom, she took a fourth name, Shémútli, a title that became inherited by her descendants. Many scholars have mistakenly mistook the titular nature of the name for a family name, as such the Póo Mín dynasty was historically referred to as the Shémútli dynasty by foreign scholars.

Early history
The early history of the kingdom saw a series of political, cultural, artistic, legal and military reforms. Special focus was given to the construction of a fleet of 370 grand war canoes, the largest single navy to sail in the Kidal Sea before the 19th century. This navy was used to steer trade towards the cities of the kingdom, sinking or commandeering ships that refused to enter port to pay tariffs. This strangle hold on trade in the region lead to many small wars with neighbouring cities on islands in the Kidal and along the coast of Énqusqó resulting in expansion of the empire's borders.

Golden age
The reign of the Póo Mín dynasty at the inception of the empire is considered to be the true golden age of Énqusqan advancement and prosperity. The period lasted for century after the founding of the kingdom by Póo Mín Tsel in 957 to the death of her granddaughter Póo Mín Nyáru in 1057.

Póo Mín Tsetli
Under the reign of Póo Mín Tsetli, the now unified Énqutsa people experienced a golden age. Legal systems were installed that still hold precedent in modern governance of the peninsula. The most notable of these was the Empress' recognition of the sovereignty of the cities of the kingdom, positioning herself as ruling for not over them. Modern scholars often consider Póo Mín Tsetli, to be one of the earliest Urbocentrist thinkers. Due to this bottom up structure, the empire resembled a modern federal state. In 970 CE, 13 years into the reign of Póo Mín Tsetli, the first census of a population on the peninsula was conducted, known as the Grand List. This endeavour was taken so that the crown could more effectively govern and tax her new populace. It recorded names of all peoples over the age of 15 who had been within her borders for more than one year, this included slaves and foreigners.

There were also significant advances in poetry during this period with the development of the [POETRY STYLE] style.

Some modern scholars also credit Póo Mín Tsetli with spearheading societal change amongst the Énqutsa people as she was the first woman to ever hold both lands and titles on such a grand scale. Traditionally, there was a division of inheritance between men and women in Énqutsa society. Land was inherited matrilinialy, whereas titles associated with political offices were inherited patrilineally. For Póo Mín Tsetli, upon her death her titles should pass to the oldest male of her house, not her children, who are considered part of their father's house, not hers. To resolve this and prevent the fragmentation of the kingdom, Póo Mín Tsetli made two reforms. First, she created legislation to equalise inheritance on the basis of gender. This law is thought to be the first gender equality law ever written. Secondly, she controversially prevented her children from taking their father's house name, instead continuing her father's house of Mín. This was unheard of in Énqutsa history but it became common practice amongst female rulers after Póo Mín Tsetli’s reign.

Póo Mín Tún
Empress Póo Mín Tsetli died in 1004 CE, aged 73, and was succeeded by her eldest child, Póo Mín Tún. He was 42 upon his coronation and had spent much of his youth by his mother's side on naval conquests. Many records from the time describe him as a very ambitious man who dreamed of uniting the whole Kidal Sea under his rule and in the first 12 years of his reign he made some success towards this goal, conquering cities along the western coast of Énqusqó as far north as the Zyíron Gulf. In 1017 a tsunami in the Kidal Sea devastated the kingdom's navy and economy, which was almost entirely formed from coastal industries and trade. The King spent the remainder of his reign quelling local rebellions and rebuilding communities. Some scholars believe he went into a deep depression after seeing the devastation of his kingdom. Many contemporary accounts suggets he became incresingly neglectful of his duties and the daily functioning of the kingdom largely fell to his only daughter Póo Mín Nyáru. He threw himself from the cliffs of the palatial complex in 1026 after a reported episode of mania at the age of 64. His 37-year-old daughter Póo Mín Nyáru was crowned Queen within hours of her father's death. The timeline of events surrounding his death has lead to speculation about foul play by later historians.

Póo Mín Nyáru
Under Póo Mín Nyáru, the kingdom recovered greatly from the damage of the tsunami an the poor management of her father. She expanded the land forces of the state, creating a formal standing army trained in jungle warfare. After a bloody 10 year-long campaign, the central and eastern regions of the peninsula came under rule of the Empire. These military campaigns were followed by a period of peace and the rebuilt navy patrolled the Kidal maintaining the trade monopoly and hunting pirates. This peacetime lasted throughout the reign of Póo Mín Nyáru and the benefits were felt beyond the Kidal Sea as trade, although heavily tariffed, flowed freely and free from piracy. The export of Énqutsa art, culture and religion reached its height during this period and being well versed in Énqutsa literature and song was a sign of high nobility and education in courts as far as [DISTANT VIDINA].

She had been a more controversial monarch than even her grandmother had been. Póo Mín Nyáru had refused to marry a man for her first marriage, instead marrying one of her childhood friends, the poet Zéeya Lín Tsa. This was considered especially taboo at the time and many contemporaries were concerned that she had failed her duty to ensure a smooth succession and the continued legacy of her grandmother. Modern scholars take a much more sympathetic approach to her rule and, along with her wife, she is considered an important historical figure to homosexual women around the world.

Fall of the Póo Mín dynasty
Póo Mín Nyáru was without issue upon her death as neither she, nor her wife had produced any children at the time of her death. The resultant succession crisis lasted for 10 years between 03/09/1070 and 17/11/1080 and is known as the Pentaregnum. In the first year of the crisis there were three major players for inheriting the throne that factions formed around. First, with the weakest claim, was the claim of Zéeya Lín Tsa, who claimed she had a right to rule through her marriage to Póo Mín Nyáru and she was appointed as the Queen Regent by the court, although this decision was seemingly done reluctantly. The next claimant was a lady called Póo Mara Zula, who had become the new matriarch of clan Póo after the death of Póo Mín Nyáru. Under the reformations that Póo Mín Tsetli had created to inherentence law, women inherited political titles on the same grounds that men did and as she stood to inherent all the land of clan Póo, she believed that she was also entitled to the throne. Clan Póo had become exceptionally influential after the rise of Póo Mín Tsetli and a large force from the urban core of the kingdom backed a Póo ruler on the throne. In 1071 this force mobilised against the palace in Tsétlaxó and lay siege to it, the second time the palatial complex had been under siege by a Póo army in just over a century. In the spring of 1072, Zéeya Lín Tsa renounced her claim and title and allowed Póo Mara Zula to ascend to the throne.

Póo Mara Zula's reign was plagued with dissent from the start. Whilst many at court welcomed the new queen as a rightful ruler, there were those that actively sought to have her swiftly deposed. Letters exchanged between various courtiers and members of high society show that there was a feeling of opportunity amongst the other powerful clans and houses of the kingdom. House Xyóo was one such house who maintained immense power, especially within Tsétlaxó, despite the soured relations with the crown brought about by the overthrow of Muú Xyóo Tín by Póo Mín Tsetli. As part of the efforts taken by Póo Mín Tún to solidify his power after the 1017 tsunami, he had married off his son Póo Mín Xyun to a man in house Xyóo. Whilst Póo Mín Xyun did not directly sire any children, his husband Qa Xyóo Lí had fathered several. The eldest of these was named after Va Xyóo Tún and on 23/07/1074 with the assistance of some defected royal courtiers, he declared himself King Va Xyóo Tún II of Tsétlaxó and demanded the abdication of Póo Mara Zula.


 * Póo Mara Zula is beheaded and thrown into the sea as revenge for Muú Xyóo Tún.
 * Her son (aged 3) escapes to Cílonyósqu which with much of Póo land is in open rebelion against new regime
 * Father of Póo Mara Tso is king regent and wins war against Va Xyóo Tú II and installs his son on the throne
 * End of the succession crisis

Stagnation
By the 13th century the institutions of the Empire had become corrupt and complacent. The monarchs had begun to lose the respect of the populace and the imperial court had become a stage for sycophants. This, alongside heavy taxes that had been implemented to fund the lavish lifestyles of the ruling class, had lead to general unrest. Additionally, rivalries persisting from the Interregnum began to manifest as religious tensions between the patron deities of neighbouring cities.