Facts about Utania - 21
The Empire was consulted by kings and princes from far afield, and the Utani language finally had a written form developed by the Emperor's own scientists. Sciences such as mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, physics and medicine flourished, while plays, circuses, books and artwork became the food for entertainment for the masses, not just the elite few.       The Empire also sent trading ships to far nations. It had established contact with the Pticans by 650 B.P., the Ingallish on the old continent by 400 B.P. and even the Sjomanian principality in about 70 B.P. The Savaj Empire period was a revolution, an Utani Renaissance, the phrase now most commonly used to describe the final four hundred years of the Empire. Post-plague and Guwimith Empire The Savaj Empire was eventually destroyed by the plague. The well-connected roads and trade routes ensured that the plague spread quickly throughout the Empire. By 1 A.P., the plague had gone from Ptica, arriving by trade boat along the I'ana archipelago route, and spread through the entire Empire, including nearby tradeposts and Gvonj. It was devastating, killing millions. If not for the medical skills of the time in identifying the symptoms and knowing well-enough to isolate infected people, the entire Utani people could have been exterminated as effectively as the Pticans.       By 3 A.P., the danger was over, and the devastated Empire tried to mend itself back together. Under threat from newly formed bands of Armatirian maurauders, the Utani decided in favour of "safety in numbers", and joined a confederation of kingdoms centred in Guwimith.		By 50 A.P., the threats were over, but the "confederation" remained in place, by force. Few Utani were terribly disposed to being ruled by others, but the Rebellion of 76ap was put down by the combined forces of the confederation armies, which now included several Armatirian kingdoms (in modern-day Begral and South Bay). So began the Guwimith Empire.       Another rebellion began in 124 A.P., when the Guwimithian Tsar declared his divinity and ordered he be worshipped as the sun-god. The deeply Cruistian Utani regarded this as an offense to Cruis, and sought to extricate themselves from the Empire. Several battles saw the Utani partially set free, but when the Empire of the Gronkians send troops to assist their new protectorate, the Utani were crushed by 131 A.P. However, the Utani had won: Tsar-worship was never effectively enforced in their lands.      The Guwimith Tsarist court came to regard the mainland as their Dependencies, peoples unable to help themselves. Popular art of the time depicted the Dependencies people as neanderthal-looking club-fisted primatives who "clearly needed" the administration of the superior Guwimithians and their Gronkian allies. In truth, Guwimith exploited the Dependencies for every resource they had. The Dependencies became enormous farms for the overfed Guwimithians, and thousands of Guwimithians established winter homes for themselves in the Dependencies, with their own territories and farmlands.      The Dependencies were broken up into several provinces and Guwimithian non-military Governors put over them in 188 A.P., which started the race for land-grabbing in the Dependencies, and also removed the Military oppression of the Dependency peoples.      No business could be established without a Guwimithian as part-owner, and anyone who wanted to get ahead made the Tsar himself a part-owner, or someone high in his Court. A period of intense sycophancy began in Guwimith, and in the Dependencies, which has had an enormous impact on the modern Utanian state: a full half of businesses in Utania are co-owned by the state, which benefitted from the Tsar and his nobles surrendering these assets.      The nearest Dependencies port to Guwimith was Luka, which made the city the centre of almost all trade, and a large amount of industry under the Guwimithian regime. This too continues to have an impact today: Utania's east coast, and primarily Luka, is wealthier than the inland and west of the country.
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