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800-850

Rise of Pabamamai

A southern city – Following increased attacks on the local Zonowōdjon population, we find a stronger presence of Arhada Settlements in the territories between the Southern Lakes. Around this period, we see the emergence of an organised political structure in the city of Pabamamai, sitting on the shore of the Nanamavodjo.

While the city follows comparable tendencies to Amadahai and Kamābarha in terms of political organisation, we see a much stronger militaristic character of the city's elite, no doubt given by the fact that much of the land owned by Pabamamai was extorted from the previous local local population through warfare. The "war council" of the city, as we can see from the remains in Pabamamai's necropolis, appear to have been equal to the local council of matriarchs in terms of rank and it is understood that marriages between the leaders of these two councils the norm – whether they were factual or merely ceremonial remains a matter of debate. The figure of First and Second leader, thus, are eclipsted by these two political bodies – it's surmised that the leader of the war council was, in effect, the leader of the entire city-state.

Gorgonean contact – With the rise of Pabamamai, we see the consolidation of southern trade routes and, consequently, an increased influx of Aluwan goods into the cities of the Arhada: a change in diet is evident in the remains, as well as in the iconography and the scarce written sources of the period. The introduction of maize, squash, beans and chilly peppers into the region allowed for a more varied sustenance within the urban population as well as the farmers who lived further away, in the interior. These people especially, who up until that moment had lived at the border of Arhada society, found an opportunity to flourish as they were no longer bound to the developed area of the lakeshore – the population boom caused by the introduction of new crops affected the cities as much as it did with these backwaters: away from the lakes, especially in the southern reaches of Arhada lands, small farmers start growing the "three sisters", following Aluwa intercropping methods. Gorgonean peppers, well suited to the warm and humid climate of Pabamamai, become a chief export of the city.

Architecture of Pabamamai – Dated around the first half of the 9th Century, the Temple of Pabamamai is a splendid example of the increasing complexity of late formative religious architecture. One of the first two-court plans, it held two brick towers with wooden applique facades and a treasury in the wing intersecting the two courtyards. The palace, too, presents interesting variations: built atop two mounds connected with a causeway, it held the two separate structures, the first holding the granary, kennels and barracks and common halls of the military leaders, the other holding the residences of the clans and palace treasury; this last building, the first of its kind, was built as a crypt within the mound itself.

[...]

850-900

Expansion of Amadahai

The southern city of Amadahai was growing rich and powerful: its position at the entry point to the lake Anasabhêde and its important production of tobacco and fruit in the mainland prositioned it as the second city in all Arha by size and cultural prominence. Soon, Amadahai was able to expand its control around all sides of the Anasabhedebhôdjo, going down over the landbridge, conquering the nascent of Calarheme, and along the coast, in the interior side of the lake. The relationship between Amadahai and Calarheme is particularly interesting: Calarheme was a city born out of interaction with Amadahai, and thus many of its customs and traditions reflect those of the parent city. When the former became a client of the latter, this situation was further cemented. The chain of command in Calarheme works almost exactly as it does in Amadahai, barred, of course, its dependence to the ruling city.

The palace of Calarheme was built with the clear model of the Amadahai palace in mind, and temples are dedicated to similar protector sprits.

In 879, the year when the shrine to mother rôdo and father moon in Amadahai was destroyed and rededicated to Palajehe and Phorhonjeren, spirits of the dry and wet seasons, the same happened in Calarheme. Dating around this same period, we have a number of letters from the noble families showing amity, cooperation and loyalty on both sides – marriage within each other's famous clans, gifts that went outside the bounds of the contract between the cities and transfers of favourites and Kabaima are telltale signs of a close relationship.

[...]

Kamābarhan conquest of Konosomo

The Kabaima rebellions – Around the year 880 a period of intense drought has affected the entirety of middle and southern Tritonea, causing discontent in many cities around lake Sobodjo. The city of Konosomo, a Kemesasama centre with historical ties to Arhada polities, was overtaken by a rebellion of the local Kabaima. Archeological findings of contemporary correspondence speak to the violence and abruptness of this rebellion and the escape of the noble clans to Kamābarha. The city, which had already expanded west along the coast into the fertile territory on the other side of the mouth of the Green River, had found ways to abate the severity of the Tritonean droughts and therefore found themselves in the position to aid the nobles in a reconquest of the city. It has been documented that great temple in Kamābarha III had stunning mural paintings celebrating this battle – sadly lost in subsequent generations.

This contribution in the war effort of the neighbouring state established a client-suzerain relationship between the two cities, with the entirety of Konosomo's network being transferred to Kamābarha, and the ruling families of the city intermarrying. At this point, Kamābarha had established itself as the largest and most powerful Tritonean state, as smaller cities throughout the system kept emerging and adding complexity to their own political structures.

[...]

Independence of Calarheme

Where one city expanded, however, another lost territory in light of the drought. Amadahai, suffering the harsh consequences of the intense period of heatwaves, was unable to satisfy the terms of their contract and supply grain to its clients. Per Arhada, the contract was immediately voided and broken and, as usual, this resulted in warfare – either for Amadahai to establish a new contract, or for Calarheme to chart its own course. A three year war ensued, going back and forth between the two cities along the thin land bridge that united and separated them. Eventually, the defender won and Calarheme obtained its independence.

With this was, and acrimonious rivalry begins between the two cities – once mother and daughter – over the control of Anasabhedebhôdjo and primacy within the region. The independence of Calarheme is immediately followed by a political shift towards Pabamamaian models of governance, with more emphasis being placed on warfare as a means to defend the city against the constant threat of Adamahai and aid the new ally in their eastern campaigns.