Announcing: Islamic Conquests!

[Faeghi]

Greetings,
I am here to announce a modification for RTW BI, ladies and gents i present to you my modification idea,
Islamic Conquests

This modification starts at 633AD The decisive Sassanid defeat at the battle of Kadisiya begins Arab conquest of Persia, the Sassanians are in the struggle to save Zoroastrianism. Within one year of Muhammad's death in 632, Arabia itself is secure enough to allow his successor, Abu Bakr, the first caliph, to begin the campaign against the Byzantine and Sassanid empires.

So Begins the Islamic Conquests.........

Factions are still undecided, since my knowledge of this era is poor, i need historians who are able to help with this modification along with graphics artist, campaign map editors and txt editors along with others who wish to participate in this mod is more than welcome.

Current Factions
Islamic Caliphate
Sassanid Empire
Byzantine Empire
Frankish Kingdom
Visigothic Kingdom
Ghasssanids
Bulgarians
Slavs
Lombards
Avars
Aksumite Kingdom
Gök-Turk Empire
Syrians
Pratiharans
Saxons
Khazar Khaganate

There are many more factions to fill out the slots, but as i said my knowledge is very poor in this time period, appart from Sassanid Persia. If you know any factions that should fill up the slots please reply here.
http://s14.invisionfree.com/Islamic_...sts/index.php?
The Current Team
eltrevo: Historian
ErikinWest: Reasercher
masteradnin: Historian
Narakir: Skinner
rez: Historian

The map i will be using will be hopefully EB's Map. When i ask for permision ofcourse.

If you can help in any way possible reply here, thanks for your time,
Faeghi

[Xennik]

The arabs would be the Islamic Khalifate.

Good luck with this mod!

[Atheist Peace]

Looks cool Faeghi. Similar to my dark ages mod, yet a later start and more focus on the east.

[eltrevo]

sweet, I can help with mod if I can, I love these events in history.

[Slaxx Hatmen]

I like this idea and will help however i can!

[Faeghi]

Ok, well i havn't got BI yet but when i do i will get to work on it right away, but i need historians, skinners, modelers, text editors who can help. In the meantime i will be working on this by myslef till i get people to help me.
Faeghi

[ErikinWest]

I may be somewhat useless but this was my dream mod after I played RTW! The name I thought of was Islam TW (unfortunately there is another ITW). I cannot skin, make models, UI or anything actually important, but! I can help you with minor stuff. Like research, information, or just basic stuff you need an underling to do! I also have a lot of music, so I can get some middle eastern stuff.

I'm really happy to help if you can find me something to do!
Erik

[Faeghi]

Your more than welcome to help, if you could, for your first task is find maps of Europe in the 6th Century AD aswell as the Middle east, thanks
Faeghi

[eltrevo]

Give me a task!

[Slaxx Hatmen]

Give me a task!

Errmm.........why?

[SigniferOne]

I don't understand, what happened to Rise of Persia and Res Publica? You seem to have so many mods.

[Faeghi]

I don't understand, what happened to Rise of Persia and Res Publica? You seem to have so many mods.

I know it does sound strange, but Res Publica, is never going to happen due to lack of interest. Rise of Persia is managed by a member of my team whilst i start Islamic Conquests. Its more of an expansion to ROP, but id like to get started straight away with this one.
Faeghi

[eltrevo]

I want to help the mod out, so give me a task to research some history, im dying to do it!

[Faeghi]

I want to help the mod out, so give me a task to research some history, im dying to do it!

If you could find info on the Arab, Byzantine and Sassanid armies that would be great, and if you can find any factions tht fit into this time period. Thanks,
Faeghi

[Kain]

If you could find info on the Arab, Byzantine and Sassanid armies that would be great, and if you can find any factions tht fit into this time period. Thanks,
Faeghi

Hi Faegi!

I've found a few factions that fit into that time frame, and some of them played important roles in the Islamic Conquest:

-The Pratihara dynasty (state of Marwar)

Indian kingdom situated in Northern India, Pakistan, ruling from the 6th century, they checked the expansion of the Arabs at Sind in the 7th.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratihara

-The Khazar Khaganate

Independent Khaganate in the Northern Caucasus along the Caspian Sea, at their height, they controlled much of what is today southern Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the Crimea.They fought a series of successful wars against the Arab Caliphates, and were allies of the Byzantines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khazar

-Saxon Tribes in Old Saxony

German tribes remaining outside the Frankish realm, these are the tribes staying in Continental Europe at the time of the Saxon English invasion. They were pagan, ruled by warlords, and they keept their independence until Charlemagne conquered them in a series of campaigns, starting in 772.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxons#Continental_Saxons

[ErikinWest]

Ok I'll try to have the info by tomorrow mid day. I have to leave tonight.

Erik

[eltrevo]

You got it, do you have a forum I can post my research in?

[Faeghi]

Um just for now or you can pm me with the info, but id rather here,
Faeghi

[eltrevo]

here's something about the Sassanid army off of Wikipedia.

The backbone of Spah (middle-persian army) in the Sassanid era was their heavily armoured cavalry.These heavy cavalry were noblemen in which they underwent extensive exercises in warfare and military manoeuvres through military training , gaining discipline and becoming truly elite soldiers. It was after some wars between Sassanids and Romans that Romans came to realize the importance of the heavy cavaly, since then they re-shaped their heavy cavalry units to mostly oriental (Sassanid in particular) types.

They called these newly formed units as clibanarii.It is said the word clibanarii is derived from an Iranian (Persian) word griwbanwar or griva-pana-bara meaning neck-guard wearer.

Shapur II reformed the army by adopting heavier and more effective cavalry, the cavalry was clad in iron, bodies were covered with thick plates, some being armed with pike and some with sword and mace they were looking like moving statues.

There are depictions of aforementioned cavalry, one of the best preserved ones is on a rock relief at Taq-e Bostan where Khosrau II is on his favourite hourse Shabdiz.

The martial equipments of a heavily-armed Sassanid horsemen were :

* Clibinarii cavalry : helmet, hauberk (Pahlavi griwban), breastplate, mail, gauntlet (Pahlavi abdast), girdle, thigh-guards (Pahlavi ran-ban) sword, mace, bowcase with two bows and two bowstrings, quiver with 30 arrows, two extra bowstrings, and horse armour (zen-abzar).

* Cataphract cavalry :helmet, hauberk (Pahlavi griwban), breastplate, mail, gauntlet (Pahlavi abdast), girdle, thigh-guards (Pahlavi ran-ban) sword, bowcase with two bows and two bowstrings, quiver with 30 arrows, spear, and horse armour (zen-abzar); to these some have added a lasso (kamand), or a sling with slingstones.

Along with the heavy cavalry there were lighter-armoured cavalry which were not formed by Sassanids themselves but recruited from their allies and mercenary troops. Gelani (Guilani), Albani, Hephthalites, Kushans and the Khazars were the main suppliers of this light to medium armoured cavalry.They were an essential part of spah because of their endurance and speed in the battlefields.

Both types of cavalry units were supported by war elephants and elite foot archers who showered the enemy with storms of arrows.Elephants were mainly brought from south eastern territories of empire (indus valley) and from India itself.These giant beasts acted as walking towers in battlefields and caused panic and disorder in enemy ranks hence opening ways to cut enemy lines by cavalry.

The infantry were mostly light-armoured spearman but in some battles heavy infantry was employed. These well-paid, heavily-armoured infantry (carrying either sword or mace) were equals of the Roman legions.For instance during Khosrau I era, his infantry were more disciplined and better equipped than Byzantine legions.Daylam and Sogdian (Sughdian) provinces of empire were famous for their formidable military force, especially because of their ability as foot soldiers.

In siege warfare, Sassanids (unlike the Parthians) organised an efficient siege warfare for besieging walled towns. Being learnt from Romans but soon came to match them not only in the use of offensive siege engines such as Onager (siege weapon), scorpions, ballistae, battering rams. They also adopted the methods of defending their own fortifications against such devices by catapults, by throwing stones or pouring boiling liquid on the attackers or hurling fire brands and blazing missiles.

[MasterAdnin]

I can help with info and history...