Preview: Dar al-Islam, revealing the Islamic world

[Landil]

Hello everyone!

You have waited weeks, months even, to catch a glimpse of the progress we are making on Dominion of the Sword. I am here to give you what you desire and to make sure that you won't have to wait months for a new preview to arrive.

In this thread I will preview various parts of Dar al-Islam, the House of Islam, a vast area spanning nearly half the map of DotS, united by a common belief, though ultimately just as divided as the lands of the unbelievers, as you will soon come to see.

So far you have seen little of the Islamic world in DotS, but in the coming months this will change. I will be posting a new preview covering part of the Dar al-Islam, containing screenshots of the map and relevant historical information, every 2 weeks!

However, I will also provide you with an incentive to get the previews posted earlier than 2 weeks after the previous one: you can contribute to any research topic listed in the Campaign Map research: requests and tasklist thread, and for every useful contribution (no matter how small, but it must be conform to the guidelines provided) I will post the preview a day earlier, up to one week earlier in total. This way, you contribute to the mod, making our job just a tiny bit easier, and you are rewarded with more frequent previews!

Here is a list of links that brings you directly to the various previews that have been posted in this thread:

• Preview 1: The land between rivers, part 1
• Preview 2: The land between rivers, part 2
• Preview 3: The land of plenty
• Preview 4: Where earthly and divine touch
• Preview 5: Anatolia: the edges
• Preview 6: Anatolia: the heartland
• Preview 7: Coming soon!

Please note that certain features such as PSF models, resources and garrisons have not yet been (fully) implemented into the mod. If such as feature is added at some point in the future, I will see if I can update the maps provided in the previews to show these new features.

Scroll down to the next post to see the first preview!

Cheers,

Landil

[Landil]

The land between rivers, part 1

عراق العربي (Erāq al-'Arab):

The Ancient Greeks called it Mesopotamia, the Arabs call it Bilad al-Rafidayn, for both the land between rivers was a land of great age, wealth, and splendour. In the wetlands along the banks of the Euphrates and the Tigris human civilisation was 'born', it was here that many of the world's first farmers worked their land, and their descendants continued to do so until this very day. In 1080 AD, Mesopotamia was a land of ancient traditions under a new order, and this preview will show you its southern half, the region that was generally known as Erāq al-'Arab: Arabian Iraq. Modern-day Iraq is named after this region, called 'Arabian' so to distinguish it from its eastern counterpart, Persian Iraq. This region, with the great metropolis of Baghdad as its capital, is one of the most opulent of all divisions of the world.

Before we go into further detail about this province, here is an overhead view of the region with full visibility of all its geographical features:

Spoiler for Erāq al-'Arab map: 

Geography and agriculture:

The feature that to mankind has defined Arabian Iraq is the vast amount of water that runs through the region by means of the Euphrates and the Tigris, both being among the greatest rivers of Asia and indeed, the world. It is at the northern border of the region that the two rivers start flowing closer and closer together, creating a vast expanse of wetlands where crops such as wheat grow very well, the wild variants of these nutritious plants being indigenous to the region. However, the rivers also have a downside, one which has since the dawn of agriculture been a major obstacle for the people living along those waters: they flood in October, just after the new crops have been planted. Leaving the farmland exposed to the unrelenting waters of the river meant certain devastation of the recently sown fields, and as such the people of Arabian Iraq have developed and over the course of millennia perfected a way to control the water and save their crops: irrigation. By 1080 AD, a multitude a great canals crossed the land, providing water to a great many farms, of which the produce was so abundant that the cereals and fruits that they yielded was exported to many distant lands.
As we move south however, settlement becomes more sparse as the Euphrates and the Tigris converge ever closer, the rivers becoming so large that they discharge water in every direction, creating a enormous swathe of marshland. In these wetlands the rivers flow into each other and also receive various streams from the north, bursting out of the swamps as a mighty expanse of water, slowly flowing down into the Persian Gulf. In this downstream area, the river is also joined by Karun river from Khuzestan. This last region does not belong to the province of Arabian Iraq, but geographically it does belong to Mesopotamia, as its rivers join up with the Euphrates and the Tigris, and as such it is presented here. These lands were the rivers join and flow into the sea are distinguished by their hot climate and fertile soil, which is a perfect climate for the production of dates and sugarcane that is so prevalent here. This whole southern half of Mesopotamia is bordered by mountain to the east and desert to the west.

We have tried to give this region a very authentic look, a defining feature of course being the new and unique textures we use. Not just that however: we have also conducted research on how the region's geography differed in the Middle Ages from what it is now. This includes historical courses of rivers, the absence of several lakes, and the fertility of the various parts of the region. An interesting example is that the Tigris today goes around the marshes to join up with the Euphrates much further downstream than it did in the Middle Ages.

Here follow two screenshots that show all the settlements of the region in more detail:

Spoiler for Erāq al-'Arab detail1: 

Spoiler for Erāq al-'Arab detail2: 

Demography and politics:

For the year 1080 AD it can be said with certainty that of all the cities that are represented in our mod, Baghdad, the capital of Arabian Iraq, was the largest by far. Baghdad was a true metropolis, where people of every known culture and religion were gathered in a city sprawling in all direction on both banks of the Tigris. The city, though in decline by then, was the most prised possession of the Shah of Eransahr (also known as the Great Seljuq Empire) The surrounding lands were just as wealthy as the capital itself, many towns and cities forming a great urban web around the rivers and the channels that took water from them. Of these many places around Baghdad, the greatest were Hillah, Karbala, Kufah, Takrit and Wasit.
The largest city of the region after Baghdad was Basrah however, one of the earliest Muslim capitals, and in nearby Khuzestan the largest cities were Tustar and Dizful.

An interesting feature of Arabian Iraq is that while most of the region is under the control of Eransahr, the western part along the Euphrates is almost exclusively under the control of Sham (Syria). At the heart of this division lies the divergence between the main religion of the region: the Islam. The Islamic faith knows two great sects: the Sunni Islam and the Shi'a Islam. The Seljuq dynasty of Eransahr followed the Sunni teachings, and most of Arabian Iraq was also of Sunni faith, because it was the home province of the Abbasid Caliphs, who had done much to promote their Sunni beliefs. The western part of the region however, had a Shi'ite majority, mostly because several of the most sacred Shi'ite shrines are located in this region. These people affiliated themselves not with the Seljuqs but with the Shi'ite rulers of Sham, therefore creating a fragile political situation. Though as of 1080 Eransahr and Sham are at peace with each other, the divided state of Arabian Iraq may well become a cause of war between the two in the future...



Here ends this preview, I hope you have enjoyed it!

The next preview will be The land between rivers, part 2. If you want to see it posted next Sunday, don't forget to contribute to the mod as described in the original post!

Cheers,

Landil

[AWZC]

Awesome! Great work...

[The Norseman]

Great work Resurrection! It his him who have made the map here it isnt it? If you did, then post here and Ill rep you!

[Giorgios]

Looking great, guys. I'll be finished my job in two weeks, so I can come back to help DotS again then.

[Landil]

Great work Resurrection! It his him who have made the map here it isnt it? If you did, then post here and Ill rep you!

To clarify, the main credits for all the work presented in this and future previews posted in this thread are:

Landil: Research, including but not limited to: PSFs (location, ownership, revenues), geography, provincial borders.
Resurrection: Mapping (implementation of the research)

And of course all the other members of the team that have made the mod what it currently is!

What should be understood is that these previews represent an almost complete revision of the Middle East, from a region overshadowed in detail by Europe to one just as detailed. I have no desire to brag, but this revision is mainly my idea and work, which is why I am the one presenting it.

[The Norseman]

Ah well all mods needs someone who knows history! Its just that the amazing work Resurrection has done with the map that makes me want to play this even more! It is all so incredibly detailed! I hope he makes some Univeristy Lessons soon

[Mads]

Great stuff.

[fightermedic]

how did i miss this by several hours???

this

is

awesome! (as usual)

[Pyres Δt Varanasi]

OMG this is great preview guys really nice beautiful map and the region looks great . Patiently waiting for full release.

[The Holy Pilgrim]

The amount of detail...

it's just...

so incredible!

[aldma2]

Awesome!!

[Morrowgan]

The best map in the history of TW modding !

[fightermedic]

The best map in the history of TW modding !

word!
even the maps of third age and stainles steel are but mere shadows when compared to this one

[HellBojus]

Holy cow !!! looks amazing. Cant wait for Lithuanians preview, well if it be

[mayotte976]

really good job !! i really like the map !!

[Diodredai]

Feast your eyes upon the grand work of the one and only Resurrection, the greatest map artist (in my opinion) in my opinion in the entire DotS community [whom I regularly pester to correct the border of Hungary by about 0,00000000000000000001 pixels to the north] and the incredible Landil who hath reviewed the collective works of the near infinite number of the people that have been part of the DotS team.

Now the question is: what are YOU, yes specifically I am referring to YOU doing to help us?

Are you interested in medieval history?
Would you like to take a sneak peak at the amazing work that the DotS team has been doing for years?

THEN SIGN UP NOW WITH THE HUNGARIAN MILITARY!

er- I mean DOTS!

But Diodredai, how could I help?
1. I only have a few hours that I could dedicate to the project...
2. I have no experience in modding

SILENCE MORTAL!
Do you not wish these things?
* To learn about modding in detail
* To have something on your resume/CV that you could brag about when asked about your previous work experiences
* To learn more about medieval history
* TO PRESERVE YOUR NAME IN THE HALL OF THE GRAND MODDERS FOR AN ETERNITY?
* Cookies?

HOW CAN YOU DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE?

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH? NEIN? KEIN PROBLEME! VIELE BRATWURST FÜR ALLE!

If you could help out Landil with researching ze HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE then you would lift off a great burden off the shoulders of this man!

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=551151

If your expertise lie elsewhere, then contact Ross, Resurrection, or Landil here!

JOIN THE DARK SIDE!

All nationalities are welcome!

Except for:


AND ALL OF YOU BASTARDS WHO HAVEN'T DESIGNED A FLAG HERE!!!!

Note: these views are not the views the DotS team have on nationalities. We hate humans in general.

[Totalwarplayer96]

Feast your eyes upon the grand work of the one and only Resurrection, the greatest map artist (in my opinion) in my opinion in the entire DotS community [whom I regularly pester to correct the border of Hungary by about 0,00000000000000000001 pixels to the north] and the incredible Landil who hath reviewed the collective works of the near infinite number of the people that have been part of the DotS team.

Now the question is: what are YOU, yes specifically I am referring to YOU doing to help us?

Are you interested in medieval history?
Would you like to take a sneak peak at the amazing work that the DotS team has been doing for years?

THEN SIGN UP NOW WITH THE HUNGARIAN MILITARY!

er- I mean DOTS!

But Diodredai, how could I help?
1. I only have a few hours that I could dedicate to the project...
2. I have no experience in modding

SILENCE MORTAL!
Do you not wish these things?
* To learn about modding in detail
* To have something on your resume/CV that you could brag about when asked about your previous work experiences
* To learn more about medieval history
* TO PRESERVE YOUR NAME IN THE HALL OF THE GRAND MODDERS FOR AN ETERNITY?
* Cookies?

HOW CAN YOU DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE?

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH? NEIN? KEIN PROBLEME! VIELE BRATWURST FÜR ALLE!

If you could help out Landil with researching ze HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE then you would lift off a great burden off the shoulders of this man!

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=551151

If your expertise lie elsewhere, then contact Ross, Resurrection, or Landil here!

JOIN THE DARK SIDE!

All nationalities are welcome!

Except for:


AND ALL OF YOU BASTARDS WHO HAVEN'T DESIGNED A FLAG HERE!!!!

Note: these views are not the views the DotS team have on nationalities. We hate humans in general.

awkward moment when you put the Hungarian smilie in the "exception" category...

[Diodredai]

awkward moment when you put the Hungarian smilie in the "exception" category...

Or rather the awkward moment when one does not understand sarcasm?

Don't worry those freeloading, good-for-nothing smelly Carpathian cave dwellers
have nothing to do with this mod! Even though their pathetic state existed around
the time period, we've decided to give that slot to an extremely important African
tribe that impacted greatly on the modern day 'Bhwalrwrrlwarlal' language, which
more than five people speak in Africa today.

Jokes aside (no really, we loath the Hungarians, so none of you smelly pálinka drinking
horsemen should sign up with us):

HOW CAN YOU DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE?

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH? NEIN? KEIN PROBLEME! VIELE BRATWURST FÜR ALLE!

If you could help out Landil with researching ze HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE then you would lift off a great burden off the shoulders of this man!

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=551151

If your expertise lie elsewhere, then contact Ross, Resurrection, or Landil here!

JOIN THE DARK SIDE!
humans in general.[/U][/B]

I am terribly sorry if I have offended you Totalwarplayer96, because that was exactly what I wanted to do (there is not even a hint of sarcasm in this post don't worry).

[Totalwarplayer96]

Or rather the awkward moment when one does not understand sarcasm?

Don't worry those freeloading, good-for-nothing smelly Carpathian cave dwellers
have nothing to do with this mod! Even though their pathetic state existed around
the time period, we've decided to give that slot to an extremely important African
tribe that impacted greatly on the modern day 'Bhwalrwrrlwarlal' language, which
more than five people speak in Africa today.

Jokes aside (no really, we loath the Hungarians, so none of you smelly pálinka drinking
horsemen should sign up with us):




I am terribly sorry if I have offended you Totalwarplayer96, because that was exactly what I wanted to do (there is not even a hint of sarcasm in this post don't worry).

Just make sure Radzeer doesn't catch you or else he will make a very embarrassing AAR about you.
And don't worry, I'm not even of Hungarian descent. Just pointing out a contradiction