Hazaras - Wikipedia about making a Hazaras Video for Age of Empires 2?
As a campaign we can make a history of the conquests of the Uzbeks (those who are considered Uzbeks now), whose state included Balx xonligi (Balkh Khanate) from the 15th-16th century.
They profess Islam, speak the Hazaras dialect of the Dari language, and are descendants of Mongol and Turkic-Mongol tribes. They are relatives of the Moguls, Charaymaks and other similar peoples of Central Asia.
As a unit it would be possible, as in the analogy with the Polovtsians/kipchaks, to name the unit by the name of the civilization, because the very etymology of the Hazaras from the Persian language means “a thousand”.
The self-designation of the Hazaras is Khesare. The word Khesar in Iranian languages ​​means “thousand”. Apparently, the backbone of this people was made up of warriors left by the Chingizids after the conquest of Afghanistan in 1221-1223.
According to L. Temirkhanov, “the Hazaras are a people formed as a result of the synthesis of Mongolian and Tajik elements.”
The Mongolian warriors of the security garrisons-thousands, as a result of long-term residence in Afghanistan, mixed with the local Iranian-speaking peoples, adopting their language.
Scientists believe that the language of the Hazaras is a dialect of the old Tajik language (Khazaragi) with a certain share of Mongolian and Turkic words. Researchers determine this share of Mongolisms and Turkisms at 10%.
As the Mongol Empire weakened, the Hazaras were increasingly forced out of the fertile valleys of the northeast. As a result, the Hazaras found themselves trapped in the central, mountainous and rocky parts of Afghanistan. The Hazaras lead a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle. Nomads live in huts covered with felt. The majority of the people live in large tribal settlements on the mountain slopes. These villages are surrounded by adobe walls with watchtowers at the four corners. The rich dwellings resemble Mongolian yurts, the poor live in adobe huts covered with straw.
From Wikipedia
A great reason to develop civilizations with Central Asian architecture
Kart dynasty tajik dynasty in modern Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan
As a unique unit to the Tajiks, I would suggest the Sipah. Under the Samanids they had a separate rank for army commanders-in-chief - Sipah-salar. Tajiks in the early Middle Ages had close contacts with Turks, many of whom had high titles as viceroys, warriors in the ranks of the Tajik state. The Tajiks themselves inherited a name of Turkic origin and it is this that gives a fine cocktail of Iranian-speaking sedentary Tajiks and nomadic Turks.
The Moguls, on the other hand, are a people of high and late medieval times, having their origin from a mixture of Iranian, Turkic and Mongolian peoples. They are a Mongolian people of mixed origin, speaking the Mongolian language. Their traditions and religion are Islamic, although they do not forget Genghis Khan and another important part of their ethnic history. They could be implemented as a civilization with an emphasis on light cavalry with some Indian or Iranian(Persian) chips.
I would suggest cheapening the production of horse archers, or swapping wood for food to make it more profitable to produce them.
As a unique unit, I could suggest that they make a related nation “Charaymaki” speaking one of the Iranian languages.
Charaymaks are similar in origin to the Moguls, the Hazara people. It is mostly Turkic and speaks one of the Iranian languages.
If it is interesting, it is possible to realize in the same way the Pashtun people with the campaign in Afghanistan. And as a unique unit - Lashkar (Pashtunvalay, Pashtun code of honor - the army of the tribe)
For story campaigns, I would highlight Genghis Khan’s campaign to India where they defeated many nations. Indian formation of the Great Moguls, and to the Tajiks the period of their independence from the Ilkhanate of Hulaguids (Mongol state in Iranian lands)
Four years after Muizz ad-Din Hussein’s accession to the throne, Ilkhan Abu Sayyid Bahadur Khan died, after which the Hulaguid state began to disintegrate rapidly. Hussein made an alliance with Tuqa-Timur, a claimant to the title of Ilkhan. Until his death, Hussein fought hard against the Serbedar movement, which had gained a foothold in Sebzevar. The Serbedars declared Tuka-Timur their enemy and invaded the lands of the Kurts as his allies. In the ensuing Battle of Zawa on July 18, 1342, the Serbedars initially gained the advantage, but disunity in their army eventually gave victory to the Kurts. Hussein then undertook several successful campaigns against the Chagatai in the northeast. At this time he accepted the service of the very young Tamerlane. In 1349, while Tuk-Timur was still alive, Hussein stopped paying him tribute and began to rule as an independent sultan. The assassination of Tuqa-Timur in 1353 by the Serbedars removed the potential threat to the Kurts from him. However, in about 1358, the Chagatai emir Kazagan invaded Khorasan and sacked Herat. Kazagan was killed on his return home, allowing Hussein to regain his power. Another Serbedar campaign against Hussein in 1362 was cut short due to conflicts among the Serbedar commanders. Shortly thereafter, Hussein sheltered Shiite dervishes who had fled from the Serbedar ruler Ali Muayyad, who had executed their leader during the aborted campaign. At the same time, relations with Tamerlane became complicated when an army of Kurts invaded his lands. After Hussein’s death, in 1370, his son Giyas ad-Din Pir-Ali inherited most of his father’s lands, except for the city of Serakhs and part of Kuhistan, which went to Giyas’s half-brother, Malik Muhammad ibn Muizz ad-Din.
Southwest Asia and Khorasan after the collapse of the Ilkhanid (Hulaguid) state
Sounds to me like it would be a nice DLC as part of increasing civilizations with Central Asian architecture.
P.S. I forgot to add, I would give the Tajiks a defense bias, like the Byzantines had. I.e. either cheaper or stronger walls.
Central Asia is very rich and colorful with different peoples and their unique and vibrant history. It is exotic for a typical European or American, and therefore it attracts with its rich diversity and colorful palette of flavors.
