The Caribbean Royal Academy

The Arabian Empire is a kingdom of nations united under one flag. The current emperor of the empire is Lord Jeremiah Garland. Although he is the emperor, the ruling group are a society of British knights known as the Knights Templar, which Garland is a part of.

The Tale of the Emperor Arrival in Arabia In 1690, at the age of 20, Garland first arrived in Arabia. A native of England, he had enlisted in the EITC as a ship merchant to help transport goods around the world. While his merchant boat was traveling the Mediterranean, a huge storm suddenly occurred, and the boat was destroyed. He was the only member of the crew to survive, and clung on to a board of wood. He floated in the sea for weeks, before he finally arrived to land. He arrived at the beaches outside of Jerusalem, in the Arabian province of Palestine, and entered the city, seeking shelter. Unfortunately, nobody he met in the city could speak English. He eventually came to a temple in the middle of the city, and entered it. He began to pray at the shrine that somebody in the city could speak his tongue and give him hospitality. At that moment, a man clad in knight’s armour walked into the temple. “Who are you?” asked the knight. Relieved to hear his language, Garland said, “I come from England, where you no doubt must be from as well. My boat was destroyed in a storm and I have been hungry and tired for weeks! Perhaps you can give me shelter just for the night?” The knight responded. “Very well. Please come with me.” Garland followed the knight through the streets of Jerusalem until they came to a large stone building. Inside were many other knights dressed in the same armour. The knight who brought Jeremiah to the strange place said to him “This is the Secret Society of the Knights Templar. Don’t worry, we all speak your language. I am their leader.” Garland was grateful for their hospitality. He spent the night and had much to eat. At the dinner table, while all the knights were gathered around with Garland at the head of the table and the head knight next to him, the head knight asked him, “what is your name, weary traveler?”. Garland responded, “I am Jeremiah Garland II, of England.” At first, the head knight sat their shocked. “The II?” he asked. “Surely Jeremiah Garland was also the name of your father, yes?” Garland responded, “I believe so… although I was never able to meet my father, as he disappeared when I was very young.” The knight stood up. “Well, Mr. Garland. You have met your father now. For he is I, and my name is Jeremiah Garland as well. I came here right after you were born, to lead this society. I am sorry, I could not tell anybody, even your mother.” Jeremiah was shocked, as well. A tear came to his eye and he stood up to embrace the knight, in the father/son reunion.

The Knights Templar Jeremiah joined the Knights Templar, and became an official member, under the leadership of his father. In addition, because his father was leader, Jeremiah was due to become the leader after his father’s death. In 1702, that’s exactly what happened. Jeremiah Garland I, leader of the Knights Templar in Jerusalem for 32 years, died of natural causes. That same year, Jeremiah Garland II accepted the title of Head Knight of the Order of the Knights Templar.

The Knights Templar were not very well-known in Jerusalem. However in 1704, Garland, the new Head Knight of the Order, had a plan to put the Knights Templar on top. In the city of Jerusalem, new elections were being held for lord of the city. Garland ran, and to make sure he won, had the Order of the Knights Templar start charities, build buildings, and other things to get them known and popular. Garland won by a landslide, and was made Supreme Lord of Jerusalem, and given home on the ancient temple of the Dome of the Rock. Garland did not rule alone, though. Each member of the Knights Templar, which was roughly forty at the time, was given a governmental position below Garland, and together, the Knights Templar ruled the city. Garlands lust for power would not end there.

Expansion to Empire Under Garland’s reign, the city flourished. More and more people came to live in the city, that it became overcrowded. So overcrowded, that Garland thought it was time increase the size of the city’s lands. He built an army, mostly consisting of poorly trained and equipped militia. Their first priority was to capture the small strip of land to the south of them, the Sinai Peninsula. Capturing this would surely add some land to Palestine, as well as provide them access to the Red Sea. They easily captured the peninsula. Because it was under control of the Arabian nation of Egypt at the time, this angered the Egyptians for stealing their land, and they declared war on Palestine. Garland knew that the Egyptian Army was much bigger and could easily defeat the small Palestinian Army, so he had to go to desperate measures. He asked a neighboring nation to the north, Syria, for aid. The Syrians agreed to help, and lent their massive army to the cause of the Palestinians. After many long battles, the Egyptians were eventually defeated. To show his gratitude to the Syrians, Garland agreed to form a union with Syria. The Syrians agreed, and in 1712, the Arabian Empire was formed, and Garland declared himself Supreme Emperor of the Arabian Imperial Provinces. The main capital of the empire was moved to Damascus, in Syria, and because Egypt was defeated, they had no choice but to give up their land. This was only the beginning.

In the years that followed, many more Arabian nations would fall to the empire (for a complete list, see below). In the current year, 1728, the Arabian Empire is at its greatest extent, and Emperor Garland and the Knights Templar still continue to rule. With the exception of Russia and China, they occupy the most land out of all other nations (British Empire does not count, nation = one country, Britain).

Geography Nations Here is a complete list of all the nations that have been conquered by the Arabian Empire (as of 1728):

- Syria

- Palestine

- Egypt

- Arabia

- Libya

- Aden (southern Arabia)

- Lebanon

- Mesopotamia (central Iraq)

- Jordan

- Bahrain

- Anatolia (southeastern Turkey)

- Qatar

- Cyprus

- Nobatia (northern Sudan)

Imperial Capitals The Arabian Empire currently contains five capitals: the governmental capital, Damascus (Syria); the religious capital, Jerusalem (Palestine); the cultural capital, Mecca (Arabia); the economical capital, Cairo (Egypt); and the military capital, Tripoli (Libya). Emperor Garland himself resides in the governmental capital, Damascus, while the Knights Templar reside in the religious capital, Jerusalem.

Government Government Type The Arabian Empire, as the name suggests, is an empire. It is ruled by a sole leader, the emperor (Garland). Another group with much but limited power is the emperor’s council (Knights Templar).

Other Positions In addition to emperor and emperor’s council include: the representatives, two members are voted on from each nation of the empire (see list above), and attend the annual meeting in the empire’s governmental capital (Damascus), there they share comments or concerns with the emperor speaking on behalf of the nation of which they represent; commander-in-chief of imperial land and sea forces, selected by the emperor, control all military units, headquartered in imperial military capital (Tripoli); emperor’s advisors, selected by the emperor, each one specializes in different topic (economy, culture, religion, etc.), and consult emperor on designated topic; imperial guard, selected by emperor, enforce law in the empire, enforce all regulation; secret guard, selected by emperor, personal bodyguards of emperor, also carry out his “dirty work”, assassins; parliament, selected by emperor, deal with diplomatic negotiations with foreign nations, such as declaring war, signing treaties, initiating trade, etc., headquartered in imperial governmental capital (Damascus).

Economy Economy Type Unlike most world economies, which are Capitalist, the Arabian Empire’s economy is directed on the branch of Mercantilism. Under Mercantilism, the central government (the empire itself) controls all trade within the empire. Therefore, trade is the sole benefactor of the Arabian Empire’s economy. The economy system is headed by a treasury, who is selected by the emperor, and is headquartered in the imperial economy capital (Cairo).

Arabian Imperial Trading Co. Because trade is the main solution of the Arabian Empire’s economy, they have founded their own trade agency, the Arabian Imperial Trading Co. (AITC), which is the equivalent of the British’s East India Trading Co. (EITC). The AITC trades to various parts of the world, most notably Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Greece, the Ottoman Empire, Persia, India, China, Singapore, and the British West Indies in the Caribbean. They also have trading posts set up world wide, including in the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Trade Exports The AITC is famous for its many exports. Arabia, unlike most nations, is wealthy both for industrial and agricultural purposes. Some agricultural products that are exported include linen (biggest agricultural export), silk, spices, tea, mint, poppy, cotton, rice, chick peas, teak wood, wheat, and livestock. Some industrial products that are exported include oil (biggest industrial export), gold, gems, copper, gunpowder, glass, ceramic, and clay. Because of their location near the Mediterranean, Red, and Arabian Seas, the empire also has a sufficient fishing business.

Piracy Problems Like many nations worldwide, the Arabian Empire has been experiencing numerous problems caused by pirates. Two pirate lords, Ammand the Corsair of the Mediterranean / Red Sea, and Sri Sumbhajee of the Arabian Sea, constantly raid costal towns of the empire, capture AITC ships, and do other things to harass the empire. Emperor Garland himself has looked onto the situation, and has focused many legions of the Arabian Imperial Army onto trying to put an end to the growing problem.