Kossack Hetmanate
Under Construction! Wear a hard hat at all times!
Table
Overview
Official Name: Kossakskaya Getmanshchina
Demonym: Kossacks
Type of Government: Stratocracy
Capital: Elysavet
Ataman: Ataman Ivan Kutejnikov
Language(s): Kossatskyan
Religion(s): Nijiridisian Pantheon: Lisaudachism
Ethnicities and Cultures: Kossaki
History
Government
The highest representative body of state power of the Hetmanate was the General ("full") Rada. The meeting of the General Rada was attended by the Ataman (if the Rada was not elective), the sergeant, ordinary Kossacks, representatives of the Church; sometimes also representatives of the cities and the "pospolstvo". The Ataman and the Sergeant Major, as a rule, skillfully manipulated the General Rada and its importance gradually decreased. This was facilitated by the decision-making procedure of the General Rada: participants raised their hands, sabers, tossed hats (because of which consent was often determined "by eye"); acclamation was also applied. At the same time, the importance of the Starshina Rada increased, which included the hetman, colonels and the general sergeant. If the Starshinskiye Radas were held in an expanded composition, then they were attended by "all Kossack uryadniks" and "primary people". A kind of "small plenum" of the Starshinskaya Rada was the General Sergeant, who formed an advisory body under the Ataman - the Rada of the General Sergeant.
There also was an important advising body Starshinsky Sobrania (Chancellery of Officers). The chancellery was engaged in both military affairs (staffing military units, propaganda and agitation activities, providing the army with weapons, food and fodder), and state-administrative: it formed embassies, wrote letters, drew up texts of treaties, prepared hetman's universals, formed the administrative-territorial structure of the Hetmanate, endowed estates and took them away; considered various issues of political and economic life, directed and supervised the work of regimental and hundred chancelleries; formed the military-state archive, kept special diarios, that is, diaries (chronicles).
The judiciary was represented by the Generalis Sud (General Court), headed by the General Judge. He interpreted customs and laws, tried state criminals, considered appeals and petitions for pardon, and supervised the work of local courts. Judges from cities and towns controlled by the General Judge were summoned to the meetings of the General Court. All judges were elected.
Hosts
There are multiple Kossack Hosts that are part of this arrangement as well. Each host has their own Hetman, and it is custom for the Hetman of one of the hosts to be elected at the Ataman.
Geography
Economy
Unlike their neighbors and allies, the Hetmanate doesn't have a truly developed or "settled" economy outside the stanitsas and the capital. Along with the cultural factors, this gives the Hetmanate one of the most unique economies in the Empire. Most of the economy is mobile or nomadic, meaning wherever the hosts are where the economy is concentrated at the time. Artisans of all types of travel with the hosts to provide their services and traders do as well.
For the permanent Stanitsas and the Capital, things are a bit different as they mainly rely on trade for their needs, whether it be from a war haul or from foreign traders. None of these permanent settlements are large at all, and thus this model works just fine for them.
Sedentary farming is seen as a lowly profession and counter to the spirit of the fox. Within the loose borders of the Hetmanate, there are next to no farms at all. Instead, hunting of game, fishing and herding are the backbone of food production, along with raiding naturally.
Most of the Hetmanates lands are dedicated to the grazing of their herds of livestock and horses as a result of this and their nomadic nature. With the saddled-based culture, it also should not come as a shock that the horses that come from the Hetmanate are widely considered to be the best in the whole Empire; being fast, agile and strong breeds suited for the long rides and lifestyle of the Kossacks.
Raiding, as a whole, is important to the way of life of the Kossacks, and from their neighbors either through plundering or tribute is where most of the wealth comes from. Slaving in that regard is important, as many of the slaves captured during raids are sold off to other Kingdoms in the Confederacy.
There is a sole exception to this, and that is the craft of beekeeping and honeymaking, which is considered to be as holy as life itself. The prized honey from the Hetmanate is highly valued but rarely traded, less others get their sticky fingers on it.
Religion
The Kossack's follow the Ninisani pantheon but have their own interpretations of it. As folllowers of Nina Kosaka, the Fox of Good Fortune, they believe heavily in the intercession of Shamans for omens from Nina herself. Most (whatever the smallest unit of society is called) have their own local shamans but there are also greater shamans for the hosts that make up the Hetmanate. Being superstious, the Kossacks will always attempt to act within the light of the divinations on all important matters from local to national.
The worship of Nina herself is carried out by sacred acts and by sacred institutions. Marriage and Motherhood is considered one of the most holy and sacred institutions within the Hetmanate and are the two most important things in the lives of all Kossack Women. Drinking and Gambling are also considered to be sacred acts, as is the collection of wealth and the prized honey itself.
(Celebration of Nina's birthday)
Culture
Military
The Hetmanate is depedant on war, both economically, religiously, and culturally for survival and it is no surprise that this society produces some of the best cavalry in the world.
Relying on hit and run tactics, skirmishing and raiding, most of the "Army on Campaign" is light cavalry armed with Lances, Swords, Bows and Muskets. The constant harrassment and pressure that the Kossacks put on enemy field armies causes many to withdraw before even engaging them. Should they ever reach the homeland, they will be greeted by the Infantry and Artillery, which is off dubious quality, that are found within the Stanitsas.
But the latter is not the ideal way of war, rather the ideal way is simply to raid, burn, plunder, enslave and ride back home. It's rather simple, but hard to stop considering the speed and skill of these men born into the saddle.