Jhanavesha

Jhanavesha (Jhanavèşa, IPA:ʤʰanavɛʃa), commonly known as the shortened variant Jhana (IPA: ʤʰana) and formally known as the Divine Kingdom of Jhanavesha (Ksanjharì Jhanavèşa Başuva IPA: ksanʤʰarɪ ʤʰanavɛʃa baʃuva) is a  in southern Tarsis. It is bordered to the east by Yinkuet and the Southern Sea to the south-west. Thedhin is the capital of Jhanavesha as well as the spiritual center of the nation, while not the largest city it is a sacred site to Veşwuva and home to the Ksan who sits as a ceremonial figure alongside the Dobaşe who acts as a spiritual guide and a leader to the nation.

Jhanavesha is home to one of the world's older civilizations, the Hapoban, having been founded near the fourth millennium BC. The first instance of a united Jhanavesha would appear around the ninth century BC with the Old Veshyk Kingdom's foundation by the Thavaban, this civilization would reach its height around the seventh century BC and then slowly decline into the future, separating into a variety of successor states after various crises occurred.

Jhanavesha would be one of the many meeting points between Aranism and Wuism. This has historically divided Jhanavesha between petty realms which were Aranist or Wuist, but the nation has been predominantly Wuist and is only so thanks to the Great Enlightenment which saw a Veşwuism Renaissance around the third Century AC, allowing the creation of Wuist art, culture, and literature which evolved into something that blended traditional Jhanaveshan culture and beliefs with traditional Wuist culture, creating Veşwuism.

The modern Jhanavesha would be united with the aid of Zhenia in the First Great War. After successfully defeating western powers Jhanavesha was able to incorporate previously colonized and occupied lands, forming the only other instance of a united Jhanavesha after the tenth century AC. In the Interwar Period Jhanavesha would grow and modernize with the aid of Zhenia, growing into a regional power in their own right until the outbreak of the Second Great War which would see Jhanavesha defeated and put into an era of economic and political instability. This would lead to the former Kingdom of Jhanavesha's government being overthrown and the creation of the People's Kingdom of Jhanavesha in 1550 AC. This was in response to an ever-growing anti-foreigner sentiment caused by the Zhenian, Azoran, and Tayaran influences in Jhanavesha, but the People's Kingdom would be plagued by a corrupt and inexperienced government which would lead to the Divine Revolution in 1569 AC and the creation of the Divine Kingdom of Jhanavesha in 1572 AC under the ideology of Paşbaş (Divine Truth) created by Dobaşe Dzahnam Ijan as a means to restore Veşwuism to the center of Jhanaveshan society and finally end the half a century of instability within Jhanavesha.

Jhanavesha's political system is a combination of a Wuist theocracy, constitutional monarchy, and a with the ultimate power of the state under the Dobaşe, a position held by Dzahnam Ijan since 1572. The government is widely seen as authoritarian and has attracted criticism due to its unfair elections, restrictions in civil liberties, and unequal rights for religious minorities.

Etymology
The term "Jhanavesha" is derived from the combination of the words "Veş" (Glory) and "Jha" (Land), though the term was not used until around 1455 when the prominent academic Singe Lhon used it to describe the region which used to be within the Kingdoms of Veshyk before the fall of Veshyk. The term itself means "Land of Glory" in the literal sense, though it has more popularly been translated as "Blessed Land" with Singe Lhon's own writings pushing the term as "Blessed Land" to affirm the spirituality of the region.

Prehistory
The earliest archaeological evidence of a human presence in Jhanavesha is dated back to the late Paleolithic Period around 240,000 BC., though it is speculated humans might have lived in Jhanavesha much longer before then, archaeological evidence has been scarce for archaeologists to find in the lowlands and mountains of Jhanavesha. From the thirteenth milennium BC to the fourth millenium BC, a group of peoples known as the Hapoban, direct ancestors to the Jhanaveshans, would flourish in the modern area of Jhanavesha. To the south Hapoban agricultural communities sprouted in the foothills and jungles whereas to the north and east the Hapoban retained their nomadic lifestyle and became herders in the highlands and mountains.

The earliest evidence of a bronze age civilization has been found in the ancient and ruined city of Utjho within central Jhanavesha. Utjho had been a relatively large and architecturally circular city with artifacts determined to be as old as 4400-3000 BC with radiocarbon dating. The civilization of Utjho had been found to have competed for dominance over the region with various other city-states and even come into conflict with the herding peoples at times. Interestingly there has been evidence of coins from various civilizations outside of Jhanavesha within the walls of Utjho, insinuating that the city-state had trade and possible dialogue with other ancient entities at the time.

Pre-Thavaban Antiquity
From 2500-1500 BC the Hapoban civilizations would begin to coalesce further and the beginnings of many lesser states would arise. Utjho had succeeded in retaining its predominant position in Jhanavesha, but several rivals were rising from across the area. To the south the Hapoban would intermingle with Kherani peoples and begin forming a new cosmopolitan culture that sought to trade across the Southern Sea and the Gulf of Hali, evidence showing the merchant adventurers of the southern Hapoban reaching as far as modern Ayeran and Abayad. It would be in the late Pre-Thavaban Antiquity that archaeological evidence find some of the earliest written forms of the Jhanaveshan language, though the Proto-Veşgrèt writing was very crude for the time and it seemingly never caught on in many city-states outside of a select few.

Post-Thavaban Antiquity
Around 910 BC a foreign group of nomadic peoples from the north-west would arrive in Jhanavesha after having subjugated or having conquered the various nomadic Hapoban herders. These foreign nomads would wage a war against the ancient city-state of Utjho, eventually razing it to the ground in a victory that would rock the region. These nomadic peoples were known as the Thavaban and would establish themselves within the central foothills of Jhanavesha and begin subjugating the various city-states that once rivaled Utjho. The Thavaban nomads would eventually become known as the Old Veshyk Kingdom after proclaiming their rule over the Hapoban and finding new land to call their own home. The Thavaban peoples would eventually assimilate into the Jhanaveshan population after around half a millenium, but they would leave a variety of cultural and linguistic influences that would help create the modern Jhanaveshan identity.

From 910 BC to 700 BC the Old Veshyk Kingdom would spread it's influence across the modern region of Jhanavesha, creating the first instance of an entirely united Jhanaveshan region. Around 590 BC the Old Veshyk Kingdom would begin its decline however, with a major drought and a string of revolts originating from independent herders and disgruntled subjects, the Old Veshyk Kingdom would collapse into a mosaic of city-states and lesser realms vying for dominance as successors to the Old Veshyk Kingdom.

As time went on through the later end of the Post-Thavaban Antiquity, Aranism and Wuism would make their appearances in Jhanavesha. To the south-west the coastal Jhanaveshans would become heavily Aranist and embraced the teachings Aran and the five Prophets. The Jhanaveshans to the North and East however would adopt Wuism and intertwine it with their old customs, this very early divide in Jhanavesha's history would see the nation divided to this day on religious lines, the southern coast being Aranist and the rest of Jhanavesha being Wuist.