1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 207: Cairo's Sun

Sfax, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean.

The city of Sfax is located on the west side of the Gulf of Gabes. It is the fourth largest city of the former Hafsid Dynasty. It is not far from Carthage and Kairouan, and can share in the sea and land trade. Its economic development has always been good.

Due to climatic reasons, the annual precipitation in Sfax is about 400 mm. It is located exactly on the dividing line between the farming area and the nomadic area. Sfax is mainly based on farming, while further south it is mainly based on nomadism, which is a clear distinction.

Eight years ago, due to the impact of the war, the city of Sfax inevitably fell into decline, the population dispersed, the people were displaced, agricultural and pastoral development stagnated, and commercial income plummeted.

After the fall of the Hafsid Dynasty and the Eastern Roman Empire's recovery of Africa, Sfax became the first city to accept the Kairouanites. Most of the more than 2,000 spineless people who were willing to stay in the city after the chaos accepted the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire in fear and pledged allegiance to the emperor.

Subsequently, nearly a thousand families of guards and administrative staff were settled in Sfax, becoming the first Orthodox immigrants in the city.

Later, more and more Orthodox immigrants came from Cyrenaica and the Balkans. Some of them were Greeks, some were Slavs, and some were Berbers who had converted to Orthodoxy for many years. They bought serfs here, established manors and pastures, and filled the living space left by the indigenous people.

The governor of Sfax was named Giscai, one of the earliest veterans who followed Isaac in his campaigns. He had previously served as the quartermaster of the First Legion of the Guards. His left hand was cut off in the Battle of Tripoli. After retiring, he was promoted to the governor of Sfax.

Giskaia was an Albanian, but at an early date, at the invitation of Constantine XI, he followed his people to migrate to the Morea region and settled there.

It is also for this reason that the Giscé people do not have the traditional pride and xenophobia of the old Romans, do not discriminate against the Berbers, and fully agree with Isaac's concept of national assimilation.

So, when other consuls separated the Berbers and Orthodox immigrants for the sake of convenience or economic development, Gisquet insisted on mixing them and breaking them up. He worked hard all year round to reconcile conflicts, combining both firmness and flexibility, and made his achievements successful.

At the beginning, many officials in Africa were reluctant to let Berber Muslims convert to Orthodoxy in order to increase fiscal revenue. They were greedy for the double taxes they paid every year, so they openly and secretly obstructed the conversion.

But Giskai of Sfax was obviously different. Coming from a military background, he did not care much about financial revenue. Not only did he not set up obstacles to conversion, he also gave it the green light and set up offices in cities and large towns to specifically handle the conversion of Kairouan Muslims.

Since he had been with Isaac for many years in his early years, Gisquet had some understanding of Isaac's political thoughts. He did not care much whether the Berbers who converted were sincere or simply did not want to pay double taxes, nor did he care much whether they would secretly perform Sunni religious prayers behind his back.

Let’s establish the status first and talk about the rest later.

In terms of language and writing, Gisquet also strictly implemented the central government's orders, allowing the lower classes to temporarily retain their own language, but if they wanted to go into politics, the military or business, they had to learn Greek, and all official writing was in Greek.

So, seven years later, although Sfax has been tepid economically, it has become a major city with the most successful religious assimilation policy. Among the 8,000 permanent residents in the city, there are about 7,000 Orthodox Christians, and there are only more than 1,000 Kairouan Muslims left, scattered in various residential areas, and they can no longer make a difference.

Linguistic assimilation was also quite successful. About 6,000 people could speak Greek, and the others knew some common words to a greater or lesser extent.

As for writing... I'm sorry, even in the Balkan region with traditional Greek culture, not many people can write and read, and the number of illiterate people still accounts for the majority.

The cultural aspect is much more interesting. The introduction of Greek culture failed to gain deep root in people's hearts in a short period of time, but was instead influenced a lot by Berber culture and Arab culture.

If assimilation continues, the African region will probably form a special fusion culture that combines the characteristics of Greek and Berber cultures, which is similar to but different from the culture of the Balkan region.

Isaac was not too worried about this, as Roman culture was good at absorbing the advantages of other cultures and was inclusive and open to all.

Back then, the Roman Republic conquered Greece militarily but was conquered by Greece culturally. Eventually, with the division of Eastern and Western Rome and the fall of Western Rome, it was completely Hellenized, and even its original language and writing changed.

"Your Majesty, that is the latest church school built in Sfax. It is larger than the one built in Sousse two years ago. It has a seminary, a college of literature, and an orphanage. Orphans from all over the city, regardless of their race, can study there. Half of the school's expenses are borne by the local government, and the remaining half is funded by local businessmen."

In a manor on the outskirts of the city, Gisquet pointed with a smile to the conspicuous dome building in the city. The main body of the building was in Greek style, gentle and majestic.

"In return, the city administration will give priority to purchasing products from local merchants, including paper, ink, timber and grain."

"This is a good thing and worth learning from for other cities."

Isaac looked at the quaint and majestic dome, a big smile on his face.

"It is you old brothers who reassure me. During my career, I have seen many governors who were bureaucratic. The financial statements looked good, but the actual situation was always unsatisfactory."

Isaac sighed.

"Are you having any difficulties at work? Don't hide it, just speak up."

Seeing that Gisquet seemed hesitant to speak, Isaac patted him on the shoulder.

"Your Majesty, everything else is fine. The difficulty of our work lies in the serfdom estates around the city. The owners of the estates have occupied a lot of land, and they are unwilling to hand over their serfs, which has resulted in the city's population never increasing."

"Without an increase in the city's population, it will be difficult for handicrafts and commerce to develop, which will, to a great extent, hinder the city's further prosperity."

Giskai gritted his teeth and let out all the anger in his chest.

He knew that since the land in the Balkans was strictly restricted by the emperor, high-ranking officials including the prime minister, foreign minister, military minister, chief justice and many large families owned many serfdom estates in Africa. He didn't know how many people he would offend with this statement.

"This..."

Isaac was also in a dilemma.

"Of course, this system has many flaws. It has low productivity, wastes talent, is not conducive to the development of industry and commerce and the improvement of population quality, and may even hinder the empire's progress in a few hundred years."

"However, in the short term, if we want to quickly reuse Africa, a land that has been separated from the empire for hundreds of years, and achieve local stability as much as possible, this system is still indispensable."

Isaac spread his hands helplessly.

"After all, Africa is not the Balkans. There are a lot of Saracens and the farmland is relatively scattered. The traditional village community system does not work here."

"Let future matters be left to future generations."

Giskai could only smile bitterly and nodded.

“Although they are somewhat arrogant in the local area, they still dare not directly offend my majesty.”

"Fifteen years is a generation. After a generation of assimilation, the first two regions under our control, Sirte and Cyrenaica, have basically achieved peace and stability due to their sparse population and the largest number of immigrants."

"The first batch of mixed-race Romans have begun to join the army and serve me."

Isaac looked at the Berber serfs working in the nearby watermelon fields and suddenly felt a little melancholy.

"I can live for a few more decades, and after a few generations, the rebellious sentiment in Africa will be just that, after all, most people still have to survive."

"Your Majesty is blessed by the Holy Father and shall live forever!"

Seeing that Isaac was a little emotional, Giskai hurried to comfort him.

"Ha ha……"

Isaac smiled and waved.

"By the way, you have seen my two children. What do you think of them?"

Giskai was startled, thinking quickly in his mind, and smiled awkwardly.

Isaac glanced at him sideways.

"Don't worry, I'm just asking casually. My other elders are very casual when talking to me."

"The Second Prince doesn't like to talk much."

Gisquet carefully watched Isaac's face.

"Be specific."

"For example, a few days ago, Prince Alexius came back from Albania, and the nearby manor owners held a banquet to entertain him. A large manor owner, under the influence of alcohol, joked that he would give his niece to him as a maid, but he... uh..."

"You looked unhappy, leaving the owners of the manor in the cold and walking away?"

Gisquet nodded hesitantly.

"Prince Justinian encountered the same situation a year ago, but he accepted it all and betrothed the noble ladies to his classmates and followers according to their family backgrounds. The manor owners were very satisfied."

"Well, I was busy with worldly affairs before and didn't pay much attention to them. Now that they have grown up, it's hard to change their personalities."

Isaac sighed.

"I should have known not to leave Alexios to Conte. This old guy really trained him according to the way of chivalry."

"The other day, Archduke Thomas asked him what kind of girl he liked best, and this rascal said he liked Joan of Arc the best."

A strange smile appeared on Isaac's lips.

"There's nothing wrong with that. He has noble morals, a devout faith, and hates evil. It is said that he often donates money to orphanages." Gisquet also said with a smile.

"Yes, I hate evil. A few days ago, I heard an Armenian priest preaching and he had a big argument with me. He insisted that I abolish slavery."

Isaac shook his head.

Due to the busy schedule of state affairs, the eldest and second sons were both spoiled by her, and Leonor only spoiled them. Now the third son Basil is crying for food, so Isaac must be trained well.

"Your Majesty, Hamsa Kastrioti and the Albanian lords have arrived. Will you return to the city to preside over the enthronement ceremony?"

The sound of horse hooves was heard, and the chief attendant Yeergubai dismounted from his horse and took out a roll of text messages.

"Just let them come over. Wherever I am is the most glorious palace. The blue sky and green land are the best witnesses. The Holy Father will also be watching us."

A moment later, the Albanian lords rode up to Isaac on horseback and knelt respectfully.

"Everyone, get up."

Isaac smiled and helped Hamsa, who was standing in front of him, up, looking into his somewhat confused eyes.

"Hamsa, long time no see."

Hamsa was stunned and forced a smile.

More than a decade ago, also in this North African land, Hamsa came to visit Isaac as Skanderbeg's messenger. At that time, the Albanian Alliance was under attack by Venice, and it was with the help of Isaac that several important towns were saved.

At that time, the Battle of Constantinople had not yet broken out, and Isaac was not yet twenty years old. The scorching sun of the West African Sea tanned the young prince's face into a bronze color, and the hardships of state affairs also made his eyes more vicissitudes and sorrow.

More than a decade later, the Eastern Roman Empire became more and more prosperous, the country was peaceful and calm, powerful enemies fled, and even the once behemoth Venice was blocked in the Adriatic Sea, unable to cross the line.

In this era when the average age is only 55, Isaac, who is 31 years old, is no longer considered young. His former immaturity has completely faded away. As he has been in a high position for many years, he naturally develops an imperial aura.

Murad II died, Grand Duke Durand died, the White Knight Hunyadi died, and now Skanderbeg has also passed away, leaving only the semi-retired Constantine XI still enjoying his old age in Constantinople.

In contrast, Mehmed II, Stefan III, Vlad III, Mahmud Pasha and Matthias I successively appeared on the historical stage and each dominated the Balkan Peninsula.

The older generation is gradually dying out, and young talents and heroes are taking over the banner of their fathers.

"Your Majesty, I, Hamsa, salute you. I know that my crime is unforgivable, but I hope Your Majesty will forgive me for fighting side by side with me."

Hamsa sighed and tried to kneel down again.

The Albanian lords behind him looked at Hamsa who was struggling to survive with indifference, and they all felt a little lucky.

"Hamsa, you are loyal to your uncle, ruthless to the Ottomans, loyal to the emperor and fighting against the enemy, what crime have you committed?"

Isaac pulled up his arm.

"Now that Albania has returned to the empire, if you are willing to pledge allegiance to me, I will certainly not treat you and your family unfairly."

"Thanks to your Majesty's kindness, if you are willing to re-employ me, I will pledge allegiance to you and your legal heirs in the name of the ancestors of the Castrioti family. The Holy Father will witness my oath!"

Color burst out of Hamsa's dull eyes, and the lords behind him looked grim.

After Skanderbeg's death, they thought that the Castrioti family was about to decline, so they secretly made a lot of small moves to encroach on Skanderbeg's fields and subjects.

Now judging from the emperor's intention, Hamsa will be reinstated. The prestige of the Castrioti family in Albania is very high, and their little moves will definitely bring hidden dangers.

"In this case, Hamsa from the Castrioti family, under the watchful eyes of the Holy Father, I appoint you as the Count of Kruye. The Kruye Castle and the surrounding lands belong to you, and it will be hereditary for generations."

Isaac drew his sword and gently placed it on Hamsa's shoulder.

"In return, you and your heirs must pledge allegiance to me and my descendants, obey our orders, respond to my call, guard the borders for me, and conquer those who disobey."

"It must be respected!"

Hamsa knelt on one knee and kissed the family ring on Isaac's hand.

After consecrating Hamza, Isaac turned to the lords behind him.

"I know that you took advantage of the decline of Castrioti to seize many of their properties. Considering your contributions in the war, I will forgive you for what happened before."

Isaac walked slowly and came before the lords.

"From now on, you are forbidden to fight with each other, and you are forbidden to seize each other's land. If there is any inheritance dispute, it must be reported to the central government of the empire!"

When the lords saw that Isaac was not going to help the Castrioti family take back their land, they couldn't help but smile and nodded in agreement.

On July 1463, 7, Isaac crowned the Albanian lords in Sfax, including two earls and five barons.

Most of the territories of these small lords were in mountainous areas, and the richest Albanian coastal plains were directly under the jurisdiction of the Albanian Military District.

According to the agreement, the lords pledged allegiance to Isaac and paid their usual taxes to the central government, which then handed them over to the military district commander, Maruna.

During wartime, Maruna, with permission from the central government, has the right to temporarily recruit lords to jointly resist foreign invasions.

This semi-feudal military district model was not created by Isaac. A similar organizational structure existed during the Komnenian dynasty. Its advantage is that it can integrate all the forces of the military district in a shorter period of time. Its disadvantage is that it can easily lead to the growth of local forces.

Of course, Albania is a country with dense mountains and hills, insufficient arable land and a sparse population, so this is unlikely to happen.

After that, military districts in remote areas will adopt this model.

After a round of inspection, Isaac rode back to Carthage at full speed. Before he could even take a sip of Irish whiskey, he was disturbed by the captain of the guards.

"Your Majesty, this is from Count Maruna."

"Oh? Didn't the war report come in a few weeks ago? What's this?"

Isaac looked at the thick file bag on the table, feeling a little strange.

After opening the file bag, what came into view were more than a dozen complicated design drawings, marked with Latin and Arabic numerals and printed with the Golden Lion of St. Mark of the Republic of Venice.

The design drawings are very complex, and each component has obviously been carefully designed. The draftsman who drew the drawings has the demeanor of a master, and each stroke shows a unique sense of beauty and power.

Along with the drawings came a text message, the crude handwriting on which was clearly from Maruna.

The letter said that the Venetian mercenary marshal Colleoni had already evacuated Albania and borrowed a lot of food and weapons from Maruna before leaving. This blueprint was his exchange.

It is said that Colleoni treasured this drawing very much and gave it to Isaac in order to improve their relationship and facilitate subsequent cooperation.

It was Isaac's idea to borrow food and military supplies from Colleoni. After this battle, the contradiction between Colleoni and the Doge of Venice will deepen, and the rift between the mercenary leaders and the wealthy nobles will also widen.

As a veteran who is good at making money and strong in diplomacy, Colleoni will definitely not surrender. The elite mercenaries are his best support.

Even Isaac would be envious of the property of nearly one million ducats, let alone the Venetian government which was in a financial crisis.

As the central authority of Venice weakened, Colleoni might well take the opportunity to rebel and follow in Sforza's footsteps.

Military tyrants were a characteristic of all republics from Rome to Milan to Venice, and they had to be tasted.

It is very intriguing that after leaving Albania, he did not return directly to Italy, but instead went to Dalmatia.

After reading Maruna's text message, Isaac became more and more interested in the blueprint. Something that even the wealthy man Colleoni felt was precious must be something extraordinary.

Putting down the text message, Isaac spread out the drawing, which was divided into more than a dozen parts, on the floor and assembled the various parts with his knowledge of cartography.

After the last piece of the puzzle fell into place, Isaac wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked carefully. An unparalleled giant battleship came into view.

This battleship was extremely large, far larger than any warship Isaac had ever seen in his life. There were dozens of cannons densely packed on its sides. It was unprecedented in scale and powerful in firepower.

Isaac looked carefully and found the inscription of the warship on the hull, which was not in Latin but in Arabic.

"Cairo's Star?!"

(End of this chapter)