Andalusia

Andalusia is a sultanate spanning most of Iberia. It is the regional power and also, the most powerful country in Europe. Umayyad rulers of Andalusia also claim the title of Caliphs, making them the political and religious successors to the prophet Muhammad and leaders of the Muslim world.

As of 1444, the country is facing internal turmoil caused by the Andalusian Crusade.

Lore
The Iberian Peninsula was conquered by the Umayyads in year 711. The Berber and Arabic armies quickly defeated the weakened Visigothic Kingdom and brought most of Iberia under their control. Their triumph against the Visigoths encouraged them to march north, into the land of the Franks. What seemed like a promising military campaign turned into a complete disaster during the Battle of Tours. The decisive Frankish victory forced the Umayyad armies to withdraw from Francia. Their victory halted the Muslim expansion in Europe and led to an everlasting rivalry between Francia and the Muslim rulers of Iberia.

While the Umayyads in Iberia were consolidating their rule, the Umayyad Caliphate based around Damascus and Harran was overthrown during the so called Abassid revolution of 750. Most of the princes who were the descendants of the last Caliph were massacred in the aftermath of the revolution. Only the young prince Abd al-Rahman managed to escape the Abassids and fled to Iberia. There, with the help of those still loyal to the Umayyads, he managed to seize power and became the Sultan of Andalusia.

In 912, his descendat, Abd al-Rahman III became the ruler. His reign marked the beginning of a golden age for Al-Andalus. The country became the center of science, law and education. During this period, Abd al-Rahman III declared himself the rightful Caliph in the face of the falling Abassids. He also built the palace complex of Medina Azhara, was exceptionally tolerant towards the Christian and Jewish population of Iberia and was trying to keep good relations with other European powers.

The centuries following his reign were the centuries of prosperity and growth. Andalusia only faced minor conflicts against the Franks and the Christian Iberian Kingdoms in the north. This amounted to minor territorial exchanges and monetary payments. Al-Andalus did not experience any major conflicts, until very recently.

In 1443, the treacherous Franks and their subjects formed a coalition against Andalusia. With the blessing of the Pope himself, they crossed the Pyrenees and launched a crusade against us. The scale of the conflict was something that the region did not experience in centuries. The northern regions of Andalusia were devastated by the wrath of the crusaders. The crusade culminated in the Battle of Balansiyah, where our armies clashed with the Frankish army led by the Emperor himself. The battle turned out to be a disaster for the Franks. Both their Emperor and his son, the only successor, were killed. Losses on both sides were so heavy that this pyrrhic victory for Andalusia marked the end of the crusade, as both sides were unable to continue fighting.

Now that the fighting is over, we must recover from this disaster and hope for the better days ahead.

Missions
Andalusia has 32 unique missions dealing with expansion into Africa, fighting back the Franks and colonization.

National ideas

 * Traditions:
 * +15% morale of armies
 * +25% ship trade power
 * Ambition:
 * +10% goods produced modifier
 * Ideas:
 * Stand Against the Reconquista:
 * -15% fire damage received
 * Taifa Administration:
 * +100% vasal force-limit contribution
 * Alh Ulh Dhimma:
 * +3 tolerance of heathens
 * Legacy of Ibn Arabi:
 * -10% idea cost
 * Jund Settlements:
 * +15% national manpower modifier
 * -15% core creation cost
 * Expeditionary Sentiment:
 * +1 colonists
 * Al Awasim:
 * +10% fort defense
 * -25% fort maintenance on border with rival