Emirate of Crete
TL;DR – A small in-game decision (largely based on the Elevate the Kingdom of Mann decision) that aims to replicate the historical importance and power of the Emirate of Crete. Takeable by players and AI. Should be compatible with just about everything.
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Historically, the Emirate of Crete was a Muslim state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the reconquest of the island by the Byzantine Empire in 961. Although the emirate recognized the suzerainty of the Abbasid Caliphate and maintained close ties with Tulunid Egypt, it was de facto independent.
The founding of the Emirate can be traced to a group of Andalusian exiles led by Abu Hafs Umar al-Iqritishi who conquered Crete sometime c. 824 or 827/828, and established an independent Islamic state. The Byzantines launched a campaign that took most of the island back in 842 and 843 under Theoktistos, but the reconquest was not completed and was soon reversed. Later attempts by the Byzantine Empire to recover the island failed, and for the approximately 135 years of its existence, the emirate was one of the major foes of Byzantium. Crete commanded the sea lanes of the Eastern Mediterranean and functioned as a forward base and haven for Muslim corsair fleets that ravaged the Byzantine-controlled shores of the Aegean Sea. The emirate’s internal history is less well-known, but all accounts point to considerable prosperity deriving not only from piracy but also from extensive trade and agriculture. The emirate was brought to an end by Nikephoros Phokas, who launched a huge campaign against it in 960–961.
Despite the power of the Emirate historically, in CK3 the Emirate of Crete is a weak power that is heavily outmatched by the powers that surround it. Essentially useless without an ability to raid, the Emirate merely sits on Crete waiting for the Byzantines to retake the island (which they often do with ease). I always found this distasteful, but after watching the Kings and General video on the reconquest of Crete by the Byzantines (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM_VDcJdQbQ) I was finally inspired to do something about it.
This decision, takeable by the Hafsids (both as AI or player-controlled) immediately on an 867 game start, gives the Emirate a large army, ability to raid as a Clan government, a small boost to Chandax’s development, and bonuses to raid speed and embankment cost, among other things. Please note that if you play as the Emirate, the army provided by the decision is comprised of non-replenishing special troops, so use what you are given carefully. Even if you dont play as the Hafsids, the AI will take this decision, often within a few months of the game starting, so Crete can still have an influence on the region without your direct control.
If you wanna play as an Islamic terror on the seas, or want a bit of an early game challenge as the Byzantines, or maybe just wanting a little bit more historically accurate representation in your games, then this is the mod for you. Huge shoutouts to TheRealUberEpicZach (Kingdom of Heaven mod) and TheGib (CTP and CNP) for their help in coding the decision, this mod couldnt have been completed without them. Also thanks to Atreides of Ave Maria for allowing me to use one of his decision illustrations in this mod.
Revisions:
Old revisions of this mod are available below. Click the link to download.
