Anno Domini 830, March-18-April-12
POV of Dragomir
I watched as the Varangians kept talking while raising their mugs of beer to their mouths, until they finally stopped speaking among themselves, and Jarl Hjalmar fixed his gaze on me while running his hand through his beard.
''Welcome, Vlach… Basil has spoken well of you, and he has asked me to integrate you into the governorship, since you would be the voice of reason in these lands, as I assume many will not agree that we have been the ones to benefit from these conquests, even though it has been our brothers who have bled more than anyone to achieve them'' the jarl said, in excellent Greek, pausing at the end to look at his brothers.
''That is why, in addition to Basil requesting that you be granted the title of archon over your lands, I ask that you become the head of the Vlach thing, which must begin to function as soon as possible so we can hear their complaints and requests… and I also offer you a place in the althing as a member of this group, so that we can make decisions together and resolve conflicts, and in that way avoid many of the problems that are expected to arise from having people from different regions'' Hjalmar said.
''Thing? Althing?… forgive me, but those words are completely unfamiliar to me'' I said, smiling, yet confused by the terms.
''An assembly… similar to the senate used by the Romans… only this is more for understanding the complaints and problems of the new subjects. Considering that many do not speak the language, it is important that the hersir and the jarls, as well as the Vlachs and Rhomaioi, maintain good relations so that this coexistence benefits everyone, especially since we will have many projects ahead to carry out the infrastructure plan Basil has entrusted to us while he crushes the Franks'' Hjalmar replied.
''I see… so I must create… something like a senate among the Vlachs… with the other voivodes'' I asked, interested in this Varangian custom.
''Exactly… we must begin construction as soon as possible, and we will need all the support we can get, because we will have to mobilize everyone required… certain agricultural techniques will be applied, proven in Crete to be highly efficient… a few thousand of my people should arrive soon, and they will pass on these methods, which are expected to be widely adopted… many of my relatives present here will contribute, as they abandon their nomadic ways to settle'' he said, pointing at the group of Slavic chiefs, who began to nod, though I doubt they understood Greek.
''That is why you must depart as soon as possible… and coordinate with your people to organize the thing, gathering as many hersir as you can find who are capable of representing your people's interests, and once you have done so, begin listening to their demands, which must be brought before the thing, where they will eventually be presented to Basil for evaluation… but for now, what matters is that they cooperate with the construction and agricultural plan that will begin now that spring has arrived'' said one of Hjalmar's brothers, with a smile.
''I understand… I will try to take advantage of the fact that many voivodes are currently gathered in the city, since we were collecting part of the spoils that corresponded to us from the offensives after providing men to the strategos… so I will try to fulfill the request as soon as possible'' I replied, nodding.
''Excellent… once you have settled that, return, we will have more matters to discuss, and hopefully the althing will be ready by then'' Hjalmar said, making a gesture allowing me to leave.
I quickly left the fortress, letting the Varangians continue their bonds with the Slavs, as it seemed they had formed blood ties among themselves. It was clear the Varangians were not politically naive, they had aligned themselves with the largest group in the Carpathians, securing their power through Slavic numbers and their leaders.
It seemed they would not rule us as the Bulgars had… at least, that was my hope. Still, if they were willing to listen to us, they were not as bad, since the Slavs usually demanded tribute without question, and complaining was not an option, as it often meant having an army at your gates, burning your villages, or the khan's forces coming to take your fortress for failing to pay.
I did not take long to return to the camp, where all the voivodes were counting their gains, tallying captured armor, animals taken from the raids, and many items they planned to take back home.
I quickly tried to inform all the voivodes I agreed with, those with whom we had already discussed these matters, but many had already decided to take this issue to the court of Constantinople to demand their own thema, so the Varangian proposal did not appeal to them, no matter how reasonable it was. They were aiming high, so I was left organizing those who were willing to listen, mainly the voivodes closest to my lands and those I could influence.
While those with greater power and influence, far from my territories, continued with their own plans, I only managed to gather twenty six voivodes out of the more than one hundred who had come in support of Basil to claim their spoils of war.
It was not ideal, since the Varangians wanted the opinion of the majority, but given the circumstances, it was the best that could be done.
As the others began to depart to focus on sowing and preparing everything for spring, now that we would no longer be harassed by the Slavs, we had the opportunity to cultivate as much land as we had workers for.
The problem quickly became clear, we did not know what belonged to whom. Usually, one farmed as far as the Slavs allowed, because if they believed you had worked land that was theirs, it was common to find your fields burned or looted, and you would be lucky if you could even complain.
But now, no one knew where their limits lay. Was the land mine or someone else's? Did it belong to the emperor or the governor? All of that had to be defined, and that was exactly what we set out to do.
Not knowing whether the new land would be claimed by the Roman state, we simply divided it among ourselves, greatly expanding our territories, but reaching the clear conclusion that we had far more land than our populations could work, so we needed more horses and more laborers.
It was also agreed that we would likely have to request a tax exemption to ease the burden on our subjects and to fill our coffers for emergencies, although that also depended on how high the tax rate would be, as I hoped it would be fixed and not something that changed according to the mood of the tax collector.
All of that was gathered and sent to the althing, as requested, outlining our demands and how we had divided the land with our neighbors, as well as reporting the refusal of other voivodes to participate in the Vlach thing.
After settling a few more minor matters, we returned to our lands, as work had to be organized.
Before leaving, however, we received the good news that Jarl Hjalmar would grant around two thousand workers to each voivode who had participated in the thing, many of them Avar and Frankish prisoners, and in these times of labor shortage, they would make a real difference.
So we gathered our things and began our return to Dacia, traveling on horseback and transporting the Frankish and Avar peasants who had been captured and would now serve under our command.
In return, we were expected to accept the agricultural support that would soon arrive, as well as to conduct a proper census of the lands and create the necessary structures to maintain accurate records of how many people lived and worked in our territories.
So we marched back heavily laden with spoils and workers.
On our way back, aside from noticing that the settlements where the other Varangian jarls had established themselves were also beginning to build, it became clear that they were only small towns meant to control the surrounding fields, unlike the capital, where multiple industries were planned.
As we were about to reach home, we encountered a massive Varangian caravan. It seemed that as soon as the Dnieper had thawed, the route the Varangians used by river, they had begun to sail following Basil's invitation, and thousands or tens of thousands of Varangians were now marching to claim land in this region, so it appeared they would have a strong presence here.
Returning to my fortress and beginning the work of settling the Avar and Frankish prisoners, trying to make them understand their tasks, we started preparing the land, and after a few days they had already begun settling in temporary dwellings such as tents and huts made of mud and straw, while we started purchasing materials to expand the settlement near my fortress.
After a few days, a group of Greek and Varangian farmers arrived, the agricultural support promised by the jarls. They seemed to be experienced farmers from Crete, who knew all the irrigation and crop management techniques that had been developed there.
I had learned that Crete had become one of the most productive grain regions of the Empire since Basil had begun to rule there, so I assumed they were highly skilled farmers who would pass on their knowledge.
They explained how to divide the fields and establish systems of rotation and fertilization to extract the maximum yield from the land.
So we quickly set to work.
New trade routes with Rome began to grow, with caravans loaded with goods passing every day, no longer only those of the strategos, but also merchants trying to meet the enormous demand for construction materials in the region, due to the many projects underway.
At one point, I saw a massive caravan, heavily guarded by a thousand Varangians, pass by, and it likely carried a great amount of gold, as it was said to be used to pay wages and continue purchasing raw materials from merchants.
Thus the days passed, as I traded and coordinated with my workers to expand the settlements, trying to secure a Greek architect who could properly plan the city and perhaps construct an aqueduct to provide fresh water to my people.
During that time, seeing so many caravans gave me an idea, to impose a small trade tax that could help offset some of our costs, so I called the Vlach thing again, summoning all the voivodes to discuss the matter.
This time thirty two attended instead of twenty six, although most were still waiting for the decision of the Greek basileus regarding our future.
After approving the proposal, it fell to me to travel again to the capital to present the request for the right to collect a transit tax.
The journey there and back took several days on horseback, and I delivered the proposal to the althing, where I was told a response would come soon, as it was a matter that had to be negotiated with the basileus Rhomaion, since merchants would likely complain about the tax.
So, as I returned once more to my fortress, which was beginning to prosper, watching as the fields expanded and the herds grazed peacefully, while I continued working and administering the lands that had been granted to me, I received news that the basileus had rejected the Vlach request for our own thema, offering no explanation beyond a simple refusal.
Soon after, the other voivodes began, slowly, to enter the thing and take part in organizing matters.
It did not take long, however, for the first voivode to be removed from his position and stripped of his lands, as within days a group of four thousand heavily armed Varangians arrived and demanded that he surrender the lands under his control.
-----------------------------
If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
-------------------------------
Hello everyone! If you'd like to read chapters in advance, you can support me on P.a.t.r.e.o.n. Currently, there are 7 chapters available
without spaces
p atreon. com/Chill _ean_GUY
Thank you all for your support!