Ihano
From Almeopedia
Ihano [i ˈa no] was King of Verduria from 3264 to 3266, the second king of the Eleďe dynasty.
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Ihano’s accession
King Tomao died suddenly, without clearly establishing his heir. He left two children: Ihano was just 17, and widely considered incompetent; his sister Elena was 21, and considered a shallow coquette. The Esčambra debated the succession; many pushed for a new dynasty, perhaps under one of its own leaders such as Belnear Culán, the marquis of Irvesi; perhaps under a descendant of the Arcalnei. Some old Acorns proposed the Zeiri marquis of Caledo, while many Eleďi supported Lukano Ihtüec, a nephew of Tomao’s and his Minister of the Exchequer, a very strong man.
The stronger candidates were too associated with their factions; the only neutral choice was Ihano. His sister was not only seen as immature, but as too zealous an Eleďe. Being the eldest, she was naturally miffed at being passed over, and lost no opportunity to criticize her brother during his reign.
Irvesi’s supporters couldn’t get him elected king, but they could keep Ihano out unless they were appeased. Irvesi thus became minister of the Exchequer (sanno i soa Kunaša), then the most important position in the Konselora. No one really expected him to be a great success, but with a bit of luck he should stay out of trouble.
Political meltdown
Irvesi’s position would have challenged a far greater statesman. He was a conservative southern pagan who had to work with an Eleďe king; indeed, his family were traditional opponents of the Lords of Verduria— one of his ancestors had assassinated Caleon. He was an intelligent man, but this chiefly expressed itself not in cleverness but in disdain for lesser men. He especially antagonized the nouveaux riches— the merchants, manufacturers, traders, printers, and brokers of the city. They wanted a strong Navy, better roads, and free trade. And they wanted a voice in the Esčambra commensurate with their financial and social power. Irvesi saw nothing even worth discussing.
More pressing was the government’s cash crunch. The country as a whole was swimming in coin: as the cash economy revived, more money was coined, new sources of silver and gold were found, and old hoards of gold were returned to circulation. Prices steadily inflated; but the government’s sources of revenue did not keep pace. Taxes and fees were set to fixed amounts; revenues were simply inflating away. The Esčambra’s pet solution was to raise tariffs and excises— that is, to hit the entrepreneurs at the expense of the landowners. This caused intense resentment, and even talk of revolution.
The landowners were no happier. They didn’t like the higher prices (which devalued their wealth), the stronger central government, the disestablishment of paganism; and when Irvesi did nothing to reverse these ills they turned their dislike on him. Active rebellion broke out in Sereor. Irvesi sent the army after it, and then found he couldn’t pay the soldiers.
The First Kebreni War
Increasing ocean trade brought rising tensions with the preeminent sea power, Kebri. Kebri took full advantage of its position: it excluded Verdurian merchants from its ports and (where it could) from foreign ports as well; it supported privateers who attacked Verdurian shipping; it tried to exert control over the littoral of Ismahi, which Verduria considered virtually its own backyard.
For years war had seemed likely, and the merchants even clamored for it— they were tired of Kebreni provocations, and knew that war would spur the creation of a strong Navy. Elena told the nation that war was God’s will. Ihano had the opposite word from God: “God has given you a commision of peace,” he told Irvesi. Irvesi hardly needed convincing; he could see that the kingdom couldn’t afford a war.
It got one anyway. On 13 vlerëi 3266, Kebri attacked the Verdurian naval base at Gulagór, east of Zeir. It was a rout; Gulagór was occupied. The Verdurian public was outraged, and the Esčambra demanded Irvesi’s resignation. He offered it, but Ihano refused to accept it.
For the remainder of vlerëi and most of calo, the Kebreni destroyed most of the Verdurian navy. Irvesi seemed paralyzed. He didn’t ask the Esčambra to raise taxes, or even to declare war. (The chamber took care of this last task on its own.) He had no direction for the generals and no inspiring words for the people. Observers reported that he spent most of his time at the Konselora table, staring at a huge map of the Littoral, making notes on it as aides brought in one piece of bad news after another. Twice a day he bundled up the map, walked over to the Palace, and gave a despairing report to Ihano.
On 24 calo, the country was surprised to learn that Ihano had abdicated in favor of his sister Elena, and that the new queen had— even before her coronation— dismissed the Marquis from his post.
The Esčambra was naturally suspicious, and in peacetime the coup would certainly have failed. But the country was in a war fever, and it wanted a sovereign who shared its feelings. Within a few days the Esčambra had approved Elena’s accession, and Irvesi retired in bitterness back to his marquisate.
Later life
Ihano found himself Baron of Arostrana, and under virtual house arrest in the Palace. When the war was over he was given more freedom, but Elena kept him on a short leash. Twice he served on her Konselora, without distinction.
By all report Ihano chafed at his restrictions, but didn’t particularly miss being King. He enjoyed privilege but never cared much for responsibility. His chief passion was horse racing; he raised horses at the Arostrana estate near the city, and raced them at the Estë Ďiecnáe in Verduria city. Elena never trusted him with any position of responsibility, though he was given some sinecures— he was patron of several learned societies, an emissary to unimportant nobles, a presence on do-nothing parliamentary committees.
After the disappearance of Queen Andrea the Esčambra briefly considered making him king again; he was only 54. But he had few supporters, nor did he encourage the idea. He died in 3312, on his estate.
| Preceded by: Tomao | Ihano 3264-66 | Succeeded by: Elena |
