Chariots of the Sun, Scions of Heaven
The Hindayan trace their lineage to the Ashvaraj, divine chariot-lords said to have descended from the Sun God Suraja. Riding golden chariots drawn by storm-wolves, they came from the far northern high plains in an age when the world was still young.
Their arrival brought both conquest and culture — they claim to have united the scattered tribes of the north under the first God-King, a being who could speak to the heavens. Over time, the blood of the Ashvaraj mingled with local dynasties, creating a ruling caste said to be “half-divine.”
Title: Surajatma (“Soul of the Sun”)
Claims direct descent from the first divine chariot-lord.
Wears a sun-disc crown that glows with a golden aura during ceremonies.
Believed to be an immortal soul reborn in each generation’s ruler — meaning the current Maza Kai is merely the latest incarnation.
Leads the southern campaign against the Tamilans, declaring it a Dharma-Yuddha — a holy war to reunite the fractured human realms under the Sun.
Language: High Hindaya (court tongue), Common Hindaya (market tongue).
Social Structure: Highly stratified —
Surajan: Nobility, claiming divine blood.
Ashvarathi: Warrior caste, charioteers and cavalry.
Vardhani: Artisans, scribes, poets, and temple-builders.
Kshetravans: Farmers, commoners, and laborers.
Military: Chariot warfare is sacred, a symbol of divine authority. They also field disciplined cavalry, elephants, and musket-bearing infantry.
Architecture: Marble palaces with onion domes, red sandstone fortresses, vast sun-temples with gilded spires.
Pantheon: Centered on Suraja, the Sun God, with celestial family — Moon Mother, Storm Brothers, Dawn Maidens.
Belief: The God-King is the earthly representative of the Sun; obedience to him is obedience to the divine order.
Rituals: Chariot races during the Festival of the Dawn, blood-oath sacrifices before campaigns, grand solar eclipses seen as omens from Suraja.
The Surajvahana Empire is in a golden age of conquest, pushing its borders southward. But expansion comes at a cost — vassals grow restless, and religious fervor may blind them to the dangers lurking beyond the Tamilan frontier.
The Surajvahana Empire is a layered power system:
Fertile river valleys and fortified cities of the north.
Directly ruled by Maza Kai through appointed Satraps (provincial governors).
Home to great temples, libraries, and the Royal Chariot Forge where sacred war-chariots are blessed by priests.
Law and order are strongest here — peasant uprisings are rare, and the Sun Cult is dominant.
Stretching south towards Tamilan lands.
Governed by Warlords (Ashvarathi-raj) who hold hereditary rights to rule so long as they fight the God-King’s wars.
These lords maintain private armies — often larger and more battle-hardened than the imperial standing forces.
Skirmishes, raids, and seasonal campaigns are part of life here. Even in peacetime, border forts remain garrisoned.
Frontier nobles often have mixed Tamilan ancestry, creating tension with the pure-blooded northern elite.
The Surajatma Priesthood wields enormous influence. They interpret omens, bless campaigns, and can declare a war “holy.”
They also act as spies for the God-King — priests are embedded in every warlord’s court.
In practice, this gives Maza Kai a constant window into the loyalties of his southern warlords.
The Tamilan frontier has a raiding season — after the summer monsoon when roads dry, warlords muster troops and strike south.
Officially, these are imperial campaigns led in the God-King’s name.
Unofficially, many warlords raid for personal wealth, slaves, and prestige.
Rival warlords sometimes fight each other in the chaos of the frontier.