Zulu Heart: Difference between revisions

Zulu Heart is an alternate history novel by Steven Barnes and is a sequel to the book Lion's Blood.

World of Lion's Blood

The story is set in an alternate history world where Islamic Africa is the dominant world power, with colonies in Europe and the New World, commonly referred to by the characters as Bilalistan instead of America. The dominant nations are Egypt which is still ruled by the Pharaohs and Abyssinia which is controlled by a monarch known as the Immortal Empress.

Due to the destruction of Rome by Carthage and Egypt in 200 B.C., Europe remained largely tribal while Africa advanced technologically and culturally with steamboats, rifles and airships or "flying boats" by the late 19th century. The dominant Africans consider Europeans to be inferior and treat them as a source of slave labour. Southern Africa is controlled by the Zulus while the Vikings control much of Northern Europe and maintain a colony in the New World known as Vineland.

The Middle East is presumably Islamic-dominated though a Jewish state known as Judea is also mentioned to have been established by the Prophet Muhammad in 623 AD as part of a mutual assistance pact between Islam and the Jews. The Gupta control much of India while China is ruled by Emperors and apparently has a colony on the New World's western coast. Much of modern day Mexico is ruled by the Aztecs while Native Americans compete with the African immigrants.

On a map of Bilalistan shown in the book, Bilalistan is divided into four provinces which include: New Alexandria, New Djibouti, Azania and Wichita. Most of the story takes place in Dar Kush in New Djibouti, around where the real world state of Louisiana lies. It is also mentioned that the African settlers have driven the Native Americans out of their territories as the European powers had done to the native populations from the 19th century. To the south lies the Aztec nation of Azteca which fights with Bilalistan.

Christianity is also mentioned in the novel though it failed to become a dominant world religion, with the majority of its followers being Europeans. Without the influence of Rome, Christianity is much more divided between traditional and Gnostic thought over whether Christ was divine or merely a man. The Gospel of Mary is also an important part of the Christian beliefs.

History

Following Alexander the Great's conquest of much of the known world, Alexander made himself the Pharaoh of Egypt following a vision of Pharaoh-hood after he had lost his leg. After the death of his first wife, he married a Kushi princess named Mesgana, who bore him twin sons. When his sons came of age, he set one as ruler of Alexandria with the other reigning over Abyssinia. Alexander eventually adopted the title of Pharaoh Haaibre Setepenamen which literally translates as "Jubilant is the heart of Re, Chosen of Amen". As in our timeline, Alexander's capital was at Alexandria which became the capital of Egypt. Over the centuries, history was rewritten to portray Alexander as an African to suit the dominant Africans(well I say history has been rewritten to protray Alexander the Great as a European to feed the hunger of white supremacy, to affirm the Europeans self-esteem and self worth).

In 200 BC, the combined forces of Egypt, Carthage and Abyssinia destroyed Rome, removing the last European power and paving the way for African dominance. For a thousand years the descendants of Alexander ruled much of the known world with Egypt ruling an empire stretching from Eastern Europe to India. Egypt and Abyssinia also created a major trade route along the Nile and immense networks of canals. By 420 AD, steamboats had been invented and were used to trade with other kingdoms in Africa. Eventually, most of sub-Saharan Africa was under joint Egyptian and Abyssianian rule.

With the advent of Islam, Arabic became the dominant language of that region. In 623 AD, Muhammad approved of a mutual assistance pact with the Jewish people which would lead to the establishment of a Jewish state Judea. With Muhammad's death in 632 AD, his followers fought among themselves as they did in our timeline. However, this was stopped by the intervention of Bilal, who in our timeline is known to be an Abyssinian who Muhammad chose as his muezzin, and was the first black convert to Islam. He rescued Muhammad's daughter Fatima and fled to Abyssinia, where they were protected by Mesagana, who had by then assumed the title of Immortal Empress, in the process angering the rulers of Egypt.

Fatima continued Muhammad's teachings and her form of Islam became known as Fatimite Islam which eventually swept through much of North Africa, resulting in a unified Islamic coalition against Egypt's royal house. In the end, Alexandria was defeated through the use of a disease carried by black barges which may be an analogue to the Black Plague. This disease eventually swept through Egypt and its territories in the Middle East and southern Europe. With Egypt defeated, the Abyssinians assumed control much of the earlier's former territories, giving rise to the Fatimite Caliphate.

Bilal would live long enough to see the fall of Alexandria and was thus revered by the masses as the last of the Prophet's companions. He saw that politics and religion had intertwined in the Old World and that the resulting chaos of that union were beyond repair. It was on his deathbed that Bilal received a vision from the angel Gabriel who told him of the existence of a continent beyond the oceans which would be the promised land, and that the masses should colonize it for their own.

By 1000, African Muslims explorers had crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the New World through the use of huge ocean-going steamboats. As the early European explorers had done, the Africans traded with the natives for gold and exotic fruits. The first cities to be founded were New Djibouti and New Alexandria. The explorers would move westward and would come into conflict with the native populations. When the last of these explorers had perished far west in the Mid West, their burial site became the location of the Shrine of the Fathers. By 1100, the Fatimites were trading with the Aztec/Toltec Empires though Bilalistan would only be officially colonised in 1700. In 1873, Bilalistan was engaged in a war with Azteca.

Society

Like the United States of America during the 19th century, Bilalistan's society is diverse with races as varied as Egyptians, Abyssinians, Yoruba, Zulus, Arabs, Moors, Europeans, Jews and Native Americans. The dominant Africans and Arabs form most of the upper and middle classes while the lowest and dirtiest jobs are taken by European slaves.

Bilalistan was originally a theocracy when first settled, though it had become a theocratic republic by 1863. The Bilalian ruling hierarchy consists of the Ulema, the religious body which is led by an Ayatollah, and the Senate, the political body which is ruled by a Caliph. Both organizations compete for control though all power lies in the hands of the Caliph, who is appointed by the Pharaoh of Egypt. The Senate is divided into a House of Lords and House of Commons.

Below the Caliph are four Governors who governs each of the four provinces of Bilalistan. These Governors are also assigned or appoint Wakils which rule fiefdoms within the provinces and are apparently part of the aristocracy. Arranged marriages are practised between the Wakils. Citizens, whether male or female, are allowed to vote though slaves have no citizenship and little rights.

The Bilalian hierarchy ranges from the Caliph and Ayatollah, the Houses of Lords and Commons and the Judiciary which create both religious and common laws. For laws to be passed, they must be accepted by majorities in both Houses which hold legislative power and the Caliph and Ayatollah whichhave executive power over the state. Common laws can be overturned by a two-thirds majority within the Ulema while religious laws can only be overturned by the Ayatollah and the Pharaoh. Whites are required to convert to Islam and take an Arab or African name.