Not only do I feel that Homeworld has Bible references but also chock full of references to Central Asian history. I suspect one of the Relic members to be a history nut, especially in the arcane spagetti history of Central Asia.
Kushans --- The most obvious is the Kushans, although now Relic seems to just want to call them Hiigarans.
The original Kushans were members of the Yuechi tribe living south of the Gobi Desert, most likely in the Chinese province of Gansu, west of the Chinese imperial capital of Xian in Shaaxi.
The Yuechi were a powerful tribe and the Chinese tried to recruite them to battle the Hsiong Nu from the Mongolian regions. The Hsiong Nu are better known in history as the infamous Huns.
In response the Huns attacked the Yuechi and the Yuechi were driven out of their homelands. Thus began a long migration from Gansu north of the Taklamakan desert and the Tarim Basin in the present day Xinjiang region and over the Altai mountains, then down to Bactria which was called Tai-sha, now Afghanistan. They defeated the Sai or Scythians, as well as the last remaining Greek kingdom (descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals), to set up the Kushan Empire. The Kushan Empire extended all the way to Pakistan and northern India.
Kushans fought alongside the Parthians against the Romans.
Ultimately the Kushans fell to the Kidarite Huns (White Huns).
Karan Sjet --- No surprise that many of the Kushan kings start with a "K" in their names such Kajula.
Turan --- Refers to a region from the Altai Mountains to present day Kazakhistan. Includes Uzbekistan, Kajikistan and Khirghizatan. Of course, these are now populated by Turks. The Yuechi-Kushans, in their migration, traveled in some of these areas.
Turanic raiders are a simple reference to the nomadic Turkish tribes in that region (Uzbeks, Uighyurs, Kirgiz, Kazaks, Tajiks, etc,) The Hsiong Nu, or Huns belong to the Turkish family. In their migration from Mongolia to Eastern Europe, the Huns travelled across the areas known as Turan.
Kharak --- While an Indian name, I think it best refers to the Karakhoram mountain ranges that range from Xinjiang autonomous region (Chinese Turkestan) all the way to Pakistan.
Kun Laan --- This sounds very much like the Kunlun mountain ranges which is south of the Taklamakan desert and Tarim basin. North of Tibet. To the west would be the Karakhoram mountains.
Fal-Corum --- It's the "corum" part that interests me as it sounds like the "khoram" in Karakhoram.
Clee-san --- "San" sounds like mountain in Chinese (Japanese kanji is san). For example, Kun Lun Shan. Clee-san sounds like Kun Lun Shan abbreviated to K L Shan.
-sa --- In Homeworld, it's used as a suffix to denote leader, like Kiith-sa. -Sa sounds like Shah, as in the titular rulers for Persia.
Diamat --- The Kushan ruling council, it sounds like the Diadochi, which are Alexander the Great's generals who rule and administered his empire after Alexander died. The Yuechi defeated one of the Diadochi ruling Bactria to set up the Kushan empire in Bactria.
Khar Toba, --- I found Khar Toba to be interesting as a reference to a lost and ancient city in the desert. North of Gansu is the nearby Chinese province of Ningxia. There in the Gobi desert, the lost city of Khara-koto was discovered. Kharakoto was the capital of the Xixia empire, founded by the Tangut tribe. Genghiz Khan wiped out the Tanguts and laid this city to waste, utterly annihilating its occupants. In 1908, a Russian archeologist made a wonderful discovery of this lost city, recovering several inscriptions using the Tangut language.
Taiidan --- It could refer to the Tai-shan mountain ranges or the Tai-sa, also known as Bactria which the Yuechi defeated. But I think it refers to the Han and Tang Dynasties. It should be noted that the Han Dynasty conducted systemic exterminations of various nomadic tribes who opposed them in their western territories. The Chinese have a love-hate relationship with the Turks, sometimes enemies, sometimes allies.
Talas --- Battle of Talas. Arabs and Moslem Turks defeated the armies of the Tang and their Buddist Turkish allies. This defeat hastened the fall of the Tang Dynasty and decisively destroyed the Chinese influence over Central Asia.
Vagyr --- Some refers to it like the Vikings, but it seems to be more like the Mongols. The Vagyr rose from the eastern fringes of the galaxy; the Mongols rose from the east. Like the Mongols, the Vagyr are normadic tribes, relying on speed and mobility. The Vagyr Crusade functions like a Mongol Touman or Horde.
The Mongols, who were disunited and scattered, were united by one man named Temujin, better known in history as Genghiz Khan. Manaan seems to be the equivalent of Temujin. As they lack culture, both Mongols and Vagyr would integrate other cultures and technologies for their own, as well as soldiers from the people they conquered.
The Mongols swept through Asia, conquering the Chinese and Turks. if we extend our analogies, the Vagyr conquered and assimilated both Taiidan and likely the Turanic Raiders along with them.
Sajuuk --- I thought it sounded familiar. Sounded like the Seljuuk Turks that ruled the Middle East and was among the highlight of the history of the Turks. They however got ganked by the Mongols.
got Macedonia proper.
:buddies:
George Lucas is prolly the best guy for doing this, TIE fighters for instance didn't have a name till the fans gave it one. Any developer who claims they 'thought of everything' is a liar..
