ComStar Historical Archives

One of the great monotheistic religions of old Terra, Islam flourished among the inhabitants of the North African desert. These tribes, among them the Touaregs, Hausa and Fulani peoples, adopted a form of messianic Shi'ite Islam, and looked for the arrival of a figure called the Imam as 'Zaman, who would be the twelfth Khalif. As black North Africans, these peoples were looked down upon by the more mainstream Arabic strands of Islam and ultimately this discrimination led them to adopt ideas from the minor Khawarij sect. This sect held that the Imam as 'Zaman, rather than being a descendent of the Khalif Ali, could in fact be any devout Muslim, no matter his ethnic or cultural origins, provided he was considered fit by the rest of the believers. Over the years, as a result of their shared persecution and their survival of the great viral epidemics that swept Africa in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the Touaregs, Hausa and Fulani peoples gradually merged into a single entity and called themselves the "Azami".

Although humanity had begun spreading out from Terra in the 22nd century, for doctrinal reasons the adherents of Islam had not taken part in the settling of other worlds. When the tenets of Islam were finally reconciled with space travel, in the 25th century, and Muslims were permitted to travel to and settle other worlds, the Azami were among the first to take advantage. Preferring to settle hot, desert worlds that reminded them of their home territories on Terra, the Azami put down roots on a string of worlds in what is now Draconis Combine space. Among the worlds settled by the Azami were Tukayyid, Algedi, Camlann, Al Na'ir, Markab, Dabih, and Arkab. A number of small settlements were scattered through Federated Suns space, but the only significant populations that survive to the present day are located on Inman and Islamabad.

Due to their years of persecution and shared cultural heritage, the Azami were fanatically devoted to maintaining their traditions, language and religion. The greatest test of their resolve would come within the first hundred years of Azami migration from Terra. The Draconis Combine had recently suffered a coup which deposed the ruling Kurita dynasty and saw the rise of the cruel and secretive Von Rohrs family. Among the actions initiated by Coordinator Yama Von Rohrs was the conquest of the independent-minded Azami worlds. Combine forces descended upon the Azami, but this campaign would not last long. When the first Azami overtures were made to the newly-arrived Combine troops on Algedi in spring 2497, they were ordered to submit to the Dragon and give up their religion. Naturally, they refused and those unfortunate initial delegates were beheaded for their refusal. Military operations soon began. Though the Combine forces were better equipped and better trained than the Azami, the latter were able to keep their attackers off-balance through the use of quick assaults, usually at night and utilizing their greater knowledge of the desert terrain. But the most effective weapon possessed by the Azami wasn't their tactics or fanaticism, it was present in their very blood.

During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, several viral epidemics had swept across the African continent on Terra, usually travelling from south to north. The people who would become the Azami had, over the years, developed a natural immunity to many of these diseases and carried this immunity with them to the stars, unaware that while they were in no danger, they carried the seeds of these viruses in their bloodstreams. The invading Combine troops, however, had no immunity and fell victim to these tiniest of weapons. Six months after the invasion began, the first victims were discovered. The nastiest of the diseases carried by the Azami caused its victims' blood to congeal in their bodies. Infected from Azami bodies on the battlefield and in Combine torture camps, the invaders had no chance and their campaigns against the Azami were soon cancelled. The Azami themselves viewed this viral outbreak among the infidel Combine forces to be a sign from Allah and a warning to the Coordinator not to attempt the conquest of any Azami worlds. Within a few years of the failed campaign, the Von Rohrs family had bigger problems and no more attempts at conquest were made.

However, the Azami knew that they would not be able to stop another Combine invasion, especially as an antidote was soon developed that gave Combine troops immunity to the same viruses that had nearly wiped out the first invasion. Realizing that the development of this antidote indicated that Allah had seen fit to favor the Draconis Combine, Azami ambassadors were sent to Luthien six years after the death of the last Von Rohrs Coordinator. The new leader of the Combine was Siriwan McAllister-Kurita and she recognized the value of bringing the Azami into the Combine peacefully. A deal was worked out to grant the Azami limited autonomy on their own worlds in exchange for certain concessions. They were allowed freedom of worship and the right to live their lives by their ancient traditions. In exchange, they were required to take an oath of loyalty to the Combine and House Kurita and granted the Combine rights to the rich mineral resources on their desert worlds. This pledge of loyalty included a nominal adherence to the Dictum Honorium and a requirement to raise and supply three regiments for the defense of the Combine's borders. Azami warriors were trained as MechWarriors and equipped with light and medium BattleMechs, taking advantage of their preferred style of fighting, to form the Arkab Legions. By the terms of the agreement between the Combine and the Azami, they were to be considered close allies, not a subject people. This distinction, coupled with the ancient custom of taqiyya, which allows Shi'ite Muslims to masquerade as majority Sunnis in instances where to do otherwise could prove life-threatening, allowed the Azami to maintain their proud traditions while joining the larger society of the Combine. Eventually, the Azami came to see that the Dictum Honorium of House Kurita was not so different from their own traditions of honor and they adopted it as their own, with the proviso that the ISF would not look too closely at their faithfulness to its strictures. Furthermore, the traditions of the Imam as 'Zaman, the messianic twelfth Khalif awaited by the Azami, came to be blended with the near divinity accorded to the Coordinator by mainstream Combine society, even if only for purely diplomatic purposes.

Since the early 26th century, the Azami have for the most part been good allies to the Draconis Combine. During the first few decades of their relationship, there were some incidents, including a brief rebellion on Arkab in the mid-2600's that was sparked by the imposition of Buddhist and Japanese curricula on Azami schools, but the relationship has generally been cordial on both sides. The Arkab Legions are perhaps the most visible sign of this centuries-old alliance. While they have proven time and time again that they are loyal to the Combine, some within the military still harbor suspicions about them. Overall, however, the survival of the Azami as an island of diversity in the overwhelmingly sea of Japanese culture of the Draconis Combine serves as a symbol of the peaceful coexistence that can develop between differing peoples of the Inner Sphere.

• Sources Used:
• BattleTech Field Manual: Draconis Combine;
• House Davion (The Federated Suns);
• House Kurita (The Draconis Combine);
• Inner Sphere