Some notes:
As of right now, this timeline consists mainly of Yammanka history. Much the way Western history is often held up as the standard of civilization on Earth, Yammanka history is treated with an elevated level of importance across Duna. The timeline below is representative of what the average Dunian child would learn in their history class (with a few additions).
Yammanka history is divided into five eras (excluding the mythic times that predate Duna’s year zero): The Age of Seeds (roughly 0 – 1000 YSP), The First Empire – the Biraye Dynasty (the 1000s (976 – 1998)), The Hundred Kingdoms Period (the 2000s & 3000s (1998 – 3897)), The Second Empire – The Wagadu Dynasty (the 4000s (3897 – 5242)), and The Modern Era (the 5000s (5242 – present))
Dunian year zero is Earth year 3377 BCE. So, if you want to calculated one way or the other:
Dunian year = Earth year + 3377
Earth year = Dunian year – 3377
The letters YSP stand for ‘years since planting.’ The letters YBP stand for ‘years before planting.’
Last, if you think parts of this timeline are vague and incomplete, you are correct. Certain events have been omitted to avoid spoilers. Others (like the bulk of The Second Empire) are still under construction.
MYTHIC TIMES
Approximately 5000 YPB – The primordial god, also called the Eternal One or the Dunari, creates and begins to refine human life through trial and error
THE AGE OF SEEDS (0 – 1000 YSP)
0 – The Planting – Kiye and Nyaare plant the eight seeds of humanity in central Kelendugu, two baobab seeds in the west, two acacia seeds in the south, two mangrove seeds in the east, and two sycamore seeds in the north. A pair of twins is born from the each of the first four seeds, the woman Kri and the man Sura from the first baobab seed, the man Bemba and the woman Sibi from the second baobab seed, the man Nege and the woman Joya from the first acacia seed, the woman Nyanga and the man Chaka from the second acacia seed. In her eagerness to reach the living world, the creature Sayaa tears out of her pod too early, killing her twin and poisoning the other sycamore seed with death.
8 – The Great Fire – the Falleke attempts to purge the world of Sayaa’s twisted offspring with fire. Bemba sacrifices his own body to protect the unborn mangrove seeds from the flames. To protect her children, Kri tames the fire through sheer willpower, becoming the first tajaka.
9 – The Great Flood – moved by Sura’s song imploring them to end the fire, the Falleke send rain that fills every corner of the world. Nourished by the floodwaters, the mangrove seeds burst open. The man Nagi and the woman Madugu emerge from the first seed. The woman Nami and the man Nnyan emerge from the second seed. Nami and Nagi transform themselves into giant fish to bear the others above the rising waters. As the water recedes, Nami and Nagi swim east, carving the regions two major rivers with their bodies.
10 – The First Council – at the site of Bemba’s sacrifice, Kri divides up the lands and duties among the remaining human ancestors and their offspring, with some staying to farm the land and others venturing forth to find new lands.
11 – The Eighth Seed – the man Kaba and the woman Kurun are born from the second sycamore seed.
12 – the Biraye line begins with the children of Bemba and Kri
25 – Great Abtya founded in the lands east of Yamma
FIRST EMPIRE (the 1000s (976 – 1998))
976 – Xuusejo – Gunjura and Yittinka discover the Well at the heart of the First Empire
1009 – The First Empire officially begins with Gunjura and Yittinka’s son, Dingana Biraye, who conquers all the neighboring peoples and unites them under a single rule of law
1010 – the First Book of Truth is written
1992 – Prince Makamadi Biraye kills the Biida serpent, causing drought, famine, and widespread panic. The Biraye Dynasty begins to crumble under the pressure of foreign incursion and internal turmoil
1998 – The First Fall of Yamma
THE HUNDRED KINGDOMS PERIOD (the 2000s & 3000s (1998 – 3897))
2000 –the Hundred Kingdoms Period begins – Yamma breaks into many small clan-based village kingdoms
2800s – the first clans in northern Kelendugu (the most prominent being the Suna) have taken up metalworking as an exclusive specialization, making iron weapons and tools
3020s – nomadic kabaka and senjaka middlemen facilitate trade between major city states in northern Kelendugu the Yammankalu (most notably the ancestors of the Wagadu and Kende) have started successful rice cultivation as well as other forms of agriculture
3231 – a group of invaders described by jaseliwu as an ‘Army of the Dead’ (thought to be invaders from Hades) enters Kelendugu from the north, causes a stir, is repelled
3600s – 3800s – this period sees the rise of several affluent Yammanka city states (notably Biraye, Wagadu, Kende, Biida, Zankare, and Kiita)
3885 – a Suna king thought to have unnatural magical abilities comes to power in the north. In the subsequent years, the Suna King conquers many neighboring people, becomes infamous for his cruelty, and declares war on the nearby Yammanka city states
3893 – The Suna Wars – a hero from the Wagadu city-state unites the four old Yammanka clans (Biraye, Biida, Kende, and Wagadu) along with many lesser clans, and fights the Suna King for control of the region in a war that lasts four years
SECOND EMPIRE (the 4000s (3897 – 5242))
3897 – Foundation of the Second Empire – having defeated the Suna King, the Wagadu hero unites the clans of Yamma, establishes and standardizes kafonu, and becomes the first to rule over an empire of united Yammanka city states. This marks the beginning of the Wagadu Dynasty
4470 – Age of Colonialism begins – as Kelendugu’s population increases, Yammanka and Sizwean and Abtyan cities become overcrowded, and the continent runs low on resources, all three countries begin to send out troops and expeditions to subjugate new lands and exploit their resources. Falleya ideology shifts dramatically to justify Yammanka colonialism
4500s – Age of Queens – following the death of the male heir to the Yammanka throne, several queens (beginning with Queen Sansuma Zankare) fight one another for control of the Empire in a series of wars that fundamentally alter Yammanka gender politics and systems of succession
4550s – Fall of Banta – the last of the non-Yammanka kingdoms in western Kelendugu, including the powerful Banta Empire, are defeated and absorbed into Yamma
5153 – Abirian Revolutionary War – a coalition of Abirian tribes calling themselves the Longhouse Confederacy rebel against Yammanka control, are defeated
5261 – 5242 – the Gender Wars – a bloody Yammanka civil war marks the last stand of the old Yammanka patriarchy against the new matriarchy
MODERN TIMES (the 5000s (5242 – present))
5276 – a fanatical group of religious nationalists in Hades calling themselves the Chosen Army start a rebellion against Yamma and Falleya, believing their indigenous god will protect them from tajaka fire
5277 – Queen Bryttoria, a Lindish tribal leader, revolts against Yamma, allying her forces with the Chosen Army in a last stand against the Yammankalu. The Chosen Army, Queen Bryttoria, and all her soldiers are cornered in the Valley of Daniel and burned to death
5277 – the first Kelenduguka attempt at naval warfare against the Kaigenese is a disastrous failure – the Kaigenese Empire easily defeats a series of Yammanka and Sizwean naval attacks, drowning thousands and retaining control of the Taiyang Islands
5278 – the last of the Lindish uprisings is crushed, Linford and the remaining Hadean kingdoms are annexed by the Yammanka Empire
5283 – Yammanka Men’s Rights Movement begins
5286 – Carythian and other Baxarian unions form in opposition to Yammanka and Sizwean colonial domination
5287 – major revolutions across the Baxarias
5288 – First Ranganese Rebellion – several predominantly-fonyaka provinces in the western and central parts of the Kaigenese Empire band together in an attempt to overthrow the jijaka-dominated Kaigenese government, are defeated by the Imperial Kaigenese Army
5290 – Namudana Tirama born in Yamma
5291 – The Keleba – Daybreak principal Oyeda Biida is killed by a mysterious electric surge thought to be the work of fonyaka assassins. The alleged assassination prompts Yamma to align with the Kaigenese Empire against the Ranganese revolutionaries. In Baxaria, Yamma defeats Sizwe for control of Malusia and presses to take other Sizwean colonies. In retaliation, Sizwe aligns with Abirian rebels. Abtya aligns with Yamma
5293 – Kante Kuruma born in Yamma
5296 – Abirian-Yammanka Keleba veteran who served in Ranga takes the name Broken Spear and founds the Jamu Kurankite
Relevant events in the lives of Theonite’s main characters:
5323 – Aaron Alexander is born in Livingston, Carytha
5328 – Suraya Kuyasse is born in Kolunjara, Yamma
5331 – Kante Kuruma and Namudana Tirama begin the Yammanka Kafoka Rights Movement
5335 – Koli Kuruma is born in Yamma
5336 – Rakesh and Rahim (later called ‘Robin’) Thundyil are born in Disa
Tsusano Misaki is born in Shirojima, Kaigen
Elleen Elden is born in Lynford, Hades
5340 – Ranganese-Disanka border disputes flare into armed conflict
5341 – Rakesh and Rahim Thundyil are orphaned in the Ranganese-Disanka border war
5345 – Dayo Yambi is born in Livingston, Carytha, on the 5th of Sansumakalo
5347 – Shumba Sekhmet is born in Livingston, Carytha, on the 12th of Sayakalo
5349 – Rakesh Thundyil, Robin Thundyil, Tsusano Misaki, Elleen Elden, and Koli Kuruma all start their first year at Daybreak Academy at age 13
5352 – Suraya Kuyasse leaves Kolunjara for Carytha at age 25
5353 – Rakesh Thundyil, Robin Thundyil, Tsusano Misaki, Elleen Elden, and Koli Kuruma all graduate from Daybreak Academy at age 17
Suraya Kuyasse starts working for the Thundyil twins
5354 – Tsusano Misaki is engaged and married to Matsuda Takeru
5355 – Matsuda Mamoru is born to Misaki and Takeru in Shirojima, Kaigen
5363 – Sadiki Tirama is born in Yamma
5365 – Matsuda Hiroshi is born to Misaki and Takeru in Shirojima, Kaigen
Makamadi ‘Maadi’ Biraye is born in Yamma
Siya Wagadu is born in Yamma
Naxato Kende is born in Yamma
Alexis Chiba-Heidrich is born in Carytha
5366 – Robin Thundyil and Elleen Elden go to Hades
Ethica Sekhmet is born in Livingston, Carytha on the 22nd of Sayakalo
5367 – Matsuda Nagasa is born to Misaki and Takeru in Shirojima, Kaigen
5369 – Daniel Thundyil is born to Robin and an unknown woman in the Valley of Daniel in Linford, Hades
Lucian and Leah Elden are born to Elleen and Uther in Linford, Hades
Matsuda Izumo is born to Misaki and Takeru in Shirojima, Kaigen
A group of elite Ranganese soldiers attacks Kaigen’s Shirojima islands, but is stopped by civilian fighters at the Kusanagi Peninsula
Robin Thundyil and Elleen Elden flee Hades with their newborn children
5374 – Shumba Sekhmet kills his family
5378 – Makamadi ‘Maadi’ Biraye, Siya Wagadu, Alexis Chiba-Heidrich, Naxato Kende, and Matsuda Hiroshi all start their first year at Daybreak Academy at age 13
5380 – Matsuda Nagasa starts his first year at Daybreak Academy at age 13
5382 – The events of Planet Adyn and Orbit begin…