Great Saint's Rising

The Great Saint's Rising (Phoenician: 弘聖起義, : Hóngshèng Qǐyì; Melkian: x), also known as the Southern Rebellion (Phoenician: 南亂, : Nánluàn; Melkian: ), was a massive and  in Hyperaustrea against the rule of the Consortiums of Hyperaustrea, who ruled the region on behalf of Fengjiang as a colonial venture. The Rising began in the form of a mass of thahar  in the Akura Mountains commanded by the supposedly  Kazimierz Sau Taung, now known as the Akura Uprising. It quickly erupted into further mutinies and popular uprisings across the whole of Hyperaustrea, formally coalescing under the banner of the Austral Kingdom of God with Kazimierz as holy monarch. The Rising lasted from 1 3 1870 to 27 7 1877, and was the second deadliest civil war in human history, ending with some 30 million deaths and massive societal and economic upheaval in Hyperaustrea.

The Rising was fueled by resentment of diverse origins, including widespread corruption in the Hyperaustrean ruling elite, erosion of Kaurissemite traditional values under Fengese rule, but primarily the economic depression borne from the collapse of the Muslin Bubble. The goals of the Austral Kingdom were religious, nationalist, and culturalist in nature; Kazimierz demanded for the restoration of a guided under the values of Occidental Kaurissem and the ousting of "pagan" Phoenician cultural influence in Hyperaustrea, especially calling for the abolishment of the perceived  Fengese order which was viewed to have caused the Muslin Bubble and its replacement by an  Kaurissemite social and moral order as directed by a pious Austral Kingdom.

Throughout the course of the seven year long conflict, Austral armies occupied and waged war across much of the upper and middle Werakura river valleys, establishing a power base emanating from the Kingdom's capital of Grzegorza - the purported site of Saint Grzegorz's martyrdom, ultimately devolving into total civil war as both Hyperaustrea and Fengjiang mobilized its militaries in efforts to decisively crush the rebellion. Despite its official position as a centralized and absolutist monarchy, the Austral Kingdom was in actuality highly decentralized, with Kazimierz holding limited control over the various practically independent rebel armies rampaging across Hyperaustrea which flew the Austral banner. Many Hyperaustreans joined the uprisings; however, many still remained in support of Fengjiang, especially the ruling elites and most importantly, a growing urban middle class which opposed Kazimierz's ascetic and quasi- proposals. This period of war was characterized by brutal violence by both sides: motivated by the religious and nationalist tendencies of those of both Phoenician and Australist leanings were common, as were  conducted by both sides as a result of the violence, to the point that entire cities have been sacked and depopulated in their entirety.

Weakened severely by its inability to affect a decisive victory against the ruling Hyperaustrean government and stem the pivotally continuous support (both economic and military) from its Fengese benefactors, the Australists would eventually be repelled in a series of major battles ending with its failure to seize the eastern Hyperaustrean capital of Nanszufu. The Ever-Victorious Army under Kazimierz's direct command would be wiped out in its failed retreat at the Battle of Samszu Pass on 27 7 1877, leading to the disintegration of the Austral Kingdom of God as succession disputes rendered the Kingdom a political entity in name only - Grzegorza would be seized and sacked barely a month later, the last rebel army crushed in 12 1881 in the subsequent mop-up operations.

The Great Saint's Rising has had a profound impact on Hyperaustrean history and culture. As the first avowedly Hyperaustrean nationalist movement, it served as the herald for later movements towards Hyperaustrean reform, directly resulting in the Fengese decision to end Consortium rule in Hyperaustrea and allow self-rule through the establishment of the Confederation of Hyperaustrea, as pronounced in the Hyperaustrean Charter on 29 3 1896. In Hyperaustrean both contemporary and modern, the Great Saint's Rising is viewed with respectful opposition, considered noble in its intentions for Hyperaustrean  despite its obvious faults. After an initial period of crackdown due to perceived connections to the Australist movement, Occidental Kaurissem would see a major revival as part of attempts to define Hyperaustrea's national identity upon the proclamation of self-rule, presaging the emergence of Hyperaustrea as the center of the Kaurissem faith in Capricornia in the modern day.