Shu Han is a nation bordered to the north by Ravka and to the west by Kerch, which it is connected to via land bridges. To Ravka's government, the Shu are known for their scientific advancements and inhumane treatment of Grisha.
Shu Han has been at war with its northern neighbor Ravka for centuries.[1] Before the Taban queens, a cruel and incompetent king ruled Shu Han, and he commanded many wars. However, the troops were depleted and the country was left vulnerable. The king sent Sankt Kho's newly made clockwork soldiers to claim territory and destroy cities, until they became overly destructive and were defeated by Sankta Neyar. The king fled the country, and since then, Shu Han has been ruled by queens.[2]
Shu Han dissects and experiments on Grisha in search of the source of their power,[3] some even believing the source to be a Grisha's spleen.[4] The scientist Bo Yul-Bayur created the drug jurda parem, but feared the Shu government's use of the drug and attempted to seek asylum in neighboring Kerch.[5] By dosing Materialki with parem, the Shu government combined Grisha steel and ruthenium to human bone to create human weapons known as khergud to capture more Grisha for experimentation. The khergud program was created by Queen Makhi Kir-Taban along with her adviser and physician, Minister Yerwei. The recruitment of soldiers to become khergud was called the Iron Heart Program.
Geography[]
The Sikurzoi is a large mountain range that borders Shu Han to the north.[6] It prevents Ravkan armies from mounting an attack.[7] The southwest region is composed of plateaus, forests, and plains,[citation needed] and is bordered by the sea with rocky coasts.[8] In the outskirts of Ahmrat Jen is the valley of Khem Aba, known for its farming and ranching. It also features several canyons.[9]
Climate[]
Shu Han resides in a state of perpetual summer. Even when its northern neighbor Ravka is in winter, Shu Han remains warm and sunny.[10]
Settlements[]
Ahmrat Jen - the capital city and home to the Shu royal family, as well as a monastery of assassins.
Bhez Ju - a port city which appears to hold laboratories used to produce jurda parem.
Koba[11] - a city next to a swamp near the border between Ravka and Shu Han where Grisha are sold to mercenaries or Shu scientists/mediks.
The color blue is traditionally worn as a sign of mourning.[10] The Shu seem to value the color green, as well as falcon imagery, taken from the original Taban queens who tamed falcons from the mountains of the Sikurzoi. The original Taban queens were called the Taban yenok-yun, “the storm that stayed”.[10]
Religion[]
Though a religion has yet to be specified, the Darkling references having seen temples in Ahmrat Jen. The Six Soldiers, the sacred protectors of Shu Han, may feature in Shu religion. Sankta Neyar is one of the Six Soldiers; her temple is located in Ahmrat Jen.[14]
Government[]
The Shu are ruled by the Taban family, one of which is Nikolai's ex-fiancée, Ehri Kir-Taban. She is beloved by the people of Shu Han. It is a matriarchal monarchy, meaning power is usually passed to the eldest daughter, although the reigning queen can make an exception, as seen with Keyen Kir-Taban bypassing her oldest daughter, Makhi, to name Ehri her heir. The current queen is Leyti Kir-Taban after she rescinded her granddaughter's blessing and claimed the throne after she learned about Makhi's plans and the Iron Heart Program.
Shu surnames are not family names; rather, surnames are derived from one of the parents' given names (e.g. Bo Yul-Bayur's son, Kuwei, does not receive his father surname, Yul-Bayur ("son of Bayur" in the Shu language), but Yul-Bo, "son of Bo.") The only exception is the royal family who are named after the first queen, Taban.
The names Bayur and Bataar are common Mongolian names, while Kuwei seems to be Chinese.[citation needed]
Alina holding Shu hanafuda cards
In the Netflix adaptation, Shu sailors are seen playing with a version of traditional Japanese playing cards called hanafuda ("flower cards").[17] These cards are traditionally used in Japan, Korea (known there as hwatu) and Hawaii, and they are tied with Nintendo's early history as a playing card manufacturer.
