The common era's ninth century was pretty quiet at home. In 805 CE, our still hereditary ruled government and large private institutions were organized into expansive bureaucracies - upkeep costs soared of course, but the increased facilitation of commercial and manufacturing activities led to an increase in both, especially in Bibracte. Durnovaria has been prominent due to its tendency for innovation and progressive thought, but make no mistake, Bibracte is still the center and capital of Celtia. Our most populous city at 1,051,000 residents as of 835 CE, it leads our nation in commercial activities, production activities, and cultural development.
Overview of East Celtia, 835 CE
There were a few international developments during the ninth century, most importantly the conversion of our Buddhist friends in Rome to a state endorsement of Hinduism. Their two southernmost cities, Rome and Cumae, both remain solely Buddhist, however every one of their other settlements all contain followers of the Hindu faith. With the populations of some of those northern cities growing larger than Rome, the official conversion was done to please the masses. Roman power was shifting north and off the coast of the Sulevia Sea, closer to their new religious allies in Egypt and India. Relations between the Celtic and Roman governments grew much colder nearly overnight.
Relations on the other side of the country weren't going well either. In 870 CE, a prominent pagan Celtic noble from Vandal married into a Greek family in Athens, and converted to Confucianism. Our citizens were quite displeased, and the uproar demonstrated to the Greeks how little we thought of their culture and religion, only increasing the tension.
Everything was not going well in Greece however, for Athens saw a major slave revolt in 890 CE. The city had to spend a handful of years sorting out the mess and returning their economy to normal. Thankfully, slavery only exists in small patches in Celtia, and none of it is state endorsed. Across the sea in Spain, Isabella recently adopted a vast, state-operated slavery system however. Maybe one day everyone will be able to live free...