The Imperial Library

There certainly were groups that avoided unification. The Kothri, Orma, Yespest, and Horwalli were all indigenous men close to the Nibeneans themselves (non-Nordic), and yet they remained independent from the Alessian revolution. And the actual coheison between the Colovians and Nibeneans is always called into question, even during periods of unification. We know that, following the Oblivion Crisis, the Nibenese were quick to install one of their own as ruler, but the Colovians just as quick to use their military might to bring the Niben back under Colovian leadership. As far as concerns the second and third empires, at least, the empires were very much "Colovian Empires".

When it comes to the Colovian-Nibenese conflict, I tend to think of it in Macedonian-Greek terms, really. The Macedonians weren't Greek, but were seen as barbarians, despite emulating much of Greek culture. Instead they proved to be the only force that could unite Greece and lead it to glorious empire.

Good call, the Kothri were actually one tribe I had in my mind. Not familiar with the others. Good comparison with Macedonians and Greeks. 

 you know whats funny confusing imperals and imperalist .........there are imperals...then the ones who are loyal to the empire and still called imperals ...

The Nibeneans went from enslavement to empire in almost no time at all. Since they would have had no legacy of independence, I don't see them resisting the new state that much. And Alessia was born nearby, to lead a movement that was Nibenean as much as Cyro-Nordic. We hear about Keptu in the ranks, etc.

But the Pocket Guide makes me think that they maintained cultural and economic independence in a big way, something that translated to political autonomy at times. I think a theme of Cyrodilic history is that the provinces do well when they work with each other in a rather competitive balance. Of course, it is interesting to think of the many Cyrodilic Times of Troubles as instances of Nibenean faithlessness that were ended by the vigor of stout Colovian strongmen.

Don't forget there was an era of history where Nibenay invaded Colovia, though.

The creation of the full empire actually happened over many years. The original Alessian Empire didn't include the whole of Cyrodil, and Colovia remained basically indipendant, I'd think a stronger centralized structure would need to develop when an empire expands. Following the creation of the Alessian Empire, Alessia created a new religious cult, which may have also led to conflict. Also Al-Esh (Alessia) hailed from one of my many human tribes present in Cyrodil at the time, so though the tribes may've come together against a common ememy in the Ayeilds, they did not necisserilly favor an empire or a large centralized state (state as in nation state).

How much the Empire (both the one existing throughout the games and the one created by Alessia) could be considered a nation state in the modern sense can be called into question though.

Though I do see modern ideas filtered into a more primitive society from modern writers, there is also a good eye to how most societies structured themselves in past eras. The people of an empire did not have to consider themselves part of that empire.  They were Nibenean or Colovian, or what have you. Not strictly Imperial or Cyrodilan. Who ever their leader bowed knee to doesn't matter much to them beyond higher taxes or what have you.

The tribes unified in war likely would have maintained that close relationship and Alessia, as the most powerful, could be able to use that to form a cohesive empire by negotionating with other tribal kings. Autonomy is not something that would be that important as long as folding under the leadership did not adversly affect them, and in fact benefited them.

Hmm, some good points though I think the reason why autonomy would matter for a group of tribes which had originally not belonged to a "kingdom" or "empire", is taxes. The only benefit I can see in the creation of the Alessian order would be security. During the empires expansion, would've probably increased and there's also the religious aspects to consider (the cult of Alessia and the creation on the 9 divines) that may also have caused conflict. When it comes down to it Colovian and Nibense culture seems to be the only clearly defined Imperial divisions but the Nibeny was home to multiple tribes, I'm not sure about Colovia, but I assume that the various tribes in Nibeny either were of common culture or synchronized, that seems to be a theme in the Nibeny (multiculturalism).

I assumed Nibenese were somewhat more inlfuenced by Ayleids/elves ( because the mage aristocracy of the Alessian Order originated from Nibenay), whilst the colovians are definitely confirmed to be influenced by nords. I also thought that during/prior to Ayleidic enslavement the peoples of Cyrodil where multiple and culturally diverse tribes, regeardless of nordic or ayleid cultures.

You could also assume the the exchange of slaves between ayleidic city-states would create a more common/identifiable breed of cyrodil. Post alessian rebellion, you could go further to assume that the chieftains of these tribes (possibly having grown incorporating other tribes) were the predescessors to the kings and queens of kvatch, anvil, bravil, etc.

As for the mulculturalism of Nibenay, it could be result of being enslaved by ayleids, but also by having elsweyr, argonia and the dwemer and dunmer as neighbors and having a wealthy merchant caste. Whereas Colovia doesnt like valenwood (because their elves) and has two nations of men on its frontiers.

     Lord of Souls strongly suggests the ancient Nibenese/Colovian rivalry existed well into the Fourth Era. The Elder Council, after Ocato's death, elected Thules the Gibbering mostly just because he was Nibenese and they favored that over a Colovian Emperor. That suggests to me that people still draw a strong distinction and have perceptions about a person's character based on where he was raised, even within the same province. It's not surprising, really.

     The most amusing and probably accurate aspect of this is that they probably felt a Nibenese would be easier to control than a Colovian. That goes back to the old stereotype about the effeminate, easily bribed Easterners.