alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
oh and by the way, make sure Sweden leaves the Kalmar Union and it's under Gustav Vasa. 
Alternate History NESes; Spout some ideas!
- Thread starter Amenhotep7
- Start date
das
Regeneration In Process
It didn't join the Kalmar Union, alex. In fact, Kalmar Union didn't exist.
That, however, makes it unlikely that the Vasas ever come to power... at least, the way they did in OTL. That said, ofcourse, they have fairly good chances of doing it otherwise.
In fact, Kalmar Union didn't exist.That, however, makes it unlikely that the Vasas ever come to power... at least, the way they did in OTL. That said, ofcourse, they have fairly good chances of doing it otherwise.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
just make sure the vasa comes to power don't ask why
don't ask why
das
Regeneration In Process
Uh-huh. Any propositions as to how should I rename the Ping?
das
Regeneration In Process
It doesn't sound right... Something to signify progress, perhaps?
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Chun?(note that's a translation on my behalf) Since in cantonese that's the first letter of the phrase progress...
das
Regeneration In Process
Hmm... Chun it is!
das
Regeneration In Process
1400-1500
In 1402... it begun. The Black Death entered Europe, devastating most of it as it went. It was Southern Europe that first felt this Plague. Rus was struck soon after; the very riverine trade routes which once made it prosper now brought plague all over Rus and into Scandinavia, and from there Plague struck hard at France and Germany. But this Plague wasn't completely a bad thing; it decreased overpopulation, caused social progress and also created incentive for better hygene and medical development.
England was in this time facing quite a quagmire. Individually it could beat Scotland, Ireland or even France. But as the three were allied (and as Ireland itself was also increasingly united under the Bruces of Ulster, especially after 1410 when William II signed the Treaty of Sligo with other local kings), England was constantly beaten back. And it had no viable allies, neither - Aragon was plagued by civil war and even after it ended in 1418 Aragon remained highly unstable and much-weakened. Western Mediterranean was dominated by the relatives of the French king, Henri III (r. 1398-1444, known as the "Spider King" for his capable intrigue that destabilized England and centralized France, and allegedly re-ignited the civil war in Aragon in 1411 just as it seemed already over). Luxemburgs were sympathetic to the English... but wouldn't dare move against France for the fear that it will expose their flanks to the Wittelsbachs. At least, that was how it was until 1453, when Richard II rose to power in England... though more important was the rise of Wenceslas I to power in the Holy Roman Empire two years earlier. The Luxembourg emperor, unlike the Wittelsbach ones, didn't seek to centralize the Holy Roman Empire, sensing it a lost cause. The Wittelsbachs themselves weren't too eager on that anymore, and the two strongest states in the Holy Roman Empire have signed an alliance. Luxembourg was now free to attack France, seeking Picardy and Flanders; the English themselves wanted to unify the British Isles and to capture Brittany. In 1453, the Second Breton War begun. The English landing in France was defeated, albeit coastal raids continued, but Irish and Scottish armies were beaten back. By 1460, English control, how ever uncertain and troubled, was finally established over Ireland and Scotland alike. France, meanwhile, fought well but eventually was defeated at Ghent. A Breton rebellion was supported by the English. France faced defeat and agreed to peace, ceding Flanders and Picardy to the Luxembourgs and Brittany to England; the English, however, still needed to fight numerous Irish and Scottish insurgencies of varying strenght well into the end of the century.
Oh, and about that Aragon? And all of Iberia for that matter? The Castillians expanded greatly during the short rule of Alfonso XII (r. 1429-1438) - by marriage, Navarre was gained, by a careful intrigue (started well before Alfonso's birth) war-struck Aragon was gained as well, Grenada was crushed and its Marinid allies failed to save it, facing naval defeat. But finally, Alfonso XII went to conquer Portugal, fulfilling an old Castillian ambition. He actually succeeded, and was subsequently crowned "Emperor of Spain", and then fell off from his horse and died. The integrity of his empire was, however, preserved by an enterprising regent. The Spanish expansion attempts in North Africa failed so far, however, and Spain hardly had any direction to expand into unhindered. Hence the development of naval technology in hopes to prevent stagnation by expanding into "Hindia", "Cathay" or "Mulanpy" (the latter being a completely mythical land about which Christian merchants heard from Arab merchants who heard it from Chinese merchants), economically if not... militarily. After all, Alfonso XIII's regent, Fernando, was not only very enterprising - he was also a bit of a crackpot, and rather naively (as is commonly thought) trusted an Italian navigator, Ciano Polo. Polo thought that the Earth was round, and by sailing west, a new trade route could be found to the Orient. And Polo did sail west, and found something, but more on that later.
The Baltic War was fought for eighteen years, starting in 1432. The Danish king, Abel IV, had an ambition - he wanted to unite all of Scandinavia, he wanted to conquer Sweden-Norway. He provoked a war with trade accidents and won victory after victory at first, capturing much of coastal Norway and besieging Stockholm. Chaos raged in Swedish countryside, whilst Russia allied with the Swedes and invaded Livonia. Danish military fortunes declined; Stockholm fell, but in the countryside a charismatic minor nobleman, Adolphus Vasa, led a great peasant rebellion against the Danes. Russian armies threatened Riga and Revel. The Danes were also attacked by a Luxembourg fleet and that of the Hanseatic League - the possibility of an united Scandinavia under Abel was... frightening. Eventually, Abel's armies faced defeat, and he himself was captured and took his life. Valdemar V came to power in Denmark - an able commander and diplomat, he managed to defeat the Russians at Riga, and eventually attained peace recognizing status quo but paying an indemnity to Sweden-Norway and withdrawing all claims on Swedish-Norwegian territory and thrones. In Sweden, a civil war started between the Magnussens and Vasas, the latter enjoying greater popular support; in 1448, Haakon X, the last Magnussen king, surrendered and thus the Vasas rose to power in Sweden. Valdemar V himself meanwhile bidded his time, rebuilding his army and making it one of the most fearsome ones in Europe. He negotiated a treaty of neutrality with Sweden-Norway and waited for Something to break in Russia after it refused to sign a pact of non-agression. Something broke in 1458 (more on that in Russia), and Valdemar V started his war with the Hanseatic League. Blaming it for inciting rebellion and placing atrociously harsh tariffs "on fellow Christians and their trade", Valdemar V's great army was unleashed on the cities of northern Germany. Luxembourgs were the only ones who actually sent help of reasonable size to Hansa, but Valdemar's pikemen, crossbowmen and hand cannoneers, forming one of the most modern forces in contemporary Europe, easily routed the heavy knights of Luxembourg. Valdemar put artillery to very good use, destroying the old walls of Hanseatic cities, and by 1461 most of German north coast with its commerce was Danish. There was no formal peace, but de facto this conquest was recognized five years later with a royal marriage between the Houses of Luxembourg and Atterdag. Valdemar thus held the keys to much of Baltic trade and large segments of North Sea one as well.
Albeit in 1487 the Wittelsbachs regained the Holy Roman throne, they no longer tried to trully unify the Holy Roman Empire. Instead, their interests were now concentrated in their own Grossenbayernreich, Greater Bavarian Empire which included Bavaria, Bohemia and Austria. They also had a northern enclave in Brandenburg, from which Bavaria was separated by Hohenzollern [Upper] Saxony. Luxembourgs, meanwhile, expanded deeper into Holy Roman Empire, controlling all of Rhineland north of the other important Bavarian enclave - Rhine Palatinate. The Luxembourgs also controlled or influenced much of Lower Saxony. Duchy of Lorraine was in 1466 succesfully acquired by France, which was undergoing a revival after the Second Breton War. King Francois II was ruling then, and the French cultural renaissance was in full bloom, spreading into Italy and Spain. As great palaces were built and major literary works were written, as sculptures and paintings were being crafted, the French also strenghthened militarily and politically, retaking Brittany from the English in 1492. Further south, the Anjous of Italy solidified their power in said peninsula, claiming Milan and Romagna. Thus basically Italy was divided between Venice, Anjous and the Pope - and the said Anjous elevated themselves to kingdom status as the Kingdom of Italy, under King Henri I.
Venetians, too, heard much of the riches of the Chinese, who frequented Egyptian Red Sea ports. However, all the Venetian attempts to capture Egypt and gain access to the said trade failed badly - the Crusader armies amassed with the Pope's grudging consent for this were routed, and the Venetian fleet was defeated at Abdoukir by the reformed Ayyubid fleet. Venice begun to stagnate.
Poland during this time didn't do much, but became an increasingly martial state which however didn't find a lot of enemies yet.
In 1402... it begun. The Black Death entered Europe, devastating most of it as it went. It was Southern Europe that first felt this Plague. Rus was struck soon after; the very riverine trade routes which once made it prosper now brought plague all over Rus and into Scandinavia, and from there Plague struck hard at France and Germany. But this Plague wasn't completely a bad thing; it decreased overpopulation, caused social progress and also created incentive for better hygene and medical development.
England was in this time facing quite a quagmire. Individually it could beat Scotland, Ireland or even France. But as the three were allied (and as Ireland itself was also increasingly united under the Bruces of Ulster, especially after 1410 when William II signed the Treaty of Sligo with other local kings), England was constantly beaten back. And it had no viable allies, neither - Aragon was plagued by civil war and even after it ended in 1418 Aragon remained highly unstable and much-weakened. Western Mediterranean was dominated by the relatives of the French king, Henri III (r. 1398-1444, known as the "Spider King" for his capable intrigue that destabilized England and centralized France, and allegedly re-ignited the civil war in Aragon in 1411 just as it seemed already over). Luxemburgs were sympathetic to the English... but wouldn't dare move against France for the fear that it will expose their flanks to the Wittelsbachs. At least, that was how it was until 1453, when Richard II rose to power in England... though more important was the rise of Wenceslas I to power in the Holy Roman Empire two years earlier. The Luxembourg emperor, unlike the Wittelsbach ones, didn't seek to centralize the Holy Roman Empire, sensing it a lost cause. The Wittelsbachs themselves weren't too eager on that anymore, and the two strongest states in the Holy Roman Empire have signed an alliance. Luxembourg was now free to attack France, seeking Picardy and Flanders; the English themselves wanted to unify the British Isles and to capture Brittany. In 1453, the Second Breton War begun. The English landing in France was defeated, albeit coastal raids continued, but Irish and Scottish armies were beaten back. By 1460, English control, how ever uncertain and troubled, was finally established over Ireland and Scotland alike. France, meanwhile, fought well but eventually was defeated at Ghent. A Breton rebellion was supported by the English. France faced defeat and agreed to peace, ceding Flanders and Picardy to the Luxembourgs and Brittany to England; the English, however, still needed to fight numerous Irish and Scottish insurgencies of varying strenght well into the end of the century.
Oh, and about that Aragon? And all of Iberia for that matter? The Castillians expanded greatly during the short rule of Alfonso XII (r. 1429-1438) - by marriage, Navarre was gained, by a careful intrigue (started well before Alfonso's birth) war-struck Aragon was gained as well, Grenada was crushed and its Marinid allies failed to save it, facing naval defeat. But finally, Alfonso XII went to conquer Portugal, fulfilling an old Castillian ambition. He actually succeeded, and was subsequently crowned "Emperor of Spain", and then fell off from his horse and died. The integrity of his empire was, however, preserved by an enterprising regent. The Spanish expansion attempts in North Africa failed so far, however, and Spain hardly had any direction to expand into unhindered. Hence the development of naval technology in hopes to prevent stagnation by expanding into "Hindia", "Cathay" or "Mulanpy" (the latter being a completely mythical land about which Christian merchants heard from Arab merchants who heard it from Chinese merchants), economically if not... militarily. After all, Alfonso XIII's regent, Fernando, was not only very enterprising - he was also a bit of a crackpot, and rather naively (as is commonly thought) trusted an Italian navigator, Ciano Polo. Polo thought that the Earth was round, and by sailing west, a new trade route could be found to the Orient. And Polo did sail west, and found something, but more on that later.
The Baltic War was fought for eighteen years, starting in 1432. The Danish king, Abel IV, had an ambition - he wanted to unite all of Scandinavia, he wanted to conquer Sweden-Norway. He provoked a war with trade accidents and won victory after victory at first, capturing much of coastal Norway and besieging Stockholm. Chaos raged in Swedish countryside, whilst Russia allied with the Swedes and invaded Livonia. Danish military fortunes declined; Stockholm fell, but in the countryside a charismatic minor nobleman, Adolphus Vasa, led a great peasant rebellion against the Danes. Russian armies threatened Riga and Revel. The Danes were also attacked by a Luxembourg fleet and that of the Hanseatic League - the possibility of an united Scandinavia under Abel was... frightening. Eventually, Abel's armies faced defeat, and he himself was captured and took his life. Valdemar V came to power in Denmark - an able commander and diplomat, he managed to defeat the Russians at Riga, and eventually attained peace recognizing status quo but paying an indemnity to Sweden-Norway and withdrawing all claims on Swedish-Norwegian territory and thrones. In Sweden, a civil war started between the Magnussens and Vasas, the latter enjoying greater popular support; in 1448, Haakon X, the last Magnussen king, surrendered and thus the Vasas rose to power in Sweden. Valdemar V himself meanwhile bidded his time, rebuilding his army and making it one of the most fearsome ones in Europe. He negotiated a treaty of neutrality with Sweden-Norway and waited for Something to break in Russia after it refused to sign a pact of non-agression. Something broke in 1458 (more on that in Russia), and Valdemar V started his war with the Hanseatic League. Blaming it for inciting rebellion and placing atrociously harsh tariffs "on fellow Christians and their trade", Valdemar V's great army was unleashed on the cities of northern Germany. Luxembourgs were the only ones who actually sent help of reasonable size to Hansa, but Valdemar's pikemen, crossbowmen and hand cannoneers, forming one of the most modern forces in contemporary Europe, easily routed the heavy knights of Luxembourg. Valdemar put artillery to very good use, destroying the old walls of Hanseatic cities, and by 1461 most of German north coast with its commerce was Danish. There was no formal peace, but de facto this conquest was recognized five years later with a royal marriage between the Houses of Luxembourg and Atterdag. Valdemar thus held the keys to much of Baltic trade and large segments of North Sea one as well.
Albeit in 1487 the Wittelsbachs regained the Holy Roman throne, they no longer tried to trully unify the Holy Roman Empire. Instead, their interests were now concentrated in their own Grossenbayernreich, Greater Bavarian Empire which included Bavaria, Bohemia and Austria. They also had a northern enclave in Brandenburg, from which Bavaria was separated by Hohenzollern [Upper] Saxony. Luxembourgs, meanwhile, expanded deeper into Holy Roman Empire, controlling all of Rhineland north of the other important Bavarian enclave - Rhine Palatinate. The Luxembourgs also controlled or influenced much of Lower Saxony. Duchy of Lorraine was in 1466 succesfully acquired by France, which was undergoing a revival after the Second Breton War. King Francois II was ruling then, and the French cultural renaissance was in full bloom, spreading into Italy and Spain. As great palaces were built and major literary works were written, as sculptures and paintings were being crafted, the French also strenghthened militarily and politically, retaking Brittany from the English in 1492. Further south, the Anjous of Italy solidified their power in said peninsula, claiming Milan and Romagna. Thus basically Italy was divided between Venice, Anjous and the Pope - and the said Anjous elevated themselves to kingdom status as the Kingdom of Italy, under King Henri I.
Venetians, too, heard much of the riches of the Chinese, who frequented Egyptian Red Sea ports. However, all the Venetian attempts to capture Egypt and gain access to the said trade failed badly - the Crusader armies amassed with the Pope's grudging consent for this were routed, and the Venetian fleet was defeated at Abdoukir by the reformed Ayyubid fleet. Venice begun to stagnate.
Poland during this time didn't do much, but became an increasingly martial state which however didn't find a lot of enemies yet.
das
Regeneration In Process
In the Balkans, well, it was a tumoltous time. After the Plague crippled the Hungarian state which was in loose hegemony over the region, the Bulgars begun to grow even more restless then before. The Hungarian vassals of the Asen dynasty were dying out anyway, but their demise was sped up by the 1437 by the impatient peasants. They found themselves TWO charismatic leaders - a nobleman, Matvey Matuski, and a Non-Reunionist (i.e. rejecting the reunion of the Western and Eastern Churches) Orthodox priest, Grigori Bashan, better known as Father Ioann. The new Catholic clergy, largely consisting of "defected" Orthodox priests, was not liked much in Bulgaria, where most of the population bitterly rejected the Reunion. The peasant rebellion resulted in a massacre of the said clergy and in the expulsion of Latinized parts of the nobility. Citizens joined the rebellion - Matvey and Father Ioann were a very charismatic duet, and soon enough they managed to organize a strong, if badly-organized and untrained army. With fanaticism, the Bulgar peasants and citizens armed themselves with swords, axes, bows and arrows and when they ran out of all that with blacksmith hammers, chains (this proved frighteningly effective) and cooking utensils, as well as agricultural tools. Also, guligrads, rolling wooden wagons, were adopted, mostly for the defensive action in plains of Eastern Bulgaria. Hungarian crusaders were routed at Nish, Constantinople was besieged and Matuski secretly acquired Ayyubid support in the form of a few brand new cannons - Sultan Al-Wahil was only too happy to arm some infidels when they wanted to kill some other infidels. Good business, beside that. Constantinople soon faced an Orthodox rebellion within and artillery bombardment from outside, and soon enough the ragtag Bulgarian army entered the city. A Venetian-Hungarian-volunteer crusader army was badly beaten at Trnovo, again underestimating the bravery of the Bulgarian rebels, but eventually managed to win the Battle at Salonika against the advancing army of Matuski. The would-be Tsar of Bulgaria died, and all seemed bleak for the rebels, if not for Father Ioann, who by then triumphantly was declared the Patriarch of Constantinople and declared the end of the Reunion, causing instability in Russia to culminate in the Russian War of Religion in 1458. Assuming command over the Bulgarian rebels, Father Ioann personally led them to victory, promising absolution of all sins for participating in the holy war against the "latinists" (OOC: note, warrior-monks, or rather general-monks were not uncommon in Medieval Europe. Notable OTL example a Catholic bishop named Konrad Piast, who personally crusaded against the Hussites). At Trnovo, the crusader armies were routed - heavily armored knights were captured en masse due to their cumbersome armor, and pleaded for their lives, but Ioann took no prisoners. Well, he did take prisoners to interrogate them and to only grant them freedom if they pay out a ransom AND convert to the Orthodox Church. To the honor of most knights, they refused, albeit a certian percentage of them did. At this point, in 1444, the crusades begun to run out of steam - not even the promise of complete, unlimited plundering opportunities lured many volunteers now, as Bulgaria became a byname for death. Father Ioann, surviving several Inquisition-organized asssassination attempts, besieged and took Belgrade; much of the Balkans outside of Greece were now his, all his. To formalize this, he had himself crowned the True Holy Roman Emperor in Constantinople. Bulgaria was now renamed the True Holy Roman Empire, albeit to avoid confusion most historians called it the Holy Byzantine Empire.
Holy Byzantine forces continued to win, eventually taking control of Venetian mainland Greece and of Hungarian Wallachia and South Slav provinces. Emperor Grigori-Ioann I the Holy (or Unholy according to the Catholics), founder of the Bashan Dynasty (which had firm hold in one person on both the Emperor's throne and the Patriarchate, merging the two offices effectively), died happy in 1464, the founder of a great empire. Which was only beginning to expand (OOC: an Orthodox Patriarch becoming an emperor is not all that unlikely. In much more normal circumstances this almost happened in OTL Russia in 15th century).
The consequences of the Bulgarian Crusades and the failure thereof were manifold. The Venetians and the Hungarians were weakened further - Venice lost its Crimean possessions to rampaging Tataro-Cumans, being cut off from them, whilst Hungary was thrown into a many-sided civil war between Angevin, Wittelsbach, Piast and Rurikovich pretenders - this war will be an on-and-off one, and during its the Hungarians will also lose Moldavia to the Holy Byzantines. Hungary was partitioned and reunited, and Italian, Bavaria, Polish and eventually Russian armies intervenned en masse. Mercenaries of the Catalun Company conquered Croatia for a while, but eventually were stamped out by the Angevins, who by the end of the century were beginning to gain an upper hand.
But the worst came in Russia. There, Non-Reunionist Orthodox priests persisted, especially in the northeast. In the grand city of Vladimir, using the youth of King Igor II, the pretender Gavriil, supported by the Non-Reunionists, used the growing instability to rise up, starting the Russian War of Religion in 1458 - this was the event that allowed Valdemar of Denmark to start his Hanseatic gambit. At the same time, Tataro-Cuman tribes smelled blood and besieged Kiev; they were only barely defeated. The Orthodox and Catholic armies clashed in the fields of Rus, and neither side could attain victory. Taxes grew sky-high to ensure funds for continued war. Peasants rebelled, opportunistic warlords appeared. Monasteries, already often fortified, now were often besieged and became genuine impregnable fortresses (OOC: in OTL, pretty much the same happened in the Time of Troubles. Monks with swords and crossbows often held off huge regular and irregular armies and even defeated them). Cities were being looted by both sides at the first opportunity. Cumans raided the periphereal lands.
But the Pope was determined not to lose Russia too. He called for a crusade to help the now-mature Igor II. He found some restless German and French knights, tired of the peace. Well, it was a start... As crusaders poured in, Gavriil, much less capable a leader then Father Ioann, faced defeat and finally was crushed at Ryazan in 1471. What followed was the revenge of the victorious Catholics. Non-Reunionists were massacred, their monasteries burned, their women raped, their cities (hard as it was to find entirely-Non-Reunionist cities...) were looted. The Russian Inquisition soon gained the reputation of the worst in Europe. Led by Father Aleksander, the Inquisition started a brutal witchhunt - or rather, Non-Reunionist-hunt. Anybody suspect of Non-Reunionism faced violent death. And meanwhile, peasants, warlords and Cumans were still being put down. Russia was set back in its development by a few decades by this.
And finally... As religious tensions threatened the integrity of the remnants of the Catholic church, Pope Adrian VI, of French descent, was quite inclined to compromise with the rising (thanks to the printing press) Reformist movements. Catholic Church was effectively reformed, with the worst excesses of inquisition and indulgence-sales curtailed. Some die-hard Catholic priests protested, but most didn't mind too much.
The Marinids were flourishing in this time. Abu Masuf (r. 1424-1475) was one of the greatest Marinid rulers ever - not only did he greatly modernize the fleet and employ the experienced Barbary Pirate sailors in it, allowing him to defeat a Spanish invasion attempt, but he also solidified his rule over Northern Africa and expanded his empire far to the south, across the Sahara to the prosperous West African trade states. Um, technically far from all of these conquests were actually useful. But some of them were, such as both banks of the central Niger River. The Marinid Sultanate ruled supreme in West Africa, basically, also expanding into Tripolitania in the east.
The Ayyubids, eager to keep up with their western neighbours (as they - the Ayyubids - expanded into Cyreneica), too reformed their navy, modernized it and thusly beat back the encroaching Venetians. These reforms were backed by money, lots of it - the Ayyubids were helped by their trade with the Chinese, whose merchants now occasionally came to the Red Sea... but every time they came, it was good trade! The Ayyubids also adopted some of Chinese ideas, about ships. The new, armored, huge cannon ships especially. They later would become very popular in all of the Mediterranean, and a variation thereof would be used by Ciano Polo in his western expidition. Thus it was that slightly-modified junks would become the basis of European naval technology in the Age of Discovery.
The Swahili Muslim city-states of East Africa united under the authority of the Sultan of Mombasa. The Mombasians also eventually expanded all over the Horn of Africa, only to be stopped at Adal by the ancient Ethiopian kingdom.
In the Middle East, there was much turmoil, but no decisive results at first - the Ayyubids, the Kemalids and the Rumians were perfectly capable of holding their own territory, and perfectly uncapable of capturing anything else. Things changed slightly in 1437 - the Rumians, the weakest of the three, collapsed into four states - three Turkish sultanates and one Greek kingdom in Trebzond. The westernmost Sultanate, of Smyrna, was in 1471 conquered by the Holy Byzantines; five years earlier the easternmost Sultanate - of Dulgadir - was captured by Ayyubid armies. Keraman and Trebzond survived... for now.
Kemalids were perhaps in their apogee. Al-Hasa and Oman were subdued, control of much of western Central Asia was unchallenged, Georgia was beaten out of Dagestan (including Aizerbadjan) and firm control over northwestern India was established as far as Ganges and Narmada. In Deccan, however, the Hindu-Muslim empire of Bahmanistan expanded to the very tip of Deccan in the south and Mahanadi in the northeast. Bahmanistan was a very strong state, forming a bulwark against Kemalid expansionism - though the Kemalids weren't exactly eager to conquer more rebellious Hindus and whonot. Shahdom of Ilyash was a rising power in the Gangetic Plains, albeit it still had much competition from Nepala and Bengali and Jharkhandi states. Sinhala continued to prosper as a trade hub.
As Mongolia expanded west and the Kemalids expanded east, a power vacuum still remained between them in Central Asia, to be later filled by the rising power of the Kyrghizian Khanate. The Khanate threatened its western and eastern neighbours alike, and succesfully raided the lands of both while they were distracted elsewhere, whilst most punitive expeditions were crushed long before the enemy came close to the Kyrghiz capital - Kucha.
Indian and Pacific Oceans were during this century filled with Chinese trade. The flowering of Chun trade touched cities from Mombasa and Aqaba (the latter growing into a great city from a pathetic fisher town almost overnight) through Muscat, Soccotra, Rayigama and Singapura to the rising Mu'lan-Pian ports - Hasen (OTL Seattle), Fusong (OTL Los Angeles), Soconusco and Chan Chan.
Mongolia became increasingly urbanized during this time, especially as its center of power firmly switched to the Sinified south.
Mongol-Chun border wars got even more frequent during this century. The Mongols were handled a several defeat at Linfen in 1411, but in 1443 got something of a revenge by annihilating three Chinese armies in three separate battles within Mongolia. Basically, neither China nor Mongolia could subdue each other. These wars were actually very expensive, especially for China, but luckily it was fuelled by the great maritime trade. Also, the Chinese after 1443 abandoned their attempts to conquer Mongolia, and instead greatly modernized and extended the Great Wall, concentrating on expansion in other directions - most notably, in Mu'lan-Pi, but also in Indochina where a combined overland and maritime invasion finally subdued Annam in 1445-1454, albeit rebellions there were frequent until the enraged Chun resorted to wholesale genocide and resettlement programs in 1480s. This actually had a good effect - albeit these areas remained unstable, the Chinese not only got lots of people to use as colonists in the barrens of northern Mexico and points north, especially northwest (jokingly the new province was renamed Sinannam, New Annam - which brings up another point: if Insane Panda is born in this world, it is most probable that he still would live in South California, or nearby anyway), but also turned the Annamese into a rather small minority in their own country, now trully worthy of its name (Annam being Chinese for "Pacified South"). Chinese rule was also extended to the Luzon and Mindanao, and the small nearby islands as well.
In the rest of Indochina, Shwedmawazedi, a visionary Burman leader, led Pagan to a sort of cultural and political renaissance, unifying much of Lower Burma during his lengthy (1435-1489) reign. His heirs weren't quite as good, but Pagan still did expand northwards during their rule. Eastward expansion was blocked by the great power of Siam, which now controlled all lands between Annam and Pagan. Melayu didn't do well - Sumatra was lost to the rising Sultanate of Atjeh, which conquered roughly a half of the island, whilst the rest was overran by the expanding Siamese, who grew fat and wealthy from trade with China and India.
The other half of Sumatra was controlled by the rising Hindu-Buddhist ("Shiva-Buddha Cult" being something of a dominant religion) empire of Singhasari, which ruled all of Java, southern Borneo and western Celebes, as well as lots of puny islands here and there. A great naval power, the Singhasarese nonetheless got along well with Chun China, assisting them in the wars against tiny Malay statelets that tried to unleash privateers on Chinese shipping. Said statelets were eventually conquered by the Singhasarese Atjehian and Siamese allies.
Western Mu'lan-Pi was the site of a grand colonial game during this time. Japan consolidated its hold on Shinihon (OTL North California, Oregon Territory and much of British Columbia), whilst the Mongols established some colonies of their own in Yupeka (OTL Alaska, Yukon and northernmost British Columbia). China remained the dominant colonial power, ofcourse, now in control of all of Mesoamerica save for Mayan and defiant (and since 1439 unified under Mayapun) Yucatan.
The Chinese "gold junks" were frequently raided by Japanese pirates who took to the ocean. To make this even more of a ripoff, the most fearsome Japanese pirate was called Frankiga Drakonami. Meanwhile, a Japanese faction came to power in Hawaii, but the Chinese faction was occasionally trying to overthrow it. Poor islands...
China fought and won a war with the Incans in 1462-1471, annexing many of the Incan Empire's northern lands. Incans swore revenge and started numerous military and administrative reforms. A Chinese protectorate was established over the excessively rich Chibcha lands. China was a great colonial power already, but soon enough more upstarts came. Dirty, babbling, round-eyed Far Eastern Barbarians (called so for being even more eastern then the Eastern Barbarians - Aztecs and their relatives). Their captain, Ciano Polo, whose expedition reached "Mulanpy" in 1441, was extremelly excited. China! But everybody knows China is in the EAST! So this means that Earth is round! Roundy roundy roundy round! Either that or those Cathayans are very tricky bastards. He wasn't one bit disappointed to learn that this is Mulanpy - everybody knows that Mulanpy is in the east, to the east from China itself, so it is only logical that on a round Earth Mulanpy would be to the west from Spain! For all of his flaws, Ciano Polo was a smart man, madman that is. And a crafty merchant as far as simpleminded Far Easterners went. Trade links between Europe and China thus developped via Mulanpy. Spanish trade posts were set up for that purpose in the Carribean islands, most notably Hispaniola and Cuba, and lesser colonies were established in Florida and Venezuela, all of which have the exact same names as in OTL due to an odd amount of coincidences. Some silly adventurists tried to conquer Yucatan, but the Mayans beat them up with humiliating ease, though some claim that there were Chinese officers commanding them. We'll never know the truth...
England and France also arrived in late 15th century, but had to contend with fishing outposts in Newfoundland and Acadia respectively. The Mulanpan natives weren't as good trading partners as the Chinese, but they did have nice furs. Um, that is they were good fur traders. Not excesivelly furry themselves though. Meanwhile, Delaware and Huron tribes rose in power to wrest the control of the fur trade from their lesser neighbours and to make sure Europeans don't get very uppity if they ever come to their respective lands.
Holy Byzantine forces continued to win, eventually taking control of Venetian mainland Greece and of Hungarian Wallachia and South Slav provinces. Emperor Grigori-Ioann I the Holy (or Unholy according to the Catholics), founder of the Bashan Dynasty (which had firm hold in one person on both the Emperor's throne and the Patriarchate, merging the two offices effectively), died happy in 1464, the founder of a great empire. Which was only beginning to expand (OOC: an Orthodox Patriarch becoming an emperor is not all that unlikely. In much more normal circumstances this almost happened in OTL Russia in 15th century).
The consequences of the Bulgarian Crusades and the failure thereof were manifold. The Venetians and the Hungarians were weakened further - Venice lost its Crimean possessions to rampaging Tataro-Cumans, being cut off from them, whilst Hungary was thrown into a many-sided civil war between Angevin, Wittelsbach, Piast and Rurikovich pretenders - this war will be an on-and-off one, and during its the Hungarians will also lose Moldavia to the Holy Byzantines. Hungary was partitioned and reunited, and Italian, Bavaria, Polish and eventually Russian armies intervenned en masse. Mercenaries of the Catalun Company conquered Croatia for a while, but eventually were stamped out by the Angevins, who by the end of the century were beginning to gain an upper hand.
But the worst came in Russia. There, Non-Reunionist Orthodox priests persisted, especially in the northeast. In the grand city of Vladimir, using the youth of King Igor II, the pretender Gavriil, supported by the Non-Reunionists, used the growing instability to rise up, starting the Russian War of Religion in 1458 - this was the event that allowed Valdemar of Denmark to start his Hanseatic gambit. At the same time, Tataro-Cuman tribes smelled blood and besieged Kiev; they were only barely defeated. The Orthodox and Catholic armies clashed in the fields of Rus, and neither side could attain victory. Taxes grew sky-high to ensure funds for continued war. Peasants rebelled, opportunistic warlords appeared. Monasteries, already often fortified, now were often besieged and became genuine impregnable fortresses (OOC: in OTL, pretty much the same happened in the Time of Troubles. Monks with swords and crossbows often held off huge regular and irregular armies and even defeated them). Cities were being looted by both sides at the first opportunity. Cumans raided the periphereal lands.
But the Pope was determined not to lose Russia too. He called for a crusade to help the now-mature Igor II. He found some restless German and French knights, tired of the peace. Well, it was a start... As crusaders poured in, Gavriil, much less capable a leader then Father Ioann, faced defeat and finally was crushed at Ryazan in 1471. What followed was the revenge of the victorious Catholics. Non-Reunionists were massacred, their monasteries burned, their women raped, their cities (hard as it was to find entirely-Non-Reunionist cities...) were looted. The Russian Inquisition soon gained the reputation of the worst in Europe. Led by Father Aleksander, the Inquisition started a brutal witchhunt - or rather, Non-Reunionist-hunt. Anybody suspect of Non-Reunionism faced violent death. And meanwhile, peasants, warlords and Cumans were still being put down. Russia was set back in its development by a few decades by this.
And finally... As religious tensions threatened the integrity of the remnants of the Catholic church, Pope Adrian VI, of French descent, was quite inclined to compromise with the rising (thanks to the printing press) Reformist movements. Catholic Church was effectively reformed, with the worst excesses of inquisition and indulgence-sales curtailed. Some die-hard Catholic priests protested, but most didn't mind too much.
The Marinids were flourishing in this time. Abu Masuf (r. 1424-1475) was one of the greatest Marinid rulers ever - not only did he greatly modernize the fleet and employ the experienced Barbary Pirate sailors in it, allowing him to defeat a Spanish invasion attempt, but he also solidified his rule over Northern Africa and expanded his empire far to the south, across the Sahara to the prosperous West African trade states. Um, technically far from all of these conquests were actually useful. But some of them were, such as both banks of the central Niger River. The Marinid Sultanate ruled supreme in West Africa, basically, also expanding into Tripolitania in the east.
The Ayyubids, eager to keep up with their western neighbours (as they - the Ayyubids - expanded into Cyreneica), too reformed their navy, modernized it and thusly beat back the encroaching Venetians. These reforms were backed by money, lots of it - the Ayyubids were helped by their trade with the Chinese, whose merchants now occasionally came to the Red Sea... but every time they came, it was good trade! The Ayyubids also adopted some of Chinese ideas, about ships. The new, armored, huge cannon ships especially. They later would become very popular in all of the Mediterranean, and a variation thereof would be used by Ciano Polo in his western expidition. Thus it was that slightly-modified junks would become the basis of European naval technology in the Age of Discovery.
The Swahili Muslim city-states of East Africa united under the authority of the Sultan of Mombasa. The Mombasians also eventually expanded all over the Horn of Africa, only to be stopped at Adal by the ancient Ethiopian kingdom.
In the Middle East, there was much turmoil, but no decisive results at first - the Ayyubids, the Kemalids and the Rumians were perfectly capable of holding their own territory, and perfectly uncapable of capturing anything else. Things changed slightly in 1437 - the Rumians, the weakest of the three, collapsed into four states - three Turkish sultanates and one Greek kingdom in Trebzond. The westernmost Sultanate, of Smyrna, was in 1471 conquered by the Holy Byzantines; five years earlier the easternmost Sultanate - of Dulgadir - was captured by Ayyubid armies. Keraman and Trebzond survived... for now.
Kemalids were perhaps in their apogee. Al-Hasa and Oman were subdued, control of much of western Central Asia was unchallenged, Georgia was beaten out of Dagestan (including Aizerbadjan) and firm control over northwestern India was established as far as Ganges and Narmada. In Deccan, however, the Hindu-Muslim empire of Bahmanistan expanded to the very tip of Deccan in the south and Mahanadi in the northeast. Bahmanistan was a very strong state, forming a bulwark against Kemalid expansionism - though the Kemalids weren't exactly eager to conquer more rebellious Hindus and whonot. Shahdom of Ilyash was a rising power in the Gangetic Plains, albeit it still had much competition from Nepala and Bengali and Jharkhandi states. Sinhala continued to prosper as a trade hub.
As Mongolia expanded west and the Kemalids expanded east, a power vacuum still remained between them in Central Asia, to be later filled by the rising power of the Kyrghizian Khanate. The Khanate threatened its western and eastern neighbours alike, and succesfully raided the lands of both while they were distracted elsewhere, whilst most punitive expeditions were crushed long before the enemy came close to the Kyrghiz capital - Kucha.
Indian and Pacific Oceans were during this century filled with Chinese trade. The flowering of Chun trade touched cities from Mombasa and Aqaba (the latter growing into a great city from a pathetic fisher town almost overnight) through Muscat, Soccotra, Rayigama and Singapura to the rising Mu'lan-Pian ports - Hasen (OTL Seattle), Fusong (OTL Los Angeles), Soconusco and Chan Chan.
Mongolia became increasingly urbanized during this time, especially as its center of power firmly switched to the Sinified south.
Mongol-Chun border wars got even more frequent during this century. The Mongols were handled a several defeat at Linfen in 1411, but in 1443 got something of a revenge by annihilating three Chinese armies in three separate battles within Mongolia. Basically, neither China nor Mongolia could subdue each other. These wars were actually very expensive, especially for China, but luckily it was fuelled by the great maritime trade. Also, the Chinese after 1443 abandoned their attempts to conquer Mongolia, and instead greatly modernized and extended the Great Wall, concentrating on expansion in other directions - most notably, in Mu'lan-Pi, but also in Indochina where a combined overland and maritime invasion finally subdued Annam in 1445-1454, albeit rebellions there were frequent until the enraged Chun resorted to wholesale genocide and resettlement programs in 1480s. This actually had a good effect - albeit these areas remained unstable, the Chinese not only got lots of people to use as colonists in the barrens of northern Mexico and points north, especially northwest (jokingly the new province was renamed Sinannam, New Annam - which brings up another point: if Insane Panda is born in this world, it is most probable that he still would live in South California, or nearby anyway), but also turned the Annamese into a rather small minority in their own country, now trully worthy of its name (Annam being Chinese for "Pacified South"). Chinese rule was also extended to the Luzon and Mindanao, and the small nearby islands as well.
In the rest of Indochina, Shwedmawazedi, a visionary Burman leader, led Pagan to a sort of cultural and political renaissance, unifying much of Lower Burma during his lengthy (1435-1489) reign. His heirs weren't quite as good, but Pagan still did expand northwards during their rule. Eastward expansion was blocked by the great power of Siam, which now controlled all lands between Annam and Pagan. Melayu didn't do well - Sumatra was lost to the rising Sultanate of Atjeh, which conquered roughly a half of the island, whilst the rest was overran by the expanding Siamese, who grew fat and wealthy from trade with China and India.
The other half of Sumatra was controlled by the rising Hindu-Buddhist ("Shiva-Buddha Cult" being something of a dominant religion) empire of Singhasari, which ruled all of Java, southern Borneo and western Celebes, as well as lots of puny islands here and there. A great naval power, the Singhasarese nonetheless got along well with Chun China, assisting them in the wars against tiny Malay statelets that tried to unleash privateers on Chinese shipping. Said statelets were eventually conquered by the Singhasarese Atjehian and Siamese allies.
Western Mu'lan-Pi was the site of a grand colonial game during this time. Japan consolidated its hold on Shinihon (OTL North California, Oregon Territory and much of British Columbia), whilst the Mongols established some colonies of their own in Yupeka (OTL Alaska, Yukon and northernmost British Columbia). China remained the dominant colonial power, ofcourse, now in control of all of Mesoamerica save for Mayan and defiant (and since 1439 unified under Mayapun) Yucatan.
The Chinese "gold junks" were frequently raided by Japanese pirates who took to the ocean. To make this even more of a ripoff, the most fearsome Japanese pirate was called Frankiga Drakonami. Meanwhile, a Japanese faction came to power in Hawaii, but the Chinese faction was occasionally trying to overthrow it. Poor islands...
China fought and won a war with the Incans in 1462-1471, annexing many of the Incan Empire's northern lands. Incans swore revenge and started numerous military and administrative reforms. A Chinese protectorate was established over the excessively rich Chibcha lands. China was a great colonial power already, but soon enough more upstarts came. Dirty, babbling, round-eyed Far Eastern Barbarians (called so for being even more eastern then the Eastern Barbarians - Aztecs and their relatives). Their captain, Ciano Polo, whose expedition reached "Mulanpy" in 1441, was extremelly excited. China! But everybody knows China is in the EAST! So this means that Earth is round! Roundy roundy roundy round! Either that or those Cathayans are very tricky bastards. He wasn't one bit disappointed to learn that this is Mulanpy - everybody knows that Mulanpy is in the east, to the east from China itself, so it is only logical that on a round Earth Mulanpy would be to the west from Spain! For all of his flaws, Ciano Polo was a smart man, madman that is. And a crafty merchant as far as simpleminded Far Easterners went. Trade links between Europe and China thus developped via Mulanpy. Spanish trade posts were set up for that purpose in the Carribean islands, most notably Hispaniola and Cuba, and lesser colonies were established in Florida and Venezuela, all of which have the exact same names as in OTL due to an odd amount of coincidences. Some silly adventurists tried to conquer Yucatan, but the Mayans beat them up with humiliating ease, though some claim that there were Chinese officers commanding them. We'll never know the truth...
England and France also arrived in late 15th century, but had to contend with fishing outposts in Newfoundland and Acadia respectively. The Mulanpan natives weren't as good trading partners as the Chinese, but they did have nice furs. Um, that is they were good fur traders. Not excesivelly furry themselves though. Meanwhile, Delaware and Huron tribes rose in power to wrest the control of the fur trade from their lesser neighbours and to make sure Europeans don't get very uppity if they ever come to their respective lands.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Excellent timeline a century more to go until the nes can start...
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
alex994 said:just make sure the vasa comes to power
Highly unlikely for him to come to power without the Kalmar Union, as one of the main reasons he was chosen as the Swedish and Finnish king was because he stood up openly against the Danes and the Kalmar Union. Without it Kustaa Vaasa (Finnish speling) is nothing.
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
A Danish Attack? Well, if that's the case then the Vasas will become the kings of Sweden.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
gahhh, edit your posts please instead of posting another one...
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
alex994 said:
Hmm, nope. I was too lazy that time.
das
Regeneration In Process
Actually, just because there is no Kalmar Union doesn't mean Vasas go extinct or something. A different vase, um, Vasa (Russian for "vase"), a different situation, but its not really impossible for someone with that last name to come to power...
A different vase, um, Vasa (Russian for "vase"), a different situation, but its not really impossible for someone with that last name to come to power...
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
That's true.
Anyway, i'm trying to look for some good Alternate History to mod. Something from the 1700 on to early 20'th centuary, or something in the between. Any suggestions on what hasn't been used yet?
das
Regeneration In Process
1500-1619
This was a time of comparative quiet - which is not to say that it was very quiet, just not as... noisy as in the previous few centuries before the big, big storm of the 17th Century (OOC: statement backed by my NESing experience). As such, the Year 1619 is a very good moment to make a snapshot picture of the world, nation-by-nation, with short descriptions of what happened to them during this century and nineteen years.
Europe:
Kingdom of Greater England: Ruled ever since the Glorious Revolution of 1571 by the House of Warwick-Plantagenet, England also rules Wales, Scotland, the Orkneys, Ireland, Newfoundland, St. Petersland (OTL East Quebec and Labrador - needless to say, the English don't rule all of that land in reality) and North Delaware (OTL coastal New England). England has as of late somehow subdued Ireland and Scotland, but one could not say for how long would they remain pacified. As of late, England did not participate in European politics since 1570, when its invasion of France on dynastic grounds ("The Third Breton War", albeit it had very little to do with Brittany), started in 1566, was defeated at Paris in a battle of epic proportions. The English, however, still are brooding, and their king still has numerous supporters in France, especially in Normandy and Aquitaine. It seems that England should soon try to conquer France again, but one could not say this with certainty - ever since the Glorious Revolution, England's attention was fixed on Mulanpy.
Kingdom of France: France (which also controls Acadia, Reyalia (OTL East Virginia and nearby lands) and Chameca (OTL Jamaica)) emerged as something of a cultural capital of Europe, and it is one of the strongest states there, but so far all of its expansion attempts were crushed against the status quo, as Spain, Luxembourg, Helvetia and the treacherous Italian Angevins formed an anti-French coalition, occasionally backed by England. This wasted numerous French resources to no avail, and France is increasingly unstable, as the current king's legitimacy is often questioned by rebellious nobles (a consequence of reckless centralization undertaken after betrayal ruined the near-victory in the War of 1550 and turned it into a shameful defeat), who seem to want the less centralized Plantagenet rule. France, to survive as an independant and strong state, will probably need good allies...
Empire of Spain: Spain controls all of Iberia, Tangiers, Ceuta (the latter two were conquered in a series of wars with the Marinids in 1550s), Florida, numerous Carribean islands and Venezuela (which includes OTL Guineas and northernmost Brazil), as well as a few trade posts in West Africa; however, as far as most Spaniards care, no Christian ship, even a most fine junk, could sail south of Cape Verde and survive... Besides, what's the point? Everybody knows that Africa ends in the Antarctic, so there really isn't any way to get to India across it... Anyhow, the Spanish are growing rich off their trade with Chinese colonies in Mulanpy, albeit the Spanish monopoly thereon is faltering as France and England try to usurp it. Most significantly, the French actually stole Chameco from Spain during the Second Burgundian War nine years ago. Spain's future is uncertain - the French Lion threatens it from the north, but so far the Pyrenees were a reliable shield.
Empire of Denmark: Denmark controls, apart from it itself, much of the northern German coast, Scane, Norway, the Pribaltic, several Baltic Islands and South Delaware (OTL Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey). Albeit Valdemar V the Great could be said to be the founder of this empire, the first Danish ruler to openly call himself "Emperor" was Jordvard I (r. 1541-1568). Jordvard was also noted for extending Danish rule to a coastal region of Mulanpy, destroying the powerful Delaware tribal confederacy in concord with England, and for defeating Sweden in the War of the Fjords that allowed Denmark to extend its rule into Norway. But albeit Denmark is recognizedly the strongest military power in Europe and one of the richest ones to boot, not all is fine in the Empire of Danes - jealous neighbours and revanchist Swedes are eyeing Danish possessions, and not even Denmark can survive an attack by such a powerful coalition, can it?
Kingdom of Sweden: Ravaged by the Baltic War in the 15th century and humbled by Denmark in the War of the Fjords, Sweden didn't fare well recently, as trade declined and colonization attempts faltered. In came King Gustavus III (r. 1573-1614); he curbed the power of the nobles, who were partially responsible for the defeat in the War of the Fjords, and introduced numerous reforms, militarizing Swedish society and building a great, well-trained army (for comparsion look at OTL Prussia; Sweden too has "an army's country" mentality ITTL). Still, even with those reforms, Sweden alone cannot defeat Denmark... Sweden with allies, however...
Luxembourgs: Current holders of the Holy Roman throne, the Luxembourgs hold, as by the Protocol of Ulm (1545; standardized borders of the Greater Houses within the Holy Roman Empire, put Lesser Houses under their protection in the wake of the Peasant Rebellion of 1534-1544) all Holy Roman lands north from the Rhine Palatinate, west of the Elbe and northwest from Saale and Thuringian Forest. A prosperous nation, Luxembourg stands at the crossroads. Should it move to fight the Danish dominion over Pommerania and other German lands? Or should it rather concentrate against the ancient enemy, France? What of England and its perfidious tariffs? And the Flemish merchants are clamoring for colonial expeditions into Mulanpy... Oh, and one last joke about the rise of the middle class of early 17th century northwest Germany: "luxembourgoise."
Kingdom of Helvetia: Also known as Switzerland, the Habsburg mountain kingdom is a model parliamentary monarchy, albeit only nobility and the richest merchants are represented. Helvetia is not really much of a power by itself, but it has many allies, a great banking system and an elite if rather outdated army. It also something of a mercenary hub; Helvetian mercenaries are in use all over Europe, and Helvetia itself often acquires mercenaries from such states as Poland, their only serious competitor in the said field.
Hohenzollerns: One of the four Greater Houses of the Holy Roman Empire, the Hohenzollerns are pretty average, but have the distinction of having fought the Wittelsbachs and the Luxembourgs at the same time (1605-1608) AND not only survive but also triumph. They rule all lands of the Holy Roman Empire east of Elbe until it enters Saale (and east of Saale from there till Ore and Sudeten Mountains); their empire is based at Dresden, and is quite menaced by Poland in the east, Denmark in the north, Luxembourg in the west and Grossenbayernreich in the south.
Greater Bavarian Reich (or: Wittelsbachs): one-time Holy Roman Emperors, the Wittelsbachs, who rule the Rhine Palatinate and all Holy Roman lands east of Helvetia and south of Thuringian Forest and Ore and Sudeten Mountains, are even now one of Europe's stronger powers, though their military power has waned as of late. Bavaria is also a great cultural hub and the home to many famed opera houses and art galleries as a part of the Renaissance, which grew out from France in 15th century.
Dual Kingdom of Italy-Hungary: Comprising lands of Italy plus Provence minus the Papal States (which are without Romagna, however), Dalmatia, Crete, Cyprus and Hungary, Italy-Hungary is a great but unstable regional power. The end of the Hungarian Civil War in 1509 resulted in an Angevin victory, albeit Italy and Hungary were reigned by different branches of House Angevin initially. In 1512, Venice, weakened greatly by the defeat in the 15th century Bulgarian Crusades, was filled with pro-Angevin rebellions, carefully organized by King Louis I of Italy (r. 1510-1578) - this allowed Louis to grab Venice, otherwise an impenetrable fortress, and its colonies in Italy, Dalmatia, Crete and Cyprus. Said Louis, the Great or the Sneaky depending on your opinion, also managed to rise to power in Hungary in 1523 after all heirs preceding him in the line of succession suddenly turned out to be pathetic horseriders and/or unlucky hunters, not to mention dead. This scared the Poles and the Wittelsbachs, who tried to intervenne but were struck by France from the west, then still an Italian ally. The French grabbed most Wittelsbach lands west of Rhine, and the Italians fended back the interventionists and rebels in Hungary. France got to keep its conquests after this three-year War of Hungarian Succession, but lost it in the War of 1550, when Louis, fearful of the strenght of his French relatives, sided with the Wittelsbachs and the Spaniards. Now, Italy is rich (owing to the strategic position and the status of middleman between Spain and Eastern Mediterranean) and strong, though not quite French- or Danish-level militarily, but Hungary is increasingly threatened by neighbours and also unstable - Transylvania is a hotbed of New Orthodox missionary activity, whilst the rest of Hungary is filled with Piast-sympathisers.
The Holy See: The only part of Italy not under Angevin rule, the Papacy is increasingly menaced by said Angevins, and as a result developed good relations with France as of late. Perhaps when the next war between France and the world begins, this will be a decisive factor...
Kingdom of Poland: Odd little land, Piast Poland. Stable, not wealthy but not poor, and skilled in matters of war, but virtually unable to find any real directions for expansion for a few centuries now. Ofcourse, Hungary is filled with opportunity, but topography stands in the way of that, barring way into Hungary with the Carpathian mountains. Evil topography. So now Poland is Helvetia's main competitor in providing mercenaries to all of Europe, though recently the amount of opportunities in Hungary has grown sky-high, with the Hungarian nobility and burghers alike calling for Piast rule...
Holy Byzantine Empire: Still a great power, the theocratic Holy Byzantine Empire rules all Balkan lands south of Hungary, the Aegean islands and last but not least Anatolia - the latter was gained in the latter half of 16th century, with Keraman, Trebzond and Ayyubid Dulgadir falling one after the other in just five years. Nonetheless, the HBE is increasingly boxed in; albeit it did succesfully conquer Anatolia and Crimea, it was stopped short of conquering Syria and the Holy Land by a most odd thing - a Kemalid-Ayyubid coalition. The Battle of Ashqelon in 1583 was a close-ran thing, but ultimately the Byzantines were defeated and forced to be content with their possession of Anatolia for now - Ayyubids failed, in spite of their multiple attempts to this effect, to dislodge the Byzantines from Dulgadir. As Russian power grows in the region and as Hungary is increasingly close to revolt, the Byzantine Empire stands before greatness or doom.
Kingdom of Russia: The bloody rule of the Inquisition has somehow lessened after Tsar Mikhail I (r. 1548-1573), the first of the Dolgoruky-Rurikovich Dynasty, begun to curtail the power of the clergy. Instead, he supervised a creation of two great Russian fleets in the Baltic and the Black Seas, and finally defeated the Tataro-Cuman chieftains at Poltava in 1560. The Russian power extended to Taganrog and the Black Sea Coast, to the Caspian Sea and the eastern bank of Volga in the east and the Georgian border in the south. Mikhail II (r. 1573-1606) would expand on those gains, conquering Georgia and Kemalid Dagestan (using the rebellions in Kemalid Persia), but eastern expansion was blocked by Stenka Bitiy, Hetman of the Urals, whose Cossacks won the Battle at Ural River.
Hetmanate of the Urals: Albeit the western Cossacks, who lived amongst the Cumans, were defeated and enserfed by the Russians, the eastern ones, led by Stenka Bitiy, formed the first and only Cossack state on River Ural in 1582 to stop Russian eastwards expansion. Hardy warriors, the Uralic Cossacks, with capital in the fortress-city of Aktau have thus far stopped the Russians, but the state is unlikely to survive the recent death of Stenka Bitiy without inspired leadership, especially as Kazakh and Tatar tribes further east are increasing their pressure.
This was a time of comparative quiet - which is not to say that it was very quiet, just not as... noisy as in the previous few centuries before the big, big storm of the 17th Century (OOC: statement backed by my NESing experience). As such, the Year 1619 is a very good moment to make a snapshot picture of the world, nation-by-nation, with short descriptions of what happened to them during this century and nineteen years.
Europe:
Kingdom of Greater England: Ruled ever since the Glorious Revolution of 1571 by the House of Warwick-Plantagenet, England also rules Wales, Scotland, the Orkneys, Ireland, Newfoundland, St. Petersland (OTL East Quebec and Labrador - needless to say, the English don't rule all of that land in reality) and North Delaware (OTL coastal New England). England has as of late somehow subdued Ireland and Scotland, but one could not say for how long would they remain pacified. As of late, England did not participate in European politics since 1570, when its invasion of France on dynastic grounds ("The Third Breton War", albeit it had very little to do with Brittany), started in 1566, was defeated at Paris in a battle of epic proportions. The English, however, still are brooding, and their king still has numerous supporters in France, especially in Normandy and Aquitaine. It seems that England should soon try to conquer France again, but one could not say this with certainty - ever since the Glorious Revolution, England's attention was fixed on Mulanpy.
Kingdom of France: France (which also controls Acadia, Reyalia (OTL East Virginia and nearby lands) and Chameca (OTL Jamaica)) emerged as something of a cultural capital of Europe, and it is one of the strongest states there, but so far all of its expansion attempts were crushed against the status quo, as Spain, Luxembourg, Helvetia and the treacherous Italian Angevins formed an anti-French coalition, occasionally backed by England. This wasted numerous French resources to no avail, and France is increasingly unstable, as the current king's legitimacy is often questioned by rebellious nobles (a consequence of reckless centralization undertaken after betrayal ruined the near-victory in the War of 1550 and turned it into a shameful defeat), who seem to want the less centralized Plantagenet rule. France, to survive as an independant and strong state, will probably need good allies...
Empire of Spain: Spain controls all of Iberia, Tangiers, Ceuta (the latter two were conquered in a series of wars with the Marinids in 1550s), Florida, numerous Carribean islands and Venezuela (which includes OTL Guineas and northernmost Brazil), as well as a few trade posts in West Africa; however, as far as most Spaniards care, no Christian ship, even a most fine junk, could sail south of Cape Verde and survive... Besides, what's the point? Everybody knows that Africa ends in the Antarctic, so there really isn't any way to get to India across it... Anyhow, the Spanish are growing rich off their trade with Chinese colonies in Mulanpy, albeit the Spanish monopoly thereon is faltering as France and England try to usurp it. Most significantly, the French actually stole Chameco from Spain during the Second Burgundian War nine years ago. Spain's future is uncertain - the French Lion threatens it from the north, but so far the Pyrenees were a reliable shield.
Empire of Denmark: Denmark controls, apart from it itself, much of the northern German coast, Scane, Norway, the Pribaltic, several Baltic Islands and South Delaware (OTL Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey). Albeit Valdemar V the Great could be said to be the founder of this empire, the first Danish ruler to openly call himself "Emperor" was Jordvard I (r. 1541-1568). Jordvard was also noted for extending Danish rule to a coastal region of Mulanpy, destroying the powerful Delaware tribal confederacy in concord with England, and for defeating Sweden in the War of the Fjords that allowed Denmark to extend its rule into Norway. But albeit Denmark is recognizedly the strongest military power in Europe and one of the richest ones to boot, not all is fine in the Empire of Danes - jealous neighbours and revanchist Swedes are eyeing Danish possessions, and not even Denmark can survive an attack by such a powerful coalition, can it?
Kingdom of Sweden: Ravaged by the Baltic War in the 15th century and humbled by Denmark in the War of the Fjords, Sweden didn't fare well recently, as trade declined and colonization attempts faltered. In came King Gustavus III (r. 1573-1614); he curbed the power of the nobles, who were partially responsible for the defeat in the War of the Fjords, and introduced numerous reforms, militarizing Swedish society and building a great, well-trained army (for comparsion look at OTL Prussia; Sweden too has "an army's country" mentality ITTL). Still, even with those reforms, Sweden alone cannot defeat Denmark... Sweden with allies, however...
Luxembourgs: Current holders of the Holy Roman throne, the Luxembourgs hold, as by the Protocol of Ulm (1545; standardized borders of the Greater Houses within the Holy Roman Empire, put Lesser Houses under their protection in the wake of the Peasant Rebellion of 1534-1544) all Holy Roman lands north from the Rhine Palatinate, west of the Elbe and northwest from Saale and Thuringian Forest. A prosperous nation, Luxembourg stands at the crossroads. Should it move to fight the Danish dominion over Pommerania and other German lands? Or should it rather concentrate against the ancient enemy, France? What of England and its perfidious tariffs? And the Flemish merchants are clamoring for colonial expeditions into Mulanpy... Oh, and one last joke about the rise of the middle class of early 17th century northwest Germany: "luxembourgoise."
Kingdom of Helvetia: Also known as Switzerland, the Habsburg mountain kingdom is a model parliamentary monarchy, albeit only nobility and the richest merchants are represented. Helvetia is not really much of a power by itself, but it has many allies, a great banking system and an elite if rather outdated army. It also something of a mercenary hub; Helvetian mercenaries are in use all over Europe, and Helvetia itself often acquires mercenaries from such states as Poland, their only serious competitor in the said field.
Hohenzollerns: One of the four Greater Houses of the Holy Roman Empire, the Hohenzollerns are pretty average, but have the distinction of having fought the Wittelsbachs and the Luxembourgs at the same time (1605-1608) AND not only survive but also triumph. They rule all lands of the Holy Roman Empire east of Elbe until it enters Saale (and east of Saale from there till Ore and Sudeten Mountains); their empire is based at Dresden, and is quite menaced by Poland in the east, Denmark in the north, Luxembourg in the west and Grossenbayernreich in the south.
Greater Bavarian Reich (or: Wittelsbachs): one-time Holy Roman Emperors, the Wittelsbachs, who rule the Rhine Palatinate and all Holy Roman lands east of Helvetia and south of Thuringian Forest and Ore and Sudeten Mountains, are even now one of Europe's stronger powers, though their military power has waned as of late. Bavaria is also a great cultural hub and the home to many famed opera houses and art galleries as a part of the Renaissance, which grew out from France in 15th century.
Dual Kingdom of Italy-Hungary: Comprising lands of Italy plus Provence minus the Papal States (which are without Romagna, however), Dalmatia, Crete, Cyprus and Hungary, Italy-Hungary is a great but unstable regional power. The end of the Hungarian Civil War in 1509 resulted in an Angevin victory, albeit Italy and Hungary were reigned by different branches of House Angevin initially. In 1512, Venice, weakened greatly by the defeat in the 15th century Bulgarian Crusades, was filled with pro-Angevin rebellions, carefully organized by King Louis I of Italy (r. 1510-1578) - this allowed Louis to grab Venice, otherwise an impenetrable fortress, and its colonies in Italy, Dalmatia, Crete and Cyprus. Said Louis, the Great or the Sneaky depending on your opinion, also managed to rise to power in Hungary in 1523 after all heirs preceding him in the line of succession suddenly turned out to be pathetic horseriders and/or unlucky hunters, not to mention dead. This scared the Poles and the Wittelsbachs, who tried to intervenne but were struck by France from the west, then still an Italian ally. The French grabbed most Wittelsbach lands west of Rhine, and the Italians fended back the interventionists and rebels in Hungary. France got to keep its conquests after this three-year War of Hungarian Succession, but lost it in the War of 1550, when Louis, fearful of the strenght of his French relatives, sided with the Wittelsbachs and the Spaniards. Now, Italy is rich (owing to the strategic position and the status of middleman between Spain and Eastern Mediterranean) and strong, though not quite French- or Danish-level militarily, but Hungary is increasingly threatened by neighbours and also unstable - Transylvania is a hotbed of New Orthodox missionary activity, whilst the rest of Hungary is filled with Piast-sympathisers.
The Holy See: The only part of Italy not under Angevin rule, the Papacy is increasingly menaced by said Angevins, and as a result developed good relations with France as of late. Perhaps when the next war between France and the world begins, this will be a decisive factor...
Kingdom of Poland: Odd little land, Piast Poland. Stable, not wealthy but not poor, and skilled in matters of war, but virtually unable to find any real directions for expansion for a few centuries now. Ofcourse, Hungary is filled with opportunity, but topography stands in the way of that, barring way into Hungary with the Carpathian mountains. Evil topography. So now Poland is Helvetia's main competitor in providing mercenaries to all of Europe, though recently the amount of opportunities in Hungary has grown sky-high, with the Hungarian nobility and burghers alike calling for Piast rule...
Holy Byzantine Empire: Still a great power, the theocratic Holy Byzantine Empire rules all Balkan lands south of Hungary, the Aegean islands and last but not least Anatolia - the latter was gained in the latter half of 16th century, with Keraman, Trebzond and Ayyubid Dulgadir falling one after the other in just five years. Nonetheless, the HBE is increasingly boxed in; albeit it did succesfully conquer Anatolia and Crimea, it was stopped short of conquering Syria and the Holy Land by a most odd thing - a Kemalid-Ayyubid coalition. The Battle of Ashqelon in 1583 was a close-ran thing, but ultimately the Byzantines were defeated and forced to be content with their possession of Anatolia for now - Ayyubids failed, in spite of their multiple attempts to this effect, to dislodge the Byzantines from Dulgadir. As Russian power grows in the region and as Hungary is increasingly close to revolt, the Byzantine Empire stands before greatness or doom.
Kingdom of Russia: The bloody rule of the Inquisition has somehow lessened after Tsar Mikhail I (r. 1548-1573), the first of the Dolgoruky-Rurikovich Dynasty, begun to curtail the power of the clergy. Instead, he supervised a creation of two great Russian fleets in the Baltic and the Black Seas, and finally defeated the Tataro-Cuman chieftains at Poltava in 1560. The Russian power extended to Taganrog and the Black Sea Coast, to the Caspian Sea and the eastern bank of Volga in the east and the Georgian border in the south. Mikhail II (r. 1573-1606) would expand on those gains, conquering Georgia and Kemalid Dagestan (using the rebellions in Kemalid Persia), but eastern expansion was blocked by Stenka Bitiy, Hetman of the Urals, whose Cossacks won the Battle at Ural River.
Hetmanate of the Urals: Albeit the western Cossacks, who lived amongst the Cumans, were defeated and enserfed by the Russians, the eastern ones, led by Stenka Bitiy, formed the first and only Cossack state on River Ural in 1582 to stop Russian eastwards expansion. Hardy warriors, the Uralic Cossacks, with capital in the fortress-city of Aktau have thus far stopped the Russians, but the state is unlikely to survive the recent death of Stenka Bitiy without inspired leadership, especially as Kazakh and Tatar tribes further east are increasing their pressure.
das
Regeneration In Process
Africa:
Marinid Sultanate: The North African Sultanate's fortunes took a turn for the worst after 1530. Songhay emerged as a great power in the south, conquering Marinid lands there, chronic instability very nearly destroyed the Sultanate in 1540s (and again in 1590s) and the Spanish conquered Tangiers and Ceuta in 1550s. Future seems bleak, as the Marinid Sultanate is rife with corruption, regional separatism and threatened by European powers of Spain, France and Italy, especially the former ofcourse.
Songhay Empire: As Marinid hegemony in West Africa declined, dia (king) Sulaiman II Askia (r. 1529-1556) led a great rebellion against the Berbers, and forged a great trade empire at their expense. His successors continued his work, combining commercial prowess with martial skill and subduing lands from Wolof to Hausa, from Sahara to the southern coastal Akan. Songhay has also adopted Spanish technology, including the fabled Spanish junks...
Benin: One of the few West African states that aren't conquered or just annexed without a fight by Songhay, Benin survived due to dumb luck, mostly.
Kanem-Bornu: Another West African state unconquered by Songhay, Kanem-Bornu did so by the virtue of trade, and skilled mercenaries provided by the Tuaregs.
Ayyubid Sultanate: Centered in Egypt, the Sultanate's power expands into Hejjaz, Palestine, Syria, Nubia and Cyreneica. It is perhaps at its zenith right now - a great commercial powerhouse thanks to the intensifying Indian Ocean trade, backed by well-trained fanatical armies and a most respectable Chinese-imitating fleet - complete with a home-made invention, the damasked yank, an iron-clad ship that is not much use away from the shore but is perfect for coastal defenses, something the Byzantine fleet learned quite painfully in 1582 at Tyre (which was never destroyed ITTL by rampaging Mamelukes for the lack thereof). Anyway, the Ayyubids are rich, and fairly strong, especially as they have reconciled with their traditional enemies, the Kemalids. But the Byzantines still are strong in the north, whilst the nomadic tribes of Hejjaz and Nubia are increasingly restless...
Empire of Ethiopia: The Solomonid Ethiopia, bolstered somewhat by Chinese trade and somewhat by the recent cultural and political renaissance (it must be noted that Ethiopia is Non-Reunionist/New Orthodox), is stronger then ever before, perhaps not counting the times of ancient Axum. Ethiopian Highlands, Aussa (OTL Eritrea, roughly speaking) and a sizeable amount of land on the Nile have been brought into this empire during the last few decades, but the Ayyubids and Mombasans menace the Christian state in an ocean of heathens.
Sultanate of Mombasa: One of the prime benefitors from Indian Ocean trade revolutionized by the Chinese voyages of 15th century, the Mombasa is a mercantile and mostly-coastal Swahili Islamic state, which has many opportunities waiting for it, whether in the depths of Africa or in the Indian Ocean. Ofcourse, it is rather backwards and unlikely to survive a war with one of the great powers... but logistics prevent any real invasions from being possible thus far, not to mention profitable.
Middle East and Central Asia:
Kemalid Empire: As of late, the great Turko-Persian Kemalid Empire was not doing very well. Corruption grew, Russia, Kyrghyzia and Bahmanistan gnawed away at periphereal holdings and rebellion filled the last decade of 16th century. Only the brave actions of Shah Mehmad V (r. 1589-1618) have saved the Empire, but is that enough ultimately? Still, trade has resumed, Persian Gulf is still a Kemalid lake and the Ayyubids are friendly for once.
Kyrghyzian Khanate: Using the weakness of the Kemalids and the distraction of the Mongols, the Kyrghizians have greatly grown in strenght as of late. If the Kemalid Empire were to collapse, Kyrghizia would have plenty of opportunity... Alternatively, ofcourse, it can assist Chun China against Mongols instead.
India:
Bahmanistan: A powerful Hindu-Muslim empire in Deccania, Bahmanistan recently (1610) subdued Sinhala which it did conquer and lose four times before that in the 16th century and also during all this time expanded northwards as the Kemalids failed to exact control over their lands there - most notably, Gujarat fell under Bahmani rule. But as ethnic and religious problems grow, this overstretched state will need some very capable leadership to persist in its golden age and power.
Shahdom of Ilyash: Eventually overcoming their closer, Gangetic and south Himlayan enemies under the rule of Shah Bakhri I (r. 1525-1572), the Ilyashans nonetheless are thus far overshadowed by Bahmanis and menaced by Tibet and Pagan. Still, they are a significant regional power, and their Gurkhas are much-famed.
East Asia:
Mongol Empire: Stretching from Kyrghizian border to Yupeka, the Juchid Empire is a mortal enemy of Chun China. So far, all invasions, including the great one in 1588, have failed for various reasons, most often the superior Chinese fortifications but sometimes things such as luck, betrayal and the superior Chinese espionage. Nonetheless, Chinese invasions of Mongolia never fared much better. Perhaps the time for the showdown is now? Maybe the alliance with Japan, of 1588, should be revived? Or is China a dead end, and Mongolia should move against Kyrghyzia instead?
Kingdom of Tibet: The roof of the world, the land of the Dalai Lama since a few years ago, Tibet is an increasingly-influential state and is rightfully considered unconquerable... however, the very same strategic position that defends them also prevents prosperity.
Chun Chinese Empire: A strongly mercantile state - something that still does not sit well with some elements of the population - China dominates Pacific and Indian Ocean trade and controls numerous colonies and protectorates - Annam, Taiwan, Luzon, Hawaii (gained during yet another one of Chinese-Japanese naval wars), Fusan, Sinannam (increasingly rebellious - one Chinese official commented: "No matter where we move the Annamese, they just don't seem to calm down..."), Hsiensheng (Chinese Mesoamerica), Chinkiang (OTL Columbia and Ecuador, more or less) and Inka (OTL Peru, Chile and segments of Bolivia). However, albeit luck follows it in its colonial ventures, the war with Mongolia is going worse with every invasion. In 1588, in fact, Chinese coast was devastated by Japanese pirates, whilst Mongols destroyed the Great Wall with their powerful artillery and advanced as far as Luzhou until they were defeated in an epic battle there by the Neilo Emperor (r. 1545-1591). China is strong and rich, but is envied by nations all over the world for it. Perhaps soon, those nations will try to strike?
Japanese Hojo Shogunate: The Emperor rules only in name - for centuries now, the true power lies with the Shogun, a hereditary general-regent. However, the power of the Shogunate is waning WITHIN Japan - cultural decline seems evident, corruption grows and the peasants are ever-restless. Japanese pirates are the archnemesis of Chun China, and as such are often backed by the Shogun - this eventually cost him Hawaii, a major pirate base amongst other things. The Japanese holdings in the New World (Shinihon) are still underpopulated and only cunning Japanese diplomacy, getting natives on their side, allowed this colony to survive.
Southeast Asia:
Pagan Empire: Perhaps surprisingly-powerful, this Burman kingdom has in the last few decades finished the unifation of Burma and extended its rule into northern Siam. An economic and cultural golden age even now is taking place, but where will Pagan move afterwards? Peaceful expansion is no longer an option, after all...
Siamese Empire: Proud Siam is now in decline. It still rules many lands, but their fleet was destroyed by the Chinese at Atjeh in 1588, and only the Mongol-Japanese invasion of China saved Siam from utter destruction. The Paganese have grabbed many Siamese lands in the north, whilst the Malays are increasingly rebellious in the south...
Sultanate of Atjeh: The only Muslim state in Southeast Asia, Atjeh was only barely saved in 1587-8 from Siamese conquest by their benevolent Chinese allies, which however since then degenerated into something of puppet-masters. Still, most Atjehians don't mind, as trade is more profitable then ever before now. Though Singhasari and Siam are breathing down the Sultanate's neck and waiting only for China to falter...
Singhasari Empire: A Hindu-Buddhist state, the Singhasari Empire is a great commercial power and China's main competitor in Southeast Asia. Tensions with China and its vassals in Atjeh are growing, but Singhasari will need good allies to defeat the Chinese Dragon.
Mu'lan-Pi/Mulanpy:
Huron Empire: Led by an enigmatic chieftain, Wendasioui (r. 1526-1561), the Hurons, in the wake of the destruction of the Delawares at the hands of Denmark, adopted many European technologies and ideas, and played Europeans against each other, winning time and building a militaristic society and an empire in the Great Lakes region.
Choctaw Tribal Confederation: United out of fear of ongoing Chinese and European expansion, the Choctaw Tribal Confederation actually includes many non-Choctaw tribes and extends from the western Spanish Floridian border to an area slightly to the west from Mississippi. It is rather weak and likely to be conquered by colonists, but its too early to abandon hope just yet.
Mayan Empire: The Mayans, in an effort to stave off Chinese and Spanish invasions alike, united under Mayapuni rule and undergone a visible social transformation. Not entirely unlike ancient Sparta, the Mayans are now a militaristic, unique society that survives by playing China and Spain against each other and by utilizing bravery, disciplinne and guerrila warfare against any who dare invade their lands...
Okay, alex, I'll start work on the map soon. Feel free to ask me questions on the setting if you have any.
Marinid Sultanate: The North African Sultanate's fortunes took a turn for the worst after 1530. Songhay emerged as a great power in the south, conquering Marinid lands there, chronic instability very nearly destroyed the Sultanate in 1540s (and again in 1590s) and the Spanish conquered Tangiers and Ceuta in 1550s. Future seems bleak, as the Marinid Sultanate is rife with corruption, regional separatism and threatened by European powers of Spain, France and Italy, especially the former ofcourse.
Songhay Empire: As Marinid hegemony in West Africa declined, dia (king) Sulaiman II Askia (r. 1529-1556) led a great rebellion against the Berbers, and forged a great trade empire at their expense. His successors continued his work, combining commercial prowess with martial skill and subduing lands from Wolof to Hausa, from Sahara to the southern coastal Akan. Songhay has also adopted Spanish technology, including the fabled Spanish junks...
Benin: One of the few West African states that aren't conquered or just annexed without a fight by Songhay, Benin survived due to dumb luck, mostly.
Kanem-Bornu: Another West African state unconquered by Songhay, Kanem-Bornu did so by the virtue of trade, and skilled mercenaries provided by the Tuaregs.
Ayyubid Sultanate: Centered in Egypt, the Sultanate's power expands into Hejjaz, Palestine, Syria, Nubia and Cyreneica. It is perhaps at its zenith right now - a great commercial powerhouse thanks to the intensifying Indian Ocean trade, backed by well-trained fanatical armies and a most respectable Chinese-imitating fleet - complete with a home-made invention, the damasked yank, an iron-clad ship that is not much use away from the shore but is perfect for coastal defenses, something the Byzantine fleet learned quite painfully in 1582 at Tyre (which was never destroyed ITTL by rampaging Mamelukes for the lack thereof). Anyway, the Ayyubids are rich, and fairly strong, especially as they have reconciled with their traditional enemies, the Kemalids. But the Byzantines still are strong in the north, whilst the nomadic tribes of Hejjaz and Nubia are increasingly restless...
Empire of Ethiopia: The Solomonid Ethiopia, bolstered somewhat by Chinese trade and somewhat by the recent cultural and political renaissance (it must be noted that Ethiopia is Non-Reunionist/New Orthodox), is stronger then ever before, perhaps not counting the times of ancient Axum. Ethiopian Highlands, Aussa (OTL Eritrea, roughly speaking) and a sizeable amount of land on the Nile have been brought into this empire during the last few decades, but the Ayyubids and Mombasans menace the Christian state in an ocean of heathens.
Sultanate of Mombasa: One of the prime benefitors from Indian Ocean trade revolutionized by the Chinese voyages of 15th century, the Mombasa is a mercantile and mostly-coastal Swahili Islamic state, which has many opportunities waiting for it, whether in the depths of Africa or in the Indian Ocean. Ofcourse, it is rather backwards and unlikely to survive a war with one of the great powers... but logistics prevent any real invasions from being possible thus far, not to mention profitable.
Middle East and Central Asia:
Kemalid Empire: As of late, the great Turko-Persian Kemalid Empire was not doing very well. Corruption grew, Russia, Kyrghyzia and Bahmanistan gnawed away at periphereal holdings and rebellion filled the last decade of 16th century. Only the brave actions of Shah Mehmad V (r. 1589-1618) have saved the Empire, but is that enough ultimately? Still, trade has resumed, Persian Gulf is still a Kemalid lake and the Ayyubids are friendly for once.
Kyrghyzian Khanate: Using the weakness of the Kemalids and the distraction of the Mongols, the Kyrghizians have greatly grown in strenght as of late. If the Kemalid Empire were to collapse, Kyrghizia would have plenty of opportunity... Alternatively, ofcourse, it can assist Chun China against Mongols instead.
India:
Bahmanistan: A powerful Hindu-Muslim empire in Deccania, Bahmanistan recently (1610) subdued Sinhala which it did conquer and lose four times before that in the 16th century and also during all this time expanded northwards as the Kemalids failed to exact control over their lands there - most notably, Gujarat fell under Bahmani rule. But as ethnic and religious problems grow, this overstretched state will need some very capable leadership to persist in its golden age and power.
Shahdom of Ilyash: Eventually overcoming their closer, Gangetic and south Himlayan enemies under the rule of Shah Bakhri I (r. 1525-1572), the Ilyashans nonetheless are thus far overshadowed by Bahmanis and menaced by Tibet and Pagan. Still, they are a significant regional power, and their Gurkhas are much-famed.
East Asia:
Mongol Empire: Stretching from Kyrghizian border to Yupeka, the Juchid Empire is a mortal enemy of Chun China. So far, all invasions, including the great one in 1588, have failed for various reasons, most often the superior Chinese fortifications but sometimes things such as luck, betrayal and the superior Chinese espionage. Nonetheless, Chinese invasions of Mongolia never fared much better. Perhaps the time for the showdown is now? Maybe the alliance with Japan, of 1588, should be revived? Or is China a dead end, and Mongolia should move against Kyrghyzia instead?
Kingdom of Tibet: The roof of the world, the land of the Dalai Lama since a few years ago, Tibet is an increasingly-influential state and is rightfully considered unconquerable... however, the very same strategic position that defends them also prevents prosperity.
Chun Chinese Empire: A strongly mercantile state - something that still does not sit well with some elements of the population - China dominates Pacific and Indian Ocean trade and controls numerous colonies and protectorates - Annam, Taiwan, Luzon, Hawaii (gained during yet another one of Chinese-Japanese naval wars), Fusan, Sinannam (increasingly rebellious - one Chinese official commented: "No matter where we move the Annamese, they just don't seem to calm down..."), Hsiensheng (Chinese Mesoamerica), Chinkiang (OTL Columbia and Ecuador, more or less) and Inka (OTL Peru, Chile and segments of Bolivia). However, albeit luck follows it in its colonial ventures, the war with Mongolia is going worse with every invasion. In 1588, in fact, Chinese coast was devastated by Japanese pirates, whilst Mongols destroyed the Great Wall with their powerful artillery and advanced as far as Luzhou until they were defeated in an epic battle there by the Neilo Emperor (r. 1545-1591). China is strong and rich, but is envied by nations all over the world for it. Perhaps soon, those nations will try to strike?
Japanese Hojo Shogunate: The Emperor rules only in name - for centuries now, the true power lies with the Shogun, a hereditary general-regent. However, the power of the Shogunate is waning WITHIN Japan - cultural decline seems evident, corruption grows and the peasants are ever-restless. Japanese pirates are the archnemesis of Chun China, and as such are often backed by the Shogun - this eventually cost him Hawaii, a major pirate base amongst other things. The Japanese holdings in the New World (Shinihon) are still underpopulated and only cunning Japanese diplomacy, getting natives on their side, allowed this colony to survive.
Southeast Asia:
Pagan Empire: Perhaps surprisingly-powerful, this Burman kingdom has in the last few decades finished the unifation of Burma and extended its rule into northern Siam. An economic and cultural golden age even now is taking place, but where will Pagan move afterwards? Peaceful expansion is no longer an option, after all...
Siamese Empire: Proud Siam is now in decline. It still rules many lands, but their fleet was destroyed by the Chinese at Atjeh in 1588, and only the Mongol-Japanese invasion of China saved Siam from utter destruction. The Paganese have grabbed many Siamese lands in the north, whilst the Malays are increasingly rebellious in the south...
Sultanate of Atjeh: The only Muslim state in Southeast Asia, Atjeh was only barely saved in 1587-8 from Siamese conquest by their benevolent Chinese allies, which however since then degenerated into something of puppet-masters. Still, most Atjehians don't mind, as trade is more profitable then ever before now. Though Singhasari and Siam are breathing down the Sultanate's neck and waiting only for China to falter...
Singhasari Empire: A Hindu-Buddhist state, the Singhasari Empire is a great commercial power and China's main competitor in Southeast Asia. Tensions with China and its vassals in Atjeh are growing, but Singhasari will need good allies to defeat the Chinese Dragon.
Mu'lan-Pi/Mulanpy:
Huron Empire: Led by an enigmatic chieftain, Wendasioui (r. 1526-1561), the Hurons, in the wake of the destruction of the Delawares at the hands of Denmark, adopted many European technologies and ideas, and played Europeans against each other, winning time and building a militaristic society and an empire in the Great Lakes region.
Choctaw Tribal Confederation: United out of fear of ongoing Chinese and European expansion, the Choctaw Tribal Confederation actually includes many non-Choctaw tribes and extends from the western Spanish Floridian border to an area slightly to the west from Mississippi. It is rather weak and likely to be conquered by colonists, but its too early to abandon hope just yet.
Mayan Empire: The Mayans, in an effort to stave off Chinese and Spanish invasions alike, united under Mayapuni rule and undergone a visible social transformation. Not entirely unlike ancient Sparta, the Mayans are now a militaristic, unique society that survives by playing China and Spain against each other and by utilizing bravery, disciplinne and guerrila warfare against any who dare invade their lands...
Okay, alex, I'll start work on the map soon. Feel free to ask me questions on the setting if you have any.
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