I still think that the major problem was my tactics; trying to use Salamis-type stuff wouldn't work in the comparatively wide waters of Messina. Not that it would have succeeded anyway, but it would be nice to have inflicted a few more casualties on the Punic navy.
ITNESI History Thread
- Thread starter das
- Start date
das
Regeneration In Process
Ah, not sure if I should tell you this, but...
..."my vizier outviziers your vizier!"
..."my vizier outviziers your vizier!"
I wasn't sure if Grandmaster was still playing Luca. If he is, I won't take it until he drops it. But still, I don't expect to join right away. I'll wait for the right opportunity. 
Insane_Panda
Deity
No, grandmaster dropped. But I think what das is speaking of is a... aww nevermind, you can figure it out.
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Dachspmg said:IDK, man, just as in the dark as you. Nobody tells me anything...
Ditto, except I mean it.
Grandmaster
Deity
Cap, I PM'ed Das the other day saying I wanted to rejoin Luca during this BT. However, if you want it, you can have it, and I'll figure someone else out.
das
Regeneration In Process
Sure, that's what its for anyway...
das
Regeneration In Process
IT II - Years 270-190 BC
Americas:
Before 249 BC, Olmecia continued to co-exist with Zapotecia and the Mayan tribes peacefully, trading and trading. In 3rd Century, however, Olmecia was firmly declining and stagnating, whilst Zapotecia became stronger and stronger. Olmecia's weakness was fully exposed when, in 244, Mayan barbarians overran an eastern Olmec province. Mayans ruthlessly slaughtered Olmecs. The Olmec government was inefficient and Olmecia seemed poised to collapse... when came the Crown Prince, a semi-legendary personality that completely overturned the Olmec society. A religious leader, he preached a very militant way of life, and managed to somehow (apparently through inheritance, but possibly in a coup d'etat) gain power in Olmecia. The crisis allowed him to wrest power from the merchants and to create a military-religious government. Reforms were undertaken, feudalism was introduced, and the Olmec armies expelled Mayans. Then, they confronted the Zapotecs, and in a great battle at Oaxaca destroyed their army. Zapotec resistance slowed down the takeover, but as of 222 the Olmecs were firmly in control of Zapotecia. A war with the rising state of Mayapan and other Mayan tribes was hard and grueling, and only in 190 BC were the Mayan lands finally consolidate as the newest Olmec possessions. Olmecs united Mesoamerica.
To the east, on the island of Khuba, local cannibalistic tribes formed a loose confederation in reaction to growing Olmec influence. They distinguished themselves in naval combat and raids on Mayan territory that helped Olmecs destroy Mayapan.
Transpoenic-Mediterranean (Europe and North Africa minus Egypt):
Arvernii Gaul payed for its previous wanton looting in Rome and Kartyria in mid-3rd century. Romans, Kartyrians, Portuguese, Parisii, Allemagnii, Illyrians - all of them had had enough with the tribal empire. But against this formidable coalition, Gaul made a very good stand, in part thanks to the constant coordination problems amongst the anti-Gaelic powers and in part thanks to other "distractions". In the beginning, the anti-Gaelic powers had bungled it - far from all of them entered the fray at once. The Arvernii Gauls also pre-empted them by attacking, in 270 BC, Parisii Gaul. Superior Arvernii armies simply destroyed the Parisii confederation and were ready to turn south, to fight the Portuguese, Kartyrian and Illyrian invaders. Rome and Allemagnia remained silent, however - they had their own internal problems and apparently wanted to see how things develop.
They developed thusly: the Gauls resisted well and employed guerrila tactics to slow down enemy advance, and their warriors fought bravely, but still, the anti-Gauls made much progress. Entire western coast was under Portuguese control. Illryians destroyed a Gaelic army in East Liguria. Kartyrians were at the gates of Gergovia.
So Rome and Allemagnia entered. But the Gauls quickly recovered. They managed to decimate an Allemagnii army with hit-and-run attacks (by extension, this disaster also brought down Allemagnia as a state a few years later), they also destroyed the Portuguese army at Dordogne in 257 BC. Yet the forces arranged against them were too great. In 252, Parisii rebelled again. Romans and Kartyrians took Gergovia two years earlier, destroying a large host of Gaelic Champions; the city was burned down by its defenders. The Gauls fought on until 239 BC; they finished off the Allemagnii (248), they crushed the Kartyrians at Alesia (247), they wrested Fort Gergovia from Roman hands (244). But this effort exhausted Gaul. The Grand Gaelic Army lost disciplinne - it was filled with ill-trained youths. Even small boys were, by the end of it all, conscripted. This combined with Kartyrian and Parisii raids devastated the once-prosperous Gaul. The "GGA" was destroyed in 239 BC at Lugdunum by Beth-Nemra and Metelus, and after that Gaul simply fell apart, most of the tribes losing any will - or ability - to fight. Gaul was crushed and subjugated, though this subjugation proved not nearly as long-living as Kartyrians - who inherited Southern and Central Gaul - might have expected. Romans also took over a part of Gaelic territory, namely East Liguria.
However, Kartyria and Rome were the only surviving states of the Anti-Gaelic Coalition, and they themselves were severely weakened by the war in Gaul (in spite of the useful political (Rome; establishment of the Republic) and religious (Kartyria; rise of Messiahism)). These two nations and Portugal were natural and historical (with the possible exception of Rome) enemies of Carthage; until now, they managed to keep Carthage in its place, but now, the greatest Carthaginian Emperor ever, Hannibal I Barcelona, suddenly got an ideal opportunity for revanche. With the assistance of Lucan military advisors, Hannibal reformed the Carthaginian army, introduced an "Imperial Religion" and generally transformed Carthage into a powerhouse. Carthaginian control of nearly 1/3 of all Transpoenic trade revenues made this possible.
As soon as he heard of the Portuguese defeat at Dordogne, Hannibal sent forth his troops that landed at Barcelona in Iberia. Some of the Portuguese armies were still in Gaul, others were defending Mauri against an attack that never came. Carthaginians quickly stormed across Iberia, taking Tartessos and the eastern coast, whilst another army suddenly threatened Kartyr itself. In 246, Lisbon fell to the Carthaginians. Meanwhile, in North Africa, the Portuguese invasion of Carthage Proper was defeated fully at Baecula and at Saldae. As of 245, all Portuguese lands apart from the Kartyrian-occupied territory between Garonne and the Pyrenees passed under Carthaginian control. Hannibal then made a very far-sighted political move - he gave priveleges to Celtiberians and Berbers, winning their allegience for Carthage. These fierce warriors eventually would play a significant part in Carthage's victory in the Great Transpoenic War...
...which begun now. Carthaginian conquest of Portugal shocked the world. Kartyria, Rome, Dacia, Byzantium - all those powers realized the threat of Carthage to the balance of power in the Transpoenic and Mediterranean Seas. However, only Rome and Kartyria tried to fight back at first - and they immediately suffered a major naval defeat at Minorca (244). Frightened, Kartyrians and Romans decided to seek peace, and indeed it was signed in 240 BC, effectively recognizing standing borders. But the news of the peace reached Rome - or rather, Croton - too late. The Roman fleet, cursed with a woefully-undertrained crew, was tricked and outmaneuvered by Admiral Hasdrubal, who decimated the entire Roman navy at the Strait of Messina. Thus, it happened that for a while, Rome stood alone against Carthage - the Kartyrians decided to wait and see how things develop.
Emperor Hannibal planned an invasion of Italy, to subdue the Romans once and for all. The large manpower at his disposal freed him from choosing whether to land in the south or in the north - instead, his forces landed in both locations. And though Romans were a very formidable foe, the Carthaginians, albeit defeated in the south at Bruttium, managed to take Rome itself. Chaos ensued. Thinking Rome to be nearing collapse, Kartyrians occupied Roman East Liguria. Rome seemed doomed.
But it was not all that bad. Roman army still was strong. An agreement was reached with the Kartyrians after negotiations with Carthage broke down. Byzantium and Dacia were also swayed to the Roman side. On the Isra (a Messiahist holiday) of 220 BC, the Kartyrians, who somehow thought that they got into Carthaginian trust, launched the most ambitious betrayal that was ever planned by man.
It was a complete failure - the Carthaginians were too clever to trust their historical foes that only recently signed peace with the. The assassin-princess was imprisoned and only barely was rescued. The Kartyrian assault over the Pyrenees was an abysmal failure, whilst the new generation of Gauls was raised to rebellion by an ambitious Gaelic mercenary in Carthaginian pay - Vercingetorix. The superior anti-Carthaginian fleet was fought to a draw, and the Roman invasion of Sicily failed loudly. There were some successes for the anti-Carthaginian Alliance - in 218, the Carthaginians, beset by partisans, were defeated by Roman-Kartyrian forces at Compania, and the Carthaginians were thusly expelled from Italy. But it was a costly victory. Not to mention that before the Carthaginians retreated to Compania... they destroyed the city of Rome completely. Not a brick on brick remained.
The war went on until 182 BC. Byzantines landed in Tripolitania, Dacians landed in Mauri... but the former withdrew soon after, whilst the latter suffered horrible casualties to attrition and superiorly-trained and motivated Carthaginian garrisons, eventually withdrawing as well, with the death of Oroles III the Conqueror. Much different was the Byzantine withdrawal - although it did begin with a change of a ruler, this happened in a coup d'etat, as Emperor Theodosius was overthrown by Eram Constantine IV, a convinced enemy of Rome. Eram turned Byzantium around, allying with Carthage in 210 BC. Byzantine troops left Tripolitania, and invaded Italy. Although the invasion, as a whole, was a failure (Eram IV fled with some troops back to Byzantium in 190), it destabilized Rome further, with Etrurian and Greek rebellions. At the same time, a Roman invasion of Iberia and a Portuguese rebellion seemed to come close to overthrowing Carthaginian power... but not until Carthaginians reacted to this properly in 196. Imperial Stormtroopers completely wiped out Portuguese resistance (and depopulated Portugal in the process), whilst Celtiberian raids and logistical problems grinded away the Roman army to the point of utter annihilation at the Northern Pillar of Hercules in 187. Kartyrians made a strategical mistake when they withdrew, with losses, from Gaul in 200-195.
By 190 BC, the economies of the combatants were beginning to collapse. The plague that spread out of Dacia, the "Dacian Fever", was the final blow. Kartyrians, whose economy already nearly ceased to exist, now also lost their nation - woefully-understocked military suffered a naval defeat at the Pillars and a land defeat at Elaver. Kartyria simply collapsed, and Carthaginian troops took over its lands. Rome, which was nearing breaking point as well, survived - Carthage, too, was tired, and Roman forces performed well in Greece (shortly before the war ended, they landed in the Peloponessian and secured the entire peninsula), though not reaching their goal for the want of a navy. Peace dawned. Carthage emerged victorious, but battered, and Rome retained its freedom... but had no allies left. The Transpoenic Sea will take some time to recover from this...
Illyria, meanwhile, has been "freed" by the Dacians. In 256, using Illyrian distraction in Gaul, Dacians crossed the Danube, took the fortress-city of Sigdeus and from there moved on to capture all of Illyria, its allies too distracted to do anything about it. However, most of Illyria simply became a vassal state, under the ludicrous name of "Republic of Free Illyria". The port city of Salonae was the only thing directly annexed; it was renamed to Burebistatuza, and Dacians for the first time had an access to sea. Burebistatuza eventually became a major trade center... The next Dacian ruler, Oroles III, was rightfully dubbed "the Conqueror"; before his unfortunate death in Mauri, he had much time to fight at home. Germannic tribes were a perpetual threat to Dacia, and Oroles III was determined to destroy them. In that, he did not succeed - Hermann the German, founder of Ostland, stopped Dacians at Erlau in 221. Regardless, Oroles conquered lands in the north, west and east, the east being especially important as the eastern port of Orolestuza has been established.
Apart from military shortcomings in the Great Transpoenic War, especially the Roman invasion of the Peloponessian that coincided with a short-lived Spartan rebellion, Byzantium flourished, albeit it was beginning to stagnate.
Lucans during this time lost most of their Bosporan holdings to barbarians and eventually to Bosporan rebels, led by future Bosporan Vizier Bekhu (r. 247-229). After a brief flourishing under his rule, his more incompetent successors ran the new state aground, especially as resurgent Korvashid Lucans reclaimed the peninsula of Bosporan, whilst the other Bosporan lands were conquered by Slavs and the ferocious Huns, who came recently from the east (destroying the various Raan and Scythian tribes as they went).
Middle East (and East Africa plus Egypt):
During this time, old empires of Egypt and Luca collapsed, albeit both kept their core homelands.
Stagnant, Egypt was filled with people many of whom had very weird ideas. What's worse, some of them also had ambitions and skills. One such man, General Guz, was exiled by the Pharaoh but soon (in 264) returned, to lead a military-republican coup d'etat, supported by the army and local Greeks (most others didn't care, at first). Prince Ramses barely escaped with his life, the Pharaoh was killed, and the Senate was assembled... but in early 263, Guz did a Very Stupid Thing. He declared that all people are equals and that slaves are to be freed.
This won him the support of the slaves... and the hatred of pretty much everybody else, apart from the army. Monarchist ("Ramsesite") ranks suddenly swelled; the middle class then declared backing for so-called "Slave Republicans" led by Nakhno, who wanted a more moderate republic (with slaves, naturally). A three-way civil war begun, combined with Phoenicean and Nubian rebellions, Mosesites, independant warlords, peasants and southern barbarians. The war went on indecisevely, although at first it looked as if the Slave Republicans were winning. In 248, General Guz died, demoralizing the Free Republicans, but by then the Slave Republicans themselves were badly defeated at at Ghurab. In 230, the last Free Republicans (that by then fractured into small factions) surrendered and were executted; the Slave Republicans surrendered earlier, though some managed to run away to Byzantium. Ramses inherited Egypt. A ruined, devastated country that lost its empire. Ramses tried to recover it, but Nubians and Phoeniceans withstood his attacks, and he died, disillusioned, in 216. His son immediately signed a peace treaty with the rebels, recognizing the independance of Phoenicea and Nubia, and of the Furite tribes in the south, and the Cush-ite rule of his southernmost provinces (south from Nubia - no land connection left).
Lucan ruler Aian led, in 265 BC, a great invasion of Israel. Albeit Lucans, reinforced by Egyptians and Halabani Arabic tribes, had numerical supremacy, the Israelis had religious fanaticism and superior position. Lucan supplies were also messed up by a Phoenicean rebellion and the Egyptian Civil War. Albeit they did manage to destroy Yir and captured Jiddah, Mecca remained unsubdued in spite of a tough three-year siege. The Lucans were, in 259, allowed to enter it... but were ambushed and slaughtered. Herem (a holy total war) was declared upon the Lucans and their allies, and southern Mosesite Arabic tribes begun joining the Israeli army and attacking the Halabani Arabs. Lucans were exhausted, losing troops and forced to commit much money to this venture, whilst Israeli rebellions behind the Lucan lines allowed the Israelis to regain Yathrib and indeed much of the south.
Nonetheless, Luca was still strong, and it is unclear whether Israel would have won if a certain other power didn't come into play...
...Bactrasha. The Aranian Empire, ruled by Razh Viyatri, has in 268 gone on a conquering spree. First to suffer was Mohenjo-daro. Its vassals in Cyrusid Persia were immediately routed at Elburz; Darius II fled to Mohenjo-daro, closely followed by Razha horsemen; soon enough, Mohenjo-daran armies were pushed out of much of their Aryan lands, and barely persuaded Razh Viyatri to be content with those and not to take over Sutkagen Dor and Hindu Kush (much one-time tribute was involved). Now, in 257, having rested and regrouped, the Bactrashans invaded Lucan Mesopatamia (or Eastern Assyria and Greater Ur). Lesser Ur immediately seceded and asked for Mohenjo-daran protection (until 219 BC, Mohenjo-darans ardently explored the western part of the Indian Ocean, trading with Cush, colonizing Zanzibar and Southern Arabia). Bactrashans ignored that; they needed to defeat Metes, the new Lucan Vizier.
The Vizier acted quickly, conscripting his people and withdrawing from Israel. In 243, in a decisive battle at Milid, the Bactrashans destroyed the Lucan army; Metes died in battle, but Viyatri himself died from wounds a week later, but not before hearing news of his great triumph - his scouts have returned, they have confirmed that they saw a great western sea. Bactrasha reached that legendary sea at once.
As for Luca... well, without a Vizier, it was rulled by the Magi, who held on to Anatolia and some Mediterranean islands. Phoenicea, the birthplace of Messiahism, got independance with the capital in Urusalim. Bactrasha annexed most other Lucan holdings, now extending as far as the Arabian Desert and the Caucasus. As for Israel... it survived.
And expanded. The Israelis begun rebuilding after the Arabian War, but also made sure to wipe out or convert all remaining Halabanis in Arabia. Some tried to flee north, but they were killed off by the Bactrashans. Gradually, Israelis played on the Mosesite Arabic xenophobia and on Mohenjo-daran "menace" to unite the entire Arabian Peninsula and, during the 210s, expelled Mohenjo-darans from Arabia (and Lesser Ur) altogether, making the new Emperor Garya recall the Western Fleet. This allowed Sinhala to further strenghthen its presence in western Indian Ocean, though they didn't dare attack Israel neither.
Gradually, Luca recovered at home as Magus Khorvash, with the approval of the council, reformed the country and the military, introduced monarchy (with himself as king) and renamed the state into the Khorvashid Empire of Luca. It then tested its strenght by retaking Bosporan... In the east, meanwhile, razh Ahul-Viyatri was a worthy successor to his conquering predecessor; albeit he himself scarcely conquered any lands, he reformed the Empire, introduced a "sabha" council, begun engineering a proto-national identity, consolidated gains and reformed the army. Bactrashan Empire was there to stay.
Americas:
Before 249 BC, Olmecia continued to co-exist with Zapotecia and the Mayan tribes peacefully, trading and trading. In 3rd Century, however, Olmecia was firmly declining and stagnating, whilst Zapotecia became stronger and stronger. Olmecia's weakness was fully exposed when, in 244, Mayan barbarians overran an eastern Olmec province. Mayans ruthlessly slaughtered Olmecs. The Olmec government was inefficient and Olmecia seemed poised to collapse... when came the Crown Prince, a semi-legendary personality that completely overturned the Olmec society. A religious leader, he preached a very militant way of life, and managed to somehow (apparently through inheritance, but possibly in a coup d'etat) gain power in Olmecia. The crisis allowed him to wrest power from the merchants and to create a military-religious government. Reforms were undertaken, feudalism was introduced, and the Olmec armies expelled Mayans. Then, they confronted the Zapotecs, and in a great battle at Oaxaca destroyed their army. Zapotec resistance slowed down the takeover, but as of 222 the Olmecs were firmly in control of Zapotecia. A war with the rising state of Mayapan and other Mayan tribes was hard and grueling, and only in 190 BC were the Mayan lands finally consolidate as the newest Olmec possessions. Olmecs united Mesoamerica.
To the east, on the island of Khuba, local cannibalistic tribes formed a loose confederation in reaction to growing Olmec influence. They distinguished themselves in naval combat and raids on Mayan territory that helped Olmecs destroy Mayapan.
Transpoenic-Mediterranean (Europe and North Africa minus Egypt):
Arvernii Gaul payed for its previous wanton looting in Rome and Kartyria in mid-3rd century. Romans, Kartyrians, Portuguese, Parisii, Allemagnii, Illyrians - all of them had had enough with the tribal empire. But against this formidable coalition, Gaul made a very good stand, in part thanks to the constant coordination problems amongst the anti-Gaelic powers and in part thanks to other "distractions". In the beginning, the anti-Gaelic powers had bungled it - far from all of them entered the fray at once. The Arvernii Gauls also pre-empted them by attacking, in 270 BC, Parisii Gaul. Superior Arvernii armies simply destroyed the Parisii confederation and were ready to turn south, to fight the Portuguese, Kartyrian and Illyrian invaders. Rome and Allemagnia remained silent, however - they had their own internal problems and apparently wanted to see how things develop.
They developed thusly: the Gauls resisted well and employed guerrila tactics to slow down enemy advance, and their warriors fought bravely, but still, the anti-Gauls made much progress. Entire western coast was under Portuguese control. Illryians destroyed a Gaelic army in East Liguria. Kartyrians were at the gates of Gergovia.
So Rome and Allemagnia entered. But the Gauls quickly recovered. They managed to decimate an Allemagnii army with hit-and-run attacks (by extension, this disaster also brought down Allemagnia as a state a few years later), they also destroyed the Portuguese army at Dordogne in 257 BC. Yet the forces arranged against them were too great. In 252, Parisii rebelled again. Romans and Kartyrians took Gergovia two years earlier, destroying a large host of Gaelic Champions; the city was burned down by its defenders. The Gauls fought on until 239 BC; they finished off the Allemagnii (248), they crushed the Kartyrians at Alesia (247), they wrested Fort Gergovia from Roman hands (244). But this effort exhausted Gaul. The Grand Gaelic Army lost disciplinne - it was filled with ill-trained youths. Even small boys were, by the end of it all, conscripted. This combined with Kartyrian and Parisii raids devastated the once-prosperous Gaul. The "GGA" was destroyed in 239 BC at Lugdunum by Beth-Nemra and Metelus, and after that Gaul simply fell apart, most of the tribes losing any will - or ability - to fight. Gaul was crushed and subjugated, though this subjugation proved not nearly as long-living as Kartyrians - who inherited Southern and Central Gaul - might have expected. Romans also took over a part of Gaelic territory, namely East Liguria.
However, Kartyria and Rome were the only surviving states of the Anti-Gaelic Coalition, and they themselves were severely weakened by the war in Gaul (in spite of the useful political (Rome; establishment of the Republic) and religious (Kartyria; rise of Messiahism)). These two nations and Portugal were natural and historical (with the possible exception of Rome) enemies of Carthage; until now, they managed to keep Carthage in its place, but now, the greatest Carthaginian Emperor ever, Hannibal I Barcelona, suddenly got an ideal opportunity for revanche. With the assistance of Lucan military advisors, Hannibal reformed the Carthaginian army, introduced an "Imperial Religion" and generally transformed Carthage into a powerhouse. Carthaginian control of nearly 1/3 of all Transpoenic trade revenues made this possible.
As soon as he heard of the Portuguese defeat at Dordogne, Hannibal sent forth his troops that landed at Barcelona in Iberia. Some of the Portuguese armies were still in Gaul, others were defending Mauri against an attack that never came. Carthaginians quickly stormed across Iberia, taking Tartessos and the eastern coast, whilst another army suddenly threatened Kartyr itself. In 246, Lisbon fell to the Carthaginians. Meanwhile, in North Africa, the Portuguese invasion of Carthage Proper was defeated fully at Baecula and at Saldae. As of 245, all Portuguese lands apart from the Kartyrian-occupied territory between Garonne and the Pyrenees passed under Carthaginian control. Hannibal then made a very far-sighted political move - he gave priveleges to Celtiberians and Berbers, winning their allegience for Carthage. These fierce warriors eventually would play a significant part in Carthage's victory in the Great Transpoenic War...
...which begun now. Carthaginian conquest of Portugal shocked the world. Kartyria, Rome, Dacia, Byzantium - all those powers realized the threat of Carthage to the balance of power in the Transpoenic and Mediterranean Seas. However, only Rome and Kartyria tried to fight back at first - and they immediately suffered a major naval defeat at Minorca (244). Frightened, Kartyrians and Romans decided to seek peace, and indeed it was signed in 240 BC, effectively recognizing standing borders. But the news of the peace reached Rome - or rather, Croton - too late. The Roman fleet, cursed with a woefully-undertrained crew, was tricked and outmaneuvered by Admiral Hasdrubal, who decimated the entire Roman navy at the Strait of Messina. Thus, it happened that for a while, Rome stood alone against Carthage - the Kartyrians decided to wait and see how things develop.
Emperor Hannibal planned an invasion of Italy, to subdue the Romans once and for all. The large manpower at his disposal freed him from choosing whether to land in the south or in the north - instead, his forces landed in both locations. And though Romans were a very formidable foe, the Carthaginians, albeit defeated in the south at Bruttium, managed to take Rome itself. Chaos ensued. Thinking Rome to be nearing collapse, Kartyrians occupied Roman East Liguria. Rome seemed doomed.
But it was not all that bad. Roman army still was strong. An agreement was reached with the Kartyrians after negotiations with Carthage broke down. Byzantium and Dacia were also swayed to the Roman side. On the Isra (a Messiahist holiday) of 220 BC, the Kartyrians, who somehow thought that they got into Carthaginian trust, launched the most ambitious betrayal that was ever planned by man.
It was a complete failure - the Carthaginians were too clever to trust their historical foes that only recently signed peace with the. The assassin-princess was imprisoned and only barely was rescued. The Kartyrian assault over the Pyrenees was an abysmal failure, whilst the new generation of Gauls was raised to rebellion by an ambitious Gaelic mercenary in Carthaginian pay - Vercingetorix. The superior anti-Carthaginian fleet was fought to a draw, and the Roman invasion of Sicily failed loudly. There were some successes for the anti-Carthaginian Alliance - in 218, the Carthaginians, beset by partisans, were defeated by Roman-Kartyrian forces at Compania, and the Carthaginians were thusly expelled from Italy. But it was a costly victory. Not to mention that before the Carthaginians retreated to Compania... they destroyed the city of Rome completely. Not a brick on brick remained.
The war went on until 182 BC. Byzantines landed in Tripolitania, Dacians landed in Mauri... but the former withdrew soon after, whilst the latter suffered horrible casualties to attrition and superiorly-trained and motivated Carthaginian garrisons, eventually withdrawing as well, with the death of Oroles III the Conqueror. Much different was the Byzantine withdrawal - although it did begin with a change of a ruler, this happened in a coup d'etat, as Emperor Theodosius was overthrown by Eram Constantine IV, a convinced enemy of Rome. Eram turned Byzantium around, allying with Carthage in 210 BC. Byzantine troops left Tripolitania, and invaded Italy. Although the invasion, as a whole, was a failure (Eram IV fled with some troops back to Byzantium in 190), it destabilized Rome further, with Etrurian and Greek rebellions. At the same time, a Roman invasion of Iberia and a Portuguese rebellion seemed to come close to overthrowing Carthaginian power... but not until Carthaginians reacted to this properly in 196. Imperial Stormtroopers completely wiped out Portuguese resistance (and depopulated Portugal in the process), whilst Celtiberian raids and logistical problems grinded away the Roman army to the point of utter annihilation at the Northern Pillar of Hercules in 187. Kartyrians made a strategical mistake when they withdrew, with losses, from Gaul in 200-195.
By 190 BC, the economies of the combatants were beginning to collapse. The plague that spread out of Dacia, the "Dacian Fever", was the final blow. Kartyrians, whose economy already nearly ceased to exist, now also lost their nation - woefully-understocked military suffered a naval defeat at the Pillars and a land defeat at Elaver. Kartyria simply collapsed, and Carthaginian troops took over its lands. Rome, which was nearing breaking point as well, survived - Carthage, too, was tired, and Roman forces performed well in Greece (shortly before the war ended, they landed in the Peloponessian and secured the entire peninsula), though not reaching their goal for the want of a navy. Peace dawned. Carthage emerged victorious, but battered, and Rome retained its freedom... but had no allies left. The Transpoenic Sea will take some time to recover from this...
Illyria, meanwhile, has been "freed" by the Dacians. In 256, using Illyrian distraction in Gaul, Dacians crossed the Danube, took the fortress-city of Sigdeus and from there moved on to capture all of Illyria, its allies too distracted to do anything about it. However, most of Illyria simply became a vassal state, under the ludicrous name of "Republic of Free Illyria". The port city of Salonae was the only thing directly annexed; it was renamed to Burebistatuza, and Dacians for the first time had an access to sea. Burebistatuza eventually became a major trade center... The next Dacian ruler, Oroles III, was rightfully dubbed "the Conqueror"; before his unfortunate death in Mauri, he had much time to fight at home. Germannic tribes were a perpetual threat to Dacia, and Oroles III was determined to destroy them. In that, he did not succeed - Hermann the German, founder of Ostland, stopped Dacians at Erlau in 221. Regardless, Oroles conquered lands in the north, west and east, the east being especially important as the eastern port of Orolestuza has been established.
Apart from military shortcomings in the Great Transpoenic War, especially the Roman invasion of the Peloponessian that coincided with a short-lived Spartan rebellion, Byzantium flourished, albeit it was beginning to stagnate.
Lucans during this time lost most of their Bosporan holdings to barbarians and eventually to Bosporan rebels, led by future Bosporan Vizier Bekhu (r. 247-229). After a brief flourishing under his rule, his more incompetent successors ran the new state aground, especially as resurgent Korvashid Lucans reclaimed the peninsula of Bosporan, whilst the other Bosporan lands were conquered by Slavs and the ferocious Huns, who came recently from the east (destroying the various Raan and Scythian tribes as they went).
Middle East (and East Africa plus Egypt):
During this time, old empires of Egypt and Luca collapsed, albeit both kept their core homelands.
Stagnant, Egypt was filled with people many of whom had very weird ideas. What's worse, some of them also had ambitions and skills. One such man, General Guz, was exiled by the Pharaoh but soon (in 264) returned, to lead a military-republican coup d'etat, supported by the army and local Greeks (most others didn't care, at first). Prince Ramses barely escaped with his life, the Pharaoh was killed, and the Senate was assembled... but in early 263, Guz did a Very Stupid Thing. He declared that all people are equals and that slaves are to be freed.
This won him the support of the slaves... and the hatred of pretty much everybody else, apart from the army. Monarchist ("Ramsesite") ranks suddenly swelled; the middle class then declared backing for so-called "Slave Republicans" led by Nakhno, who wanted a more moderate republic (with slaves, naturally). A three-way civil war begun, combined with Phoenicean and Nubian rebellions, Mosesites, independant warlords, peasants and southern barbarians. The war went on indecisevely, although at first it looked as if the Slave Republicans were winning. In 248, General Guz died, demoralizing the Free Republicans, but by then the Slave Republicans themselves were badly defeated at at Ghurab. In 230, the last Free Republicans (that by then fractured into small factions) surrendered and were executted; the Slave Republicans surrendered earlier, though some managed to run away to Byzantium. Ramses inherited Egypt. A ruined, devastated country that lost its empire. Ramses tried to recover it, but Nubians and Phoeniceans withstood his attacks, and he died, disillusioned, in 216. His son immediately signed a peace treaty with the rebels, recognizing the independance of Phoenicea and Nubia, and of the Furite tribes in the south, and the Cush-ite rule of his southernmost provinces (south from Nubia - no land connection left).
Lucan ruler Aian led, in 265 BC, a great invasion of Israel. Albeit Lucans, reinforced by Egyptians and Halabani Arabic tribes, had numerical supremacy, the Israelis had religious fanaticism and superior position. Lucan supplies were also messed up by a Phoenicean rebellion and the Egyptian Civil War. Albeit they did manage to destroy Yir and captured Jiddah, Mecca remained unsubdued in spite of a tough three-year siege. The Lucans were, in 259, allowed to enter it... but were ambushed and slaughtered. Herem (a holy total war) was declared upon the Lucans and their allies, and southern Mosesite Arabic tribes begun joining the Israeli army and attacking the Halabani Arabs. Lucans were exhausted, losing troops and forced to commit much money to this venture, whilst Israeli rebellions behind the Lucan lines allowed the Israelis to regain Yathrib and indeed much of the south.
Nonetheless, Luca was still strong, and it is unclear whether Israel would have won if a certain other power didn't come into play...
...Bactrasha. The Aranian Empire, ruled by Razh Viyatri, has in 268 gone on a conquering spree. First to suffer was Mohenjo-daro. Its vassals in Cyrusid Persia were immediately routed at Elburz; Darius II fled to Mohenjo-daro, closely followed by Razha horsemen; soon enough, Mohenjo-daran armies were pushed out of much of their Aryan lands, and barely persuaded Razh Viyatri to be content with those and not to take over Sutkagen Dor and Hindu Kush (much one-time tribute was involved). Now, in 257, having rested and regrouped, the Bactrashans invaded Lucan Mesopatamia (or Eastern Assyria and Greater Ur). Lesser Ur immediately seceded and asked for Mohenjo-daran protection (until 219 BC, Mohenjo-darans ardently explored the western part of the Indian Ocean, trading with Cush, colonizing Zanzibar and Southern Arabia). Bactrashans ignored that; they needed to defeat Metes, the new Lucan Vizier.
The Vizier acted quickly, conscripting his people and withdrawing from Israel. In 243, in a decisive battle at Milid, the Bactrashans destroyed the Lucan army; Metes died in battle, but Viyatri himself died from wounds a week later, but not before hearing news of his great triumph - his scouts have returned, they have confirmed that they saw a great western sea. Bactrasha reached that legendary sea at once.
As for Luca... well, without a Vizier, it was rulled by the Magi, who held on to Anatolia and some Mediterranean islands. Phoenicea, the birthplace of Messiahism, got independance with the capital in Urusalim. Bactrasha annexed most other Lucan holdings, now extending as far as the Arabian Desert and the Caucasus. As for Israel... it survived.
And expanded. The Israelis begun rebuilding after the Arabian War, but also made sure to wipe out or convert all remaining Halabanis in Arabia. Some tried to flee north, but they were killed off by the Bactrashans. Gradually, Israelis played on the Mosesite Arabic xenophobia and on Mohenjo-daran "menace" to unite the entire Arabian Peninsula and, during the 210s, expelled Mohenjo-darans from Arabia (and Lesser Ur) altogether, making the new Emperor Garya recall the Western Fleet. This allowed Sinhala to further strenghthen its presence in western Indian Ocean, though they didn't dare attack Israel neither.
Gradually, Luca recovered at home as Magus Khorvash, with the approval of the council, reformed the country and the military, introduced monarchy (with himself as king) and renamed the state into the Khorvashid Empire of Luca. It then tested its strenght by retaking Bosporan... In the east, meanwhile, razh Ahul-Viyatri was a worthy successor to his conquering predecessor; albeit he himself scarcely conquered any lands, he reformed the Empire, introduced a "sabha" council, begun engineering a proto-national identity, consolidated gains and reformed the army. Bactrashan Empire was there to stay.
das
Regeneration In Process
South Asia:
During this time, India was confirmed as one of the richest (economically and culturally) regions in the world. Merchants from all over the world came to Indian ports; Hinduist sects appeared as far away as in Tripoli and Hong Kong; great wonders, such as the Tower of Jiva, the Great Temple Complex of Sampa and the the Grand Port of Yapapatuna, were built; in Kalinga, great advances of military sciences (specialized engineering corps, most importantly) took place; science flourished, again especially in Kalinga. Queen Niral's reign was that of enlightened despotism that was taken further by Rajan III, who defended "the rights of man". India did suffer certain problems during the so-called "Opium Wars", when opium merchants of undetermined nationalities damaged Kalingan and Sinhalese society and confidence; but this damage was soon neutralized, as tighter control over trade was established.
Nonetheless, India wasn't all nice and peaceful. Deccanian Wars of Religion, that spilled over into Southeastern Asia, still left a notable mark. The Shaivist theocratic tyranny in Deccania stood in the way of Vaishnavist proselytizing efforts. Vaishnavists found some converts in the east, whilst in the south there already was a large community of them. Deccania, which then was undergoing a resurgence of zeal, did not tolerate this and begun actively harassing the missionaries and indeed all Vaishnavists. This resulted in a rebellion. The Deccanian priests demanded that Kalingans "take their priests back". Kalingans obliged... and invaded Deccania in 254, immediately winning a major battle at Rajahmundry. Mohenjo-daro joined in later as well, taking over Deccanian western coast. Nonetheless, in part because of Deccanian courage and in part because of a strategic blunder, the war went on until 238 and the Assault of Estania - and even then, Deccanians fought to the last, in spite of a mad king causing much trouble in 240.
Still, the great Kalingan General Harsha had triumphed. Deccania was subdued, and peace returned; much of the conquered land was, temporarily at least, appeased by the Kalingan tolerance and the like. Kalingan territory was nearly doubled.
Sinhala and Kalinga were also significant colonial powers...
Southeast Asia:
In 270 BC, Southeast Asia was divided between three kinds of powers - great colonial powers (Kalinga, Sinhala, Hong Kong), local nations (Dvaravati, Funan, Champa, Tumasek League, Sulu) and minor tribes, the latter two being cultural and economic battlegrounds between the three powers. Colonial powers expanded their rule; they also exchanged outposts and subjugated, with quill, axe or both, local tribes. By 180 BC, Kalinga controlled northern Sumatra and most of Java, Sinhala controlled over a half of Sumatra, Tidore and a myriad of islands to the east from Sulawesi (a third of which the enterprising Sinhalese grabbed as well) and Java, Hong Kong controlled most of Borneo, a third of Sulawesi and was "protecting" the Tumasek League (see below). But there was a fourth colonial power in the region by then. It controlled numerous coastal regions of Borneo, a third of Sulawesi, and a trade post in western Papua. It was the Khmer Empire. A.k.a. Funan-Champa.
Empress Fan Chan of Funan is largely to blame for that state; but there were other reasons as well. For instance, there was growing paranoia and fear of the colonial powers; the three Indochinese states (not counting the Malay Tumasek League) were all Mon-Khmer in origin, so in spite of differences there were also similarities. But nonetheless, it took Fan Chan and her husband King Ke Nam of Champa to unite the two diverse nations into one by means of royal marriage in 244 BC. After overcoming initial instability, the rulers of the united kingdom decided to further unify their peoples with a war, a Deccanian War. The Kalingans didn't seem to be able to finish off Deccania, whilst Deccanian allies in Tumasek League, led by the enigmatic raj Bringij, seemed to be actually winning against the Kalingan Behemoth (Tumasek forces occupied Achin in 241). Also, Fan Chan seemed to expect Sinhala to join the Deccanian side.
So the Funanese military, after undergoing certain reforms, joined the war effort against Kalinga and its Dvaravatian allies in 239. A bold attack captured the Dvaravatian capital (complete with a king), and a seaborne landing in the south of the unfortunate coutnry allowed the Funanese to conquer it altogether. From there, the Funanese linked up with Tumasek forces, and in a series of battles overwhelmed a small Kalingan army, within but a year reaching the Ganges. At sea, things were worse - the Kalingan fleet defeated the Tumasek-Funanese one at Aceh, preventing the Funanese from taking their offensive to the Kalingan capital; regardless, their mercenaries did enter Magadha and went on a rampage, until local citizens and the remnants of the Kalingan Army of Burma finally pushed them out in 234.
Still, for such a small "barbarian" nation, Funan has done well. But already, bad news begun coming in. Deccania fell. Sinhala declared for Kalinga. The Funanese were doomed...
...when Kalingans signed a peace treaty that made most people in the region view them as a paper tiger. They gave away the Kra Peninsula and recognized Funanese conquest of Dvaravati. The Sinhalese didn't even see any fighting at all.
The Tumasek League didn't get anything at all, but it was lucky to get away unharmed. Raj Bringij didn't agree, and tried to ally with Hong Kong, disillusioned in Funan as he was. However, he failed to trick Hong Kong into signing an equal treaty, and was beginning to think about turning around again as of 223... when suddenly, he died. Ironically, it was of natural causes.
The Tumasek League was never in particular stable, and after the Deccanian War it was filled with disillusionment and regionalism. Also, the very ruling elite of the League states were divided between two camps - Hongkongist and Funanist. Funanists were marginally more popular...
...but Hongkongists, led by Kenali of Terengganu, had the Hong Kee support. After a succesful coup d'etat, they invited a Hong Kee army, and it gradually overcame Funanist resistance (last rebels surrendered in 201). Albeit for a while it seemed that Funan would intervene, this never materialized, and so as a result Tumasek League became a Hong Kee protectorate.
Ironically, it was only in 206, when Ke Nam died and Fan Chan abdicated, that the fruits of their labour were formalized; Funan-Champa, expanded and turned into a colonial power, was renamed into the Khmer Empire, with the capital in Vyadhapura and ruled by their daughter, Fai Shan.
Apart from those political changes and those wars, Southeast Asia also prospered economically. Tumasek, Kuching, Achin, Vyadhapura... those were amongst the greatest trade centers of the world. Naturally, trade attracted pirates, the most notorious of which were the Sumatra Malays, that were gradually driven from their country by the Sinhalese. Practically every Indochinese nation (or nation with colonies in Southeast Asia) contributed to the war on piracy, but Khmers and Hong Kees were without doubt the most significant contributors; their "anti-pirate fleets" nearly exterminated piracy in the Indochinese Seas altogether by 200 BC.
The state of Thuang emerged under mixed Hong Kee, Khmer and Kalingan influences.
"Opium Wars" struck this area as well, though Khmers and Hong Kees dealt with the problem suspiciously well.
Far East:
Under the lengthy rule of Emperor Wu the Mad and his Chosen (Chosonian) wife whose name, sadly, was forgotten by history and by the moderator, Han China prospered, sort of. Corruption was rooted out, etc, but the emphasis remained on expansion and science (the latter was represented by the insane emperor ordering scientists to invent stuff like kites). First, in 270s, the Han made One Big Push West, that displaced Tibetian and Xiong-nu tribes from a vast stretch of land to the west from Chinese territory; it was colonized by the Han Chinese. Then there was One Big Push North, that pushed Xiongnu tribes out of the Gobi Desert and surrounding regions, to be replaced by Han commanderies; gradually, an effort to irrigate the northern lands was undertaken, and efficient colonization begun. But the Emperor didn't rest on his laurels; he ordered Ban Chao to start a westwards expedition in 250 BC, to consolidate the Silk Route. This expedition went well at first, but the Xiong-nu tribes were mostly hostile, some eventually uniting under Khan Mongke; those latter ones were known as "Mongols". Name or no name, the Mongols were defeated in 226 by Ban Chao; but the casualties suffered during the campaign were great, and so were the expenses. Those tribes that temporarily allied with Ban Chao against Mongols turned on him. Albeit the Han did eventually reach the Bactrashan border, the whole venture by then was clearly unprofitable, and the new Emperor ordered a general retreat in 210 BC. At home, Confucianism declined, Taoism rose to prominence, but then the Establishment Struck Back in the form of Neoconfucianism. Philosophy and insanity aside, Han China got along quite nice domestically, and a national assembly was created to advise the Emperor. Its growing power, however, begun to raise much concern, as more and more people saw it as compromising the Emperor's power.
Across a sea, another important Far Eastern nation grew and strenghthened. Nagasaki, considered a backwater by most, during this time turned into a regional power. Firstly, they united much of their islands, apart from Hokkaido and northernmost Honshu - in a prolonged campaign, they first subdued Yaqoi tribes and then pushed back the Ainu, although they proved too tough for the Nagasakans and managed to hold to a part of Honshu. The freed-up lands were colonized; their resources were utilized. Military reforms were undertaken, and though colonization attempts in 230s failed, Nagasaki was firmly on the march up. But few expected how well it will fare...
The two states - Han China and Nagasaki - clashed in Choson. Choson was a quiet little country, ruled most of the time by people called "Wigan". They were most notable for supplying Wu the Mad with a wife. The "practical" Chinese Emperor used this link and lead-laced blue pottery to maneuver his militarily-gifted heir Jingxi into power in Choson, in 235. His rule was marred by intrigues against him by Wigan IV (the would-be heir before Wigan III changed his mind on the deathbed), but it seemed that things were getting better and that as soon as the elderly Wu dies, the two countries will be united and Jingxi could apply his great talant for the glory of the Empire.
But it was not to be. Wigan IV was a very cunning person - he negotiated a future royal marriage with Nagasaki, hinting that the two states might one day be united into one, and in exchange asked them for military assistance. Nagasakans agreed, and in 248 during military maneuvers Jingxi was imprisoned. The Nagasakans were slow to act, though, whilst Jingxi did manage to get acquire supporters in northern Choson. They rebelled against Wigan, asked for Han Chinese assistance and, in a daring operation, rescued Jingxi who took over the command of their army. Wigan despaired, but decided to make one last stand, convinced of Nagasakan betrayal. Jingxiist forces, supported by Han China, overran most of Choson; the final battle was to be at the capital, Koyahan. The Jingxiists fared well at first, forcing Wiganists into retreat... when suddenly, a great Nagasakan army appeared and showered the Jingxiists with incendiary arrows. Devastation was great, and Jingxi died during the panic that followed. The Han-Jingxiist forces were routed.
So great was the shock that the new Chinese Emperor immediately signed a peace treaty, withdrawing from Choson altogether. This greatly damaged his prestige at home and above, whilst Nagasaki suddenly was seen as not-so-insignificant-after-all.
As mentioned already, Hong Kong remained a great colonial power, albeit far from all of its exploration ventures were succesful. The Kowloon Academy had undergone a renaissance (it is, after all, in this time that the prized Hong Kee steel was developed), as did the entire country. Militarily, apart from "protecting" the Tumasek League, the Hong Kees also subverted and destroyed Sinite Dian.
OOC:
During this time, India was confirmed as one of the richest (economically and culturally) regions in the world. Merchants from all over the world came to Indian ports; Hinduist sects appeared as far away as in Tripoli and Hong Kong; great wonders, such as the Tower of Jiva, the Great Temple Complex of Sampa and the the Grand Port of Yapapatuna, were built; in Kalinga, great advances of military sciences (specialized engineering corps, most importantly) took place; science flourished, again especially in Kalinga. Queen Niral's reign was that of enlightened despotism that was taken further by Rajan III, who defended "the rights of man". India did suffer certain problems during the so-called "Opium Wars", when opium merchants of undetermined nationalities damaged Kalingan and Sinhalese society and confidence; but this damage was soon neutralized, as tighter control over trade was established.
Nonetheless, India wasn't all nice and peaceful. Deccanian Wars of Religion, that spilled over into Southeastern Asia, still left a notable mark. The Shaivist theocratic tyranny in Deccania stood in the way of Vaishnavist proselytizing efforts. Vaishnavists found some converts in the east, whilst in the south there already was a large community of them. Deccania, which then was undergoing a resurgence of zeal, did not tolerate this and begun actively harassing the missionaries and indeed all Vaishnavists. This resulted in a rebellion. The Deccanian priests demanded that Kalingans "take their priests back". Kalingans obliged... and invaded Deccania in 254, immediately winning a major battle at Rajahmundry. Mohenjo-daro joined in later as well, taking over Deccanian western coast. Nonetheless, in part because of Deccanian courage and in part because of a strategic blunder, the war went on until 238 and the Assault of Estania - and even then, Deccanians fought to the last, in spite of a mad king causing much trouble in 240.
Still, the great Kalingan General Harsha had triumphed. Deccania was subdued, and peace returned; much of the conquered land was, temporarily at least, appeased by the Kalingan tolerance and the like. Kalingan territory was nearly doubled.
Sinhala and Kalinga were also significant colonial powers...
Southeast Asia:
In 270 BC, Southeast Asia was divided between three kinds of powers - great colonial powers (Kalinga, Sinhala, Hong Kong), local nations (Dvaravati, Funan, Champa, Tumasek League, Sulu) and minor tribes, the latter two being cultural and economic battlegrounds between the three powers. Colonial powers expanded their rule; they also exchanged outposts and subjugated, with quill, axe or both, local tribes. By 180 BC, Kalinga controlled northern Sumatra and most of Java, Sinhala controlled over a half of Sumatra, Tidore and a myriad of islands to the east from Sulawesi (a third of which the enterprising Sinhalese grabbed as well) and Java, Hong Kong controlled most of Borneo, a third of Sulawesi and was "protecting" the Tumasek League (see below). But there was a fourth colonial power in the region by then. It controlled numerous coastal regions of Borneo, a third of Sulawesi, and a trade post in western Papua. It was the Khmer Empire. A.k.a. Funan-Champa.
Empress Fan Chan of Funan is largely to blame for that state; but there were other reasons as well. For instance, there was growing paranoia and fear of the colonial powers; the three Indochinese states (not counting the Malay Tumasek League) were all Mon-Khmer in origin, so in spite of differences there were also similarities. But nonetheless, it took Fan Chan and her husband King Ke Nam of Champa to unite the two diverse nations into one by means of royal marriage in 244 BC. After overcoming initial instability, the rulers of the united kingdom decided to further unify their peoples with a war, a Deccanian War. The Kalingans didn't seem to be able to finish off Deccania, whilst Deccanian allies in Tumasek League, led by the enigmatic raj Bringij, seemed to be actually winning against the Kalingan Behemoth (Tumasek forces occupied Achin in 241). Also, Fan Chan seemed to expect Sinhala to join the Deccanian side.
So the Funanese military, after undergoing certain reforms, joined the war effort against Kalinga and its Dvaravatian allies in 239. A bold attack captured the Dvaravatian capital (complete with a king), and a seaborne landing in the south of the unfortunate coutnry allowed the Funanese to conquer it altogether. From there, the Funanese linked up with Tumasek forces, and in a series of battles overwhelmed a small Kalingan army, within but a year reaching the Ganges. At sea, things were worse - the Kalingan fleet defeated the Tumasek-Funanese one at Aceh, preventing the Funanese from taking their offensive to the Kalingan capital; regardless, their mercenaries did enter Magadha and went on a rampage, until local citizens and the remnants of the Kalingan Army of Burma finally pushed them out in 234.
Still, for such a small "barbarian" nation, Funan has done well. But already, bad news begun coming in. Deccania fell. Sinhala declared for Kalinga. The Funanese were doomed...
...when Kalingans signed a peace treaty that made most people in the region view them as a paper tiger. They gave away the Kra Peninsula and recognized Funanese conquest of Dvaravati. The Sinhalese didn't even see any fighting at all.
The Tumasek League didn't get anything at all, but it was lucky to get away unharmed. Raj Bringij didn't agree, and tried to ally with Hong Kong, disillusioned in Funan as he was. However, he failed to trick Hong Kong into signing an equal treaty, and was beginning to think about turning around again as of 223... when suddenly, he died. Ironically, it was of natural causes.
The Tumasek League was never in particular stable, and after the Deccanian War it was filled with disillusionment and regionalism. Also, the very ruling elite of the League states were divided between two camps - Hongkongist and Funanist. Funanists were marginally more popular...
...but Hongkongists, led by Kenali of Terengganu, had the Hong Kee support. After a succesful coup d'etat, they invited a Hong Kee army, and it gradually overcame Funanist resistance (last rebels surrendered in 201). Albeit for a while it seemed that Funan would intervene, this never materialized, and so as a result Tumasek League became a Hong Kee protectorate.
Ironically, it was only in 206, when Ke Nam died and Fan Chan abdicated, that the fruits of their labour were formalized; Funan-Champa, expanded and turned into a colonial power, was renamed into the Khmer Empire, with the capital in Vyadhapura and ruled by their daughter, Fai Shan.
Apart from those political changes and those wars, Southeast Asia also prospered economically. Tumasek, Kuching, Achin, Vyadhapura... those were amongst the greatest trade centers of the world. Naturally, trade attracted pirates, the most notorious of which were the Sumatra Malays, that were gradually driven from their country by the Sinhalese. Practically every Indochinese nation (or nation with colonies in Southeast Asia) contributed to the war on piracy, but Khmers and Hong Kees were without doubt the most significant contributors; their "anti-pirate fleets" nearly exterminated piracy in the Indochinese Seas altogether by 200 BC.
The state of Thuang emerged under mixed Hong Kee, Khmer and Kalingan influences.
"Opium Wars" struck this area as well, though Khmers and Hong Kees dealt with the problem suspiciously well.
Far East:
Under the lengthy rule of Emperor Wu the Mad and his Chosen (Chosonian) wife whose name, sadly, was forgotten by history and by the moderator, Han China prospered, sort of. Corruption was rooted out, etc, but the emphasis remained on expansion and science (the latter was represented by the insane emperor ordering scientists to invent stuff like kites). First, in 270s, the Han made One Big Push West, that displaced Tibetian and Xiong-nu tribes from a vast stretch of land to the west from Chinese territory; it was colonized by the Han Chinese. Then there was One Big Push North, that pushed Xiongnu tribes out of the Gobi Desert and surrounding regions, to be replaced by Han commanderies; gradually, an effort to irrigate the northern lands was undertaken, and efficient colonization begun. But the Emperor didn't rest on his laurels; he ordered Ban Chao to start a westwards expedition in 250 BC, to consolidate the Silk Route. This expedition went well at first, but the Xiong-nu tribes were mostly hostile, some eventually uniting under Khan Mongke; those latter ones were known as "Mongols". Name or no name, the Mongols were defeated in 226 by Ban Chao; but the casualties suffered during the campaign were great, and so were the expenses. Those tribes that temporarily allied with Ban Chao against Mongols turned on him. Albeit the Han did eventually reach the Bactrashan border, the whole venture by then was clearly unprofitable, and the new Emperor ordered a general retreat in 210 BC. At home, Confucianism declined, Taoism rose to prominence, but then the Establishment Struck Back in the form of Neoconfucianism. Philosophy and insanity aside, Han China got along quite nice domestically, and a national assembly was created to advise the Emperor. Its growing power, however, begun to raise much concern, as more and more people saw it as compromising the Emperor's power.
Across a sea, another important Far Eastern nation grew and strenghthened. Nagasaki, considered a backwater by most, during this time turned into a regional power. Firstly, they united much of their islands, apart from Hokkaido and northernmost Honshu - in a prolonged campaign, they first subdued Yaqoi tribes and then pushed back the Ainu, although they proved too tough for the Nagasakans and managed to hold to a part of Honshu. The freed-up lands were colonized; their resources were utilized. Military reforms were undertaken, and though colonization attempts in 230s failed, Nagasaki was firmly on the march up. But few expected how well it will fare...
The two states - Han China and Nagasaki - clashed in Choson. Choson was a quiet little country, ruled most of the time by people called "Wigan". They were most notable for supplying Wu the Mad with a wife. The "practical" Chinese Emperor used this link and lead-laced blue pottery to maneuver his militarily-gifted heir Jingxi into power in Choson, in 235. His rule was marred by intrigues against him by Wigan IV (the would-be heir before Wigan III changed his mind on the deathbed), but it seemed that things were getting better and that as soon as the elderly Wu dies, the two countries will be united and Jingxi could apply his great talant for the glory of the Empire.
But it was not to be. Wigan IV was a very cunning person - he negotiated a future royal marriage with Nagasaki, hinting that the two states might one day be united into one, and in exchange asked them for military assistance. Nagasakans agreed, and in 248 during military maneuvers Jingxi was imprisoned. The Nagasakans were slow to act, though, whilst Jingxi did manage to get acquire supporters in northern Choson. They rebelled against Wigan, asked for Han Chinese assistance and, in a daring operation, rescued Jingxi who took over the command of their army. Wigan despaired, but decided to make one last stand, convinced of Nagasakan betrayal. Jingxiist forces, supported by Han China, overran most of Choson; the final battle was to be at the capital, Koyahan. The Jingxiists fared well at first, forcing Wiganists into retreat... when suddenly, a great Nagasakan army appeared and showered the Jingxiists with incendiary arrows. Devastation was great, and Jingxi died during the panic that followed. The Han-Jingxiist forces were routed.
So great was the shock that the new Chinese Emperor immediately signed a peace treaty, withdrawing from Choson altogether. This greatly damaged his prestige at home and above, whilst Nagasaki suddenly was seen as not-so-insignificant-after-all.
As mentioned already, Hong Kong remained a great colonial power, albeit far from all of its exploration ventures were succesful. The Kowloon Academy had undergone a renaissance (it is, after all, in this time that the prized Hong Kee steel was developed), as did the entire country. Militarily, apart from "protecting" the Tumasek League, the Hong Kees also subverted and destroyed Sinite Dian.
OOC:
das
Regeneration In Process
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
"Paper Tiger" my arse. FEAR ME, FUNAN!!!!!!!!
Insane_Panda
Deity
Someone needs to update, or else there shall be another death threat via PM!! bwa ha ha!
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
considering that the new Chinese Emperor after the War of Choson was a 12 year old boy... 
And the name of Chosonian/Han Empress also eludes me at this point...
And the name of Chosonian/Han Empress also eludes me at this point...
das
Regeneration In Process
That's the problem, they don't see why should they.
Symphony D.
Deity
Actually, I don't really need to. I don't have further ambitions in the west. And aside from its colonial outposts, Kalinga really shouldn't have any in the east, especially given it only rules half a subcontinent.
There's only one person I fear right now.
That said it was sort of odd you were so lenient, but meh. I blame Insane_Panda for returning for a turn or two just to mess everything up.
Things would likely have gone somewhat different if my orders to attack had been in on time instead of a turn late as well...
There's only one person I fear right now.
That said it was sort of odd you were so lenient, but meh. I blame Insane_Panda for returning for a turn or two just to mess everything up.
Things would likely have gone somewhat different if my orders to attack had been in on time instead of a turn late as well...
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