Intermountain States wrote:Polity Name: Great Cheongryeo State (대청려국)
Secondary/Informal Names: Daecheongryeo (대청려), Cheongryeo (청려), United Kingdom (연합국), Empire of Cheongryeo (청려제국), United Kingdom of Cheongryeo (청려 연합국)
Flag(s): Population: 47.5 million.
Territory Claim: MapGovernment Structure: Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
The Emperor rules for life and all Emperors of Cheongryeo claim descendants from the ancestral throne of the first Holy King Taejo Dangun. The powers of Cheongryeoan monarchs have changed throughout centuries, with some being absolute monarchs while others leaving power to royal and imperial ministers. It should be noted that although the official title of Cheongryeoan sovereigns includes the word "King" (Wang), the title of King is often used in conjecture with the title of "Emperor" (Hwangje) as part of the full title being Grand King or Supreme King (Taewang). Prior to the the establishment of the Cheonju Church as the country's state religion, monarchs would claim divine ancestry and would include the style "Son of Heaven" (Cheonja)" according to the doctrines of the Daejonggyo. As the terms "Heavenly Sovereign," "Heavenly King," and "Son of Heaven" would imply deification of a mortal, such titles became taboo for early rulers after the establishment of the Church. Rulers would instead adopt secular titles of Grand King/Greatest King and "Regent of Heaven" (Cheon Seopjung) as the most supreme title equivalent to the titles of Emperor/Heavenly Sovereign and Son of Heaven in Qhin traditions. Cheongryeoan linguists would argue that "Taewang" can directly be translated to "Emperor" and more contemporary rulers would use the title of "Emperor" in translations. Some monarchs would posthumously be elevated to "Holy King" (Seongwang) if their reigns were seen as being in line with the Church. Modern rulers would also use the title of "Heavenly Sovereign" in addition to "Grand King" or simply "King" while ruling, no longer burdened by the taboo of the words. The full style of the sovereign of Cheongryeo as officially proclaimed:
"X By the Mandate of Heaven and the laws of the Constitution, the Emperor of the Bear Throne, Supreme King of the Great Cheongryeo State, King of Storms, and Defender of the Faith."
As part of constitutional reforms in the 1840s, powers of governmental functions were standardized with the Grand King having considerable executive powers comparable to that of the First Minister of the Central Assembly as the Grand King is the one who is able to form his cabinet. The bureaucratic element of the government has undergone major changes since the reforms of Grand King Jang Seon in 1848. The national bureaucracy is held through civil service exams that focus on general knowledge of administration and specific knowledge and experience related to an office or position. With the rise of public education, governmental positions are also open to everyone, allowing women and low-born folks to study for the opportunity of working for government.
In 1835, a national legislative body was established called the Central Assembly, divided into the House of Peers and the House of Delegates. The House of Peers consisted of the aristocracy while the House of Delegates was made up of elected officials throughout the country. The House of Delegates is led by the Prime Minister who also serves in the Emperor's cabinet and holds considerable powers. The House of Delegates is the chamber responsible for the passing of laws while the House of Peers scrutinizes the legislations passed by the House of Delegates. Universal male suffrage was a recent addition, established in 1874.
Religious Information: Cheongryeo guaranteed freedom of religion in 1846 but had adopted many state religions before based on the royal and imperial dynasties whom ruled the country.
- Cheondogyo - The Religion of the Heavenly WayThe Cheondogyo faith is monotheistic in its tenant. While the religion does acknowledge the existence of many spirits akin to angels or mortals who ascended to sainthood, these aren't deities but holy individuals whom serve the Sky God, Haneunim (Heavenly Lord). The Haneunim is the ultimate principle of good and justice. However, the term "Haneul" represents not just the sky but also the whole universe and divinity can be found in all living and non-living things. The faith also places emphasis on self-cultivation and improving one's nature. For one to attain enlightenment, it is by improving one's nature as the heaven is within the mind. It is a rather recent arrival in the religious scene of Cheongryeo with the intention of trying to unify the religions (without much success), drawing influence from the maligned shamanistic faith of mugyo with the philosophies of Sohak and Seonryanghak, and the religion of Daejonggyo. Instead, it flourished as a progressive political movement as the religion does place emphasis on national unity and the intrinsic worth of all people, including those of the lower class.
- Cheonjugyo - The Church of the Heavenly Lord Cheonjugyo is the largest religion in terms of membership and enjoys a rich history in Cheongryeo for centuries. The religion of Cheonjugyo originated from Lazei missionaries from Qhin arriving to the Six Kingdoms period in the 9th century, although the religion gained little attention from both the elites and commoners among the Six Kingdoms. Lazei missionaries were seen as heathens and that Azura is simply what the Qhin called Haneunim (or Hwanin), the only true God of the universe and that there were no other god like Ahruman. It is believed instead that Ahruman is simply one of the spirits who saw himself as being greater than Haneunim and seduced man astray into the material world. Mani was another spirit who followed Ahruman as his lieutenant and both would rule over Hell torturing souls who refused to receive love from the Lord of Heaven. However, the heretical form of the Lazei Dogma, the Shenist cult saw some interest among the elites in the late 10th century despite being suppressed by the elites as a heretical form of the already heathenish Laizei Dogma due to the arrival of some of Shen Luoyang's disciples. During the latter years of the Six Kingdoms and the beginning years of the United Kingdom period, an extremely localized variation of the Shenist cult gained mainstream acceptance as scholars saw the teachings of Shin Nakyang (Shen Luoyang) as answering holes left behind in the Goodness School and the Daejonggyo (to the point that Shenist in Qhin considered the Cheonjugyo faith as being heretical). It is believed that Shin Nakyang, the son of Haneunim, would return back to the material world to bring the war between Haneunim and Ahruman where humanity would choose their side, ultimately saving the believers and the virtuous heathens. The Cheonju Church would also attempt to syncretize with other faiths for smoother acceptance, including the Daejonggyo, the Goodness Schools, and the Mugyo. The Cheonjugyo has its own religious hierarchies in Cheongryeo, including its own Patriarchs and bishops. During the Songak Wang Dynasty, the Patriarch would send representative to the Royal Court as spiritual advisors. Although nowadays, the established power of the Cheonju Church waned due to the guarantee of freedom of religion, its influence still plays a major role in Cheongryeoan society.
- Daejonggyo - Great Ancestral ReligionThe Daejonggyo is among the oldest lasting religion in Cheongryeo and is in essence an imperial cult. The faith proclaims that the Sky God, Haneunim is separated into three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons. God the Father is the one based in heaven who created the universe. God the Teacher is the mentor of universal nature and morality for the universe to follow. God the King is the ruler of all creation. It is believed that Haneunim is found in a particularly holy mortal who would rule the nation as the God-King but his descendants would soon lose the blood of the heavens as generations pass. The Heavens would show if a royal family lost divine blood through natural disasters and revolts, thus paving the way for another progenitor to take the place to rule as God the King and the cycle continues forth. Every royal and imperial dynasties have claimed descendants from the first God the King of Dangun even in the modern period. Modern historians believe that the daejonggyo faith was first used by Hae Mosu to justify overthrowing King Wang Bu in Baedal, claiming that the Holy Royal Family of the Yongju Wang lost its divine blood. Aspects of the religion would be secularized into the political philosophy of the Mandate of Heaven by humanists of more contemporary dynasties as it lost favor with the government in favor of Cheonju Church in 1236, changing divine blood to heavenly favors. That being said, many successive dynasties would attempt to continue the Divine bloodline by marrying off the male heir of the throne to a princess of the prior dynasty. Even Taejo Hae Mosu set the tradition by marrying his successor, Hae Geum to Princess Wang Yu-ri, the daughter of Wang Bu. Although the religion is no longer embraced by the imperial government, it still has adherents to this day, including observance by the imperial government in the form of ancestral rites of past rulers along with the aforementioned practice of continuing the royal and imperial bloodline by successive dynasties, in essence creating a royal family lasting for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
- Mugyo - Cheongryeoan Shamanism Mugyo is a polytheist folk religion promoting belief in a range of deities and ancestral spirits. It is an indigenous religion thought to be around in ancient humans before civilization took hold with creation stories and legends. The folk religion was quite common in rural villages and tribal areas and has no centralized religious hierarchies. This had lead to easy synchronization with other religions like Cheondogyo and Daejonggyo but also some suppression by religions like Cheonjugyo. It was seen as a low-class, superstitious religion of rural and uneducated peasants by the government for much of its existence. Since the 1846 code guaranteeing freedom of religion, mainstream acceptance of the religion, while still low, is growing as people consider the faith as representing and preserving primordial Cheongryeoan traditions and legends.
- Seonryanghak and Sohak - The Goodness School and Su Xiuying Learning Seonryanghak and Sohak are the localizations of the Goodness School and the teachings of Soh Suyeong (Su Xiuying) from Qhin. While not so much of a religion in Cheongryeo, the two teachings were adopted into Cheongryeoan local and imperial literary exams for students hoping to get into government positions prior to the 1848 government reforms. Currently, it is observed by many as philosophies pertaining to lifestyle and secular humanist teachings.
Social Information: The advent of industrialization has lead to an increase of urbanization and overall standard of living, especially among large cities and the Three Capitals of Cheongryeo. However, much of the heartland is still dominated by agriculture while the coastlines and small islands are home to large scale fishing, ship manufacturing, and trade as their major sources of income. Residents in urban areas can expect access to public education funded by taxation although wealthy members of society are often willing to send their children to more prestigious private schools and academies. Universities for secondary educations are also making appearances as byproducts of Mercian influences. Most students of universities are from families of wealth and power but lowborn students can also attend based on scholarships from government officials. In rural areas, education is largely provided by local schoolmasters or by monks and nuns of monasteries.
The country is relatively a free and equal society with contemporary laws abolishing slavery and legal class distinction. Anyone from the nobility to the commoners to even the poorest of society can supposedly address their grievances to local and national governments. Cheongryeo society is still relatively patriarchal with suffrage being limited to men of age and with women generally expecting to subservient to the males in the family, a byproduct of adapting the doctrines of the Goodness School from medieval times. That being said, women do enjoy some legal rights of their own such as being to inherent property or to remarry as a widow. Women also play a large role in the Cheonju Church as nuns, missionaries, teachers, religious sisters, scientists, community organizers, hospital administrators, nurses, etc. A large number of saints venerated by the church are women and the Church places great values on family and motherhood, even exalting Sa Hwan, the mother of the Son of Heaven Shin Nakyang as the Mother of Heaven. However, women are often excluded from the Church hierarchy and outside of a few heretical faiths, no women have ever been ordained as priests, deacons, and bishops.
The vast majority, if not the entire population of Cheongryeo are humans. Most of the human population belongs to the Saram ethnic group, although other minority groups do exist in large numbers such as the Girin people residing in the border between Cheongryeo and Qhin and the Jin people that make up the majority of Nabido. The nonhuman sentients whom reside in Cheongryeo are from legations of foreign missions such as Sedna and Mercia.
All levels of Cheongryeoan society enjoy many forms of recreation and leisurely activities. Calligraphy, poetry, and literature are written in both the Qhin script and the Cheongryeogul script. Leisure is enjoyed by all strata of society, from painting to theatre, from hunting to reading. Archery was declared as the national sport due to its prominence in pre-gunpowder warfare. Many forms of traditional martial arts were also practiced, some being indigenous forms while others being influenced from Qhin and Asakara.
Military Information: The Great Cheongryeo Armed Forces (대청려군) is divided into two branches, the Army and the Navy. Due to a long history of warfare, efforts were placed on the military due to fears of Cheongryeo being vulnerable to a foreign invasion, especially in recent years of a possibly resurgent Qhin marching across the border with its massive size. This had lead to a creation of a professional army. The adoption of contemporary artillery, rifles, and squad support weapons of both indigenous and imported designs allows the Great Cheongryeo Army to be one of the, if not the most advanced professional ground force in East Osia. Thanks to industrialization, Cheongryeo mass produces equipment for their military and the expansion of railroads allows them to transport troops quickly through the use of railroad. The Army also enjoys the backing of powerful artillery and rocketry made to decimate enemy lines. The Cheongyreoan Army stands at the size of 340,000 active professional personnel stationed across the country with more being able to be called up during wartime. Provincial governments can also raise their own forces to assist the national military in defensive campaigns. However, a large number of provincial forces are often equipped with more outdated weapons in contrast to the national military.
The Navy of Cheongryeo is the pride of the nation, large, modern, and well equipped. The Cheongryeoan Navy has been used to project Cheongryeo's prowess on the international stage. The Navy stands at a size of 61,000 men, including 23,000 marines. Improving the Navy has been one of the major priorities of Cheongryeo for centuries, believing that a strong navy is an absolute necessity in the nation's defense. The Navy has undergone several reforms since 1865 under the Blue Fleet Program, both in part to create a strong modern navy against a possible foreign maritime fleet but also for Cheongryeo to stand as equals alongside Borenean naval powers. The composition of the Cheongryeo Navy as follows: 7 contemporary battleships, 12 armored cruisers, 8 protected cruisers, 20 light cruisers, 7 coastal defense ships, 36 destroyers, 12 monitors, 75 torpedo boats, and 97 auxiliary vessels. 4 submarines are currently undergoing testing in the Navy due to their potential, however, submarines are considered to be secondhand to surface fleets. Naval doctrine has been aimed at utilizing the capabilities of its surface fleet to ensure naval supremacy in the region. Each ship in a fleet has specific roles to play when engaging in naval combat. In addition, naval mines are a popular weapon to use in coastal defense and in offensive capability in order to deny areas from enemy fleets and to maintain naval supremacy.
Militias known as the Righteous Army have appeared several times throughout the history of Cheongryeo when the national armies were in need of assistance against foreign invaders ever since the many ground wars between Qhin and Cheongryeo throughout history. Peasants, scholars, former government officials, religious monks, merchants, anyone regardless of background made up such militias. While most of these righteous armies are equipped with hunting equipment and farming tools rather than state-of-the-art weapons employed by both the national and Army, the irregular militias make up for their equipment shortcomings with patriotic fervor and knowledge of home terrain.
History:Prehistory and the Holy Kingdom of Baedal Period (??? ~ 108 BCE) The Holy Kingdom of Baedal was the first centralized state in mainland Cheongryeo and was considered to have territories of both the Cheongryeoan peninsula, the Haedongdo, and parts of modern day Qhin. Creation mythology stated that eons ago, the God of Heaven and Creation, Haneunim (or Hwanin) created the first man in his image to rule over the flora and fauna as man's domain in a lost ancient city of Sinsi. The first man was given the name of Cheongun (Heavenly Prince) and was also given thousands of dragons from heaven to serve under him. Most of the dragons would descend into humans, losing their scales and reptilian features overtime. One day, a bear visited Cheongun and asked to be made human. Cheongun gave the bear 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of mugwort and ordered the bear to stay out of the sunlight for 100 days and eat nothing but the garlic and the mugwort. The bear lived in a cave and and struggled to live off of the plants, almost abandoning the wish to become human. However, the bear persisted and 21 days after the assignment, Cheongun rewarded the bear by transforming it into a beautiful human woman, giving her the name Ungnyeo. Ungnyeo was grateful and made offerings to Cheongun and the Lord of Heaven. However, she fell under depression and prayed for a companion and a child. Moved by her prayers, Cheongun took her as his wife and Ungnyeo gave birth to Dangun, who would soon leave Sinsi when he became of age with thousands of his followers and form the Holy Kingdom of Baedal whom reign lasted for over a thousand years and which all emperors of Baedal claimed divine ancestry from. The importance of the bear named Ungnyeo would play significance in the culture of Cheongryeo as alternative name for Cheongryeoan royalty being the Bear Throne.
Modern scholars believe that tens of thousands of years ago, ancient humans crossed from Boreana to Osia and then passed Qhin to the peninsula of Cheongryeo during the last Ice Age and the Stone Age, some of the people in the Cheongryeo peninsula may moved south to colonize parts of Asakara. These people are considered primordial ancestors to the Saram ethnic group that are now natives to Cheongryeo. Tribal societies would form and grow into villages and then city-states and tribal confederacies. It is believed that the Holy Kingdom of Baedal was formed by a merger of multiple city-states and tribal confederacies with a dominant priestly class through both peaceful and violent means during the Bronze Age. The ancient city of Sinsi was thought to have been a major ancient settlement that lost its significance over time bythe formation of Baedal. While historians are unsure of the validity of the Dangun, prominent aristocratic houses such as the Yonju Wang clan and the Gija Yi clan claim descendance. It is believed that Dangun may have been a real ruler who claimed divine ancestry and whose name became an imperial title for many successors to use, hence the longevity of the name Dangun in records.
The Holy Kingdom of Baedal was said to have lasted for thousands of years and saw the transitioning of bronze to iron tools in mass use. Records of early Baedal are sparse but later Baedal records compiled by famed United Kingdom era historian Kim Shik-bu wrote that the country was ruled by three dynasties after Dangun: the Yonju Wang clan whom claim descendants from Dangun, the Onjo Hae clan whom reign was started by Hae Mosu's overthrow of Wang Bu, and the Soseon Jung Clan whom reign was started after the marriage of Prince-Consort Jung Min-ho to Queen Hae Yulha. According to Kim Shik-bu, the Yonju Wang clan had 18 emperors, the Onjo Hae clan ruled with 9 emperors, and the Soseon Jung clan ended the dynasty with 13 emperors.
Baedal was said to be a strong power at its height, with records noting of its military prowess against early Qhin and Asakara. Historians found records from Baedal noting of travelers from the far east named the Haedong people, describing them as looking very foreign but bearing many gifts. Alongside clans hailing from Haedong county, historians believed that records pointed to early contact between Ancient Cheongryeo and Mercia, complimenting the travels of the ancient Mercian traveler Elmo. Overtime, Baedal would lose some of its holdings to rebellions especially in the south with independent kingdoms and tribal confederacies popping up, only nominally paying tribute to Baedal. Records noted of three major wars between Baedal and Qhin, the last war severely weakened Baedal and the kingdom was dissolved and split into three independent kingdoms: Guri, Buyeo, and Sanghae.
Six Kingdoms Period (108 BCE - 668 CE) The Six Kingdoms period oversaw the growth and maturation of five kingdoms in the mainland peninsula of Cheongryeo and the island kingdom based in Haedongdo. Guri, Buyeo, and Sanghae occupied the northern half, Majin and Kaelim controlling the southern half, and Taebong on the Haedongdo island. The Six Kingdom period is marked by constant warfare, trade, and an exchange of customs and ideals. Domination of the Six Kingdoms would switch between Guri, Buyeo, and Majin, the former two claiming successor status to Baedal when they're each at their greatest heights with Emperor Daeso of Buyeo in 23 CE and Emperor Yejong of Guri in 401 CE. Over time, the six relatively stable kingdoms were forged across Cheongryeo, their territories fluctuated over time and no kingdom remained dominant for long.
The customs, laws, and clothes of the six kingdoms are generally identical. Contemporary records also suggest that the languages between the Six Kingdoms are mutually intelligible enough for someone from one kingdom to be able to translate for someone from another. The Six Kingdoms all have their own respective religions ranging from monotheism to polytheism but the three northern kingdoms maintain an imperial cult of their emperors having divine ancestry ranging back from the Baedal Dynasty. That would become the basis of the state religion of Daejongism that would spread to the southern states, replacing their local polytheistic shaman religions and tying their rulers with relations to the ancient Baedal rulers. From the 5th century to the early 600s, Guri would maintain a loosely unified Choengryeo with all kingdoms paying tribute to Guri. However, Guri would enter a long period of decline starting from 567 CE.
By the late Six Kingdoms Period, much of Cheongryeo would be consolidated into Guri, Majin, Kaelim, and Taebong. Kaelim under King Park Beop-min of the Onju Park clan had expanded greatly, taking advantage of Guri's decline. Kaelim would ally with Qhin to apply pressure onto Guri from the north while Kaelim would battle the western neighbor of Majin, eventually conquering the kingdom in 656 CE. With Majin conquered, the allied force would fight Guri in a two front war. Although Guri was heavily weakened, it would resist against the allied force for many years, eventually being conquered in 668 when Emperor Hae Bojang surrendered to Kaelim forces in the eastern capital of Doseong. Tensions would mount between Kaelim and Qhin over territories of former Guri, ending with the establishment of the modern borders between Qhin and Cheongryeo and Kaelim entering into Qhin's tributary system and using Qhin's calendars. Only Taebong remains as an independent entity, resisting efforts by the mainland for it to join their kingdom for decades.
United Kingdom of Cheongryeo, the Onju Park Dynasty (668 - 956 CE) The unification of mainland Cheongryeo lead to the formation of the United Kingdom of Cheongryeo by Emperor Park Chang-ho. Efforts were made to assimilate the new subjects by letting the former royal families rule their domains as viceroys and dukes. Hae Bojang, the former King of Guri, was given the title of Grand Warden of Guri and King Chang-ho would marry off his son, the future King Park Yul to Hae Bojang's daughter, Lady Hae Sa-pyeong. The Kaelim aristocracy also framed themselves not as conquerors but as unifiers. Emperor Park Chang-ho even declared that the nation's title was to be called the United Kingdom of Great Cheongryeo (대청려 연합국) instead of the expected Empire of Great Kaelim (대계림국) as he is not the Emperor of Kaelim and its conquered territories but the Emperor of five unified and equal kingdoms. The imperial family even moved from the southeastern city of Andong (the capital of Kaelim) to the middle of Cheongryeo in the coastal city of Gaegyeong in Guri as the new capital city. The United Kingdom would be ruled by the Imperial House of Onju Park for over 200 years and the country experienced relative peace and prosperity, its major threats being against the Princedom of Taebong and pirates from Asakara. War between the United Kingdom and Taebong would last from 672 CE to 700 CE as the Bear Throne lost ten thousand men conquering Taebong and another forty thousand holding the large island. Eventually, negotiated settlements between the Bear Throne and Princedom of Taebong lead to Taebong eventually joining the United Kingdom as an autonomous kingdom. The ruling family of Taebong, the Haedong Go clan, is allowed to keep their titles as Princes of Taebong and the local aristocracies enjoyed many rights and privileges that the lords in the mainland do not. Although Cheongryeo was officially fully unified, the dissatisfaction among some of the lords would be remembered and lead to many many rebellions that were eventually suppressed by royal authorities.
The Onju Park dynasty experienced a golden age of art and culture, as evidenced by the Hwangnyongsa, Seokguram, and the Bell of Emperor Byeongdeok. Relationships between the United Kingdom and Qhin remained relatively peaceful during this time. The maritime prowess of former Majin continued under the the United Kingdom and during the 8th and 9th centuries, dominated the seas of the Sunrise Ocean and played the role of middlemen in trades between Qhin, Asakara, and Khmor. Missionaries from Qhin would attempt to spread the Lazei faith but would fall on deaf ears. Ironically, surviving disciples of the Shen Luoyang would find home in Cheongryeo in the late 930s and some would spread the teachings of the deceased Shin Luoyang to a more interested audience, although the Shenists would be suppressed by royal authorities as a challenge to their divinity in the early years of their existence. The United Kingdom was a prosperous and wealthy country, and its metropolitan capital of Gaegyeong was among one of the largest city in the classical world. The Goodness School and Sohak flourished during this time, contributing to the cultures and the arts of the United Kingdom. However, the Onju Park Dynasty is not without its faults. In the later years of the Onju Park Dynasty, the family would be obsessed with keeping the divine ancestry pure and most of the later kings were born as products of incest despite opposition from Daejongist shrines and temples. The Onju Park Dynasty would weaken under internal strife, contributing to the Pretender Rebellion in 947 CE.
The Rebellion of the Two Pretenders originally started off with a succession crisis after the death of King Park Yeonwoo who died childless during his reign. Although there were times when the Royal Court had to find a suitable male heir for when a king died childless, there were usually a lot of close relatives and siblings to choose from. King Yeonwoo had no living siblings and no close males relatives, thus the court has to look outside the clan. In the meantime, Chancellor Wang Hee-sung served as Regent of the United Kingdom. However, the instability without a ruling king and with internal issues had lead to various uprisings and violence, forcing the Royal Court to act quickly. The only living close relative was Princess Park Eun-bin, the aunt to King Yeonwoo and married to Viceroy Kim Pung of Buyeo State. While it was unheard of for a woman to succeed the Bear Throne, the Royal Court decided to amend the successions to allow Princess Eun-bin to succeed the throne as Queen of the United Kingdom, acknowledging that the United Kingdom would transition from the Imperial Onju Park Clan to the Imperial Jeonju Kim Clan with Queen Eun-bin's eldest son, Kim Il being designated as the Crown Prince.
However, challenges erupted with two uprisings. In Majin Region, agitated lords rallied behind a man named Jin Hwon who claimed to be a bastard son of the late King Yeonwoo during his youths. General Yi Ui-min who was originally sent to subdue the pretenders, suddenly drew his lot with the rebels. Fighting would be fierce in Majin as loyalist and rebel forces clashed with each other. The rebellions would eventually be crushed in 949, solidifying Queen Eun-bin's rule and the next ruling family dynasty after her reign.
Jeonju Kim Dynasty (956 to 1392 CE)When Empress Eun-bin passed away in 956, the Imperial Court officially coronated Crown Prince Kim Il as the next Emperor of the United Kingdom, giving him the reigning title of Taejo to start a new imperial dynasty, the Imperial Jeonju Kim clan. Emperor Il ordered the construction of numerous public works projects to improve quality of living such as public bath houses and aqueducts all throughout the country. Emperor Il also banned the practice of incest during his reign, blaming incest of the excess and corruption of the later emperors of the Onju Park Dynasty. He was succeeded by his firstborn son, Prince Kim Mu. Emperor Mu was interested in the teachings of Shin Nakyang and four years within his reign, convened a council of Nakyang's surviving disciples and uncovered followers of the underground church in order to officiate the religion in the form of the Cheonju Church. Overtime, the Cheonju Church would gain acceptance by the public and would replace the Daejonggyo as the state religion in 984 CE. During that time, Emperor Mu would deny having any deification and referred to himself as the Regent of Heaven (Cheon Seopjung) instead of the usual title of "Son of Heaven," something all succeeding rulers would follow suit. He would also use the title of Grand King instead of Heavenly Sovereign as part of the undeification of the Bear Throne.
The officiation of what is considered a heretical faith in Qhin was not without opposition from Qhin and Qhin forces launched a punitive expedition against the United Kingdom a year later in a series of conflicts known as the Crusades. Although Qhin forces were able to breakthrough Cheongryeoan border forces, they were defeated and forced back to the border by General Gyeong Dae-seong. Bolstered by their victories, the Cheongryoan forces attempted to invade Qhin to seize the territories surrounding Shin Nakyang's birthplace as a holy site only for their forces to be routed by Qhin defenses. In 987 CE, Qhin and Cheongryeo would recognize the territorial and religious sovereignties of both nations and ensure that religious differences would not be grounds for war. After Emperor Mu's passing in 1001 CE, he was given the posthumous title of Holy Emperor (Seonje).
The Jeonju Kim Dynasty would be noted by a series of religious emperors who ruled according to the Cheonju texts. The role and wealth of the Cheonju church also grew exponentially thanks to patronage of the Imperial Court. Like the Onju Park Dynasty before it, the Jeonju Kim lead Cheongryeo was a highly cultural state, and invented the metal movable type printing press. Cheongryeo experienced a golden age that lasted a century, during which compilation of historical records and legends such as the Cheongryeo Yuksa and the Cheongryeo Sagi were completed. There were great developments in printing and publishing, promoting learning and dispersing knowledge on philosophy, literature, religion, and science; by 1100, there were 12 universities that produced famous scholars and scientists sponsored by the Imperial Court and the Cheonju Church. The Jeonju Kim Dynasty wasn't fully peaceful, however. Efforts to convert Daejongist and ancient shamanistic temples into that of the Cheonju Church in the early decades of the dynasty were met with some oppositions with few conversions becoming violent. In the 1350s, contact would be established with Mercia as Mercian vessels arrived at the island of Taebong, nearly a thousand years since the Saint Elmo's visit to Baedal in 450 BCE. Trading relations would commence between the two polities with Taebong and the archipelago islands of Nabido being major sources of trade, leading to some colonization of Nabido by Cheongryeoans. The Imperial Jeonju Kim clan would end its male line with the ascension of Empress Sapyeong to the Bear Throne in 1357.
Jangheung Yi Dynasty and Centralization (1392 to 1778 CE)The Jangheung Yi Dynasty started with the marriage of Princess Kim Sapyeong, the only child of Emperor Kim Do to Duke Yi Jaeso, the son of War Minister Yi Muhyeol in 1338 with the intention by Emperor Do to designated Princess Sapyeong as the Crown Princess. When Princess Sapyeong ascended to the throne as Empress, Yi Muhyeol received the title of King Consort. When Empress Sapyeong passed away, Crown Prince Yi Myeong-bok ascended the throne as Emperor Taejo of the Jangheung Yi Dynasty. Although the prior Jeonju Kim Dynasty manufactured and incorporated gunpowder into its military, the Jangheung Yi Dynasty placed greater focus on gunpowder based weapons in the national military, even establishing a military office for the purpose of firearm and cannon development. During the reign of Emperor Suwon II (1418 to 1458), he received the title of King of Storms (Pukpung Wang) due to the heavy use of firearms in his military campaigns in subduing pirates from the island of Nabido east of Taebong island, a title which all succeeding Emperors would adopt as part of their styles. The Jangheung Yi Dynasty also experienced a multi-theatre civil war dubbed the War of Four Kings that severely devastated the country for four years.
The War of Five Kings started after the death of Emperor Il II and the ascension of his eldest son, Gi to the Bear Throne. However, Il's younger brothers, Prince Won and Prince Hyo believed that Emperor Gi was not a son of the late Emperor Il II (recovered private documents from a retainer of Prince Hyo stated that Emperor Gi had none of his father's facial features and that the late Emperor's wife was rumored to have been very close with her male attendants) and plotted with Chancellor Go Seung-ryeong to put Gi's younger brother Grand Prince Bu to the throne. Eventually, the conspiracy was discovered and Emperor Gi declared death to the people involved with the plot, including his own brother Prince Bu. Chancellor Go Seung-ryeong was beheaded and Prince Won and Hyo fled to the Eastern and Southern Capital and declared themselves legitimate claimant to the throne. The beheading of Chancellor Go Seung-ryeong saw a backlash from the region of Buyeo, whom was governed by the Jolbon Go Clan ever since Buyeo was an independent kingdom. Go Seung-ryeong's eldest son, Viceroy Go Bang-won declared Buyeo as an independent kingdom once more with himself as Emperor Taejo of Buyeo. The region of Nabido would also declare independence under the leadership of Lord Kim Bok-su as the Sea King, sensing weakness in the Bear Throne to resume piracy.
The War of Five Kings would be devastating as lords would declare allegiances to the claimants to the Bear Throne and separatist kings. Wealthy entities would purchase weapons and armor from Mercian merchants, including service of their fleets. Over the course of the war, territories and allegiances would shift between the five factions Nabido's independence was quickly snuff out by the naval forces of Emperor Won of the Southern Court with assistance by Mercian warships and an attempted invasion of the capital city of Gaegyeong by armies of Emperor Hyo of the Eastern Court were routed by capital defenses. Taejo Go Bang-won would be slain in battle and his younger brother, Go Young-gi would declare for Emperor Won. Emperor Gi would grow to be paranoid and tyrannical, dismissing and ordering executions of government officials as the war started to turn against him. During the War of Five Kings, Yi Hyo would die of dysentery and his final wish was to have his forces declare for Emperor Won of the Southern Court, swelling the numbers of the Southern forces. Near the end of the war, most of the towns would recognize Yi Won's forces as they saw his forces having the most of restoring peace to the realm. With a united forces loyal to Yi Won camped outside of Gaegyeong, disaffected members of the Imperial Court would secretly negotiate terms of surrender with Yi Won's men under the noses of Emperor Gi. Members of the Court would convince the city guards to allow Yi Won's forces to enter the capital and depose Emperor Gi as long as the city remains intact. Yi Won accepted the terms and outside of minimal resistance from men loyal to Yi Gi, the city fell with few casualties, including the deposal of Yi Gi. Yi Won would ascend the Bear Throne as Emperor, declaring the era name of Gwangmu.
The reign of Emperor Won (1594 - 1621) was notable in which Cheongryeo became heavily centralized over the years to grow the powers of the Bear Throne. One of his first edict was to abolish private armies, effectively severing the ability of lords to muster large-scale revolts. He also moved towards the provincial systems, splitting the Five Kingdoms into multiple provinces with appointed governors and magistrates. In addition, he created three state sponsored categories exams: the literary examinations, military examinations, and miscellaneous examinations as ways for individuals to seek employment with the government, opening the government to many talented commoners and preventing domination by the lords with storied history (eventually, most of the aristocratic families would retain their importance by taking part in the exams). Under Emperor Won, Cheongryeo would officially transition from the federative United Kingdom of Cheongryeo to the centralized Great Cheongryeo State (or Empire of Cheongryeo) in 1611, although Cheongryeo would still be referred to as the United Kingdom (Yeonhapguk) as a sobriquet.
The later Jangheung Yi Dynasty would begin the study of Borenean science and technology as ways to improve the country's quality of life associated with the body of knowledge and movement called Donghak (or Eastern Learning), including translations of Mercian scientific books and purchases of Borenean technologies through existing trade. Many historians believed that the extensive movement of Donghak allowed Cheongryeo to be abreast of development of Borenea and for the country to build up the theoretical and technological scientific base that allow the country to be able to industrialize and modernize more successfully than Qhin has.
Ubong Jang Dynasty (1778 CE ~ )Rule of the Imperial Ubong Jang Dynasty would start with the ascension of Jang Chung-heon to the Bear Throne as the Crown Prince of Empress Yi Jeongmyeong and King-Consort Jang Won-ho. Cheongryeo under the Ubong Jang Dynasty underwent vast societal changes with the rise of liberal thinking, both by homegrown movements and foreign books. The powers of merchants, while growing during the Jangheung Yi Dynasty, would rise immensely during the Ubong Jang Dynasty and would lead to demands for constitutional reforms. Meeting the demands, Emperor Seon (1816 - 1867) would establish a bicameral national legislative body called the Central Assembly, divided by the upper House of Peers and the lower House of Delegates with the House of Delegates being made up of elected representatives from cities all over the country and would be lead by the First Minister. The House of Peers would be made up of members of the nobility and would be unelected. Universal suffrage would be available only for men of 20 years although moves by female suffragettes would gain momentum in recent years. Additional constitutional reforms would be declared by Emperor Seon, such as the restructuring of the civil service exams. Quality of life improvements would also make its way in Cheongryeo such as opening public education to all in 1878, allowing women to pursue general education (previously, only women of means could afford primary and secondary education although many churches had offered education to all). Cheongryeo would transition into a constitutional monarchy under Emperor Wonjeong in 1869, allowing the First Minister of the House of Delegates to grow exponentially in political power.
Conflicts between Cheongryeo and Qhin would occur under the Ubong Jang Dynasty, often with Cheongryeo utilizing its technological supremacy to be on top, although Cheongryeo wouldn't dare to invade Qhin due to Qhin's massive size and conflicts would often be through proxies and over influences of smaller neighboring states.
In the year of 1882, Cheongryeo stands at its height under the reign of Emperor Jang Wonjeong at the age of 43. The outlook of the country is optimistic however things can change over time or at an instant.
RP Reference/Links/Sample:-
Alternate World War 2 (War of Blood and Steel)-
Fantasy Sword Throwing (A Dance of Chaos)-
Alternate history gone mad in 1812 (Alternate Divergence 1812) -
It's like Alternate Divergence but made by the Cobalt Network and has set nations (Tales of Two Horizons II)-
War, what is it good for? (Back to 1935)-
Rednecks and post-apocalyptic America (Fallout: Damn Dirty South)-
NS Red Dawn (Crane Ascendent)-
Generic late 19th century Alt-history RP (Voice of a New Age)-
War, war never changes (Fallout: Republic of Dusts)-
Alternate history taken all the way (1900: Alternate Divergence)-
Anime Vietnam Flashbacks (Operation Gatelord)-
When the Spanish Flu wiped off 50% of the world population (All Quiet on the Front)