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by The Palmetto » Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:24 pm
"That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there."
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:13 pm
Sarderia wrote:Tag, can I reserve the Ottoman Empire?
by Sarderia » Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:45 pm
Generic Info
Nation Name: دولت عليه عثمانیه - Devlet-i Aliyye-i Osmaniye - The Sublime Ottoman State
Symbols:Location: 44 and 47
Population: 35,350,000
Capital City: Kostantiniyye (Constantinople)
Civilization Status: Civilized
Government Info
Government Type: Caliphate
Brief Explanation of Government: The Caliphate is considered as the supreme governing authority for all Muslims, starting from the emergence of the Rashidun Caliphate under Abu Bakr ash-Shiddiq after the departure of Prophet Muhammad (shallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam). The Ottoman Sultan, who has taken the title of Caliph, is considered the successor of the earlier Caliphs, themselves successor to the Prophet as leader of the Muslim socio-political authority and the leader of the entire Muslim community (ummah). The Ottoman Caliphate itself is estabilished after the conquest of Mamluk Egypt, after which the Ottoman sultans claimed the title of Caliph for themselves - and is widely recognized, by Muslim and non-Muslim states alike in the world, as the supreme political representative of Sunni Islam. This application, however, did not extend to Iran, which is largely dominated by the Shia branch of Islam, which did not recognize the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, Uthman ibn Affan, and Umar ibn al-Khattab, the first three Rashidun Caliphs.
In practice, the Ottoman Empire is a constitutional monarchy, though the monarch's power was considerably higher than in contemporary European monarchies. The Sultan is the supreme authority in the Empire; as Sultan, he acts as the head of government, presiding over the Divan Council (cabinet), though this responsibility is nominally delegated to the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister). As Caliph, the Sultan is the Head of State; he has the authority to issue declarations of war, issue a jihad (holy war) that all Muslims should follow, receive and send foreign or Ottoman diginitaries, and is the supreme head of all religious councils. With the abolition of the Jannisaries and the Harem under Ahmed III, the Sultan now holds near-absolute power legally in the matter of state government.
The main legislative branch of the Ottoman Empire is the Shura Council. It is composed of two parts; the ulemas (religious scholars and influential priests that is elected at each subdivision by their respective Shura Councils), and the Beys (representatives of military or civillian governors of the Empire). Only the Ulemas can issue fatwas (legal opinion of Islamic law that is binding), and only the Beys can issue legislations pertaining to military or national security matters. Officially, Ottoman laws are based on sharia (Islamic laws), but in practice the Shura council often pass legislations that are contradictive or slightly conforming to the Sharia law for convenience. Banks are regulated to prevent riba (increase; e.g. interest in loans) in compliance to the Sharia law, although a separate banking authority exists for the dhimmi (non-Muslims such as Christians), and foreigners wanting to do business. Trading companies sell their stocks at the Bourse of Constantinople. There exists 2 kinds of currency in the Ottoman Empire; the bills of credit, an IOU issued by the Central Bank of the Empire that functions more-or-less as fiat money, and the three coins of dinar (gold), dirham (silver), and fals (copper) which acts as the official currency of the state. Metals to make these coins are mined in Anatolia under heavy security, but slowly the paper notes are overtaking the coins.
In the Ottoman Empire, Arabic is used as the government's language instead of Turkish, and Arabic is still the lingua franca commonly used in the Empire. A system of meritocracy is implemented in the government, largely through the supervision of state-appointed ulemas that select bureaucratic candidates. The class of Ottoman nobles present in regional Shura councils throughout the Empire also plays a part in this. Following the Prussian Juncker model, since the reign of Mustafa III each noble family is required to send their sons to attend Ottoman military schools and serve in the Armed Forces. A prestigious office in the Armed Forces is the Imperial Bannerman; there exist three positions of Bannerman, one holding the Sultan's tugh, one holding the white Liwa flag, and the other holding the black Raya' flag, both symbols used by former Caliphates dating back to the time of Prophet Muhammad. While this is largely ceremonial, the prestige it carries impacts greatly to one's military career; as such, noble sons compete for these positions heatedly. As in the military, the Ottoman bureaucracy is a mix between the Islamic, French, and Prussian systems designed to maximize the efficiency while leaving little room for corruption. No single ethnicity dominates any government position. The only requirement to enter a high-ranking government position is to be a Quran hafidh (reciter or learner), having a deep religious understanding of Sunni Islam and his preferred maddhab (school of jurisprudence), and having a good track record in that part of government. The Shura council elects qualified government officials to a corruption eradication commision, composed mainly of Islamic jurists, to watch the performance of bureaucrats. Military executions are common for corrupt officials and those that have broken state laws.
Ideology: officially: Islam, de facto: Absolutism
Leader/s:
Relations: The Ottoman Empire holds a very strong and cordial relation with the European states of France and Great Britain, despite the two being arch-enemies post the Napoleonic Wars. The Ottomans serve as a buffer between other European states and the British possessions in India, as evident by Napoleon's failed conquest of Egypt - and they have long since maintained this position to hold a good relationship with the British. The French, which are widely considered to be a Russian enemy, is also closely aligned with the Ottoman Empire to prevent a Russian breakthrough to the Mediterranean. The Ottomans also tried to bulid a cohesive alliance with other Mediterranean and German states, particulary Two Sicilies and Prussia, in order to curb Russian expansionist interests. The Ottomans' relations to Safavid Persia is also cordial, despite the difference between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, and they have long since tried to estabilish unity of the ummah against foreign, non-Muslim interference. As an absolutist state, the Ottoman Empire holds good relations as well with the Prussians, despite them being in alliance with the Russians.
Russia on the other hand is seen as an existential threat to the Ottoman Empire. As such, Ottoman foreign policy would always serve to oppose Russia on every matter. The presence of a massive naval fleet in the Black Sea, legacy of Selim III, has served to deter any Russian naval invasion; while the bulk of the reformed Ottoman Army present in the Balkans serves as a deterrence for a possible Austrian invasion. Another massive Ottoman Army is also present at Macedonia to deter a possible Greek insurrection, and another is placed in Egypt to curb the Khedive's powers. The Ottomans are flooding the Balkan penninsula with thousands of Arab, Berber, and Turkish settlers every month, to curb the nationalist uprisings of Slavs and other ethnicities. A massive and dedicated Islamization program in the Balkans has been instituted since the reign of Mustafa III half a century earlier - such as translating the Holy Quran and the Hadith to Slavic languages, abolishing all schools except Madrasas (Islamic boarding schools), imposing extremely heavy tax on churches, and even as far as tolerating all kinds of Sufi sects to spread Islam, at the expense of orthodoxy. Madrasas across the Ottoman Empire is educating the citizens about the importance of Islamic unity as a part of the greater ummah, as the Ottomans are emphazising religion over nationality as a rallying point.
Population Info
Brief Description of your people:
Religion:Main/Accepted Culture(s): Mainly Turkish, Arabic, Berber, and Slavic.
- in Europe: Muslims (59%), Christians (30.9%), Jews (0.1%)
- in Asia: Muslims (82%), Christians (17.8%), Jews (0.2%)
- in Africa (incl. Egypt): Muslims (90%), Christians (10%), Jews (negligible)
note: Druzes, Yazidis, and other faiths are grouped as Christians.
Other Cultures: There is no non-accepted cultures in the Ottoman Empire; the Empire emphasized the importance of religion over culture and nationality.
Military Info
Army: (branches, number of troops, quality of army, etc, 1-10 slider for quality, at least a 1 paragraph description)
Navy: (branches, number of troops, quality of navy, number of ship, types of ships, etc, 1-10 slider for quality, at least a 1 paragraph supporting description)
Other Info
Economic Strength: 17/20Development: 16/20
- Industrialization: The Ottoman Empire is a center of industry in its own right. Having quickly embraced the Industrial Revolution that swept Europe throughout the start of the 1790s, aided with an efficient bureaucracy and increasingly centralized government, the Ottoman Empire stands out as one of the major producer of industrial goods in Eastern Europe. At first the Ottoman government identified several key regions to be developed as industrial centers; the Maritsa river region, the Rumelian Aegean coast, the Anatolian Aegean coast, and the Bulgarian coast. This would be later expanded to include the Levant and the Nile River in Egypt. The vast anthracite reserves in Zonguldak and the Dobruja Basin is exploited to provide fuel for steam machines; even bigger is the Maritsa Lignite Field, while not producing coals of the same quality as the former two, is a source for cheap and abundant coals. Edirne became one of the largest cities in the Ottoman Empire in a short period due to its close proximity to the three coal mining sites, as well as its strategic position on the crossroads of the Empire. Industrial development would then spread to the nearby cities of Dimitrovgrad, Plovdiv, and Haskovo, increasing significantly their population at the same rate as Edirne's. Inspired by the Rhine-Westphalia corridor, Ottoman economic ministers and city planners tried to organize these cities with the German cities taken as comparison. However, the declining status of Constantinople as the Empire's economic center, was something the central government did not take lightly. As such, the government constructed further harbors, bulit a new and wide bridge to acomodate locomotives, and set up industrial centers in the city to compete with the Maritsa river corridor. Anatolian cities such as Bursa, Smyrna, and Eskisehir were also developed as centers of industrialization. The second Industrial Corridor project in Mesopotamia, between the cities of Baghdad and Basra, is being developed as of now. Ottoman-made products now are flooding European markets with quality comparable to those made in Britain or Germany, and competitive prices as well.
- Agriculture: Farming is, without a doubt, the ancient foundation of civilizations in the Middle East thousands of years before the Ottoman Empire. The current government, despite the advent of industry, did not forget this crucial base as well. The Ottomans' Mediterranean regions in the Aegean and Anatolian coast produces a large number of grapes and olives - despite alcohol (or khamr) being forbidden in Islam, this rule often get ignored by government authorities and subsequently a thriving wine industry can be found at the Aegean and Anatolian coast. Mesopotamia, with the flow of the water-abundant Tigris and Euphates rivers, is the breadbasket of the Ottoman Empire, and this fertile region produces grain enough for Ottoman exports towards Europe. The vast forests of the Balkan penninsula is source of abundant lumber, and the Ottoman Empire, despite using a vast amount of these resources to fuel industrialization, is able to export nearly three times its domestic consumption each year to Europe. A plantation system is estabilished for lumber companies where they are encouraged to plant saplings in place of cutted trees to provide constant influx of lumber.
Public Order: 15/20
- Transportation: The reign of Sultan Ahmed III, who oversaw the Tulip Era of massive economic growth and relative stability, and Sultan Mustafa III, under whom the Empire began the gradual process of modernization, greatly improved the quality of transportation infrastructure in the Ottoman Empire. New roads were bulit throughout Anatolia, lands cleared, and the quality of roads improved. The Great Constantinople-Cairo Post Road, a project undertaken in the reign of Mustafa III (1760-1770) provided a highway to connect the two population and economic poles of the Empire - in Anatolia and Egypt. With the organization of army posts and barracks along major post roads to maintain security, road infrastructure in the Ottoman Empire is comparable with those of its European counterparts, such as Great Britain and France. As the Industrial Revolution reached the Empire, the Ottoman ministers began inviting European engineers such as Matthew Murray and George Stephenson on the prospect of building railways throughout the Empire. At first, locomotive firms bulit short railways to connect Constantinople with nearby cities such as Edirne, Ankara, Selanik, and Sofia; as the need for more railways became greater, the government started investing towards long, major railways. The first planned major railway, following the Constantinople-Cairo Post Road, is the Levant railway; connecting Anatolia and Egypt, this project is set to be completed on 1834. Another railway extension has been planned to connect Basra with Constantinople; dubbed the Mesopotamia Railway, this project is set to be completed in 1839.
- Urbanization: With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, more and more people began crowding the Ottoman Empire's cities. However, in parts of the Balkans, the Ottoman authorities themselves rather forced people to congregate in major cities such as Sarajevo, Belgrade, Skopje, and Sofia. The reasons are no less than to integrate the remaining Slavic, Christian population of the Empire into a Muslim society. The major cities in the Balkans are Muslim-dominated; education is free and compulsory, and rather enforced towards Christians, because the only permitted schools are state-run (several private ones exist as well) Madrasa (Islamic schools). Industries present in the cities also accelerate the process of urbanization; textile, metal forges, weapons, vehicles, tools, and other industries attracted workers across the countryside. Ottoman cities are well-planned and well-developed with the Mosque (Camii) and an integrated administration center, as well as a public park being the center of each cities. Musala (prayer rooms) are ubitquous and ornately designed being a trademark of each Ottoman city.
- Stability: The increased centralization was first implemented by Ahmed III when he reorganized the Ottoman Empire's numerous beyliks and sanjaks into a system of departments, following the French model. Ahmed III created the national Shura council as the legislative branch of government composed of the representatives of regional Sanjak-Beys (head of departments), and ulemas (religious leaders and teachers). He increased the number of the Ottoman Army and stationed forces loyal only to him in each Sanjak (department), thereby reducing instability. As Caliph, Ahmed III implemented a reform of religious law that regulated all fatwas (legislation/opinion concerning Islamic practices, taken from a study of the Qur'an and the Hadith) to be issued only by the Shura council, headed nominally by the Sultan as Khalifatul Islam and Amr al-Mu'minin. This is aimed to decrease significantly conflicts over the interpretation of Islamic laws, and the heresies. A separate council is made to regulate Alevism. The reign of Mustafa III saw the disbandment of the Janissary Corps and the Harem (both regarded as medieval institutions with no purpose on the modern world), and further centralization of power in the hands of the Sultan. The Shura council is now split - one composed entirely of ulemas to regulate Islamic (Sharia) laws, and the other composed of representatives to regulate national laws.
- Education: There is a regulated, synchronized, albeit far from ubitquous, system of education throughout the Ottoman Empire. Mostly catering for the rich, often urban, and noble class, education is available in the form of Madrasas (Islamic boarding schools). A national curriculum is implemented by the Shura council to regulate this education system, although there are still many schools which do not adhere strictly into this form of education. The Ottoman government sponsored the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, though other maddhabs are allowed to set up their own curriculum and bulid their own madrasas as well - this policy is also extended to Egypt. Three languages form the backbone of education in Ottoman schools - Arabic (being the primary language, the lingua franca, and the liturgical language), Turkish (in Anatolia and the Balkans), as well as French (optional). Ottoman schools emphasize the education in religion as well as various skills such as mathematics. There are two kinds of Madrasas - the Maktab (elementary and primary education), and the Madrasa 'Aliya (tertiary education). Universities, for those who want to continue as scholars or scientists, exist in Edirne, Istanbul, Sofya, and Cairo. Education in the Ottoman Empire is designed to emphasize the unity of the ummah (all Muslims) as compared to ethnic nationalism - thus a constant propaganda to unify all Ottoman citizens on the basis of their religion has been propagated through the 16th century until now, with largely successful results. In the Balkans, Christian children are forcefully made to attend Madrasas in the hope that they would adopt Islam since an early age - this type of religious conversion has been relatively successful, no small thanks to the presence of a large Ottoman army present in the Balkans.
Goals: Allying with either Prussia or Austria (immediate goal), convert the South Slavs to Islam (near complete), curb the Khedive of Egypt's power, solidify the Eastern Mediterranean under Ottoman rule, bulid a stronger Army and Navy to deter Russian invasion, re-conquer the Peloponnese and Thessaly.
History: (3 paragraphs minimum, describing major events in your nation's history. Make sure to check the roster history section)
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.
by The Surge Empire » Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:19 pm
by Latvijas Otra Republika » Wed Sep 23, 2020 11:35 am
The Palmetto wrote:What do Oldenburg and Austria got planned for the German Confederation, both IC and OOC?
I want to try and unify Germany under a more liberal, potentially federal government, which will have its difficulties but at least I can say I'm not a Prussiaboo.
by Tracian Empire » Wed Sep 23, 2020 11:52 am
The Palmetto wrote:What do Oldenburg and Austria got planned for the German Confederation, both IC and OOC?
I want to try and unify Germany under a more liberal, potentially federal government, which will have its difficulties but at least I can say I'm not a Prussiaboo.
by The Palmetto » Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:42 pm
Tracian Empire wrote:The Palmetto wrote:What do Oldenburg and Austria got planned for the German Confederation, both IC and OOC?
I want to try and unify Germany under a more liberal, potentially federal government, which will have its difficulties but at least I can say I'm not a Prussiaboo.
Well, Austria is still led by Metternich ICly, so it will begin by being in favor of the status-quo.
Now, there are other leaders that might step in, and of course, Austria is not opposed to further integration, although it would most certainly disagree with something like the real life German Empire.
But the core of the issue will of course be the Habsburg/Hohenzollern rivalry for the potential throne.
"That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there."
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:47 pm
The Palmetto wrote:Tracian Empire wrote:Well, Austria is still led by Metternich ICly, so it will begin by being in favor of the status-quo.
Now, there are other leaders that might step in, and of course, Austria is not opposed to further integration, although it would most certainly disagree with something like the real life German Empire.
But the core of the issue will of course be the Habsburg/Hohenzollern rivalry for the potential throne.
Austria, hear me out. What if we formed a political union under the premise of economic integration, and created an area with a singular currency & free travel? Not just for Germans, but across Europe.
I call it the European Union
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:51 pm
Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:The Palmetto wrote:
Austria, hear me out. What if we formed a political union under the premise of economic integration, and created an area with a singular currency & free travel? Not just for Germans, but across Europe.
I call it the European Union
It’ll never work...
by Speyland » Thu Sep 24, 2020 7:30 pm
Generic Info
Nation Name: Sultanate of Brunei
Symbols:
Location: 63
Population: 250,000
Capital City: Kota Batu
Civilization Status: Uncivilized
Government Info
Government Type: Absolute monarchy
Brief Explanation of Government: The Sultanate of Brunei is an Islamic monarchy with the sultan being both head of state and head of government. Also, the title is hereditary. However, the government itself is unusually democratic in nature in which it is divided into three traditional land systems known as Crown Property, official property, and hereditary private property.
Ideology: Authoritarianism, Islamism, monarchism, Malay nationalism
Leader/s: Sultan Amit Omar Jama
Relations: The Sultanate of Brunei is in good terms with the Min Confederacy in terms of economics and the military. This is meant to protect Brunei's sovereignty and to prevent them from causing conflict. Eventually, they might support them in modernizing the country. Brunei is unfriendly (or enemies) with the State of Great Guang, the Sultanate of Aceh, the Majapahit Empire, and the Sultanate of Kutai. This is a result of Brunei laying claims on Malaya, Singapore, Java, Bali, the whole of Borneo, and Sumatra.
Population Info
Religion: Islam
Main/Accepted Culture(s): Malay, Iban
Other Cultures: Chinese
Military Info
Army: 4; Brunei's army is decent but they are not armed with modern weaponry thus making them partially ineffective against their enemies. It has a total of 50,000 troops.
Navy: 4; Brunei's navy is decent but it is not effective against modern ones. It has a total of 30 ships.
Other Info
Economic Strength: 10; Brunei have access to timber, agriculture, and aquaculture. However, the economy isn't strong enough (but growing) as of late.
Development: 9; Brunei's infrastructure across the region is decent but not to an excellent degree. However, this is possibly due to the people building traditional houses and the like instead of factories and modern houses.
Public Order: 9; Brunei's condition in maintaining public order is decent but there are problems regarding the Chinese facing prejudice among them living in a Malay-majority nation. Nonetheless, the government paid little attention to the problem from this day forward.
Goals: To form an Islamic empire with the intent to become a powerful western nation with the help of foreigners.
History:
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.
by The New Byzantine II » Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:58 pm
Kumbhalgarh wrote:Shwetang teleported out of the car. He teleported behind of the teacher, and poked a stick into his/her butt, and then Shwetang teleported back.
by The Palmetto » Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:21 pm
"That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there."
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:12 pm
The Palmetto wrote:Brunei isn't super relevant, so I get you'll have a smaller app, but I'd appreciate if you elaborated some more on some things.
Also, some notes on the lore and IRL Southeast Asian history
1.) Europe didn't colonize Southeast Asia here, the Spanish tried but failed.
2.) Brunei wouldn't be majority Malay or majority Muslim, the territories of Sarawak & Brunei (which is what you own) did not have a single ethnic majority, the largest single ethnic group would technically be the Iban, who followed their local religion. You'd likely also have more ethnic Chinese.
3.) While this is alternate history, it's worth noting that Brunei had major ethnic tensions due to the above, and was in a constant state of civil strife. Asia has more room for alternate history, though these should be addressed if Brunei is more stable.
4.) To be blunt, Brunei does not have the compacity to ever compete with the Chinese states, and at best you can try to play them against each other to preserve their independenc
by Speyland » Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:06 pm
The Palmetto wrote:Brunei isn't super relevant, so I get you'll have a smaller app, but I'd appreciate if you elaborated some more on some things.
Also, some notes on the lore and IRL Southeast Asian history
1.) Europe didn't colonize Southeast Asia here, the Spanish tried but failed.
2.) Brunei wouldn't be majority Malay or majority Muslim, the territories of Sarawak & Brunei (which is what you own) did not have a single ethnic majority, the largest single ethnic group would technically be the Iban, who followed their local religion. You'd likely also have more ethnic Chinese.
3.) While this is alternate history, it's worth noting that Brunei had major ethnic tensions due to the above, and was in a constant state of civil strife. Asia has more room for alternate history, though these should be addressed if Brunei is more stable.
4.) To be blunt, Brunei does not have the compacity to ever compete with the Chinese states, and at best you can try to play them against each other to preserve their independenc
by Speyland » Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:07 pm
The Industrial States of Columbia wrote:The Palmetto wrote:Brunei isn't super relevant, so I get you'll have a smaller app, but I'd appreciate if you elaborated some more on some things.
Also, some notes on the lore and IRL Southeast Asian history
1.) Europe didn't colonize Southeast Asia here, the Spanish tried but failed.
2.) Brunei wouldn't be majority Malay or majority Muslim, the territories of Sarawak & Brunei (which is what you own) did not have a single ethnic majority, the largest single ethnic group would technically be the Iban, who followed their local religion. You'd likely also have more ethnic Chinese.
3.) While this is alternate history, it's worth noting that Brunei had major ethnic tensions due to the above, and was in a constant state of civil strife. Asia has more room for alternate history, though these should be addressed if Brunei is more stable.
4.) To be blunt, Brunei does not have the compacity to ever compete with the Chinese states, and at best you can try to play them against each other to preserve their independenc
To add one more thing, army and navy sliders are 1-10 with 10 being the best. You would not have 9s or 10s in said categories.
by Sarderia » Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:53 pm
Generic Info
Nation Name: The Sublime State of Wu, Caliphate of the East - دولة وو السامية - Daulat Wau al-Sami'a - 吴崇国 - Wúchóngguó
Symbols:Location: 81 (81a, 81b, 81c, 81d)
Population: 26,500,000
Capital City: Hangzhou
Civilization Status: Great Power
Government Info
Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
Brief Explanation of Government: The Government of Wu is essentially the same as other competing Chinese dynasties neighbouring it. There exists a significant degree of centralization, with little to no egalitarian aspects of government present; however, the Wu state could be considered as the least absolutist of all Chinese dynasties due to their adoption of the Islamic government system, which allows for a more egalitarian, transparent, and rather effective system of government.Ideology: officially: Islam, de facto: Absolutism
- Emperor: Being the head of state and head of Government, the Wu Emperor technically hold limitless power on the government of the Empire; as the Caliph, he also holds considerable power pertaining to Sunni Islam, the Wu state's majority religion. However in practice the Emperor acts more of a semi-constitutional monarch, delegating the day-to-day government to the Grand Chancellor who manages the Cabinet of Ministers. The Emperor presides over the Grand Shura council, the legislative branch of government, made of bureaucrats elected by provincial Shura councils - as well as Muslim scholars and ulemas (religious leaders). The influence of Confucianism is still evident in the bureaucratic government of the Empire, which some has deemed to be rather large. A system of checks and balances exists in the form of an audit agency. The Shura council elects qualified government officials to a corruption eradication commision, composed mainly of Islamic jurists, to watch the performance of bureaucrats. Military executions are common for corrupt officials and those that have broken state laws.
- Laws: The main legislative branch of the Wu Empire is the Shura Council. It is composed of two parts; the ulemas (religious scholars and influential priests that is elected at each subdivision by their respective Shura Councils), and the Electors (representatives of military or civillian governors of the Empire). Only the Ulemas can issue fatwas (legal opinion of Islamic law that is binding), and only the Electors can issue legislations pertaining to military or national security matters. Officially, Wu laws are based on sharia (Islamic law) and a set of old Confucian laws and traditions, but in practice the Shura council often pass legislations that are contradictive or slightly conforming to these laws for convenience. Banks are regulated to prevent riba (increase; e.g. interest in loans) in compliance to the Sharia law, although a separate banking authority exists for the dhimmi (non-Muslims such as Buddhists, Taoists, etc.), and foreigners wanting to do business. Trading companies sell their stocks at the Bourse of Hangzhou and the Bourse of Shanghai, two main stock exchanges of the Empire. There exists 2 kinds of currency in the Wu Empire; the bills of credit, an IOU issued by the Central Bank of the Empire that functions more-or-less as fiat money, and the three coins of dinar (gold), dirham (silver), and fals (copper) which acts as the official currency of the state. Metals to make these coins are mined in the nearby mountains under heavy security, but slowly the paper notes are overtaking the coins.
Leader/s:
Relations
- Middle East: The Wu state and the Ottoman Empire, or at least Egypt under Muhammad Ali, are two of the largest Muslim states currently in the world. Wu ambassadors flock to both Mahmud II's and Muhammad Ali's courts trying to estabilish an alliance between the two states, and so far they have succeeded in opening both Wu and Egyptian as well as Mesopotamian ports for free trade. The common goal, according to numerous Chinese ulemas, are to secure an alliance with either Egypt or the Ottomans, and create a trade and political axis between the Middle East and China - once again returning the Golden Age of Islam.
- Indonesia: Numerous Malay and Muslim states in maritime Southeast Asia looks towards the Wu for protection, and Wu's popularity among these states are boosted by the Wu Emperors' tradition to call themselves Caliphs. Wu's foreign policy seeks to unite these states to become Wu's tributaries - modelled after the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates' system of wilayahs and emirates - and expand the Wu influence most particularly in Sumatra and Borneo.
- Qian: The Qian is, in many ways, Wu's second-largest rival after the Min Confederation. Qian leaders with their brutal and oppressive stance towards Muslims living in their territory has provoked the ire of many Wu ulemas and the Wu Emperors themselves. Wu seeks to secure an alliance with Korea and Japan to protect its North Asian trade against the influences of Qian and the Russian Empire.
- Min: As the longtime arch-nemesis of the Wu state, the Min Confederation is in many ways both a positive and negative influence towards the Empire. Wu military leaders used the Min as benchmark, always striving to keep the Wu military one step ahead of the Mins. Wu seeks to secure a political coalition with Guang, the other rival of Min, to contain their influence in Southeast Asia, and to rise again as the dominant naval power. Presently, the Yangtze is closed for all Min vessels, blocking their access to the Chinese interior (except through the overland route and smaller rivers in Fujian), as is all Wu railroads.
- Guang: In many ways Wu's opinion towards the Guangs are neutral, since their attitude towards Malays (and Muslims in general) seems to be indifferent. The Wu foreign policy ministers saw Guang as a natural avenue to contain Min influence, and relations between Wu and Guang are likely to be cordia. Wu, however, has its own ambitions in Sumatra and Borneo, which cannot be ignored since Guang also wants to take a part in the Scramble of Indonesia.
- Aceh Sultanate: One of Wu's principal Indonesian allies, the Aceh Sultanate is in many ways the Wu's unofficial "vassal" in Indonesia. Both states share the same rich Islamic culture and history, and Aceh is in a precarious state to maintain their independence - surrounded by European powers to the west and Chinese powers to the east. Wu saw Aceh as a natural ally and has a patronizing attitude towards them; itis more than likely the Wu government would offer Aceh vassalage or tributary status.
- Americas and the Pacific: All of the Wu Empire's colonial domains lies on the Pacific; one of them in America. Bolstered by a friendly relation with its splinter state of Fusang, the Americas are a distant and secure land for Wu, and it is less likely to produce major issues for the Empire. However, Wu seeks to estabilish a formal alliance with Fusang in regards to economic and military matters; the raw materials of America would also help greatly to boost Wu's own industrialization projects.
Population Info
Brief Description of your people: Islam was spread by Arab and Turkish traders since the Middle Ages to China. The coastal Han people, most of them who intermixed with the Hakka and Min-Nan population to the south of China, are primarily traders and merchants. Increased centralization as propagated by the Ming Empire, with heavy emphasis on the Confucian traditions - which most coastal people did not observe too much - and the neglect of Yellow River delta port cities under the Ming Empire greatly boosted the number of conversions to Islam. Even before the collapse of the Ming, the Wu clan, one of the richest and most powerful delta clans, has adopted Sunni Islam as their own religion. The spread of Islam also cannot be separated from the efforts of Wang Daiyu - a Muslim Wali (saint) known for proselytizing Islam throughout the Chinese coast. Wang Daiyu took up residence in Hangzhou, seat of the Wu lords, and was sponsored by Wu Yizhou, the patriarch of the Wu clan at his time. Wang Daiyu's legacy, the Hangzhou Grand Mosque, still stands proudly as the primary symbol of the city until now.
Over time, Islam was quickly taken up by the population, although the form of Islam is heavily synceretized with Chinese folk religions. Many aspects of the Chinese folk religion is gradually assimilated into Islamic practice. This form of Islam rapidly spread throughout China - and when the Ming Empire collapsed, the Muslim Wu lords took no time in forming their own state, declaring themselves Emperors (as continuation of the Ming dynasty in the Delta), and took up the title of Caliph and Amr al-Mu'minin (Leader of the Faithful) themselves, appointing themselves as the guardians of the faith in China.
Religion:Main/Accepted Culture: Primarily Han Chinese, Min, Hakka, Hui, and Uyghur.
- Sunni Islam: 52%
- Shia Islam: 4%
- Confucianism/Chinese Folk/Tao: 22%
- Buddhism: 9%
- Others (e.g. Christianity): 2%
Other Cultures: There is no non-accepted cultures in the Wu Empire; the Empire emphasized the importance of religion over culture and nationality.
Military Info
Army:
Navy:
Other Info
Economic Strength: 16/20Development: 16/20
- Trade: For centuries the Wu controlled the largest trading empire ever known in Chinese history, stretching from Fusang in North America to the Spice Islands in Indonesia. However, internal strife, conflicts, and most importantly, the rise of the Min as Asia's foremost thalassocracy and trading power have relegated the Wu's status as a mere runner-up. However, it does still control the Yellow River delta - the Wu heartland - and also the primary gateway to China's vast and rich interior. Termed the "Crossroads of the World" by Chinese merchants and European explorers alike, trade is one of the Wu's primary economic strength. The bustling port cities of Shanghai and Hanzou, each metropolises holding more than a hundred thousand citizens inside, are testament to this legacy. Wu barges are the Yellow River's primary mode of transportation, both for goods as well as people. As European and Chinese ships are forbidden to cross into the Yellow River or outside it respectively, this made the Wu trade fleet one of the largest in the world, transporting the riches of China to Asia and Europe's major ports. Combined with the craze of industrialization and the fervent construction of railroads under previous Emperors, the trade aspect of Wu's economy could once again dominate the world, given the right guidance.
- Industrialization: While the Guang is called the "Workshop of the East" by many, Wu is also called the "Eastern Furnace", due to the light of so many foundries litting up the night sky in various Wu cities, and the trail of smoke coming out of Wu factories. Wu was the second Chinese state to embrace industrialization after Guang, due to the revolutionary outlook of its government officials and ambitious Emperors. Various kinds of metal tools, to larger products such as locomotives are produced in Wu foundries; the fertile land suitable for growing cotton and other products made Wu textile production to soar. It produces cheap, yet decent-quality products for consumption by yet-to industrialize states across Asia. Wu products increasingly flood the Chinese market, though the government has maintained a delicate balance as not to compete directly with Guang products, to avoid a trade war which Wu would be very vulnerable to.
- Agriculture: Having been one of the principal foundations of the Wu state, agriculture enjoys a favorable, yet rapidly declinig position in the Wu economy. The Yellow River delta allows for a fertile region for rice farming, and nearby freshwater Lake Taihu provides Wu farmers with most of their irrigation. A complex irrigation system developed under Muhammad II (Wu Xuanzhou) and the Harmonious Reform - a series of land reform programs implemented by several Emperors during the 1600s - greatly increased crop yield in the Wu heartland. Other commodities, such as sugar and spices, are grown extensively in the Spice Islands. The conquest of Seram during the early 1600s cleared the island's hinterland for Wu plantations, and the Wu themselves granted concessions to favorable local rulers, such as the Sultans of Ternate and Tidore, to develop the island. Lumber is extensive in Ryukyu, Alaska, as well as New Zealand, and monthly shipments brought the necessary products to fuel Wu's industrialization.
- Infrastructure: The Wu heartland is probably one of the most urbanized and most developed areas of all China. Hangzhou, the ancient capital of the Song dynasty - and until this day the Wu capital still, remained a very important city for trade, although Shanghai has steadily eclipsed and overtook its importance. Other cities in the area such as Changhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Ningbo, and Wuxi are major metropolises of their own, albeit comparably smaller than the two largest cities of Hangzhou and Shanghai. Meanwhile, China's old capital of Nanjing, while it still retains a high degree of presitge and importance, is no longer the bustling metropolis it once was - as all trade are handled by the Delta ports, Nanjing declined in influence. However, Nanjing does have the best example of ancient Chinese architecture well-preserved, with modern infrastructures carefully placed as not to disturb the city's layout. Because of the Wu heartland's considerably small size compared to other Chinese nations, and the massive population surge the Wu has experienced in the previous decades, an extensive network of railways can be found criss-crossing the Wu interior. Each city has their own river ports, and a dockyard dug out further to the interior, to facilitate riverine trade further inland. A network of well-maintained and well-paved road infrastructure services carriages across the Wu heartland. In the colonies - such as the Wu Spice Islands - only little rail infrastructure existed, but roads are well-maintained to facilitate the transport of spices and other agricultural products.
- Urbanization: Hangzhou and Shanghai, the two bustling metropolises of the Wu Empire, is comparable to major European cities in terms of population and industry. It is the melting pot of all Chinese ethnicities, as well as Indians, Arabs, Turks, Malays, and others from across the world. There is a sizeable European community in both cities largely working as merchants or engineers in the Wu's various foundries and factories. However, slum areas could be seen in the outskirts of these cities, as rapid urbanization and insufficient housing space all crashed into one - the government has been mitigating this by facilitating the construction of more housing blocks at the city's exteriors. The urbanization rate in Wu is one of the fastest in the world, facilitated by the boom in industry. The old Chinese-style city design have been combined with the Middle Eastern designs from citites such as Cairo and Istanbul. Hangzhou's best known scene and destination the West Lake has seen several dredging projects to minimize flood and normalize the lake's depth. The city's latest landmark - the Grand Mosque of Serenity - is located just beside the Leifeng Pagoda in the lake's shores, bulit in a distinct combination of Chinese and Arabic architecture.
Public Order: 16/20 - As a prosperous and advanced trading and industrial state, the Wu Empire has largely been capable to provide good living and general prosperity towards its citizens, which explains the relatively stable state of the Empire. This also could not be separated by the rigorous and extensive education program estabilished by Wu Yaocheng (Emperor Suleiman I) in 1701 which introduced a new curriculum to indoctrinate Wu children into the Imperial way of thinking - that they are part of the bigger realm, that be it Muslims, Confucians, Buddhists, and others - they are still brothers, and that loyalty to the state is paramount. There are two kinds of schools - the Madrasa (Islamic boarding school) exclusively for Muslims, and the standard Confucian schools rather similar to other educational institutions in other Chinese nations. While Islam is recognized as the official state religion, Confucianism and Buddhism also enjoys state sponsor.
Inter-religious relations tend to be peaceful, however there are some tensions that persists within Wu's Muslim and Confucian/Taoist/Buddhist communities. While being a Muslim state, the Wu's did not levy the Jizya tax among the Empire's non-Muslim population, and still sponsored the construction of temples and religious schools of other religions besides Islam. The Prime Minister of Wu, second-most powerful position in the Wu Empire, has traditionally been filled by a non-Muslim, due to the fears that a powerful Muslim lord could be potentially threatenting to the office of Caliph. Likewise, the Wu government implemented a strict meritocracy system in regards to bureaucratic candidate selection - there are no difference between a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Confucian, or a Christian according to state law. Notable exceptions are positions regarding the administration of the zakat and the Bayt ul-Mal, a part of the Secretary of Treasury allocated for Islamic religious affairs, as well as Sharia judges. Generally, the strong rule of law prevailed above all religious tensions, and the concept of 和谐多样性 - Hexie Duoyangxing
(Harmonious Diversity), instituted by Abd' Allah Muhammad II, the second Muslim Wu Emperor, is still applied until this day.
Goals:History: The founding of Wu can be attributed to the works of the Xián (咸) clan, traditional lords of the Yangtze Delta area and the governors of Hang region (Hang Zhou). The Xians were originally merchant-nobles from the Canton (Guang) region, raised as stewards and bureaucrats during the Yuan dynasty under successive Mongol emperors, and finally gained prominence when they are appointed as hereditary governors of the Hangzhou region by the Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) as a reward for helping his rebellion. Xian Ma, the first Lord of Hangzhou, was a Ming military commander which settled all of his retinue - peasants, soldiers, and merchants alike from all over China - in Hangzhou, and solidified the city under his rule. During the Ming golden years the Xians grew rich from Hangzhou's position as China's primary trade port and increasingly grew in power as well as influence.
- Indonesia: Forge an alliance with the states of Brunei, Kutai, and Aceh - as well as estabilishing colonies in Sumatra as well as Borneo.
- Pacific and Americas: Expand the production of lumber in Alaska and improve relations with Fusang. Also increasing the sugar production in Hawaii. Estabilish further trading outposts throughout New Zealand.
- Middle East and Africa: Funding the Suez Canal together with the Muhammad Ali government of Egypt; expanding trade relationship with the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. Estabilishing trade ports and colonies in coastal Africa.
- Min: Compete with the Min for naval dominance in Southeast Asia, and invite European merchants to use Hangzhou and Shanghai as their primary port of trade in China, instead of the Min's.
- Europe: Forming a trade partnership with the French and British Empires, as well as small German principalities.
The Xian style of ruling differs from their contemporaries all over China, marked by their liberal policies towards foreign influence, and greater control over the Confucian bureaucrats that made up much of the regional government. The Xians were increasingly authoritarian for their time, though they enforced the will of the Ming Emperors - so that they never fell out of the central government's good graces. Xian lords often changed Confucian bureaucratic examinations at their will, expelled eunuchs, and appointed merchants and traders in charge of their domains. Likewise, the Xians distanced themselves from the traditional Chinese bureaucracy and ruling ideology - Confucian scholars - and stacked the provincial government with Taoists, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians. It did not help the Confucian cause that Hangzhou as a prominent international port has a massive expatriat community residing there - mostly Malays, Indians, and Arabs - that made the city a massive melting pot of people from all regions. Hangzhou was still one of China's largest cities, and it controlled a significant amount of the Chinese trade and economy.
In 1462 when the fall of the Ming Empire seemed imminent due to the resolution of the Tumu crisis, the Xian lords began asserting greater independence. When the Ming were overran with numerous rebellions in the north, in the Zhous, the Canton and Fujian regions, the Wu remained neutral. In 1470, the ruling governor of Hangzhou, Xian Jialong, finally expelled whatever remained of the Ming bureaucrats that are placed by former emperors in Hangzhou, and persecuted Confucians. He burned Confucian schools and erected Taoist schools instead, and constructed a giant Buddha statue in front of the Leifeng pagoda. Xian Jialong rounded up the eunuchs of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wuxi, Suzhou, Changzhou, and all other cities around the Yangtze delta in a plain just south of Hangzhou, and had all of them trampled by his mercenary Arab cavalrymen. With a retinue of soldiers and mercenaries - and even a battalion of professional soldiers hired directly from the Mamluks of Egypt - he besieged Nanjing at the end of the year. On the Chinese New Year's eve, he stormed the city, executed the Ming governor, and declared himself Emperor of China. This would be the beginning of the Wu state.
Despite his earlier initial hostility against Confucian bureaucrats, Xian Jialong later reversed his policy and allowed for Confucian state administration to govern the newly-founded Wu Empire. He was crowned in 1471 using the name of 救主 - Jiùzhu (Restoration) Emperor. This would mark the beginning of the Xian dynasty of Wu, that would last until this day. The Jiuzhu Emperor spent the better part of his reign (1471-1500) fending off Ming armies, organizing marriages to various lords, and generally strengthening his position as the uncontested ruler of the Delta. Ruling from Nanjing - a city closer to the Chinese interior, being the capital of Chinese dynasties before the Yuan - he directed the construction of multiple forts across the Delta, many of which still stood now as army barracks. He secured the delta from invading armies, creating an oasis of peace amidst the chaotic China. He admitted thousands of refugees, and invited traders from Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East.
In 1538, Ma Qian, a Hui admiral under the 繁荣 - Fánróng (Prosperity) Emperor embarked upon a state-sanctioned expedition to discover a new trade route to the West, but arrived in a new, vast expanse of land instead. The place where he landed would later be known as Fu-Sang (Victoria, British Columbia). Unfortunately for the Wu's, they discovered that the Qi also sent an expedition west, and that Ma Qian arrived only a mere month after the Qi expedition landed. The tides would turn, however, when in 1579 a convoy of Wu ships was mysteriously sunk by an unknown adversary off Shandong - many believed it was the work of Japanese wokou pirates in retailation of the Wu's conquest of Ryukyu three decades ago, but government officials were keen to believe that it was deliberately done by the Qi in order to disrupt Wu's trade and colonization attempts. Regardless, the Wu Emperor issued a letter of protest to the Qi Emperor, which was ignored. When the Wu government sent another letter, the reply was overwhelmingly harsh and dismissing in tone - insulted, the Wu immediately sent a fleet of war junks to demand an answer from the Qi. This fleet, stationed right outside the Yellow River, was burned by the Qi warships - in turn, Wu immediately declared war upon Qi. They scoured the North American coast, burned Qi towns and colonies one by one, and forced the colonists to march into Wu towns. As the Wu opened trade with Malaya and the Middle East, they imported a series of weapons and explosives and heavily modified their warships, thus gaining a significant advantage over Qi. In 1590, a Wu squadron destroyed a Qi fleet at the mouth of the Yellow river, capturing the Qi admiral, and forced him to surrender the coastal fortification. With the Yellow River's mouth secure for the Wu, they began pushing rapidly to the Shandong interior. Wu commanders hired thousands of mercenaries - from Arab Bedouins to Jurchen and Manchu banners - and embarked in a year-long campaign following the Yellow River. In July, the Wu army forcefully destroyed the city gates of Jinan; they sacked and burned the city while the Qi emperor ran for his life. The Wu carried on their policy of cleansing China of eunuchs and bureaucrats; during the occupation, they killed and imprisoned most of them, and placated Jinan's population by allowing them to take up residence int he Qi palace - both humiliating the Qi's and gaining favour of the population at the same time. Wu commanders stole Qi gold and distributed it at all major plazas; they burned the Grand Pavillion where the Qi Emperor hold court and turned it into a pig stall. Xian Yuan, the Emperor's brother and leader of the Wu army, estabilished a short-lived republic whose government consisted mostly of merchants and peasants, and appointed himself as the regent of this new "Qi Republic". He also refurbished several Buddhist temples during the period, to show his devotion and to gain support among the population. The war ended when in 1692, having suffered nearly two years of occupation, the Qi finally agreed to concede all of their colonies to the Wu in return of peace and restoration of their Monarchy.
From 1550 to 1600 the Wu Empire witnessed profound changes that would pave the way for a new, reorganized, and increasingly centralized Wu state. For centuries the Muslims had been a significant minority in China, but now, they are becoming more and more numerous every year. However, the Wu rulers saw this as a chance to "stand out" and to solidify their rule once again, to further consolidate their country following the War of Coalitions against Shu's conclusion. While other rulers across China persecuted minority groups such as Muslims and Christians, the Wu ruler 智慧 - Zhìhuì (Wisdom) Emperor invited Muslim and Christian scholars to Nanjing, then capital of the Wu Empire. He implemented the First Reform which saw the Xian dynasty abandoning their name and taking the surname Wu instead - to affirm their position as the supreme ruler of the Wu Empire. In 1600, a prominent Muslim Wali Wang Daiyu preached Islam in Nanjing - the city was divided between the Muslim community and everyone else, with Muslims now forming the majority of population. To avoid an Islamic revolt, Zhihui and his successor Wu Shuren patronized Wang Daiyu and the Muslim scholars. In 1625, Wu Shuren converted to Islam in a massive festival celebrating the Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Mawlid Nabi). He took the formal regnal name Abd' Allah Muhammad I - leaving behind the tradition of taking up regnal names based on "Ages" of their reign. However, this tradition was never fully abandoned since the Wu Empire still estabilished and named "Ages" corresponding to the reign of each Emperors. Wu Shuren died on 1629, before he can complete the Hajj. His reign was shot, but exceptional - he estabilished the Wu Empire as the first dynasty in China to completely break free from the traditional practices of rigid Confucian bureaucracy, and his conversion to Islam marked Wu as the first Chinese state to have a non-Chinese, Abrahamic religion as the official state religion. This would later be followed by the Qian when they converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in 1652.
The nephew of Wu Shuren, Wu Zilai, ascended the throne in 1629 in a short coronation of ceremony. He took the regnal name Abd' Allah Muhammad II and became the first Wu Emperor to complete the Hajj. Many in the Arab world and Middle East were surprised by the Emperor's arrival, as they did not expect a Chinese head of state to adopt Islam. He visited Cairo and Constantinople and met the Ottoman Sultan. When Wu Zilai returned home, he already struck numerous trade deals with the Ottomans, which saw the Wu's rise, together with Guang and Min, as one of China's three main trading powers. Muhammad II became the first Wu Emperor who took the title of Caliph. He oversaw the conclusion of the Coalition Wars and Wu's subsequent rise as a major trading power, which greatly boosted his popularity. In his reign Fusang expanded further into Oregon and Northern California, and Wu explorers reached what would be known as the Great Plains. To solidify his rule, and breaking out of the traditional Chinese dynastic manners, he married Sayyidina Fatima, the daughter of a rich Arab merchant who made his residence in Hangzhou, and a prominent leader of the city's Muslim community. This marriage solidified his claim for Caliphate, as Fatima was descended from the Abbasids of Cairo. His reign also saw the foundation of Shanghai as a major city, and it slowly overtook Hangzhou as the premier Wu trading port throughout the next centuries.
The 1700s saw Wu power entering a state of decline. Inner turnmoil over succession and several disagreements between Muslim and Confucian scholars severely hampered the Empire's stability and its ability to further expand overseas. This all would be evident in the South Seas War of 1746, when Emperor Ahmad II (Wu Jianshen), an extremely unpopular monarch, propelled into the Wu throne after a coup, desperately needed a moment to prove his legitimacy and to distract national attention. As a result, Ahmad II provoked a war against the Min Confederacy - while at first the Wu saw several successes in fighting the Min, such as briefly occupying Manila, incompetent leadership in the miltiary ultimately rendered all Wu efforts futile. Admiral He Jialong, an ardent supporter of former Emperor Abd' Allah Muhammad IV, refused to abide by Hangzhou's orders when he was told to return to the Delta, instead moving a portion of the Wu fleet into Ryukyu where he thought he could organize a better counterattack. Unfortunately for him the larger Min fleet was already present - despite the Wu's technological superiority over the Min, the sheer size of Min fleet completely destroyed He Jialong's fleet. As the remainder of the Wu fleet was still in Shelu and the Spice Islands, Wu leadership scrambled to organize the Navy and mount a counter-attack once again; however, the sudden death of Ahmad II - that some attributed to be a deliberate work of dissatisfied members of the Government - stalled any chance of this happening. Not wanting to trigger another coup or civil war while fighting the Min, the Wu regency sued for peace and ceded Ternate.
What followed was a period of heavy instability and chaos. 17-year old Wu Shutao, the second son of former Emperor Abd' Allah Muhammad IV, consolidated his power in Nanjing and marched to Hangzhou at the leadership of a 20,000-strong Army, taking over the government only a month later. He was crowned without a ceremony and later proclaimed as Emperor Abd' Allah Muhammad V. Not long after taking the throne. Muhammad V initiated the Great Purge, a massive reorganization of the Wu government following European models of Great Britain and Prussia. He removed both Muslim and Confucian bureaucrats from office, and stacked the Cabinet with foreigners, Christians, Buddhists, and people loyal to him. He abolished the Grand Secretariat and estabilished the position of Prime Minister as the head of the Cabinet. Thousands of bureaucrats and government officials were imprisoned and executed during his reign, and he introduced the concept of European-style Absolutism in China. All of his sons toured Europe, following the example of Peter the Great's Embassy, and he invited Europeans to take up major positions in the Wu government to further reorganize the state into a modern European-styled government. Muhammad V himself married an Ottoman princess to solidify the relations between the two major Sunni Muslim states in the world.
His successors did not fare better than him, though, In 1787, Emperor Suleiman II's relaxed reign and greater government spending saw the Vermillion Hibiscus Society launch an uprising partially inspired by the American Revolution. However the Emperor's nephew Wu Jintao - the future Emperor Mustafa I - managed to resolve the Fusang crisis without the need of war, and Fusang gained its independence peacefully, while securing a trade agreement that let most of North America's trade to China channeled through the Wu. Emperor Mustafa I ascended the throne in 1790, and oversaw the rapid industrialization and devlopment period within the Wu heartland. He estabilished foundries and factories in major Wu cities and commissioned the construction of new road networks. By the time Mustafa I passed in 1810, Wu already owns one of the best infrastructure and transportation networks in all China, if not the best. His successor Wu Jinzhou, the current Emperor Abd' Allah Muhammad VI, continued the work of Mustafa I in further industrializing the nation. However, he is getting old. With a brand-new crisis inthe Zhou state threatening to spill into Wu lands, and ambitious bureaucrats again seeking greater means to power, it is up for the Emperor to decide, whether the Wu, consolidated and stronger than ever, are able to retake their former glory as the undisputed Masters of the Pacific, or would the Wu's fall down into the footnotes of history, noted as a state that failed to manage the burden of power and wealth, doomed into a state of decline...?
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.
by Krugmar » Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:23 am
Generic Info
Nation Name: Officially the Great Ming (大明), see Names for more
Symbols: Hanzi haracter for Ming (明), colour yellow, Ming flag, yellow flag
Location: 65
Population: ~2 million (I think?)
Capital City: Nanjing (Blacktown, Sydney)
Civilization Status: Civilised
Government Info
Government Type: Absolute monarchy
Brief Explanation of Government: (explain all the complex/unique stuff that can't be described in the type section)
Ideology: (Refer to this)
Leader/s: (Head of State, Head of Government, etc.)
Relations (Pre-existing trade agreements, existing military alliances, rivals, etc)
Population Info
Brief Description of your people: (Optional fluff text)
Religion: (Religious makeup of your nation)
Main/Accepted Culture(s): Han, Hui
Other Cultures: Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, Aboriginal, Khmer, European, Indian
Military Info
Army: (branches, number of troops, quality of army, etc, 1-10 slider for quality, at least a 1 paragraph description)
Navy: (branches, number of troops, quality of navy, number of ship, types of ships, etc, 1-10 slider for quality, at least a 1 paragraph supporting description)
Other Info
Economic Strength: (How strong your trade and income is, 1-20, 20 being best. Also provide a 1 paragraph supporting description)
Development: (How built up your core nation's infrastructure is, 1-20, 20 being best. Also provide a 1 paragraph supporting description)
Public Order: (How stable your government is, how much your population approves your policies, 1-20, 20 being best. Also provide a 1 paragraph supporting description)
Goals:
History: - Ming mess up big time, flee with loyalists to Taiwan
- Eunuchs win out over civil officials, favour restoring Ming via controlling Asian trade from Taiwan and waiting for a chance
- Ming merchants learn of Australia from Indonesians, begin setting up a few posts but find trade lacklustre compared to Indonesia
- Min invasion of Taiwan forces Ming to flee. They set up residence in Australia, intending it to be temporary.
- Exploration of Australia's coastal interior reveal two things: that is is larger than previously thought, and that the native presence is smaller than that of Indonesia.
- Initial efforts are focused upon the east, although a few forts and trading posts are maintained in the north as a link with the spice islands
- Slow growth, as it competes with a variety of locations for Chinese immigration
Misc. Info
Names: In unofficial contexts sometimes referred to as the Southern Ming (南明 Nán Míng)
The land of Australia is officially Nanyu (南域 Nán yù) meaning 'Southern region', which for most European states is translated as Australia via Terra Australis.
The Ming hold that China is not an immutable concept, and that the concept of Zhongguo is tied directly to the Emperor. Therefore Australia is also considered to be a part of China, and now its central part for it is where the Emperor resides and has direct control over. It is also therefore referenced in official records as China (中國 Zhōngguó), but is sometimes unofficially called 'Zhongguo in the south' (中國在南方 Zhōngguó zài nánfāng)
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Sat Sep 26, 2020 3:06 pm
Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:Well, I wanted to write more, but I just have to go to bed at some point. More history is coming, although you can already glance some from the rest of the app. Also, I have to design some symbols; those are coming up as well. I love to hear feedback, meanwhile, as well as ideas! I love dividing up my nations in warring factions, so if there are ideas for court factions, I love to hear more.
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Sat Sep 26, 2020 5:12 pm
Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:Well, I wanted to write more, but I just have to go to bed at some point. More history is coming, although you can already glance some from the rest of the app. Also, I have to design some symbols; those are coming up as well. I love to hear feedback, meanwhile, as well as ideas! I love dividing up my nations in warring factions, so if there are ideas for court factions, I love to hear more.
Hey! I am still writing on this, but I think I have given an idea on what Shu will be. Could it be accepted, while I keep writing on the history?
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Sat Sep 26, 2020 5:21 pm
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