Majority/Official Culture: Malayalam is the primary culture. Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Sinhala, Marathi, and more are core cultures in India. Overseas you'll find Omani, Socotran, Swahili, Thai, Mon, Sumatran, Javanese, Bornean, and Sulawesi.
Territorial Core: Southern India, Oman, Socotra, Tanzanian Coast, Ligor, Parts of Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Sulawesi.
Territorial Claim: Further control and influence over South-East Asia and Africa. Essentially a desire to establish a chokehold over trade in the Indian Ocean.
Capital City: Kochi
Population: It's difficult to find an exact figure, but I'd say 30 to 40 million?
Government Type: Monarchy
Government Focus: Mercantile: The Cheriyans having achieved a dominant state in India seek to exploit the wealthy trade in the Indian Ocean
Head of State: Maharaja Pailan Pranji
Head of Government: Mahapradhana Skariah Kora
Government Description:
Majority/State Religion: St. Thomas Christianity
Religious Description: Although established as a Christian kingdom, the majority of the population are adherents of Hinduism. Indeed the Cheriyan kings present themselves as defenders and patrons of Hinduism, even going so far as to establish or rebuild temples and holy sites, and ask for the patronage of Hindu deities. During the reign of patronage was given to scholars who wrote theses syncretising God and Brahman, and drawing upon Islam ideas such as ‘people of the book’ to render Hindus somewhere between virtuous pagans and misguided Christians.
Christianity is the religion of the elite, although it also has a significant following in the Malabar Coast. While there have been some conversions and proselytizing throughout the region, there has never been a major concerted effort by Cheriyan monarchs to convert their populace. This is largely due to a relative tolerance of other religion, caste bias and cultural entrenchment, and a desire to keep the peace between communities. The monarchs have been particularly worried about foreign missionaries, particularly Orthodox and Catholic, despite some talks of restoring communion with either of the schismatic churches.
Islam is one of the other major religions in the region, having been introduced to the Malabar coast in the 7th century, and entrenched in other areas due to the Delhi Sultanate’s invasions in the 14th century. Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s short-lived capital in the Deccan solidified a strong Muslim community in the south. The Cheriyan kings vacillate in their policies towards Muslim, either persecuting and attempting conversion, or tolerating and even providing patronage and support. The latter is prevalent in the Malabar coast, while the unruly Muslims of the Deccan, used to being a ruling class, often experience the former.
Jainism and Buddhism have a far smaller presence, particularly the latter which has seen its sphere of influence move from India to South-East Asia after the Muslim conquest of North India. Both are given patronage by the Cheriyan monarchs, with Jains especially being heavily recruited into the state bureaucracy and receiving support for mercantile activities both home and abroad. Some foreign visitors have remarked that the Cheriyan enterprise in the Indian Ocean would not be possible without the Jains.
Economic Description: As with most other states the majority of the population works in the agricultural sector. Urban centres form the basis for small local economies, and also as hubs for manufacturing. Ports are the main focus of the economy, with the Cheriyans focusing upon India's historical role as a middle-man between east and west. Many cargo ships carry exotic spices and refined products from Indonesia and China respectively. The Cheriyans have sought to control the supply of the former by gaining influence in the spice islands, both diplomatically and by force. As what would happen with western nations in the age of colonialism and imperialism, this has resulted in a vicious cycle, more ships and soldiers to secure lands producing resources, to pay said soldiers, and repeat.
Major Production: Pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, myrobalan, tamarind timber, anafistula, precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, musk, ambergris, rhubarb, aloe, cotton cloth and porcelain. (Major exports from IRL Vijayanagara according to wikipedia, production would also include agricultural produce but that'd be unlikely to be exported excepting luxury/cash crops)
Army Description : There are two main sources for the Cheriyan army: the Maharaja's personal army, and a feudal army. The personal army consists of semi-professional soldiers, along with levies from crownlands, and foreign mercenaries, while the feudal army is supplied by local magnates for particular campaigns. The majority of mercenaries hired are Byzantine and Andalusian, with a growing number of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. The Maharaja can call upon 100,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalrymen, and over 900 elephants for his personal army, which can be supplemented by feudal levies, mercenaries, and hired bandits.
The nature of the Deccan does not suit great battles. While the Ganges Plains can be swept through in mere months, it can take years and decades to conquer regions of the Carnatic. For this reason the Cheriyans pioneered a slow and steady method in their conquests, seizing key forts one at a time. With their focus turned elsewhere they now rely upon a defensive strategy, one which aims to attrition and reduce the armies of any who invade.
Army Weakness : Over-reliance on foreign mercenaries for cannons and muskets, and elephants for shock tactics
Naval Description : The pride of the kingdom, the navy is led by the Navigadaprabhu (Commander of the Navy), and is divided into various fleets and squadrons. The navy is primarily used to secure trade across the Indian Ocean, and recently has been heavily invested in to provide a force able to mount expeditions to Indonesia and Africa.
Naval Weakness : Probably a lack of cannon? Not entirely sure. It'd certainly be very expensive to upkeep, so added pressure on the treasury.
National Goals : - Break up northern India into multiple states
- Dismantle the Pagan Empire
- Gauge Dutch intentions in the Spice Islands
- Solidify control of the Indian Ocean
- Prevent Chinese re-unification, particularly under the Fei
National Issues : Control of the Strait of Malacca is essential. The biggest issue facing the Cheriyans are the empires to their north and east. One seeks the Cheriyan's destruction, the other blocks its way to economic dominance. Overall the Cheriyan monarchs are more focused on the Pagan issue, for the Deccan is a graveyard of emperors and would-be conquerors.
History : Cheriyan history begins with its first ruler, Ittyavirah Cheriyan, a Malayalam St. Thomas Christian who achieved a high position in the Vijayanagaran court. After the Battle of Talikota in 1565 the empire was left in a state of shock. The Aravidu dynasty took power briefly, but they were overwhelmed with rebellious subjects. Ittyavirah was able to rally support and from Kochi declare his own dynasty. Within two years he took the capital of Penukonda and established the first Christian kingdom in India.
His rule was brief but decisive and efficient. He restored the shattered army and prevented further Deccan Muslim incursions into his newfound kingdoms, shored up the treasury, and established lucrative deals with the Dutch and Andalusians. It was on this basis that his successor, Tharu the Thunderbolt was able to double the kingdom's territory in less than a decade. His usage of mercenary gunners, coupled with a strong navy, allowed him to challenge the Deccan Sultanates and avenge the fallen Rama Raya and the defeat of 1565. Over his short reign, and the longer reign of his son Mathai, the Deccan Sultanates were brought to heel and integrated into the kingdom.
Mathai's successor, his brother Pranji, would authorise the first expeditions outside India. In 1602 the city of Muscat was seized, a key port necessary to influence the Persian Gulf. In 1604 the Sultanate of Aceh was defeated, after having refused preferential treatment for Cheriyan merchants. This allowed the creation of a client kingdom in Riau. His son Pailan has continued these mercantile policies, turning the cities of the former Kilwa Sultanate into tributaries, and defeating the Mataram Sultanate and establishing garrisons in Java, Borneo, and Makassar.
Pailan nows stands at a crossroads. He cannot continue focusing solely on mercantile expansion in the Indian Ocean while his northern borders are threatened. Neither can he ignore the threat posed by Pagan and Fei to the natural order. He will seek a rapprochement with the Dutch, Song, Koreans, and Japanese to shore up the security of his young kingdom. He sees weakness to the north and east, counting upon the rebellious Hindu subjects of his northern neighbour to destabilise it, and the pragmatic difficulties of rule for the Pagan to render it unable to respond effectively to pirates and privateers harassing its trade and ports. For the Fei he is not concerned particularly, only that they might distract the Song from effectively distracting the Pagan empire.
List of Rulers :
- Ittyavirah Cheriyan (1515 - 1573, r. 1567-1573)
- Tharu Ittyavirah 'Itiminnal' (1533 - 1581, r. 1573-1581)
- Mathai Tharu (1559-1601, r. 1581-1601)
- Pranji Mathai (1563-1606, r. 1601-1606)
- Pailan Pranji (1589-, r. 1606-)
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