1492 - The World That Was (before 1493) [Archive] - Alternate History Discussion Board

DuQuense

April 23rd, 2007, 04:50 AM

1490

1490 in other calendars
Gregorian calendar 1490
MCDXC
Ab urbe condita 2243
Armenian calendar 939
ԹՎ ՋԼԹ
Bahá'í calendar -354 – -353
Buddhist calendar 2034
Chinese calendar 4126
Ethiopian calendar 1482 – 1483
Hebrew calendar 5250 – 5251
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat 1545 – 1546
- Shaka Samvat 1412 – 1413
- Kali Yuga 4591 – 4592
Holocene calendar 11490
Iranian calendar 868 – 869
Islamic calendar 895 – 896
Japanese calendar Entoku 2
- Imperial Year Kōki 2150
- Jōmon Era 11490
Julian calendar 1535
Korean calendar 3823
Thai solar calendar 2033

Events
* Tirant Lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell, Martí Joan De Galba is published.
* Yoshitane becomes Ashikaga shogun of Japan.
* Charles John Amadeus of Savoy becomes Duke of Savoy at age 1, mother Blanche of Montferrato is regent.
* Aldus Manutius moves to Venice.
* John Colet receives M.A. from Magdalen College, Oxford.
* Castle Church in Wittenberg is begun.
* Pedro de Covilham arrives in Ethiopia.
* Catholic missionaries arrive in the African kingdom of Kongo.
* Regular postal service connects the Habsburg residences of Mechelen and Innsbruck, the first in Germany.
* Leonardo da Vinci observes capillary action in small-bore tubes.
* December 19 - Anne of Brittany married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy
* Small asteroid kills thousands in China.

1491

* February 20 - "Comet of 1491" comes 873,784 miles away from earth, the closest ever recorded.
* May 3 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I.
* November 16 - An auto de fe, held in Brasero de la Dehesa outside of Ávila, concludes the case of the Holy Child of La Guardia with the execution of several Jewish and converso suspects.
* November 25 - The siege of Granada, last stronghold of the Moors in Spain, begins.
* December 6 - King Charles VIII of France marries Anne of Brittany forcing her to break her marriage with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, thus incorporating Brittany into the kingdom of France.
* A major fire breaks out in Dresden.

1492

* January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege.
* January 23 - Pentateuch first printed.
* March 31 - Ferdinand and Isabella sign the Alhambra decree expelling all Jews from Spain unless they convert to Roman Catholicism.
* July 31 - The Jews are expelled from Spain.
* August 3 - Christopher Columbus sets sail on his first journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas
* August 11 - Pope Alexander VI succeeds Pope Innocent VIII as the 214th pope.
* Sultan Bayezid II of the Ottoman Empire, learning about the expulsion of Jews from Spain, dispatched the Ottoman Navy to bring the Jews safely to Ottoman lands, mainly to the cities of Thessaloniki (currently in Greece) and İzmir (currently in Turkey).[1]
* October 12 - Christopher Columbus's expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean and lands on Guanahani. The Italian explorer believes he has reached the East Indies.
* October 28 - Christopher Columbus lands in Cuba.
* November 7 - The Ensisheim meteorite, a 127-kg meteorite, lands in a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim in Alsace.
* December 5 - Christopher Columbus becomes the first known European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola.
* December 31 - About 100,000 Jews were expelled from Sicily.
* Casimir IV Jagiello of Jagiello Royal House ends reign. (1427-1492).
* Year 7000 according to the Byzantine Date of Creation and an expected year of Apocalypse
* The first arboretum to be designed and planted was the Arboretum Trsteno, near Dubrovnik in Croatia.
* Russians build a fortress in Ivangorod, on the eastern banks of Narva river.

1493

* January - Ivan III of Russia declares himself gosudar' vseja Rusi - "Lord of all Rus'".
* January 4 - Christopher Columbus leaves the New World.
* March 15 - Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first trip to the Americas.

Game Starts

* May 4 - Pope Alexander VI divides the New World between Spain and Portugal along the Demarcation Line.
* July 28 - Great fire in Moscow.
* September 9 - Battle of Krbava field between defending Croatian nobles and invading Ottoman Turk forces.
* November 19 - Christopher Columbus goes ashore on an island he saw for the first time only the day before. He names it San Juan Bautista (later renamed Puerto Rico).
* December 23 - Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle is published.

DuQuense

April 23rd, 2007, 04:50 AM

Glen

April 26th, 2007, 05:46 AM

A thread for participants in the 1492/3 Project to post information about their nations from 1492, the year before the first PODs in 1493.

Agentdark

April 26th, 2007, 07:05 AM

In 1492, the Khanate has been a vassel of the Ottomen Empire since 1472. However, this relationship is slightly more unique, as the Ottoman Empire is currently treating the Crimea as an allied state, rather then a subject, as Crimean Cavalry are essential for Ottoman Military campaigns.

The Khanate will not undergo any extremly historic events until the year 1502.

Redbeard

April 26th, 2007, 11:03 AM

By 1492 Hans ruled as King both Denmark and Norway. The Swedish nobels (rigsrådet) had accepted Hans as King too, but the regent Sten Sture succeded in stalling the coronation (until 1497) and he was by 1492 in effectu ruler of Sweden but wisely choosed not to crown himself - formally Hans was King of Sweden. In OTL 1497 Hans lost patience and defeated Sten Sture in a campaign, and got crowned at last. Not long after however Hans lost a campaign to punish the rebelious Ditmarsken and the Swedes utilised the opportunity to break away.

Slesvig and Holstein from 1490 was ruled in partnership with Hans' 16 years younger brother Frederik (later King of D-N), but both as Dukes (on their mother's request). This to a degree displaced the German nobles, but also confirmed the practice of S-H not being parts of the Kingdom but Duchies ruled by the ruler of Denmark as Duke(s) of S-H. On the westcoast of Holstein was the semi-independent peasant republic of Ditmarsken.

Economically the country was thriving. The King had large personal incomes not only from traditional taxes and land, but also from the Oeresund Toll. Peasants had a relatively good time, with many owing their own land (and arms). Prices were good too. Especially in Jutland big money was made by both nobles and peasants by selling cattle to the German market.

In the cities, not at least in Copenhagen, trade was flourishing - and an upper hand was gained vs. the old Hansa rivals, not at least Lübeck. Both politically and economically close ties were maintained to the Dutch, who also rivaled the Hansa. Hans was considered a friend of the commoners, and his oldest son Christian (later King of D,N and S) was brought up at a Copenhagen burgeouis (in contrast to the Royal practice of "stationing" at noble families).

Militarily forces could be raised through a feudal levy, but hiring mercenaries was preferred and could be afforded thanks to the Oresund Toll. A Royal Navy and Royal naval yards was established under Hans.

The Orkney and Shetlands had been pawned for 58.000 Rheinish Guilders in 1469 by Christian I to Jacob III of Scotland. He needed the money to pay a dowry for his daughter. The treaty had a clause setting the redeeming sum to 217 kg of gold or 2310 kg of silver.

Iceland and Faroe Island were ruled by Hans too (as King of Norway), but the last settler in Greenland probably left or died in the last years of the 16th century (last still existing written evidence from the settlers in Greenland is from 1408).

The total population of Denmark, Norway and the duchies probably was 1,5-2 million.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

Tom Veil

April 26th, 2007, 12:32 PM

I will post more later, but I wanted to flag my sources. My primary source for the Iroquois will be 500 Nations (http://www.500nations.tv/home.htm)(the book); for the Delhi Sultanate it will be India: A History (http://www.amazon.com/India-History-John-Keay/dp/0802137970)by John Keay. Wikipedia will be my secondary source for both nations.

DuQuense

April 26th, 2007, 01:32 PM

Bitwoded Taddesse Tamrat Amda Mikael one of the three members of the Regency "ruled the kingdom almost single handed.
1486
Betwadad Amda Mikael's rule came to an end, when a palace coup led by the Emperor's step-grandmother Queen Mother Eleni resulted in his deposition and execution.
Queen Eleni thereafter played a leading role in the Emperor's government.

1487
Eskender's son Amda Seyon II is born. [OTL- he was killed, during the civil war, six months after his father's death ]

1492
Eskender (or Alexander, Ge'ez እስክንድር iskindir) (July 15, 1471 - 1494) was nəgusä nägäst (1478 - 1494) of Ethiopia (throne name Constantine II), and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. He was the son of Emperor Baeda Maryam by Romna.Eskendar's regency ends, and He assumes the Throne and duties as Emperor of Ethiopia.

Pêro da Covilhã arrives in Ethiopia with letters and gifts from the Kingdom of Portugal to the Kingdom of Prester John.
This begins the Relationship that will lead [OTL] to the 1520's Portuguese settlements in Zanzibar.

Atom

April 26th, 2007, 01:50 PM

The Tawantinsuyu are either mourning the sickness or death (it is not clear) of their former Inca Tupac inca. He conquered most of what is now coastal perua and parts of Ecuador. He conquered the Chimor his only major rival north of Cuzco. By the time he died/ is in his deathbed the Chimu have been mostly pacified. He rebuilt Quito with Incan architects. His son Huaynu Capac (who will succeed peacefully) promises to continue expanding the empire with a focus on the unqoncuered lands south of lake Titicaca. It remains to be seen if he will succeed.

The Makah are descendants of the Nootkah peoples of the western coast of Vancouver Island, who probably relocated to better hunt whales. They now live on the tip of the olympic penisula, at the far westerly point of the lower 48. They are divided between five familial clans and into villages. They hunt Grey Whlaes and Humpback.

AJNolte

April 26th, 2007, 01:55 PM

After their relocation from the Holy Land to Rhodes in 1312, the Knights of Saint John have taken on the mission of protecting Christian shipping, and raiding that of the various Muslim states. They have developed an effective if somewhat small fleet of galleys. A majority of the Rhodesian (or Rhodean if you prefer) population was Eastern Orthodox, and was cut off from Constantinople by the Knights of Rhodes until the church unification discussions in the mid fifteenth century, at which time the Orthodox archbishopric was restored. In 1480, Rhodes was besieged by the Ottomans, who were unable to take the island away from the knights. OTL they eventually succeeded in 1522, causing the knights to flee for Malta.

As of 1492, the Knights of Rhodes are ruled by their popular grand master Pierre DAubusson. His primary focus at this time is the rebuilding of Rhodes' defenses, and the fortification of the peninsula of Helecarnassus (now Bodrum). Bodrum castle will be built in 1494. OTL DAubusson began to push for another "grand crusade" not long after this, which culminated in a humiliating defeat in Egypt and the weakening of the Knights of Rhodes, without ever gaining papal approval.
The Knights of Rhodes are broken up into Langs or tongues for each nation which has sent a significant number of knights. France and Spain (France, Provanse and Auberne on the one hand and Aragon and Castile on the other) are the two largest langs, with Germany, Italy and England also present in some strength. The order is further divided into knights (sons of the nobility who have taken full vows), chaplains (the order's clergy) and sergeants (common-born soldiers and lay brothers who I do not believe took full vows).

The major international incident in which the Order is presently imbroiled is the guarding of Cem the Pretender, a claimant to the Ottoman throne whose upkeep is being paid for by his brother the Sultan. This, incidentally, is where I'm thinking about placing my POD.

AJNolte

April 26th, 2007, 02:04 PM

The Kingdom of Congo is a west African regional power comprising parts of present-day Angola and (I think) Namibia, as well as the various Congolese successor states (note: if someone could describe this to me on a map it would be exceedingly helpful...maps are not my strongsuit <g>). Since it's foundation in 1400, the kingdom has experienced a rapid growth, and it's capital city at MbanzaKongo was described by Portuguese travelers as equivalent in sophistication and population to a medium-sized city of Portugal. The King of Congo has just recently been baptized as Joao I, becoming the first Christian king of Congo. Joao OTL was a great centralizer, but would be upstaged here by his son Afonso I, who created Congo's first education system and helped shape the Catholic church of Congo.

Analytical Engine

April 26th, 2007, 02:08 PM

Locke

April 26th, 2007, 08:54 PM

Spain has just now pushed the Moors out of Iberia, and with the succesful marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand, it is now mostly united. Christoper Columbus is sent across the Atlantic and discovers the New World. This, coupled with many political, military, and legal reforms allows it to rise to a Great Power.
Our main competition is, well, most of Europe.
Most of the Jews at this time are expelled from Spain due to the Spanish Inquisition.
Spain's major cities at this time are Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Having survived the Black Deaths, Spain, as well as the rest of Europe, is experiencing a population boom.

DrakeRlugia

April 26th, 2007, 09:42 PM

ROYAUME FRANÇAIS
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/f/fr-3b.gif

The death of Charles IV in 1328 without male heirs brought the House of Valois (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Valois) to the throne under Salic Law, though this was disputed by English kings. The extinction of the main Capetian line brought to the throne the related House of Valois, but as Philip IV's grandson, Edward III of England claimed the French crown for himself, this helped inaugurate the succession of conflicts known collectively as the Hundred Years' War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War).

A myriad of conflicts sparked the Hundred Years' War, from disputes over the region of Gascony, to the English relationship with the Flemish towns. The following century was to see devastating warfare, peasant revolts in both England (Wat Tyler's revolt of 1381) and France (the Jacquerie of 1358) and the growth of nationhood in both countries.

France's humiliation was abruptly reversed in the Hundred Years' War in 1429 by the appearance of a restorationist movement symbolised by the Lorraine peasant maid Joan of Arc, who claimed the guidance of divine voices for the campaign which rapidly ended the English domination, culiminating with Charles VII's coronation at Reims. By 1453, England would be reduced solely to the town of Calais.

The Valois dynasty brought prosperity to France following the English defeat in the Hundred Years' War. The unruly magnates were tamed, and the first tapestries of the Absolute Monarchy were laid, as great noble realms such as Provence and Burgundy were added into the French desmene. During this period France evolved from a feudal regime to an increasingly centralised state (albeit with many regional differences), heralding the Divine Rights' of Kings as law.

Keenir

April 26th, 2007, 11:05 PM

In the leading up to 1492, several things happened…
The Mamluks of Egypt have been active and fighting against the Ottomans, even taking Adana and Tarsus at one point. Mamluk success encourage a rebellion (helping the Mamluk army) under a Karamanid pretender. But in 1490, as the Mamluks were converging on Kayseri, Sultan Bayezid went out to join his army in the field for the battle – the Mamluks withdrew before fighting could begin, and they agreed to negotiate. The peace of 1491 restored their pre-war borders.

Bayezid attempted then to take advantage of the recent emptying of the Hungarian throne (their king’d just died), and headed up to Sofia – at which point, he learned that Hungary had a new king now…so he settled for raiding Transylvania and Hungary while leading his army into Albania to put down a rebellion led by John Kastriote (“whose family had not recognized Ottoman overlordship since the death of Mehmed II”) (the rebellion would continue – in OTL – until 1500)

1492 also marks a historic point in Ottoman affairs, as it is the year that – as he passed through Prilep, on his way from Hungary and Albania – a ‘naked dervish’ attempted to assassinate the Sultan. Understandably terrified, Bayezid banished all dervishes from the Empire, and began to withdraw from the public eye…as Colin Imber puts it, “this marked a stage in the gradual process of the sultans’ withdrawal from contact with their subjects.”

As Locke has pointed out, the Jews were expelled from Spain quite recently. Most of them headed to Poland and the Ottoman Empire, where they joined their fellow doctors and intellectuals.

As AJNolte has said, the Sultan’s brother Cem (pronounced “Jem”) is presently in the custody of the Knights of Rhodes. One reason they don’t just kill Cem (besides the prospect of converting a candidate for the Ottoman Throne*) is that, so long as Cem’s alive, the Ottomans have to be careful of what moves they make against the Knights and those the Knights hold in high esteem.

.* = :D

In OTL:

In 1495, when the King of France captured Rome (and Cem with it), the King called for a crusade against the Turk. In response, Sultan Bayezid made a 3-year treaty with Hungary. Fortunately, Cem died in Febuary.

There was a revolt in 1500, by the Turgut and Varsak Turkomans (Taurus Mountains) rallying around a Karamanid pretender.

In 1505, Bayezid received his first embassy from the newly-risen Shah Ismail. (who had, among his messages, protests against the raids by the Sultan’s son Selim into Safavid territory)

The rebellion of 1521 may’ve discredited Korkud (who was a leader of it), but it also reflected poorly on Bayezid as well…and resulted in Selim traveling to the capital to see Bayezid stepping down & Selim becoming Sultan.

marl_d

April 27th, 2007, 03:27 AM

Ivan III (the Great)the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy has spent most of his reign from 1470-1488 consolidating Russian lands into one government ruled in Moscow (Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Rostov, and Tver)

After the fall of Constantinople, orthodox canonists were inclined to regard the Muscovite grand dukes as the successors by the Byzantine emperors. Ivan himself appeared to welcome the idea, and he began to style himself tsar in foreign correspondence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_III_of_Russia

Muscovy is currently at war with Lithuania until 1494, then there is a series of 5 more wars between Russia and Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth

BlackMage

April 27th, 2007, 06:30 AM

Gowa (henceforth referred to as the Kingdom of Makassar)

The state of Gowa was in existence before 1300 and was said to have been founded by four princes namely, Batara Guru, Ratu Sapu Marantaia, Karaeng Katanka, and a fourth whose name has escaped history. In time, the original four states grew into a confederation of nine: Tombolo, Lakiung, Parang-parang, Data, Agagjene, Saumata, Bissei, Sero and Kalli. The hereditary rulers of these nine states elected a leader, known as the Paccalla, to regulate affairs between them. Later still, during a time of chaos and warfare, To' Manurunga, a woman of celestial origin descended to earth and established her rule over the whole the entire kingdom.

The original concept of confederation extended to include a powerful alliance with the neigbouring kingdom of Tallo. Generations of intermarriage between the two Royal families resulted in a dual kingdom that dominated the Makassarese world. Although the kingdom of Gowa was the senior of the two, the ruler of Tallo also served as Viceroy, or Deputy Ruler, of Gowa.

The King as of 1492 was probably I-Pakere'tau Karaeng Tunijallo'-ri Pasukki' [Tunyachoka-ri Langkaje'], Somba-ri Gowa. Records of the time are somewhat sketchy.

The Macassans, and other people from Sulawesi, such as the Bugis, sailed in fleets of up to 100 praus each year to Australia with the northwest monsoon, heralding the wet season in northern Australia, stayed approximately six months and then returned on the southeast trades as the dry season took hold. They visited not only the Northern Territory (which they called Marege) but the Kimberley coast as well, which they called Kai Djawa. Over time they developed close relationships with Aboriginal groups such as the Yolngu of Arnhem Land.

Generally, when the Macassans arrived they established a temporary village with apparatus to boil the trepang, also know as the sea slug. These sites can still be located today because of the presence of tamarind trees which the Macassans planted. While relations with local Aboriginal groups were generally friendly and mutually beneficial, contact was sometimes marred by conflict when disputes arose over women or proper payments. The people of Arnhem Land not only provided labour for the Macassans but also supplied tortoise-shell, pearls and pearl-shell. Tribute payments were made as well to local Aboriginal groups for the right to fish in their waters. In exchange the Arnhem Landers obtained dugout canoes with sails and stone anchors, bronze fish hooks, harpoons with detachable heads, iron, iron knives and axes, glass, pipes, tobacco, cloth in the form of calico and wool, belts, beads, string, alcohol and some foods.

The Macassan influence went beyond trade goods however. Many Macassan words, directly, or in modified form, were adopted, such as the Macassan words for wind directions, because of their role in sailing dugouts. Certain place names arose, in modified form, from the names the Macassans applied. A form of pidgin Macassan in fact became the lingua franca between different groups all along the Arnhem Land coast. Cultural influences included the adoption of the "Van Dyke" beard and square gin bottles, in wooden form, as totem objects. Economically, it has been argued trade with the Macassans stimulated the traditional transaction network, known as the ceremonial exchange cycle, hundreds of kilometres inland.
It is not generally known that small numbers of people from Arnhem Land travelled back with the Macassan fleets to Sulawesi, living there for 6 months or more before returning. Some Aboriginal people went even further, a small number reportedly turning up in Singapore.

The Macassans planted a range of crops, including tamarind. They were more than visitors, coming regularly to the same places, staying for several months or sometimes a whole year. They left imprints on the country and the people: they dug wells and erected dwellings and named places, some of which became adopted by Yolngu. They felt they had some claim on the country: they bestowed the title of daeng on some of the sea people of Arnhem Land, which became part of local names. The Yolngu understanding is that they planted abrus seed with the same symbolic significance as the Europeans planted flags. This understanding is supported by an extraordinary map at the Sultan’s Palace in Makassar, Sulawesi, which shows the boundaries of the "Gowanese kingdom and areas that accepted Gowanese sovereignty until 1660". Sulawesi is at the centre of the kingdom that includes the top end of Australia.

When the contact began is debated; some say it began 800 years ago, others have cited the eighteenth century. Dutch documents apparently refer to Macassan trips to 'Marege' in 1451, which is the date I will be using for the purpose of this TL.

RCTFI

April 27th, 2007, 02:14 PM

Right now I'm using the following sources:

- The Essential World History: Volume One: To 1800,

- The Best Test Preparation for AP European History, which is basically a high school European History text book with practice tests.

- The Cartoon History of The Universe: Volume III (a decent history text even though it is in the form of a comic book, with the historical information illustrated. I passed my final in Ancient Medieval History after losing my text and studying from his first volume.

- History of the Thirty Year's War in Germany, Kessinger Publishing reprinted translation. (The author gets the facts across fairly well, but has, in my opinion, a noticeable anti-Catholic bias.)

DVD sources:

- "Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years," for stuff on the Reformation.

Online sources:

Basically, Wikipedia.

From all of those, I've got the following info for you:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Holy_roman_flag1806.png (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Holy_roman_flag1806.png)

That's the Imperial Eagle flag.

At this time (1492), Frederick III was the Emperor, but he would die in 1493, and be succeded by Emperor Maximilian I.

Major events that have just occured in the Empire include The Old Zürich War, in which the Holy Roman Empire allied with Zürich against the rest of the Swiss Confederation, and was basically a loss for the Empire, although they did win some battles.

Additionally, he had already entered into the Vienna Concordat, which regulated the relationship between the papacy and the Habsburgs. In OTL, this lasted until 1806 when the Empire collapsed after the Napoleonic Wars, but that will probably change in this situation.

Emperor Frederick III was what many (in fact almost all) would call a bad leader - in spite of fighting several wars, he never managed to win even one of them. In fact, he never, in his entire life, won a battle. The only reason he managed to remain Emperor was that at that time, no one strong enough to take the title wanted it.

In 1485, he was defeated in battle by the King of Hungary, who actually took Vienna and stayed there for a year before he died, and his army went home of its own volation.

Basically, this was a bad time for the Empire... however, through some clever diplomacy and dynastic marriages, he did manage to gain Bugundy for the Empire. (Although he lost it almost immediatly, the Empire did retain the Burgundian Netherlands.)

For the last ten years of the reign of Frederick III, he and his son Maximilian I ruled jointly.

In 1494, Maximilian I married a daughter of the Duke of Milan, and got involved in the Italian Wars on the side of the Holy League against the French... and kept losing battles, but managed to come out fairly well.

Tom Veil

April 29th, 2007, 03:08 AM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Minar-height.jpg/200px-Minar-height.jpgThe Delhi Sultanate in 1492 is one of the most prosperous places on earth, but the feeling of decline is palpable. 200 years ago, the sultan could legitimately claim to be the Lord of India; now the writ of Sikandar Lodi extends no more than a few days' ride from the palace. The decline began long before the sultan, but he has done himself no favors -- when he took the crown three years ago, he allowed his brother to split off Jaunpur into its own sultanate, which only encouraged the rest of the nobles to squabble amongst themselves. It seems certain that change will come. But from where? From the Afghan steppes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babur)? Or from above (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Nanak_Dev)?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dc/VijayStambh.jpg/180px-VijayStambh.jpg
Certainly the change would not come from Mewar! How could a tiny rajput state challenge the great Sultan? Rana Raimal hoped that he knew the answer to that question. Following ably in the footsteps of Kumbha, he was building Malwa into the military capital of the Rajput states, and the financial capital to boot. If Mewar were not to change the face of India, it would not be for lack of effort.

Tom Veil

April 29th, 2007, 03:57 AM

http://www.wheretheyplaygames.com/images/belt.jpg
In an alternate universe where the Haudenosaunee history is muddled by British intervention, there would be much confusion in the great legends, and some would believe that the Great Peacemaker and Ayonwentah (Hiawatha) lived contemporaneously. This could not be further from the case. The Gayanashagowa (http://www.indigenouspeople.net/iroqcon.htm), or "Great Law of Peace", was developed almost 400 years ago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gayanashagowa), but Ayonwentah is alive today, ably presiding over the Council Fire is his old age, and busy turning one of the oldest nations in Turtle Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_Island) into one of the strongest.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Susq.png
South of the Great Longhouse was a land that Hiawatha visited often -- Kanastoge. The Susquehannocks had much that made them impressive for a nation of only a couple dozen clans: they spoke Iroquoian, were giants (http://www.spanishhill.com/Skeletons/default.htm)of heights unlike any in the known world, and tilled very fertile lands. Only time would tell what the future held for them.

(NOTE: The history of pre-writing cultures is always cloudy. I have chosen to take an unusual view, namely that the people who say the Iroquois were founded in the early 1100s and those who say late 1400s are both right. I'm not planning on using this presentation to give them an advantage of any sort -- I just think it's an interesting solution to the problem.)

Fire God

April 29th, 2007, 04:38 AM

The Land of Snows in the 23rd year of the Hongzhi Era was mostly divided into several polities ruled by either secular princes or the five Tibetan Buddhist branches, which more or less were hostile to each other. In the midst of the all the fighting, a new sect of Tibetan Buddhism began to rise. The followers of this sect included the reincarnations of the Avalokiteśvara (the bodhisattva of compassion), which would be later called Dalai Lamas. Tibet has been giving tributes and missionaries to the Empire of the Great Ming in the east for more than a century. In return, China doesn’t tax the Tibetan tribute caravans and it sends translated written Buddhist scriptures and products to the Kingdom.

Fire God

April 29th, 2007, 05:07 AM

For 35 years, King Seongjong ruled a thriving and prosperous Joseon, not to mention his liberal views regarding politics and censorship.

During his reign, the Korean Kingdom experienced a change in government. The Neo-Confucian literati of the countryside also known as the Yangban, were appointed by the King to various bureaucratic positions originally held by the meritorious nobles in the capital, Seoul. Seongjong did this because he feared the elite’s increasing power. Tensions between the Yangban and the meritorious elite would intensify well into the end of Seongjong’s reign.

The Sicilian

April 29th, 2007, 08:02 PM

Naples:
After Aragon got Naples from the County of Provence, it was ruled in personal union under Alphonso of Aragon. After he died, his illegitimate son Ferdinand (aka Don Ferrante) took over. Ferdinand was politicaly savy, but he was a creul and murderous tyrant. When he died in 1494, the Milanese invited the French to seize the Neopolitian throne, sparking the Italian wars.

Milan:
It became a Duchy under the Viscontti family in the 14th century. After their line was extinguished, Milan became a Republic, until the adventurer Francesco Sforza (who had marriage ties to the Visconttis) took the throne in 1450. The city of Milan was a center of the Italian Renaissance. The French claimed the throne of Milan in 1498, signaling the begining of centuries of foreign rule.

Sienna:
A center of the Renaissance, the city of Sienna held a University that was famous for is faculties in medicine and law. It was a Republic, ruled over by a couincil of Nobles.

Vijayanagara Empire:
Based in the Southern Indian city of the same name, at it apex lorded over everything up to the Deccan plateau. It was in a more or less constant strugle with at least on of the Deccan Sultanates.

Does anyone have good book sources for Italy during the Italian Wars/ Southern India during this time period?

JP_Morgan

April 29th, 2007, 09:25 PM

The Songhai Empire would quickly rise to fill the power vacum left the Mali Empire in the mid1400s. Under the able leader ship of Sunni Ali, a Muslim like the Mali rulers, the Songhai Empire, centered in Gao, would quickly dominate the West African trade routes. Sunni Ali would be a major irritant to the Muslim clerics of his kingdom, and he foiled a number of plots meant to assassinate him. He used his calvalry to subdue his enemies like the Tuareg, nomadic people of the north and the Fulani, who inhabited the Dendi region to the west. He appointed his lieutenants in the army to control conquered porvinces, In 1492 he would be poisoned by Muhammed Ture, who would shortly succeed his son SunniBaru

DuQuense

April 30th, 2007, 07:09 AM

1459, Vietnam
Le Nhan Tong's older brother, Nghi Dan, plotted with a group of friends to kill the Emperor. On October 28, the plotters with some 100 "shiftless men" entered into the palace and killed the Emperor (he was just 18). The next day, facing certain execution, his mother, Nguyen Thi Anh, committed suicide. Nghi Dan's rule was brief, he was never officially recognized as an Emperor by the later Vietnamese historians. Revolts against his rule started almost immediately and the second revolt, occurring on...

June 24, 1460 Vietnam
...succeeded. This revolt, led by the last of Le Loi's old advisors (Nguyen Xi and Dinh Liet) captured and killed Nghi Dan along with his friends. The old men then selected the last son of Le Thai Tong, to be the new Emperor. His name was Le Thanh Tong (Vietnamese: Lê Thánh Tông) and he was just 17 years old at the time.

La Thanh Tong (ruled: 1460-1497) was the most prominent of all the Le rulers and one of the greatest Emperors in Vietnamese history. His rule was one of the high points in the history of Vietnam and was referred to as the time of a "Flood of Virtue" (Hồng Đức). He instituted a wide range of government reforms, legal reforms, and land reforms. He restarted the examination system for selecting men for important government positions. He reduced the power of the noble families and reduced the degree of corruption in the government. He built temples to Confucius throughout the provinces of Vietnam. In nearly all respects, his reforms mirrored those of the Song Dynasty.
He led a large and effective army against the Champa which succeeded in conquering the Cham capital and ended the power of the Champa forever. He created a new province out of former Champa land and allowed settlers to go to the new land.

1471 Vietnam
Lê Thánh Tông Emperor of Dai Viet caputures the Champa provinces of
Indrapura - The city of Indrapura is now called Dong Duong, not many miles from present-day Da Nang and Hue. Da Nang used to be the city of Singhapura and is close to the valley of My Son, site of many ruined temples and towers. The area once controlled by this principality included present-day Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, and Thừa Thiên–Huế provinces.

*Amaravati (present-day Quang Nam province).

*Vijaya - The city of Vijaya is now called Cha Ban but it lies just a few miles north of present-day Qui Nhon in Bình Định province.
For a time, Vijaya principality controlled much of present-day Quang-Nam, Quang-Ngai, Binh Dinh, and Phu Yen provinces.

1479 Vietnam
Lê Thánh Tông Emperor of Dai Viet invades The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, The Lao defeat the Viet, but the Viet capture Muang Phuan province.
Muang Phuan enjoys a semi-independent status as a result of having been annexed by a Vietnamese army, an action that set a precedent for a tributary relationship with the court of Annam at Hué.

1497 Vietnam

OTL
La Thanh Tong (ruled: 1460-1497) Dies while preparing to attack the last two Champa provinces. Due to this Vietnam deteriotes into a century of internacine strife, AND

*Kauthara - The city of Kauthara is now called Nha Trang in present-day Khánh Hòa province. would not be annexed till 1611, and

*Panduranga - The city of Panduranga is now called Phan Rang in present-day Ninh Thuận province). Panduranga was the last of the Cham territories to be annexed by the Vietnamese. would not be annexed till 1653.

ATL
La Thanh Tong [Age 54] does not die

DuQuense

April 30th, 2007, 07:20 AM

July 15, 1471 Ethiopia
Emporer Baeda Maryam dies He is suceeded by his 6 year old son Eskender.
Due to his young age, his authority required a regent; a council was formed of his mother Queen Romna, Tasfa Giyorgis (the abbot of the monastery of Lake Hayq, and the Bitwoded Amda Mikael. However, Queen Romna withdrew from this arrangement early on, entering a convent near Debre Libanos where she lived until her death; Abbot Tasfa Giyorgis proved no match for the experienced Bitwoded, and according to Taddesse Tamrat Amda Mikael "ruled the kingdom almost single handed.

1486 Ethiopia
Betwadad Amda Mikael's rule came to an end around 1486 when a palace coup led by the Emperor's step-grandmother Queen Mother Eleni resulted in his deposition and execution. Queen Eleni thereafter played a leading role in the Emperor's government.

Pedro de Covilham arrived in Ethiopia, as an envoy from king John II of Portugal.
However, da Covilha was not allowed to return to Portugal, and was forced to live out his days in Ethiopia -- although as a trusted advisor to the Emperors.

1494 Ethiopia
[OTL] Emperor Eskendar dies suddenly of unknown causes,
[ATL] Pedro de Covilham,An Advisor from Portugal discovers a plot by relatives of the ex-Betwadad Amda Mikael, to poison the Emperor. Within months the family of Amda Mikael ceases to exist.

DuQuense

April 30th, 2007, 07:47 AM

The Almohade Empire soon began to decay, and in 1336 Abu Zakariya, prince of Tunis, was able to proclaim himself independent and found a dynasty, which subsisted till the advent of the Turks. The Hafsites (so called from Abu IIafs, the ancestor of Abu Zakariya, a Berber chieftain who had been one of the intimate disciples of the Almohade mandi) assumed the title of Prince of the Faithful, a dignity which was acknowledged even at Mecca, when in the days of Mostansir, the second Hafsite, the fall of Bagdad left Islam without a titular head. In its best days the empire of the Hafsites extended from Tlemcen to Tripoli, and they received homage from the Merinids of Fez.

1230
The Almohade were succeeded by the Hafsids (ruled 1230 - 1574), who were recognised by Mecca, which furthermore acknowledged the ruler Al-Mustansir as Caliph.

1270
An attempted invasion by Louis IX of France was repulsed.
Tunisia prospered through increasing European and Sudanese trade under Al-Mustansir, who used the money to transform Tunis, his capital, with a palace and the Abu Fihr park.
The estate he created near Bizerte was said to be without equal in the world.

1472
Al-Mohammad becomes Caliph of Tunisia.

1492 Tunisia
King Boabdil of Granada, the last of the line, who surrendered in 1492 to Ferdinand and Isabel and was given the Alpujarras mountains to rule to the East of Granada, although he left for Tlemsen in [Modern] Morocco.

The Alhambra Decree was issued on March 31, 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain (Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, married in 1469), following the final triumph over the Moors after the fall of Granada. The decree ordered the expulsion of all Jews from Spain and its territories and possessions by July 31, 1492.

Don Isaac Abravanel, considered to be the wealthiest Jew in Europe offers 600,000 ducats for the reversion of the degree but is turned down.
Don Isaac Abravanel, leaves for Portugal. Along with Thousands of Spanish Jews

The Emperor of the Ottomans sends the Ottoman fleet to help evacuate the Jews from Spain to the Empire,

1493
[ATL] Following a major disagreement with his Mother, King Boabdil negotiates to Purchase the Island of Jerba off the coast of Tunisia.

1494
[ATL]The Presence of King Boabdil of Jerba in the Hasfid Kingdom attracts a lot [50%] of the Andalusian Moors refugees to Tunisia.
This is the wealthier half that can afford the slightly longer trip. Most of them settle in the South of Tunisia, between Zarzis and Tripoli.
This includes the remains of the Army of Granada.
OTL- the refugees were split pretty evenly between Morocco, Fez, Tlemcen, & Tunis

Don Isaac Abravanel, is planning to remove from Portugal to Venice when Prince Boabdil offers refuge in Zarzis, Tunisia.
Due to this thousands of Sephardic Jews who fled to Europe after the start of the Portuguese inquisition in 1515, instead flee to the Hasfid Kingdom.

General_Paul

April 30th, 2007, 04:05 PM

(OOC: For information relating to my nation, I'm using the following texts:
China: A New History, John King Fairbank, Merle Goldman.
Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier, C. Patterson Giersch.
China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Asia, Peter C. Perdue.
Besides the three texts listed above, I'm in the middle of a Chinese History class this quarter at school, so I'll have a bunch of suppliamental materials from class to give some extra oomph to my nation's TL, as well as Wikipedia if need be.)

The Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, under the rule of the Hongzhi Emperor (1487-1505) is an empire at its zenith. After the overthrow of the Mongol-imposed Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), the Ming Dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, struggled to regain China's place in the world. Re-establishing central control over Inner China was the easy part, rebuilding China on the legacies of the older dynasties, that was the hard part. By the time that the Hongzhi Emperor took control of the dynasty in 1487, the Ming Dynasty had expanded their control as far north as Beijing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty located in the heartland of the old Han Dynasty, and were beginning expeditions into southern Duoyan (Modern Manchuria).

Issues with continuing border raids lead by the people of the steppelands, the Mongols, along with tax collection and land reform issues coupled with government corruption, all gave the Hongzhi Emperor problems from the get go. The largest public works project to date, the series of brick-and-stone border outposts which will one day form the Great Wall, is a drain on the nation's economy to say the least. Problems with piracy in the East and North China Seas have forced the Ming to reinstitute the policy of tribute for use with the coastal pirates, using their greed to hopefully bring them to their senses lest they risk death by painful measures.

The Zheng He expeditions (1403-1434), while showing great promise for Chinese goods overseas in African and Middle Eastern markets, were brought to an end by the Xuande Emperor (1425-35) due to the ever increasing budget burden of defensive spending in the wake of a series of defeats at the hands of Mongol tribes. Unfortunately, the Vice-Presidency of the War Ministry decided it was a good idea to destroy all records of the Zheng He expeditions in 1479.

However, while the loss of the Zheng He records may have been a hit to Chinese naval power, on land, the Ming Dynasty's armies have been successful. To the south, the Ming have begun the process of bringing the Yunnan Province into the imperial fold via army colonization (allowing army officers and enlisted men to lay claim to a plot of land and settle there after their stint of duty is over). While Ming intervention in North Vietnam (1407-28) was an issue that could not be dealt with in one single generation, the recognition of Vietnam as a tributary state in 1431 at least took the pressure off the military, for the time being, to occupy an increasingly hostile area of South-East Asia, far away from the imperial palace in Beijing.

The largest and most pressing issue for the Ming Dynast has been, and was for both the Yuan and Song Dynasties, the status of Neo-Confucianism as the court philosophy. The rampant anticommercialism and xenophobia of Neo-Confucianism helped throttle the Southern Song before they had a chance to fully explore their potential, and helped weaken the Yuan Dynasty prior to the Hongwu Emperor's takeover in 1379.

All in all, the Ming Dynasty is an empire both at its zenith, and in flux. China is somewhere in the middle, between tradition and the emerging modern world, between the tribal-controled frontier lands that lay just outside the military posts and the central bureaucracy that lay at the empire's heart in Beijing. All it will take is one swift gust of wind to blow the empire over to one side, or the other, overtaking either the forward thinking naval merchants who see opportunity for both themselves and their nation in the emerging Middle Eastern and East African markets, or the highly conservative Neo-Confucians in the imperial court who see commerce and profit as being against wen zhi, "civilization," and who see China's wen, "cultivation," as being the height of achievement, leaving all other nations outside the fold as "barbarians" compared to China.

It is in this, almost alien world of the East, that the Ming have prospered. It is here, in the vast sea of grass growing on the steppelands that spread out from Western Manchuria, across Central Asia and into Asia Minor, that the Ming Dynasty's fortunes will be made, or broken.

rameiro

April 30th, 2007, 04:28 PM

The Algonquin Chiefdom of the Powhatan

Unfortunately there is very little information regarding the history of the Powhatan Native Americans before the late 1500s so I will provide a brief story of how they came together in Virginia:

The Powhatan were a proud group of Amerindians speaking a variant of the Eastern Algonquian language. They migrated southward from what is now the northern United States and southeastern Canada from the homeland of the Ojibwa, who share a comman ancestor with the Powhatan. Although little is known of their existence before the arrival of English settlers at Jamestown, they will grow in the coming years to establish the powerful Powhatan-Algonquin Confederacy, an expansive empire including much of modern-day Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.

AJNolte

May 6th, 2007, 09:12 PM

Here's a good summary on Ernestine Saxony. I'll post the link at the bottom.

Ernestine Saxony, 1485-1547
The HOUSE OF WETTIN, in the course of the middle ages, had unified the territories that make up Saxony (in her borders of 1789, except Lusatia), including
Thuringia. However, succession law foresaw that brothers inherited equal shares, which lead to periods of common rule as well as to partitions; one such
partition, the TREATY OF LEIPZIG, in 1485, created two Saxon states - Ernestine Saxony, with the center at WITTENBERG, and with the Electoral Vote, and
Albertine Saxony, with the center at Meissen / Dresden.
Duke-Elector ERNST, founder of Ernestine Saxony, died already in 1486; he was succeeded by FREDERICK THE WISE (1486-1525). As Leipzig, the economic center,
as well as the seat of a university, was located in Albertine Saxony, Frederick founded the UNIVERSITY OF WITTENBERG in 1502.
As the Habsburg dynasty, in the person of Emperor Charles V., through a quick succession of inheritances, gained enormously in terms of territories and
political power (Spain, Bohemia/Hungary), Duke-Elector Frederick was concerned as the greatly increased power of the Emperor posed a threat to the high
degree of independence hitherto enjoyed by Germany's princes. Himself a deeply religious man (he was a collector of relics), he was aware of scandals within
the church; when Martin Luther wanted to open a discussion about a thorough church reform by posting his 95 THESES at the church door in Wittenberg, Duke
Frederick did not interfere; when he was confronted with the demand to extradite Luther for a trial in Rome, he refused, insisting that Luther was to be
judged by a jury consisting of his own countrymen. The DIET OF WORMS was to function as this jury; Duke Frederick continued to protect Luther. So, despite
him being condemned by the diet, the Emperor honoured his promise of safe passage to Luther, who, now excommunicated and under a ban, now had to live in
hiding, under an assumed name.
Meanwhile at Wittenberg, Dr. Karlstadt began to implement Lutheran reform demands.
In 1524/25 the GERMAN PEASANTS WAR also affected Saxony. Realizing, that Germany's princes were both recognizing the necessity of a church reform and concerned
about the threat the peasants posed to their rule, Martin Luther, who had returned to Wittenberg, condemned the actions of the peasants (who were quickly
defeated). The princes, foremost Frederick the Wise responded to the call Luther had made in his 1520 pamphlet 'AN DEN CHRISTLICHEN ADEL DEUTSCHER NATION'
(Address to the Christian Nobility of German Nation) and permitted the Lutheran reformation to be introduced in an organized manner. Duke Frederick was
the main beneficient of the dissolution of the monasteries within his territory, as the larger part of the monasteries' land property was added to the
Ducal domain.
Frederick the Wise died in 1525; he was succeeded by JOHN THE STEADFAST (1525-1532) who again was succeeded by JOHN FREDERICK I. (1532-1554).
The Lutheran reformation had functioned as a strong tie uniting the princes opposing the Emperor; while the Emperor was a devoted Catholic and while he
ordered the persecution of protestant agitators in the Habsburg territories, he was sceptical of the pope and worked for a diplomatic solution of the problem.
In 1530, the princes presented the AUGSBURG CONFESSION, written by the leading Lutheran diplomat, PHILIPP MELANCHTHON, to the Emperor, the confession being
an attempt to focus on common Lutheran and Catholic belief rather than on discrepancies. Both sides remained suspicious of each other. In 1531, the protestant
princes formed the SCHMALKALDIC LEAGUE.
Martin Luther had not aimed at splitting the church and establishing a new organization, but rather to reform the Catholic church in her entirety. In the
1530es the first attempts to assemble a universal church council were held; the Lutherans described their position in the SCHMALKALDEN ARTICLES of 1537.
In 1545 the COUNCIL OF TRENT was opened; in 1546 Lutheran delegates presented their key demands (acceptance of priest marriage and lay eucharist); the
demands were rejected, the opportunity to overcome the schism passed.
Saxony was the center of the protestant reformation; in church affairs, Martin Luther, until his death in 1546, was the unelected, yet unquestioned authority,
Philip Melanchthon his trusted friend and Lutheranism's leading diplomat (as Luther himself, still excommunicated and under ban, could not leave Saxony).
In 1546 the Schmalkaldic League raised an army, which, under the command of Duke-Elector John Frederick of Saxony, was stationed in Wuerttemberg, when
unexpectedly Ernestine Saxony was invaded by troops from Albertine Saxony (Duke Maurice, a Lutheran, from the perspective of the Schmalkaldic League a
traitor). The ensuing war is referred to as the
SCHMALKALDIC WAR
(1546-1547). John Frederick lead his army back to Saxony, liberated his territories, conquered Albertine Saxony and proceeded to invade Bohemia (Territory
of Emperor Charles V.). Imperial forces drove the Schmalkaldic troops back and decisively defeated them in the BATTLE OF MÜHLBERG (1547). Duke John Frederick
was taken prisoner. He had to cede the larger part of his territory to Moritz, the Bohemian fiefs to the Emperor. In addition, he had to give up the Electorate,
which was transferred to Maurice as well.
Duke John Frederick kept most of Thuringia; these territories, due to the Wettin succession law, over time were split up in a number of tiny duchies of
limited historical significance.

Source:
http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/germany/esaxony14851547.html

AJNolte

May 6th, 2007, 09:16 PM

Also from the same source, a good resource on Albertine Saxony. Note that the Ernestines--not the Albertines--have the electorate in 1492.

Albertine Saxony, 1485-1547
The HOUSE OF WETTIN, in the course of the middle ages, had unified the territories that make up Saxony (in her borders of 1789, except Lusatia), including
Thuringia. However, succession law foresaw that brothers inherited equal shares, which lead to periods of common rule as well as to partitions; one such
partition, the TREATY OF LEIPZIG, in 1485, created two Saxon states - Ernestine Saxony, with the center at WITTENBERG, and with the Electoral Vote, and
Albertine Saxony, with the center at Meissen / Dresden.
Duke Albert III. ruled from 1485 to 1500. Albrecht served as military commander of Emperor Maximilian in the War of Guelders 1497; in 1498 he was appointed
GUBERNATOR (governor) OF FRIESLAND, a coastal region in the northern Netherlands, which was rather peculiar as it had escaped feudalization. After initially
being welcomed by a fation of the Friesland estates, Albert soon found himself engaged in a money-consuming civil war; he is quoted to have said that "Friesland
had eaten up all of Saxony and half of Meissen". Albrecht died in Emden in 1500; he was succeeded by GEORGE THE BEARDED (1500-1539). He reduced the Saxon
involvement in Frisian affairs, trying to sell the Saxon claim, without success. The last Saxon stronghold in Friesland, Appingedam, fell in 1515; George
sold his claims to Charles Duke of Burgundy, who was to become Emperor Charles V.
In his political testament of 1499, he outruled any future partition of the duchy (second sons were to be assigned certain revenues, but the political
entity was not to be divided). When the reformation began in nearby Ernestine Saxony, Duke George remained loyal to the Catholic church. In the years 1517
to 1523 he promoted the sanctification of Bishop Benno of Meissen, who had lived in the late 11th century.
Albertine Saxony was affected by the
GERMAN PEASANTS REVOLT
in 1524/1525 (Thomas Müntzer had been priest in Zwickau in 1520/1521) and, in 1532, was the scene of the KOHLHASE FEUD - a merchant by the name of Hans
Kohlhase was deprived of two of his horses by noblemen in the service of the Duke, who overstepped their authority and used the horses for their own purposes.
Unable to get compensation from the courts, the merchant started a feud against the noblemen and anybody who had helped them, temporarily paralizing the
economy of a large stretch within Albertine Saxony.
While Duke George remained loyal to the Catholic church, he was concerned about church reform, had priests who had concubines punished, had religious disputes
organized (Leipzig 1534, 1539). Only in 1536, in an area assigned to his younger brother Henry, did the Jakob Schenk admonish the first eucharist to laymen
(i.e. in the Lutheran rite). Future Duke Maurice was sent to Torgau to be given a Lutheran education (1537). George's successor Henry the Pious ruled only
for two years (1539-1541); he formally introduced the Lutheran reformation in 1539. Henry was succeeded by MAURICE (1541-1553).
George, and in his succession Maurice strove to improve the duchy's administration in cooperation with the estates. The estates met annually; they consisted
of the clergy (abbots), nobility and the third estates (burgomasters of cities). The estates had the right to approve taxes; Albertine Saxony, with silver
mines, pursued a strict financial policy, outlawing the use of (low-quality) foreign coins in the country.
In 1546 the Schmalkaldic League (which Albertine Saxony had joined in 1537, as a passive member) raised an army, which, under the command of Duke-Elector
John Frederick of Saxony, was stationed in
Württemberg
, when unexpectedly Ernestine Saxony was invaded by troops from Albertine Saxony (Duke Maurice, a Lutheran, from the perspective of the Schmalkaldic League
a traitor). The ensuing war is referred to as the
SCHMALKALDIC WAR
(1546-1547). John Frederick lead his army back to Saxony, liberated his territories, conquered Albertine Saxony and proceeded to invade Bohemia (Territory
of Emperor Charles V.). Imperial forces drove the Schmalkaldic troops back and decisively defeated them in the BATTLE OF MÜHLBERG (1547). Duke John Frederick
was taken prisoner. He had to cede the larger part of his territory - Electoral Saxony to Maurice, the Bohemian fiefs to the Emperor. In addition, he had
to give up the Electorate, which was transferred to Maurice as well.
Duke John Frederick kept most of Thuringia; these territories, due to the Wettin succession law, over time were split up in a number of tiny duchies of
limited historical significance.

KineticBots

May 13th, 2007, 01:28 PM

In Japan:
By 1492, Japan has entered the times known as the sengoku-jidai, or 'waring-states period'. The onin War has fractured the central political and military authority of the Emperor and Shogun, and many regional lords have risen to fill the ensuing power vacuum. Lacking a powerful central political figure able to lead the country, the Ashikaga shogunate is in the process of collapsing back into a system of semi-autonomic domains ruled over by regional lords, or daimyo. Many daimyo have already faced power struggles with rebellious clans, and there looks to be little prospect of either peace or unification in the immediate future.

Although there is much mercantile and diplomatic contact with other states in East and South-East Asia, there has been none with any Western kingdom.

As of 1492, Japan is ruled by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane, nominally by Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado.

In Ryukyu:
From the main island of Okinawa, Ryukyu is ruled by King Sho Shin, who has delivered the kingdom into a golden age. There is a tributary relationship with China, and trade with many of her neighbours. Indeed, Ryukyu has been flourishing as a commercial intermediary between states from India to Japan.

At this time, Ryukyu still maintains political and cultural independence from Japan and China, although Chinese influence is strongly felt in political spheres, with the Sho dynasty of Okinawa maintaining its legitimacy as rulers of the islands thanks to Chinese recognition.

Ryukyu too has had no contact with the West at this point.

---

I would like to remind fellow participants that events ITTL cannot diverge from OTL until they are altered by something else. Therefore, until some outside force sets off a chain reaction, do not be disappointed when events in Japan and Ryukyu follow suspiciously closely to OTL. However, once some external force interferes with OTL time-stream, we may have some very interesting things to come...

Regards,
KineticBots

Glen

May 13th, 2007, 01:45 PM

I would like to remind fellow participants that events ITTL cannot diverge from OTL until they are altered by something else. Therefore, until some outside force sets off a chain reaction, do not be disappointed when events in Japan and Ryukyu follow suspiciously closely to OTL. However, once some external force interferes with OTL time-stream, we may have some very interesting things to come...

Regards,
KineticBots

That is so for NPC nations, not for participant nations. YOU choose how and how much those will diverge, within plausibility of course. And even those NPC nations, while taking the same general course, will have different people within a generation or two, just playing roughly the same roles.

KineticBots

May 15th, 2007, 01:22 AM

That is so for NPC nations, not for participant nations. YOU choose how and how much those will diverge, within plausibility of course. And even those NPC nations, while taking the same general course, will have different people within a generation or two, just playing roughly the same roles.

After reading some of the early posts in the domestic and international events rooms, I have realised that I misinterpreted the rules on the POD. It seems to me that we are each allowed to diverge from OTL as soon as Columbus returns from the New World, regardless of how we were or could have been affected by that action. Is this correct? :(

In that case, changes I have planned for the Far East may occur rather earlier than I had expected...:)

Regards,
KineticBots

P.S., I don't think I'll be able put up my first post until Monday 21st. But I'm in Australia, so it'll still be before most posters from other parts of the world.

Glen

May 15th, 2007, 01:34 AM

After reading some of the early posts in the domestic and international events rooms, I have realised that I misinterpreted the rules on the POD. It seems to me that we are each allowed to diverge from OTL as soon as Columbus returns from the New World, regardless of how we were or could have been affected by that action. Is this correct? :(

In that case, changes I have planned for the Far East may occur rather earlier than I had expected...:)

That is correct.

Regards,
KineticBots

P.S., I don't think I'll be able put up my first post until Monday 21st. But I'm in Australia, so it'll still be before most posters from other parts of the world.

That is acceptable, but understand that you will not have an opportunity to change/challenge what others have posted up to 1499. You can back-post, but it must not conflict with the previously determined events. Again, may not be a problem for you, but I wanted you to be aware.

BBJ1580

May 15th, 2007, 02:29 AM

Some quick information about my areas. Note that there is relatively little information available about pre-European conatact when dealing with Borneo and the Philippines, and obviously even less when dealing with the Wampanoags.

Brunei

The first OTL Europeans to arrive in the city of Brunei were quite impressed by its riches and the fact that all the buildings were built on raised, wooden platforms to keep them above the high tide line. The north coast of Borneo had been dotted with Malaysian trading centers for many centuries. The city of Brunei (which was eventually to give the entire island its name) is centerally located and commands the best harbor in the north, allowing its rulers to gradually built a trading empire along the norther coast. At the end of the 1400s it is known through SE Asia, and had been visited by the Chinese and others, but is somewhat overshadowed by its richer and more culturally influential western neighbor, Malacca. OTL, the Portugese takeover of Malacca would divert trade to Brunei and skyrocket its fortunes, but for now that is all in the future.

Sulu & Maguindanao

These southern Philippine states are small and recently established, but growing, trading powers just beginning to get rich off of the resources of the islands. Sulu is located on the island chain that extents from NE Borneo, and Maguindanao is nearby on the Philipines' southernmost large island, Mindanao. At this point in time, the two tiny trading empires are friendly trading parters, but not particularly allies. About the same can be said for their relationship with Brunei and with the Chinese traders who sail to the north islands. Maguindanao has the larger population base of the two, but Sulu is in the process of building a very large army for its size, largely through the (often forceful) conscription of men from the less technically advanced island tribes to the north.

The Wampanoags

A group of Algonquin tribes, the Woampanoags lived by farming, fishing and hunting, usually moving between the coast in the summer and inland sites in the winter. They lived in southeastern Massacusettes, including cape cop in the islands. The tribes had friendly relations with their neighbors to the west and with their close relatives to the north, the Massacusett. On the other hand, their relationship with the strong Narragansett tribes in modern Rhode Island was usually much cooler.