The Farangi Raj, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love India

[vultan]

Could you give us more details on the united Provinces of North America? Is it a republic, monarchy, or some sort of military dictatorship? Does it have all of British North America, or the same as OTL, or less?

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by vultan

Could you give us more details on the united Provinces of North America? Is it a republic, monarchy, or some sort of military dictatorship? Does it have all of British North America, or the same as OTL, or less?

It's a Republic, but the final system of governance hasn't yet been worked out. It also includes all of the former BNA, from Newfoundland to Florida. I'll have more information in the next post, and with any luck, other happenings wll be highly unexpected by my audience. Although I have hinted at certain things, must stop doing that...

[Kara Iskandar]

Very interesting, I'm subscribed !

[vultan]

Originally Posted by EvolvedSaurian

It's a Republic, but the final system of governance hasn't yet been worked out. It also includes all of the former BNA, from Newfoundland to Florida. I'll have more information in the next post, and with any luck, other happenings wll be highly unexpected by my audience. Although I have hinted at certain things, must stop doing that...

Ameriwank od any variety is good! Yay!!!!! Wait....
Does France still own Louisiana?

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by Kara Iskandar

Very interesting, I'm subscribed !

Whoo! Also, you might see a familiar name in the next update.

Originally Posted by vultan

Ameriwank od any variety is good! Yay!!!!! Wait....
Does France still own Louisiana?

Oh, it certainly won't be Ameriwank... And yes, France does own Louisiana.

For now.

[Kara Iskandar]

Originally Posted by EvolvedSaurian

Whoo! Also, you might see a familiar name in the next update.

Great news! I'm eagerly waiting for the next part!

[Germaniac]

subscribed

[EvolvedSaurian]

Alright, I've classes and work from classes, so I don't know when I'll actually get around to writing the next part, most likely a little at a time. That said, I will continue this and I love that so many people like it. It'll likely take some time, is all.

[RGB]

Ah, magnifique.

French India. I like.

[Kara Iskandar]

Originally Posted by EvolvedSaurian

Alright, I've classes and work from classes, so I don't know when I'll actually get around to writing the next part, most likely a little at a time. That said, I will continue this and I love that so many people like it. It'll likely take some time, is all.

No problem, take your time!

[rcduggan]

Originally Posted by M. Adolphe Thiers

There's a lot more supporters of the Capetian dynasty than I thought. From the looks of things, I assumed that everyone was a Hapsburg fan.

I'll admit as well that I am a fervent Capetian fan (not just the Bourbons, although they were the greatest) and one who dislikes how enthusiastic everyone on this board is for the Hapsburgs. This also goes along with a preference for timelines that avert the French Revolution (although ironically I support most of its tenets).

As to the early calling of the Estates-General: I really can't see a reason why Louis XVI would see the need. Doing so in 1789 was a last-ditch effort after everything else had failed. The restructuring of the Estates would be opposed by everyone, including the peasants (who would resent losing the support of the landless wealthy citizens moved to the "new" Second Estate). Also, ITTL the members of the Estates-General would probably vote by head instead of by estate, as was discussed as a possibility in OTL.

The tax reforms would be almost impossible as well, especially at peace.

However, this is shaping up to be a great TL. French India is one of those prevalent ideas that has yet to be done well (outside of Cliveless World, but this will hopefully focus more on India). So keep it up, and I can't wait to see what TTL is like fifty years down the road.

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by rcduggan

As to the early calling of the Estates-General: I really can't see a reason why Louis XVI would see the need. Doing so in 1789 was a last-ditch effort after everything else had failed. The restructuring of the Estates would be opposed by everyone, including the peasants (who would resent losing the support of the landless wealthy citizens moved to the "new" Second Estate). Also, ITTL the members of the Estates-General would probably vote by head instead of by estate, as was discussed as a possibility in OTL.

Basically, a large part of the nobility, including the King fell into debt with various merchants who basically cancelled the debts in exchange for a slightly more democratic government. Also, this isn't quite the same Louis XVI as ours, with a somewhat different development.

And yes, by head, I wanted to include that, but couldn't remember what it was called.

The tax reforms would be almost impossible as well, especially at peace.

Just out of curiosity, but why are you so sure of this?

However, this is shaping up to be a great TL. French India is one of those prevalent ideas that has yet to be done well (outside of Cliveless World, but this will hopefully focus more on India). So keep it up, and I can't wait to see what TTL is like fifty years down the road.

Cliveless World was a but dystopic for my taste, what with the French selling the Indian states weapons to fight amongst themselves...

And yes, I do hope to have India be a major part of this TL, got some ideas floating around in the old brain-pan, been working a little bit on an update...

[EvolvedSaurian]

1789-1794
In Britain, continued unrest, defections from certain army units and mutinies in a large segment of the Royal Navy, forces George III, his court and a good part of the rest of the aristocracy to flee to Hanover. The victorious rebels, rather ironically taking their cue from North America, establish a federal republic. London is to remain the capital of the British state, as well as one of the constituent provinces. For the rest of England, the historically acute among the republicans dredge up the names of the old Anglo-Saxon states, Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria. Ireland, Scotland and Wales round out the United Provinces of the British Isles. Religious freedom is officially established, as it has been in North America, although, like in the New World, this is more theory than fact at this point. All men over the age of 21 who own a certain amount of property (I am unsure as to what would be a reasonable qualification at this point) have the right to vote or run for provincial and federal offices. In other ways devolopments in the Old World follow those in the New, including the reformation of Parliament, establishing the Provincial House and the Peoples' House. Rapproachment between London and Philadelphia (The North American capital) eventually leads to a more equal arrangement, what has been termed the New Commonwealth, or more simply, the Commonwealth. Both areas retain their soveriegnty, armies and political institutions while unifying their navies (Which is really more the former RN as the UPNA has little in the way of a fleet), currencies (The pound wins out as the dollar is, as it was in OTL, very shaky) and, to some extent, foreign policy. Slavery is little talked about at this point in time.

Reforms in the Polish Sejm (Parliament) eliminate the one vote veto and preserves a great deal of Polish territory (What we'd call Posen, Congress Poland and Galicia). The specter of Russia ever looms over their western neighbor...

Buonaparte continued to rise through the ranks, making a name for himself suborning the Marathi-ruled states of Central India, Holkar, Indore, Nagpur, Malwa and Gujarat. The stockholders of the COI are so impressed with the marble-visaged Corsican that they offer him the post of Governor-General of India, the litany of mediocre successors to Dupleix making everybody and everybody with interests in India uneasy. However, due to his youth and non-French birth, this was to be on a probationary, ten-year basis, with the possibility of confirmation at the end of the ten years. To Napoleone, the latter was a mere technicality. Ten years would be all the time required to achieve his goals.

First French settlement in Australia founded at Voiron (OTL Sydney), named for the hometown of the colony's founder and first leader, Pierre Marchand. Although the first settlers are free, later ships bring in a mix of both voluntary colonists and convicts shipped from France to serve sentence and bolster the colony's workforce. Dano-Norwegian whalers found Ulfborg on Nye Sjaeland, as a base for their industry, repair station and commisary.
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Part 3 is up. Enjoy and give me some feedback.

[Wendell]

I like the idea of a Scandinavian New Zealand.

[DrakeRlugia]

Excellent!

As for the republic in Britain, why not have the Republicans enact the reforms that the Levellers attempted to push through almost a century before during the civil war?

And a French Australia is certainly interesting.. I do wonder if they'll be able to settle it as successfully as the English. The French were often reluctant to migrate to the colonies..

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by Wendell

I like the idea of a Scandinavian New Zealand.

Getting a little ahead of me(), but yes, so did I.

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by DrakeRlugia

Excellent!

As for the republic in Britain, why not have the Republicans enact the reforms that the Levellers attempted to push through almost a century before during the civil war?

Well, Protestant toleration is one of the major republican values, and even of Catholics who have been exposed to 'British liberty', such as the Irish, although it's still rather limited this point. Catholics can vote, so long as they have funds or lands enough to qualify. Republican leaders in North America and the British Isles tend to distrust the mob as in OTL. However, suffrage will eventually be extended. Also, I forgot to mention that the official churches were disestablished.

And a French Australia is certainly interesting.. I do wonder if they'll be able to settle it as successfully as the English. The French were often reluctant to migrate to the colonies..

It'll certainly be settled, and there will be French involved, among others. It'll be fun.

[Wendell]

I wonder what the consequences would be of distablishing the Church of England in the 1700's.

[DrakeRlugia]

Originally Posted by Wendell

I wonder what the consequences would be of distablishing the Church of England in the 1700's.

No more tithes, for once thing. One of the biggest abuses was that the Irish had to pay tithes to the Church of England, even if they were Catholic. I wonder what these affects will have on Ireland -- after, the Church of England basically safeguarded the Protestant Ascendancy for a very long time. It'll be very interesting to see the demographic affects!

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by Wendell

I wonder what the consequences would be of distablishing the Church of England in the 1700's.

Originally Posted by DrakeRlugia

No more tithes, for once thing. One of the biggest abuses was that the Irish had to pay tithes to the Church of England, even if they were Catholic. I wonder what these affects will have on Ireland -- after, the Church of England basically safeguarded the Protestant Ascendancy for a very long time. It'll be very interesting to see the demographic affects!

Indeed, also Nonconformists, which in Ireland typically meant Presbyterians, with a sprinkling of Baptists and Methodists. In England and Wales it was a bit more diverse.