alternatehistory.com
19
The support is appreciated. The Aydinids are fun to write about.
Anyways, here's something short and tantalizing while my midterms are underway.
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When we last left the empire, it was at 1356, at the signing of a peace treaty between two conflicting power blocs: A Genoese-Roman Alliance, and a coalition of Venetian led forces. Venice had, to put it bluntly, brutally lost the war and the peace showed. The treaty’s terms were harsh, involving massive losses of territory and a loss of entire markets- the ultimate punishment for a state whose economy was based on trade. But to the winners it was a just revenge (if such a thing is possible) against the centuries of transgressions the enemies had inflicted on them - you decide if that’s the case.
Anyways, this victory makes a vital turning point in imperial fortunes, literally and figuratively. For you see, the Empire has just gained territory for the first time since 1337, but more importantly with a major rival crippled, the rare breathing room for development that the state so desperately needed was finally there. We of course mustn’t ignore what’s been going on in Serbia and Bulgaria, but its really this-the crippling of Venice- that signals things are improving.
For with the withdrawal of Venice, a void is left. Something Romania will be very eager to replace. There's just so much to gain, All that extra trade, and customs revenue to be made. And as you might expect, that’s what happened. (Genoa also did the same, but the growth was rather slower due to having to rebuild their dilapidated navy and treasury before expanding trade. Compare this to Romania, who didn’t bear the brunt of much of the fighting in the same way the Merchant Republic did)
So what follows is a long economic expansion in Romania stemming from the Romans (partially) taking over Venice’s role as the major trading power in the Aegean and as the secondary trading power in the Black Sea. No longer worrying about the wrath of the Italians, Roman merchants and businessmen began to expand into previously unseen areas. With this expansion of course comes large amounts of wealth, filling the coffers to a level unseen since arguably Michael VIII. The income from trade is then put to use expanding the navy and the dockyards, which expands trade, which in turn brings in more wealth. Additionally, the artisanal sector sees a renaissance; not only are domestic markets able to buy, but the expansion of trade means that the demand for products such as Roman silk or wine begin to rise.
The old focus on areas where the Italians weren’t very active in isn’t forgotten by the empire however, in fact operations into places where competition is less is expanded, particularly in the Maghreb. As the Marinids conquer more and more of the African coast, the more markets the Roman state gets to sell its wares. (In fact, the Roman economy actually begins to start linking itself with the Trans-Saharan economy where the demand for Roman silk is insane, but that’s another story)
From the coattails of this comes a growth in all sectors of the economy, as sailors spend their hard earned income on their homes. At the same time, the state continues its distribution of patronage with infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, baths, etc. But perhaps most importantly are the establishment of financial institutions designed to aid an increasingly mercantile based state: Banks, Counting houses, that sort of thing. Which in turn are taken advantage by well to do yeoman farmers who began to improve their plots, or savvy businessmen looking to grow their profits.
This newfound wealth isn’t distributed equally. Cities are by far the beneficiaries of the next the years of expansion, much to the dissatisfaction of the country folk. It must be noted that yes, their quality of life and per capita income has risen over the years, but that is primarily due to less taxes being levied rather than government investment in their regions. Like with the army, the frontiers have been somewhat neglected. Outside of providing defensive fortifications and the necessary infrastructure to move and supply armies quickly and effectively, the state doesn’t really care about anything else in the frontier. In fact there’s a large amount of support in the government to purposely neglecting the frontiers economic development; it’ll make the empire appear less of a target and reduce raids, enemy forces will have a harder time scrounging off the land, the investment is put to better use in the south where the chance of attacks are much smaller, and so on. Understandibly the Zealot philosophy, with its emphasis on equality and prosperity for all had started to entrench itself amongst the rural population, eager for a slice of success. But another reason for the entrenchment of the Zealots amongst the rural poor in Macedonia that geographically, this new wealth tended to be clustered in the south, towards the cities and the coastal regions.
It must be stated that due to the mechanism of external trade, what with the the state’s monopoly and all, that whoever gets paid and benefits from this wealth was tied into a system of patronage within the government. This is not something new- patronage had been a noted part of Byzantine governance since the days of Alexios I, but with the rise of commercial activity and the state trading company becoming one of the principal sources of income for the empire, it was increasingly important to play into the cronyism and the cliques of the system.
Really great update. It's about how I'd imagine Asia Minor in a scenario like this. One wonders what direction some of the more tolerant and Greek states will go...
I really like what you've done with Aydin, it's good to see that good relationship continue..
The support is appreciated. The Aydinids are fun to write about.
Anyways, here's something short and tantalizing while my midterms are underway.
-------
When we last left the empire, it was at 1356, at the signing of a peace treaty between two conflicting power blocs: A Genoese-Roman Alliance, and a coalition of Venetian led forces. Venice had, to put it bluntly, brutally lost the war and the peace showed. The treaty’s terms were harsh, involving massive losses of territory and a loss of entire markets- the ultimate punishment for a state whose economy was based on trade. But to the winners it was a just revenge (if such a thing is possible) against the centuries of transgressions the enemies had inflicted on them - you decide if that’s the case.
Anyways, this victory makes a vital turning point in imperial fortunes, literally and figuratively. For you see, the Empire has just gained territory for the first time since 1337, but more importantly with a major rival crippled, the rare breathing room for development that the state so desperately needed was finally there. We of course mustn’t ignore what’s been going on in Serbia and Bulgaria, but its really this-the crippling of Venice- that signals things are improving.
For with the withdrawal of Venice, a void is left. Something Romania will be very eager to replace. There's just so much to gain, All that extra trade, and customs revenue to be made. And as you might expect, that’s what happened. (Genoa also did the same, but the growth was rather slower due to having to rebuild their dilapidated navy and treasury before expanding trade. Compare this to Romania, who didn’t bear the brunt of much of the fighting in the same way the Merchant Republic did)
So what follows is a long economic expansion in Romania stemming from the Romans (partially) taking over Venice’s role as the major trading power in the Aegean and as the secondary trading power in the Black Sea. No longer worrying about the wrath of the Italians, Roman merchants and businessmen began to expand into previously unseen areas. With this expansion of course comes large amounts of wealth, filling the coffers to a level unseen since arguably Michael VIII. The income from trade is then put to use expanding the navy and the dockyards, which expands trade, which in turn brings in more wealth. Additionally, the artisanal sector sees a renaissance; not only are domestic markets able to buy, but the expansion of trade means that the demand for products such as Roman silk or wine begin to rise.
The old focus on areas where the Italians weren’t very active in isn’t forgotten by the empire however, in fact operations into places where competition is less is expanded, particularly in the Maghreb. As the Marinids conquer more and more of the African coast, the more markets the Roman state gets to sell its wares. (In fact, the Roman economy actually begins to start linking itself with the Trans-Saharan economy where the demand for Roman silk is insane, but that’s another story)
From the coattails of this comes a growth in all sectors of the economy, as sailors spend their hard earned income on their homes. At the same time, the state continues its distribution of patronage with infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, baths, etc. But perhaps most importantly are the establishment of financial institutions designed to aid an increasingly mercantile based state: Banks, Counting houses, that sort of thing. Which in turn are taken advantage by well to do yeoman farmers who began to improve their plots, or savvy businessmen looking to grow their profits.
This newfound wealth isn’t distributed equally. Cities are by far the beneficiaries of the next the years of expansion, much to the dissatisfaction of the country folk. It must be noted that yes, their quality of life and per capita income has risen over the years, but that is primarily due to less taxes being levied rather than government investment in their regions. Like with the army, the frontiers have been somewhat neglected. Outside of providing defensive fortifications and the necessary infrastructure to move and supply armies quickly and effectively, the state doesn’t really care about anything else in the frontier. In fact there’s a large amount of support in the government to purposely neglecting the frontiers economic development; it’ll make the empire appear less of a target and reduce raids, enemy forces will have a harder time scrounging off the land, the investment is put to better use in the south where the chance of attacks are much smaller, and so on. Understandibly the Zealot philosophy, with its emphasis on equality and prosperity for all had started to entrench itself amongst the rural population, eager for a slice of success. But another reason for the entrenchment of the Zealots amongst the rural poor in Macedonia that geographically, this new wealth tended to be clustered in the south, towards the cities and the coastal regions.
It must be stated that due to the mechanism of external trade, what with the the state’s monopoly and all, that whoever gets paid and benefits from this wealth was tied into a system of patronage within the government. This is not something new- patronage had been a noted part of Byzantine governance since the days of Alexios I, but with the rise of commercial activity and the state trading company becoming one of the principal sources of income for the empire, it was increasingly important to play into the cronyism and the cliques of the system.