AHC: Christian Indonesia

A Christian Empire spanning through all of middle east the way Islamic Caliphate did IOTL.

...or, make Christianity thrive in South India.
 
Well the easiest way would be to redefine what you count as Indonesia, afterall IOTL a god chunk of Eastern Indonesia is Christian.

However, if you mean the entirety of the OTL Republic of Indonesia then the best way to go about it would be to have Nestorianism be more successful and convert the entire Western coast of India, including Gujarat (the region from which Islam was brough to Indonesia from via traders).

After that either have Missionaries be interested in further expansion into the Archapelago or have it spread the same way Islam did OTL, through trade and economics.
 
A Christian Empire spanning through all of middle east the way Islamic Caliphate did IOTL.

...or, make Christianity thrive in South India.

It did quite well in South India but because it was incorporated into the local caste system it had zero interest in evangelising.
 
Perhaps St. Thomas? If he can go from Palestine to India (presumably by land) than he could possibly go to Indonesia by boat and convert the natives.

My other suggestion would be a greater Axumite trade influence, or Nestorian Christianity. Or even Orthodox/Persian Christianity if the Sassanids are butterflied and Christianity overtakes the ossified elitist Zoroastrian structure.
 
I thought about a predominantly christian instead of muslim Indonesia.
Could Indonesia being a Spanish or Portugese colony make this possible?

Parts of Indonesia were Portuguese colonies for awhile, and yes, Catholicism did spread to those areas as a result, however aside from those less populated Eastern islands that at the time practiced either syncretic religions or indigenous beliefs Java and Sumatra are'nt going to become Christian just because they're under Iberian control, they would likely have a somewhat larger Christian minority than OTL, but that's about it.
 

PhilippeO

Banned
> Could Indonesia being a Spanish or Portugese colony make this possible ?


Mindanao still Muslim despite colonized by Spanish. if you want western christianity, you need Indonesia that still polytheist / pagan at the time European contact.
 
actually, Islam became dominant in Indonesia because dutch support. In fact, in many places Islam is quite recent. without the acquiescence, and often active support, of the dutch islam would never have been so important.

At the time the dutch arrived islam had only been in Indonesia for 2 centuries and was only just beginning to form strong roots. Convert the urban traders and wipe out the royal centres and the basis for islam is just gone.

So, just have the Dutch decide to spread christianity themselves rather than support islam.

Alternatively, if the Portuguese took control of the archipelago you could have the inquisition solve your problem.
 
actually, Islam became dominant in Indonesia because dutch support. In fact, in many places Islam is quite recent. without the acquiescence, and often active support, of the dutch islam would never have been so important.

At the time the dutch arrived islam had only been in Indonesia for 2 centuries and was only just beginning to form strong roots. Convert the urban traders and wipe out the royal centres and the basis for islam is just gone.

So, just have the Dutch decide to spread christianity themselves rather than support islam.

Alternatively, if the Portuguese took control of the archipelago you could have the inquisition solve your problem.

Dutch existence in the region, while helped accelerated the spread of Islam (often indirectly), wasn't the main factor, which was muslim traders of Indian Ocean trade network. What the Dutch did was either co-opt muslim allies (often the less orthodox ones) and drive muslim foes (often the more orthodox ones, usually the merchants or people with strong ties with muslim trading network) into less strategic ports, which was the main way Dutch "helped" accelerating the spread of Islam in the region. Of course, they did helped their allies' as well, but it was a minor contribution to the spread of Islam. The only business they had with Islam was only taking it away from their way to profit and little else they cared to wherever it spread. In fact they more often tended to be antagonistic towards Islam(assertive muslim merchants and associates were actually the problem)

Converting was simply out of the main priority list for the Dutch, and that was actually why they manage to thrive and dominate the region. If not, they wouldn't have developed the capability to raze few royal centers that they did IOTL. Get all religious uppity inside a muslim area and you've just driven out your chance to go dominating around.

I have a very hard time looking for a non-ass pull way to get either Portuguese or Spanish unite even only eastern Indonesia under their thumb. Lesser Sunda and Maluku are kind of doable. Sulawesi ? Bali ? Not so much.
 
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Perhaps St. Thomas? If he can go from Palestine to India (presumably by land) than he could possibly go to Indonesia by boat and convert the natives.

My other suggestion would be a greater Axumite trade influence, or Nestorian Christianity. Or even Orthodox/Persian Christianity if the Sassanids are butterflied and Christianity overtakes the ossified elitist Zoroastrian structure.

How does one butterfly the Sassanids?
 

Philip

Donor
How does one butterfly the Sassanids?
Have Aradashir choke on a pomegranate seed. The Parthians will still probably come apart, but they won't be replaced by the Sassanids.

You could probably wait until Shapur II. He was responsible for re-energizing Zoroastrianism.
 
Have Aradashir choke on a pomegranate seed. The Parthians will still probably come apart, but they won't be replaced by the Sassanids.

You could probably wait until Shapur II. He was responsible for re-energizing Zoroastrianism.

I see. So in Shapur II's case, would Zoroastrianism compete with Christianity for influence in Asia? I'm thinking of making a TL where there are three kinds of Christianity: Galician or Parisian Catholic, Rhomanoi Uniate and Persian Orthodox. I know this may seem t be too familiar to Isaac's Empire, but mine would have three kinds of Christian religion.
 
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