AHC: Southeast Asian Colonialism

Sycamore

Banned
For this alternate history challenge, you're tasked with coming up with a plausible TL in which the maritime powers of South-East Asia go forth to exert their colonial dominion over the rest of the world, to much the same extent as the maritime powers of Europe did IOTL. Any ideas?
 
For this alternate history challenge, you're tasked with coming up with a plausible TL in which the maritime powers of South-East Asia go forth to exert their colonial dominion over the rest of the world, to much the same extent as the maritime powers of Europe did IOTL. Any ideas?
The most important thing is for south East Asia to find something abroad that they don't have. The problem is that neither Africa nor Europe has those things (a major reason why the Europeans came to South East Asia, to get stuff they didn't have).

Besides that, the pacific is big, so there is not an easy route towards the Americas.

I can see the south East Asians becoming a powerful trade empire even possibly reaching Europe, but I don't think they would colonise the world. South East Asia is simply to rich for it.
 
a late 19th century Philippine Empire perhaps? :p:p:p

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A Southeast Asian colonial empire would likely focus on the Indian Ocean.
 

Sycamore

Banned
a late 19th century Philippine Empire perhaps? :p:p:p

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A Southeast Asian colonial empire would likely focus on the Indian Ocean.

I was thinking more along the lines of an alternate TL in which the Luso Sundanese Treaty was never signed; thus, neither the Kingdom of Sunda (analogous to Spain) nor the Majapahit Empire (analogous to the Hapsburg Empire) fall to Islamic invasion ITTL. Instead, the Majapahit Empire splinters as the individual vassal kingdoms/provinces, each governed by a direct or indirect (related by marriage) relative of the Majapahit royal family, break apart and go their separate ways, creating a far more competitive, expansionist and progressive environment comparable to that of Europe (but entering this phase roughly 50>100 years earlier than the Europeans would).
 
I'd like to see a timeline where Indonesia establishes colonies on New Guinea,New Zealand and/or Australia. As for crossing the Pacific,well the Indonesians and Malaysians definitely had the skills to do it but seem more motivated on the Indian Ocean. Maybe if they heard of the Andean civilizations that would motivate them to establish trade. And if you count Madagascar then the Malaysians did establish a colony of sorts. Just one independent.
 
I was thinking more along the lines of an alternate TL in which the Luso Sundanese Treaty was never signed; thus, neither the Kingdom of Sunda (analogous to Spain) nor the Majapahit Empire (analogous to the Hapsburg Empire) fall to Islamic invasion ITTL. Instead, the Majapahit Empire splinters as the individual vassal kingdoms/provinces, each governed by a direct or indirect (related by marriage) relative of the Majapahit royal family, break apart and go their separate ways, creating a far more competitive, expansionist and progressive environment comparable to that of Europe (but entering this phase roughly 50>100 years earlier than the Europeans would).
parts of Luzon and Mindanao were parts of Majapahit.
 

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Monthly Donor
Was Europe really just so lacking in things desired by others? Sometimes it seems like it was unique among the old world continents in that regard. It seems strange they didn't have anything others cared about.
 
Kill off Rajaraja and Rajendra Chola.

The Chola invasion of south east asia ended any overt indonesian influence in sri lanka and india but it undoubtedly existed before that. A lot of people argue that invasion flipped the centre of the whole indian ocean trading routes. That it was fough over the principle of precisely whether indonesian princes could have political power in mainland asia, in terms of leding support to their chosen rulers, or not.

Once you have an active trading empire with hard political power in sri lanka and indochina, then you can extend that to africa pretty easily. Certainly malay traders in otl probably used madagascar in some ways as they planted pepper there.
 
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