Brunei Rising - A Timeline of Brunei

Portuguese Empire in the east
Portuguese Empire in the east

Europeans were making technological advances in the early 16th century; new found Portuguese expertise in navigation, shipbuilding and weaponry allowed them to make daring expeditions of exploration and expansion. Starting with the first exploratory expeditions sent from newly conquered Malacca in 1512, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in the East Indies, and sought to dominate the sources of valuable spices and to extend their Roman Catholic missionary efforts. Initial Portuguese attempts to establish a coalition and peace treaty in 1522 with the West Javan Sunda Kingdom, failed due hostilities among indigenous kingdoms on Java. The Portuguese turned east to Moluccas, which comprised a varied collection of principalities and kingdoms that were occasionally at war with each other but maintained significant inter-island and international trade. Through both military conquest and alliance with local rulers, they established trading posts, forts, and missions in the Spice Islands, including Ternate, Ambon, and Solor. The height of Portuguese missionary activities, however, came at the latter half of the 16th century, after the pace of their military conquest in the archipelago had stopped and their east Asian interest was shifting to Japan, Macau and China; and sugar in Brazil and the Atlantic slave trade in turn further distracted their efforts in the East Indies. In addition, the first European people that arrived in Northern Sulawesi was the Portuguese. Francisco Xavier supported and visited the Portuguese mission at Tolo on Halmahera. This was the first Catholic mission in the Moluccas. The mission began in 1534 when some chiefs from Morotai came to Ternate asking to be baptised. Simão Vaz, the vicar of Ternate, went to Tolo to found the mission. The mission was the source of conflict between the Spanish, the Portuguese and Ternate. Simão Vaz was later murdered at Sao.

Due to the loss of Spanish East Indies to Brunei due to Abdul Kahar and Bolkiah the Spanish would focus on Ternate once Charles I became the King of Spain, the Spanish would annex the ports and that they gained and the Spanish would also rally the people of Sunda against the ruler of Banten, however they would fail although the Spanish and Portuguese would easily gain the land of the Bataks in North Sumatera Sumatera, during the reign of Charles I of Portugal he would hold Solor, Flores, Portuguese Ternate, Timor and the land of the Bataks or Terra Batac, the Bataks would see the Spanish and Portuguese as an excellent ally against the Muslims and converted to Christianity easily.
 
Rise of Henry IV
Rise of Henry IV

The marriage of Elizabeth of France and Henry, duke of Beaumont would be seen as a good move for Catherine Tudor as Henry, duke of Beaumont rose as Henry III of Navarre and Henry IV of France and maintained the Breton inheritance to France due to successive deaths of her two sons, Charles IX and Francis III without children.

On the death of Francis II on 1560, Catherine of England would manage to be the regent for her sons Charles IX who reigned from 1560-1563 and Francis III in 1560-1570, her daughter and husband Elizabeth of France and Henry III of Navarre would take the throne of France during that time she has already given birth to their first son Louis b. November 10, 1568, followed by two children Charles b. December 2, 1572 and Henry b. May 4, 1580, this meant that Catherine of England was not wrong for her choice of marriage for her own daughter but rather she was right for that.

Henry III of Navarre would be crowned as Henry IV of France which would also integrate Bearn and Northern Navarre to the French realm which would not be received nicely by the people there which would force him to give the territories concessions and liberties like religious toleration.
 
Decline of Portuguese Indies
Decline of Portuguese Indies

The Portuguese and Spanish presence in the East Indies was reduced to Solor, Batac lands, Flores and Timor (see Portuguese Timor) following defeat in 1575 at Ternate at the hands of indigenous Ternateans, Bruneian-Ottoman conquests in Ambon, north Maluku and Banda, and a general failure for sustained control of trade in the region In comparison with the original Portuguese ambition to dominate Asian trade, their influences on modern Indonesian culture are minor : the romantic keroncongguitar ballads; a large number of Malay words which reflect Portuguese’s role as the 'lingua franca' of the archipelago alongside Malay. The most significant impacts of the Portuguese arrival were the disruption and disorganisation of the trade network mostly as a result of their conquest of Portuguese Malacca.

Due to the loss of the Spanish and the Portuguese in the East of Malay Archipelago the Spanish would focus on their remaining colonies which are Solor, Batac lands, Flores and Timor which they would use to plant Spices and trade with China, their enemy will be the Bruneian-Ottoman alliance in the East which is said to be very strong.
 
Amina, Queen of Spain
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On AD 2004, Amina Bolkiah, a Christian relative of the Sultan of Brunei would marry the future Felipe VI of Spain, she is only 1/8 asian.
 
Sebastian I of Portugal
Sebastian I of Portugal

During Sebastian's short personal reign, he strengthened ties with the Holy Roman Empire, England and France through diplomatic efforts. He also restructured much of the administrative, judicial and military life in his kingdom. In 1568, Sebastian created scholarships to assist students who wished to study medicine or pharmacy at the University of Coimbra.


That same year he rewarded Indians in Brazil who helped in the fight against the French. The chief of the Temiminós Indians, Araribóia, was given lands near the Bay of Guanabara. In 1569, Sebastian ordered Duarte Nunes de Leão to compile all the laws and legal documents of the kingdom in a collection of Leis Extravagantes known as the Código Sebastiânico (Sebastian’s code).


During the great plague of Lisbon in 1569, Sebastian sent for doctors from Seville to help the Portuguese doctors fight the plague. He created two hospitals in Lisbon to take care of those afflicted with the disease.


In his concern for the widows and orphans of those killed by the plague, he created several Recolhimentos (shelters) known as the Recolhimento de Santa Marta (shelter of Santa Marta) and the Recolhimento dos Meninos (shelter of the children) and provided wet nurses to take care of the babies.


At Arzila, Sebastian joined his ally Abu Abdullah Mohammed II, who had around 6,000 Moorish soldiers and, against the advice of his commanders, marched into the interior. At the Battle of Alcácer Quibir (Battle of the Three Kings), the Portuguese army was routed by Abd Al-Malik at the head of more than 60,000 men.


Sebastian was almost certainly killed in battle. He was last seen riding headlong into the enemy lines. Whether his body was ever found is uncertain, but Philip II of Spain claimed to have received his remains from Morocco and buried them in the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, Lisbon, after he ascended to the Portuguese throne in 1580. The body could not be identified as Sebastian's, however, which left some people unconvinced of his death. Sebastian was succeeded as king by his cousin, Charles I of Portugal, future Charles II of Spain.

On the death of Sebastian I of Portugal on 1581, Infante Carlos of Spain who is also the Prince of Asturias, he was on his late 30’s with his wife Catherine of France, Catherine of France would further the influence of France and Castile in Portugal, Antonio, Prince of Crato would question the succession of Infante Carlos, since Infante Carlos is the heir to Spain, his sister, Isabella is married to James VI of Scotland, while his sister Infanta Catherine would be marry Charles IV of Savoy, Carlos, Prince of Asturias and his wife Catherine of France would have two surviving male children, named Infante Philip b. April 14, 1568 and Infante Diego b. August 15, 1578.

His brother, Philip would rule Netherlands and England which would not be enough to stop the Dutch revolt already occurred in the Dover, he would marry Infanta Catherine of Navarre who is supportive of the reformation in the Kingdom of England but her husband would restrain her and Catherine of France and Infante Carlos would support their sibling in England.

He would be able to guarantee a temporary agreement and reforms in Portugal but Infante Carlos when he would take the throne as Charles II of Spain he would make steps to unite the colonies of Castile and Portugal, he would move the court to Lisbon on on his rise as Charles II of Spain.
 
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