Flag challenge #180: China Will Grow Larger
The Middle Kingdom... Center of the universe... Throughout human history, Chinese civilization has waxed and waned with the change of fortune, from empires commanding the fealty of vast kingdoms across the world, to abject turmoil and bloodletting. But what if a reign of a dynasty truly lasted ten thousand years? What if the world has found order and peace under the Mandate of Heaven?
Create a flag of a country that is greatly influenced by Chinese civilization, (adopting its script, language, government, etc.), or even a Chinese majority population outside the Sinosphere. For the sake of challenge:
The Middle Kingdom... Center of the universe... Throughout human history, Chinese civilization has waxed and waned with the change of fortune, from empires commanding the fealty of vast kingdoms across the world, to abject turmoil and bloodletting. But what if a reign of a dynasty truly lasted ten thousand years? What if the world has found order and peace under the Mandate of Heaven?
Create a flag of a country that is greatly influenced by Chinese civilization, (adopting its script, language, government, etc.), or even a Chinese majority population outside the Sinosphere. For the sake of challenge:
- Only countries affected by PODs before 1911 (at the fall of the Qing dynasty) may be considered. Republics and People's Republics are but corruptions by insidious Western devils.
- Countries that belong in the Sinosphere (e.g. Japan, Korea, Vietnam) will also be rejected.
- Do not just remake a flag of a historical or current country with a Chinese majority without a POD. His Divine Majesty demands entertainment!
Entry 1 said:Yínguó (银国) Literally 'Silver Country'
Around the 15th century in this ATL, the ATL's equivalent of the Ming Dynasty (which could easily be butterflied into a whole other dynasty) begins colonising western South America just before the Spanish and Portuguese land on the east coast. This leads to a more diverse new world where both western and eastern ideas, culture, etc. are mixed and spread across the Americas. Realistically, China would have to colonise Australia and Oceania first so that their ships could reach La Plata, but the latter will be covered in this entry. Other Asian countries like Korea and Japan (to name a few) would start colonial empires after China, much like how France and Britain got a late start after Spain and Portugal already had American colonies.
The Middle Kingdom may have birthed us into this world, but they are destabilised and their leaders have grown incompetent. The voices of their subjects have gotten louder and more enraged, so we too must challenge their rule and gain independence so that we can establish a more local Mandate of our own.
As with the European empires of OTL, The Asian empires grow themselves to death and their colonies become independent nations with their own distinct cultures. China's colonies in western La Plata became the nation of Yínguó, named after what the Spanish called the rest of the area. Yínguó probably have strained relations with their neighbours at first due to their religion, language barriers and other differences but would maintain very good relations with them in the modern day.
Yínguó's flag's colours consist of a faded blueish purple background representing how the sky looked on their independence day and white for both the parting clouds and the snowy peaks of The Andes. There is also a somewhat easternised variant of The Sun of May, which in itself is a symbol for old native religion. This is reinforced by it's position over a stylised altar. The white circle under the sun is also a nod to the Ming Dynasty's flag, the kingdom that ruled China during this time in OTL.
Entry 2 said:Sinoamerican Kingdom(1901-?)
In this timeline the Qing Dynasty establishes a number of reforms in the 17th century that greatly improve their military and naval technology. What those reforms actually consist of is not important but the end result is a tremendous naval force rivaled only by the most powerful western empires like Spain. As such the Qing Empire becomes a powerful enough nation to begin colonizing North America with a few decades.
Despite their late start the Empire does manage to occupy OTL California and Nevada as well as much more northern colonies such as OTL British Columbia. Eventually the entire space between the colonies is occupied uniting the territories by the begining of the 18th century. The rest of the continent follows a similar timeline similar to ours until 1790. As such in 1776 the USA declares its independence. When Spain declares war to China in an attempt to occupy the colonies. This starts the First Sino-Spanish War and results in a quick chinese victory in 1792. This event delays the Mexican Independence as Spain needed the territories for a second attack which begins the Second Sino-Spanish war in 1824. This time the USA joins on the side of the Chinese and Spain is defeated in 1825. The following decade Mexico becomes independent. Despite their involvement in the war the relations with the USA were bitter and the ones with Mexico even worse. Fearing an invasion the USA and Mexico form an alliance in 1829 with a name that the Chinese would dread, The Anticolonial League, which worsens the relations even further. However no war ensues in the few coming decades.
That is, until the American Civil War, which takes place with same timeline up to its begining. The CSA allies with the Qing Empire which bring Mexico in to the war. The war is much more bloody and it lasts until 1866, a point at which every nation involved was exhausted and demanded a truce. The CSA is reincorporated in the USA.
But it doesn't end there. Just 2 decades later yet another war ravages North America. This time Mexico deals with a civil war between the loyalists and socialists. The socialists win in 1882 and for the Mexican Socialist Republic. This spirit of revolution spreads to the Qing Colonies as well as the remnants of the CSA adepts. A Second American Civil war ensues in 1890 and the CSA becomes independent in 1894. The Qing Colonies are not spared and in 1898 they are plagued by civil war too. The rebellion overthrows the Qing Rulling and establishes a new king declaring is independence in 1901. The Sinoamerican Kingdom develops strong ties with the CSA. In order to avoid another rebellion the goverment is structured after the British constitutonial monarchy, which proves to be effective. Sinoamerica becomes a major power in the Americas and quickly industralizes. It gets involved in the Great War as part of the Entente in 1916 sending troops in the Pacific Theather in Papua as well as on the Westeren Front in France. During the Spanish civil war it sides with the Franco's Regime and sends war aid to their cause, resulting in a quicker war. During WW2 and the cold war it adopts a neutral stance which helps it avoid any rebellions. By the turn of the millenium Sinoamerica has built a significant force as well as economy coupled with good standards of living and liberal goverment, making it overall similar to OTL Netherlands.
The flag was used by the rebellion and oficially adopted as the national flag after the the independence.
The writing in the canton translates to "liberty" or "autonomous". The red stripes simbolize the 3 wars that Sinoamerica was involed in (first and second Sino-Spanish and the american civil war ) and the blue symbolizes the 2 original Colonies (OTL California and OTL British Columbia). The canton-stripped flag, similar to the nordic cross, follows the North American Identity depicted on both USA's and CSA's flags too.
Entry 3 said:Imperial Flag of the the Mahakhitan State
The Southern Liao was the result of an ATL southward expansion of the Qara Khitai (Western Liao) state, which was in itself a rump state after the Jurchen conquest of the Liao.
In the year 1158, when Yelu Dashi crossed into India via Kyber Pass, he did not expect this new addition would become his Empire refuge when the bulk of it was to be yet again conquered, this time by the Mongols.
The Khitans settled down, stood firm, and established itself as the hegemon of southern Asia. It outlived the dreaded Mongols, and came into a competitive relationship with the Ming Empire. And, when the Ming foolishly dissolved its treasure fleet, the Liao did not hesitate to recruit the seamen and craftsmen from the "Song Empire" (how it chose to call southern China). It was when Chinese style flags, with its flaps and flames and dragons, were spread to South Asia.
The Southern Liao's (Mahakhitan) Navy, boasted by new crew and techniques, could be seen as far as Persia, Oman and Yemen.
But famed Empire of Rum (Rome, or Byzantium), with its legendary golden gates and rivers of olive oil, was still dreamed after by millions of Liao subjects. When an Imperial expedition was sent by Emperor Huizong (惠宗) in 1480, the emperor gave them the right to use an Imperial Flag, bearing the legend in Khitan script "Ten Thousand Years to the Heavenly Empire" featuring not a dragon, but a Hai Dong Qing eagle hunting a goose, a symbol of the Khitan Imperial House, and its proud nomadic roots. Its colour was in black, the Liao Dynasty's colour according to the theory of the five elements, and white, the Khitan national colour.
When it reached Sinai, it was dissuaded by the locals from going forward, the local Arabs told them that:
The Ambassador Xiao Aludun （蕭阿魯敦）was not dissuaded. He was well versed in Han history and knew how the Han ambassador Gan Ying was turned back by a similar story. He sent an explorer Krishna, with a interpreter, who asked the villagers about the way to Rum, who replied with his own question:
The explorer, seeing in the outer wall a cut, so deep that's only possibly by a Mameluke, gave the correct answer:
The villager poured water on Krishna's feet, and pointed to him him the route to the Mediterraneans.
When the full embassy showed up at Constantinople, the Byzantines faithfully noted down its Imperial Flag. This flag was going to be know in all of Rum, Frankia and the new Dvipas, to be used by the Piri the Turks' global expedition representing the Khitan Emperor, by the East Hollandia Company and West Hollandia Company, until the day of the revolution.
Entry 4 said:Kingdom of Imerina - 伊默里納王國
(Protectorate of the Great Qing Empire)
The basic idea goes like this:
The flag of the Kingdom of Imerina features the traditional red and white of this kingdom. The triangular Qing banner denotes the kingdom's status as a protectorate. The crown of Queen Ranavalona II, the monarch at the time of establishment of the protectorate, is presented in gold on red.
- Haijin policy is never enacted;
- Chinese maritime traders establish networks all over Southeast Asia, reaching also India, Persia and Arabia;
- The Imperial Government is not too thrilled, but allows the Imperial Navy to protect trade routes and present a threat of force in negotiations;
- Portuguese Empire reaches India and immediately realizes that they have to contend with China, they build up the Sea-fortress of Goa and outfit their Indian Armadas accordingly;
- The Imperial Navy falls into the Portuguese trap and are crushed in a series of engagements, driving them from India and allowing the Portuguese to penetrate even the trade routes of Southeast Asia;
- This humiliation leads to a series of reforms and attempts at modernization, which are not completely successful, but allow the Imperial Navy to regain their strength by the time the Portuguese are on the wane;
- As the Dutch and the British try to supplant the Portuguese, the Chinese traders also seek to regain their positions and the Imperial Navy wishes to prove itself;
- Initially, the Dutch have the upper hand, but the British then turn to the Chinese, offering to sell them the necessary modern technology;
- The plan works and the Dutch are decimated in a series of engagements, both in India and in Europe;
- The British and the Chinese divide India and Southeast Asia into spheres of influence;
- No conflicts follow, the Qing Empire even joins the many Coalitions of Napoleonic Wars (later called the First World War);
- When the Scramble for Africa begins, the Merina Kingdom of Madagascar establishes ties with the Qing;
- The Qing intervene against the French pressure in Madagascar and with British support (who find this a hilarious chance to snub the French), establish a protectorate on the island.
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