House of Stuart Continues: A Brief History of the House of Stuart and the World from 1662-1730

It's more a case of the navy needs to be strong to hold the towns on the coast and generally having a strong navy.
 
1720

The birth of a son to the Prince and Princess of Asturias sends relief throughout the entire Spanish court. Ensuring that the next generation of Spanish royals will continue. King Felipe is himself growing more and more tired with every passing day, though he continues to exert himself beyond what some might consider healthy. Constantly working from the crack of dawn to the first sign of night. Felipe has slowly brought the Spanish economy out of the red and toward a level of balance.

In Milan, Archduke Joseph manages to hold court several times a week, and even if he does look slightly pale and frail, he holds a presence enough to keep scheming nobles and foreign dignitaries on their toes. His son Leopold Joseph is a fine young man, an administrator who is growing to be the pride of his father and mother.

Rajaram ensures the conquest of Kutch completely for the Marathas, having decided against properly invading Delhi. His son Shivaji adds to this conquest by conquering lower Saurasthra. Jahan Shah quite literally shits himself when he receives word of this, and the embarrassing sight just about sums up how low the Mughals have really fallen. His cousins are now planning a coup, and to ignore the laws of succession.

1721

In Versailles, scandal is the word on everyone’s lips. It appears that certain members of the court have been trying to convince the King’s brother, the Duke of Berry to side with them and reduce the power of the crown. The Duke of Berry has naturally rejected this, and was in fact the one to inform the King of the scandal. The list of the conspirators is long and shocking. Several prominent nobles are behind it including the Marquis De Louvain, and the Duke of Vendome. King Philippe has them all executed and their estates confiscated. He then retires to his reading, leaving his wife and brother to do most of the ruling.

In London, King James starts giving more power over to his son, the Prince of Wales, who embarks on several tours with his wife and children. The Prince of Wales is greeted with cheering and applause wherever he goes, much to his delight and the King’s pride. The Duke of Kendal passes away after suffering from an illness for many months. His son, named James is confirmed as Duke of Kendal and Secretary of State for Scotland. Any hope the Presbyterians might have had about bringing their faith back to the forefront of national politics is dashed when the Duke of Kendal signs an agreement with the Highland clans allowing them freedom of worship within their own private homes, so long as they support Protestantism in public.

Jahan Shah is found murdered in his bed. Imperial law declares his son Jahangir is now his heir, but Jahangir is only a boy of ten, and so his cousins Muhammed and Akbar view for the Peacock throne. Taking the armies meant to deal with Rajaram away from their designated purpose and toward the battle fields of northern India. The following war lasts only a few short months before Muhammed and Akbar are both dead and Jahangir is named Emperor under the regency of his mother and several generals.

1722

Tensions along the border between Austrian Serbia and Ottoman Serbia necessitate Emperor Maximilian venturing out from Vienna to Belgrade to meet with the Ottoman Sultan. Maximilian is known to have remarked to his own advisors. “Which Sultan is this? There have been so many.” A truer statement was never spoken, for the Turks have had a lot of bad luck with Sultans. Several of whom died within the past decade from illness and old age and one cause or another. The current Sultan, Muhammed is an old and frail man, who was a fierce fighter in his youth, but now is nothing more than a husk. He agrees to the renewal of the border before dying on his way home, and without sons of his own body a succession war is sparked.

In Poland, King Alexander dies, a fever which had run rampant throughout the capital finally claiming him. His son, Jan is elected as King without much opposition from anyone, other than Russia, but really, Russia is a bit preoccupied with its own issues, what with Peter the Great having died. King Jan takes a moderate approach to things, bringing tariffs down on trade, and reinforcing the church settlement, but also wanting to explore more options other than Austria.

In India, Shivaji, heir to the Maratha throne takes all of Saurasthra, bringing it completely under Maratha control. He is feted for his achievement, whilst the Mughals continue to shit themselves. Rajaram has grown tired as of late, an entire reign in the saddle has proven quite exhausting, but he wants one more thing before he can truly retire, and that is Delhi. Of course his advisors are telling him that Delhi is perhaps one conquest too far, but he still wants it.

1723

In London, King James summons Parliament, not for any discernible reason, but simply because he can. Parliament meets, discusses something mundane such as the growing inappropriateness of the room the Commons are lodged in for discussion. King James laughs when told about this and says. “They are there to represent the people, not live in comfort, they have their own estates for that.” Parliament is dismissed when it becomes apparent that they will not be discussing anything of note, and King James focuses most of his attention on improving the Palace of Whitehall, intending to make it the biggest and most splendid Palace in Europe.

In Versailles, Queen Elisabeth and the Duke of Berry clash on numerous things, first and foremost is Queen Elisabeth’s obsession with Italy, the Duke of Berry rightly points out that France is the bigger prize than some minor duchy in Italy, and that she should focus on ensuring that her children do not lose sight of that. The Queen takes offense to her brother in law’s tone and sharply reprimands him for what she calls unbecoming conduct, and as such the council is held at a stalemate over the issue of reforming the taxation system. The King wants no part in any of it, and Cardinal Alberoni, was beginning to lose favour with the Queen due to his agreement with the Duke of Berry.

In Spain, King Felipe watches the indecision in France with a lot of anxiety. Spain is growing again, the economy made a profit for the first time in nearly fifty years, but, France’s divisions are rankling. He writes to his nephew advising him to stop fooling about and to actually rule. His nephew ignores his letter, and Felipe turns away from France, seeking out a potential alliance with Britain, something that his advisors think would be good especially as Britain is becoming a dominant naval power. Discussions continue throughout the year, as Felipe keeps one eye on Versailles.
 
1724

In India, Jahangir II’s regency is off to a shaky start, his mother wants to focus more on the southern frontier, rightly seeing the Marathas as the greater threat to her son’s reign and stability, but the generals think that the Persians are the greater threat. Indeed, the Dowager Empress has the feeling that the generals are planning something, what it is exactly she does not know, but she has a feeling and she really does not want the generals near her son, so she leaves with him, heading north toward Agra and away from what she considers a growing cesspool. The generals are not happy with this and lay siege to Agra.

John V of Portugal’s growing disgust with the way in which the Portuguese nobility carries itself convinces him that the only way to really make things better for Portugal is to adapt a more centralised model similar to what King Felipe in Spain has done. John dismisses several ministers who he had retained from his father’s reign, and trims down the bureaucracy by removing several layers of what he considers unnecessary paper work. Instead what he does is hold weekly meetings with prominent members of all three estates to discuss the important issues as they unfold. He also cuts down on the freedom of loan giving for the banks within Portugal and money lenders especially. Thus hoping to reduce outward debt.

In Madrid, King Felipe reassures the French ambassador that he is definitely not trying to negotiate an alliance with Britain, when he in fact is. His reasons are complex. He dislikes Britain-it is a Protestant state after all- but at the same time he recognises that there are many varied reasons to support Britain it is becoming a powerful nation it would not want the French to gain control of the Spanish Netherlands, and furthermore, they share similar trade interests in the East, that contradict the French. Felipe still doesn’t like the British, but with his nephew being ruled by a woman, he thinks Britain and not France is the horse to back.

1725

In London, work on the Palace of Whitehall continues, new rooms are added as old rooms are refurbished. King James maintains his happiness at the project and continually states that Whitehall will become the home of monarchy and government for many years to come. Something that worries a great many people who are staunch parliamentarians. As regards the Royal Navy, thirty new ships are added to the developing fleet, stationed on the coast and expanding toward Britain’s colonies, something that makes many British people feel incredibly proud.

The chaos of the Mughal Empire, and the siege of Agra, gives the Marathas the chance to expand eastward, beginning their conquest of Orissa. Rajaram is at the front of this campaign pushing in from the south, and using financial means to bribe any chieftains he believes can be easily bought. The campaign is over by the end of the year, with most of Orissa now recognising Rajaram as their Emperor, whilst the other part of Orissa is begging Bengal for aid.

In Versailles, the tensions between the Duke of Berry and the Queen continue. Both want the council and the King to focus on different things, be it Italy for the Queen, or the colonies and internal reform for the Duke. The King is deeply torn between supporting either side and so hides inside his depression and his rooms, instead asking Cardinal Alberoni to make the decision for him. Alberoni is torn, and so the divisions within Versailles continue.

1726

For the House of Stuart, the continued growth of the Royal Family is something that can only mean good things. The Prince and Princess of Wales now have some six children, the Duke of York has three children by his wife, and the Duke of Kendal had four children before his own death, his son the new Duke has one child. The King is said to be very happy with this and at the annual family dinner, at York castle, where the King travels every summer, the King is said to be incredibly happy with everything that has happened. His grandson, the Duke of Cambridge married Princess Charlotte Amalie of Denmark, signalling the King’s attempt to unite Sweden and Denmark in alliance against France. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have their first child before the year is out, the child is also named James. And so the King is happy, very happy in fact, with the succession properly secured.

In Afghanistan, multiple forces are at play in the mess that that region has become. The Ottomans still embroiled in their own civil war still have a hand in the pie, whilst the Safavids are fighting hard to restore themselves to supremacy. The Hotaki Dynasty led by Ashraf Hotak are under a constant state of siege. Ashraf has managed to beat back several of the enemy, but his forces are dwindling and money is in short supply. He cannot expect any aid from the Mughals, torn as they are in civil war, and so he wonders what to do.

In Milan, Archduke Joseph dies, the illness that had long plagued him finally taking him. His son Leopold Joseph is recognised as the new Duke of Milan by Emperor Maximilian and as such begins the long arduous process of trying to get the Duchy’s finances back in order. He starts by slowly raising taxes and removing the benefices of the nobility. He also starts opening centres previously off limits to all but the higher nobility, to the public for open trade and commerce to bring more money in.

1727

In Vienna, Emperor Maximilian is increasingly feeling tired, the weight of his years are an ever present thought in his mind. He stands and does all he needs to do, the Empire is in much better shape than it was before. The army is of a decent standard, with the most recent equipment and tactics being drilled into them. The economy is doing reasonably well, with trade with the orient and the east bringing much needed fresh life into the treasury. All in all he feels happy with how things are going, and as a grandfather as well, he feels secure with his succession.

Ashraf Hotak dies during a battle against Safavid Forces and his kingdom is soon overrun. His successor disappears into Mughal India, but nothing can be done to stop the conquest of Hotak Afghanistan. The Mughals shit themselves when they learn of the fall of the Hotak kingdom, and the siege of Agra is abandoned in favour of peace and negotiations.

Invasions of Orissa continue and this time the whole region bends to Rajaram. The Emperor is now content to sit and enjoy the proper administrative benefits that come from his conquests. He spends his time travelling the different parts of the Empire accompanied by his sons, reminding the people of who their liege lord is and where they can go to get redress for grievances. The move proves to be quite popular and as such, Rajaram thinks he could settle for this.
 
1728

The fall of the Hotak dynasty had prompted massive restructuring to the line of thinking for the regency for Jahangir II. His mother and the generals who had previously been at odds with one another are now working together, constantly analysing information as it comes and having open and frank discussions. The courtiers note that the focus is increasingly on the northern frontier, and that the regency seems to have forgotten about the pesky Marathas in the south.

Speaking of the Marathas, Rajaram has slowly begun to give his sons more duties. Shivaji is meeting with the council of ministers in Satara, discussing munitions and naval development. Sambhaji is meeting with foreign ambassadors, and whilst some worry that this might create rivalry when the great man himself dies, the two brothers are only meeting with these people after receiving direct instructions on how to handle things with the people they meet.

In London, Prince James, Prince of Wales meets with the council of ministers after his father takes ill. The Prince of Wales is a clever man, though not as charismatic as his father he has his own ideas, and as such begins introducing them slowly. These include slowly bringing more modern training techniques to the military, and ensuring that relations with the Dutch are repaired after arguments had broken out in previous years. He also seriously considers negotiating a peace treaty with the Spanish.

1729

In Versailles, after years of ignoring every single piece of advice that everyone had given him, King Philippe VII of France finally stirs from his stupor. Seeing that things could get a lot worse for his family and country should Britain, Spain and the Netherlands ally together, he uses every inch of diplomatic nous he has-which is surprisingly a lot- to convince his uncle and Britain not to side with the Dutch. He reminds them that the Dutch are upstarts who will suck away at everything if given the chance. He reminds them that they all once fought the Dutch to keep them from being anything more than they were, and somehow, his uncle and King James III-who had taken charge for final negotiations- agree. The Netherlands are left out in the cold.

In Vienna, Emperor Maximilian reacts to the treaty of the three powers with some nervousness. The potential for a great throw could be on the cards, and so he hurriedly seeks reassurances from Britain that there will be no war soon, and he also meets with the ambassadors from France and Spain and gains their reassurances as well. Curiously he does not meet with Prince William.

In Constantinople, the civil war finally ends and Prince Muhammed takes the throne. As Sultan his first act is to expel the warring factions that opposed him. His second act is to seize all assets of those who have been expelled and those that died. As Sultan, Muhammed focuses on rebuilding the eternal city and ignoring everything else.

1730

King James III a man who had stood before all and found everyone else wanting, a man who had had many great poems and stories written about his exploits, dies, not in battle as he had once said he wished he could, but instead in bed, with his wife at his side, and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at his bedside. The cause of death is consumption. The King dies, and a nation mourns. But soon enough, his son, the Prince of Wales ascends the throne as James IV. James IV summons Parliament, gets the money he wants from them and before they can voice any sort of complaint dissolves them and turns his attention to road building.

In Spain, King Felipe pushes on with the reforms he had been thinking of. The treasury is now instructed to cut down on unnecessary spending-though what that is, is not defined- and the military gets more investment as do water systems, sewage systems and many other things. Felipe also is quite happy with how things have progressed in terms of his family’s development. He has four grandchildren from the Prince and Princess of Asturias and a great-grandchild is also expected soon.

In India, Emperor Rajaram passes away at the age of sixty, leaving as his successor, Shivaji who takes the throne as Shivaji II. The new Emperor of the Marathas is a proud man, with a lot of experience both diplomatic and martial. He quickly negotiates a treaty with the Portuguese and the British in regards to trade and arms. He also invests heavily in the arms development that his father had started before his death. The Mughals continue to struggle along financially and militarily, the Persians do not look as though they are going to invade any time soon, but you can never be too careful.
 
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Very interesting timeline.

I like how you arranged for Charles to survive, and the English Civil War to still happen. Very nicely done. I imagine a great many Castles will survive for future tourists to snap pics of.

Be interesting to know how you thought this would forward- does a continuing Stuart dynasty butterfly away the American revolution due to different/competent leadership? French Revolution? Could industrialisation start sooner in England without William and Mary, the Georges etc?

Thank you for writing.
 
Very interesting timeline.

I like how you arranged for Charles to survive, and the English Civil War to still happen. Very nicely done. I imagine a great many Castles will survive for future tourists to snap pics of.

Be interesting to know how you thought this would forward- does a continuing Stuart dynasty butterfly away the American revolution due to different/competent leadership? French Revolution? Could industrialisation start sooner in England without William and Mary, the Georges etc?

Thank you for writing.
Indeed they will
 
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