Nobunaga’s Ambition Realized: Dawn of a New Rising Sun

[Torbald]

I’m puzzled by that too. By this stage, the conversion should be only skin deep I’d have thought…

This is the 1620s/1630s, not the 1570s/1580s, I'd wager the majority (or at least a plurality) of Filipinos under Spanish rule at this point have known only Catholicism for most of/the entirety of their lives

 

[Quinkana]

I don't see why the Japanese would import Africans as slaves when there are many other labor sources in the region, particularly the Chinese.

Prob yeah. At most they'd be oddities with little impact to the population, but I could see some populations in SEA (including

One thing that many AH.commers and the writers of its genre neglect to realise is that rainbows and butterflies (and pure grimdark and suckiness as well) were never an inevitability. The ease of handwaving wanks and utopias does not necessarily erase the issues that people can always point and speculate over.

Yeah tbh I think we'd still see the Ainu and other minorities be oppressed by the Japanese, it'd just be less than otl due to differing circumstances.
beiritou) having some unique African y chromosome markers.

That said, water buffalos will always be a boon, a force multiplier that will only dispell the labour intensivity of rice cultivation and encourage the creation of larger land allotments, and something that likewise made me interested with Romanian river buffalos.

Tbf a significant part of Japan is in the CFA region (koppen climate classification) including the kanto region which defo has water buffalo in the Chinese regions. Idk why they don't have them at this point, but I could see water buffalo from china and beiritou being introduced to Japan. They don't need particularly cold resistant water buffalo at this point. They prob have to get barns for their animals when it's cold but I think they'd do it for their cows and other livestock do idk. It could defo work though, and would make for a different Japan, especially if a significant portion of ancestral stock is from India.

Well - the population of Cagayan valley is still none too big as this point in time to provide for much displaced emigrants. That said, maybe this is one of the main vectors of the Ilocano expansion with the Cagayan valley being much more crowded than it had been IOTL.

Yeah I was thinking that it could work as a response to Japanese expansion into northern Luzon the other regions would get an influx of ilocano ppl who are being displaced as the Japanese farmers (especially as they mix with the native women and produce offspring more amenable to the environment) quickly grow in population while the ilocano ppl are growing in population themselves.

As opposed from the ones who immgrated on purpose, I don't see a bright future for the Africans who were "imported"; plenty of native Chinese and Japanese are already staking their interest to work on empty lands, and there isn't much of a niche for them - or at least, they need to prove themselves on its hierarchy - as day labourers (manpower industry in Japan tended to be controlled by the Yakuza), or even as villagers in burakumin villages itself.

Tbf at most I could see them as slave soldiers in some cases and produce small villages where they mix with the natives, but they won't be a large portion of the population. Basically they'd be sorta like clan villages composed of blacks with everyone being mandated to learn Japanese and fighting skills janissary style. Idk how realistic it is but considering how much money the Japanese would have compared to otl it'd be something a noble or two would've tried I think.

Also, one more thing: the idea of Japan and its people being the "divine race" will sure be put in full display in the socially-stratified Luzon. While it may not be like the "ableist" racism of the west, it sure still will create for a chauvinistic attitude on the part of the Japanese.

I think we'd see that attitude in some ppl especially those in the home islands but considering how much mixing between the natives and Japanese are present and the constant looming threat of malaria and other diseases I think it's more likely that honorary Japanese would be much more accepted in SEA than in the home islands.

In fact, considering that the main driving force of "arzaic beliefs" is syncretism, it can be imagined how the next "New Religious Movement" can be born on the basis of mixtures of folk Catholicism and Buddhism.

I think it'd work especially with a bunch of charismatic preachers pushing the new religion that can accept the new Japanese taking on a Japanese identity but can't due to looking different or something.

I could definitely see that happening overtime, especially as the Japanese continue to colonise their portion of the Philippines, and through connections of both Yasuke and Zheng Zilong.

Although I have to wonder, as Japan will inevitably continue to fight with the Spanish for control of the local seas and the Philippines, how will the modern Japanese navy fare, and how will the Samurai adapt to fighting against the Conquistadors on land? Sure, the Spanish aren't that good or well-trained in close combat compared to the Samurai, but compared to the Spanish who have spent decades or even a few centuries getting rich and powerful, Japan has only begun opening up and modernizing for a few decades.

Whatever the case, they will pay a bloody price for full control of the Philippines.

I think the Japanese would use pike and shot but with flintlocks becoming more common I could see them making bayonet only groups to break terico formations with greater volume of fire prob with trying to independently produce flintlocks or by buying early versions from the Dutch. They'd probably employ line tactics too as time goes by.

The shitshow in Pangasinan will convince many among the Japanese to turn the rest of the colony into a client state as opposed to a "clean-slate province"; there's no way that they'll see establishing Japanese plantations in the middle of densely-populated and unapologetically-Roman Catholic territories as something worthwhile, short of catching the 19th-century dick-measuring attitude that made for the Scramble for Africa.

Tbf I think it'd more be the Philippines being split into provinces that consist of client states that have more robust societies and those who don't, with the Japanese dominating northern Luzon while being a minority in the central bits and majority Muslim in the south.

I do think the Japanese would go for another war against the Spanish after the ten year truce tho, I could see Luzon being really lucrative especially if they find the gold mines (and even if they don't the agricultural production should be enough considering how important rice is) and they'd try to split it between themselves and the Muslims. Idk how things would go at that point but the Japanese would have more allies too since the Brits would see Japan at least as a good native power and the Portuguese could be an ally too which would make everyone uncomfortable but if it's to kick the Spanish off sea...

 

[Zireael]

I don't see why the Japanese would import Africans as slaves when there are many other labor sources in the region, particularly the Chinese.

Yeah, I think the only African slaves on Luzon are those that, well, predate the Japanese acquisition of the island

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

There aren't stuff about the Ilocanos, then known as Samtoy? I guess that they would be lumped together alongside the highland natives, what with the Catholic Churches closed down. That said, they were found distinctive and eventually integrated nonetheless due to their inhabiting of the much-more accessible lowlands, and it would not be much more different with Japanese rule either. Their Purok and Ili system being largely analogous to the Barangay system of Southern Luzon – if having vast swathes of it still being independent from the Spanish colonial framework of gobernadorcillos at this point IOTL – only served to bolster that distinction.

That said, at least some of them can be much more amenable to the Japanese Church as an alternative to the Catholic faith, as they – while they may not be too fond of its Spanish character alongside the Augustinian order that spearheaded it in their particular region – can find some of its principles nevertheless understandable.

However, the Ifugao gold trade that drove the Spanish to rush in establishing entire towns on the region will drive many Japanese to settle those same regions. Whether that population will take an urban character, or seek to claim land that they can work for themselves is a question that can result to much acrimony with its potential to displace natives who have already accustomed themselves with the encomienda economy.

Considering that Luzon is lumped together into a single, gigantic province, I do pity the constable that will be sent to manage Vigan. Balancing the immigrants' interests with the natives' and researching the entire economy's context around the encomienda system present will sure be a headache. It's not like Pangasinan where they can just whack the problem out and declare it as the resolution, after all.

Besides, Miyoshi Yasutaka's army – who have marched through their regions – must have made contact with those same towns and communities. Did they have their own supplies, or did they live off the land? Considering that Spanish influence still had to reach the region's northern ends, the locals will certainly not be too fond of that army doing the latter.

When Yasutaka’s army passed through, they lived off the land to some extent but they were also shadowed by the Japanese combined naval forces that supplied them as well and guarded them from the sea.

Luson will definitely experience more upheaval than Bireitou across the board.

On other things I could see the Dutch shipping some African slaves to the Japanese as oddities and as a thing they did starting from Nobunaga. Tbf are blacks being brought to bireitou and the courts of Japan ittl? I could see a mix of Austronesian, Japanese and Chinese being the primary genetic contributors with African being a small but significant part of the mix too.

There are similar cases like Yasuke ITTL, albeit very very very few in the home islands to the point where they won’t really have any impact. They’re more common in Bireitou but still a minimal presence, although there will be a steady rate of entry.

One thing that many AH.commers – and other writers of this genre as well – neglect to realise is that rainbows and butterflies (and pure grimdark and suckiness as well) were never an inevitability. The ease of handwaving wanks and utopias does not necessarily erase the issues that people can always point and speculate over.

Though of course, it's another matter if the author can ever be bothered to explore it; it's not as if we're omnipresent gods to comprehend the holistic entirety of a system as big as this, after all.

I definitely hope to demonstrate that political and cultural shifts, positive or negative, occur due to circumstance, opportunity, and pre-existing conditions rather than any overarching arcs. Of course I will admit that this TL has an arc in terms of what kind of Japan Oda Nobunaga envisioned I.e. a prosperous, free-flowing realm that can compete with outside, particular European, powers in terms of commerce and influence, a vision distinct from that of Ieyasu and Hideyoshi, who had the opportunity to demonstrate their own agendas IOTL.

Well, Japan's clans are far more stable financially than Spain ever was. Now that they have already invested enough of it for western-style navies and the arsenals and the financial planning that it necessitated (through a quite alien scheme from a Western PoV, I admit*), it will only snowball from there as they have now become a proper war-making nation comparable to everyone in Europe.

The only flaw – if a fatal one at that – that the Japanese have right now is their division into feudal entitlements that had legal basis to refuse functions that would have otherwise been expected from an actual state, like a centralised fiscal policy, and centralised control over the armed forces. Whatever political shake-ups that happen are done in lump-sum redistribution of lands – alongside practical sovereignty over the economic potential that those territories can give – to different clans. Relying on goodwill and the moral obligation of those entities in maintaining peace isn't really a good idea in the long run, especially as those economic potential – that are gaining experience and veterancy as foundries and battleships, no less – can be likewise used against Azuchi.

That said, Spain is both in a political AND financial pickle, thanks to the consequences of its price revolution and its emptying of Castille in its quest to populate its colonies in the New World. They sure are declining when the Japanese clans are in an inexorable upswing.

*The legacy of shōen estates sure had been quite... peculiar, to say the least.

Japan’s feudal system is one of the most impactful factors in terms of how TTL’s realm internally operates and externally projects power. You can see this with the high number of samurai descended from ronin or are ronin on Bireitou, the incentives of expansion in Ezo, and the administration of Luson but also how the Shimazu clan has its own lands on Bireitou and maintain its own relationship with the Dutch (and why there are some Calvinist samurai in southern Kyushu ITTL). It makes the whole thing as complicated as how even though Spain is less feudal, it’s difficult to govern because Spain is a collection of kingdoms and other lesser realms.

 

[Quinkana]

When Yasutaka’s army passed through, they lived off the land to some extent but they were also shadowed by the Japanese combined naval forces that supplied them as well and guarded them from the sea.

Luson will definitely experience more upheaval than Bireitou across the board.

I do think we'd see at least a few groups move around in Luzon and if we get to sabah and sawarak even more groups of natives displacing each other and moving around.

There are similar cases like Yasuke ITTL, albeit very very very few in the home islands to the point where they won’t really have any impact. They’re more common in Bireitou but still a minimal presence, although there will be a steady rate of entry.

Yeah that makes sense and it'd be interesting to see stuff like ppl in beiritoan's y chromosomes having some which are from Africa.

I definitely hope to demonstrate that political and cultural shifts, positive or negative, occur due to circumstance, opportunity, and pre-existing conditions rather than any overarching arcs. Of course I will admit that this TL has an arc in terms of what kind of Japan Oda Nobunaga envisioned I.e. a prosperous, free-flowing realm that can compete with outside, particular European, powers in terms of commerce and influence, a vision distinct from that of Ieyasu and Hideyoshi, who had the opportunity to demonstrate their own agendas IOTL.

Yep it's always like that, and I do feel Japanese society would be more inclusive and absorb more foreign influences than otl because it's necessary to do so.

Japan’s feudal system is one of the most impactful factors in terms of how TTL’s realm internally operates and externally projects power. You can see this with the high number of samurai descended from ronin or are ronin on Bireitou, the incentives of expansion in Ezo, and the administration of Luson but also how the Shimazu clan has its own lands on Bireitou and maintain its own relationship with the Dutch (and why there are some Calvinist samurai in southern Kyushu ITTL). It makes the whole thing as complicated as how even though Spain is less feudal, it’s difficult to govern because Spain is a collection of kingdoms and other lesser realms.

Hmm when will it move out from feudalism considering how constraining it is? I have no doubts that further centralisation of the realm would cause rebellion and war, but it does seem something has to be done.

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

Is there any changes in relationship with Maguindanao and Japan? Are Japanese immigrating there or have any influence on sultan?

Now Spanish influence fallen in asia is Japanese relationship in Siam normalized?

What is the situation in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia?

Any changes in sri lanka?

Will there any attempt to centralize Buddhist organizations under one umbrella to deal with Catholicism?

Is Danka system now active in japan?

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

I do think we'd see at least a few groups move around in Luzon and if we get to sabah and sawarak even more groups of natives displacing each other and moving around.

Yeah that makes sense and it'd be interesting to see stuff like ppl in beiritoan's y chromosomes having some which are from Africa.

Yep it's always like that, and I do feel Japanese society would be more inclusive and absorb more foreign influences than otl because it's necessary to do so.

Hmm when will it move out from feudalism considering how constraining it is? I have no doubts that further centralisation of the realm would cause rebellion and war, but it does seem something has to be done.

Feudalism especially OTL in Japan is very flexible as the Tokugawa Shogunate saw the rise of a centralized bureaucracy and unprecedented peace and prosperity while maintaining somewhat of a feudal model alongside the preservation of other traditional institutions. Even in Europe, feudalism wasn't fully abolished until the mid-19th century although by the 18th century European countries functioned de facto as non-feudal, centralized states. So Japan won't see feudalism overturned fully overnight, especially with the samurai class and tradition longer lasting and more entrenched compared to the knights of Europe.

Is there any changes in relationship with Maguindanao and Japan? Are Japanese immigrating there or have any influence on sultan?

Now Spanish influence fallen in asia is Japanese relationship in Siam normalized?

What is the situation in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia?

Any changes in sri lanka?

Will there any attempt to centralize Buddhist organizations under one umbrella to deal with Catholicism?

Is Danka system now active in japan?

1. Maguindanao and Japan remain allies, all Japanese immigration is either concentrated in Bireitou, Ezo, and Luson.

2. Siamese-Japanese relations never dissolved during the 1620s despite Spanish influence and anti-Japanese sentiment, although after the war the Siamese court remains wary of Japan due to its growing power and ambition. That being said, a relationship has existed since the 1590s and a diplomatic one since the early 1620s with the foreign embassies of Ikeda Masatora. I'll delve more into the development of Ayutthaya's affairs in an update pretty soon.

3. Lan Na and Cambodia have broken their vassalage to Siam similar to OTL, but with different factors and timing in play, will be covered in the future Ayutthaya update. Hardly any changes in regards to Dai Viet and Lan Xang.

4. Not really

5. No

6. No

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

During the reign of the Rajasinha II, Dutch explorers arrived on the island. In 1638, the king signed a treaty with the Dutch East India Company to get rid of the Portuguese who ruled most of the coastal areas. The following Dutch–Portuguese War resulted in a Dutch victory, with Colombo falling into Dutch hands by 1656. With Dutch focus on Indonesia will Sri Lanka ask help from Japan rather than Dutch?

Will we see Rejuvenation of Dutch interest in Portuguese areas in india like Goa?

Any impact of Japanese Victory on india? Is it possible Dara Shiko getting help from Japanese to emerge victorious over Aurangzeb?

 

[Quinkana]

Feudalism especially OTL in Japan is very flexible as the Tokugawa Shogunate saw the rise of a centralized bureaucracy and unprecedented peace and prosperity while maintaining somewhat of a feudal model alongside the preservation of other traditional institutions. Even in Europe, feudalism wasn't fully abolished until the mid-19th century although by the 18th century European countries functioned de facto as non-feudal, centralized states. So Japan won't see feudalism overturned fully overnight, especially with the samurai class and tradition longer lasting and more entrenched compared t o the knights of Europe.

Ah yeah that makes sense. I think one of the main sticking points is that the government would want to develop the Kanto region while the lords of the region wouldn't want it to occur.

Siamese-Japanese relations never dissolved during the 1620s despite Spanish influence and anti-Japanese sentiment, although after the war the Siamese court remains wary of Japan due to its growing power and ambition. That being said, a relationship has existed since the 1590s and a diplomatic one since the early 1620s with the foreign embassies of Ikeda Masatora. I'll delve more into the development of Ayutthaya's affairs in an update pretty soon.

Lan Na and Cambodia have broken their vassalage to Siam similar to OTL, but with different factors and timing in play, will be covered in the future Ayutthaya update. Hardly any changes in regards to Dai Viet and Lan Xang.

Hmm considering the Thais weakening and the Burmese trying to conquer them all the time I could see the Thais still liking Japanese help.

In the long run if the Thais manage to conquer the Burmese it'd be super ironic and form a gigantic empire and claim parts of south western China for their tai speaking populations too.

During the reign of the Rajasinha II, Dutch explorers arrived on the island. In 1638, the king signed a treaty with the Dutch East India Company to get rid of the Portuguese who ruled most of the coastal areas. The following Dutch–Portuguese War resulted in a Dutch victory, with Colombo falling into Dutch hands by 1656. With Dutch focus on Indonesia will Sri Lanka ask help from Japan rather than Dutch?

Will we see Rejuvenation of Dutch interest in Portuguese areas in india like Goa?

Any impact of Japanese Victory on india? Is it possible Dara Shiko getting help from Japanese to emerge victorious over Aurangzeb?

I don't think there'd be anything going differently for the Dutch considering they still wanna hold India. I could see the Japanese influencing the kingdom more tho.

PS how are the trends of Chinese ppl that are moving into Luzon?

 

[Heimdall]

I've been reading this TL for awhile now and I just want to thank Author for giving us this awesome Japan centric TL. I'm hugely interested in colonization so looking forward what happens in this TL.

 

[Quinkana]

I've been reading this TL for awhile now and I just want to thank Author for giving us this awesome Japan centric TL. I'm hugely interested in colonization so looking forward what happens in this TL.

Yeah definitely, I love this tl to bits.

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

During the reign of the Rajasinha II, Dutch explorers arrived on the island. In 1638, the king signed a treaty with the Dutch East India Company to get rid of the Portuguese who ruled most of the coastal areas. The following Dutch–Portuguese War resulted in a Dutch victory, with Colombo falling into Dutch hands by 1656. With Dutch focus on Indonesia will Sri Lanka ask help from Japan rather than Dutch?

Will we see Rejuvenation of Dutch interest in Portuguese areas in india like Goa?

Any impact of Japanese Victory on india? Is it possible Dara Shiko getting help from Japanese to emerge victorious over Aurangzeb?

Those events are still a bit far off before they will be covered. I’ll definitely address more India stuff in the future. Only thing I’ll say is that the results of the Iberian-Japanese War will impact India, just not yet.

Ah yeah that makes sense. I think one of the main sticking points is that the government would want to develop the Kanto region while the lords of the region wouldn't want it to occur.


Hmm considering the Thais weakening and the Burmese trying to conquer them all the time I could see the Thais still liking Japanese help.

In the long run if the Thais manage to conquer the Burmese it'd be super ironic and form a gigantic empire and claim parts of south western China for their tai speaking populations too.

I don't think there'd be anything going differently for the Dutch considering they still wanna hold India. I could see the Japanese influencing the kingdom more tho.

PS how are the trends of Chinese ppl that are moving into Luzon?

Unchanged compared to OTL for now.

I've been reading this TL for awhile now and I just want to thank Author for giving us this awesome Japan centric TL. I'm hugely interested in colonization so looking forward what happens in this TL.

Thank you!!

Yeah definitely, I love this tl to bits.

I do notice that as of late someone has been out-replying me on this thread lmao….. Ty for being a longtime reader!!

 

[Quinkana]

Those events are still a bit far off before they will be covered. I’ll definitely address more India stuff in the future. Only thing I’ll say is that the results of the Iberian-Japanese War will impact India, just not yet.

Unchanged compared to OTL for now.

It does make sense for things to not have changed for now, after all Japan has just built their navy, it takes time for changes to start getting into the system. I hope Japan gets Sri Lanka tho.

I do notice that as of late someone has been out-replying me on this thread lmao….. Ty for being a longtime reader!!

Thanks! I have no hope of writing a TL of any length so I'm having fun speculating with you guys!

 

[Red Angel]

I hope we get to see more chapters on the Dutch and the rest of Europe during and after the war in Europe.

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 51: The Ayutthaya Awakening​

On the surface, the Iberian-Japanese War completely changed the power balance in Southeast Asia from a modest Iberian preeminence to unchallengeable Dutch-Japanese dominance. Although the Dutch and Japanese and their Muslim allies undoubtedly made real gains at the expense of Spain and Portugal, the coalition was nevertheless formed largely against a common enemy and not around any mutual ties. Those keenly observant of the outcome from the outside could see this and would act accordingly towards new opportunities the postwar balance of power offered, causing a diplomatic realignment within the region. In this landscape, Siam, already a powerful kingdom with a storied history, would see itself rising towards even greater heights, beginning in a period following the war that would later be dubbed the “Ayutthaya Awakening”.

Under the reign of Si Saowaphak, Siam solidified trade relations with the Dutch and English, having previously sent an embassy to the former under the reign of the king’s father, Ekathotsarot. The kingdom also welcomed an official delegation from Azuchi in 1622, building upon a foundation of ties and trade with Japan forged by the support of the Honjo clan and the presence of the largest Nihonmachi across Southeast Asia located inside Ayutthaya. Under the military expertise of Honjo Mitsunaga, one of the king’s closest advisors, Si Saowaphak also warded off a Taungoo invasion of Tavoy and quashed an attempt by Cambodian king Chey Chettha II and the Vietnamese Nguyen lords to break the former’s realm from Siamese vassalage, dethroning the monarch and installing his younger brother Outey as the new king [1]. His relatively successful reign abruptly ended at the hands of anti-Japanese nobles resentful of the disproportionate influence of the Honjo clan and Japanese merchants in the country, who would then install the 13 year old crown prince Athittayawong. Afterwards, the Honjo clan and other prominent Japanese in the kingdom would leave the government and be sidelined, not only hurting trade and diplomatic relations with Azuchi but setting the kingdom up for internal and external conflict for years to come. Taking advantage of the internal disorder within the Siamese court, Chey Chettha II’s son Ponhea To overthrew his uncle in 1625 with the backing of the Nguyen lords and became King Thommo Reachea II of Cambodia, simultaneously throwing off the yoke of Siamese vassalage. Over the course of the 3 year war between Cambodia and Siam, the Honjo clan and its sizable retinue would leave Ayutthaya and defect to Thommo Reachea. With theirs and the Nguyen lord’s support, Cambodia subsequently gained full independence from Siam. This betrayal would create a hatred of the Honjo clan and the Japanese in the Siamese court, the two sides continuing to fight even after the conclusion of what would be later called the 2nd Siamese-Cambodian War [2]. Through the advice of Spanish advisors from Manila and the xenophobia of Athittayawong’s court, the trading privileges of Japanese merchants across the realm, including in the capital city of Ayutthaya, were revoked. The Nihonmachi itself experienced economic turmoil and rounds of persecution by the kingdom, its destruction only prevented by Azuchi’s intervention and its promise not to aid the Honjo clan in its efforts against the Siamese kingdom.

Years of unsuccessful campaigns and political instability began to take a long-term toll on Siam. The court became so preoccupied with fighting pro-Honjo rebels and Cambodia that it was unable to stop the Sultanate of Patani from refusing to pay tribute or attacking the southern port cities of Phatthalung and Ligor. Dissatisfaction with the new regime increased throughout the kingdom, even among those who had supported the coup. In this environment, yet another coup would take place and politics would shift once more. This time, the king’s first cousin once removed Prasat Thong would be the one to assassinate the king and take charge in 1630. Determined to turn his kingdom around, the new king immediately entered into peace talks with Honjo Nagafusa (本庄長房), the Honjo clan head, upon his accession and brokered a treaty between the kingdom and the samurai clan, bringing the Honjo faction back into the Siamese fold and restoring some trading privileges to the Japanese merchants in Ayutthaya. Prasat Thong also dismissed many of the Spanish advisors present at the royal court and refused to get Siam involved in the Iberian-Japanese War despite lobbying from Manila, maintaining a more neutral relationship with the Iberian powers. With the kingdom lessened of foreign influence and on more stable footing, the king would be able to focus on subjugating Patani once again as a tributary, which was accomplished by 1634 [3].​

Portrait of Honjo Nagafusa​

It was amidst this upswing in Siamese fortunes that the Iberian-Japanese War concluded, seeing the Dutch-Japanese coalition gain lands and economic concessions from the Iberian Union. Understanding the power shift that had taken place and how the political imbalance could negatively affect Siam in the future, Prasat Thong embarked upon a programme of political reforms and diplomatic endeavors to strengthen the kingdom over many years. Most significantly, he reformed the military, increasing the number of arquebusiers and cannons in the army and beginning to incorporate purchased European-style warships into the Siamese navy. Native mortars crafted from a fusion of Siamese and European metallurgy would in particular play a large role in the newly modernized military, transported from location to location by Asian elephants. Meanwhile, the Honjo clan and their retinue would formally become a designated elite unit of cavalry within the army rather than as an auxiliary force. This not only increased rapport with the Japanese in Siam and bolstered the military’s effectiveness but also decreased the political autonomy of the Honjo clan, increasing the central authority of the monarchy while easing remaining tensions between Siamese nobles and the Japanese.

Prasat Thong also increased commercial activity between Siam and the recently defeated Iberian powers, recognizing a newly existent demand for Oriental goods and resources caused by the loss of Macau and subsequent expanded Japanese control of trade between the Ming and Europeans. In time, this move would induce closer diplomatic relations with Spain and Portugal away from the Dutch but from a place of equal standing rather than as a pawn of European schemes and designs. Internally, Prasat Thong instituted a regime of law and order in the kingdom to suppress disorder , even known to carry out executions himself, and formally changed Siamese royal succession laws toward male primogeniture as opposed to the previous primacy of male siblings. He also centralized the government bureaucracy and reduced the power of the nobility to avoid a repeat of the civil strife the realm had been embroiled in so recently.

Prasat Thong’s reforms in the decade after the Treaty of Gapan in response to political changes abroad significantly expanded the power of his kingdom and would lead to Siam becoming a regional power rivaling even the might of Azuchi down the line, preventing itself from becoming subservient to a foreign power for the rest of the 17th century. This particular period would be referred to as the “Ayutthaya Awakening”, a time when the Siamese realm was awakened to and prepared for opportunities beyond its shores and surroundings. As it turned out, beyond this “awakening” period, Prasat Thong would begin to seize upon such opportunities later on during his reign.​

Portrait of Siamese king Prasat Thong
​

[1]: This attempt at independence was successful IOTL and Outey lived as well, dominating Cambodian politics until 1642

[2]: The Siamese-Cambodian War of 1591-1594 is referred ITTL as the 1st Siamese-Cambodian War.

[3]: IOTL, the sultan of Kedah, Rijaluddin Muhammad Shah, persuaded Prasat Thong to negotiate with Patani. ITTL, Prasat Thong pressed on with military intervention to burnish his legitimacy amidst being at a much more fragile standing as king.​

 

[Red Angel]

Congrats for Prasat Thong being able to centralize and modernize Siam into a regional power SEA as well being diplomatically pragmatic both internally and externally.

*Also if Siam can modernize than maybe the many kingdoms and sultanates in Indonesia could as well.

 

[Simeon]

Well, I guess the Mekong make for a bigger Taiga.

 

[Tertius711]

Congrats for Prasat Thong being able to centralize and modernize Siam into a regional power SEA as well being diplomatically pragmatic both internally and externally.

*Also if Siam can modernize than maybe the many kingdoms and sultanates in Indonesia could as well.

Would be very interesting to see. I really am hoping that many more Asian nations follow the example of Japan (as Korea and Siam have done) and modernise so the Great Divergence doesn’t fully happen and they can stand on equal ground with Europe.

The only one I’m actually hoping doesn’t modernise that much is China because a modernised China early on makes Asia it’s bitch and that makes for a rather boring story. Also Confucianism and isolationism is strongest in China compared to all the others.

 

[Red Angel]

Would be very interesting to see. I really am hoping that many more Asian nations follow the example of Japan (as Korea and Siam have done) and modernise so the Great Divergence doesn’t fully happen and they can stand on equal ground with Europe.

The only one I’m actually hoping doesn’t modernise that much is China because a modernised China early on makes Asia it’s bitch and that makes for a rather boring story. Also Confucianism and isolationism is strongest in China compared to all the others.

True but China will always fall into multiple kingdoms since there's different ethnic Chinese and Han Chinese having a very long history of screwing themselves when they get power and viewing themselves superior than anyone in the world.

 

[anyone]

I could see an earlier invasion of Korea and or Manchuria being possible depending on how diplomacy shakes out in the region, that or strong allies. But it would be interesting to see if the Jin don't invade China or fail to and remained confined to Manchuria.