Chapter 19: The World in 1600
1600– seven years since the Treaty of London, 65 years since the Dinei conquest of Orayvi, 78 years since the first Spanish invasion of Misia, 83 years since the Treaty of St. John’s, 94 years since the union of Dadacia, 104 years since the arrival of Cabot, 108 years since the arrival of Columbus, 150 years since the formation of the Haudenosaunee federation, 162 years since the formation of the Inca Empire, 172 years since the formation of the Meshica Empire, and 188 years since the formation of the Kilsu Dynasty, 700 years since the end of the Mayan classical period, 1050 years since the reign of Thaampo I in Kutsan, and 1705 years since the formation of the Hileni Dynasty. The history of the Americas goes back thousands of years, but some of its most drastic changes had been seen within the last century. Since then, Hispaniola had come under the full control of the Spanish, as had the other islands of the Greater Antilles which the Taino had once called home; populations all over the continent would rapidly decline due to disease before rebounding at unprecedented rates; new technology and strife across many states allowed those strongest and most advanced to emerge as regional hegemons. Spain ruled the Caribbean. Portugal ruled Brazil. England ruled Takamcook and Argentina and dominated trade between Europe and East America. France took whatever minor trading posts it could get. Although there had been many native American states for millennia, due to European colonialism and consolidation, there were now only eight major native states– Kilsu Misia, the Meshica Empire, the Inca Empire, the Haudenosaunee Federation, the Federation of Tsenacommacah, the Wabanaki Federation, the Dinei Empire, and the Kingdom of Dadacia. There were also significant diaspora populations, particularly of Tainos and Jews.
Misia was by far the largest nation in the Americas. Although its pre-Columbian population of 60 million would collapse by a total of 80% from disease, the survivors were quite prosperous. There was far more room to move into cities, and farmland had been redistributed to those who remained loyal to the Emperor and stayed on the land, and new crops and animals arrived from Europe. While disease still posed a threat, Misia, like many other parts of the Americas, was able to recover significantly, reaching a population of 40 million by the end of the century, making it the third largest state in the world after Ming China (150 million) and Mughal India (56 million). Cahoqua remained the largest city with its population of nearly 400,000. The city of Shawasha came in second at just over 200,000. Following Shawasha, the largest cities were Mabila (130,000), Shicaqua (100,000), Washtanoqua (80,000), Nicota (67,000), Kiawah (56,000), and Yamacraw (50,000). Tekesta, Tanpa, and Osachit were relatively small following the Spanish withdrawal and the war against the Christians, but were quickly gaining population as Misian settlers were starting to move into the land.
To the east, the Haudenosaunee ruled the eastern Great Lakes, the Upper Wepistook, and the most valuable ports of the Eastern Seaboard from Mashowomuk to the Cape of Akomak. Although the city of Onandaga served as the capital of the Federation, it was just barely the largest city. Even prior to European contact, it typically competed with the capitals of other major constituent nations before eventually surpassing them, but now its population was actually neck-in-neck with Cheektowaga and Kawanoteh. However, now other cities were starting to rise. Manhattan had seen rapid growth since the construction of the Eriron Canal, and was on the verge of passing the other three. To the north, the Wabanaki had a far smaller population, but useful ports of their own from which they were able to export lumber, syrup, grapes, wine, and berries. Cadeskit and Machigon, although smaller than other major American cities, were the largest cities, and were useful centers for shipbuilding. Despite its often swampy coast, Tsenacommacah had valuable ports of its own, including Chesapeake, Potapskut, and the capital of Werocomoco, from which the English purchased large quantities of tobacco and other goods. The populations of the Haudenosaunee, Tsenacommacah, and Wabanaki were 4 million, 3 million, and 500,000 respectively. In the Haudenosaunee lands, one third of the population lived in the territories captured during the Atlantic Wars, referred to as the “Coastal” or “Lenape Territories”, even though large portions did not yet identify themselves as Lenape at the time. English Takamcook, meanwhile, had a population numbering in the tens of thousands.
To the west, the Dinei Empire ruled over a population of around 1.5 million, of which about half lived in Kutsan and on the Kumeyay coast. The empire had tried to expand north unsuccessfully while facing some minor rebellions. Indeed, the concept of empire was quite new in Oasisamerica, having been enabled entirely by the horse. While Natani Nez was the capital, the city of Yuum was the largest. Outside of the Western portion of the empire, the largest city was Tuf Shur Tia. Oravyi, although a significant trade and religious hub, remained quite small.
Further west, the expansion of the Dadacians had more or less stagnated. Although they controlled the bay area and most of the central valley, the mountainous terrain and many small tribes made expansion difficult, especially as horses were defused. The kingdom had a population of around 2 million, supported by the vast fertile land. While it had rebounded, much like the Dinei Empire, it had not yet seen the same massive regrowth in other parts of the Americas. Still, Socoisuka remained the most populous city, followed by Yelapu.
To the south, Meshica Empire ruled the entirety of Mesoamerica. Although the Mesoamericans had seen a similar population collapse as their colleagues to the north, they had significantly rebounded to a population of 15 million. Around the time contact was made with the Spanish, between a quarter or a third of Mesoamerica’s population lived under Meshica rule. Now, it was 100%. Although it was diverse, the eastern portion shared a Mayan culture, while the western portion was becoming majority Nawa as surrounding peoples were encouraged to adopt Nawa culture. Unity was further fostered by victory over the “Misiwatecs”, which was seen as a sign of divine favor from the gods. This divine favor, of course, did not prevent the spread of Christianity. Although the religion remained small, missionaries had carried it inland, and now as many as half a million Mesoamericans were practicing Christianity in secret. Tenochtitlan had seen its population rebound to around 150,000, and as the center of the gold and spice trade, it had become perhaps the wealthiest city in the entire world. The next largest city was the port of Zempoala, which boasted a population of around 100,000.
Tawantisuyu, referred to in this period as the Inca Empire, home to 10 million, stretched across the Andes all the way to the Caribbean in the north, where the French held their sphere of influence over the autonomous Muisca Suyu, home to about a fifth of the population. Although Qusqu remained the largest city in the empire, the port cities were now growing the fastest, particularly Tumbes and Wayakil in the north, Ichima in the south, and Port Francois on the Caribbean coast. It would be from these ports that spices, cacao, llama and alpaca wool, and minerals mined from the Andes would be exported.
Crossing from the Pacific or Atlantic, goods from the Inca Empire would pass through Spanish Central America, typically through Panama or through Rivas in Nicaragua. From there, it would usually stop at the island of Cuba, the center of Spanish power in the New World. In addition to the Greater Antilles and Central America, the colony of Parias on the northern coast of South America. At the time, Spanish America was home to only around 1-2 million people. In Portuguese Brazil, at the time also part of the Iberian Union, the population was far smaller at only around 50,000.
South of Brazil, English Argentina was just getting started. It was home to only a few thousand people, but immigrant populations were starting to come in pursuit of gold. Sir Walter Raleigh had begun leading British expeditions to the colonies of Bonusairs, Janera, and St. Paul, and up the River Plate to create new settlements, allotting farmland to thousands of new English settlers.
In addition to large states, the Taino and Jewish diasporas were farming large cultures of their own. Both generally were confined to cities, making up part of the mercantilist cast. For the Tainos, Shawasha and Mabila were still the largest centers of settlement, with other major centers including Sacuqua, Apalachiqua, Yamacra, Kiawah, Zempoala, Cozumel, and Chetumal. There were growing population centers now as well in Manhattan, Chesapeake, and other northeastern cities, as well as in the newly conquered cities of Pikate. Almost paradoxically, there was also a growing Taino diaspora population living in Spanish America. A community of about 1000 moved to live in Duhozemi, and many were joined by Taino conversos who had kept their identities hidden from the inquisition and chose to revert back to Zemism, which the Spanish were often reluctant to crack down on due to a desire to avoid conflict with the Misians. The total Taino population at the time was around 300,000. The Jewish population was primarily concentrated along the Eastern Seaboard and along the southern ports of Misia. Manhattan and Shawasha were by far the two largest centers of Maaravi Jewry, so much so that Jews of the seaboard referred to themselves as the “Munsayim”, while the Jews of southern Misia referred to themselves as “Shavashim”. In total, there were around 25,000 Jews in the New World, with about two thirds of them being Munsayim and one third being Shavashim.
In total, close to 80 million people lived in the Americas around this time. Although this number was less than it was in 1492, it was also far greater than it was at the start of the century, thanks to massive population growth driven by plentiful resources, newly found political stability due to increased political consolidation, and new crops, livestock, and technology brought by Europeans. As populations began to reapproach their pre-Columbian level, people would still continue to demand to be able to maintain their previous standard of living, and while the international system seemed stable, the demographic bomb would pave the way for internal changes within the different American societies.