WI: An Easternized World

[HeX]

The world we know today was built off the back of Europe. For much of history, outside of some trading, the Western and Eastern worlds were relatively separate from each other, and about pulled even in technology, though China certainly had the upper hand in that field. Then gunpowder went west, the Renaissance happened, there was a period of stagnation in Asia as China looked inward, and the next thing you know, Great Britain controls half the world and is knocking on China's door to get them addicted to opium.

So, my question is, what would a world look like where it went the other way? A world with China, Japan, Korea, and the rest of Asia at its forefront? And how do you think this could happen?

(Personally, I've always been fascinated with Asian cultures and histories, but frankly just don't know enough about them to do a TL or even a map justice.)

 

[TheReal_McChicken]

Perhaps try reading The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson. It depicts a world in which the black plague killed 99% of Europe so the world is populated and advanced by the Chinese, Muslims, and native Americans.

 

[CountDVB]

Have Ghengis Khan live longer and get even luckier. Have him succeed in taking China and then letting the Monguls go over Europe. Have this mega domain last up until at Kublai Khan and with China being able to influence large chunks of Europe.

Also, have Japan take the Britain route and have them colonize the Americas. The British Raj is replaced... with well the Mexica Shogun?

And if we're gonna include the Pacific, have Majapahit grow with Mongol support and use Madagascar as base of operations to expand and grow in Eastern Africa and if they get the Cape, also influence West Africa.

 

[cmakk1012]

Have Ghengis Khan live longer and get even luckier. Have him succeed in taking China and then letting the Monguls go over Europe. Have this mega domain last up until at Kublai Khan and with China being able to influence large chunks of Europe.

Logistics deep into Europe will be a massive pain no matter what. Best case scenario is some sort of tenuous conquest of Germany, maybe raids further west and south. No complete conquest of Europe, and honestly not a tremendous blow to its overall power centuries into the future.

Also, have Japan take the Britain route and have them colonize the Americas. The British Raj is replaced... with well the Mexica Shogun?

And if we're gonna include the Pacific, have Majapahit grow with Mongol support and use Madagascar as base of operations to expand and grow in Eastern Africa and if they get the Cape, also influence West Africa.

These ideas are awesome.

 

[CountDVB]

Logistics deep into Europe will be a massive pain no matter what. Best case scenario is some sort of tenuous conquest of Germany, maybe raids further west and south. No complete conquest of Europe, and honestly not a tremendous blow to its overall power centuries into the future.


These ideas are awesome.

True, but a China-influenced Germany among with the Slavic states and others would be an extension of that legacy and the demographic changes would be fascinating to behold.

And thanks! Alternately, have the Ayutthaya Kingdom be the one to go to Africa and expand in the Pacific and go Australia

 

[EmperorBuaya]

I can imagined it to be similar to the world of The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, only without the Black Plague killing 99% of Europe. The most powerful of the Asian nations in this TL I've imagined will be the alternate versions of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, unified India/large Indian Empire, a powerful Arab-led Caliphate/unified Arabia, Persia (Iran) and Japan.

 

[SeaBos]

The history of 'republican' thought would certainly be different, if it existed at all. There have been countries like the Lanfang Republic that formed independently of European influence so it is possible that the idea would still exist in some form but I don't think it would be nearly as widespread as it is OTL. Instead I think that liberal thought would base itself around imperial examinations (for example you might see a movement to allow women to take the exam).

I wonder how large scale settler colonialism would be in this world, I don't think China would view it as a major priority but Korea, Japan, and Vietnam might be more interested.

For fun you might have China establish a city-state on the Isle of Wight.

 

[marcduarte]

Flip Russia horizontally too.

 

[SeaBos]

Flip Russia horizontally too.

I was thinking the Golden Horde could remain in western Russia while Sakha or the Ainu unify the East.

 

[kasumigenx]

Actually, Majapahit itself is a Mongol creation due to them supporting Raden Wijaya.

 

[MrKrabsWorstNightmare]

Start by butterflying the Mongol Empire, perhaps Genghis’ father and mother never meet. No Mongol conquest of Anatolia will butterfly the Ottomans (so no conquest of Constantinople and subsequent blockage of the spice trade) and then won’t give Spain and Portugal a reason to go exploring.

If the Black Death gets butterflied here, Europe could stay overpopulated for longer and might stay in the Medieval Ages.

I don’t know how East Asia will start its period of exploration and colonization exactly. My guess is a Southeast Asian like the Majapahit, also possibly Vietnam or the Khmer and they start the spur of colonization that will later inspire China and Japan to join.