East Asia 1500-1550 (Chaos)

Since 1500: Overpopulation in China proper leads to the state founding new settlements on Taiwan, later on the Philippine islands too.

The Indianized states in SE Asia, now influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Chinese culture, develop new philosophies and religious schools. There are sects which start to pray to the legendary "Yellow Emperor" as a new god, or Confucius himself (who is popular among the SE Asian officials, as a kind of god of bureaucracy).

1502 (3199, Yang Water Rat): The "Betrayal of Bengal": After the sultan of Bengal requested military and technical advisors from the Hong, who helped him to equip his army with cannons, he stops paying tribute. Chinese traders are ousted from Bengal.

1505: Mega earthquake in Himalaya. Nepal and other states of the area are broken.

1509-21: Civil War in Nippon after the emperor tries to take power for himself. The war is fought with the new weapons, the Chinese bamboo guns and bronze cannons the Nipponese have improved - the samurai have become meaningless. Some of them flee to Ezo (Hokkaido).

1514: Confucianism state religion in Ava (inner Burma).

1516-18: Border war in Arakan. Bengal is defeated by Hong vassals, has to retreat.

1525/26: The Sulu incidence: Chinese merchants are harassed by fanatical Muslims in the Sulu sultanate. After the emperor sends a Treasure fleet, the problems can be solved - but at the court, some people start to criticize Islam, seeing it as a problem for the divine order.

1529 (3226, Yin Earth Rabbit): Russian-Orthodox monks come to China to missionarize, meet to their surprise the Nestorian communities.

1533-36: After another incident on Aceh, Chinese troops are sent to punish the sultan. While they can control the sea, the army landed on Sumatra is defeated.

1539/40: Melaka attacks Aceh with Chinese help, annexes it.

1548 (3245, Yang Earth Dog): A Russian delegation is received at the court in Nanjing.