Easternized World

Instead of the West gaining power and colonizing much of the world, the East does so. Tang Dynasty survives longer, eventually being replaced by another native Chinese dynasty that crushes the Mongols and moves on to take over much of the world. and also become great powers and compete against each other and with China for colonies and riches. This comes to produce a more Easternized world.

Background to this Althist
In Our Timeling (OTL), Tang Dynasty China was one of the most civilized cultures in the world between its foundation in 619 CE and 755 CE, when the An Shi Rebellion broke out. The An Shi Rebellion, not much known in the West, possibly led to more deaths than any other conflict in the history of the world besides World War II, even though it was just regional and the population of the world was much less back then. Even though the Tang Dynasty survived it for another hundred years or so, as you can imagine, the rebellion severely weakened China. What if China had remained the premier world power? And what if the Chinese-influenced East became the dominant world culture instead of the West, as in OTL?

755 CE: Major Point of Divergence
An Lushan, the engineer of the OTL An Shi Rebellion, is suspected of treason by Yang Guozhong, a Tang official. Yang Guozhong convinces the Tang emperor to have a spy become close to An Lushan. The spy eventually gets information about the planned rebellion, and An Lushan is executed. Although there are scattered small-scale rebellions during times of drought, the An Shi Rebellion never takes place.

755 - 985 CE: Late Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty (唐朝) continues relatively unscathed for more than 200 years after the attempted rebellion. Durning this time, many technological advances take place, including militarily, as with the invention of gunpowder. Primative guns and bombs develop soon after. Buddhism continues to flourish, while Confucianism and Daoism also make somewhat of a comeback.

985 - 1200 CE: Zheng Dynasty
The abrupt end of the Tang Dynasty would come about through Zheng Huozi (郑火子), an able soldier and Confucian scholar from Henan, who would capture the emperor and start his own dynasty. Stationed in Hebei and witnessing attacks from barbarians, he urged the Tang emperor to take measures to beat back the attacking hordes. He said that the citizens were lazy and used to a good life at the expense of defending the country. The Tang Emperor, however, did not do anything about the situation, as he felt that stability was good and that further excursions were unnecessary. Zheng Huozi and his crew then used this as a pretext to stage a coup and become emperor, jailing the last Tang Emperor for failing the Mandate of Heaven. With Zheng in charge, the Zheng Dynasty (征朝) began its nearly 350 year run.

Secretly, Zheng had not only wanted to conquer the barbarians (consisting mostly of Mongol, Turkic, and Tungusic tribes), but also wanted China to have an outlet into the Western Ocean - that is, the Indian Ocean - both for trading purposes, and also simply for a great show of empire building. Zheng began procuring and training people to be soldiers, including the teaching of barbarian skills such as fighting while horse riding. By 995, Zheng China had by far the largest military in the world and on the tenth year of the Emperor's rule, he started a war of subjugation that would eventually encompass much of Asia.

995-998: Northern Campaigns
The Great Chinese army first swept through the north defeating such groups as the Uyghurs, Kyrgyz, Jurchens, Mongols. In less than 3 years, these gains came to include much of OTL Southwestern Russia. The ethnic groups under Chinese control began to be "civilized" forcefully, with laws against speaking their languages and performing their traditional rituals in public. These barbarian tribes were relocated into towns, and would eventually lose their nomadic spirit, as well as their languages and culture. For example, by the year 1300, the Mongolic languages completely ceased to exist.

999-1015: Western Campaigns
In 999, Chinese troops flooded over the northern boundary of the Pamir Mountains and swept south to take Ghazna  in the spring of 1000, thus ending the short-lived Ghaznavid Empire (OTL Afghanistan). Soon after their major victory over Ghazna, they pushed further south and reached the shores of the Indian Ocean, completing their domination of the OTL Afghan region and Persia. By 1003, the Cuman Tribes (Western Turks) were overcome, and the east coast of the Caspian Sea was in the hands of the Chinese. By this time, the Chinese were directly at odds with the Abbasid Caliphate, which was already in a period of decline. Progress haulted for a while in Mesopotamia, as the Chinese suffered their first major defeat since the campaigns had started. However, at the emperor's insistence, further recruitment took place and China's army swelled further. Also, breakthroughs using gunpowder bombs took place and were tested in combat use against the Abbasid Caliphate. Emperor Zheng, upon hearing that the Mediterranean was so close, wanted to push on further to gain it In 1012, Baghdad fell and the Abbasid Caliphate was no more. Further major annexations occurred until around 1015, when the conquered territories were consolidated.

After the Major Campaigns
After the military campaigns, the Zheng Dynasty of China signed various peace treaties, including ones with the Byzantine Empire, the Fatimid Caliphate (of Northern Africa), and some Indian entities such as the Solankis, as it had already done with Goryeo (Korea) and Japan before the campaigns. Emperor Zheng Huozi puts ethnic Chinese people in charge of all new territories, also keeping bodyguards and generals ethnically Chinese. However, he allows conquered peoples to climb the ranks, and some former enemies are able to attain certain high positions. The highest of the rulers, during much of the Zheng Dynasty must also send their first-born male children to the capital of China, which had been recently moved to Beijing from Chang'an (or Xi'an). This helped to ensure that no faraway governors would take it upon themselves to declare independence and establish themselves as kings. Zheng Huozi died in 1025, with his son, Zheng Baitong (郑拜僮) taking over. Emperor Baitong was generally a good ruler, although he was prone to get angry when shown disrespect in any way. He was also a perfectionist, and didn't care much how things got done or how much it would cost to get them done, as long as they got done. With the passing away of his father and the reduction active Chinese troop numbers, some of the subjugated peoples, as well as bordering people lost some fear in the government. This was also due to memories of war fading and a new generation growing up without any memory of war. Although arguably most subjects of the empire thought of themselves as such, there were some groups that rebelled. However, these were easily put down by the still-strong government.

1036-1039: Arab-Egyptian Campaign
In 1036, there was a tremendous attack upon the Zheng Dynasty by Muslim Arabian tribes. The assumed reason was that the border of the Chinese Empire lay just north of Medina, one of the Holiest cities of Islam. The Arabians, angry about the overthrow of the Abassid Caliphate and unwilling to let Godless heathens into their religious cities, even for trade, outright refused the visits of emissaries from China. This also angered the Chinese Emperor, who was used to being shown respect. During the early 1030s, China also apparently received word that the Fatimid Caliphate was giving weapons to the Arab tribes (although there was no conclusive proof that it was the Fatimid government's own doing). However, when in 1036, a massive well-armed force broke through the Chinese Empire's border towards Baghdad, both the Arabians and the Fatimids in Egypt were put in the crosshairs of Chinese fury. The new emperor felt that he needed to prove himself by showing great force towards his opponents, and this was the instance that he desired. The Arabians besieged Baghdad, and the Chinese were in the situation of having to hold on for more than a month until a substantial number of Chinese troops arrived. In the meantime, some regiments made up of conquered peoples (which were by law barred from utilizing some Chinese-exclusive weaponry) had to suffice. Eventually, Baghdad fell to the Arabians because a large part of the Muslim population in Baghdad itself rebelled and wouldn't fight. However, a few weeks later, the well-armed and 500,000 strong Chinese army retook the city and then moved on to wage war with the rest of Arabia. In as little as a year, the whole Arabian peninsula was under Chinese control. At the same time, an offensive against the Fatimid Caliphate commenced, even though there had been a peace treaty signed and the Caliphate never admitted to helping the Arabians. Chinese troops swept into Egypt, subduing the capital of Fustat and claiming the royal palaces at Cairo. The Fatimid rulers escaped to Ifriqiya (or Tunisia), setting up shop with the Zirids. The Chinese pushed towards Kairouan, where the new Fatimid capital was, but never succeeded in taking it. In late 1039, the fighting stopped, with Chinese control over both Arabia and Egypt.

The Muslim Persecution
Partly because of the betrayal of the Muslims in Baghdad, and partly as a show of force, and probably also because the Muslim subjects in general seemed to be the hardest to gain the loyalty of, there began a great persecution. Firstly, both Mecca and Medina, which had shown such contempt for the Chinese by not allowing even one to enter, were burned and beaten completely to the ground. Zheng Baitong ordered that the cities return to the desert so that nobody could have them. All of the sacred artifacts of the cities were desecrated, and the "black stone", a meteoroid remnant in the kaaba, was taken back to the emperor in Beijing. Secondly, after hearing of the desecration of their holy cities, adult male Muslim civilians across the empire were made to state that the Emperor had the "Mandate of Heaven". Those who failed to do so were put to death. This lasted from 1037 until 1047 - a full ten years. Afterwards, things were more relaxed, although Muslims (and non-Chinese in general) were continued to be viewed with suspicion. Because of the desecration of the two most holy cities in Islam, Kairouan (in Fatimid Tunisia) became the most holy city, although to this day, Muslims pray in the direction of the former Mecca.

1053-c.1100: Economic and Cultural Revival
During the war years, which the vast majority of Chinese had been born under, the nation had shown its amazing strength that it had largely gained during the Tang Dynasty and then unleashed during the Zheng Dynasty thus far. However, culture had stagnated and by the end of the war years, China was in debt. The almost forgotten Tang life had been an easy one for most, with a quality of life much higher than in most other places in the world those days. But more and more, young men had not been able to continue in their father's businesses, whether it was growing food or inventing new devices of all sorts. Instead, they were being sent halfway around the known world and dying fighting enemies that hadn't even existed in their parents' minds. Many Chinese didn't want any more fighting. What they had conquered was good enough. In fact, China proper was even good enough. This was the thinking during the war and up to the middle of the century, when the third Zheng emperor took the throne.

In 1053, Zheng Feiling (郑肥令) took power. During his rule, China's relations with neighboring countries and internal minority groups improved. Especially concerning trade, China came back to life. With less chaos in the empire, the Silk Road resumed. And now, because of its conquests, China had complete sovereignty over the whole land route, excepting the Indian sub-branch. This proved to be beneficial for trade because China's standing army (again smaller than during wartime) patrolled the major routes to keep them safe for traders. Before, bandits had been common. With the sea route, the Malay kingdom of prospered. During this period, the Srivijayan town of Temasek (or Sea Town) started to grow rapidly. It was located on an island (Pulau Ujong) at the tip of the Malay peninsula, around which every maritime Silk Road ship going to or from China would have to pass.

Distrust between the Byzantine Empire and the Chinese Empire was palpable, but trade relations trumped it for the most part.

1100-1182: Japan and Srivijaya's Become Sea Merchants
Throughout much of the 12th century, and  prosper. In response to the tremendous growth of long-distance maritime trade, Srivijaya and Japan start building up great trading and military fleets. China, on the other hand, focuses more on land transport, and foregoes a large blue-water navy for a green- and brown-water (close to shore) navy. As a major land power, and with long-distance sea trade still in its infancy, China does not yet realize the power that navies can be brought to bear. In fact, China encourages the Japanese to act as traders between China, Srivijaya, and India. Over the decades, these ships, as well as the distances that they travel, continue to grow. Srivijaya, is also busy in its attempt to become a major power. One helpful situation is the fact that all sea traffic from India to China has to pass through the Vijaya Strait (OTL Strait of Malacca), and thus through Srivijaya's waters. Taking great pains not to become a Chinese vassal state, it stayed on good terms with its larger brother to the north. By the mid-1100s, Japan and Srivijaya are rich from trade, while China has maintained its dominance. Thus far, China's perceived might kept others from posing a great threat, but this would change as China was set to implode.

1182-1200: The Fall of the Zheng Dynasty and the Break-up of China
1182 was the beginning of the end of Zheng China. Starting around the mid-1100s, the Chinese emperors became increasingly greedy. The Imperial Household became infamous for its ubiquitous displays of wealth and for its turning a blind eye to the increasing gap between rich and poor in the country. Important posts in the military and trading companies were filled with the friends and family of the emperor, showing that cronyism had overturned the meritocracy of the past. Also in 1182, there was a local famine around Beijing, which many of the people attributed to bad governance. A riot formed in the capital and grew so large that the emperor had to flee, and the imperial palace was taken by the mob. At this point, some prominent army leaders cut allegiance to the emperor and declared that they were now in power. This was the beginning of the Dynasty of Generals. However, a large part of the army, as well as of the populace, were still loyal to the emperor. The emperor moved his court to back to the older capital of Chang'an (Xi'an) and set up a competing government. When the governors of the outer territorries heard about the rebellion in China proper, several of them decide to break away. The policy of governors sending their first-born sons to the capital as leverage against declaring independence was still in force, but during the riots, many of them were able to escape the capital. Some joined their governor fathers. Some governors declared independence without their first-born sons present, as by this time, the culture amongst governors had changed to the extent that first-born sons were the expendable ones. By 1184, three regions (North Africa and Arabia, the Kipchaks (along with other Turks), and Persia) had broken away from China, and China was still divided in two. The governors of the Kipchak and Persian regions stated that they would rejoin China once the emperor regained the throne. However, the North Africa and Arabia region declared its independence from China outright. (It is important to note that it wasn't the populace of these regions that declared independence, but rather the Chinese governors who did. Thus, these areas would continue to be under Chinese cultural dominance for decades, until the Chinese upper class started to assimilate into their respective nations while also profoundly altering the previous culture, with the process mostly complete by 1300, when China would again awaken and start to expand again.)  At any rate, the end of the Zheng Dynasty came in 1189, when the emperor's troops were defeated by the group that defected from the army, and their control soon encompassed all of old China proper (that is, minus the areas that had declared independence). However, thoughout the 13th century, the army defectors and their kin would battle each other, and the break-away states, to reign supreme, and China's role in world affairs would be severely undermined for a century.

The Arabian War
By 1200, the eastern part of China was under the command of the Dynasty of Generals, and the western area of former China was a collection of 3 independent kingdoms known as Kipchak, Persia, and Arabia. Besides these were the strong states of Japan, Srivijaya, and the Byzantine Empire. All three of these non-Chinese states gained clout throughout the latter half of the 12th century. The kings of the new break-away states, however, were immediately faced with internal rebellions and war. Such was the case in Arabia in 1204, when an Arabic tribal leader known as Yusuf bin Ghazi al-Qassimi. Yusuf managed to gather a large group of southern Arabs (who hadn't been as severely subject to Chinese rules because of weak rule in the region) and ride to Baghdad, attacking the Chinese Arabian monarch. In October, Baghdad was once again beseiged by an army, this time al-Qassimi's. By January, 1205, al-Qassimi's army was able to break through into the city. The Arabian Chinese King, Yi Ba (伊巴) fled, along with other Chinese. Yusuf had stated that any Muslims were in the city were not to be harmed, but that Chinese and Muslim apostates were to be killed. Thus, while most Arabs at least pretended to be Muslim once again or had never given Islam up in the first place, a small diaspora of non-Muslim Arabs and Chinese from Baghdad and other cities that were heavily Chinese-influenced fled to Jerusalem. Once there, they reinforced it so that they could better defend against al-Qassimi's army. One mistake that Yusuf bin Ghazi made was not keeping an eye on the north of Baghdad, where the escape occurred, but continually besieging it from the south. His prize was the city, as he knew that it was the most important in the region. However, from Jerusalem, Yi Ba wrote letters to the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, asking for assistance. He stated that al-Qassimi was set to attack the Byzantine Empire once he had completed his domination of Arabia, and proposed that he could lend troops and support to the Byzantines in exchange for being the governor of Baghdad once again. At first, the Byzantines didn't believe Yi Ba, but at the same time, they were worried about the instability to the East, and thought that this was a good chance to grow their empire while solving the conflict. However, before The Byzantines had a chance to think things over, both Jerusalem (under Yi Ba's control) and eastern Anatolia (under Byzantine control) were attacked by Yusuf's swelling army. The Byzantine Empire quickly agreed to Yi Ba's proposal, but added that he would have to convert to Christianity if he wanted any part in ruling the conquered lands. Yi Ba agreed, and an offensive gathered force against Yusuf's forces. For the first time, Yusuf's army felt what real war was like, and the first few battles left his forces reeling. There was soon a mutiny in Yusuf's own army, and he was killed. A number of his men claimed leadership, and several factions were formed, which ended up fighting amongst themselves as much as they fought against the ethnic Chinese and Byzantines. Still, they managed to hold their own and gain control of most of the former Chinese break-away nation of Arabia, including the Sinai Peninsula, but minus most of the Levant, which by now was under Byzantine control. The Muslim forces didn't let up, even though they lost an astonishing number of fighting men. The Byzantines grew so desperate that they called upon the Pope of the Western church for aid, offering up a council to attempt to mend the religious schism, as well this perhaps one-time opportunity to Christianize the Muslim lands. The Pope decided to help, and ordered the Crusade in 1208. By 1209, there was fierce fighting in most of the Middle East. This fighting would go on for 17 years, and this, along with the emnity between China and its former domains would bring the Silk Road to a screeching hault, hurting the economies of China, Japan, and Srivijaya in particular.

Srivijayan Discoveries
Srivijaya, a nation highly dependent on international trade for its wealth, is not able to sail ships to the Red Sea, or through the previously re-opened canal to the Nile, which let boats continue on to the Mediterranean Sea, and, hence, Europe. The non-stop war between the powers in that region had deeply hurt the international trade situation that had flourished up until the break-up of China. It was because of this situation and its bad effects for Srivijaya that Srivijaya began some exploration missions along the east coast of Africa to try to find an alternative route to Europe. On the first voyage in 1213, the Srivijayan explorers came upon Madagascar. On board the ship was a native Barito speaker from Borneo (Borneans being called "Dayak"s). This man, upon hearing the natives of Madagascar, was able to understand most of what they said. This incredible surprise facilitated communication and instantly brought these two disparate communities together. The explorers soon left Madagascar and explored the coast of Southern Africa, passing the southern cape and making it up to near the Congo River, before turning back, staying in Madagascar again, and then continuing back to the major port of, whence they originated. When the news of the crew's discoveries got around, the Emperor immediately called for more exploration, and assembled crews made up of men from disparate parts of the Empire, including Barito speakers on each ship. Soon, there was a notion that Malays might have been the native people of Africa, and possibly more places. It was noticed that the population of southern Africa tended to be shorter, lighter of complexion, and had some semblance of epicanthal folds - that is, more Asian eyelids. These were, in fact, the Khoi-San, or Bushmen, who had no immediate relation to Malays, but they did resemble Malays to a much higher degree than did the Bantu people of the north. Unfortunately for the Srivijayans, nobody on board an exploration ship was able to speak any Khoi San languages, and it became clear that the language was very far removed from Malay. However, there was still speculation that they were Malays of mixed race who had lost their original language. At any rate, Malagasy (the language of Madagascar) was soon translated into Malay by Barito (particularly Maanyan) speakers. Madagascar was soon known in Srivijaya as "Brunei Baru" (meaning "New Borneo"). In 1235, Srivijayan explorers successfully make it around Africa and reach the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar. Throughout the 13th century, Srivijaya would start a strong trading relationship with Norman England and France, and Portugal, among other kingdoms. At the same time, traders started to colonize the southern tip of Africa. Their major permanent settlement in the south of Africa (OTL Cape of Good Hope) was called "Tanjung Harapan".

Japanese Discoveries
When news got out that Srivijaya had discovered a way to trade with Europe, Japan realized that there were great opportunities to be made in exploration and trade. Srivijaya dominated its areas of control, and there was little hope that it would allow the Japanese to colonize areas within the regions it had found. A war with Srivijaya, especially in Africa, would be fought far from Japan, and supplies would not be able to reach there, due to then having to be shipped through Srivijayan waters. So Japan decided to first try exploring to the north and east. Ship technology rapidly progressed, and by 1251, Japanese explorers had made it halfway across the Aleutian archipelago. By late 1269, they had made it to the Alaska mainland. In the decades afterwards, it became clear that they had discovered a new continent. In 1286, Japanese explorers made it all the way south down the west coast into temperate areas and decided to create their first permanent settlement. It was named Yamami (山見). Yamami (OTL Tacoma, WA) was thought to be a spot of good luck, because it was overlooked by a tall mountain that explorers and colonists claimed was as tall as Mount Fuji. By the year 1300, there would be nearly 100 Japanese people permanently situated in Yamami. A further 200 were scattered about various other permanent settlements situated all around the Ring of Fire's northern arc (from OTL Hokkaido and Kamchatka to the Aleutians and Alaska). Although Japan did not benefit from trade with Europe, it had found a land of great natural wealth.

1300s: Colonization and the Rebirth of China


The 1300s were the beginning of a new era in global affairs. Asian states rapidly prospered, and for the first time, their authority transcended continents. East Asian influence would find itself in far off places such as Africa, North Yodderick (North America) and South Yodderick (South America). Major colonial efforts took place, and settlement of other lands began in earnest. This would enrich the Asian empires, usually at the expense the indigenous people of their colonies. Especially in Yodderick, disease previously unknown to the natives would ravage populations, and a few diseases were also transferred to Asia.

China's Changing Government
Under control of the Dynasty of Generals in the 1200s, China sank further into poverty while some of its rivals were at their peaks of acheivement. Although there were no major famines or wars, the Chinese government and people knew about the headway that some of its neighbors were making. By this time, China was also slowly breaking up into independent states. From a firm government in Beijing in the early 1200s, the Chinese Dynasty of Generals had evolved into a meeting of warlords from various regions. By the end of the century, the generals/warlords rarely met to discuss any overarching plan for China, and bloodshed would sometimes result when they did meet. Slowly, however, the general of Beijing started building up a major army in preparation of once again uniting China. He was known as Hǔ Chóngshēng (乕重生). In 1311, he called a meeting of the generals. Out of the other eight generals, two showed up, and another one sent a representative. It was with these other generals that he talked of a plan to once again unite China and make it a great nation. After the meeting, these generals sent word to the others that they could agree to the conditions brought up at the meeting, or they could be conquered. Hu Chongsheng styled himself as the leader of the new China, even though all were supposedly equal. In the end, three generals located in southern China resisted, and a war broke out. Within a few years of fighting, Hu Chongsheng and his allies had triumphed. Hu, now the undisputed most powerful person in China, came up with a new system of governance, which was actually very progressive for the day. He created the Chinese National Council instead of declaring himself an emperor. He made it illegal for one to pass down the title of general to one's child and instead implemented tests to show the worthiness of people to rule. The test would be administered to well off families who could pay to take it (the fee to apply for a test was out of a peasant's price range). Those who scored at the very top became candidates in their respective provinces. Then, the leaders of the provinces could choose a few of that number who would be sent to Beijing to serve in the National Council. This group of a few hundred people would be tested again (to make sure that the provincial authorities didn't cheat) and then would assume the power to make laws and dictate policy. For the rest of Hu Chongsheng's life, he served as the "Council Leader". The Council all together had a 70% say, and the Council Leader had a 30% say, although in the beginning years, the Council mostly agreed with the Council Leader on issues of great importance. After Hu Chongsheng's death, Council members were allowed to elect a Council Leader from among them. Although this led to great partisanship, this form of government would remain little changed for the next few hundred years.

Srivijaya Prospers
Throughout the 1300s, Srivijaya became the major trading power in the world. Its ships plied the waters from western Europe to southern Africa to eastern Asia. Tanjung Harapan, at the south cape of Africa, continued to grow, while other African colonies were founded, such as Padang Pasir (Walvis Bay, Namibia), and Pekan Singa (Mombasa, Kenya mainland area). The previously uninhabited islands of Pulau Batuan (Cape Verde) and the islands of Pulau Anjing (Canary Islands), formerly only inhabited by stone-age cultures were also discovered and small towns and military outposts appeared. Most of these islands would stay uninhabited, however. By the mid 14th century, Srivijaya had under its control a good bit of the coastline from Kenya south around the south cape, and up to the Strait of Gibraltar. Of course, the vast majority of this land was not settled, or still home to hunter-gatherers, and the interior areas were largely unexplored, but a new great trade route had come into its own. This started to take a lot of trade from the Egyptian route, which was still unstable, as fighting between Christians and Muslims, and even now between Orthodox and Catholic sects had not completely died down.

Srivijaya did much business with, Granada (Southern, Muslim Iberia), Aragon, and Norman England (which still controlled OTL western France). At the same time, Castile, Portugal, the Papal States, and the Marinids (Muslim Empire of Morocco) thought of Srivijaya as a threat, and mobilized forces on various occasions to keep them from docking. The Pope called for an end to all direct business with these outsiders on European soil, but allowed ships to meet them in their African territories. The Cathar faith was professed by the vast majority of Tolosans by this time (the Crusade of 1208 removed to Arabia the forces that could have overcome them), and a growing minority in Aragon and the English posessions on the European mainland, and thus, the pope had little power over the countries that were already trading with Srivijaya. Tolosa, especially, became a rich country and a major power in Europe during its relationship with the Malays. The same is true for Srivijaya, itself, as it became one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world at this time.

European Matters
In the preceding centuries, Europe had been showing more and more that it was hugely significant in world affairs. After the collapse of the Silk Road, it was not long until Srivijaya regained contact with its voyages around southern Africa. Western European nations, once considered backwaters to the Byzantine Empire and Italy, now were quickly becoming the most prosperous. The Strait of Gibraltar had become hugely important, and various countries would vie for power over it. In the early part of the century, the Strait was completely controlled by Muslims, from the Marinids to the south (in Morocco) to Granada to the north. The Marinids were against Srivijaya because of their religious fanaticism and xenophobia, but Granada was only too eager to establish treaties with Srivijaya. This is mostly because Granada was being pressed from the north and hoped that they could turn their fortunes around with technology from the east. However, Granada was still paying tribute to Castile at this time, and the Pope ordered all Christians to not allow Srivijayans into Christian ports. Because of this, Castile became enraged at Granada, and pressed even harder to erase it from the Iberian peninsula. Tolosa was in a similar situation to Granada. The 1208 Crusade helped keep major Cathar cities from being besieged, but that was now over, and the Pope was increasingly bent on eradicating the heretics. It was harder now, however, as Catharism had spilled into surrounding nations and had become a major affront to Catholics instead of a fringe group. Tolosa, being the most liberal nation in Europe at the time, had no qualms with trading with outsiders, and also thought that it could help keep back any crusaders. Oriental ship technology and knowledge of the New World also piqued their interest, as they felt that if things got too bad, survivors could make another home for themselves. England and Normandy (and the west coast of OTL France), under the same crown, also felt that they could benefit from outside technology, as they were in the midst of battling to stay viable on the European mainland.

Japanese Domination of the North Pacific
By the middle of the century, Japan has solidified its position as the ruler of the North Pacific coastal lands. It fortified and enlarged its settlement of Yamami, while establishing other permanent settlements such as Shintoko (新東港 [Shintoukou], OTL San Jose / Silicon Valley, CA) and Heino (平野, OTL Los Angeles, CA). Still, with all this, it still did not have a route to Europe, and so had to trade via its rival Srivijaya's African route. However, Japan gained many mineral and other resources that were found on the North Yodderick (北洋大陸 [Kita You Tairiku] lands.

The Break-Up of Kipchak
By 1350, Kipchak had practically wasted away. This is because the country had originally been just a part of the Chinese Empire where Turkic nomads lived. When it broke away from China, it was left with an unsettled population that was prone to moving, as well as warfare, both within Kipchak and without. Over time, the king had control over less and less of the country, and various nomadic warriors became de-facto rulers of their own domains. At first, they listened to the king, because the Chinese Empire had been both strong and severe, and they expected this to continue. But over time, the monarchy showed its weakness. In addition, the Turkic people did not particularly like a relatively small group of Chinese to rule over them. There was not one moment when Kipchak dissolved, but rather, it was over a long time. Out of Kipchak came smaller, more ethnically homogeneous groups, the largest of which were the Kazakhs and Tatars. These groups were in no way nation-states, or even countries, but groups of similar tribes. They would soon be under Chinese control again, however.

Korea Arrives on the Scene
Korea had been a minor country until the fall of the Zheng Dynasty in 1189. It was mostly in the Chinese Empire's shadow, and was a tributary state off and on. When China weakened, Korea had more freedom, and the Chinese reforms of the early 1300s did not diminish Korea's power. Korea was never thought of as a part of China (unlike Guangdong and other southern areas) and so instead of trying to take over Korea, the new Chinese government signed a number of treaties with Korea. Under these treaties, Korea could continue to have autonomy in most matters, but would also allow itself to be a staging ground for any offensive against Japan. Koreans had adopted many of the ship-building methods from the Japanese, and the Chinese were also eager to take those designs and improve upon them. It turned out that Korea also did some exploring in the North Pacific, though not yet on the scale of the Japanese. Generally, China wanted Korea to establish some colonies in the Japanese sphere of influence, so as to break it up into smaller pieces, while Korea could use the threat of a Chinese invasion of Japan to make sure that they were not harassed on the high seas by the Japanese.

New Chinese Colonization
Throughout much of the 14th century, China mostly focused on re-taking the territories that had been pried away at the end of the Zheng Dynasty. The final end of Kipchak came when the small town and capital was taken by Chinese forces. China reinstated its laws over the wild territories that were the home of nomads. Also, inspired by the Japanese ability to travel so far north (to the Aleutian Islands), the Chinese government declared its ambition to control all of the land north of China. Thus, whereas before the frozen tundra of Siberia had stopped China from claiming land above a certain latitude, it was in this period that explorers made it to the Arctic Ocean, and claimed all of the land in-between as China's. On the one hand, it was a hard task to travel so far, and under so arduous conditions, but on the other hand, the extremely sparse population and hunter-gatherer lifestyles of the population meant that China could essentially claim the whole of Northern Asia without a fight.

China started almost a century behind, but as its economy rebounded, it undertook various campaigns in the New World. With its new ship technology, it did what the Japanese hadn't been able to yet. It cut a line through the temperate waters to the New World. In 1361, the Chinese made the first non-stop trip from (non-Arctic) Asia to Yodderick and landed near the city of Huicheng (辉城 [huī chéng], OTL Puerto Vallarta). Many more trips were made subsequently. On one of these journeys (in 1376), the Chinese discovered the Hawaiian islands via following the atolls southeast from the Midway Islands. When the Japanese found out about this discovery, relations soured severely, since a harbor in the vicinity of Hawaii helped colonization efforts of the New World greatly. Soon, there would become a race for colonies between Japan and China, with Korea also in the mix.

1400s: Plague, War, Turmoil, and the start of the European Renaissance
The 1400s started out with things going pretty well in most of the Old World, and chaos in the New World. Often, at first contact, native populations melted away seemingly overnight, and the colonizers gained new territory. Japan gained much land and riches, but was increasingly at odds with China and Korea. The Chinese tried to call a conference with the leaders of Japan to carve up the New World into separate spheres of influence, but the Japanese felt that they were in a good position and declined the offer. Japan, after all, had a large head start in the New World. Because of Japan's unwillingness to cooperate, China declared war in 1411.

Sino-Japanese Colonial War
China based some troops on the northern shore of the island of Taiwan (a mostly tribal island at this point) and Jeju Island (of Korea, by treaty), as well as sending ships to the New World via Hawaii. The stated reason for the invasion was the disrespect of China, including the unwillingness to curb piracy in Chinese waters and (the main reason) an unwillingness to settle border disputes in Yodderick. This war also came soon after the Chinese and Japanese realized that South Yodderick (South America) was another huge continent that could be exploited. This war, especially overseas, was a good test for the new Chinese-designed warships. Chinese cannons were prominently used at sea on these ships. The first attack was on Kyushu Island, on a major trading port. The Chinese were not bent on taking Japanese land, but rather on proving the point that China should not be crossed. Thus, the Chinese set fire to settlements instead of taking them standing. This tactic was especially prominent in Yodderick, as the first incarnations of Yamami and Heino (each with more than 1,000 people) were almost completely burned to the ground, with the populace scattering into the outlying areas. The most disastrous event is known as the "Burning of Naniwa", and was a huge Chinese assault on central Osaka. However, for all of this, the Chinese couldn't make it far on land in any Japanese place. A new breed of highly skilles samurai cut down the Chinese armies that dared to get beyond sight of the sea. Kyoto remained completely unscathed. In the end, the Japanese continued to refuse to recognize China as a greater power, and the Chinese council voted to hault the war, as it was turning out to be more difficult than imagined, and they believed that the troops would be better used elsewhere. Each side claimed victory, and the end of the war saw the situation stay essentially the same as before the war, only China recognized Japan as more of an equal.

The Great Plague
For the past 100 years, Asians were only used to seeing plagues hit the native people of the New World. These plagues were of smallpox and such, and were less lethal to Old Worlders. While the Asian colonizers often tried to fight smallpox and help the native people (successfully teaching them new techniques like rubbing smallpox pus in wounds while healthy so as to increase resistance later), what was a great problem for the natives of Yodderick was a more trivial problem, and occasionally an opportuity, for the Asian powers. This way of thinking came to an end when in 1432, a great plague, often called "The Great Plague" swept Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is still not known exactly where the plague spread from, but most accounts have it hailing from Central Asia, near the former Kipchak. China was again on the move, conquering the west, and attacking the outskirts of Moscow and Novgorod, as well as the Crimea when the problems arose. From within the Chinese army, there arose a horrible disease that killed half of them. This disease picked up in Russian areas and spread towards Europe. Srivijaya, a major power doing business with many European and Asian cities caught the disease and helped to spread it (but - in a way - thankfully, most traders died before ever reaching the main islands). Soon, much of the known world was sick, and deaths piled up, eventually taking away a good chunk of the population of many countries. Colonies, if they hadn't been burned in the Sino-Japanese Colonial War, shriveled up and stayed barren for decades. Many of Srivijaya's African posessions again became uninhabited.

The plague burned out after a few years, but things were never the same. From that point on, disease was on the mind of almost everyone, and people looked for ways to make things cleaner. People in Europe had varying methods of dealing with the horror. Some became more spiritual, and more religious sects within Christianity appeared. Others gave up religion altogether. In fact, disbelief in God climbed to new heights. During the plague, Japan had sealed off its ports and had those sick people expected of being infected by the plague executed. Because of this, it came away stronger than most other countries. Most Europeans accused the outsiders (i.e. Asian nations) of having started the plague and many kings told their armies to kill any foreigners on sight. Srivijaya suffered greatly, as its main function - trading - was severely disrupted for years. At the end of the plague, Srivijaya's territory was actually smaller than it had been 100 years prior. Several states broke away from within the archipelago also. Some Dayak (Bornean) tribal communities rebelled. There was a fear that the country might not last intact and instead would become a collection of small kingdoms. Also during the plague, the last vestiges of ethnic Chinese leadership in Persia disappeared.

Japan Recovers
Japan was the first major nation to recover. Having not suffered like the other nations, it was less reticent to continue its exploration. Within two decades after the Great Plague ended, Japan's colonies had regained their previous (pre-War) sizes. In 1464, Japanese explorers rounded the Great Southern Strait (大南海峡 [Dai Minami Kaikyou], Strait of Magellan). Then, in 1473, another voyage was the first to make it around the world by rounding the Southern Strait, crossing the Atlantic to Europe, going around Africa, and passing through Srivijayan waters.

Indian Nations prosper
Another region not as hard hit by the plague was India. Taking up much of the north of the subcontinent was the Delhi Raj, a kingdom made up of a conglomeration of smaller statelets. Taking up the south was the Vijayanagar kingdom. Hindus made up the majority of the population in both kingdoms, although Jainism, Buddhism, and other faiths also were able to flourish.

China Rebounds
As a populous nation, China's situation during the Great Plague was unique. On the one hand, the proximity of people to each other caused outbreaks nearly everywhere in the northeastern plain, which was the main power base of Beijing. On the other hand, though, China's large population meant that even after the plague, it still had a large workforce who could soon rebuild. China also developed various medicines and medical procedures during and after the plague, which helped to prevent disease. Indeed, medicine experienced a coming of age in the decades including and following the plague. Strict cleanliness laws were passed, and this aided China in the long run. At the end of the plague, China was in an even stronger position vis-a-vis Europe than even before the plague, as it had somehow come through the ordeal with less chaos.

The New Conquests
By the end of the 15th century, China was again at Europe's door, and was able to make some eastern European states into tributary states. This was accomplished by its old method of extensively training armies, especially used to huge climatic hardships (such as encountered in north Asia) and sending them across the desolate tundra and taiga almost unimpeded until they encountered Eastern European population centers. In 1489, China had conquered the Russian states, Lithuania, Poland, Saami areas, and the Crimea. Only in Russia and the Crimea did China gain direct control of, but the others, as tributary states, became China's pawns so as not to risk further attacks. China treated its conquered people relatively amicably, letting them continue to live as before, speaking their own languages and worshipping their own (mostly Christian) God, and few Chinese settled in these lands. But a class system developed. These conquests established an idea of Oriental superiority over Europeans. This idea was not codified into law, or even often expressed in public, but just by practice, it became an entrenched idea. (The Renaissance (see below), in part, came to be perceived as a reassertion of European pride, mostly erased in Western Europe since the fall of Rome.)

Europe Post Plague
Europe was a mixed bag post plague. In general, Europe became more religiously diverse and more xenophobic. Catholicism, followed by the vast majority of Christians in Western Europe, suffered a huge blow. During the plague, people appealed to the church to do something. Praying didn't seem to help. The pope, a single representative of the religion, was blamed in part for the misfortunes of the masses. It was widely known learned that the pope lead a royal life of luxury, even through the plague. Those that continued to stand by the pope during these times of woe, blaming sinners for bringing the plague on themselves, were shocked when the pope also caught the plague and soon died. The following pope was ruthless towards anyone who appeared to be sick, and mostly sealed himself off from the outside world during his tenure. Because of this, faith in the pope being a representative of God on Earth began to wane. Out of formerly Catholic populations came various sorts. The majority became more skeptical and less religious. Many others converted to Catharism, as it seemed to be less corrupt. There was no heirarchy the like of which was in Catholicism, and Cathar areas were also recognized to be more resistant to the plague (perhaps because people often worshipped at homes in their own neighborhoods in smaller numbers rather than going to a large church that could hold many people - and transmit a disease more quickly, or because of the Cathar reliance on action over prayers). A minority got involved in fringe cults. The great trading routes prior to the plague had also transferred many ideas to Europe. The Byzantine Empire had knowledge that the rest of Europe had forgotten, and this got disseminated in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Especially after rediscovering Europe's seemingly glorious past (which had been extinguished upwards of 1,000 years prior) many Europeans felt that Europe had decayed since then. They looked at architectural styles, philosophy, and culture from a period before Christ, Bishops, Popes, and the East Asian nations and found that all of these recent importations hadn't helped them much. Even diehard Christians recognized the profound acheivements of prior generations. Modern-day Greece (the Byzantine Empire) and Rome (the Italian states) gained more recognition and served as sources of inspiration. Europe was starting on a new path, and Greco-Roman influences sprung up everywhere and in everything.

Also owing to the influx of these ideas, Milan, Florence, and Genoa broke away from the Holy Roman Empire (Venice was already independent), as the Empire was dominated by ethnic Germans, and were thought of as descendants of the Germanic tribes that overthrew Rome (with a legacy continued on by Romance language speakers such as those found in the northern Italian states). Outside rule was no longer desired, and these areas successfully gained independence. Some other areas (mostly duchies that no longer wanted to even pretend that a higher authority existed) broke off. The Holy Roman Empire, a weak nation made up of widely varying parts could not do much to stop this breakup. The Papal States, under the Pope, tried to reunite the Holy Roman Empire through diplomacy, but this failed. It is also worth noting that for the time being, the eastern Slavic parts of the empire (Bohemia, Silesia, and Moravia) stayed loyal parts of the empire, as they feared a Chinese incursion from the east.

The Middle East's New Paradigm
It was during the plague that the Byzantine Empire (which I may also refer to as Byzantia) lost Arabia for good. Rebellions sprouted, and it became apparent that the worth of Arab lands was substantially less than the cost of continuing to occupy them. Besides, the Muslim threat was over. Arabia had been Christianized over the preceding 100+ years. Still, the type of Christianity practiced in the Middle East was changing. Byzantia had hoped for an Orthodox population, but it turned out that some Orthodox ideas mixed with those of the Western (Catholic) crusaders who stayed in the conquered territories. And added to that was a dose of radicalism and nomadic backwardness. Pope-worship gave way to the worship of "holy men", "soothsayers", "prophets", and others who distorted what the Byzantines believed was true Christianity. Over time, these small sects would either die off or grow and combine with others to create a new brand of Christianity in the Middle East. However, the Byzantine Empire held on to Egypt and the Levant, and went as far as widening the "Red Sea to Nile Canal" in an attempt to bring back boat traffic to previous levels. At first, because of European xenophobia, boat traffic stayed low, but in preceding centuries, it became busier and busier.

Srivijaya Tries for a Comeback
Over the latter half of the 15th century, Srivijaya tried hard to reestablish its colonies over its prevous African trade route. Although few powers could stand in its way (as Africa had few kingdoms powerful enough to repel the Malays from their coastal outposts), Srivijaya also realized that its main prize was not Africa itself (where wild animals, malaria, and other other dangers abounded, and which lacked any trading partner that could significantly enrich Srivijaya) but with European trade that the African trade route previously secured. But with increasing peace in the Middle East and the reopening of the Egyptian canal, and with the more wary Europeans, Srivijaya started to feel that it was losing out to its competitors. But during the last few decades of the century, Srivijaya set out on exploring southern Africa in depth. (This would eventually lead to them discovering diamonds in the early 1500s.)

1500s: The Renaissance
The 1500s was a time of great prosperity. Trade began to pick up again as most of those people who had lived through the worst times of the Great Plague had already passed away from old age. The new generations had come a long way in preventing diseases, and the late 1400s and early 1500s saw stability reign across much of the world. In many nations, not only in Europe, there came to be seen a break from the recent past, and a yearning for the ancient past. This yearning was expressed most directly in a bevy of Greek- and Roman-inspired edifices that became more ubiquitous over time. Even the Asian countries showed an interest in this style, and mixed it with their own to produce many new forms. Often, the ornate rooves of Asian building styles were mixed with ornate columns, walls, and other and support structures to produce spectacular constructions. Domes, too, though never common, found some acceptance and respect in the Far East. As mentioned above, ideas changed, too, as most of Europe (and East Asia) became more secular in nature (while the Middle East saw renewed radicalism). Some areas in Europe that didn't take a much more secular turn included Castile, Portugal, and the Papal States and Naples.

Srivijaya's Growing Wealth
In 1524, a large diamond deposit was found in southern Africa. This would eventually lead to the "Gold and Diamond Rush" of the mid-1500s. The amount of precious material found was huge, and the areas where they were first discovered are still being mined to some extent, almost 500 years later. This massive rush did two major things. Firstly, it secured Srivijaya's prominence among the major empires of the world, and secondly, it led to a major influx of Malays into southern Africa. By the year 1600, there were more than 500,000 Malays living in Africa, principally in the south. As for the Khoisan peoples, the Malays generally left them alone. As they were thought of as unable to function in a modern society, and also partly because they were thought of as a possible forebear of the Malays, they were allowed much space to continue their nomadic lifestyles. A need for workers is what created a demand for more Malays, and Malays became highly urbanized in most of Africa, while the Khoisan (and Bantus) of Africa remained in the rural areas.

The Sino-Japanese Agreement
Tensions were rising again between Japan and China, as both nations wanted the Yodderick (New World) continents. The Sino-Japanese Colonial War a century prior taught the countries that disputes about colonies only served to weaken both countries, so in 1530, it was agreed to split up the New World between the two powers. Having sailed around and mapped most of the coastline of the two continents (though largely lacking knowledge on the interiors), these nations were in a better position to partition the land in a fair manner (that is, fair to the two colonizers). Although China was much larger than Japan in landmass and population, Japan was the first colonizer on the continents, and had a substantial head-start. This led to China agreeing that a majority of the land in the New World would be under Japanese jurisdiction. In the end, according to the agreement, China acknowledged Japan's claims of OTL Alaska, Canada, most of the U.S., Argentina, and Chile (that is, most of temperate and arctic America), while Japan acknowledged China's claim to most of OTL tropical America, including Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Srivijaya didn't participate in the agreement, and did not recognize these claims, but unofficially made it clear that it wouldn't protest the agreement or try to colonize the Americas as long as neither China nor Japan intervened in the continent of Africa.

Japan Strikes it Rich
Only in the 1500s did Japanese migration to the New World begin in earnest. Population centers ballooned, and rural areas were increasingly settled. Migrants from Shintoukou (新東港; San Jose, CA) started to explore farther afield. In 1536, only 12 years after the Srivijayan southern Africa gold and diamond rush began, major gold deposits were found in the Japanese colonies. The new town of Tougane (東金; Sacramento, CA) sprouted up as a base for further mining exploration. By the end of the 1500s, Tougane grew to become the largest colonial settlement in the Yodderick. Japanese were further drawn to the new territories.

The Two Europes
The Catholic Church lost power rapidly in a succession of states. By the mid-1500s, Catholics represented minorities in Tolosa (long a strongly Cathar and secular state), Aragon, France, England-Normandy, Scotland, and Ireland (while Castile had succeeded in crushing Muslim Granada). States still strongly Catholic included Spain, Portugal, the Papal States, and Naples. The Holy Roman Empire was in a crisis, as there were many ethnic groups and differing religious beliefs, and these boiled over during the late sixteenth century.

Castile-Aragon War
This was a war of territory and religion. Aragon had not agreed to join with Castile, as it was feared that Castile would dominate, and would also try to convert Aragon's Cathar population to Catholicism. This angered Castile. At the same time, Aragon had control of Corsica and Sardinia (in addition to the Balearic Islands), which were only a hop away from the Papal States. The Pope and his bishops felt that those islands - far from Aragon proper, and still mostly Catholic - should belong to the Papal States. Aragonese control over them represented a grave threat, as they made it much easier to invade, and the Pope didn't want any heathen power close enough to attack. So a preemptive war was agreed upon by the Papal States and Castile. Castile invaded Aragon in the summer of 1563. A Papal invasion of Corsica followed soon thereafter. At first, Aragon was little prepared and lost much territory. The Castilians almost made it to the capital, Barcelona. The Pope's forces were able to take Corsica and, later, Sardinia during the war. However, Aragon was helped by Tolosan troops as well as by a wildcard that had not been foreseen by most Europeans. Srivijaya entered the war on Aragon's side. It turns out that Aragon had been a major trading partner to Srivijaya, and besides that, it was a general rule that Catholic countries were less open to trade relations with Asian countries. This meant that Srivijaya had a large stake in the survival of the more secular and Cathar states. This war would mark a major change in world affairs that would echo throughout the proceeding centuries. For the first time in history, an Asian nation intervened in European wars. Because of Tolosa and Srivijaya, Aragon survived, although, again, it lost Corsica and Sardinia to the Pope. Castile, frustrated by its inability to take Aragon, went on to invade north Africa, sparking the fall of the last Muslim states, which was completed in the 1600s.