The History of the World VII . . . .

[Conquistador45]

An outrider has reached the courts with news from an outlying border village. "King Dawud is dead". Long live "King Sulayman". The "Kingdom of Kushrena" sends condolences and respects.

During this time of mourning for the people of the "Arabian Kingdom", a ceasefire is declared by the "Kingdom of Kushrena", (in our war with the Arabian Kingdom).

We are currently at a state of war, but no aggressive action will be taken by Kushrena forces, unless the ceasefire is broken, or Arabian forces aproach/pillage Kushren cities.

The Kushren people are tired of war and eagarly await word from the new ruler of the "Arabian Kingdom".

Long live "King Sulayman"

Conquerer the 45th

[OzzyKP]

At the death of King Dawud, a mighty funeral was held. Nearly rivaling that of the great funeral for King Yarob. The funeral was followed an impressive coronation ceremony for Sulayman.

There was some earlier trouble however, as Dawud's son who was first in line for the throne challenged Sulayman's assertion that on his death bed, Dawud declared Sulayman his heir. Dawud's other son attacked Sulayman, but was killed.

His first official act as King was to send a short note to Conqueror the 45th, of the Kushren, accepting his peace terms.

[OmnipotentTrout]

Jewish Celts mourn king Dawud's death

The now aged Brennus sends his condolenses to Arabia through his son Togetorix, also spreading the news of Togetorix' new role of Regent of all Celtia!

Togetorix will continue his father's long and honest boarder policies and will reenforce these policies with more Gallic warriors, since they have gained more followers after the jewish northern army left for Romefeller (Kushren) to fight off barbarians and keep the peace of the Two-rivers boarder.

--------

But there is a whisper on the Wind naming Sulayman an Adversary of God, worshiping heathen idols. The Gallic Druids feels hope from Suleyman's killing of the firstborn of Dawud and praises Teutatis for the blood in the Arabian sands

[Rykoffe]

The Crushing Dam:
Whispers Escaping from Carthage

As the Winding Road is completed from Carthage's streets to the outer world, so too does the Carthaginian nation become complete.

The people rejoice; the scattered cities are independent no more, for they now work towards a common bond. As the newly armed warriors from the successors of the refugees proudly take to the walls, the timidness and isolation that came as the only gift of the Eastern butchers cracked and fell apart.

The Incans were the first to renew encounters with the Carthaginian people, now an empire. They would not be displeased for their efforts, as a massive caravan led by a priestly scholar rolled southward to their Incan neighbors. Chests, carved from the bark of the legendary trees of Carthage, were brought forward as the priestess bowed her head, her hands clutching a medallion over her neck.

Meanwhile, a fleet of Han sails drifted around the Carthaginian coast, their flags flapping clearly in the wind, even across the tall trees of Carthage. They were quickly met by an impressive coastal garrison, and a rough crate of unusual and heavy contents were exchanged for an honored vase of bronze.

[OzzyKP]

SEVENTH SESSION 1 AD

India(Gandhi) - CyberShy
Egypt(Ramses) - condor223
Vikings(Ragnar Lodbrok) - LzPrst
China(Qin Shi Huang) - KunojiLym
Choson(Wang Kong) - Deity
Inca(Huayna Capac) - AI/Francois
Kushren(Napoleon Boneparte) - Conquistador45
England(Victoria) - Glohithia
Celts(Brennus) - Omnipotent Trout
Arabs(Saladin) - OzzyKP
Carthage(Hannibal) - Francois/Rykoffe
Rome(Julius Ceasar) - AI
Bulgaria(Cyrus II) - Toni


Session 7 Number of Cities (since session 6)

China - 8 (+2)
Inca - 7 (+1)
Choson - 7
Bulgaria - 7
Vikings - 6 (+2)
England - 6 (+2)
Celts - 6 (+1)
Arabs - 6 (+1)
Egypt - 6
Carthage - 4 (+1)
Rome - 4 (+1)
Kushren - 4
India - 3


[/QUOTE]

[KunojiLym]

Out of the three dominant states of the Warring States period, only one was destined to conquer all the rest and unify China for the first time in recorded history. That state was Qin.

Starting from 300 BCE, King Zhuangxiang of Qin systematically crushed all opposition before him. The discovery of fresh copper deposits 30 years ealier had transformed Qin into an awesome military power, so it was only a matter of time, it seemed, before all the warring states fell before him. In 270 BCE, therefore, the army of Chu was routed in a vicious battle on the outskirts of Pun Yue. The foreign mercenaries in Chu's armies subsequently returned home, and Chu was absorbed into Qin.

Zhuangxiang next turned to Qi; the hapless state surrendered with hardly a fight. Zhou was the next to fall, and the line of the Zhou kings finally came to an end at Luoyang. Refugees fled the onslaught of the Qin armies under the cover of night, in a fleet of galleys. Only one state stood now between Qin and total domination of China, and that was the pacific, moralistic state of Yen.

One would had expected Yen to fall in short order, but at this time, the state was blessed with the appearance of a master tactitian of war. Sun Bin was born a member of the landless Chinese aristocracy, the shih, descendants of nobility who had lost their dukedoms during the consolidation of the Spring and Autumn Period. Unlike most shih, who were traveling academics, Sun Bin worked as a mercenary. By the time he arrived at Ji, capital of Yen, he had written the military treatise which would cement his fame. The Art of War by Sun Zi, or Sun Zi Bing Fa, was to become one of the most important collections of books in Chinese literature. The King of Yen took to him, and hired him to fend off the fearsome army of Qin.

For a full 30 years, Sun Zi managed to do just that. In the meantime, Zhuangxiang passed away, leaving his son Ying Zheng to succeed him. Zheng promtly appointed Li Si as his prime minister, and with his help, completedly overhauled the Qin army. Henceforth, it was a matter of military genius against organizational efficiency. The state of Yen managed to endure, but when Sun Zi died in battle in 231 BCE, that was the beginning of the end. In a year, Ying Zheng overran and sacked Yen. All China was now under one rule. Ying Zheng proclaimed the beginning of the Qin Dynasty, which 'will last a thousand years', and named himself Shi Huangdi - Fist Emperor of China. With this, an era in Chinese history came to an end.

[KunojiLym]

The Qin Dynasty marked the beginning of imperial China, and left a legacy of a centralized and bureaucratic state that would be carried onto successive dynasties. For that, Qin Shi Huangdi and his prime minister Li Si could be credited. However, the way in which they carried it out ensured that the dynasty that was to last a thousand years would not long survive their deaths.

Qin Shi Huangdi imposed () the State of Qin's centralized, non-hereditary bureaucratic system on his new empire in place of the Zhou's feudalistic one. The Qin Empire relied on the philosophy of legalism (with skillful advisors like Han Fei and Li Si). Centralization, achieved by ruthless methods, was focused on standardizing the forms of writing and the pattern of thought and scholarship. Characters from the former state of Qin became the standard for the entire empire. The length of the wheel axle was also unified and expressways standardized to ease transportation throughout the country. To silence criticism of imperial rule, the emperor banished or put to death many dissenting Non-Legalist scholars and confiscated and burned their books.

To prevent future uprisings, Qin Shi Huangdi ordered the confiscation of weapons and stored them in the capital. In order to prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he also destroyed the walls and fortifications that had separated the previous states. A national conscription was devised: every male between the ages of seventeen and sixty years was obliged to serve one year in the army. A number of public works projects, including canals and bridges, were undertaken to consolidate and strengthen imperial rule. A lavish tomb for the emperor, complete with a Terracotta Army, was built near the capital Xianyang. These activities required enormous levies of manpower and resources, not to mention repressive measures.

Qin Shi Huangdi reportedly began going "crazy" from swallowing mercury pills, which were made by his court alchemists and doctors, containing too much mercury. Ironically, these pills were meant to make Qin Shi Huangdi immortal. This may be accountable for most of his paranoiac acts such as building the terracotta army. This may also be the cause of his death later on.

During his reign Qin Shi Huangdi made five inspection trips around the country. During the last trip with his second son Huhai in 210 BCE, Qin Shi Huangdi died suddenly at Shaqiu prefecture. Huhai, under the advice of Li Si and the chief eunuch Zhao Gao, forged and altered Emperor's will. The faked decree ordered Qin Shi Huang's first son, the heir Fusu, to commit suicide, instead naming Huhai as the next emperor. The decree also stripped the command of troops from Marshal Meng Tian - a faithful supporter of Fusu and the general who had helped unify China - and sentenced Meng's family to death. Zhao Gao step by step seized the power of Huhai, effectively making Huhai a puppet emperor.

Within three years of Qin Shi Huang's death, widespread revolts by peasants, prisoners, soldiers, and descendants of the nobles of the Warring States sprang up all over China. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, two in a group of about 900 soldiers assigned to defend against the Romans, became the leaders of the first revolution by commoners. Soon after, the states fractured into the traditional divisions of Chu, Qi, Zhao and Yen, all states from the previous period. The Qin Dynasty was now a dynasty in name alone.

At this point, things took a fateful turn; the states of Ri Ben, previously regarded as semi-barberous and not part of the Chinese empire, involved themselves in the conflict. In particular, Liu Bang of Han descended upon Luoyang with a fleet of galleys and axemen, reversing the scene of the Zhou refugees fleeing years earlier. In the east, Xiang Yu of Chu marshalled an awesome army, and marched on Xianyang.

In the beginning of October 207 BC, Zhao Gao forced Huhai to commit suicide and replaced him with Fusu's son, Ziying. Note that the title of Ziying was "king of Qin" to reflect the fact that Qin no longer controlled the whole of China. Ziying soon killed Zhao Gao and surrendered to Liu Bang in the beginning of December 207 BC. But Liu Bang was forced to hand over Xianyang and Ziying to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu then killed Ziying and burned down the palace in the end of January 206 BC. Thus the Qin dynasty came to an end, three years after the death of Qin Shi Huang, and less than twenty years after it was founded. It was to be another six years, however, before Liu Bang brought the Chu-Han contention to an end by compelling Xiang Yu to commit suicide, as Pun Yue was beseiged.

Now master of all China, Liu Bang proclaimed the start of a new dynasty: the Han. He himself became Emperor Han Gaozu. The Han dynasty was to become one of the most glorious periods of imperial Chinese history.

[KunojiLym]

Even as the Warring States battled among themselves, the territory of Ri Ben was slowly establishing itself as an equally essential part of the Chinese heritage. Han, with its capital at Shanghai, was the first true state to arise there, but in 300 BCE, even as Qin started its campaign of total domination, the state of Jin established itself around the new settlement of Datong, and in 160 BCE, the remmants of the Zhou kings established the state of Lu at Shangdu. But until 210 BCE, Ri Ben, or Nippon in the local dialect, was not treated as part of civilized China.

With the establishment of the Han Dynasty, this was to change drastically. The Han continued the work of centralizing and standardizing that the Qin before them had started, though not in half as brutal a fashion as the Qin. Legalist methods were tempered by Hindu and Krishnian theology. More importantly, the Han began on a system of great projects and public works in Yin (now renamed Anyang and the new capital), Xianyang (now known as Chang'an), and the other major Chinese cities.

[condor223]

The Vizier Huy receives the messenger to his camp.. silence hovers over the fire while he reads the message. Hand to forehead, stillness, he slowly drops the message into the fire:

A fig, a fire, a Royal Dispatch
Embers floating
In the tide of rosy flame.
No tear to wet the page.
Make ready scarlet flowers,
Consume white scribed petals
Gifts, now amber, float charred
Like ended hopes upon the
Breath of night
Ignite the stars with black
Gauze butterflies

He turns to his aide, "Osiris has come, we have a new Horus... let us return home to bury Pharaoh, according to his wishes."

[LzPrst]

The period of early classical time of civilization is for the Viking people considered as one of great religious and technological development. Following the settlement of jews in Nidaros and the spread of religions in the southern empires many Vikings wished for a similar codification of their faith. The Warchief Sverre Grimsheim strongly resisted any such incentives and refused the adaptation of religious practices of any organized form. King Dawud of Arabia had sent emissaries professing the strengths and joys of Monarchic rule and Judaism, but Sverre had rejected them. However, as he grew older nearing his final years the thought that his kin should rule the Vikings fermented and solidified. With help of Choson exchanges Sverre manipulated the council to give his son the right of rule following his death. A great conflict followed and Viking society erupted in civil war and chaos. Following a 10 year struggle Sverre's forces had finally defeated or convinced his opposition to accept his rule. He used a compromise as bargaining chip. His son would succeed him, but the Vikings would then again hold Ting (court) to elect the next ruler.

Yet Sverre did not intend to uphold this promise. In order to solidify his hereditary rule, Sverre now sought a faith to tie the rule of his kin to the will of the gods. He sent forth a decree to his southern neighbours that the Vikings would accept missionaries of all faiths. The only response came from Dawud of Arabia who promised to send jewish missionaries. The Viking people cared little for this move, as they felt Judaism was not compatible with their traditions. Sverre also felt this, but his desire to be the first in a line of Kings was stronger. Waiting for more than a minor congregation at the border town of Nidaros to appear before professing and demanding a national conversion, Sverre began to strengthen his rule by travelling to the other cities of the land. While he was in Treberg he met with a hindu tradesman and spoke with him on many matters of business and culture. But when the hindu merchant described his faith Sverre was stunned. Hinduism was nearly identical with the Asatro (Faith of the Viking Gods), only the names and some of the moral conclusions and codexes were different, and these were attributed to differences in cultural traditions. Sverre converted to Hinduism, but instructed his priests to modify the faith so that Viking traditions would not be changed, nor the name of the gods.

As a result Viking "hinduism" has grown to be vastly different from its original source. The Viking version is far more individualistically oriented and the gods are less divine and extreme in their character and share more human traits than their traditional counterparts. The upholding of caste society and divisions of such a nature is also largely discarded in Viking Asanduism (the combination of Aesatro and Hinduism) even though a type of Caste Society was introduced by Sverre in his last year of rule its borders are incomparably more lax than that of traditional hinduism. A caste in Viking classical society is only a division for the former slaves of ancient times (thralls) and if a non-thrall has a child with a thrall then the child will belong to the caste of the parent with the highest echelon, the lowest caste thus disappeared within few generations. Thralls were only inferior based on the fact that their ancestors were slaves, not on any claim of uncleanliness or similar.

The Priests of early Viking Asanduism were remarkably faithful to the old traditions and as a result the hybrid religion is more of a solidification and codification of the old Asatro on the organizatorial base of hinduism than a genuine adaptation of hinduism. Of course this is a modern secular assertion, in older times Viking society considered Hindu and Asanduism to be the same, but the distance involved kept religious conflicts over the issue dormant.

Shortly after, Asanduism spread to Oesthavn and with the expansion of the faith Sverre's son took the throne as chosen by the ancient Viking gods and even claiming descendance from Oden himself, giving him far greater legitimacy than his father could ever hope for. Sverre then challenged a young warriors honor and was slain in the ensuing battle, achieving him a place in Nirvalhalla. Sverre's son was now King of the Vikings and seemingly had a strong position. His name was Haakon (pron. hawk-kon) Asaval (choice of gods). He settled Gothia island and Vesthafnr, (westport). His time is considered a time of strength for the Vikings, though their unparallelled wealth was now rivalled by that of the Choson Empire.

Yet his fathers last act on earth would be detrimental to his rule.

Thank you class. History lectures are over for today, next time we will discuss the fall of the Grimsheim dynasty that lasted a mere 3 generations.

[deity]

1AD

Choson Kingdoms

Tan-gun the king

Choson galley circumnavigates the entire world!

He had a habit of this.... jotting down his achievements, OR really, the achievements of the Choson peoples.

The Colossus built in 280BC! [ close to historical accuracy ]

[deity]

Arab abruptness.

Open orders requested to allow finalisation of the galley's trip. Arabs refused, saying, "what's in it for us". Such an attitude.

The galley started to go back the way it had come, almost failing to complete it's historic trip. Technical war was not even contemplated. The Arabs would like that. "War to be avoided at all cost" was tan-gun's order. He appreciated that. The ship's Captain was highly regarded.

Suddenly a change of heart, the Arabs allow Open Borders. Whilst no effort was made to explore Arabia itself the galley did map the coastline and complete its trip. All seemed well.

An Arab Axeman soon after attempted to explore the inner sanctum of the Choson kingdoms. This was sacrilage! The Kushrena and Celts were swift to support the non-exploration of holy Choson lands.

Although the Choson did not cancel Open Borders with the Arabs, they did voluntarilty agree to exit their Axeman from Choson lands. To their credit they complied with Tan-gun's request.

However, soon after, they did build a city right on Choson borders and with OVERLAPPING city radii.

This was outrageous. The Choson could have easily settled this land but it was left for the Celts. Apparently the Celts had an agreement with the Arabs to allow them to build a city in that vicinity. Due to some diplomatic bottlenecks the Choson were not advised of this by the Celts but the Choson fully recognise that it was land available for the Celts to do what they will.

It was such a shock to Tan-gun though, and even the Celts were shocked by the proximity of the city to both Choson and Celt borders.

If the city was built one square to the West it would not have been so bad but where it is can NOT be tolerated by the Choson.

War is not an option but many nations of the world are asked to apply diplomatic pressure on Arabia to re-build Medina more westerley or gift it to the Celts.

[deity]

Another matter the wise nations of the world may notice is that the galley's return home is now blocked... it can not get past Medina to return home...

[deity]

Tan-gun was excited about his plans...

Let's see, we are a very advanced civiliSation. I must live to see where it goes.

The balance sheet with allies and friendly nations:

Machinery was invented - first in the world. It can NOT be traded due to diplomatic agreements but may ONLY be gifted to the Kushrena in acknowledgement of ancient agreements recognised internationally.

But they must invent Metal Casting on their own first.

Then Monarchy was invented. It was traded twice:
* once to the Kushrena for Calendar
* and also to the Vikings (who required in addition a resource and some gold) for Currency

Currency was a great asset. With the Colossus and all Choson sea cities the, Choson GNP is second to none.

Then came the Compass. It has been traded ONCE only to the Celts for a new law system - the Code of Laws.

Corruption and wastage, although not officially recognised, was being dealt with in time.

[deity]

The ship's Captain was proud!

This was the first map ever created of the entire Terra lands, if only it could arrive safely in Choson lands...