Malacca - Empire of Thousand Islands

[The Suebian]

Welcome to my second AAR everybody.

Originally I planned this one to be about Württemberg, but at the moment I don’t have the time to write it the way I wanted (narrative plot driven, detailed historical background, lots of pictures). As I’m a stubborn guy, I don’t like to do anything not the way I want it to be and decided to write another AAR instead. I thought about playing Mataram, but after reading some background about the region’s history I chose Malacca.

I play AGCEEP (latest I can get), Hard/Coward. No cheating, no reloading, no event scripting. I haven’t read the event file, so I don’t know if there are some events forcing Malacca to cede any provinces to Portugal, Netherlands or England. In case such events exist, I’ll change them to automatic war; events that really don’t represent the game situation will be ignored.
Furthermore I’ll try to play the game according to my monarchs stats (low diplo, high military = war after every insult).

Enough said, I have an empire to lead . Here’s the prologue for now, part one will be online soon.

[The Suebian]

Prologue

Iskandar Zulkamian Shah enjoyed the silence of the night. The city, his city, rarely fell asleep, but when it did one could watch the stars without any disturbances. He had always loved watching the stars since the distant days of his youth.



His parents had given him the name Parameswara. It was an old and worthy name for a prince of the great Srivijayan dynasty. Once his ancestors had ruled over most of the Malayan archipelago, but province after province shook off their rule. In the days of Parameswara’s youth just the region around the city of Palembang located on the Southern coast of Sumatra remained, paying tribute to the Khmer Empire which secured its safety. Parameswara had been a rebel since his first days, enjoying his personal freedom and always dreaming of the days of old greatness. This kind of spirit made him an excellent hunter, but also a bad diplomat. After he followed his father on the throne of Palembang it didn’t take long until his patriotic rhetoric found him numerous admirers in the nearby islands. Unfortunately, the overlords of these islands, the hated kings of Mataram, were not among them and decided to get rid of the last of the Srivijayan and invaded Palembang.

Parameswara hardly escaped together with about 30 of his old companions and fled to the town of Temasik at the Southern top of the Malayan peninsula (Parameswara renamed the place Singapore after he spotted a lion nearby). After eight days in town he founded his first realm by killing the local chief. The next five years Parameswara and his orang laut (sea people = pirates) lived as rice planters and pirates. They didn’t become rich, but (in)famous. Everything was fine until the Siam kingdom of Ayudhya sent its forces to end Parameswara’s reign and to secure the trading routes.

Again the exiled prince had to flee to the north. A place called Bertam became his new home, where he spent his days growing rice and hunting. One day when he was off hunting near the village (while he was resting under a Melaka tree) he saw a cornered mousedeer attack his dogs, driving them into the river. This had to be an omen and Parameswara took a closer look on the surrounding terrain. The hill he was resting on was easy to defend, the climate was pleasant, and the nearby river carried enough fresh water for thousands of people. The bay the river flew into was a natural harbor, free of mangrove swamps and deep enough for even the largest ships.

The young man was smart and ambitious. He convinced his men to give up piracy, building houses and growing rice, bananas and sago instead. Soon word of the pleasant village Malacca spread among the Arab, Indian and Chinese traders and within a few years the village became a wealthy town. The neighboring small Malayan emirates and local Thai tribes had to bow before this new power. But Parameswara’s old enemies, the Siamese kings, tried to gain control over the rich port. But the ruler of Malacca learned from his days in Singapore. He placed his young city under the protection of the Chinese emperor, which had been warring with Siam over the Strait of Malacca for several years. Malacca became the favored port for Chinese merchants and even admiral Zheng He used the city as a base for his expeditions to India and Africa. Now nobody could doubt that Malacca ruled over the Southern part of the Malayan peninsula.

During the next years Parameswara governed his realm wise and successful. The harbor masters were competent and efficient, the warehouses were safe, the city was clean and full of all kind of supplies and the orang laut kept the region free from (other) pirates. It didn’t take long for Malacca to develop into the center of trade it is nowadays.

But Parameswara had even greater plans. Converting to Islam, taking the name of Iskandar Zulkamian Shah and thus opening his city to the Indian and Arabian world had been the first step. The marriage with the daughter of the Sultan of Ajeh was the second. The next ones were soon to follow.



During the years of his exile he had learned one lesson: the stars were cold and ignorant. His old wounds, witnesses of his adventurous life started burning again. The boy who once was called Parameswara now was an old man. His time would come, but not yet. Yes, the stars were burning in a cold fire. As was revenge.

[The Suebian]

Part I

It is the year 821 after the Hidshra of Muhammad, the year the Christians would call 1419 and Iskandar Zulkamian Shah, Sultan of Malacca is reading a proposal of the Emir of Johor to give more power to the local nobles. Our wise Sultan, enlightened by the Prophet, just thinks a few moments about this petition, then orders the Emir’s head to separate itself from the Emir’s body – as the head is unwilling, the palace guard’s sword come to its help. In the weeks to follow, all Emirs and chiefs come to Malacca to swear eternal loyalty to the Sultan and to learn about the secrets of centralization.



Malacca 1419


But besides keeping the nobles in line, our glorious Sultan, blessed be his name, is working hard on the future of his nation. For many years the province of Jambi, once part of his ancestor’s empire, defies Malacca’s regional leadership by keeping their rich gold deposits for their own. This has to be changed. As we have become a trading power during the last decades it is only natural for our great city to start the construction of an own fleet. Fortunately this new ships are not only designed for spice trade, but can be used to ferry the Sultan’s best troops from Malacca to Riau. As every sailor is just as good as the maps he has knowledge of, Sultan Iskandar sends emissaries to the distant realms of Delhi, the Timurids, the Ottomans, Morocco and Aden (most of these Sultans now have Malayan wives – the former Emir of Johor had many daughters).
The construction of the ships and the following redeployment takes almost the entire year, but then war against the kingdom of Palembang is officially declared by invading their territories.


Hamdami likes his new robe of best Chinese silk. When he was young, he never dreamed of cloth that could be that soft. But when he was young, he had been a fisherman on one of the numerous islands around Borneo. When the pirates burned his village and took him away, the choices were clear: become a pirate or become a slave – he gained his place among the crew by telling the captain about the secret hideouts of the neighboring villages.
The following years were quite good, but then the Chinese junks made life very hard and short, and the captain decided to hunt in the Straits of Malacca, which made things even worse. The Sultan’s oran laut knew every trick, every hideout place. After only two more years the ship was captured by Malaccan troops. But those people were friendly, telling Hamdami that they could need everybody who knew how to wield a saber. To give everybody a chance to prove this, they would let the crew fight against each other. Hamdami immediately drew his hidden Kris and stabbed the captain who was standing next to him. He has been with the Malaccan troops ever since.
He really loves his new robe. He hopes to be able to get the blood from the sleeves. This damn Buddhist monk - what was so special about this little golden statue of a fat Indian that this guy died for it? Of course, it was made of gold. Hamdami smiled.


The weak troops of Palembang were easily beaten and soon the city of Jambi was besieged. But then the Emir of Ajeh, the father of our great Sultan’s wife declared war on us and sent its soldiers towards Riau. Only Allah knows which madness had driven him to such treachery, may he burn in every hell. Most of our army left Jambi at once, leaving only a small detachment behind to continue with the siege. The two armies met in the jungles of central Sumatra. The battle was bloody, but in the end victorious. New troops from Johor arrived just in time to follow the survivors into Ajeh territory.


Hamdami curses on every god he ever heard of. His new robe was ruined by the endless marches and the numerous battles and skirmishes. He really hates the jungle. If he can’t see the ocean, he feels alone. He’ll make those bastards pay for having him to leave the camp outside Jambi. The sack of stolen gold is heavy, but Hamdami doesn’t notice it.


Jambi was conquered during the autumn monsoon; Ajeh fell only few weeks later. Both provinces now belong to the lands of the Sultan of Malacca. The pathetic people of Jambi soon realize, that they’re the only ones in the entire state not enlightened by the teachings of the Prophet and decide to convert to the rightful faith in the summer of 824.


Hamdami doesn’t understand what is so special about this new god they are all talking about. He was one of the first to storm the walls of Ajeh, so he could return to rich Jambi to continue his work there. But now they tell Hamdami these filthy bastards are now children of the Prophet and he can’t continue killing them. He even had to pay for his new robe.


It is said, that evil men never sleep. I don’t know if this fits the kings of Mataram, but I know for sure that they are evil men. They couldn’t stand to see our nation grow and prospers and declared war on Malacca in the winter of 824. Again our troops march through the jungles Sumatra, this time to capture the city of Palembang. And we do not fight alone: the Sultan of Brunei decided to join forces with us. Again our troops are blessed by the angels of war and soon the siege of Palembang starts. But bad news arrived from our fleet, which was almost completely sent to the bottom of the ocean by superior Mataram vessels.


Hamdami really hates the jungle. Fighting those Mataram soldiers was easy compared to keeping his exquisite robe unharmed throughout this new war. But when they arrive at Palembang everything gets better. Hamdami can sea the ocean and the officer tells him, that on Brunei the allies of the Sultan gained control over the region of Bandjarmasin. Seems this war won’t last much longer


With the help of our allies from Brunei the troops of Mataram suffer several defeats. But the Demak Council is unwilling to accept they lost the war. Only when our troops start invading Java they finally agree to our great Sultan’s peace offer and hand over Palembang. Finally, after sixty years in exile, Parameswara returns home. When the founder of Malacca dies during the first weeks of the new year, one of the great stories of our times ends. But the story of the rise of Malacca has just begun.


Hamdami is very proud. When the old Sultan dies they look for worthy veterans to carry his coffin. The fine robe made Hamdami very worthy. He had to convert to Islam, but Hamdami doesn’t mind. They now call him Hussein, but Hamdami doesn’t mind that too. He now wants a turban like the one the young Sultan was wearing at the funeral. Where do they make them? India?

- to be continued –

I really can’t complain about his one. As I planned to annex Ajeh anyway, their declaration of war saved me some BB, which I happily invested in taking Palembang. The conversion of Jambi was perfect (never saw this happen before). The only problem is inflation (4% in 4 years) and I really have to invest in infra (no tax collectors yet).

[The Suebian]

Part II

When Srimaharaja Muhammad Shah ascended to the throne of Malacca in the year 827 (1424) a time of peace and growth began. The new Sultan, as his father, was a skilled administrator and an experienced statesman. A patron of arts and sciences, he made Malacca the centre of attraction for many of the great scholars of his time.
As our old enemies Siam and Cambodia were fighting each other, and Mataram still had to recover from the lost war, Malacca could concentrate on its internal affairs. The Sultan soon established an efficient financial system, sending tax collectors to every province of his realm. The city grew and grew, and people from all over South and Eastern Asia made Malacca their home during the next years.


Hamdami was bored. Life as a palace guard was pleasant – good food, fine robes, servants, women – but there was nothing exciting to do. When the nobles on Sumatra started a feud in the year after the Sultan’s coronation he was sure they would be sent to the island to keep the Emirs in place. But Muhammad Shah decided to let them fight it out. Hamdami had to stay in Malacca. Now Hamdami even thinks about learning how to write and read.


But not everybody was pleased with the peaceful life Muhammad Shah preferred. Malacca was a young and dynamic kingdom, full of men who wanted to prove themselves. Some of them were sent to Palembang to lead the local citizens to the enlightened truth of Islam, others were sent to the uninhabited island of Flores to take possession of it. The natives first reisted the settlers, but soon were convinced of the Malayan cultural superiority – spears and swords made of steel always where the ambassadors. The settlement grew fast and at the end of 837 (1433) more than 1000 people lived in the island’s capital.


Hamdami was lucky that he had volunteered for the expedition to Flores. When the Sultan accepted a petition of redress of the Malayan peasants, life in the capital had become all about intriguing and politicking. Hamdami doesn’t like nobles. The natives of Flores were better people. As they started to complain, Hamdami and his comrades killed them. When some of the settlers tried to rise against the Sultan and tried to found their own city state last winter, Hamdami thought about joining them, but now he lives in the mansion that once belonged to the separatist’s leader.


The fast and unproblematic colonization of Flores lead to the founding of a settlement on the nearby island of Timor.
In 828 (1435) the Sultan could announce the conversion of Palembang to the teachings of the Prophet. Soon thereafter, Palembang and Jambi were declared state provinces, which made them personal possession of the Sultan’s family. At first, the local Emirs were not pleased with this decision. But after some of them decided to leave immediately for a pilgrimage to Mecca without saying goodbye or even taking some personal effects with them, the others agreed to be compensated with land on the islands in the east and left Sumatra. The peasants of Ajeh wanted to force their nobles to do the same and rose in arms – it took almost one year and the Sultan’s best troops to convince them to return to work.
When our alliance with Brunei expired in the same year, the Sultan of Brunei decided not to renew it. So it was no surprise that Muhammad Shah decided against Brunei merchants in a dispute about trading rights. Although our great Sultan successfully improved the relation between the two states during the following months, he couldn’t convince his royal brother to create a new alliance.


Hamdami likes his life on the islands of the East. His own estate is growing every day and last year he bought a small bought to visit the neighboring islands and refresh the memories of his days as a pirate. But now nobles from Sumatra come to Flores, and they all want to have land the Sultan promised them. Some of them went to Timor, but this island is to small for all of them. Something has to happen. Hamdami now has an idea.


Since the colonization of the Sunda Sea some of the settlers visited or raided the heathen kingdoms of Luwu and Makassar. But in the year 843 (1440) 12.000 men – almost the entire population of Flores and Timor – lead by the former palace guard Hussein al Hamdami began a regular invasion. Soon mercenaries and holy volunteers from the whole Sultanate join arms with them. The following two years are bloody ones for all parties involved, but in the end both kingdom have to accept their defeat.


When Hamdami had to travel to Malacca after the war was over, he had been very nervous. He had been a palace guard himself, so he knew that the ceremonial blades were crafted for more than just ceremonial duty. But the Sultan liked the gifts Hamdami had brought to Malacca: the captured fleets of Luwu and Makassar complemented by the five warships his enthusiastic troops had built on their own. Now Hamdami is governor of the eastern provinces. The only bad thing is, that he now has to supervise the conversion of the Sulawesian provinces. He will have to improve writing and reading and learn Arabian. Hamdami thinks himself to be a very poor man.


Malacca 1445

Sultan Srimaharaja Muhammad Shah dies while hunting tigers in 847 (1444). His Son Abu-Shahid Ibrahim Shah had none of the gifts his father and grandfather possessed. His only real interest was agriculture. During his short reign, the rice planting methods around Malacca were improved and new land was claimed in Ajeh. He was stabbed one year after his coronation by an unknown attacker. His half brother had made a name of himself as great warrior during the Sulawesi war and was a good friend of Governor Hussein al Hamdami, who attended some festivities in the palace in the night of the Sultan’s death. It was only natural for the royal council to elect this famous man as the next Sultan of Malacca.


Hamdami is very pleased. He likes the new Sultan. Last night they talked about India. The Sultan has been there when he traveled to Mecca some years ago. It seems to be a nice place. And they make turbans there.

- to be continued –

Not as planned, but OK. The events kept my stability down and I just don’t get CB against anybody. The first 40 years of the game are over and I tripled my country size and income. Only problem is: I have to pay 14 gold to place a merchant in Malacca, which is my own CoT. Cheapest CoT is Samarqand with 11 gold. I think this is a bug. Any ideas what could cause this or how I could fix it?
Sorry for the few and bad screenshots. I’ll try to do it better next time. Maybe I even can find some nice pictures.

[Grundius]

Let's see where this goes. Good luck!

[The Suebian]

Today my notebook decided to go braindead, so it`ll take a few days for the next update to come. Lucky me, I just saved the game files to external harddrive yesterday. Somtimes it pays to be paranoid

[Sir Humphrey]

I like your AAR alot. Great stuff. Really great stuff.

[The Suebian]

Grundius:
At first I thought it would take the whole game to conquer all of the Malayan Archipelgo, but now I think this should be done until 1600, so I'm open for every poposal you could make.
But maybe things are getting more interesting when the Europeans arrive.

Sir Humphrey:
Thank you, that's something I can't hear often enough . I'll do my best.


My notebook resisted all reanimation attempts, so I'll have to get a new one. I hope to be able to continue playing on Thursday.

[Grundius]

You could try colonizing Africa and America as well. Make yours a far eastern colonial empire!

Or try to get a foothold in Europe just for kicks. Conquer Ireland or something. Go through the Siberian corridor from east to west in stead of vice versa and conquer Russia! Just some ideas of course.

[The Suebian]

Part III

As the new Sultan Muzzafar Shah was a famous military leader, many people expected his reign to become an era of expansion. But the decade he was to rule over Malacca was a time of consolidation and growth.
As pirate raids in the Celebs Sea were a constant threat to our colonies on Timor and Flores, fortresses were b uilt on both islands during the first years of Muzaffar's reign. Even though severe tensions with some of our neighboring nations existed – we just have to think of the insulting behavior of the ambassadors of Lan Xang or the scandal at court concerning a Cambodian princess and the Sultan bodyguard – Muzaffar Shah suceeded in improving our nation's standing and prestige. Among the greatest triumphes of the Sultan's diplomacy were the conversion of some Mataram princes to the rightfull faith in 854 (1451) – unfortunatley those brave men were murdered and replaced by Hindus – and the support of the rebels against Lan Xang rule on the Malayan peninsula, which finally led to the independece of Perak and Ayutthaya in 857 (1453).
The wealth that was accumalted during these years of peace was spent for building mosques on Sulawesi and sending pious imams to speak with the natives about the teachings of the Prophet, blessed be his name.


Hamdami is disappointed. At first the new Sultan semmed to be a man he could talk with. But now this man talks too much. What about India? Hamdami is now more than 50 years old. His hair slowly fall out – he needs a great truban.


One of the most important decisions the Sultan made during his years on the throne was the appointment of Tun Perak as Bendahara (Prime Minister). This Malayan noble of old and noble origin was highly respected among his peers and without question one of the most educated and most talented men of his time. To gain the services of Tun Perak, the Sultan even gave up his wife Tun Kunduk (the sister of Tun Perak) so that she could be married with the former Bendahara Tun Ali, who insisted on the marriage with Tun Kunduk to keep his honour. Tun Perak would serve four Sultans as Bendahra.
The nobility was very pleased with the politic of the new Prime Minister and decided to send a gift of 225.000 Dinars to keep it this way. When just some years later the internal trading on Makassar and Riau was reformed, the same nobles greatly profited from the new system.
But Tun Perak was also a great diplomat. Together with his Chinese counterpart he arranged the marriage between Sultan Muzaffar Shah and the Empirial Princess Hang Li Po in 862 (1452), thus strenghtening the bond between the two nations and making Malacca the center of China's trade with the West.


Hamdami doesn't know what he has to think about the new Bendahara. Tun Perak knows, that Malacca has to expand. This man is to smart for ignoring this fact. But everytime they have met, the Prime Minister talked about infrastructure, integration of the colonies and trade. Maybe a new Sultan with more ambitions wouldn't be the worst that could happen to Malacca.


Muzaffar Shah died from a stroke on the first day of Ramadan 863 (1459), leaving the thorne for his only son Mansur, a young man with great talents and even greater ambitions. Tun Perak, the old and new Bendahara, was the first one to swear loyalty to the nes Sultan, Vice Sultan Hussein al Hamdami was the second one.
Mansur Shah quickling gained the services of the services of severeal great men. Prime among them were Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat. Hang Jebat was the greatest hero the Malayan people ever had. He was a great sailor, a talented poet and an almost invincible warrior. After he defeated the Javan champion Taming Sari (thus gaining his famous Kris Taming Sari) the Sultan made himLaksamana (Admiral). Hang Jebat was Hang Tuah's closest companion, a fierce fighter who led the Sultan's troops to many victories.


Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat

It didn't take long for Mansur Shah to give proof of the end of his father's isolationism. In a totaly surprising attack, our troops invaded the heathen kingdom of Ternate during the winter of 866 (1461). Although our fleet was defeated twice by inferior forces, our troops finally landed on the island and conquered all of it within the next two years. The former king of Ternate was killed by Hang Jebat during the last assault on the capital's citadel and his realm was annexed by the Sultante of Malacca. Immediatly missionaries from Sulawesi (the conversions there had been successfull) were brought to Ternate.


Hamdami likes the new Sultan. Ternate is not India, but it is a beginning. Now the soldiers are trained and hardend. They now won't care about crying women and children. Maybe the good days of his youth were returning. Hamdami knows that Mansur Shah would like to attack Vijayanagar, but he wants to do it as a part of the alliance of Delhi and Gujarat. Unfortunatley this alliance is currently at war with the Burmese and Thai states just north of Malacca. May Allah bless those who love him by ending this war, so the rightfull believers may begin another, better one. Hamdami now likes religion.


As the Sultan's main interest was to plan the invasion of India – for example by inspiring the people of Palembang to build a weapon manufactory in an unexpected invention - he didn't care much about the deeling of his nobles. During the years following the fall of Ternate several noble families feuded over possesions in the new province, some of them even had to request aid from the Sultan to secure their survival.

But then, it was the spring of the year 871 (1467), we learned from Indian traders that Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengal and Gujarat were at war with Vijayanagar, Orissa and Mysore. Immediatly troops were raised and the fleet was assembled. The fastest ships brought emmisaries to the Sultan of Llanka, who aggreed to allow our troops to pass through his territory. Malacce joined the great Muslim allinces on the first day of autumn, landing troops in Mandurei just a few days later. As all Hindu armies were fighting in the north, Mandurei was just defended by some natives. They were easily defeated and after one year Hang Jebat's soldiers controlles all fortified places int the whole region and moved on into Trivandrum. In the meantim, Hang Tuah defeated several small fleets of ships from Vijayanagar and Orissa. When Delhi accepted peace with Vijayanagar in 873, Madurei became Malaccan territory. The new province was immediatly settled with loyal subjects from Sumatra, and within three years all of the natives had adopted our culture and religion.

But every victory is followed by a tragedy. Hang Tuah, the greatest hero of all, was accused of adultery with the Sultan's maid. Masnur Shah was anj emotional man and sentenced the innocent admiral to death.. However, the death sentence was never carried out, instead Hang Tuah was sent to a remote place to hide by the Bendahara.
Believing Hang Tuah to be dead, Hang Jebat furiously launched a revengeful rebellion against the Sultan, forcing the entire population into chaos. The King regretted sentencing Hang Tuah to death, since he was the only person capable of killing Hang Jebat. Eventually, Hang Tuah was recalled from his hiding place and given full amnesty by the Sultan. After seven days of fighting, Hang Tuah managed to reclaim his Taming Sari from Hang Jebat, and killed him in close combat. Shortly after his closest companion's death, Hang Tuah disappeared and was never seen again. His last words were: "Ta' Melayu Hilang di-Dunia" ("The Malay race will never vanish").


Taming Sari, Hang Tauh's famous Kris

When a meteor painted the nightly sky of the first day of 875 (1473) in red light, erveryboody knew that the loss of Malacca's greatest hereos would be a test for the empire. Could it further surivive and prosper, or would all end in feud and chaos?


Hamdami is glad to have a guest in his palace, for he now is old and most of the young men don't understand and respect the old and proper ways. But the young man the Bendahara sent to him undestands. He listends to Hamdami's stories, sometimes even telling some of his own. It was very kind of him to bring Hamdami the turban that once belonged to the Raja of Mysore. It is a shame, that men like Hang Tuah have to disguise as servants. The old ways are dying. The West will be Malacca's future. Hamdami has been tired for so long. Now he sleeps. Hang Tuah surely will sit beside his grave from time to time and sing some of the old songs.

- to be continued –

It was a shame that Delhi accepted peace that soon. I wanted to conquer all of the uncolonized provinces of Southern India. Next time! Those feuding nobles were quite disturbing (3 Nobles feud, 4 Nobles request aid in 15 years), but I've been lucky with the unexpected invention and the conversion. Now I have an all Malay and Sunni Empire.
Just a few notes concerning the rest of the world. Russia has been wiped out by Sweden and the Livonian order (who's gonna rule the East?) and Burgundy became France (fighting the English together with Dauphinee). Kara Kyonlu controls the Middle East and most of Persia; in Africa Mali conquered most of its neigbours (even defeated Portugal) and Ethiopia kicked Egypt out of Sudan.
Sorry I couldn't add any screenshots. Next time I`ll do better.

[Grundius]

Nice update. I hate almost all events related to nobles.

[Mettermrck]

This is a good read about a region not typically written about. Great AAR, Suebian.

[The Suebian]

Grundius:
Thanks for your brainstorming. The ideas you came up with were very inspiring, but I think I'll leave Siberia for the Incas.
If you hate events related to nobles you don't know what the clergy can do .

Mettermrck:
Thanks. I never played an Asian nation before, so I don't have any knowledge of the local events, power structures and usual suspects of regional domination, which makes the game very interesting and instructive.


I still have problems with the costs for sending merchants. I have to pay 16 to send a merchant to my own center of trade, while Portugal on the other side of the world (and double inflation, lower stability) only has to pay 12. Checked several other nations - the same.
Anyone any idea why this bug occurs and how I could fix it?

[The Suebian]

Just wanted to let you know that the thread is not dead. I'm just too busy (doing things like earning money etc.) at the moment.

I've already played through the next 50 years and hope to update next week.

[Fodoron]

Great job, Suebian.

I just became aware of your AAR, as it was started while I was out of town. Asian countries are fun, and Malacca is better than most. The problem with being cheated with merchant placement costs is a constant. Probably an oversight by Paradox, but it means you will not make money out of trade for a long time. But at least Malacca gets the tolls and tariffs and has a decent trade tech. It has also a lot of potential for expansion, as nobody else colonizes the area until the Europeans arrive. I have seen them colonizing in the Pacific coast of Siberia!

Once the colonials arrive, I am sure we will have great battles. Just don't attack their fleets

[stnylan]

It's an intereting little tale you've got going here. Good to here it will continue.

[Alessandro F.]

Wow....I don't think I've ever seen a Malacca AAR.

I'm signing up for this one - maybe one of these days I'll get around to reading your Savoy AAR

EDIT: Grr...seeing as though the last update was in Oct 2005, I doubt you are still playing this game?

[The Suebian]

Part IV

My Prince and Master,

Now that you read these very lines, I’m convinced that God the Almighty is truly with us, for I could only trust in God when I gave these pages to an Arab trader of dubious reputation.
Hundreds of miles of hostile heathen land separate me from my father’s my lands, but I always knew, that someday you will restore the meaning of the lines I will write by using the code we created almost four years ago. Four years, since King Jao’s only son died and you were proclaimed heir to the throne of Portugal, soon to be King Manuel I. Four years, since you sent me on this mission, to scout the route to India for our brave sailors who will follow the great Bartholomeu Diaz.

Disguised as a trader from our Moroccan stronghold Tangier I crossed North Africa, always in danger of being recognized as Christian. But somehow I survived, learned to speak the infidel’s tongue, imitate their customs and rituals and finally I arrived in Alexandria. I left this city as soon as possible, joining a caravan heading further South, always following the spice trading routes.
Now I live in a city called Ormuz, which is located on the eastern shore of the Arabian Peninsula. Being the infidel’s centre of the trade with India it is a rich and exotic place. But as the privileged Arab merchants jealously guard their secrets, it is also a very dangerous place for a foreigner with many questions about the lands in the East.

Till now I have not been able to get my feet on ship bound for India, but I surely will sooner or later. In the meantime I will trust in God’s blessing and look out for every piece of information I may be able to obtain. The blank page I added to this letter is a copy of a map I stole from a drunken captain, showing the seas to the south of the infidel’s heartlands and the coasts of Africa. I used a special, invisible ink, but my old friend Vasco da Gama knows how to make the drawings visible again.
It was the same captain who first mentioned a place called Malacca, but his comrades immediately stopped him talking. Something I will have to investigate.

Written in the city of Ormuz, in the year of our lord 1496,
Damião de Góis, Knight of the Order of Christ



Manuel I. of Portugal


My King,

I’m honoured to have the possibility to write you again after three years of forced silence. I left Ormuz shortly after I wrote my first letter to your Royal Highness, which I now know arrived in Lisbon in 1497. But the ship that should bring me to the dreamed coast of India was destroyed in a terrible storm and I owe my life solemnly to God’s mercy. But together with all my possessions and all my gold I lost every hope for being of any use for the Order and for my King.
Stranded in a foreign land, I had to live with the poorest of the poor. India is a strange land, where birth determines everything. But I will not bore my King with lamentations and stories about the years I spent as a beggar. Now, with da Gama’s and Coelho’s ships controlling the Indian Ocean I will continue with my mission. The couriers surely have brought detailed news of Don Francisco de Almeida’s failed attempt to conquer the city of Goa. The reason for this setback has one name: Malacca.

This city developed from a small fishing village to a powerful sultanate, which nowadays controls most of what lies east of India, and the heart blood of this empire is spice. The plantation on the mysterious pepper and cinnamon islands are owned by the same Malaccan merchants that control almost all aspects of the spice trade. A status, they furiously defend.
For a long time, Malacca seemed to be satisfied with controlling those yet unknown islands in the east, but this changed twenty years ago. It was Sultan Ala’ud-Din Ri’Ayat Shah who forged the great alliance between Malacca, Delhi, Gujarat, Hyderabad and Bengal. Together these nations waged three wars against those Indian kings who did not pray towards Mecca. After ten years of war this alliance finally succeeded in bringing all of India under Muslim control, with Malacca controlling the southern part of this rich land. It is ironic: during the same time our great explorers established colonies in Africa to secure the route to India, this land of desire was lost to an unknown enemy.
Now, another ten years later, thousands of Malaccan settlers live in the Sultanate’s Indian provinces.

I told Don Francisco all the above and I told him, that Malacca will not tolerate any competition for their economic control over India. But he had not believed in anything I said since I introduced myself to his men as a fellow Portuguese in the streets of Goa.
Of all the things I told him about a land completely unknown to him, he was only interested in the reports of the dubious loyalty of the city’s governor. At first, it seemed to be possible to bribe this totally corrupt man into giving Don Francisco complete control over Goa, but then everything went wrong. Mercenaries led by loyal servants of the sultan of Delhi appeared out of nowhere and took control of the citadel; the gold the spent several days later in the cities taverns and brothels was of Malaccan origin. One week later the new governor, a former merchant of Malayan blood, ordered our ships to immediately leave the harbour.
Don Francisco refused, bombarded the citadel, but finally had to set sail for the open sea when news of a great Malaccan fleet heading towards Goa arrived. Now we are at war with Delhi and Gujarat, eliminating any hope of establishing a base on Indian soil.

I speak all of the six languages used in the region, know all of the customs. With the gold captain da Gama gave me before setting sail for Portugal I will disguise again disguise as an Arab merchants and travel farther east. We need more information. We need to know about Malacca.

Written onboard the San Gabriel, in the year of our lord 1499,
Damião de Góis, Knight of the Order of Christ



India 1503


My king,

When the war with Delhi ended after only eight months and without greater hostilities, I did not think that I would have to wait more than ten years to meet a fellow countryman again. But as know now, the Goa fiasco encouraged the court to send another expedition to India; instead I am now told stories about a distant land called Brazil.
I’m living in Malacca for fourteen years now, securing my existence as merchant and translator. This Sultanate is truly a worthy enemy. For the last twenty years the land prospered. The only thing disturbing the peace and growth is the constant demand of the heathen priests to ban all new ideas from the Malaccan Empire. But the Sultan is too wise to forget the source of Malacca’s power. As a mediator between the Chinese Empire of the east and the Arabian and Indian world of the west the state has to remain open minded. But this tolerance is philosophical at best and ends, where Malacca’s state or trading interests begin.

When Bengal declared war on the Burmese state of Mon shortly after we made peace with Bengal, the great Muslim alliance fought together for the last time. The victory was absolute, with Malacca’s troops easily defeating Mon’s allies, forcing the Thai kingdoms of the north to become vassals of the Sultan.
But only one year later the leaders of Hyderabad converted to Shia Islam and left the alliance. Bengal and Malacca did the same, when Delhi began a war against the wild tribes of Afghanistan.
Soon, the Empire of the Thousands Islands, as Malacca is called here, focused its interest again on its neighbouring states. The Sultanate of Brunei, located on the island of Kalimantan just west of the Malaccan Peninsula soon became a military ally, and soon thereafter a new vassal of the mighty Malayan empire. When Brunei fought against the neighbouring state of Kutei, Malacca’s intervention decided the war: the rich city of Sabah was taken by a surprise attack, and the enemy’s armies defeated. In the end, Brunei could regain some former provinces in the South of the island, but Sabah was Malacca’s prize. Only two years later, the Sultan of Brunei married his only daughter to the Sultans oldest sun, thus uniting the two kingdoms.

And then Don Alfonso d’ Albuquerque and his fleet arrived in the streets of Malacca. First my heart was full joy and I thank God on my knees, using my native tongue for the first in years. But soon I realized that Don Alfonso did not learn anything from the fault’s of Don Francisco. He trusted in the superiority of his caravels and demanded ridiculous trading rights for our merchants. He even tired to bribe some of the city’s officials with glass pearls. No Malaccan Sultan could tolerate this, and now are at war with Malacca.
It is true, that our caravels defeated the enemy’s navy, but the Malaccan fleet is far from being destroyed. And the raiding parties Don Alfonso sent to the Indian territories and even Malacca itself were easily annihilated by superior and well equipped forces.
And now my contacts inform me, that the Sultan convinced Ormuz, Yemen, Aden, Kilwa and Malindi to open their ports to Malaccan ships of war. My king, we have to end this war immediately. Don Alfonso’s troops are too few to fight an empire as rich and large as Malacca. And without any base east of Kongo we can’t hope to change this.
We have to end this war now, or we will never be able to live in peace with the Malaccan people.

Written in the city of Malacca, in the year of our lord 1499,
Damião de Góis, Knight of the Order of Christ



The new Portuguese base of operations


To Manuel, King of the heathen pirates.

We understand that you want to trade with the richest of our country. We there fore understand why your servant attacked our friends, trading partners and rightful brother of Ormuz. It is not our wish to intervene with the dealing of far away people, and we hope Allah, blesses be his name, will grant you this wisdom too.

You have to understand, that we will allow your merchants to buy goods and spices in India from our merchants.
And you have to understand, that we will kill all of your servants who dare to come to our lands again, or to the lands of those we protect.

As a gift we send you the head of your servant Damião de Góis, who was known as Yussuf al Warik to our people. As this creature, may the shatain torment his soul, was spy, we kept his eyes and his tongue. His wives and children have been sold to Arab traders in Ormuz,.

I do not wish to write to you again, for the next we will have to write with blood.

For I am Ala’ud-Din Ri’Ayat Shah II, Great Sultan of Malacca, Emperor of Thousand Islands

- to be continued –

Everything goes well. Southern India is mine, the Portuguese didn’t get Goa (lucky me, Delhi went with right decision in the Gates of India event) and I almost killed d’Albuquerque. I control trade in Malacca, Bengal and Kutch, but Portugal banned me from Ormuz.
Next target: Mataram and the other javan states.
Current problem: relations with China are dropping fast, and they’re almost at my border.



South-Eastern Asia

[The Suebian]

Here it is! Took some time, but better late than never.

I was just to busy to write but played on, then I was to busy to play and lost motivation (you surely all know). Hope you forgive me changing the style, but I could hardly remember all the details - and read my notes . And I've been influenced by my last MP game as Portugal. I will return to the old style with the next update.

Fodoron: Thanks. The Europeans surely will make things intersting.

stnylan: Hope you didn't have wait for too long *g*.

Alessandro F: Glad to have you onboard. Just checked my Savoy AAR, seems the host killed my screenies and pics .

[The Suebian]

Part V

Sultan Mahmud Shah I was a man of many virtues, but most of them were hidden very well by his impatient temper and his outbursts of rage. It was almost natural for a man of his interests to spend his time hunting and enjoying the peace of his harem – leaving his realm to mainly govern itself. For most of today’s chronists this decision is the ultimate proof for the wisdom Allah granted the Sultan, but most of today’s chronists are those ones, who survived Mahmud Shah’s wise hatred for all scholars who dared to comment his rule.
In the year 934 (1528) the Emir of Sulawesi asked the court for money to improve the roasting houses of the coffee beans produced in his domain. As the Sultan had given no special orders about all the tax money accumulated during the last years, 850.000 dinars were given to the Emir to begin construction. Only two years later the refined coffee beans belonged to the best in the world, greatly improving Sulawasi’s value for the Empire. This new invention seemed to stimulate the entire nation’s economy. Internal reforms greatly improved the efficiency of the Sultan’s plantations on Timor and Flores, and the years 938 (1532) and 941 (1535) had to be called exceptional in all aspects.


When Adil returned to his grand uncle’s house in spring after a long and successful journey to Aden, his whole family seemed to have disappeared. Asking the neighbours only led to closed doors and closed minds. Nobody spoke about the fate of Yussuf al Warik and his wives, children and grandchildren. Adil did not know what had happened during his absence, but he was clever enough to leave his former home at once. He knew the palace guards well enough, and he didn’t want to get to know them better.


In the summer of 942 (1536) the Portuguese started to attack our traders in the India seas – war was inevitable. The fleet was sent to protect our Indian possessions, but was defeated by the Christian caravels in the seas around Llanka. With the enemy controlling the waves, all we could do was waiting for the infidels to come. And they did. Only two months later 11.000 soldiers under the command of Martin des Sousa landed in Cochin. Smaller armies started raiding Borneo and even dared to attack Johor.



The Indian regiments prepare for war


But soon luck changed. The raiding parties were defeated again and again; the army of de Sousa was crushed by our Indian mercenaries from Kerala. Martin de Sousa tried to escape South with some survivors of the jungle battles, but was captured and killed by our newly recruited troops in Trivandrum. Our fleet returned to the seas and defeated the enemy twice in the Gulf of Bengal. From this day on, the Portuguese had lost the war. Although they knew the coastlines of Sumatra they were not brave enough to send forces into the island’s unknown interior. Instead, they started to behaved like the pirates they truly were, sending small forces of 2.000 men to sack the cities of Borneo and India. But these detachments were swiftly defeated by our local emir, and their transport ships were easy prey for the Malaccan navy, which won victory after victory in the Straits of Malacca and Johor over the hated Caravels.
After the last great Portuguese army was destroyed in spring 946 (1539) and the death of general Sado, who had been captured and then behead, Portugal had to accept our peace offer to prevent us attacking Ormuz. 225.00 dinars were paid as compensation for the trading ships the Christian dogs had sunk during the first weeks of the war.



We win, they loose


Although the celebration lasted several weeks, this year’s harvest was excellent throughout the empire, a clear blessing of Allah for our great victory over the infidels. Now even the Emir of Butung was convinced of Malacca’s fate and submitted to the plans of the Highest and Mightiest. His small country on the very south of Sulawesi became part of our glorious and enlightened realm in 947 (1540).


The profit of his journey to Africa helps Adil to start a new life in Mataram. Grand uncle Yussuf had taught him almost everything one could know about trading business. Soon Adil will be one the most influential merchants in Mataram. And then he will have enough gold to start searching his family – or enough gold to take revenge.


During the following years the Sultan could return to hunt the tigers and please his women with his presence; after our victory over the Portuguese no one dared to challenge Malacca.
Relations with China considerably cooled in 954 (1547) after our merchants had been harassed in Shanghai. Things escalated, when China decided to ban our merchants from their markets. Malacca could not tolerate this behaviour, but we could not risk war with China either. Instead, the crown council decided to establish a trading post on the island of Taiwan. When this trading post grew into a prosperous town, many East Asian traders preferred this harbour to Shanghai and Hong Kong, which led the Chinese Emperor to reconsider his decision and reopen his realm for Malaccan merchants. But Taiwan remained our northern outpost.
In 957 (1550) a Portuguese man called Xavier asked for permission to preach the Christian belief; when the Sultan stopped laughing he ordered the palace guards to take care of this lunatic, which they did. The blind and broken man may still be seen wandering the streets of Malacca cursing his god.
Years passed, and Malacca grew and prospered. Times of hyperinflation were soon followed by a deflation; times of plaque were followed by regulations of the medical professions. In 963 (1559) the heirs of the Timurids conquered Delhi, thus establishing the Mughal Empire in India. Old Sultan Mahmud sent his best wishes and one of his numerous daughters. Another princess had been married to the king of Kutei finally managed to convince her husband to adopt the teaching of the prophet in the same year.
Mahmud Shah died during the last days of 972 (1564). He left the crown to his oldest surviving son Muzaffar, who now was the mightiest man of South Eastern Asia.

- to be continued –

Nothing really spectacular during these decades, but I can live with it. Three new provinces colonized, one annexed; reached trade and infra level 3, built 15 new warships, constructed one refinery. And, best of all, BB is down to 5 – time for expansion.