Strange Shores: An Aragonese AAR

[Kurt_Steiner]

Well, I'm sure that the following king is going to last a bit more...

Woncderful Indian empire, by the way. Bit by bit, you're building an empire who is going to last... at least, more than his creator

(I do think he's going to be exactly as the previous kings, but let's say it aloud just in case...)

[crusaderknight]

Well, I guess they'll die young even if I don't comment on their reigns.

Enric did a lot of good for Aragon, it is a shame he could not last longer. Oh well, he died early, leaving behind a youth as his heir, as did Philip of Macedon. Perhaps Alfons VIII shall be the Aragonese Alexander?

[J. Passepartout]

I would have to rate Enric as one of the best monarchs we have seen in this games. If not that, then at least the coolest with his leopards.

[FlorisDeVijfde]

I see that slowly your war machine is turning it's eyes east towards Indonesia. Good. Soon the Indian Ocean will be your sea.

[RossN]

Alfons VIII, Emperor, King of Aragon, Portugal, Sicily and India

17) Alfons VIII (1710-1732)

Alfons was a precocious, talented young man in much the mould of his father (if perhaps more skilled). King & Emperor from the age of seventeen he was famous throughout his reign for holding the most splendid court in Europe, earning him the sorbiquet of "the Magnificent" for his passion for finery. This foppish excess, though largely popular earned him few friends amongst the sterner clergy or the grizzled millitary officers of the court. Yet there was far more to the Emperor than simply the pleasure loving dandy.

"He is the slightest, most boyish of men, never less than perfectly turned out and elegantly mannered... yet watch him entertaining at the court ball, at dinner, at the theatre: he listens to everything. From the most mindless of gossip to secrets that could topple many a throne; all of it is taken in behind the perfect vapid smile that hides one of the most formidable brains in Europe."
- The Marquis of Leinster, British ambassador in Barcelona, 1712

The Kingdom of India, 1732

Victory in India

Alfons took up Enric's tactics of diplomacy with an enthusiam that outshone even his father. The king of Vijayanagara recieved such a heavy weight of bribes (in both money and titles), subtle threats and outright fabrications that he folded. On 3 December 1713 word reached Barcelona that Vijayanagara (much of India and the island of Sumatra) had been passed over to the direct control of Aragon. Alfons celebrated by dining on roast peacock for Christmas dinner - and having himself crowned King of India.

The fabulous coronation, attended by dozens of princes and crowned heads set new standards in oppulence, yet it undoubtedly angered many. The reminder that Alfons VIII, as Emperor and holding the Pope himself in his sway should conjure so great a crown into existance for his own family was anathema to much of Europe any beyond. Perhaps the sheer ostentationous of the ceremony, which saw an endless succession of Indian princes pay court to their new King in front of all Europe turned a sour note. Envy grew.

Perhaps surprisingly it was Venice that was unhappiest, to the point of actual war (in February 1714). Rajputana, who also went to war was certainly understandable, but at the time Venice was the shock. It was later theorised, correctly, that the sly Venetians had considerable hidden interest in the Subcontinent - interests threatened by the assumption of direct Aragonese rule.

Neither of these conlicts, which both lasted till 1720, saw much glory or gain. Wisely Alfons declined to press the war in Rajputana: the King of India had no wish to further antagonise his neighbours by a vulgar land grab. Venice was a different story: the excellent training and equipment of the Serene Republic inflicted severe wounds in Aragonese Italy before superior numbers drove them back. Eventually the wars were ended with a return to the status quo, but the first experience of war with other Europeans in many years was still a nasty shock.

The bloodless annexations of Travanacore (1723) and Mysore (1725) followed much more quietly, without attracting much foreign venom.

Religion in India, 1732

Other Horizons

The Emperor might amuse himself with his parties, dances, balls, gardens and menagerie (to which was added a giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world is not yet prepared) but he was still always thinking, planning, acting. The Aragonese Empire did not stand still.

Of course the missionary work continued in India, to considerable success; though Sumatra was, as yet untouched. The Church was not the only faction at court however: the East India Company (upset over losing any direct control in India) was pressing for new territories, further East. India might be old news but what about China and Japan?

Taiwan, fairly close to the Chinese mainland but not under Chinese control was an ideal location and on 25 May 1727 a small settlement was founded there. A new period in Aragonese history was oppening up...

Death

Despite later popular legend the first King of India did not die of Cholera: the earliest epidemics did not arrive until the 1790's. Alfons VIII actually died of tuberculosis; passing away in the august splendour of his Barcelona palace on 11 September 1732. Alfons the Magnificent was forty years old and childless (at least as regards legitimate issue). His crowns passed to his thirty-four year old brother, Ferran.

Naturally the funeral was a spectacle; many gathered to pay respects to Alfons - and to take note of his brother. Ferran VI, a classically handsome, martial looking man did not much resemble his brother. Except, as the British ambassador noted in the way he seemed too, well, listen to people.

The New King

[RossN]

Nikolai: Good thinking.

Kurt_Steiner: Heh, well said.

crusaderknight: Maybe not Alexander, but still effective no?

J. Passepartout: Damn straight.

FlorisDeVijfde: Not a bad idea...

[crusaderknight]

Aye, he was very effective. King of all India.

Now let us hope that Ferran VI will build upon this. Crush Rajputna, expand into China, destroy the Venetians! Alfons has blazed the trail, now Ferran must pave the road!

[Kurt_Steiner]

All of India belongs to Aragon, at least!

Mmmh... wouldn't be time to teach some lessons to those pesky Venetians?

[FlorisDeVijfde]

Ignore the Venetians, in 250 years their city will be flooded anyway.


....Unless with help from the Dutch they build storm-dams like they're going to do now...ok, to big a risk, destroy them

[valzoz_p94]

Nice empire you've been building since the last time i checked!
Keep the good work up!

[J. Passepartout]

Was the story of the Giant Rat of Sumatra made into a radio play, I wonder.

[stnylan]

A great missionary effort in India. All is set, surely, for a wonderful Great Game sort of situation for the 19th century. Alas, the limitations of an EU3 timeline.

[Frank78]

A great missionary effort in India.

Indeed. This AAR inspired me to conquer India as Savoy - instead of colonizing America. (Well, I grabbed Cuba and Haiti - and then colonized South Africa and the Seychelles to secure a supply route to Inida).

I am now conquiring and coverting my way from south to north in India. A massive Mughal Empire to the north, though...

[Patrick O'Harte]

Still waiting for Napoli's annexation.

[Lord E]

I see a lot has happened while I have been away. Some setbacks and some good development had made sure you rule all of India now, that is impressive. Keep up the good work

[RossN]

Ferran VI, Emperor, King of Aragon, Portugal, Sicily and India

18) Ferran VI (1732-1758)

Ferran was one of those most talented men to sit on the Aragonese throne, yet he began his reign in the shadow of his brother's take over of India. His entire twenty-six year rule might be characterised as trying to sprint out from under that shadow.

At home Ferran was less fond of the courtly extravagance of his brother's era, but he shared a similar taste for high art, colonial ambitions and a sense of intellectual superiority.

South East Asia, 1758

War in the East

Khmer was the power that controlled most of South-East Asia and a tempting target for the spread of the Faith and 'civilisation'. In particular the East India Company looked for new pastures after India, especially saw new opportunities, both in South-East Asia and in Indonesia (see below). Additionally the borders of Aragonese Burma had to be protected - and Khmer was an uncertain quality. The Emperor, a strong believer in overseas expansion, albeit perhaps for slightly different reasons than his predecessors agreed and Aragon went to war on 3 April 1732.

Khmer proved a challenge; the Aragonese invasion force was too small and the terrain unexpectedly hostile. The first war concluded on 7 February 1736 with disappointing results: only Chiang Mai and Moulmein had been annexed.

Twelve years later (in 1748) Aragon went to war with neighbouring Champa, to secure their presence in the South China Sea and make the colony of Taiwan more viable. This was more successful, resulting in the annexation of Binh Tri Thien and Panduranga and the reduction of the rump state of Champa into vassaldom. Though not the major concern, this victory did open up possibilities of a two front war with Khmer.

So on 2 January 1756 Aragon once again went to war with Khmer. This time the conflict was more successful - at the conclusion of the war on 17 December 1756 Champassk, Thakher, Prey Nokor and Sien Reap had been won and a decisive power base established in South-East Asia.

The East Indies, 1758

The East Indies

While Sumatra had formerly been a possession of Vijayanagara (and had thus passed to Alfons VIII in 1713) Java had remained a mystery - outside of European control, or even contact. The decision to turn it into a colony was made, not so much for its material wealth or even its liveability (climate and hostile natives made it far less congenial to European settlement than old South Africa, or even temperate Australia). Rather it was to prevent Java from falling to another European power - and compromising the East India Company.

Settlement began as early as 1734 in Banten... only to be levelled by hostile natives the following year. Much early settlement ended up this way and eventually the East India Company had to request soldiers from the Viceroy of India (a serious embarrassment; the East India Company and the Viceregal Government in India had a mutual jealousy and sense of contempt for each other). Seven regiments of Sepoys duly arrived to protect the colonies.

This heavy handed approach worked - at least in keeping the settlements alive - but overall most colonists did not prosper in tropical Java. Disease was a constant concern, to the extent that the population actually fell on an annual basis. The East India Company was forced to scour Catalonia for volunteers - though reports they resorted to pressganging drunks and criminals are surely exaggerated.

The Enlightened Despot

Ferran VI was a man of the Enlightenment; perhaps the best read monarch in Europe. He was attracted to many of the ideals of the time, ideals that would have alternately perplexed or horrified many of his predecessors. A great patron of the arts (as his brother had been) he was also a patron of science, indeed what has been called a "Scientific Revolution" took place during the reign of Ferran VI (symbolically dated to the 1752 publication of On the Popular sovereignty by Jaume d'Ixar).

Ferran was not in favour of establishing a constitution as such, on the supremacy of Kings he agreed with his great-grandfather and namesake Ferran V (of Leviathan fame). Yet the old Absolutism rested solidly on Divine Right; Ferran VI drew much of his inspiration from reason. Reason was the watchword of the King; an end to the old age of superstition, bigotry and fear and the feudal state. Reformation of the antiquated, unjust and poorly run tradtional Aragonese state and Church.

Naturally, while all this was popular amongst the middle class professionals of the cities it him many enemies in the Church and the Aristocracy. Accusations have been made that Ferran was a Deist, even an Atheist. In fact there is no evidence that he was anything other than a practicing Catholic; his anti-clericalism (extending to breaking up Church land and abolishing the Jesuits) was more to do with his desire for reform. The land reforms likewise: serfs where now to be paid labourers. There was a certain coldness and arrogance to the "Reign of Reason" (as the Count of Lamego put it) that did little to endear Ferran to these traditional supporters of the Crown.

Death

Ferran VI could not continue trampling on tradition forever; the 'Enlightened Despot' suffered a severe stroke on the morning of 28 August 1578, followed a few hours later by a second, fatal, stroke. He was sixty years old.

All eyes now turned to the son, another Joan. How, it was wondered, would he follow his father?

The New King

[RossN]

crusaderknight: Heh, well perhaps Joan?

Kurt_Steiner: At some point... the Aragonese have other fish to fry at the moment.

FlorisDeVijfde: Heh, suggestion noted!

valzoz_p94: Thank you, will do.

J. Passepartout: Not the real story.

stnylan: I know. Though I am thinking of a Victoria AAR after this one.

Frank78: That's great! I'm delighted to have inspired you. Good luck on those Mughals...

Patrick O'Harte: I had actually forgotten.

Lord E: Thank you.

[J. Passepartout]

Getting lucky with the monarchial abilities and longevity. Perhaps all those genes have been purged. (Admittedly, the monarchial stats weren't consistently bad but here we have a couple of good ones in a row.) Hopefully Joan lasts a while.

[Burke]

A string of good kings. How are things on the continent, and in the Americas? Great progress.

[Kurt_Steiner]

I'm impressed. Your kings live longer -that's good! - but you're turning Asia into your personal backyard.

Or garden.

Whatever, but it's yours