Atale from Bali

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A Tale form Bali XIII - The reign of Aria Pangiri

A Tale form Bali XIII

The reign of Aria Pangiri (1546-1567)

With the coming of Aria Pangiri, order is restored at the court of Bali and the Hindu nobles now stand in line to advise the young king. Aria mounts several expeditions to southern India and finally colonizes the entire southern tip of the subcontinent in late 1567. Vijayanagar is annexed and Delhi enters an alliance with Mataram. The First India war is fought (1558-1563) in this period, with little success for the Mataram.

The colonization of India pretty much came to a hold in the late 1540s. The hostile warlords of southern India simply killed off any Mataram settlers who set foot on their soil. The Hindu traders, who are responsible for transporting and supplying the colonists, simply refused to carry out any colonization efforts in the Indian continent if nothing was done about them. Aria send out three expeditions to southern India in the period 1549-1567:

The Trivandrum expedition (1549-1550)
The Madurai expedition (1552-1557)
The Ceylon expedition (1565-1567)

With the successful establishment of a colony in Madurai in 1557 and the annexation of the Vijayanagar kingdom in 1552, the southern part of the mainland of India was now in Mataram hands.

The annexation of Vijayanagar was the next logical step in the process that the nations were going through. The old Vijayanagar king died in 1549 and he had no heir to the thrown. After a period of continuous warfare (1549-1552 was marked by many rebellions in the Vijayanagar kingdom) the Vijayanagar nobles decided to accept only Aria as king because no local ruler was able to gain control. This political annexation led to great political instability in the region. As said before, the Balinese Hindu system is a more simplified version of the Indian Hindu system, Hindu fundamentalists in the former Vijayanagar began a series of revolts against the Mataram rulers all throughout the period 1552-1567.

Not only the internal politics were greatly destabilized by this event, the external Indian politics also was greatly disturbed by this action. The Mataram were again without an ally and eventually made a military pact with Delhi in 1553. The Mataram believed that Delhi, who even had their own Center of Trade, were a powerful northern Indian ally, the events to come proved them wrong however….

On January 14 1558, Malwa declared war upon Delhi together with their allies Mysore and Gujarat. The Mataram of course stood by their Delhi allies. However Malwa wasn’t the only Indian nation with a score to settle with Delhi, Bengal also declared war against Delhi on March 13 1558, together with their allies Mugal and The Kaliphate. The first Indian War had begun for the Mataram empire.

Most Indian nations were out of reach for the Mataram as they lay beyond the realm of Delhi, besides the Mataram armies were relatively small in comparison to their Indian counterparts. On the other hand, the Indonesian archipelago likewise didn’t have anything to fear from an Indian (naval) attack. The Mataram had twp armies in the region, one in Mangalore and one in Yanam. The Yanam army had a hard time fighting the Hindu fundamentalists there and it was not until late 1560 she could join the fighting. The Mangalore army stared a siege of Mysore but she was unable to prevent Mysore armies from invading and initiate a siege of Maharasta. To the north, Palakimedi colony falls into the hands of hostile Bengal forces and the Yanam army didn’t recapture it until 1562!

In 1560 after 2 years of warfare the Mysore forces had captured Maharasta and Hindu fundamentalists had captured Madras and Yanam. Things really looked bad for the Mataram but in late 1560 reinforcements from Java and Sumatra were ferried over to the Indian continent. These forces were hardened by training in the dense jungles and they proved to be the decisive factor in the ongoing war. In 1561 the Hindu fundamentalists were routed in Yanam and Madras and Mysore armies were devastatingly defeated in Maharasta in early 1562. Before the Mataram veterans could take advantage of the situation however, the king of Delhi was forced to sign a peace treaty with Malwa, handing over Hyderabad to Malwa and granting them military access to their territory. Victory for the Mataram forces was still possible against Bengal but after the Mataram armies had freed Palakimedi in early 1562, the Hindu nobles were unwilling to continue the war because of the costs. In 1563 a white peace was signed between Bengal and the Mataram ending the First Indian War.

Though not at all a success, the war did learn the Mataram armies how to fight with larger army forces in tropical areas. These lessons would prove to be valuable in later engagements.

The final years of Aria’s reign were marked by the successful colonization of Ceylon (1567) and the beginning of piracy in the waters of Malaysia, Indonesia and India. The successful trading efforts of the Mataram began to attract all shorts of scum and villainy who started to pray on richly loaded Mataram and European ships. Despite the costly war and the unsuccessful colonization attempts of India, Aria managed to setup a Refinery in both Jakarta and Luzon, greatly adding to the trade value of the sugar in those areas.

Aria died at the age of only 36, being a king for almost all his life (21 years). His son Pangeran Mas will now rule as Mataram king over both Indonesia and India.

 

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A Tale form Bali XIV - The reign of Pangeran Mas

A tale from Bali XIV

The reign of Pangeran Mas (1568-1581)

During the reign of Pangeran Mas the Second Indian War begins but it isn’t finished until after his reign. Mas does manage to reform both the Mataram navy and land army (both increase to level 4 during his reign) as well as create the first standing armies in India to systematically eradicate the Hindu fundamentalists. On the religious front, the Muslims majority in Makassar are converted in October 1581 because of the systematic suppression of the Muslim fate by the Hindu priests. In the archipelago only the Muslims of Atjeh now profit from the religious tolerance edict of Huyang Purvavisea (1466). At the end of the reign of Mas however several Hindu missionaries began to convert the Muslims of Ajeh and Riau.

Mas’s reign is best described as a period of consolidation. The aftermath of the First Indian War had made clear that the Hindu armies of the Mataram are simply not ready yet to fight a sustained conflict on a larger scale (such as in India). Mas therefore reorganizes both the navy as well as the Indian expeditionary forces. In India the two expeditionary forces are turned into two regular armies of app. 34,000 men each over a period of several years. These two armies are properly trained by veterans from the First Indian War and gain experience during several campaigns to quell the Indian Hindu fundamentalists of the former Vijayanagar kingdom. By the late 1570s, these Indian rebels had been routed and full Mataram order was finally installed on the Indian continent.

The navy was also reformed as from 1580 the Mataram were able to construct specialized transport ships to ferry troops from India to Indonesia and back again. This ability greatly added to the mobility of the Mataram armies. By the late 1570s, besides one Indian navy, an Indonesian navy was also created. Mostly to get rid of the many Pirate fleets that had plagued the waters of Malaysia and Indonesia over the years! Though reformed, the Mataram navies still proved to lack firepower when fighting against the (European) pirates whose ships were equipped with canons. A naval battle between the Indonesian fleet and a pirate fleet in 1571 in the Straits of Johore proved just that.

Besides a new colony on Colombo (Ceylon), no new colonies were founded in this period and trade volumes remained pretty constant (see also the map of Mataram in the link below). The Mataram now had traders in Japan, India, China and even Africa, Arabia and Portugal! All of this made the trade on spices more and more important. To streamline trade between the Europeans and the Mataram, the Mataram Spices Company was founded in 1579 when several Hindu traders started to work together when trading with the Europeans. These white men were only to willing to do business with the Mataram because they were practically the only nation who could provide spices and coffee to them. The trade in sugar, cotton and china was also very important for the Mataram. The demand of these goods continued to rise as the European and Asian cities were growing.

On the diplomatic front, the Mataram continued to support Delhi as an ally, though opposition against them was growing again in the late 1570s. Delhi hard line elements in their government also were eager on taking back lost territory (Hyderabad) from Malwa as well as lost prestige…On May 28 1581 Delhi declared war on Malwa and her allies Mysore and Gujarat, the Mataram sided again with their Delhi allies thus the Second Indian War started.

Mas didn’t see the day that his armies marched up in victory against Mysore and Malwa because he died from plague in June 1581. Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa, his eldest son, was also young when he climbed on the Mataram throne at the age of only 16. Nevertheless he was determined to bring the Second Indian War to a good end….


Mataram in India (1574)

 

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Nice slice of Southern India you've got there. Good effort.

 

[Bismarck]

You are ruling the Indian subcontinent.... way to go...

M

 

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A Tale form Bali XV - The reign of Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa

A tale from Bali XV

The reign of Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa (1582-1612)

Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa, ‘the Indian’, so called because of his successful wars in India against Malwa, Gujarat and Bengal, takes the Mataram form the 16th to the 17th century. During his reign the colonization of the Indian continent is completed and Mataram territorial expansion in India is achieved by conquest. With this, Senapati lays the foundation for the ‘Indian League’ of his successors. Despite some local religious turmoil flaring up here and there during his reign, the Tolerance Act of Hyuang (laid down in 1466 and reinstated in 1593) begins to settle things between the Hindu and Muslims.

Because his father Pangeran Mas had sided with Delhi in 1581, Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa had to go to war with them in the second Indian War (1581-1585). In this campaign, the superiority of the Mataram veteran forces helped the Mataram to settle things with Mysore. The city was besieged in 1581 and taken two years later by the Mataram forces (February 1583), the Sultan of Mysore was beheaded and Mysore was added to the great Mataram Empire. This resulted in the occupation of the entire southern part of the Indian subcontinent by the Mataram short of Goa (Portuguese) and Khelat and Bombay (English). The veteran forces also struck a blow to the Sultanate of Malwa by occupying Hyderabad in December 1582 and helping Delhi forces to get rid of Malwa troops in Rajputana and Khandesh. By late 1585 the Sultan of Malwa was even captured by the Sultan of Delhi as Delhi’s troops marched in the streets of Malwa. A peace treaty was signed in which Matarams claim over Mysore was confirmed and the province of Hyderabad was also handed over to Mataram. Delhi received a large sum of money (161 ducats) and the provinces of Rajputana and Khandesh. As a result, relations between Delhi and Mataram had never been better.

This peace also was the foundation for a new conflict though, as Malwa swore revenge against Delhi and Mataram. Delhi on the other hand wanted to destroy the Malwa threat once and for all and started the Third Indian War (1595-1598) to do just that. This war was fought with less enthusiasm by the Mataram because Mataram nobles were not keen on getting a large and powerful neighbor to the north. Despite that, Delhi did manage to capture the city of Malwa in September 1595, annexing it that same day. Their ally, the sultan of Gujarat, continued the fight against Delhi and Mataram until 1598 when he was also forced to sign a peace treaty with both Delhi and Mataram, giving the Mataram 200 and the sultan of Delhi 31 ducats.

In the early 17th century things didn’t quiet down on the Indian subcontinent however. Gujarat joined the Indian alliance between Delhi and Mataram because Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa wanted to broaden the basis of the Indian alliance. The sultanate of Bengal to the northeast of the Mataram possessions had an alliance with the smaller sultanate of Arkan. Both were mediocre powers at the time with highly unstable governments and weak rulers. Advisors of Panembahan Senapati were all in agreement that a swift and short war could be very profitable. Mataram declared war on Bengal on November 6th 1603, Delhi and Gujarat all followed Mataram in the Fourth Indian War (1603-1609).

This war was somewhat different then the Third Indian War in the way that the dense tropical forests and mountains in Bengal made maneuvering with larger armies very difficult. Still the veteran Northern India Army under the comment of Al Jazaf quickly captured Sambalpur and Bihar provinces (1603-1605). Arkan was impressed, not to mention very fearful, of these swift actions and offered a white peace in 1605 (which was accepted by the Mataram to isolate Bengal even more). The nearby sultanate of Orissa, a vassal of Bengal, also was in shock of the swiftness with which the Mataram empire had thrown itself on Bengal. They granted the Mataram military access through there territory to evade a full blown invasion by them.

Meanwhile the attacks had taken their toll on the invading forces as the dense forests and mountain trails made supplying the armies very difficult. Attrition was high and many soldiers died of plague and hunger. Large scale mobilization of additional forces in border provinces were cause for disturbances amongst the farmer casts, of the 1,000 soldiers sent into Bengal, less then 250 came back. Nevertheless Al Jazaf pushed forward and by early 1609 Bengal was completely occupied by Mataram and Delhi forces. The sultan of Bengal was unwilling to make any territorial concessions but when Mataram forces entered the capital of Bengal, he finally signed a peace treaty. Bengal became a vassal of Mataram and the city of Sambalpur was ceded to the Mataram.

Territorial expansion in India also came from the successful colonization of Bombay in 1586, after an English trading post was destroyed there in the early 1580s. But when the Mataram tried to colonize Jaffina on Ceylon they found that French traders had already setup a trading post there. Though this did open up a new trade route to ‘Ile de France’ it did stop the Mataram colonization efforts in India because there were no new suitable areas to colonize. In Indonesia however, a Muslim trader and explorer called Biskra had discovered two new islands within the Indonesian archipelago, The Moluks (Buru) and Tindore in 1595. These two islands were colonized successfully in the early 1600s, adding to the huge spice and coffee trade of the Mataram Empire. To celebrate this victory a marriage was arranged between the successful kingdoms of Gujarat and Mataram later that year.

This trade was the main reason for the Mataram traders (both Hindu and Muslim) to join in a new monopoly company that was formed in 1584. However, as was the case during the reign of Raden Patah Senapati (in the early 16th century), the cast of traders was becoming more wealthier then the cast of nobles. The Mataram nobility, Hindus and Muslims alike, were demanding their share in the increased trading income!

Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa had to increase their ‘pensions’ in 1606, resulting in overall unhappiness amongst the merchants because of new trading taxes that were raised to pay for the increased expenditures. Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa also reinstalled the right of the (Hindu) nobility to for go the weekly offering to the gods. This led to great unhappiness with the Hindu clergy and even to a revolt in the Indian provinces of Mysore and Hyderabad were Hindu fundamentalists were still very active. Both rebellions were quelled and the nobles got their rights anyway.

Religious turmoil had flared up in Atjeh in 1592 as the Hindu missionaries failed to convert the Muslims to the Hindu religion. A series of revolts in Atjeh were the result (1592, 1594 and 1608) and after this unsuccessful attempt Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa had little choice but to reinstall the Religion Tolerance Acts of 1466 again for all of the Mataram empire. It wasn’t until Panembahan Senapati had reinstated these acts in 1609 that peace was restored in Atjeh.

The final years of Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa ‘s reign were very calm. In the final year of his reign his (Muslim) brother Agung assumed the ‘regent’ status as Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa had no children of his own. When he died in the spring of 1612 there was much debate over his succession. Eventually, because no suitable male heir could be found except his brother, the (mostly Hindu) nobles had little choice but to accept Agung as ruler. He then ruled the Mataram empire as Sultan Agung.

 

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A Tale form Bali XVI - the reign of Sultan Agung

A tale from Bali XVI

The reign of Sultan Agung (1612-1643)

Sultan Agung is the creator of the Indian League and the first Muslim sultan of the Mataram Empire. The Indian league is an alliance in which all the great native powers on the Indian subcontinent are represented. It is more then just a military alliance since most members are vassals of the Mataram, forming a religious and financial unity created to counter foreign (European and Muslim) interference in the Hindu subcontinent. The members of the League crown Agung as king of India in 1614, eventually resulting in the political annexation of Bengal and Delhi (see the link below for a map). Agung reforms both the Mataram navy and land army, he also reforms the justice system of the empire, appointing chief judges in many provinces.

Agung wasn’t recognized immediately as monarch by some of the Hindu nobles. But also the Muslim nobles of Atjeh were not keen on him in the beginning. The Hindu nobles distrusted him because of his fate, but the Muslims distrusted him because of his wealth and his trading network. If that network falls in the hands of the Hindu, the Muslim traders of Atjeh will get fierce competition form Hindu traders. The Muslim traders of Atjeh revolted against Agung in the winter of 1612 but this rebellion was easily crushed since Agung had full control over the Mataram armed forces. It is this hold over the military that kept him in the saddle. Because none of the Hindu nobles could count on a major army force to topple Agung, they abided their time and accepted this (Muslim) monarch. After some fuss about which rituals should be followed, Agung was finally crowned as king of the Mataram on September 21 1613.

Being a Muslim, Agung had great influence over the other Indian sultanates, most notably the ones of Delhi, Bengal and Gujarat. The governments of all these sultanates were in decline and ruled by very weak rulers (in the period 1595-1630 I found that there almost of the rulers of other Indian nations had horrible stats; 2-2-2 or wore was no exception) Local (Muslim and Hindu) nobles were trying to seize control over their neighbors, resulting in civil wars and overall instability. Agung realized that this instability was an opportunity for the Europeans to start interfering in the internal affairs of India. To prevent European influences from spreading, Agung was determined to take matters in his own hands.

In January 1614 Agung sailed to Yanam to meet with the rulers of Delhi and Gujarat. Both nations were part of the Indian military alliance that Agung’s predecessor Panembahan Senapati Ingalasa had signed with them. Agung wanted to tighten relations between their nations to form a steady wall against European and/or Muslim intrusions of India. The other sultans were very taken with Agung. This, and the fact that most Indian nobles had more trust in the Mataram empire then their own monarchs, resulted in the pact of Yanam, better known as the Indian League. The pact resulted in Sultan Agung being crowned as king of India and Mataram, Bengal, Delhi and Gujarat forces would effectively be under his command to defend the Indian subcontinent. Also the religious Tolerance Act of 1466 would now be imposed for all of India. The Holy Roman Empire in Europe is the closest thing that can be compared the League. Though the HRE was never more then a federation of several (German) states, the Indian League was a powerful political entity (and unity).

This dominant presence of the Mataram lead to a somewhat unusual situation that most local (Indian) nobles went straight to Sultan Agung when they wanted things to be done. Local rulers were simply put aside by them, and Agung who did nothing to stop them. This resulted in the political death (annexation) of Bengal (1619) and Delhi (1631). Other members, such as Gujarat, Arkan and Orissa all became vassals of the Mataram.

The creation of the Indian League was not without ‘growing pains’. Some local rulers, most notably the ones of Ganges and Rajputana, as well Muslim and Hindu fundamentalists revolted against Sultan Agung several times in the period 1619-1640. However, Agung managed to purchase some canons of the Portuguese in Goa and equipped his armies with this new firepower. This innovation gave the Mataram forces a decisive edge over the rebels and none of the rebellions last longer then a couple of months. In August 1640 the rebellious nobles finally came to an agreement with Agung ending most of the rebellions in northeastern part of India.

Tibet, a recently discovered neighbor to the north of India, also found out that the Mataram forces now had the ability to fire canons in the First Tibetan War (1624-1627). The Tibetans were very suspicious of such a powerful alliance near their southern border. They declared war upon Arakan in 1624 after a border dispute. Agung and all other Indian sultans joined Arakan in their war. Initially Mataram forces did nothing but increase the strength of their border army in Koch, in late 1625 they start sending in their border army into Tibet and successfully capture the provinces of Nepal and Lhasain 1626. However, the condition of the Mataram expeditionary forces is horrible since there had been no possibilities to get supplies to the armies from India, the Himalayan mountains had prevented any relief convoy from reaching their destinations. Unable to continue the war in the state they’re in, the Mataram expedition retreats to Koch again in early 1627. A month later, a peace treaty was signed between the members of the Indian League and Tibet. The Mataram receive 50 ducats as war spoils after loosing 20,000 men in a single campaign.

Besides the internal rebellions and the war with Tibet, the Mataram Empire lies in peace during the reign of Agung. Relations with China are improved as a marriage was arranged between a Chinese princess and a nephew of Agung in 1630.

Trade is still booming in the Mataram Empire with the Muslim, Hindu and Chinese traders establishing monopolies in Malacca, Goa and Delhi. The trading cast gets a lot of benefits from Agung. One example is when he sells the office of ‘Supreme Market Trader of Riau’ to the highest bidder for the sum of 100 ducats in 1626.

In late 1642 Agung, the sultan who ruled for 21 years of Mataram and 20 years over India, dies peacefully in his sleep. His nephew Amangkurat (I) will now rule as (Hindu) King over both Mataram and India.

Mataram 1620

 

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A tale from Bali XVII - A second overview

A tale from Bali XVII

A look at the history of the Mataram in the period 1517-1643

It has been a hundred years again since my last overview of the Mataram Empire, so here an overview of how they have been doing in the sixteenth century.

The Mataram have obviously been doing perfectly these past years, they are now in control of almost the entire Indian subcontinent and the Indonesian archipelago. Trade is booming as many CoT are now visible to them and they have many traders to send as their internal politics are heavily navy- and free trade based.

Though not very visible on the map (see link above) colonization efforts in India have proven to be very difficult. Except for an easy colony in Palakimedi in 1535, it took until way in the 1560s before colonies were successfully established in other parts of southern India. Luckily the rulers of the Indian states were all pretty weak and turning them into allies and even vassals has proven to be very easy (and profitable!). With the Indian League now in place, expanding in India through annexation of our vassals will prove to be a very cheap and effective way to expand there.

The Indian League is not some random event or something, it is entirely made up by me. I did get a Mataram (?) specific event this period!! In 1639 I got the event ‘The rise of the Muslims in Southern Asia’. An event that lets you turn your state religion to Sunni and converts 2 provinces to the Sunni religion as well. Of course I stayed ‘true to the believes of our ancestors’ gaining 1 stab in the process. I am wondering if this was a once in a lifetime event or if it will repeat itself somehow…

Speaking of events, again this period has been very fortunate for me when it comes to ‘random events’. I got two inventions again, several ‘gifts to the state’, three or four explorers and two free conversions.

I have also been doing some research on the real history of the Mataram kingdom. It was originally a Java – Bali Hindu kingdom that was turned to the Islam in the 16th century. The Hindu part (Bali) and the Muslim part then go their separate ways. Though the Mataram did have some control of Java and Sumatra, their hold over these islands was never very strong. Mostly because the Mataram nobles were too busy fighting amongst themselves. When the Portuguese and Dutch arrived in the late 16th century they took advantage of this internal weakness. In the mid 18th century the Mataram were split into two separate kingdoms, the one of Surakarta (west Java) and the one of Yogjakarta (east Java), also because of pressure from the Dutch. I hope to see this event in the game later on….

Dyluk

 

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This is really good Dyluk. I love the writing style and the in-context game play you're using.

That "Rise of the Sultans" event is a one-time-only one, and I would have been very tempted to take it for the big boost to research it would have given - although with so many provinces to convert, it would have hurt quite badly initially.

It certainly seems that you're doing an excellent job of controling the area and keeping those Portuguese out of one of the areas that they almost always dominate by this point of the game. I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress over the course of the next little while...

 

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A Tale form Bali XVIII - the reign of Amangkurat I

A tale from Bali XVIII

The reign of Amangkurat I (1643-1677)

During the long reign of Amangkurat I several important events take place; China and Portugal (both major powers in the 15th and 16th century) are in decline and the Mataram (and others) take advantage of this weakness resulting in two colonial conflicts during his reign. Amangkurat manages to prolong the Indian League and as a result, the small sultanate of Orissa is annexed. The Indian League also comes into conflict with her (Muslim) neighbors resulting in several border conflicts during. Exploration and colonization is also undertaken again by Amangkurat I and the Mataram expand their power over New Guinea and Rabul in the latter part of the 17th century….

In fact, so much has taken place during this period that I’ll describe the various events per category:

The Indian League
Unlike his predecessor, Amungkarat was a Hindu and not a Muslim, this put the Indian League at risk as he could not be crowned Sultan of India since that is a Muslim title. However, with the annexation of Delhi in the 1630s, the major Muslim opposition had been suppressed and despite some remarks from the Sultan of Gujarat , Amungkarat was accepted as King of India despite his Hindu religion by the other members.

In India however, there was strong opposition against him from local nobles and Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists alike. This resulted again in a wave of rebellions against the Mataram in India (most notably in the northern (Muslim) regions) in the period 1643 – 1645. None of these rebellions however had a change and they were all easily crushed by the powerful Mataram veteran armies.

The neighbors of the league however were growing more and more suspicious of this powerful entity. It resulted in a conflict with Tibet again when the normal so peaceful Dalai Lama declared a holy war on the Indian League (Second Tibetan War 1645-1646). Orissa felt that she wasn’t ready yet for another sustained conflict and left the military alliance declaring herself to be neutral in the conflict. This grew the other members (Mataram, Gujarat and Arakan) very wary of this little sultanate but no immediate repercussions followed. Besides, Amungkarat wasn’t interested in fighting the Tibetans at all. The first war with them had shown how difficult it was to maneuver in the Himalayan mountains. He did nothing except reinforcing the Mataram troops in the border province of Koch. After a year with some mutual display of forces along the border, a white peace was signed between the Mataram and Tibet. The other members had been against a peace and wanted to pursue a more aggressive war, but with Tibet out of reach for them, they eventually came to terms with Tibet in 1648.

To the west Baluchistan also was growing jealous of the Mataram might and she also declared war upon the League in late 1645. Though initially regarded as nothing more then a border conflict between Gujarat and the Bluchistanes, a month later (September 1645) full scale warfare brook out as the Mughal Empire and the Kaliphate both joined Baluchistan in their war against the League. The sultan of Gujarat requested immediate help from the Mataram since she was facing three opponents now. Amungkarat provided the sultan with a whole army that was send to the west immediately. This army was successful and the provinces of Bikanar and Thar were quickly captured form the Mughals.

However, these desert territories proved to be just as inhospitable as the Himalayan mountains. The local commander in chief Azur had little choice but to make peace with Mughals after two years of campaigning in 1647 by offering them 75 ducats and retreated to India. of course this was a mistake from me because I had hit ‘the accept’ button before I read the message The war itself was over by 1650 when the Mughals signed the treaty of Thar. This peace was very favorable for Gujarat as they gained the Thar province and 50 ducats.

Orissa entered the military alliance of the Indian League again in 1647 after the Mataram had made their unlucky peace. To prevent Orissa from dishonoring her alliance again, the sultan was denied several rights by Amungkarat including his right to make his own policy in foreign affairs. The power of the sultan was diminished even more as he had no sons and thus no heir to his thrown. Amungkarat was appointed as his heir and when the sultan (finally) died in 1660, Orissa was politically annexed by Mataram. Mataram now controlled all of the Indian subcontinent but the league continued to exist. However, the sultans of Gujarat and Arakan (though vassals of Amungkarat) had no wish of being annexed by the powerful Mataram. This resulted in a demise of the cultural and religious unity of the League as a whole. In Gujarat and Arakan, Muslim elements began to take over again as in the rest of India the Hindu started to gain support.

At the end of Amungkarat I’s reign a second war erupted in the west, again between Bulachistan and the Mughal Empire on one site and the members of the Indian League on the other. This war was more successful but Amungkarat I didn’t see it end during his lifetime. His son Amungkarat II would carry it on during his reign (see chapter XIX).

The Demise of Portugal and China
Portugal and China, the two major powers in the Asian region of the 15th and 16th century were starting to decline in the 17th century. Mataram was among one of the powers who seized this opportunity to expand her influence in the region at their cost.

Portugal had been driven into the arms of Spain in the late 16th century, dragging them into one coalition war after the other. It hadn’t been all bad for them as they controlled a large part of France no less as well as parts of southern China and Africa but their hold of the Indian and Indonesian possessions (which has never been strong) was challenged. First by the Dutch who went to war the Portuguese in 1644 until 1647, giving the Dutch control over several (overseas) territories including Sulawesi by the treaty of Vlissingen.

The Mataram now also saw an opportunity to get rid of the Portuguese in Goa (India). On January 28 1651 some Mataram traders were harassed on the market of Goa. Such harassments were very frequent and the Portuguese governor of Goa thought nothing of it. However one of these Mataram traders had connections to the court of Bombay being the official representative of the Sultan of Bombay in Goa. Bombay’s Sultan became very angry when he heard that his official representative had been molested and he demanded an official inquiry from the Portuguese governor into the matter. The governor however declined the demand and ruled that the matter was closed. The sultan however thought otherwise and went straight to the court of Dempassar on Bali to inform Amungkarat of this great injustice. Amungkarat saw this as an opportunity to invade Goa and to declare war on the weak Portuguese.

On July 3th Mataram declared war upon Portugal and a large coalition army force (consisting of Mataram, Gujarat and Arakan troops) invaded Goa. The siege of Goa was a lengthy and bloody business as the Portuguese had superior firearms and canons with which they effectively kept the invaders out of the city. On the other hand, their expedition forces who landed on Bali and Makassar in 1652 were all eliminated because they heavily underestimated the Mataram fighting skills.

Goa was finally captured by the Mataram in November 1657 and peace treaty was signed between Portugal and Mataram two months later. Though the Mataram had occupied Goa, the costs of this occupation had been extremely high (thousands of men, war elephants and horses had died trying to seize the city). The local (Hindu) nobles were tired of the war and they accepted a large sum of money to leave the city (425 ducats were paid by the Portuguese) rather then to keep it for the glory of the Mataram Empire. Though a success for the Mataram, in essence nothing had changed. The Portuguese still had Goa and the Mataram didn’t. But they had shown to the world that the Mataram were a power with which even European nations now had to deal with!

China had become a large empire in the early 17th century. However, corruption had been spreading all over the Chinese empire and from the 1640s China was plagued by several groups of rebels and the Manchu who tried to claim power. By the mid 1660s China had become a very unstable nation with governments falling almost every five years or so! Though Portugal had seized some provinces in the south overall most of China was still in tact.

In May 1663 the Chinese government refused Mataram traders access to their markets in Shanghai and Guangzhou. These two commercial centers were very important to the Mataram however and trade almost immediately began to stagnate resulting in loss of profits for the Mataram traders. The representatives of the cast of traders met with Amungkarat in the summer of 1664 to discuss the situation. Though the trade of spices, sugar and cotton was more lucrative in Europe, the Chinese markets were far more important as the Mataram traders were capable of bringing larger stocks to China because of the much shorter distances. With the Chinese markets closed for them, Mataram traders began to turn their attention to the markets of Arabia (Muscat and Ishrafan) but still local traders saw their profits diminish in only a short matter of time.

Amungkarat agreed to an intervention into China to force the Chinese government to open their markets again for Mataram goods. The strategically located island of Hainan was chosen as area were Mataram forces would first land before invading the Chinese mainland. On September 28 the Mataram declared war upon China. The members of the Indian League all followed Mataram in their attack. The Chinese governor of Hainan island was being besieged by a group of rebels by the time the Mataram intervention force arrived in October. The rebels were quickly routed by the Mataram and the Chinese governor was so grateful to the Mataram that he surrendered the island to them immediately after the rebels were defeated. (The Chinese governor event went as far as converting himself and his subjects to the Hindu fate in 1667)

This quick victory came as a complete surprise, not to mention shock, to the Mataram and the intervention force was loaded up again and then set foot on Chinese soil in the province of Guangxi. Here too rebels had driven the regular Chinese forces into their fortifications but the Chinese here were more defiant then those on Hainan. Though the rebels were again successfully routed, the siege of the Chinese fortifications took much longer. However, during the siege the Chinese government proved to unable to withstand the pressure of a rebellious general and fell (August 1 1665). This general was willing to sign a treaty with the Mataram without any questions asked. China surrendered Hainan to Mataram and lifted the boycott of Mataram traders in their markets. With the markets open again, and Hainan firmly in Mataram hands, this war with China had proven to be a great success.

Internal Politics
Internally, religious tensions between the Muslims and the Hindu had eased a bit in this period. The fact that Amungkarat was a Hindu contributed a great deal because this made the Hindu majority feel less governed by a Muslim minority. Though in India revolts provoked by religious differences still erupted now and then throughout his reign, Amungkarat maintained the Religious Tolerance Act of 1466 for all of India all throughout his reign. After the 1670s religious turmoil had all but seized in India, Orissa nationalists being the exception. On a worldwide scale, religious matters were settled by the Edict of Tolerance in June 1654 in which (Christian) religious tolerance was laid down. Though of course this edict didn’t settle things in Hindu and Muslim nations, similar edicts as the Religious Tolerance Act of 1466 had similar affects at the simultaneous period.

Amungkarat was an excellent tactician, he reformed both the navy and the land army several times during his reign (land tech increased to level 13, naval tech to 12) bringing them up to level with his Muslim neighbors to the west. Though technological still superior, the Portuguese found out that the Mataram armies were becoming more and efficient even though there weapons remained somewhat primitive. Amungkarat also continued the reform of the Mataram legal system by installing chief judges in almost all provinces, contributing to the stability and of the Mataram realm.

Though an economical depression occurred when the Chinese closed their borders for Mataram goods (1663-1665), economically the Mataram traders still prospered. (increase of trade to level 5) By the end of the 1660s the Mataram were the leading nation in producing spices, tea, cotton and coffee and a large china ware industry had developed in India. For each of these goods a separate monopoly company was formed, with the Mataram Tea Company being the latest addition in 1672 (for china ware an export license was granted to the Dutch in 1646 because they had better connections for selling these goods on the European market). The Mataram traders had formed (temporary) trade monopolies in Delhi, Goa, Malacca, Shanghai and Guangzhou and were well represented in Muscat and Ishrafan. Though they let mostly Portuguese and Dutch traders represent them on the European markets.

Under Amungkarat also a new period of colonization and exploration began. In 1643 the Muslim conquistador Aziz offered his services to him to make New Guinea suitable for colonization. Aziz invaded Sorong in 1644 and took care of the very hostile warlords there (they were nothing less then cannibals!), a year later a colony was successfully established here. More to the south, he prepared the province of Kalepam in a similar fashion. Here a colony was first established in 1646. Aziz died in action when he tried to invade the island of Rabul in 1647. His death shocked the Mataram court because they felt as if they had lost a war to very minor nation. Though not a real threat of course the traders at the court of Dempassar urged Amungkarat to quell these natives before they could do any harm to the colonies on nearby New Guiena and the Filipino islands. It wasn’t until 1670 that Amungkarat hired another Muslim explorer (Josof) to go to these far off regions and prepare them for colonization. Josof arrived in Rabul in 1671 where he destroyed the native settlements there (Rabul was then successfully colonized in 1672). Josof also is the first one to strike gold. He finds a suitable place for a gold mine on the nearby province of Wewak on New Guinea in 1672. Here he also decimated the native population to prepare for full colonization, killing himself in action in the process. A colony was finally established here in 1675.

Amungkarat I dies of old age in late 1677. His son Amungkarat II rises to the thrown in 1678 at the age of mere 13. Despite his young age no regency was installed because the nobles of Dempassar were unwilling to risk the crown of India to go to some Muslim sultan instead of a Hindu king.

 

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Reply to Mr. T.

To Mr. T.

Thanx for the compliment

Pitty the event is only a one in a lifetime oppertunity but as you pointed out, converting the Sunni religion (when almost my entire population is Hindu) does pose a big risk!

As you can see in the latest chapter so far (XVIII) am I in the proces of taking care of those nasty Portuguese. They have superior weapons but they lack a solid base from which they can stage a successfull (counter)offensive. I have had very little problems with them so far. They only have taken control of Goa and some provinces of southern China (all their attempts to colonize for example in the early 1430s had failled) so I have had little problems with them so far.

Not that the Indian majors have proven to be difficult to annex either. They have had weak monarchs from the late 16th to the early 17th century making them very receptive to vassalization offers from my very skillfull kings.

China did pose a threat but they are torn by internal struggle now, having a government that collapses almost once in every 5 years. If not for the religious problems, I would have been tempted to go and invade China again (But how do you manage a nation with 3 different religions??!!)

Dyluk

 

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You've turned a backwater island nation into a fairly technologically advanced economic powerhouse. Great work!

 

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A Tale form Bali XIX - the reign of Amangkurat II

A tale from Bali XIX

The reign of Amangkurat II (1678-1703)

During the reign of Amangkurat the second the Mataram start to actively explore and colonize again. During his reign they chart and successfully colonize Australia (they even reach the coasts of Alaska). The Indian League comes to an end in the late 17th century and the crowns of India and Mataram are united in a single title as Amangkurat is crowned as King of the United Hindu States of Mataram and India. For the first time in history all of the Hindu provinces in the world are united into a single empire. The expansion of the Muslim religion into Asia was thus halted.

The first 5 years of his reign, Amangkurat was placed under the guardian of most Hindu nobles to protect him from Muslim elements. The commander in chief of the Balinese guard on Java (Guya) was his most important guardian and it is Guya who keeps things together in India. Muslim elements in Gujarat and Arakan grew very suspicious of the Hindu king and wanted to claim the title ‘Sultan of India’ for themselves. Guya sends several larger detachments to India, under the pretension to aid in the still ongoing war against Baluchistan, Mughal Empire and The Kaliphate (later aided by Chagatai Khanate in June 1677). The reality is that Guya wanted to prevent Muslim hardliners in Gujarat to seize control and take over the government (similar measures were taken in Arakan).

The war itself is very successful as almost entire Baluchistan is taken by Mataram and Gujarat troops. Unable to withstand the relented attacks from the Hindu troops and their Mughal allies gone signing a separate treaty in June 1677, Baluchistan eventually signed a treaty with the Mataram troops paying them 200 ducats to evacuate the area in September 1678. The reason why the Mataram never demanded territory was that it would be an expansion with Muslim provinces. Guya didn’t want to risk to bring in more Muslims elements in the al ready complicated Indian situation. Gujarat and Arakan both sign separate peace treaties in 1680 giving them large sums of money. The financial situation of Baluchistan and her allies at the end of the war leaves a lot to be desired, effectively eliminating them as a threat for the Indian states.

When Amangkurat is 18 years old in 1681 Guya resigns as regent/guardian though Amangkurat remained to relay on him as advisor. Amangkurat II is very inspired by the great explorers of the 16th century and he hires the Muslim trader Awbari in 1677 to explore the route to the east (to America) and to explorer the continent south of Bali (Australia). Awbari charts the coasts of Australia in the period 1677- 1688 making him the first person to successfully sail around the Australian continent. He discovers that the land in the east is very suitable for colonization and that the natives there are very friendly. Resulting in a successful colonization project of these new territories in the period 1680-1700. Awbari also finds the route to the west coast of America as he reaches the coast of Alaska in June 1689. Awbari however by then is an old man and the long voyage to these waters had taken its toll on his health. Awbari dies from scurvy a month later in July 1689. His voyage however is a true testimony to the seafaring nation of Mataram.

Amangkurat was a reasonable administrator of his government. He continued to appoint chief judges and continued the legal reformation policy of his father. He also promoted many mayors to governors increasing productivity and decreasing inflation. Mataram traders acquired monopolies in Muscat and Ishrafan but they still didn’t make the jump into Europe. By the end of the 17th century the Mataram also become the worlds leading nation in producing china ware. The Chinese had been overwhelmed by the Manchu and many Chinese people had fled to other Asian regions, including Mataram. In India they setup new business resulting in the increased production of china ware in Mataram. In 1699 Amangkurat aided with the formation of the Porcelain Monopoly Company. Unlike other monopoly companies, the scoop of this company was limited to production only, export of china ware was still in hands of the Dutch and Portuguese.


After the war with the western Muslim states the large Mataram army forces in Gujarat are a constant subject of discussions between the Muslims nobles there and Amangkurat. The Muslims want to muscle Amangkurat II out of Gujarat and claim the crown of India for themselves. Similar hard line Muslim elements in Arakan had the similar intensions. On advice of Guya Amangkurat II takes swift action. He tries to win over the nobles in Gujarat by sending them a large sum of money (state gift) and in return they would let their claims on the thrown go. Most nobles were wise (or greedy) enough to take the money. The sultan of Gujarat however was not as short sighted as his henchmen and had not wish to back down. But before the sultan could make his move he was assassinated (presumably by a Hindu faction) on April 3rd 1685.

Because the sultan had no heir to the thrown, Amangkurat II now claimed the thrown of Gujarat. The nobles of Gujarat were reluctant but did not stop his crowning as king of Gujarat three weeks later on April 25 1685. The sultan of Arakan was very discontent with this crowning and broke the military alliance he had with Mataram under pressure of Muslim nobles in his realm. Just after the crowning some nobles rallied Muslim warriors and began a civil war against Amangkurat II (The Gujarat War 1685-1700) with various rebellions and uprisings during the remainder of the 17th century. It was not until November 1693 that the last rebellious noble was arrested and put to death that things quieted down a little (though splinter factions continued the war for sometimes after the early 1700s, the worst clashes between Mataram regular armies and the rebels ended then).

With the withdrawal of Arakan from the alliance the League officially ended. Though Arakan remained a vassal of Mataram, relations between the two states plummeted and Amangkurat ordered two large armies to the border provinces just in case things would turn nasty. This ‘cold war’ lasted until October 1691. Intensive diplomatic traffic between Mataram and Arakan made the sultan of Arakan come back on his decision and a new military alliance was sealed between the two states. Though the military pact of the League was reinstated again, the Indian League was no longer a fact. Between 1691 and 1698 however Hindu elements in Arakan began to take over again, also under pressure from Amangkurat II. The sultan of Arakan died in late 1697, he had two sons who could become his successor but they were both too young to rule yet. I

In November – December 1697 a conference between Mataram and Arakan officials was to settle the issue over his succession. Again gifts and money were the way to conduct diplomacy here. In December an arrangement was made between the two states in which the two sons would each gain control over two provinces while Amangkurat II would rule over Arakan as sovereign monarch. Because this would end the League all together, it was also decided that Amangkurat could no longer be king of India alone. He would therefore be crowned as king over all Hindu provinces. On January 28 1698 Amangkurat II came to Delhi to be crowned king of the United Hindu States of Mataram and India as his official title would be in the future. This crowning (including a large offering) would be done over again a month later in the mother temple of Dempassar to celebrate this new title.

Amangkurat didn’t profit much from this title though as he died a mere 5 years on November 2nd 1703 from plague. His two year old son was too young of course to govern yet so his brother Amangkurat would now rule the nation as Amangkurat III.


Mataram Empire in 1700

 

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A Tale form Bali XX - the reign of Amangkurat III

A tale from Bali XX

The reign of Amangkurat III (1703-1705)

Amangkurat III probably was the least significant ruler in Mataram history. Though not a bad ruler Amangkurat simply didn’t had the time to do anything significant.

During his short reign Mataram traders suffered some sat backs in neighboring centers of trade because of the improved situation in China and Persia. These nations were beginning to restore from the chaos that had happened in these nations during the second part of the 17th nation. Mataram traders started to get more competition on the Asian markets from these countries, though they kept their monopolies in tact, mostly by a newly imposed trade tariff (one of the final acts of Amangkurat II in 1702) on spices and coffee.

Besides increased trade competition nothing of real significance occurred during this period. Amangkurat III dies in the summer of 1705. The son of Amangkurat II (Amangkurat IV) was still too young to govern the nation so his elder nephew Pakubuwana (I) would now rule as king.

 

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A Tale form Bali XXI - the reign of Pakubuwana

A tale from Bali XXI

The reign of Pakubuwana I (1705-1719)

Pakubuwana I is a mediocre monarch (stats 3-2-3) , especially his administrator skills leave much to be desired. This is caused mostly because since the mid 17th century the family of Amangkurat I has held the thrown and only the members of his family have received the proper education. Because of ongoing centralization since the 17th century, the influence in matters of state of noble families other then the royals is gradually diminishing. The influence of the cast of priests is increasing however, they begin to fill the gap that is slowly beginning to form between the nobles and the royal family. This process is beginning under Pakubuwana I, being a very religious man he appoints several priests who function as his advisor.

It is this increasingly dominant religious council that upsets some Indian nobles. In the former Arakan region Muslim rebels and even Hindu nobles began to revolt against Pakubuwana all throughout his reign. In other parts of India and in Indonesia (were Hindu made up the majority) it didn’t came to religious revolts, also because of the great wealth generated by the new industries that were coming up. In 17th century three new art centers had been setup, among them one in Bali. In the early 18th century two new naval equipment facilities were added to the growing industries in the Mataram. Trade also was still booming though the Mataram traders faced fierce competition all throughout this period from mostly Chinese and Persian traders. Again the European markets were scarcely visited by Mataram traders mostly because they wanted to have a strong regional network of traders before making the big jump to Europe. With the fierce competition going on in Asia such a jump wasn’t possible.

The increased population of artisans also began to express her view on matters of state. In March 1713 a tax on schools and education was abolished under pressure of the artisans of Bali and Makassar. Though no cast or group of people was able to dominate internal politics as the clergy (cast of priests). On no less then three occasions (twice in 1708 and once in 1719) did Pakubuwana make considerable concessions to the cast of priests mostly in matters of foreign affairs.

After the annexation of Arakan, the Mataram stood alone in Asia with no ally by her side. Surrounded by Muslim and Buddhist states, Pakubuwana had to find a suitable ally to aid them when Mataram’s neighbors were getting to eager. Pakubuwana found an (unlikely) ally in Tibet. Tibet signed a military pact (together with Assam) in 1707. To celebrate this pact, Pakubuwana married one of his daughters to a Tibetan prince. The priests were very wary of this pact to say the least because they distrusted the heathen Tibetans. Also under pressure of the priests, the alliance with Tibet was ended again in June 1708 only to be reinstated again a month later because military advisors of Pakubuwana didn’t want to be alone when fighting against an enemy. The priests objected but Pakubuwana didn’t dear to go pass his military advisors, so the alliance wasn’t broken. In 1718 (when the alliance expired once more) a new treaty was signed between Tibet and Mataram. Mostly because no other, more suitable ally, had been found.

Mataram didn’t enter into any war this period. Mostly because of the ongoing political instability in the former Arakan region. Pakubuwana did manage did expand his empire by establishing new colonies in Australia (Murumbidgee and Manunda in 1708). Mataram’s neighbors did have their shares of wars though. In the west a large war broke out between the Ottoman Turks and the Mughals of Afghanistan, bringing Persia and Bulachistan with them in this war (1711-1715). The Turks were the ultimate winner of this conflict, though they didn’t gain any territorial expansion out of it. China went to war with the Dutch in 1715 over some Dutch colonial possessions in Asia. The outcome of this war will be discussed in the next chapter (XXII).

Pakubuwana resigned in January 1719 as Amangkurat was now old enough to rule the nation. On February 1st 1719 Amangkurat assumed the throne as Amangkurat IV.

 

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A Tale from Bali XXII - The reign of Amangkurat IV

A tale from Bali XXII

The reign of Amangkurat IV (1719-1726)

Amangkurat IV starts the very unlucky war against Baluchistan in 1722 but doesn’t see it end during his lifetime (it ends in June 1730 see chapter XXIII). Described as a very unpleasant personality, Amangkurat gets into conflict with a lot of people at the court and also the traders cast. The traders are very discontent with the way he approaches the intensifying competition that is going on in Asian markets, the nobles find him unfit to rule.

The Mataram are beginning to loose trading monopolies to the Chinese and Malaccans who also continue to take to over the trade to Europe in this period. Mataram traders begin to focus on several local markets, such as Delhi and Goa leaving niches on other markets in the region that are being filled by others. Because of this a shift in the traders cast is occurring as some traders begin to focus on production rather then trading. In this period industries in India, most notably the cloth and china ware industries, are beginning to expand because of ongoing investments of traders. The process of transforming the economy from trade to industrialization is not unique in the world as it is occurring in Europe (England for example) as well.

The Chinese – Dutch war ends in June 1719 with China paying the Dutch the handsome sum of 275 ducats. The Dutch have waged more wars in this period with varying results but the Dutch gain very little territorial expansion in Asia from them. Sweden has had her share of battle with England (1724-1726) and take the English colony of Khelat in 1726. Despite this small territorial change in India, the overall diplomatic constellation in Asia remained the same.

Nevertheless Amangkurat IV wanted to expand his territory in India and when a large conflict brook out in the Muslim world between Baluchistan, Persia and the Mughal Empire on one side and the rebellious Uzbek Kaganate on the other side (September 1721) Amangkurat IV thought the time was right for a new war against the weak sultan of Baluchistan. On January 9th 1722 Amangkurat IV declared war upon Baluchistan and send in two Indian armies to the western sultanate.

As was the case in the previous conflict with Baluchistan (1675-1678) the Mataram armies suffered great attrition in these desolate provinces. Besides that, the Baluchistans had fortified their provinces thus making it more difficult to capture their cities. After two years of fighting no provinces had been taken but a lot of troops had al ready perished in the desserts of Baluchistan. New recruits were send to the west in 1724 and 1726 to aid in the ongoing slaughter. The immense death toll began to disturb the people in India but Amangkurat IV was relentless in reaching his goal. Unsatisfied with how the war was conducted, he sacked the commander in chief Al-Din and placed the conquistador Al-Jazad in command of the Indian armies in December 1725. Though Al-Jazad was successful, Amangkurat IV didn’t live long enough to see these success.

Amangkurat IV had made himself a hated man, both in Dempassar by the Hindu nobles who he distrusted and by the Muslims in his realm for the war against the Sultan of a neighboring state. Amangkurat IV was murdered by a Muslim prince from Atjeh during a banquet in January 1726. Though the act shocked the entire Mataram empire, and the prince was executed, no one really mourned over his death. Amangkurat IV didn’t have an heir to the thrown yet. It was decided that the eldest son of Pakubuwana I (Pakubuwana II) had to assume the throne. Pakubuwana II was installed as ruler on February 1st 1726.

 

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This continues to be a really interesting and well-written AAR, Dyluk. You seem to be making out very nicely in spite of your long-ago (now) decision not to go the Sunni route.

I'm somewhat surprised that you haven't eliminated the Malacca yet since that CoT is one of the most valuable in the world and would really boost your economy...although it's hard to argue with the amazing gains you've made in India instead. By plunging northward through Asia you could at least reduce some of that religious turmoil you've been experiencing and give yourself a bit of a break...

Only 100 or so years to go.

 

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Oops. I meant to ask you a couple questions of a more mundane nature...

What are your current tech levels and DP settings? Just curious...

 

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A Tale form Bali XXIII - the reign of Pakubuwana II

A tale from Bali XXIII

The reign of Pakubuwana II (1726-1749)

Pakubuwana II never wanted to become a king and he obviously didn’t had the proper education for it. Again because up until Amangkurat IV, only the Amangkurat family received such an education. Though not the best administrator, Pakubuwana II manages quite well under difficult circumstances. He brings the war with Baluchistan to an end in 1730 and builds the Kraton palaces of Jakarta and Dempassar. He starts with the exploration of Africa and sends out a Scottish explorer to discover the route the Europe. He also makes Tibet his vassal and stimulates the growth of the emerging industries. After the horrible reign of his nephew, most nobles and high priests find him a welcome change.

The war with Bulachistan is continued but mostly because the local commander Al-Jazad is determined to win it. With the new recruits he receives in 1726 he manages to capture the province of Kalat (1726) and the capital of Bulachistan (1728). However, because the supply lines leave much to be desired, lose of life caused by attrition take biblical proportions and by early 1730 Al-Jazad has little choice but to fall back to India and replenish his troops again. However, all over India and Mataram (and even in the Wollowong colony in Australia!) revolts were breaking out. Most farmers (the lowest cast) had no wish to be sent to Bulachistan and refused to enlist in the army. Pakubuwana II was unwilling to risk civil war over this and quickly made peace with Baluchistan on June 30 1730. Baluchistan paid the Mataram a mere 50 ducats in tribute after nearly 8 years of bloodshed. With the ending of this war uprisings in India were quickly suppressed and peace was restored again in late 1731.

Meanwhile Pakubuwana II had been looking for a way to aid the traders in their struggle in the commercial centers of Asia. He issues several internal trade ordinances to streamline trade between Goa, Delhi and the Chinese markets, effectively streamlining trade between east and west Asia through Mataram ports. This boosted the trade value of Jakarta and other ports on Java (1734). The emerging industries were helped by Pakubuwana II a great deal. He aided in the construction of a series of cloth manufacturers in Bundelkhand (India, 1746) and he officially granted the export license for the newly produced cloth to the successful trade company that also regulated the spice and coffee trade. This policy could not help the Mataram traders in Japan and China however as Japanese and Chinese traders there began to take over the monopolies that the Mataram acquired there in the late 17th century.

The court of Dempassar also was beginning to expand with more and more (European and Asian) ambassadors visiting Bali. Pakubuwana ordered the construction of a new Kraton (palace) in Dempassar in 1728 and he also expanded the Kraton in Jakarta (1735) and uses that as a summer residence for himself and his family.

In his relations with other states, Pakubuwana is far more successful then his predecessor. Pakubuwana reestablishes relations with Tibet and begins to work out a fine working relationship with the Dalai Lama, the leader of the Tibetans. This good relationship results in the Mataram becoming the protectors of the Tibetans in March 1747 as they become their vassals. Other states, such as China and Malacca all have a (royal) relationship with the Mataram in one way or the other as Pakubuwana marriages many of his relatives out to other royal families in the region.

The cast of priests is still increasing their say in internal matters of they forcefully convert Atjeh and Riau (1731 and 1732) to the Hindu religion. This means that all of the Indonesian archipelago is now Hindu again. (in this period the ‘rise of the Muslims’ event occurred again but again I turned it down. Apparently it is not a one in a lifetime opportunity’) . They also prevent a royal marriage between the royal families of the Mughal Empire and Maratam (1738) as they didn’t want to increase the Muslim influence in the Mataram Empire.

After the war with Bulachistan Pakubuwana realizes that for now territorial expansion is only possible by colonization of Australia and New Zealand. To that end he send a detachment of horsemen form Australia to New Zealand with the order to make the islands ready for colonization. They slaughter the natives in all of the provinces there and in the period 1740-1741 new colonies are setup in the provinces of Whangarei, Wairoa (both in 1740) and Timaru (1741). Because there may be more provinces left to colonize in Africa, Pakubuwana hires the Scottish sailor Hoggar to show them the sea lanes to Africa and Europe. Hoggar sails to Africa and from 1729-1738 Hoggar makes several successful journeys to Africa and even Europe (he reaches Portugal in 1735), but all the territories he discovers have already been taken by either European or Arabian nations thus colonization efforts will have to be limited to New Zealand. Hoggar does bring very vital new technologies to the Mataram. He shows them new ways to construct ships and firearms increasing the Mataram knowledge of warfare. (increase of naval and land tech to level 18 in this period)

Pakubuwana II rules until his death in November 1749. Because the Dynasty of the kings of Amangkurat has died out in the direct line with the death of Amangkurat IV, his son Pakubuwana will now rule the nation as Pakubuwana III. He assumes the throne on December 17 1749.

 

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A tale from Bali IX - An overview of the period 1644-1749

A tale from Bali XXIV

A look at the history of the Mataram in the period 1644-1749

Another century has passed for the Mataram and it’s time to prepare them for the final century that is to come

The Mataram have successfully united India in little over 150 years (1535-1703). India has given the Hindu a large workforce as well as several wealthy provinces greatly increasing their wealth (annual tax income is app. 700 ducats now with a monthly income of app. 300 ducats). Though the first part of the 18th century has brought them several monarchs with administrative skills that are well below average (none of them exceeded in attributes over the 4 and most had a 2 for one skill or the other) resulting in less monopolies then they had in the second part of the 17th century. It seems that China is recovering form her internal chaos since the mid 17th century and she is a formidable adversary when it comes to trade etc. Europeans also know their way to the Asian markets so competition here is fierce. The Mataram are now the leading nation as it comes to the production spices, coffee, thee and china ware. It are these ‘monopolies’ that really generate the income of the Mataram rather then a large network of traders.

Though industrialization efforts are under way and have some success, it is a slow process if they had to do it on their own but again I had several ‘unexpected inventions’ this period resulting in several industries all over the empire. As said in chapter XXIII, the specific event of ‘Rise of the Islam in southern Asia’ is not one in a lifetime as I had it again in 1742. Again I declined because the majority of my people are Hindu and what would other nations think if the largest Hindu empire is ruled by a Muslim?!

I should have went to Australia and New Zealand ages ago! Colonization here was cheap and fast with little opposition of the native tribes. I also received some victory points for being the first one to discover the ‘terra australis’.

-Mr. T. my tech levels are: land/navy 18; trade: 7 infra 6 and my nation is very narrow minded, very aristocratic but very much for free people, quiet naval and quiet much for quality over quantity. I might attack Malacca as it holds a very wealthy center of commerce (currently it generates over 1100 ducats worth of trade) but first I wanted to secure my borders in India. Now that I have weakened Bulachistan in the west, made Tibet in the north my vassal, it is time to look at my southwestern border ;-) Goa will probably never be in Mataram hands this game as the Portuguese have build a ‘mighty’ fortress there and taken it will be very hard for a handful of Hindu’s.

Dyluk

 

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(in this period the ‘rise of the Muslims’ event occurred again but again I turned it down. Apparently it is not a one in a lifetime opportunity’)

Well, I found this in the randomreligiousevents.txt file so I stand corrected.

#########################################################################
# Moslem influence in South East Asia
#########################################################################
event = { 
	id = 684
	trigger = { year = 1500 
	            continent = Asia
	            religion = hinduism }
	random = yes
	name = "EVENTNAME_A42"
	desc = "EVENTHIST_A42"
	style = 0
	action_a = {
			name = "EVENT_A42_A" # Convert to islam
			command = { type = religion which = sunni }
			command = { type = provincereligion which = -1 value = sunni }
			command = { type = provincereligion which = -1 value = sunni }
		}
	action_b = {
			name = "EVENT_A42_B" # Keep the faith of our fathers
			command = { type = stability value = 1 }
		}
	}

I hadn't seen that one before so I'm not sure if it's a recent addition or if I'm just stupid...probably the latter.

You've done a really admirable job in spite of the tech disadvantage. Great game play!!!