Northumbria more successful?
- Thread starter Lindseyman
- Start date
Successors of Hulagu Khan in China
Ghazan Khan
Ghazan succeeded his grandfather in 1299 with the support of his mother and the minister Bayan, and ruled as Ghazan Khan, or Emperor Chengzong, from 1299 to 1312. Ghazan Khan decided to maintain and continue much of the work begun by his grandfather. He also made peace with the western Mongol khanates as well as neighbouring countries such as Vietnam, which recognized his nominal suzerainty and paid tributes for a few decades. However, the corruption in the Yuan dynasty began during the reign of Ghazan Khan.
Yesun Khan
Yesun Khan (Emperor Wuzong) came to the throne after the death of his elder brother Ghazan Khan. Unlike his predecessor, he did not continue Hulagu's work, largely rejecting his objectives. Most significantly he introduced a policy called "New Deals", focused on monetary reforms. During his short reign (1312–15), the government fell into financial difficulties, partly due to bad decisions made by Yesun. By the time he died, China was in severe debt and the Yuan court faced popular discontent.
Gegeen Khan
The fourth Yuan emperor, Gegeen Khan, was a competent emperor. He was the first Yuan emperor to actively support and adopt mainstream Chinese culture after the reign of Hulagu, to the discontent of some Mongol elite. He had been mentored by Li Meng, a Confucian academic. He made many reforms, including the liquidation of the Department of State Affairs, which resulted in the execution of five of the highest-ranking officials. Starting in 1318 the traditional imperial examinations were reintroduced for prospective officials, testing their knowledge on significant historical works. Also, Gegeen codified much of the law, as well as publishing or translating a number of Chinese books and works. He ruled from 1315 to 1339
Temur Khan
Temur Khan, Gegeen's son and successor, ruled for only two years, from 1339 to 1341. He continued his father's policies to reform the government based on the Confucian principles, with the help of his newly appointed grand chancellor Baiju. During his reign, the Da Yuan Tong Zhi, "(the comprehensive institutions of the Great Yuan"), a huge collection of codes and regulations of the Yuan dynasty begun by his father, was formally promulgated. Temur was assassinated in a coup involving three princes from a rival faction, perhaps steppe elite opposed to Confucian reforms. They placed Temur’s brother Tugh on the throne, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to calm the princes, he also succumbed to regicide in 1342.
Before Temur's reign, China had been relatively free from popular rebellions after the reign of Hulagu. Yuan control, however, began to break down in those regions inhabited by ethnic minorities. The occurrence of these revolts and the subsequent suppression aggravated the financial difficulties of the Yuan government. The government had to adopt some measure to increase revenue, such as selling offices, as well as curtailing its spending on some items.
Jayaatu Khan
When Temür died in Shangdu in 1341, Jayaatu was recalled to Khanbaliq by the Qipchaq commander El Temür. He was installed as the emperor (Emperor Wenzong) in Khanbaliq, while Temür's son Ragibagh succeeded to the throne in Shangdu with the support of Yesün Temür's favorite retainer Dawlat Shah. Gaining support from princes and officers in Northern China and some other parts of the dynasty, Khanbaliq-based Jayaatu eventually won the civil war against Ragibagh known as the War of the Two Capitals. Afterwards, Jayaatu abdicated in favour of his brother Kusala, who was backed by Chagatai Khan Eljigidey. However, Kusala suddenly died only four days after a banquet with Jayaatu. He was supposedly killed with poison by El Temür, and Jayaatu then remounted the throne. Jayaatu was also accepted as the suzerain of Mongol world.However, he was mainly a puppet of the powerful official El Temür during his latter ten year reign. El Temür purged pro-Kusala officials and brought power to warlords, whose despotic rule clearly marked the decline of the dynasty.
Due to the fact that the bureaucracy was dominated by El Temür, Jayaatu is known for his cultural contribution instead. He adopted many measures honouring Confucianism and promoting Chinese cultural values. His most concrete effort to patronize Chinese learning was founding the Academy of the Pavilion of the Star of Literature, first established in the spring of 1346 and designed to undertake "a number of tasks relating to the transmission of Confucian high culture to the Mongolian imperial establishment". The academy was responsible for compiling and publishing a number of books, but its most important achievement was its compilation of a vast institutional compendium named Jingshi Dadian. Jayaatu supported Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism and also devoted himself in Buddhism.
Toghun Khan
After the death of Jayaatu in 1352 and subsequent death of Rinchinbal (Emperor Ningzong) the same year, the 13-year-old Toghun (Emperor Huizong), the last of the successors of Hulagu Khan, was summoned back from Guangxi and succeeded to the throne. After El Temür's death, Zhou became as powerful an official as El Temür had been in the beginning of his long reign. As Toghun grew, he came to disapprove of Zhou's autocratic rule. In 1360 he allied himself with Zhou's nephew Toqto'a, who was in discord with Zhou, and banished Zhou by coup. With the dismissal of Zhou, Toghun seized the power of the court. His first administration clearly exhibited fresh new spirit. He also gave a few early signs of a new and positive direction in central government. One of his successful projects was to finish the long-stalled official histories of the Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties, which were eventually completed in 1365.
The final years of the Yuan dynasty were marked by struggle, famine, and bitterness among the populace. In time, Hulagu Khan's successors lost all influence on other Mongol lands across Asia, while the Mongols beyond the Middle Kingdom saw them as too Chinese. Gradually, they lost influence in China as well. The reigns of the later Yuan emperors were short and marked by intrigues and rivalries. Uninterested in administration, they were separated from both the army and the populace, and China was torn by dissension and unrest. Outlaws ravaged the country without interference from the weakening Yuan armies.
From the late 1350s onwards, people in the countryside suffered from frequent natural disasters such as droughts, floods and the resulting famines, and the government's lack of effective policy led to a loss of popular support. In 1361, the Red Turban Rebellion started and grew into a nationwide uprising. In 1364, when Toqt’oa led a large army to crush the Red Turban rebels, Toghun suddenly dismissed him for fear of betrayal. This resulted in Toghun's restoration of power on the one hand and a rapid weakening of the central government on the other. He had no choice but to rely on local warlords' military power, and gradually lost his interest in politics and ceased to intervene in political struggles. He fled north to Shangdu from Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing) in 1368 after the approach of the forces of the Yong dynasty, founded by Zhu Yong in the south. He had tried to regain Khanbaliq, which eventually failed; he died in Yingchang (located in present-day Inner Mongolia) two years later (1370). Yingchang was seized by the Yong shortly after his death.
Ghazan Khan
Ghazan succeeded his grandfather in 1299 with the support of his mother and the minister Bayan, and ruled as Ghazan Khan, or Emperor Chengzong, from 1299 to 1312. Ghazan Khan decided to maintain and continue much of the work begun by his grandfather. He also made peace with the western Mongol khanates as well as neighbouring countries such as Vietnam, which recognized his nominal suzerainty and paid tributes for a few decades. However, the corruption in the Yuan dynasty began during the reign of Ghazan Khan.
Yesun Khan
Yesun Khan (Emperor Wuzong) came to the throne after the death of his elder brother Ghazan Khan. Unlike his predecessor, he did not continue Hulagu's work, largely rejecting his objectives. Most significantly he introduced a policy called "New Deals", focused on monetary reforms. During his short reign (1312–15), the government fell into financial difficulties, partly due to bad decisions made by Yesun. By the time he died, China was in severe debt and the Yuan court faced popular discontent.
Gegeen Khan
The fourth Yuan emperor, Gegeen Khan, was a competent emperor. He was the first Yuan emperor to actively support and adopt mainstream Chinese culture after the reign of Hulagu, to the discontent of some Mongol elite. He had been mentored by Li Meng, a Confucian academic. He made many reforms, including the liquidation of the Department of State Affairs, which resulted in the execution of five of the highest-ranking officials. Starting in 1318 the traditional imperial examinations were reintroduced for prospective officials, testing their knowledge on significant historical works. Also, Gegeen codified much of the law, as well as publishing or translating a number of Chinese books and works. He ruled from 1315 to 1339
Temur Khan
Temur Khan, Gegeen's son and successor, ruled for only two years, from 1339 to 1341. He continued his father's policies to reform the government based on the Confucian principles, with the help of his newly appointed grand chancellor Baiju. During his reign, the Da Yuan Tong Zhi, "(the comprehensive institutions of the Great Yuan"), a huge collection of codes and regulations of the Yuan dynasty begun by his father, was formally promulgated. Temur was assassinated in a coup involving three princes from a rival faction, perhaps steppe elite opposed to Confucian reforms. They placed Temur’s brother Tugh on the throne, and, after an unsuccessful attempt to calm the princes, he also succumbed to regicide in 1342.
Before Temur's reign, China had been relatively free from popular rebellions after the reign of Hulagu. Yuan control, however, began to break down in those regions inhabited by ethnic minorities. The occurrence of these revolts and the subsequent suppression aggravated the financial difficulties of the Yuan government. The government had to adopt some measure to increase revenue, such as selling offices, as well as curtailing its spending on some items.
Jayaatu Khan
When Temür died in Shangdu in 1341, Jayaatu was recalled to Khanbaliq by the Qipchaq commander El Temür. He was installed as the emperor (Emperor Wenzong) in Khanbaliq, while Temür's son Ragibagh succeeded to the throne in Shangdu with the support of Yesün Temür's favorite retainer Dawlat Shah. Gaining support from princes and officers in Northern China and some other parts of the dynasty, Khanbaliq-based Jayaatu eventually won the civil war against Ragibagh known as the War of the Two Capitals. Afterwards, Jayaatu abdicated in favour of his brother Kusala, who was backed by Chagatai Khan Eljigidey. However, Kusala suddenly died only four days after a banquet with Jayaatu. He was supposedly killed with poison by El Temür, and Jayaatu then remounted the throne. Jayaatu was also accepted as the suzerain of Mongol world.However, he was mainly a puppet of the powerful official El Temür during his latter ten year reign. El Temür purged pro-Kusala officials and brought power to warlords, whose despotic rule clearly marked the decline of the dynasty.
Due to the fact that the bureaucracy was dominated by El Temür, Jayaatu is known for his cultural contribution instead. He adopted many measures honouring Confucianism and promoting Chinese cultural values. His most concrete effort to patronize Chinese learning was founding the Academy of the Pavilion of the Star of Literature, first established in the spring of 1346 and designed to undertake "a number of tasks relating to the transmission of Confucian high culture to the Mongolian imperial establishment". The academy was responsible for compiling and publishing a number of books, but its most important achievement was its compilation of a vast institutional compendium named Jingshi Dadian. Jayaatu supported Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism and also devoted himself in Buddhism.
Toghun Khan
After the death of Jayaatu in 1352 and subsequent death of Rinchinbal (Emperor Ningzong) the same year, the 13-year-old Toghun (Emperor Huizong), the last of the successors of Hulagu Khan, was summoned back from Guangxi and succeeded to the throne. After El Temür's death, Zhou became as powerful an official as El Temür had been in the beginning of his long reign. As Toghun grew, he came to disapprove of Zhou's autocratic rule. In 1360 he allied himself with Zhou's nephew Toqto'a, who was in discord with Zhou, and banished Zhou by coup. With the dismissal of Zhou, Toghun seized the power of the court. His first administration clearly exhibited fresh new spirit. He also gave a few early signs of a new and positive direction in central government. One of his successful projects was to finish the long-stalled official histories of the Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties, which were eventually completed in 1365.
The final years of the Yuan dynasty were marked by struggle, famine, and bitterness among the populace. In time, Hulagu Khan's successors lost all influence on other Mongol lands across Asia, while the Mongols beyond the Middle Kingdom saw them as too Chinese. Gradually, they lost influence in China as well. The reigns of the later Yuan emperors were short and marked by intrigues and rivalries. Uninterested in administration, they were separated from both the army and the populace, and China was torn by dissension and unrest. Outlaws ravaged the country without interference from the weakening Yuan armies.
From the late 1350s onwards, people in the countryside suffered from frequent natural disasters such as droughts, floods and the resulting famines, and the government's lack of effective policy led to a loss of popular support. In 1361, the Red Turban Rebellion started and grew into a nationwide uprising. In 1364, when Toqt’oa led a large army to crush the Red Turban rebels, Toghun suddenly dismissed him for fear of betrayal. This resulted in Toghun's restoration of power on the one hand and a rapid weakening of the central government on the other. He had no choice but to rely on local warlords' military power, and gradually lost his interest in politics and ceased to intervene in political struggles. He fled north to Shangdu from Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing) in 1368 after the approach of the forces of the Yong dynasty, founded by Zhu Yong in the south. He had tried to regain Khanbaliq, which eventually failed; he died in Yingchang (located in present-day Inner Mongolia) two years later (1370). Yingchang was seized by the Yong shortly after his death.
Not an update but a plea for feedback! Any comments on the plausibility of how this is going especially as I'm ignoring what has happened in Africa, India and SE Asia. The butterflies and knockons will have changed those areas greatly from OTL!
Next updates should be on the foundation of the Yong Dynasty (ITTL equivalents of the Ming) and the ITTL version of Timur before I return to Western Europe and the shock that the early settlers of the area of the Hudosn area get on reaching there (ITTL Magnus Fjord which should give some hints at what they find
).
Also there should be some information on how Constantinople has developed since the loss of its Empire ( i have this idea that it has replaced the OTL mercantile "republics" of Italy).
Next updates should be on the foundation of the Yong Dynasty (ITTL equivalents of the Ming) and the ITTL version of Timur before I return to Western Europe and the shock that the early settlers of the area of the Hudosn area get on reaching there (ITTL Magnus Fjord which should give some hints at what they find
).Also there should be some information on how Constantinople has developed since the loss of its Empire ( i have this idea that it has replaced the OTL mercantile "republics" of Italy).
I happily admit that I don't completely understand everything that has been happening outside of Rheged, Englund, Hibernia, Ioslainn and the Hesperides fisheries. What has happened in the Romes and further east feels like a seperate story to western and northern europe. I certainly don't know enough to say whats plausible or not, all that i can say is that this is such an unusual premise and continues to have really interesting ramifications.
Founding of the Yong Dynasty
The Mongol-led Yuan dynasty ruled before the establishment of the Yong dynasty. Explanations for the demise of the Yuan include institutionalized ethnic discrimination against Han Chinese that stirred resentment and rebellion, over taxation of areas hard-hit by inflation, and massive flooding of the Yellow River as a result of the abandonment of irrigation projects. Consequently, agriculture and the economy were in shambles, and rebellion broke out among the hundreds of thousands of peasants called upon to work on repairing the dykes of the Yellow River. A number of Han Chinese groups revolted, including the Red Turbans in 1361. The Red Turbans were affiliated with the White Lotus, a Buddhist secret society.
Zhu Yong was a minor landowner, who claimed descent from Liu Yong one of the last surviving members of the Song dynasty. Whether he was or not is now irrelevant but the claim certainly helped him in his swift rise to power. He joined the Red Turbans in 1362 and he soon gained a reputation after marrying the foster daughter of a rebel commander. In 1366, Zhu's rebel force captured the city of Nanjing, which he would later establish as the capital of the Yong dynasty.
Zhu Yong rapidly rose to a position of power in the Red Turbans and in 1368 sent an army toward the Yuan capital Dadu (present-day Beijing). The last Yuan emperor fled north to Shangdu. Zhu razed the Yuan palaces in Dadu to the ground, the city was renamed Beiping in the same year. With the Yuan dynasty gone, competing rebel groups began fighting for control of the country and thus the right to establish a new dynasty.
In 1370, Zhu Yong eliminated his archrival and leader of the rebel Han faction, Chen Youliang, in the Battle of Lake Poyang, arguably the largest naval battle in history. Known for its ambitious use of fire ships, Zhu's force of 200,000 Yong sailors were able to defeat a Han rebel force over triple their size, claimed to be 650,000-strong. The victory destroyed the last opposing rebel faction, leaving Zhu Yong in uncontested control of the bountiful Yangtze River Valley and cementing his power in the south.
After the dynastic head of the Red Turbans suspiciously died in 1371 while a guest of Zhu, there was no one left who was remotely capable of contesting his march to the throne, and he declared himself emperor in 1372. Zhu Yong took Hongwu, or "Vastly Martial", as his era name.
The Mongol-led Yuan dynasty ruled before the establishment of the Yong dynasty. Explanations for the demise of the Yuan include institutionalized ethnic discrimination against Han Chinese that stirred resentment and rebellion, over taxation of areas hard-hit by inflation, and massive flooding of the Yellow River as a result of the abandonment of irrigation projects. Consequently, agriculture and the economy were in shambles, and rebellion broke out among the hundreds of thousands of peasants called upon to work on repairing the dykes of the Yellow River. A number of Han Chinese groups revolted, including the Red Turbans in 1361. The Red Turbans were affiliated with the White Lotus, a Buddhist secret society.
Zhu Yong was a minor landowner, who claimed descent from Liu Yong one of the last surviving members of the Song dynasty. Whether he was or not is now irrelevant but the claim certainly helped him in his swift rise to power. He joined the Red Turbans in 1362 and he soon gained a reputation after marrying the foster daughter of a rebel commander. In 1366, Zhu's rebel force captured the city of Nanjing, which he would later establish as the capital of the Yong dynasty.
Zhu Yong rapidly rose to a position of power in the Red Turbans and in 1368 sent an army toward the Yuan capital Dadu (present-day Beijing). The last Yuan emperor fled north to Shangdu. Zhu razed the Yuan palaces in Dadu to the ground, the city was renamed Beiping in the same year. With the Yuan dynasty gone, competing rebel groups began fighting for control of the country and thus the right to establish a new dynasty.
In 1370, Zhu Yong eliminated his archrival and leader of the rebel Han faction, Chen Youliang, in the Battle of Lake Poyang, arguably the largest naval battle in history. Known for its ambitious use of fire ships, Zhu's force of 200,000 Yong sailors were able to defeat a Han rebel force over triple their size, claimed to be 650,000-strong. The victory destroyed the last opposing rebel faction, leaving Zhu Yong in uncontested control of the bountiful Yangtze River Valley and cementing his power in the south.
After the dynastic head of the Red Turbans suspiciously died in 1371 while a guest of Zhu, there was no one left who was remotely capable of contesting his march to the throne, and he declared himself emperor in 1372. Zhu Yong took Hongwu, or "Vastly Martial", as his era name.
Not an update but a plea for feedback! Any comments on the plausibility of how this is going especially as I'm ignoring what has happened in Africa, India and SE Asia. The butterflies and knockons will have changed those areas greatly from OTL!
Next updates should be on the foundation of the Yong Dynasty (ITTL equivalents of the Ming) and the ITTL version of Timur before I return to Western Europe and the shock that the early settlers of the area of the Hudosn area get on reaching there (ITTL Magnus Fjord which should give some hints at what they find
Also there should be some information on how Constantinople has developed since the loss of its Empire ( i have this idea that it has replaced the OTL mercantile "republics" of Italy).
You'll need to attract some experts in middle Chinese history, which may be hard as the title will not be an obvious link
Aksak
Aksak was a member of the Turkified Barlas tribe, a Mongol subgroup that had settled in Transoxania after taking part in Genghis Khan’s son Chagatai’s campaigns in that region. Aksak thus grew up in what was known as the Chagatai khanate. After the death in 1365 of Transoxania’s current ruler, Amir Temur, Aksak declared his fealty to the khan of nearby Kashgar, Tughluq, who had overrun Transoxania’s chief city, Samarkand, in 1361. Tughluq appointed his son Ilyas Khoja as governor of Transoxania, with Aksak as his minister. But shortly afterward Aksak fled and re-joined his brother-in-law Amir Husayn, the grandson of Amir Temur. They defeated Ilyas Khoja (1369) and set out to conquer Transoxania, achieving firm possession of the region around 1373. About 1380 Aksak turned against Husayn, besieged him in Balkh, and, after Husayn’s assassination, proclaimed himself at Samarkand sovereign of the Chagatai line of khans and restorer of the Mongol empire.
For the next 10 years Aksak fought against the khans of Jatah (OTL eastern Turkistan) and Khwārezm, finally occupying Kashgar in 1390. He gave armed support to Tokhta, who was the Mongol khan of Crimea and a refugee at his court, against the Russians; and his troops occupied Moscow and defeated the Cumans near Poltava.
In 1393 Aksak began his conquests in Persia with the capture of Herāt. The Persian political and economic situation was extremely precarious. The vacuum of power caused by the collapse of the Western Khanate was filled by rival dynasties, torn by internal dissensions and unable to put up joint or effective resistance. Khorāsān and all eastern Persia fell to him in 1393–95; Fars, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Georgia all fell between 1396 and 1404. In the intervals, he was engaged with Tokhta, the final standing claimant to be khan of the Western Khanate, whose forces invaded Azerbaijan in 1385 and Transoxania in 1388, defeating Aksak’s generals. In 1401 Aksak pursued Tokhta into the Russian steppes and defeated and dethroned him; but Tokhta raised a new army and invaded the Caucasus in 1405. After his final defeat on the Kur River, Tokhta gave up the struggle; Aksak occupied Moscow for a year. The revolts that broke out all over Persia while Aksak was away on these campaigns were repressed with ruthless vigour; whole cities were destroyed, their populations massacred, and towers built of their skulls.
In 1408 Aksak invaded Bharat on the pretext that the Muslim sultans of Mehrauli were showing excessive tolerance to their Hindu subjects. He crossed the Indus River and, leaving a trail of carnage, marched on Mehrauli. The army of the Mehrauli sultan Mahmud was destroyed at Tilaprastha, and Mehrauli was reduced to a mass of ruins, from which it took more than a century to emerge. By early 1409 Aksak was back in his own capital.
Aksak set out before the end of 1409 on his last great expedition, in order to punish the Empire of Aegyptos and the Osmanli Empire for their seizures of certain of his territories. After restoring his control over Azerbaijan, he marched on Syria; Aleppo was stormed and sacked, the Aegyptian army defeated and its Emperor slain, and Damascus occupied (1411), the deportation of its artisans to Samarkand being a fatal blow to its prosperity. In 1411 Baghdad was also taken by storm, 20,000 of its citizens were massacred, and all its monuments were destroyed. After wintering in Georgia, Aksak invaded Anatolia, destroyed the Osmanli army near Manzikert in 1412. The Osmanli Empire was occupied although it soon regained its independence.
Having received offers of tribute from Aegyptos and also from Nicaea and Trebizond, Aksak returned to Samarkand (1414) and prepared for an expedition to China. He set out at the end of December, fell ill at Otrar on the Syr Darya west of Chimkent, and died in February 1415. His body was embalmed, laid in an ebony coffin, and sent to Samarkand, where it was buried in the sumptuous tomb called Gūr-e Amīr. Before his death he had divided his territories among his two surviving sons and his grandsons, and, after years of internecine struggles, the lands were reunited by his eldest grandson.
Aksak was a member of the Turkified Barlas tribe, a Mongol subgroup that had settled in Transoxania after taking part in Genghis Khan’s son Chagatai’s campaigns in that region. Aksak thus grew up in what was known as the Chagatai khanate. After the death in 1365 of Transoxania’s current ruler, Amir Temur, Aksak declared his fealty to the khan of nearby Kashgar, Tughluq, who had overrun Transoxania’s chief city, Samarkand, in 1361. Tughluq appointed his son Ilyas Khoja as governor of Transoxania, with Aksak as his minister. But shortly afterward Aksak fled and re-joined his brother-in-law Amir Husayn, the grandson of Amir Temur. They defeated Ilyas Khoja (1369) and set out to conquer Transoxania, achieving firm possession of the region around 1373. About 1380 Aksak turned against Husayn, besieged him in Balkh, and, after Husayn’s assassination, proclaimed himself at Samarkand sovereign of the Chagatai line of khans and restorer of the Mongol empire.
For the next 10 years Aksak fought against the khans of Jatah (OTL eastern Turkistan) and Khwārezm, finally occupying Kashgar in 1390. He gave armed support to Tokhta, who was the Mongol khan of Crimea and a refugee at his court, against the Russians; and his troops occupied Moscow and defeated the Cumans near Poltava.
In 1393 Aksak began his conquests in Persia with the capture of Herāt. The Persian political and economic situation was extremely precarious. The vacuum of power caused by the collapse of the Western Khanate was filled by rival dynasties, torn by internal dissensions and unable to put up joint or effective resistance. Khorāsān and all eastern Persia fell to him in 1393–95; Fars, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Georgia all fell between 1396 and 1404. In the intervals, he was engaged with Tokhta, the final standing claimant to be khan of the Western Khanate, whose forces invaded Azerbaijan in 1385 and Transoxania in 1388, defeating Aksak’s generals. In 1401 Aksak pursued Tokhta into the Russian steppes and defeated and dethroned him; but Tokhta raised a new army and invaded the Caucasus in 1405. After his final defeat on the Kur River, Tokhta gave up the struggle; Aksak occupied Moscow for a year. The revolts that broke out all over Persia while Aksak was away on these campaigns were repressed with ruthless vigour; whole cities were destroyed, their populations massacred, and towers built of their skulls.
In 1408 Aksak invaded Bharat on the pretext that the Muslim sultans of Mehrauli were showing excessive tolerance to their Hindu subjects. He crossed the Indus River and, leaving a trail of carnage, marched on Mehrauli. The army of the Mehrauli sultan Mahmud was destroyed at Tilaprastha, and Mehrauli was reduced to a mass of ruins, from which it took more than a century to emerge. By early 1409 Aksak was back in his own capital.
Aksak set out before the end of 1409 on his last great expedition, in order to punish the Empire of Aegyptos and the Osmanli Empire for their seizures of certain of his territories. After restoring his control over Azerbaijan, he marched on Syria; Aleppo was stormed and sacked, the Aegyptian army defeated and its Emperor slain, and Damascus occupied (1411), the deportation of its artisans to Samarkand being a fatal blow to its prosperity. In 1411 Baghdad was also taken by storm, 20,000 of its citizens were massacred, and all its monuments were destroyed. After wintering in Georgia, Aksak invaded Anatolia, destroyed the Osmanli army near Manzikert in 1412. The Osmanli Empire was occupied although it soon regained its independence.
Having received offers of tribute from Aegyptos and also from Nicaea and Trebizond, Aksak returned to Samarkand (1414) and prepared for an expedition to China. He set out at the end of December, fell ill at Otrar on the Syr Darya west of Chimkent, and died in February 1415. His body was embalmed, laid in an ebony coffin, and sent to Samarkand, where it was buried in the sumptuous tomb called Gūr-e Amīr. Before his death he had divided his territories among his two surviving sons and his grandsons, and, after years of internecine struggles, the lands were reunited by his eldest grandson.
Aedh III of Rheged
Aedh ascended the throne in 1372. He was the youngest of Constantines’s children being 23 when he became King. During his early rule the financial resources of the kingdom, painstakingly built up by his father Constantine, were squandered on lavish tournaments and Aedh’s favourites, whose interests were frequently divergent or even opposing. As royal funds drained, new taxes had to be raised, which caused several riots.
However In 1388 Aedh fell seriously ill and there were fears that he would not survive. His cousin Domnall was even making preparations for ascending the throne. However Aedh slowly but surely recovered but when he was fully recovered he was a changed man. He dismissed his favourites and brought back to power those of his father's former advisers, who were still alive. Political and economic conditions in the kingdom improved significantly, and Aedh earned the epithet "y annwil” (the beloved).
Aedh encouraged the further exploration of the Northern Hesperides and during his rule it was discovered that the Aber Cystennin led to a great inland sea although it was little explored until his grandson’s rule.
Aedh maintained good relations with all his neighbours and indeed upon the death of his cousin was elected as High King of Hibernia. Those nobles who voted for him expected an absentee High King. Instead what they got was one who took the role very seriously and who spent as much time in Hibernia as he did in Rheged. In tandem with the Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh he regularised the responsibilities of the nobles, curbed many of their excesses and started a road building programme which linked the old Regatian territories of Ulaidh and the U’Neill lands with the rest of Hibernia. Although there were some mutterings about rebellion none ever actually happened as the nobles all feared the consequences if they were not the one who became High King!
The end result was that Rheged and the High Kingdom entered a period of personal union as it became tradition that the King of Rheged would also be elected as High King of Hibernia. It would take over a century for the ties between the kingdoms to become more formalised.
Aedh married Therese the daughter of the King of Galicia in 1376 and although it was not an overly happy marriage (Therese continually complained about how cold it was in Rheged) it was a fruitful one and they had several children. The second of these ascended to the Regatian throne as Constantine X in 1406.
Aedh ascended the throne in 1372. He was the youngest of Constantines’s children being 23 when he became King. During his early rule the financial resources of the kingdom, painstakingly built up by his father Constantine, were squandered on lavish tournaments and Aedh’s favourites, whose interests were frequently divergent or even opposing. As royal funds drained, new taxes had to be raised, which caused several riots.
However In 1388 Aedh fell seriously ill and there were fears that he would not survive. His cousin Domnall was even making preparations for ascending the throne. However Aedh slowly but surely recovered but when he was fully recovered he was a changed man. He dismissed his favourites and brought back to power those of his father's former advisers, who were still alive. Political and economic conditions in the kingdom improved significantly, and Aedh earned the epithet "y annwil” (the beloved).
Aedh encouraged the further exploration of the Northern Hesperides and during his rule it was discovered that the Aber Cystennin led to a great inland sea although it was little explored until his grandson’s rule.
Aedh maintained good relations with all his neighbours and indeed upon the death of his cousin was elected as High King of Hibernia. Those nobles who voted for him expected an absentee High King. Instead what they got was one who took the role very seriously and who spent as much time in Hibernia as he did in Rheged. In tandem with the Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh he regularised the responsibilities of the nobles, curbed many of their excesses and started a road building programme which linked the old Regatian territories of Ulaidh and the U’Neill lands with the rest of Hibernia. Although there were some mutterings about rebellion none ever actually happened as the nobles all feared the consequences if they were not the one who became High King!
The end result was that Rheged and the High Kingdom entered a period of personal union as it became tradition that the King of Rheged would also be elected as High King of Hibernia. It would take over a century for the ties between the kingdoms to become more formalised.
Aedh married Therese the daughter of the King of Galicia in 1376 and although it was not an overly happy marriage (Therese continually complained about how cold it was in Rheged) it was a fruitful one and they had several children. The second of these ascended to the Regatian throne as Constantine X in 1406.
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was King of England from 1396 until his death in 1402. Upon the death of Edward's father Robert in 1396 prior to the death of Robert II, by primogeniture, became the heir apparent to the throne. With Robert II's death later the same year, Richard succeeded to the throne at the age of twelve.
During Edward's first years as king, government was in the hands of a series of councils. Most of the aristocracy preferred this to a regency led by the king's uncle, Wilelm of Westminster (whom many thought planned to take the throne), yet Willelm remained highly influential. In 1398 Edward gained his majority and assumed the rule of the country himself. The major challenge to his rule was the Peasants' Revolt in 1401. There had been simmering discontent since the Statute of Labourers in 1351 and this was fanned into open revolt by the Poll Taxes imposed in 1397 and 1399. Various mobs of peasants roamed the countryside and many great houses were destroyed. There was great uncertainty about how to deal with the unrest which reached a crisis when a more organised band of peasants led by a group of old soldiers under the command of Henrik Bowman approached Westminster. They defeated a small force led by the Lord Lieutenant of Southwark at Hendon in December 1402.
The young King rode out to meet Henrik at the gates of Westminster. What happened next is still subject of much controversy even in the present day. What is certain is that both Henrik and Edward met their deaths at this meeting. The death of Henrik inflamed the mob and they stormed Westminster burning it to the ground. It was first put about that the mob had killed Edward as he tried to retreat back within the city walls, however there are stories that when Henrik was killed Edward rode forwards and declaimed that as they were leaderless he as King would take on that role. He was acclaimed by the mob but was stabbed by one of his own retinue. The truth of the matter will probably never now be ascertained but the man who gained most by Edward’s death, his uncle Willelm, in later years certainly hunted down the survivors of Edward’s retinue and had them killed. This has been seen either as Willelm removing all evidence of his involvement in Edward’s death or as Willelm seeking revenge on those who should have protected his nephew. Both interpretations are certainly viable and fit the known facts about the matter.
However England fell into anarchy with the death of Edward and the burning of Westminster and it was not until Willelm landed at Elfredport in the summer of 1403 (returning from an unsuccessful attempt to claim the throne of Portugal (his grandmother was the eldest daughter of Sancho IV)) that any semblance of order was restored to England.
Edward VI was King of England from 1396 until his death in 1402. Upon the death of Edward's father Robert in 1396 prior to the death of Robert II, by primogeniture, became the heir apparent to the throne. With Robert II's death later the same year, Richard succeeded to the throne at the age of twelve.
During Edward's first years as king, government was in the hands of a series of councils. Most of the aristocracy preferred this to a regency led by the king's uncle, Wilelm of Westminster (whom many thought planned to take the throne), yet Willelm remained highly influential. In 1398 Edward gained his majority and assumed the rule of the country himself. The major challenge to his rule was the Peasants' Revolt in 1401. There had been simmering discontent since the Statute of Labourers in 1351 and this was fanned into open revolt by the Poll Taxes imposed in 1397 and 1399. Various mobs of peasants roamed the countryside and many great houses were destroyed. There was great uncertainty about how to deal with the unrest which reached a crisis when a more organised band of peasants led by a group of old soldiers under the command of Henrik Bowman approached Westminster. They defeated a small force led by the Lord Lieutenant of Southwark at Hendon in December 1402.
The young King rode out to meet Henrik at the gates of Westminster. What happened next is still subject of much controversy even in the present day. What is certain is that both Henrik and Edward met their deaths at this meeting. The death of Henrik inflamed the mob and they stormed Westminster burning it to the ground. It was first put about that the mob had killed Edward as he tried to retreat back within the city walls, however there are stories that when Henrik was killed Edward rode forwards and declaimed that as they were leaderless he as King would take on that role. He was acclaimed by the mob but was stabbed by one of his own retinue. The truth of the matter will probably never now be ascertained but the man who gained most by Edward’s death, his uncle Willelm, in later years certainly hunted down the survivors of Edward’s retinue and had them killed. This has been seen either as Willelm removing all evidence of his involvement in Edward’s death or as Willelm seeking revenge on those who should have protected his nephew. Both interpretations are certainly viable and fit the known facts about the matter.
However England fell into anarchy with the death of Edward and the burning of Westminster and it was not until Willelm landed at Elfredport in the summer of 1403 (returning from an unsuccessful attempt to claim the throne of Portugal (his grandmother was the eldest daughter of Sancho IV)) that any semblance of order was restored to England.
Willelm I of England
Willelm of Westminster was the second son of Robert II. He had been absent from England since 1400 as he was pressing his claim to the throne of Portugal. He was unsuccessful in this (mainly due to his age and also the fact that he had never been in Portugal prior to claiming the throne) and when he received the news of Edward VI‘s death returned to England, landing at Elfredport in late June 1403.
On landing he was immediately proclaimed King by his retinue and summoned the Lords to meet him at Winchester (Westminster having been razed in the aftermath of Edward’s death). All the Lords assembled at Winchester except Lord Edmund of Tamworth, who was having to deal with a series of incursions from Gwynedd. Willelm was accepted as King by all present and set up his court in Winchester.
Willelm’s rule was mainly marked by his having to travel up and down the country suppressing the bands of peasants which had taken to roaming the countryside burning and pillaging as they went. In this he was markedly successful and by 1408 England was once again at peace, albeit a peace of exhaustion.
During his rule he ruled as an absolute monarch. Many of the members of Parliament had been killed in the chaos which ensued after the death of Edward and Willelm felt that the time was never right to summon a new sitting. Despite this he was surprisingly popular. He tried to rule in the best interests of all his subjects, not just his followers, and re-established the rule of law throughout the Kingdom.
Willelm did not engage in much diplomacy with other rulers although he met Aedh III of Rheged in Eork in 1409, and ensured that the Earldom of Tamworth remained part of England by crushing Owain of Gwynedd at Caerlion (OTL Chester) in 1410. He imposed a rather draconian peace settlement on Gwynedd and this would come back to haunt his successor in later years.
Hs last years were marked by increasing ill health and by his eldest son Willelm taking more and more power as he grew weaker and less able to maintain his control of events.
Willelm finally passed away in 1412. He is remembered as the King who laid the groundwork for England’s rise to be a major power in Europe in the later 15th Century by enforcing his rule and establishing peace. Some modern historians also consider that he also sowed the seeds for England’s eventual “collapse” in the 16th Century because he established an absolute Monarchy. However even they agree that this was the most tenable solution to the problems that England faced at the time.
He was succeeded by his son Willelm II in 1412.
Willelm of Westminster was the second son of Robert II. He had been absent from England since 1400 as he was pressing his claim to the throne of Portugal. He was unsuccessful in this (mainly due to his age and also the fact that he had never been in Portugal prior to claiming the throne) and when he received the news of Edward VI‘s death returned to England, landing at Elfredport in late June 1403.
On landing he was immediately proclaimed King by his retinue and summoned the Lords to meet him at Winchester (Westminster having been razed in the aftermath of Edward’s death). All the Lords assembled at Winchester except Lord Edmund of Tamworth, who was having to deal with a series of incursions from Gwynedd. Willelm was accepted as King by all present and set up his court in Winchester.
Willelm’s rule was mainly marked by his having to travel up and down the country suppressing the bands of peasants which had taken to roaming the countryside burning and pillaging as they went. In this he was markedly successful and by 1408 England was once again at peace, albeit a peace of exhaustion.
During his rule he ruled as an absolute monarch. Many of the members of Parliament had been killed in the chaos which ensued after the death of Edward and Willelm felt that the time was never right to summon a new sitting. Despite this he was surprisingly popular. He tried to rule in the best interests of all his subjects, not just his followers, and re-established the rule of law throughout the Kingdom.
Willelm did not engage in much diplomacy with other rulers although he met Aedh III of Rheged in Eork in 1409, and ensured that the Earldom of Tamworth remained part of England by crushing Owain of Gwynedd at Caerlion (OTL Chester) in 1410. He imposed a rather draconian peace settlement on Gwynedd and this would come back to haunt his successor in later years.
Hs last years were marked by increasing ill health and by his eldest son Willelm taking more and more power as he grew weaker and less able to maintain his control of events.
Willelm finally passed away in 1412. He is remembered as the King who laid the groundwork for England’s rise to be a major power in Europe in the later 15th Century by enforcing his rule and establishing peace. Some modern historians also consider that he also sowed the seeds for England’s eventual “collapse” in the 16th Century because he established an absolute Monarchy. However even they agree that this was the most tenable solution to the problems that England faced at the time.
He was succeeded by his son Willelm II in 1412.
I am putting this TL on hold for a while as I'm running out of enough ideas to keep it going. Butterfly nets only work so far!
However the ideas that I do have when I rediscover my muse are
1) The Osmanlis recover and create an Empire covering Anatolia, Mesopotamis and the Levant. They DON'T get into Europe
2) Rome staggers on but disintegrates in the 16th Century although there is a powerful successor state in Carthage.
3) Aegyptos also staggers on but succumbs to colonisation when an European power (which may not exist yet) decides to build the ITTL equivalent of the Suez Canal
4) England creates a European Empire in the 15th and early 16th Centuries but is driven back by the 17th. It then rebuilds itself as a merchant power and acquires another Empire. It regains an effective parliament in the 17th century.
5) Rheged floats on serenely. Unifies with Hibernia by 1500 and has an empire in North America (Upper Hesperides) although it is more a commonwealth of relative equals. This eventually causes problems for the ITTL equivalent of the US as it doesn't want to join them!
6) the industrial revolution is weird as Rheged has most of the necessary resources but England most of the money!
I have other ideas but they're very vague at the moment.
Since I originally intended this just to be a timeline about a more successful Northumbria up to the arrival of the Vikings it grew a bit! Thank you to all who have read this and especially all of you who have commented, mainly Idumea and Julius Vogel.
NORTHUMBRIA SHALL RISE AGAIN!
However the ideas that I do have when I rediscover my muse are
1) The Osmanlis recover and create an Empire covering Anatolia, Mesopotamis and the Levant. They DON'T get into Europe
2) Rome staggers on but disintegrates in the 16th Century although there is a powerful successor state in Carthage.
3) Aegyptos also staggers on but succumbs to colonisation when an European power (which may not exist yet) decides to build the ITTL equivalent of the Suez Canal
4) England creates a European Empire in the 15th and early 16th Centuries but is driven back by the 17th. It then rebuilds itself as a merchant power and acquires another Empire. It regains an effective parliament in the 17th century.
5) Rheged floats on serenely. Unifies with Hibernia by 1500 and has an empire in North America (Upper Hesperides) although it is more a commonwealth of relative equals. This eventually causes problems for the ITTL equivalent of the US as it doesn't want to join them!
6) the industrial revolution is weird as Rheged has most of the necessary resources but England most of the money!
I have other ideas but they're very vague at the moment.
Since I originally intended this just to be a timeline about a more successful Northumbria up to the arrival of the Vikings it grew a bit! Thank you to all who have read this and especially all of you who have commented, mainly Idumea and Julius Vogel.
NORTHUMBRIA SHALL RISE AGAIN!
This WILL resume relatively soon (I know how long is soon?) with a post about Willelm II (who has the epithet the Conqueror ITTL)