Empire of Jipangu

((WIP))

The Empire of Jipangu is a maritime empire located in the Celestial Sea. It is the largest maritime empire consisting of over one thousand islands, with a population of around nine million.

The Empire of Jipangu is considered to be one of the great powers of the world, due to its strong naval and military power. It has a strong alliance with the Kingdom of Teutoburg to compare against the Anglistorian-Pradeshi Alliance.

The Empire of Jipangu is mostly referred to as, "The Empire of the Rising Sun."

First Settlers of the Island (+107 to +509)
Over the course of more than five hundred years, settlers from Khyatad settled in the modern-day area of Jipangu, founding small settlements. They became isolated for more than a thousand years when a great vortex was created.

Period of Isolation (+509 to +1609)
During this time, much of the country was divided under the leadership of feudal lords who rarely interacted with one another. Very little is known about this time period, most of which is only accessible to Jipangese scholars.

Forty Years' War (+1609 to +1649)
It was only until the year +1649 that Takeru Shimamoto, the Celestial Emperor, conquered the eight major islands. The capital was declared at Shimamoto, the largest of the islands, under the name Yoritoki, named after one of Takeru's greatest generals- Yoritoki Uyehara.

Takeru Shimamoto was the feudal lord of the province of Shimamoto, one of the strongest islands. The vortex that was isolating Jipangu from the rest of the world was beginning to fade. Takeru's advisor, a mistseer- Hikaru Konya, predicted that the Khyatadi would invade the island.

Thus, Takeru wanted to unite the feudal lords under his banner to prevent a Khyatad invasion. Over a forty year period, Shimamoto and his army conquered or assimilated the feudal lords of the eight islands of Jipangu. There were over five hundred feudal lords, most of whom had skilled armies of samurai warriors. Thus, the conquest was a long process.

Ultimately, Shimamoto gained victory, although he perished in the final battle of the Forty Years' War against the Takeuchi Clan. He was succeeded by his eldest son- Shoko, as Celestial Emperor of Jipangu.

Period of Advancement (+1649 to +1687)
Under the reign of Celestial Emperor Shoko, the Empire of Jipangu began to advance itself. In +1649, the Jipangi Islands consisted of eight islands, with a combined population of less than five hundred thousand (around 480,000). They were fragmented beneath the divisions of the feudal lords that still were felt despite the unification in the Forty Years' War.

By the end of Emperor Shoko's reign at his death in +1687, the population had expanded to more than 2 million, and the Jipangi Isles had colonized thirteen additional islands, making their empire consist of twenty one islands. While the feudal divisions were still felt in the isles, much of it had been united against a common enemy- Khyatad.

The first task completed was the creation of a United Jipangi Army. Shoko gave command of this army to Hyosuke Hoyama. Hoyama was a very skilled warrior from the Era of Rival Lords, who had fought for the Takeuchi Clan until the end of the Forty Years' War. The Army was very disciplined with most of its members being experienced warriors, who had fought for the rival clans.

The second task completed was the establishment of a currency for the isles. Previously, each clan had used a separate currency, while individuals mostly bartered for trade. Emperor Shoko established the Kojuro as the Currency of the Jipangi Empire. The currency was backed by the silver produced on the silver-rich island of Nishikawa, one of the eight main islands. While the Kojuro was established as a major currency, the citizens were also allowed to barter for their goods and use the currencies of their feudal lords. The Kojuro was mainly used for those under the banner of the Shimamoto Clan.

The third task completed was the establishment of a naval force for the islands. Up until this point, most of the feudal clans did not maintain navies for maritime warfare. Only merchants had ships, which were all small canoe-like vessels.

Organization of the Conquered Territories
The conquered islands were organized a region referred to as Hyonjun, named after its ruling dynasty- the Hyonjun Clan. The region was made into a dyad system, with one ruler being the ruler of Hyonjun before the conquest, and another being the appointed governor. The governor was appointed by the Celestial Emperor.

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