Southern Route: Difference between revisions

The '''Southern Route''', also commonly known as the '''South [[Audonia]]-[[Sarpedon]]''' sea route is a shipping route from the [[Daxia]]n southeastern coast, through the [[Ocean of Cathay]] and on to the [[Kindreds Sea]] and [[Caphirian]]n and [[Puertego|Puertegan]] ports. The first recorded complete voyage of the route was made in [[1615]] by Gabo de Pogiano, an explorer and adventurer from the [[Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth]] who started his trip on the port of [[Albalitor]] on the [[Kindreds Sea]] and came into contact with the [[Daxia]]n Qian dynasty in [[Port Bondor]], [[Zhijun]]. Impetus for developing alternate trade routes gained traction and support at the Qian court mainly as a way to evade the [[Burgundie|Burgoignesc]] [[La Garrote|monopoly]] on all western [[Audonia]]n sea routes to [[Levantia]], especially from its outpost on the island of [[Cheun|Ayermer]]. The route would become more profitable to traverse in the early 17th century after the Qian colonization of [[Stenza|Peratra]] by the [[South Seas Development Company|South Seas Trading Company]] and increased engagement with the [[Caphirian]] Third Imperium. In the modern era the route continues to be an important lane for [[Daxia]] and international marine shipping and several national navies operate throughout its whole length to provide security.

== Background ==

Historically, sea exploration by Daxian dynasties was severely lacking in comparison to Levantine powers such as [[Burgundie]]. Most of Daxian trading with its neighbours was conducted through overland routes, rivers or by sea shipping that stuck close to the coastline. [[Burgundie]]'s possession of islands controlling access to important waterways in Audonia such as [[Salarive]] and [[Antilles]] and its sometimes predatory attitudes, the dangers posed by Audonian pirates and high tariffs made trade through Burgoignesc controlled waters a fairly unappealing and uneconomic prospect. The discovery of [[Zhijun]] and later [[Peratra]] by an expedition commissioned by Emperor Yuanjian of the Qian dynasty opened the possibility of further lands yet to be discovered. Admiral Xi Haifong proceeded to conquer the polynesian tribes of [[Peratra]] and established the port of Xiwang there in 1613. The arrival in 1615 of [[Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth|Carto-Pelaxian]] explorer Gabo de Pogiano at [[Zhijun]]'s Port Bondor confirmed to the Qian the existence of lands further east to trade with.

==Economic and social impact==

===In Daxia===

The impact of the establishment of the southern route was enormous in both economic and cultural terms for the [[Daxia]]ns. The first contact with 'westerners' (Burgoignesc around [[Audonia]] were believed to be a subject people of the [[Audonia]]n Muslim sultanates) and the confirmation that were were further lands beyong the Polynesian sea was a great shock to the Qian court. The flow of trade goods greatly enrichened the Qian state, with the treasury benefiting from extra taxes and tariffs, including a tax on all precious metals, fees for providing naval protection to merchant ships, docking, warehouse use and clerical services. In addition there were cultural and technological exchanges, with several [[Sarpedon]]ian scholars taking up employment with the [[Daxia]]n court. The first Christian preachers arrived by boat in 1623, with one of them eventually founding what would become the [[Democratic Christian Church of Daxia and the East|Church of the East]]. These new developments were not universally met with welcome arms, a great many instances of violently xenophobic events are noted in Daxian historical records such as the [[Pogrom of the Caphirians]] in 1758 and [[Loa]] peddlers being thrown into the sea (on false charges of selling human meat)