Hemp Wars

Hemp Wars
Part of the Qabóri Decline and the Levanto-Cronan Wars
Second Naval Battle of Inéélets Port, First Hemp War
Date First Hemp War: May 1627 – October 1632 Second Hemp War: July 1634 – December 1640 Location South Crona Result First Hemp War: Strategic Fhainn victory Milsboro Colony established Qabóri de-militarization of Atameraw Qoyalet Second Hemp War: Decisive Qabóri victory Treaty of Prisamarina Fhainn-Midlands push into Qabór halted Qabóri maritime trade in Sea of St. John's continues
Belligerents
Qabóri Woqalate ACOM Company Qabóri Trade Company Soqweux Woqalate	Kingdom of the Fhainn Midlands Company
Commanders and leaders
Aphía III Sokhar I	Rethys Suthar-Màrtainn Rethys II Suthar-Màrtainn
Strength
Qabór: 21,000	Fhainn: 15,500
Casualties and losses
1,916	1,287

The Hemp Wars, also known as the Milsboro Port Wars were a series of two conflicts waged between the Qabóri Woqalate and the Kingdom of the Fhainn during the 17th century. The First Hemp War had occurred from May 1627 to August 1632, with the the Second Hemp War following shortly after and occurring from July 1634 to December 1640. The main concern of these wars involved key ports around the Atameraw Qoyalet, which comprised of modern-day Asteria and the Betlands, in which the agreed-upon semi-independence of the vassal as defined by the Atameraw Act of 1611 between Qabór and the Woqalate of Soqweux, a Qabóri vassal, had been challenged by colonial forces from the Kingdom of the Fhainn. This primarily impacted the trade of many Qabóri/Soqweux cash crops, such as hemp, cotton, and rice, to various locations spanning the Ocean of Cathay. The wars were mainly concentrated on Inéélets Port, which was one of three ports in the Atameraw Qoyalet that connected to the Orixtal-Audonia Route, which at the time had been mainly controlled by the Qabóri Trade Company (QTC) and the Aracadó-Cathay Organization of Merchants (ACOM). Both QTC and ACOM held a tight grip on those three ports since their establishment in 1603 and 1610, respectively. The Atameraw Act of 1611 was enacted by the Qangreč as a way to ensure Qabóri sovereignty over the route's span throughout the Orixtal Sea in the wake of increased Occidental presence into South Crona.

In July 1626, King Rethys I wished to establish a colonial presence in South Crona, due to a gradual decline of the Qabóri Woqalate's territory and the presence of many other Occidental powers, such as Burgundie and Alstin. The Woqalate had still maintained its sphere of influence over South Crona despite selling off most of its western territory to Burgundie and Alstin, and maintained stable alliances with both countries, while not interacting as much with Faneria. This resulted in Qabór denying any advances from Faneria to use the Inéélets Port as a trade hub for the Midlands Company. Faneria, in response, launched the First Hemp War by sacking the port and pushing inward through Atameraw. Both Soqweux and Qabór responded by invading Atameraw, hoping to intercept the Fhainn forces before they could reach Yarmouth, at the time known as Tlal'ecta. During the first half of the First Hemp War, there were over five battles fought at Inéélets Port and the surrounding city of Inéélets (today Milsboro). Eventually, the Fhainn forces would move east, taking the ports of modern-day Waverly and Kismet and making a deep push from all fronts. The First Hemp War was a tactical Fhainn victory, allowing for them to establish the Milsboro Colony in 1632 as defined by the Treaty of Waverly. After a brief period of many skirmishes over the disputed city of Winnecomac from 1632–1634, both Qabór and the Fhainn would go to war once again in the Second Hemp War. Faneria had attempted to push through Winnecomac into Qabóri territory, while pushing through the northern plateau regions into Soqwuex and Tchanteqanee, in order to disrupt crucial QTC domestic trade routes leading to the Sea of St. John's. Qabór and the QTC responded much more quickly, ambushing the Fhainn in modern-day Sevier and Tammat. From 1637 to the war's end, Qabór would launch several coastal raids of the Milsboro, Waverly, and Kismet ports, conquering the latter two and fighting for Milsboro until the Treaty of Prisamarina was signed in 1640, officially ending the war.

The aftermath of the Hemp Wars resulted in Qabór returning the Waverly and Kismet ports to the Milsboro Colony, while being allowed to dock Qabóri trade vessels for however much time is necessary to ensure a successful trip to Audonia. Milsboro Colony would remain under the Fhainn banner until its independence as Asteria in 1836.

Background

Orixtal sea trade

Main article: Orixtal-Audonia Route

Major centers of trade in the Orixtal-Audonia Route as defined by the ACOM Company

The Orixtal-Audonia Route, which had been established in 1599 by Qabóri and Alstinian merchants, had its highest concentration of trade on the Sea of St. John's, being the location of various ports including Wheatley, Naqili, Sedem Regni, Dawsbury, Ukusaaki, and Inéélets. Inéélets, being the largest port on the Cronan mainland, had an unique a firm grip on the trade of hemp, cotton, spices, rice, and wheat extracted from western Qabór, southern Tchanteqanee, and the eastern Betlands. The Orixtal theatre of the route became a major hotbed for trade of goods from South Crona to Audonia and Kiravia. This area had been completely dominated by Alstin and Qabór, and had even brought attention from the Occident to the area of Crona which was not aligned with Varshan.