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The Southern Route: Difference between revisions
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The outsourcing of colonial administration of the [[Stenza]] territory to the [[South Seas Development Company|South Seas Trading Company]] and the expansion of its commercial activities by establishing bases in Port Bondor, Rakin (later Rakahanga) and Ambo led to the establishment of a quasi commercial monopoly on the western end of the Southern Route. As the company's wealth increased, it would outfit a fleet of warships of its own, nominally under Imperial control but in practice operating to protect company commercial interests. The [[Harmonious Flotilla Invincible]] began operating in 1758, when it fended off Bergendii corsairs off the coast of [[Freda Island]]. | The outsourcing of colonial administration of the [[Stenza]] territory to the [[South Seas Development Company|South Seas Trading Company]] and the expansion of its commercial activities by establishing bases in Port Bondor, Rakin (later Rakahanga) and Ambo led to the establishment of a quasi commercial monopoly on the western end of the Southern Route. As the company's wealth increased, it would outfit a fleet of warships of its own, nominally under Imperial control but in practice operating to protect company commercial interests. The [[Harmonious Flotilla Invincible]] began operating in 1758, when it fended off Bergendii corsairs off the coast of [[Freda Island]]. | ||
===Economic and social impact=== | ===Economic and social impact=== | ||
*[[Corumm]]:The impact of the establishment of the southern route was enormous in both economic and cultural terms for the Corummese. 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 uses and clerical services. In addition there were cultural and technological exchanges, with several sarpedonian scholars taking up employment with the Corummese. One such case was mathematician and astronomer Justo Barbajan, who worked at the Qian court as Director of the Imperial Observatory. The first Christian preachers arrived by boat in 1623, with one of them eventually founding what would become the [[Democratic Christian Church of Corumm and the East]]. | *[[Corumm]]:The impact of the establishment of the southern route was enormous in both economic and cultural terms for the Corummese. 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 uses and clerical services. In addition there were cultural and technological exchanges, with several sarpedonian scholars taking up employment with the Corummese. One such case was mathematician and astronomer Justo Barbajan, who worked at the Qian court as Director of the Imperial Observatory. The first Christian preachers arrived by boat in 1623, with one of them eventually founding what would become the [[Democratic Christian Church of Corumm and the East]].[[File:Casa del Alshar.jpg|thumb|Palacio de la Costa (on the right), where the Casa del Alshar was headquartered, and its naval yards (on the left), in 1675.]] | ||
*[[Pelaxia]]: On May 17, 1615, the fleet reached Corumm, thus having established the route via the Cathay Ocean and managing to open the sea route [[Sarpedon]] to [[Alshar]]. Negotiations with the local Qian State were difficult. Pogiano's efforts to obtain favorable commercial terms have been hampered by the different cultures and the low value of their gifts – in the East it was customary for kings to offer presents to the foreign envoys; in the West the kings were expected to be impressed with rich offerings. Goods presented by the Pelaxian proved insufficient to impress the Corummese and representatives mocked their offers. Pogiano's perseverance made him nevertheless initiate negotiations between him and the Qian's, who were pleased with the letters of King Eladio I. Finally, Pogiano managed to get an ambiguous letter of concession rights to trade and an enclave on the coast managed by a Pelaxian governor. | *[[Pelaxia]]: On May 17, 1615, the fleet reached Corumm, thus having established the route via the Cathay Ocean and managing to open the sea route [[Sarpedon]] to [[Alshar]]. Negotiations with the local Qian State were difficult. Pogiano's efforts to obtain favorable commercial terms have been hampered by the different cultures and the low value of their gifts – in the East it was customary for kings to offer presents to the foreign envoys; in the West the kings were expected to be impressed with rich offerings. Goods presented by the Pelaxian proved insufficient to impress the Corummese and representatives mocked their offers. Pogiano's perseverance made him nevertheless initiate negotiations between him and the Qian's, who were pleased with the letters of King Eladio I. Finally, Pogiano managed to get an ambiguous letter of concession rights to trade and an enclave on the coast managed by a Pelaxian governor. | ||
Pelaxian would be at first a crown monopoly. The monopoly had been managed by the Casa del Alshar, the royal trading house founded around 1650, it was the first to start a joint stock company to trade in Alshar. The Casa was responsible for the maintenance of a yearly fleet. However, by 1660, the Casa's finances were in dire straits and in 1670, the King of Pelaxia issued a decree opening up trade to Pelaxia to any private Pelaxian and Cartadanian national. As few took up the offer, the free trade decree was replaced in 1678 by a new system of annual monopolies, where the Casa sold Alshar trading contracts to a private Pelaxian merchant consortium, granting them a monopoly for one year. This annual contract system was abandoned in 1697, and the royal monopoly resumed. | |||
Pelaxian would be at first a crown monopoly. The monopoly had been managed by the Casa del Alshar, the royal trading house founded around 1650, it was the first to start a joint stock company to trade in Alshar. The Casa was responsible for the maintenance of a yearly fleet. However, by 1660, the Casa's finances were in dire straits and in 1670, the King of Pelaxia | |||
The Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth of 1618, changed little at first. However, the increasing influence of Levantine trading companies in the Alshari continent after 1698 led the Commonwealth to experiment with different arrangements to secure the new born colonial empire. In 1605, he created the Oficina del Alshar, to bring affairs in Commonwealth Alshar under closer supervision of the Parliament. But this conflicted with older lines of Carto-Pelaxian authority, and the council was eventually dissolved in 1714. | The Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth of 1618, changed little at first. However, the increasing influence of Levantine trading companies in the Alshari continent after 1698 led the Commonwealth to experiment with different arrangements to secure the new born colonial empire. In 1605, he created the Oficina del Alshar, to bring affairs in Commonwealth Alshar under closer supervision of the Parliament. But this conflicted with older lines of Carto-Pelaxian authority, and the council was eventually dissolved in 1714. | ||