Southern Route: Difference between revisions

Gabo de Pogiano's 1615 journey became an embassy after contact with the Daxian. After arriving in the port of [[Zong]] on the 10th of October, he had an audience with Digen Youdu, Viceroy of Ganshu; with whom he negotiated an agreement that allowed him to dock in Daxian ports and engage in trade, map out the surrounding seas and build a fort in the [[Tanhai]] coastal commandery. Pogiano in turn committed himself to on his return trip, guide a Qian squadron to the [[Kindreds Sea]] and the coast of [[Sarpedon]]. The ships that would join him on [[Zhijun]] were the ''Falun'', the ''Gong'' and the ''Shen Yun''; the first Daxian ships to ever make it to [[Sarpedon]]. Later contacts with Acirien representatives would lead to a similar agreement. The Qian would send goods such as sugarcane, barrels of [[slozo]], pink salt, ebony wood and cinnamon and in return would receive (insert Sarpedonian products such as wine)

The impact of the establishment of the southern route was enormous in both economic and cultural terms for the Daxian. 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 Daxian. 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 Daxia and the East]].

On May 17, 1615, the fleet reached Daxia, 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 Daxian 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.