Canpei: Difference between revisions

Canpei, oficially the '''Republic of Canpei''' (Daxian:新都共和国) is a country in southern [[Audonia]]. It borders [[Rusana]] and [[Daxia]] to the south, [[Huoxia]] to the east and [[Udon Khai]] to the west. The name Canpei can be roughly translated as 'the broad north' as the region was known to the Daxian empires to the south, a sort of last frontier before transitioning to the barbarous, nomadic northern steppes. The capital of Canpei is the city of Brink, which is located roughly in the geographic center of the country, next to the Hongse river. Canpei has a population of around thirty two million people. Canpei has a mixed economy with elements of state dirigisme coexisting with free market capitalism, economic inequality is one of the highest in the world. Most of Canpei's exports use Daxian ports and the nation is very reliant on remittances from [[Daxia]]. Canpei is a presidential republic consisting of six provinces. Canpei is classified by the International Liberty Index Foundation as a flawed democracy with worrying downward trends on issues such as corruption, speech and media freedoms and free and fair elections.

Canpei's history is deeply enmeshed with that of its southern Daxian neighbor as the latter began expanding into the area in the early 8th century. Expansion into the plains was slow at first but gathered pace as nomad tribes were either pushed further north or brought to heel by military or diplomatic means.  

Canpei has been settled since prehistory, with some archaeological evidence suggesting that early hominid inhabited the region 2 million years ago. Fossils of early man were found in few places, but mostly of teeth or small bone fragment, making it had to identify with any precision the exact species and their dating had frustrated expert since their discovery. The Puhusui Cave in Baitian province shows well preserved red ochres and brown paintings of horses, oxen and lynx dating to approximately 18,000 years ago are proof a thriving Upper Paleolithic culture in the region.  

In the 15th century BCE, the coastal plains of the north and east were home to many different tribes who shared a common culture and waged small scale war against each others for land or over specific feud. One of those tribes, the Paozi, settled at the foot of the mountains were they could grow rice and keep large herds of goats. Other regional groups joined their banners over the years or were conquered to acquire more pastural and agricultural land until their territory spread from the valleys of mount Zhemei to the floodplains along of the Huizhi river. The Paozi were ruled by a chief elected from among their nobles and for the first 200 years or so of their existence, that system served them well, but a few family with more land started to gain more and more influence until one of them became de facto ruler of the tribe. Around 1090 BCE, we have the first documented usage of the title of king to describe the leader of the Paozi tribe found on bamboo slips discussing the exchange of 500 heads of goats to secure the marriage of King Lioliotzu of Paozi and Fei of Qungde. The Paozi kingdom is traditionally dated from 1100 BCE to 800 BCE. Their disappearance from historic records coincide with a period of great politic instability and the rise of many states in the region.

The first undeniable proof of a unified civilization are of the Kingdom of Suizung around 750 BCE and expert generally agree that they were likely a successor state of the Paozi based on their near identical language and culture. They ruled over the eastern shores of the Emerald Sea and the northern plateau. Their rule mark the beginning of the unification of the various tribes would be become the Liangs as we know them today and the rise of Tianism. The Suizong dynasty wouldn't last long, crumbling after the death of the second king, but their kingdom would not fall and instead pass to other houses who would have various level of success at maintaining and expending their control. Around 475 CE, the Siaodo dynasty would die out and a short civil war would see the Yuesun dynasty establishing itself has the new rulers of the Liang. Yuesun ascension would signify the beginning of a rapid rise of Tianism to the status of dominant religion of the the region and an aggressive expansion west, pushing the boundaries of Liang civilization all the way to the edge of the western plains. A series of military campaigns would be launched against the warring states of the flatlands over the centuries of their rule, none with great success, setting the borders of the Liang civilization firmly along the Dadu river in the north and the foothills of the Shengsuo in the south.