Zhijun: Difference between revisions

| population_as_of = 2026

The twin islands of Zhijun and Tang were only sparsely inhabited by peoples hailing from the mainland [[Peratra]]n landmass to the south, who organized into small communities of fishermen and hunter-gatherers. The culture of the islands developed uninterrupted at a slow pace and was still in a relatively primitive state by the time [[Daxia]]n explorers reached it in the 16th century. Zhijun was properly colonized by the Qian Dynasty during the maritime campaigns of the [[Yuanjian Emperor]] in the early 1590's, as part of Qian efforts to explore and establish [[Daxia]]n outposts in [[Australis]]. A fort town named [[Yishi]] was founded in 1594 with sixty families. The Yishi colony was governed initially by Xi Haifong, captain of the vessel who had transported the colonists to the island. Two years later the Qian authorities sent another ship with twenty more families of colonists, three-hundred soldiers to serve as the town's garrison and several bureaucrats to order the affairs of the island and take over from Xi Haifong. Crucially, the new ship also brought five smoothbore cannons of which only three were mounted on the walls of Yishi. The remaining two would be used by the Yishi garrison in raids against the, up until now, peaceful island natives. The fort town of Yishi would be the focal point of [[Daxia]]n activities in the area for the next fifteen years. The port of [[Bondor]] would be built in the eastern coast of Zhijun after buying the land from the Tufele tribe. It is at Bondor that the explorer [[Gabo de Pogiano]] came into contact with [[Daxia]]ns, starting the exchanges that would lead to the establishment of [[The Southern Route|the Southern route]]. By 1596 the natives led by the Tufele and Afakasi tribes, now suspicious of the foreigners intent, attacked [[Yishi]] and [[Bondor]]. The wall-less Bondor was captured but Yishi repelled the attack thanks to the three smoothbore cannons installed on the wall. Admiral Haifong set out on three ships to retake Bondor, doing so two weeks later. With relations between the two sides broken down, the Qian court ordered the complete conquest of the islands and the enslavement of the polynesian tribes. The imperial mandate was completed in 1607 after a lengthy guerrilla war and several decisive defeats for the tribes. Th defeated tribes of Zhijun would be the first people to be taken into bondage by the Qian in a process that would be the start of the [[Southern slave trade]]. After the military defeat of the natives, the Qian dynasty began an aggressive scheme of colonization of the islands with mainlanders to affirm its long term control and dominance.