Cote d'Or colony
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Cote d'Or colony Colonie Cote d'Or | |
|---|---|
| 1600-1795 | |
 Flag | |
| Status | Colony of the Duchy of Marialanus |
| Official language | Burgoignesc |
| Religion | Calvinism/Congregational church |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy |
| Governor Epistates | |
| Historical era | Age of Discovery, Age of Sail |
• Established | 1600 |
• Disestablished | 1795 |
| Today part of |  Kandara |
The Burgoignesc colonization of Kandara, spanning from 1598-1795, began with the arrival of Kiravian explorers in the late 15th century, drawn by rumors of gold. The subsequent entry of the Duchy of Marialanus' South Sea Expedition Company (SSETC) in 1598 marked the official start of colonization. Initially, the SSETC adopted a more open approach, re-empowering local magistrates with ties to the former Oduniyyad Caliphate to gain access and trade advantages. This period (1598-1635) saw limited self-sufficiency in the colony, with heavy reliance on the Marialanii metropole. As the generation of Oduniyyad-appointed magistrates aged out, the SSETC tightened their grip (1635-1693). Power shifted towards direct control of politics, land management, and resource extraction. The patroonship system emerged, granting powerful individuals semi-autonomous control over vast latifundia plantations in exchange for loyalty and resource extraction. Chattel slavery became central to the colonial economy, primarily targeting populations outside Cote d'Or colony's major polities. A massive influx of Levantine Protestants, promised land grants, led to rapid coastal expansion and further displacement of native populations. Local militias, primarily composed of native levies, served as the initial line of defense against resistance on the expanding frontiers. By the late 17th century (1693-1785), the SSETC consolidated power further, establishing centralized administrations and presidencies for efficient control, abolishing the natively run protectorates. Demographic shifts due to immigration and slavery resulted in some colonies achieving majority Bergedii and Deric populations, creating internal tensions. Colonial militias were gradually replaced by professional regiments directly controlled by the SSETC, incorporating subjugated native peoples. Utilizing these well-equipped forces, the SSETC embarked on aggressive territorial expansion, drastically enlarging the colonial borders. However, the seeds of decline were sown during this period (1785-1795). The SSETC became increasingly corrupt and focused on prestige, neglecting efficient administration and development. The vast size and mismanagement of the Cote d'Or colony proved unsustainable, leading to discontent and separatist movements. High taxes and tariffs on both settlers and native populations fueled resentment, while insensitive leadership and disregard for native customs sparked widespread mutinies within native regiments. The Great Rebellion of Slavery Bay ignited a domino effect, leading to uprisings across major colonies, a mass exodus of Occidental settlers, and plunging the colonies into chaos. Poor leadership and internal conflicts within both the colonies and the Marialanii metropole ultimately resulted in the loss of Cote d'Or colony. The legacy of Burgoignesc colonization remains deeply embedded in contemporary Kandara. While resistance left its mark, lingering influences of Burgoignesc language, religion (Mercantile Reform Protestantism), and architecture are still discernible. The extractive colonial economy left Kandara with depleted resources and underdeveloped infrastructure, contributing to its current status as a least developed country. Perhaps most significantly, the fractured tribal landscape exploited by the Bergendii continues to influence Kandara's political complexities and internal divisions, shaping the nation's ongoing, violent pursuit of unity and development.
Colonial administration
In Cote d'Or, power flowed downwards from the Duke of Marialanus, through the appointed Governor-General and the ever-watchful South Sea Expedition Company (SSETC). At the heart of the system lay the patroons, powerful individuals granted vast Latifundia in exchange for loyalty, resource extraction, and settlement development. These semi-autonomous lords held sway over their domains, levying taxes, administering justice, and commanding local militias. Tenant farmers and non-patroon settlers, primarily Deric and Bergendii protestant immigrants, possessed a limited voice through a Colonial Council. This body, however, held little real power, serving more as an advisory board than a true decision-making body. The Kandari people, meanwhile, were excluded entirely from formal power structures, governed only by their own traditions and facing limited opportunities within the colonial hierarchy. This system, initially designed for efficiency, shifted towards authoritarianism as challenges arose. Mounting resistance, internal corruption, and economic pressures led to stricter controls, increased military presence, and marginalization of both the Kandari and the Colonial Council. Local militias were replaced by professional regiments controlled by the Governor-General, tightening the grip of the central administration. Cote d'Or's administration thus reflected a stark hierarchy, with wealth and influence concentrated in the hands of the colonial elite. While non-patroon settlers held a semblance of participation, the Kandari people remained disenfranchised, foreshadowing the tensions and conflicts that would mark the colony's future.
The colonial administrators were master negotiators and strategists and were always looking for ways to expand their colonial boundaries. They used the TerreRaubeuers to masterful effect and generally kept the colonists engaged in Colonial militarism and proselytization. They also knew and worked to keept he tribes divded and at war with eachother. They were also adept at using the Doctrine of Lapse.
Colonial economy
The bustling economy of Cote d'Or showed the tenacity, resourcefulness, and ambition of its Bergendii and Deric colonists. They set about building roads and ports as soon as they arrived and connecting their emporia to the existing Silk Road with haste. The initial and staple commodity that led to the colonization of the area was salt. The patroon system allowed them to establish latifundia immediately which soon boasted towering date palms, yielding sweet fruits and sap, which was exported as a delicacy and sweetener. As the colony expanded into the semiarid interior, massive cattle and cotton latifundia were established, which was fed into the existing textile industry in Kandara. Bergendii and Kandari weavers became renowned for their skill, crafted fine cloth coveted across Levantia and Sarpedon. As they spread further into the foothills, the humid highlands was harnessed to industrialized the cultivation of cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and, in select highland pockets, tea plantations. Nestled amidst the secrecy of the highlands, poppy fields bloomed, yielding raw opium, a highly profitable commodity that was used in Kandara as well as other colonies when the population was unruly.