The Story on Eurasia/1

This Story on Eurasia is, incoporating a map, and starting in 1200, about the events and situations occuring in most of Eurasia. These include parts of Europe, almost all of Asia, and parts of Eastern Africa. Please read along.

=Timeline, part 1=

1200

 * In the Byzantine Empire, David I comes to power as Emperor. David will eventually be known as David the Great, since he will expand the Empire considerably and revive it, beginning a new Byzantine Golden Age. He will reign for the next forty-five years. David I reorganizes the empire into provinci, each adminstered by a military governor appointed by him.


 * Genghis Khan becomes the king of the Mongol tribe. Khan will become a great conqueror, expanding the Mongol Kingdom considerably, reigning for the next sixteen years, and he will earn a place in history as Genghis the Great.


 * The Song and Han Dynasties go to war. However, neither side makes gains, and they eventually settle into a peace again before the year is out.

1202

 * David I of Byzantine instigates many major reforms. The Emperor reorganizes the central government. He establishes a Byzantine Privy Council, who will run the government day-to-day, advise the Emperor, and issue proclamations in his name. The Council will also adminster the Byzantine justice system. David I then reorganizes the Byzantine judicial code, and instigates a new local court structure. Finally, David I reformed the military. He improved the effiency and skill of the cavarly, introduced a new army code, implemented new Byzantine naval tactics, and reorganized the Byzantine infantry forces.


 * Through a series of bribes, military manuevers, and family political marriages or civil unions, Genghis Khan, King of the Mongols, becomes Tribal Chieftain of the Jalayr and Tachiud tribes, as well King of the Ongirrad and Kereit Tribes. Genghis unites the tribes with the Mongol state, and proclaims the existence of the Khanate of Mongolia, with himself as Supreme Khan. Genghis I issues the Mongol Khanate Laws, which provide a basic outline of the government structure of the new Khanate.


 * In the principality of Kiev, a new ruler comes to power: Ivan I. Ivan I will unite all the principalities of Rus', and become known as Ivan the Great, expanding the territory of the Russian state to the north and to the south. He will rule for the next forty-five years.

1204



 * In Europe, David I flexes his muscles, testing his newly reformed forces. The Emperor declared war against Bulgaria, and the professional Byzantine army quickly overan the dis-organized Bulgarian forces. By the end of the year, most of Bulgaria has capitulated to the Byzantines.


 * The Byzantine victories in Bulgaria alarm the Rum Sejuks, who launch massive raids into the remaining Byzantine territory in western Turkey. David I, with a army of only 6,000, delivers a crushing blow to the Sejuk invasion force of 20,000 at the Battle of Ankara, and drives them out of Byzantine territory. From then on, the Rum Sejuks will be more caucious when dealing with the Byzantines.


 * In Russia, Ivan I of Kiev marries the beautiful and intelligent daughter of the Prince of Vladmir Sudzal, thus instigating a personal union with that state. Ivan I also begins some reforms in his state. He encourages further trade with the West and implements one of Russia's first recorded land codes.


 * In Asia, Genghis I of Mongolia reorganizes his armed forces. He divides his military forces into three groups: archers, horsemen, and foot soldiers. The khan also implements Mongolia's first army code, and he brings in military experts from the Han Dynasty of southern China. Genghis I then begins preprations for an invasion of the Tatars and Merkits tribes.

1205

 * In Asia, Genghis I of Mongolia invaded and quickly conquered the Mekrit and Tatar tribes. The khan dispatched Mongol nomads and farmers to these newly conquered territories, installed Mongol government officials in their villages, and extracted tribute from their peoples. However, all across the khanate, he issued the Religious Laws, which granted religious freedom to all his subjects. Genghis I also guranteed the property rights of women, legalized a early form of divorce, and provided generous support to numerous Mongol villages. The khan then began planning his invasion of the Kirghiz, Tuvan, and Naiman tribes.


 * In India, the states of Sindh and Malwa signed a informal treaty, forming a political and military union. Thus the Sindh Empire came into existence. This Empire would eventually come to control all of India, and in time, would become a major power in Asia.


 * In Europe, David I of Byzantine completed his conquest of Bulgaria. He immediately began a series of religious reforms. The Emperor granted religious freedom to his subjects, established a civil service for the Byzantine Orthodox Church, and placed the patriach of Constanipole under his direct supervision. David I also began construction on a series of defense forts in eastern Byzantine.


 * In Russia, Ivan I of Kiev signed the Treaty of Kiev with the sovereigns and rulers of the other Russian principalities. This Treaty established Kievan control over all the principalities of Rus', and insured the Kievan prince's control of judicial, military, and foreign affairs. By this treaty, the other princes became vassals of Ivan I, and the Kingdom of Russia was established, with Ivan I as king. Shortly after, the state of Volga Bulgaria was incoporated into the new Russia as a autonomous province.

1206

 * In Asia, Genghis I of Mongolia invaded and quickly annexed the Kirghiz, Tuvans, and Naiman tribes. His troops destroyed any villages which resisted his rule, plundered the farms, and installed Mongol garrisions in the capitals of the defeated tribes. Not wanting to suffer the other tribes fate, the Tangut and Uyghurs tribes surrendered peacefully to Mongolia. The khan incoporated them as autonomous provinces into his kingdom. (Side note: if a tribe or country's name remains but their territory is the color as the country described as having incoporated them, that means they are self-governing provinces of that country)


 * In Europe, David I of Byzantine signed a military and finanical treaty with King Ivan I of Russia. The two countries (the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Russia) formed a formal military alliance, and Byzantine also promised to provide finanical assistance to Russia. The two nations, working together, then planned invasions of the Cuman Khanates. Ivan I also began planning a invasion of Novograd.


 * In India, the Sindh Empire flexed it's muscles by invading and annexing the coastal Indian kingdoms of Kamataka and Kerala. The newly-crowned Sindh Emperor, Akbar I (who will become known as Akbar the Great), then expanded his military and planned a invasion of the Chola Empire and Sri Lanka.

1208

 * Genghis I of Mongolia instigated the Five Year's War (1208-1213) against the Jin Dynasty of Northern China. This war will cost much in the lives of Mongol soldiers, and will finally slow down the Mongol expansion, although the Mongols will capture Northern China. The khan suffered his first defeat in the Battle of the Manchurian Plains, but counterattacked and prevented Jin forces from entering Mongolia. By the end of the year, the khan had only captured small amounts of Jin border lands.


 * In Europe, Russia and Byzantine launched a joint invasion of the Cuman Khanates, thus intigating the Cuman Wars (1208-1211). The Khanates, although their combined armies outnumbered the Russians and Byzantines, were weak and dis-organized. They still relied on primitive methods from the Ancient Tribal Times. By the end of the year, Byzantine and Russian forces had made major gains, with David I of Byzantine and Ivan I of Russia personally leading their forces.


 * In India, the Sindh Empire invaded and conquered, with great diffculty, the kingdom of Sri Lanka and the Empire of Chola. Akbar I of Sindh reorganized his military forces and consolidated his newly conquered territories.

1209

 * The Song Dynasty of Southern China fully incoporated the Chinese protectorate of Dai Viet. The Han Chinese promptly consolidated their rule there, arresting any dissidents to Chinese rule and extracting monetary tribute. The Chinese also expanded their military, in case of Mongol agression pointing southwards.


 * Meanwhile, the Jin Dynasty retook some of the Mongol gains in the war, although losing 30,000 soldiers. Genghis I of Mongolia reorganized his forces and launched a massive counterattack. He regained the lost lands and also made some gains to the southwest.


 * In Europe, more gains were made by the Russians and Byzantines against the Cumans. Russian forces annexed the Crimea, thus gaining access to the Black Sea, while Byzantine forces annexed Cuman Beershabia and Romania. The Allied forces consolidated their gains and prepared for a final assault against more territory of the weakening Cuman Khanates.


 * Farther southwards, David I of Byzantine began the process of the reconquest of main Anatolia (most of OTL Turkey). His forces slowly pushed eastwards, using superior tactics and organization. By the end of the year, the Emperor had conquered some of the Sejuk lands.

1210

 * The Byzantine Empire and Kingdom of Russia concluded a mutual pact, in which all the territory east of the newly annexed Russian Crimea would become Russian territory. The reason David I of Byzantine concluded this agreement was because he was more concerned about expanding his empire into Serbia, the rest of Turkey, and the Crusader States. In the wake of this agreement, Ivan I captured another large amount of Cuman territory. He also incoporated the Bashkirs kingdom as a autonomous province.


 * Genghis I of Mongolia launched another massive assault against the Jin Dynasty. The assault cost the lives of 40,000 Mongol forces, but in the end, it succeeded. Mongolia conquered much of the northern territory of the Jin. The Jin, however, refused to surrender.

1211

 * The war with the Cuman Khanates (or the Cuman War) was finally brought to an end with the Treaty of Kiev. In the treaty, the Cuman Khanate recognized the gains of the Kingdom of Russia and the Byzantine Empire. The Khanate also became a protectorate of Russia, obliged to pay monetary tribute and formal loyality to the Russian king. The Khanate also promised not to conduct any raids into Russian territory. Ivan I of Russia had gained a great victory.


 * In Asia, Genghis I of Mongolia conquered the Jin territories near Korea. The khan committed harsh actions against the Chinese population, destroying their villages, plundering their farms, and butchering their women and children. This was committed due to how long the war had dragged out. Genghis I then reorganized his forces again, and prepared for the final attacks against the Jin.


 * In India, the Sindh Empire launched a long-awaited invasion of the Hindu States. These States were not united and consisted of diverse principalities and kingdoms. The Sindh were able to conquer most of them by the end of the year. Akbar I then consolidated his territorial gains, extracted tribute from his newly conquered cities, and reorganized his army.


 * In the Middle East, David I of Byzantine launched another invasion of the Rum Seljuk lands. The Sultan of the Seljuks was unprepared, and his forces were disorganized and scattered. David conquered most of the remaining Rum Seljuk lands, thus effectively regaining the bulk of Anatolia. David I then issued a proclamation, restricting religious freedom to only Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians. Muslim mosques were trashed, Muslim communties slaughtered, and Muslim priests imprisioned.

1213

 * Genghis I of Mongolia finally conquered the last territories of the Jin Dynasty, thus bringing the Five Years' War to an end. This battle had cost the lives of 150,000 Mongol soldiers, and 100,000 Chinese soldiers. From now on, until the end of his reign, Genghis I was a much more peaceful ruler. He turned his attention to domestic affairs. Genghis I consolidated his new gains, implemented Mongolia's first written law code, and fostered domestic trade. The khan encouraged the development of villages, established a clarified taxtation system, constructed a series of military fortifications on the borders, and ordered the compliation of all the khanate's laws and legal codes. Genghis I also signed a non-agression treaty with the Song Dynasty of Southern China.


 * David I of Byzantine began construction on his new Imperial Palace in Constanipole. The Emperor spent thousands of Roman denarius on the construction of this Palace, which became the most maginficent in Asia and Eastern Europe. The Palace consisted of 300 rooms, and was built with gold and sliver. The Emperor commissioned the best bricklayers and architects around at the time.


 * Ivan I of Russia launched an invasion of the Republic of Novograd. His forces were bogged down quickly, facing extremely professional Novograd armies. The Novogradian-Russian War would last for the next ten years. Ivan I, in the meantime, would focus on domestic affairs.

1215

 * Genghis I of Mongolia instigated his last reforms and state actions. The khan issued a offical proclamation, in which Mongolia would pass on to his son, Odgei, after his death. Genghis I also decreed the Protection of Women, in which they had official rights of marriage, property, and education. The khan also began construction on a formal capital city, Samrai, that would be completed by his successor.


 * In India, Akbar I of Sindh incoporated the rest of the Hindu States into his Empire. As a result, most of southern and central India was now under Sindh control. Akbar I again reorganized his forces, laying out plans for an invasion of Benghal, one of the last remaining independent states. Benghal was also extremely prosperous. He also planned on invading and annexing large parts of the Ghurid Sultanate.


 * In Europe, the Kingdom of Sweden began strengthening in power. The Kingdom built up an highly-professional army of 12,000 archers, 15,000 infantry, and 15,000 horsemen. Stockholm, Sweden's main port and capital, began trading with the ports of Western Europe and the Holy Roman Empire. Stockholm became immensely wealthy as a result. The king of Sweden also established the University of Stockholm, established a Advisory Council, and encouraged further regional development. Sweden began plans for invading the dis-organized Sami and Finnish tribes.


 * In the Novogradian-Russian War, a stalemate ensued along the border. Russian and Novogradian forces clashed in minor border skrmishes, and worked feverishly to prevent the other side from entering it's territory. This stalemate would last until 1219.


 * Farther south, David I of Byzantine invaded the Kingdom of Serbia. Serbia was allied to Hungary, which itself had an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire. Thus the Balkans War (1215-1230), would begin, with great losses for both sides. David I was unable to make any gains in the first year. In the meantime, the Emperor annexed the remainder of the Rum Seljuk shadom, which by then had become a Byzantine protectorate. The Emperor also incoporated the kingdom of Turkish Armenia. Thus all of Anatolia was again under Byzantine control.

1216

 * Genghis I of Mongolia catches a illiness, which is unknown at the time. The khan dies on 16 August 1216, in the Mongolian camps near the construction site of Samrai. He was hailed as Genghis the Great for unifying Mongolia and expanding her territory. The khan was buried with great pomp near the Mongol Cemeteries. He was succeeded by his son, Prince Odgei, who became the new Supreme Khan.


 * Akbar I of Sindh launched an invasion of Benghal, using 50,000 troops and 50 elephants. The Bengali, with only 30,000 troops and 5 elephants, were extremely outnumbered. The Emperor incoporated their territory into his Empire by the end of the year. Akbar I then assembled a force of 300,000 infantry, 15,000 horsemen, and 150 elephants for an invasion of the Ghurid Sultanate.


 * David I of Byzantine suffered the greatest defeat in his entire reign at the Battle of Belegrade. The Emperor's forces were temporarily thrown out of Serbian territory. David I reassembled his troops and revitalized his strategy. Minor skrmishes and border actions occured between some of both sides' army groups.


 * King Carl I of Sweden launched a invasion of the Sami and Finnish tribes. The professional Swedish forces surged ahead, overunning the disorganized tribal nomads. By the end of the year, the chieftains of the Sami and Finnish had become vassals of Carl I, and their tribes were incoporated into Sweden as autonomous grand duchies.

1219



 * Akbar I of Sindh finally launched a invasion of the Ghurid Sultanate. Despite his previous enemies, however, the Ghurid are a much more formiable opponent. The Ghurid-Sindh Wars would last until 1230. In the meantime, the Emperor encouraged Sindh trade with the nations of the Middle East and Eastern Europe.


 * The Crusades in the Middle East gained full-force once more. France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire wanted to expand their holdings, in order to eventually counter and halt the increasing Byzantine expansion. Much land was captured by the Crusaders, lead by Philip the Magnificent, a noble from France. Even the Holy City fell into their hands. The Kingdom of Judea was established to comprise all these territories, and Philip the Magnificent became Philip I of Judea. Shortly after, Judea gained full independence and made peace with the Ayyubid Sultanate.


 * Ivan I of Russia launched a major offensive into the Republic of Novograd. Due to years of organization and prepration, the Russian forces advanced considerably, taking land up to the Artic coast. Russia thus gained access to the Artic Ocean.

1220



 * Sweden invaded western Novograd, seizing Ingria, the lands on the Neva, and Novogradian Karkelia. The Swedes then signed the Treaty of Stockholm, forcing the Novogradians to recognize their gains. Ivan I of Russia is angered, meaning he can no longer gain access to the Baltic without risking war with Sweden, a state more powerful then Russia. So the king recognized the treaty, and launched a final offensive into the remaining Novograd.


 * David I of Byzantine began construction on a series of forts along the border with Serbia, in order to deter any enemy raids. The Emperor would be more careful in his next invasion of Serbia, and just wanted to make sure his own country was safe from attack.


 * Odgei I of Mongolia reorganized the Khanate of Mongolia into the Empire of Mongolia, with himself as absolute Emperor for life. The khan committed this action because he believed Mongolia could be considered an empire. Odgei's imperial title is recognized by the Song Dynasty of Southern China, the Khans of Kara Khitai, and the High King of the Tibetian States.

1223

 * The Novogradian-Russian War finally came to an end, when Ivan I of Russia captured the remaining territory of Novograd. He released his rage onto the Novogradian population. Novogradian towns and villages were burned, farms ransacked, and the civilian population slaughtered or imprisioned. Ivan I also executed all the leaders of the Novogradian government, after their surrender. He became known as Ivan the Terrible to the people of Novograd, but was hailed as Ivan the Great by the rest of Russia.


 * The kings of Denmark and Norway die, and King Carl I of Sweden, related directly to the dead Danish and Norwegian monarchs, becomes King of Denmark and Norway. Nationalism amongst the Nordic peoples is high, and Norway, Denmark, and Sweden combine to form the Kingdom of Great Nordia. This kingdom will eventually become a great rival of Russia.


 * David I of Byzantine modifies his invasion plans to include Hungary. David I pledges that his Empire will reach borders with that of the Holy Roman Empire, which the Byzantines thought didn't deserve it's title. David I's decision will have a major impact on the Balkans region, and on Southern Europe.

1225

 * David I of Byzantine launched a second invasion of Serbia. This time, his forces were much more prepared and caucious. They made sure to use the best tactics possible. Through swift manuevers and powerful ramming actions, Belegrade was captured by the Byzantine forces. They were checked, however, at the border of Serbia with Hungary by a combined Hungarian-Holy Roman force. A stalemate ensued again that would last until 1227, but Serbia was still in Byzantine hands.


 * Akbar I of Sindh finally made major gains in the territory of the Ghurid Sultanate, splitting their empire in half. The Sultan of the Ghurids refused to surrender, however. He reassembled his forces and unsucessfully attempted to lure the Sindhs into a trap.


 * Odgei I of Mongolia invaded and quickly annexed the kingdom of Koryo (Korea), thus continuing Genghis Khan's tradition of invading and annexing neighboring states without reason. Southern China, having it's own ambitions in Korea, was angered, but did not risk war. Odgei I also sent settlers to the island of Sakhalin, effectively annexing it.

1227



 * Grand Nordia, wanting to exert more influence, incoporated the territories of the Estonians and Latvians as semi-autonomous provinces. Poland and Lithuania, alarmed by the Nordian actions, sign a political and military union, becoming the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth soon incoporated Prussia as a internal grand duchy.


 * David I of Byzantine invaded Hungary. He made some gains in the borderlands, but his forces then lulled and settled down, fortifying and reorganizing. Holy Roman and Hungarian forces did not react, due to ongoing political disputes within the Holy Roman Empire.


 * Akbar I of Sindh captured the remaining western territories of the Ghurid Sultanate. Unlike other monarchs, such as Ivan I of Russia, Emperor Ackbar is relatively benovelent and fair to the conquered civilian population. He prohibits looting, ransacking, or criminal activites by his forces, distruibites food to the starving civilians, and limits tribute on the leaders of the conquered towns.


 * Odgei I of Mongolia orders the construction of a naval fleet, in order for the Mongols to invade Japan. Odgei makes sure to hire Chinese military experts in order to aid in the construction of his warships. The Mongolian Emperor is determined to expand his powerful empire even further.