My Nepal game is running into the 7th century now, with the Chola dynasty having made some... Miscalculations.
In the 4th century the Nepalese Kingdom had finally overrun the last of the Jains, the Buddhists and the great Western Kingdoms. By the 5th century the Zoroastrians had been expelled from the Indian subcontinent, and as thanks for all the Han's financial help the Nepalese invaded the separatists of Zhou and restored the mandate of heaven to the Han Empire, leading to a resurgent Han which would continue to enjoy uninterrupted ever-increasing prosperity for hundreds of years and still no end in sight. In the 6th century the Nepalese consolidated their fragile Empire, crafting something sturdier and cementing its place as an Empire to stay - butting heads with the Parthians a few time to carve out an Afghan state shaped like an elephant (this was an important detail, can't have a Hindu valley state that isn't shaped like an elephant).
Most importantly, the 6th century also marked a significant change in Nepalese foreign policy from "go away" to "give clay". From the 1st to 5th century the Nepalese dynasty through marriage, war and intrigue had taken over the Indian Subcontinent, but it did not have designs for conquering the world or ambitions to seize land beyond India's mountains. The most significant interactions with the outside world involved defending the Han Empire from insurrectionists or sending pirates or soldiers into the Persian Empire - with the only exception to this rule being the failed attempt to save the Roman Empire from Germanic invaders that ended when the Suez fell to the Saxons.
Then Himyar started a trade war with Nepal. This was not a wise trade war to start. The Nepalese were focused with inland trade in Central India and their coastal trade up for grabs from anyone. Most of this ended up on the silk road in a horrendous three-way between the Arabs, Persians and Mongols. That is until Himyar tried to seize the Indian ocean trade for themselves and alerted Nepal to the fact that the Indian ocean trade had grown over the centuries to be incredibly lucrative. The Ceylon Customs Office promptly secured Aden and vassalized Himyar. Nepal's introduction to Arabia was one of reluctance. There was little profit to be had in protecting the Arab tribes from the powerful Coptic Aksum Empire in the West, the powerful Nabataean Empire or Greek Empire in the North and worst of all - the fuckhueg Parthian Zoroastrian Empire in the East. All Nepal needed was Aden to run naval patrols in the Indian Ocean... That the Arabs wanted to join Nepal did not mean Nepal agreed.
Eventually the Nepalese decided to halt Persian expansion and the rise of angry Nabataeans or Ethiopians in the Indian Ocean by being more proactive. The issue of keeping so many different people together was solved with self rule. Nubia all the way up to the Chalcedons of Palmyra and Saxony was reformed as the Nile government, and Ethiopia and Arabia given to the newly formed Ethiopia to administer to. The people were content with following a powerful Overlord that didn't really care what they were up to; united they even drew more Indian ocean trade to the Red Sea for great prosperity (much to Nepal's annoyance). Very soon the Nile and Ethiopian nations grew to be Empires within an Empire, powerful microcosms of the civilizations around them. Most importantly some Egyptian ports had fallen to Nepal. For the first time in history Nepalese galleys would begin getting churned out in the Meditteranean. By giving all provinces self-rule the Empire expanded through all of East Africa and Arabia with a speed which centuries of Persian conquests had failed to achieve.
With powerful African and Arabian provinces, a 31,000 man strong Inspection and Customs force and 50 war galleys, the time was ripe to finish what Saxony started two centuries ago. Europe was quite peculiar around the time the 30 year war began. The British were invading Normandy, the Gauls creating what looked like France, the Austrians creating a vast Austria through sneaky marriage - Saxony had slipped from its place as the foremost military power of the world; caught up in its European struggles, it had neglected to address the growing threats in the South. The first threat was actually Greece and Palmyra of all things, but then they were struck by Nepal.
The 30 years war lasted over 30 years and ended with Saxony thoroughly, thoroughly broken. Saxony's warriors were superior in all but discipline, but like any other men were just as prone to being starved to death. The Saxons long begged for peace but the Nepalese were relentless. North Africa wasn't enough, Jerusalem not enough, Cyprus, Baleares, Iberia north and south, Italy - all were occupied. The Nepalese even tried staging an invasion of Saxony itself, but although the Nepalese could operate 500 times outside their normal supply routes 5000 seemed too much. The Nepalese war effort was so brutal it attracted controversy back in the colonies and in Nepal herself. The Saxons were defeated, why inflict such punishment on them?
Ultimately it was just a matter of prolonging the war until the Roman civilians rebelled against Nepal. The Romans were handed city by city from Nepal, and did not think returning to Saxony was a smart idea. North Africa and Jerusalem were taken from Saxony racking up a mighty 173 overextension, reduced by 50 when the Nile administration took over half of North Africa. Saxony was never going to pose a threat to North Africa ever again, and the Roman Empire was avenged (and living once more!)
This is not where the miscalculation arose.
By the end of the war, Nile, Ethiopia and Nepal were all governed by three men each named Mahendrasimhamalla. The reign of the three Mahendrasimhamallas was... Eventful.
Nepal did not impose on the colonies' self rule, but that also meant there was no Chola oversight.
Whilst Mahendrasimhamalla Nile and Mahendrasimhamalla Nepal managed over the vast administrational and cultural differences involved in incorporating the Saxon colonies (violent warrior people), Mahendrasimhamalla Ethiopia decided that Mahendrasimhamalla Caliphate was better.
One Mahendrasimhamalla converted to Sunni Islam and brought with him Ethiopia and Arabia. Mahendrasimhamalla Nepal gave Mahendrasimhamalla Caliphate independence over his Caliphate, upon which point he reformed it into a merchant republic based in Mecca, struck alliance with the Nepalese and declared war on the Parthians. Mahendrasimhamalla Nile is currently quite panicked about this state of affairs and Mahendrasimhamalla Doge Caliphate has his diplomats working around the clock to try and keep cordial relationship with Mahendrasimhamalla Nile.
Chalcedonism has successfully supplanted Hellenism/Germanicism/Continental Druidism whilst Arian Christianity filled the gap left by Animists, Slavs and other Germanics. The Coptics over time converted to Hinduism, and the Nestorians converted to Zoroastrianism. Confucianism is nearly extinct (the Han were forcefully converted to Buddhism during their times of trouble) and Islam has converted all of formerly Hinduthopia and Hindurabia. Britain is still druid as they kicked the Romans out before Christianity was introduced and the Germanics never successfully invaded a united Isles. Their invasion of Normandy was successful, but alas the Gauls just stole it off them afterwards - England is isolated with no diplomatic relations and no prodding to convert to Chalcedonism or Arianism. Nile Hinduism is also at risk of being cut off from Nepal Hinduism by the rise of Islam, as Aden remains the precarious Hindu gateway to the Red Sea. North African Chalcedonism will probably become North African Hinduism at some point, cut off from the Greeks and Saxons.
The Indian subcontinent after 7 centuries of Nepali rule still has significant minorities outside the East Aryan culture group. Also through the power of immigration and Romanization (Nepalization?) much of the Arabian peninsula is Nepali. The Caliphate is Nepali!
Han looks like a bean, Korea is two Koreas and a Manchu, Gallia is a big green blob, Austria is terrifying, Parthia redefining what a vertical country means and I'm quite happy with how I was able to make my buffer state of Kushan (Afghanistan) look like an elephant. And nestled between Greece, Persia, Nile and Nepal - is the Caliphate of Mahendrasimahalla #2, formerly Ethiopia
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Topic: Europa Universalis IV (Read 453934 times)