While the western Pacific rim might not seem the natural home of Islam or Christianity, they both spread there historically by means of missionaries and the like. In the EU2 period, the most successful example of this was the spread of Islam in Indonesia, where it gradually displaced Hindu, Buddhist and other beliefs. Christians and Musilms also succeeded in attracting many converts in Japan, China, and southeast Asia, particularly the Muslims in Champa and Malacca. We have to consider how this might work in Abe.
One big difference between RL and the Abeverse is India - AFAIK Aberrated India will not be ruled by Muslims. As Islam would historically have come to Indonesia and the like via India, it's unlikely that they'll be many Muslims in the region in 1419. But later on, as the reach of powers like Cordoba and the Caliphate gets greater, so could the level of Muslim influence.
What I'd propose is that the religious situation in the Far East is made more fluid, as various Islamic and Christian sects try to recruit followers. IMO very few countries should convert by default, but many countries should have Christianity or Islam or both as possibilities for conversion. Here are some of the more likely converts, as I see it:
1. the Chinese trader country - From what I've read, this will be the most outward-looking of the Chinese powers. They probably won't have the Muslim Zheng He, as he came from southwestern China, but wherever tey send the explorers, they're likely to encounter many Muslim countries. Later on, Muslim traders would also start to visit China in large numbers.
2. Japan - After centuries of strife, whoever reunites Japan is going to be looking for whatever they can find to cement their authority and stitch the country together. Historically the answer was found in Shinto, but under the right circumstances, the answer could be Christianity or Islam. IRL it was the Catholics who had the most success in converting the Japanese, but in Abe it could be anyone. One scenario would be the establishment of a state-controlled Church of Japan, modelled by Protestant or Orthodox in Abe terms.
3. Indonesia - Well, it's historical for Indonesia to turn Muslim, but it doesn't need to happen in the same way as real history. It's been suggested that Indonesia could be a refuge for the Shias. What could happen is this: long ago, the Shias fled to the islands, and were granted sanctuary by some of the rulers. Their fate after that varies from region to region: in some places they were/are persecuted, in others they were/are tolerated, and in others still they took/will take over the state. By the time Sunni powers arrive on the scene, Shiism is reasonably well-established, though far from universal. The Sunni powers would have to decide whether to try to co-opt the Shias in the name of greater power in the region, or to punish them as heretics, a decision which would largely be informed by their level of innovativeness.
One big difference between RL and the Abeverse is India - AFAIK Aberrated India will not be ruled by Muslims. As Islam would historically have come to Indonesia and the like via India, it's unlikely that they'll be many Muslims in the region in 1419. But later on, as the reach of powers like Cordoba and the Caliphate gets greater, so could the level of Muslim influence.
What I'd propose is that the religious situation in the Far East is made more fluid, as various Islamic and Christian sects try to recruit followers. IMO very few countries should convert by default, but many countries should have Christianity or Islam or both as possibilities for conversion. Here are some of the more likely converts, as I see it:
1. the Chinese trader country - From what I've read, this will be the most outward-looking of the Chinese powers. They probably won't have the Muslim Zheng He, as he came from southwestern China, but wherever tey send the explorers, they're likely to encounter many Muslim countries. Later on, Muslim traders would also start to visit China in large numbers.
2. Japan - After centuries of strife, whoever reunites Japan is going to be looking for whatever they can find to cement their authority and stitch the country together. Historically the answer was found in Shinto, but under the right circumstances, the answer could be Christianity or Islam. IRL it was the Catholics who had the most success in converting the Japanese, but in Abe it could be anyone. One scenario would be the establishment of a state-controlled Church of Japan, modelled by Protestant or Orthodox in Abe terms.
3. Indonesia - Well, it's historical for Indonesia to turn Muslim, but it doesn't need to happen in the same way as real history. It's been suggested that Indonesia could be a refuge for the Shias. What could happen is this: long ago, the Shias fled to the islands, and were granted sanctuary by some of the rulers. Their fate after that varies from region to region: in some places they were/are persecuted, in others they were/are tolerated, and in others still they took/will take over the state. By the time Sunni powers arrive on the scene, Shiism is reasonably well-established, though far from universal. The Sunni powers would have to decide whether to try to co-opt the Shias in the name of greater power in the region, or to punish them as heretics, a decision which would largely be informed by their level of innovativeness.
