Currently in EUIV the province of Palembang, on Sumatra, is uncolonised in 1444 and has no in-game history until the foundation of the Palembang Sultanate in 1550. This should not be the case. Prior to EUIV's time period the city of Palembang was the capital of the Srivijaya Empire, which preceded Majaphit as the dominant power in the Malay Archipelago. While it never again achieved such prominence, the city continued to exist and play a role in regional politics and trade. Presenting it as "uncolonised" in 1444 is simply wrong.
We do not know who ruled the city in 1444 however. I will present an argument for two methods of representing Palembang which could easily be implemented in the game.
Shortly before EUIV's time period, Palembang was ruled by a succession of Chinese adventurers, such as Chen Zuyi, Liang Daoming, and Shi Qin-ching. McRoberts, in 'NOTES ON EVENTS IN PALEMBANG 1389 - 1511 THE EVERLASTING COLONY' has this to say about the succession up to 1424:
“When Ma Huan visited with the expedition of 1413-1415, he reported that Shi had died and his position devolved on his daughter, Shi Er-jie, though the "Ming She" relates that in 1424, Shi Qin-ching's son reported his father's death and was appointed by the Yung-lo emperor to succeed his father. As Mills suggests, the interregnum may cover the son's minority, the daughter acting as a regent: or it may be that the daughter did assume the rule in about 1415, but that she was ousted by the son in about 1424.”
He goes on to say that “thereafter, Palembang is not mentioned in the sources until around 1460.” This affirms our lack of knowledge about who exactly is ruling the city in 1444, but also suggests that Shi Qin-ching's son might still have ruled the city at that time.
The Chinese population of Palembang may not have been restricted to a small elite or a military garrison. Milnon, McKinnon, and Sinar write in 'a Note on Aru and Kota Cina' that:
“In the early fifteenth century one seldom finds Chinese coins used commercially in the region. In Malaccan trade transactions, for instance, ingots of tin were used. In Palembang, however, the situation had changed; Ma Huan reported that for "trading in the markets . . . copper coins of the old country" were the local tender. But the character of Palembang had also changed since the thirteenth century: "Many of the people" there were now "rich and prosperous" Chinese who had "fled" their homeland.”
I think this would be sufficient grounds to make Cantonese the primary (but not province) culture in an independent Palembang in 1444.
McRoberts also introduces a second possibility:
“... it is interesting to note that at some time between 1424 when Shi Qin-ching's son was invested by the Ming as principal chief in Palembang, and 1458, the state of Palembang had become incorporated into Indragiri. No information is recorded as to the nature of the new state, nor of its polity, as there is no record of when the change occurred.”
Indragiri can more or less be equated with what EUIV calls “Siak”. So in game terms, Palembang was annexed by Siak at an unknown date before 1458. It therefore wouldn't be wrong to imagine that this occurred before 1444, and thus have the Palembang province owned by Siak (SAK). As an aside, Siak and all of its provinces should be Hindu/Buddhist in 1444, not Sunni. Earliest date I can find for the conversion to Islam of that part of Sumatra is 1473. The same is true of the province of Palembang. Islam didn't catch on in Palembang until even later than this, because it wasn't prominently involved in the spice trade which attracted Muslim merchants.
In summary, the two historically plausible ways that Palembang could be presented in 1444 are:
1) As a Cantonese-culture monarchy with Shi Ji Sun (son of Shi Qin-ching) as ruler. Palembang's owned province/s would of course remain Sumatran culture. The state religion would probably be Theravada. This option is the most interesting and fun. The province would then be annexed by Siak in 1458.
2) As part of Siak, with a Palembang core and Theravada religion. This option is pretty boring but it at least acknowledges that Palembang wasn't some remote wilderness inhabited only by a few 'primitives'.
My preference would be for option 1. These are my proposed province and country histories for the revised Palembang:
PLB - Palembang
622 - Palembang
In addition, if Palembang becomes an independent nation in 1444 in future patches, it might as well also control some of the surrounding provinces, since the borders of nearby Pasai are so immensely overstated. And if Palembang has Cantonese culture, it should be specifically allowed to form Malaya.
TLDR: Make Palembang an independent Theravada Cantonese nation in 1444.
We do not know who ruled the city in 1444 however. I will present an argument for two methods of representing Palembang which could easily be implemented in the game.
Shortly before EUIV's time period, Palembang was ruled by a succession of Chinese adventurers, such as Chen Zuyi, Liang Daoming, and Shi Qin-ching. McRoberts, in 'NOTES ON EVENTS IN PALEMBANG 1389 - 1511 THE EVERLASTING COLONY' has this to say about the succession up to 1424:
“When Ma Huan visited with the expedition of 1413-1415, he reported that Shi had died and his position devolved on his daughter, Shi Er-jie, though the "Ming She" relates that in 1424, Shi Qin-ching's son reported his father's death and was appointed by the Yung-lo emperor to succeed his father. As Mills suggests, the interregnum may cover the son's minority, the daughter acting as a regent: or it may be that the daughter did assume the rule in about 1415, but that she was ousted by the son in about 1424.”
He goes on to say that “thereafter, Palembang is not mentioned in the sources until around 1460.” This affirms our lack of knowledge about who exactly is ruling the city in 1444, but also suggests that Shi Qin-ching's son might still have ruled the city at that time.
The Chinese population of Palembang may not have been restricted to a small elite or a military garrison. Milnon, McKinnon, and Sinar write in 'a Note on Aru and Kota Cina' that:
“In the early fifteenth century one seldom finds Chinese coins used commercially in the region. In Malaccan trade transactions, for instance, ingots of tin were used. In Palembang, however, the situation had changed; Ma Huan reported that for "trading in the markets . . . copper coins of the old country" were the local tender. But the character of Palembang had also changed since the thirteenth century: "Many of the people" there were now "rich and prosperous" Chinese who had "fled" their homeland.”
I think this would be sufficient grounds to make Cantonese the primary (but not province) culture in an independent Palembang in 1444.
McRoberts also introduces a second possibility:
“... it is interesting to note that at some time between 1424 when Shi Qin-ching's son was invested by the Ming as principal chief in Palembang, and 1458, the state of Palembang had become incorporated into Indragiri. No information is recorded as to the nature of the new state, nor of its polity, as there is no record of when the change occurred.”
Indragiri can more or less be equated with what EUIV calls “Siak”. So in game terms, Palembang was annexed by Siak at an unknown date before 1458. It therefore wouldn't be wrong to imagine that this occurred before 1444, and thus have the Palembang province owned by Siak (SAK). As an aside, Siak and all of its provinces should be Hindu/Buddhist in 1444, not Sunni. Earliest date I can find for the conversion to Islam of that part of Sumatra is 1473. The same is true of the province of Palembang. Islam didn't catch on in Palembang until even later than this, because it wasn't prominently involved in the spice trade which attracted Muslim merchants.
In summary, the two historically plausible ways that Palembang could be presented in 1444 are:
1) As a Cantonese-culture monarchy with Shi Ji Sun (son of Shi Qin-ching) as ruler. Palembang's owned province/s would of course remain Sumatran culture. The state religion would probably be Theravada. This option is the most interesting and fun. The province would then be annexed by Siak in 1458.
2) As part of Siak, with a Palembang core and Theravada religion. This option is pretty boring but it at least acknowledges that Palembang wasn't some remote wilderness inhabited only by a few 'primitives'.
My preference would be for option 1. These are my proposed province and country histories for the revised Palembang:
PLB - Palembang
Code:
government = despotic_monarchy
primary_culture = cantonese
religion = buddhism
technology_group = chinese
capital = 622 # Palembang
add_accepted_culture = sumatran
1399.1.1 = {
add_piety = -0.1
}
1410.1.1 = {
monarch = {
name = "Ji Sun"
dynasty = "Shi"
adm = 3
dip = 3
mil = 3
}
}
# annexed by Siak
# then some sort of hegemonic relationship with Malacca
1550.1.1 = {
primary_culture = sumatran
religion = sunni
monarch = {
name = "Tsalenggathu" # Fictional
dynasty = "Palembang"
adm = 2
dip = 3
mil = 2
}
}
# same as vanilla from here622 - Palembang
Code:
#622 - Palembang
owner = PLB
controller = PLB
add_core = PLB
is_city = yes
culture = sumatran
religion = buddhism
capital = "Palembang"
trade_goods = cloth
hre = no
base_tax = 4 base_production = 4
base_manpower = 2
1405.1.1 = { discovered_by = MNG }
1458.1.1 = {
owner = SAK
controller = SAK
add_core = SAK
}
1509.1.1 = { discovered_by = POR }
1550.1.1 = {
owner = PLB
controller = PLB
trade_goods = spices
religion = sunni
}In addition, if Palembang becomes an independent nation in 1444 in future patches, it might as well also control some of the surrounding provinces, since the borders of nearby Pasai are so immensely overstated. And if Palembang has Cantonese culture, it should be specifically allowed to form Malaya.
TLDR: Make Palembang an independent Theravada Cantonese nation in 1444.
- 5
- 2
Upvote
0