The Castillian Imperialism - (Death and Taxes Mod)

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 193

While exploration of Malian territory was taking place, General Domingo passed away in bed in Alexandria where he was stationed. He had been combating an illness in his later stages of his life until he finally succumbed to it. The general had contributed to the wars in impactful ways and his death was a terrible blow to the Spanish nation. The nation was mourning when the news of the general's death reached all parts of Spain.

On the request of the general, General Domingo was given a funeral in the holy city. He wished to remain close to God who he had been fighting for all his life. This request wasn't too absurd considering the contribution he made to freeing the holy city from the control of the heathens. At the funeral, there were large crowds of Catholics who wished to see the general for the last time before he joined the angels.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 194

Another engagement with savages occurred in Worodugu as the Spanish expeditionary force tread into another province they believed to have belonged to the Malians. This small detour brought the Spanish soldiers in contact with some fierce savages who inflicted fairly high casualties to the Spanish army. The attrition through the wilderness was taking a toll on this expeditionary force.

These new provinces were very harsh and Spanish soldiers were dying from illnesses they had never encountered before. Conquistador Sancho tried his best to remain in Malian provinces but the Malian borders weren't always so clear. In addition, the language barriers sometimes made the treatment of these illnesses ineffective which resulted in more Spanish men dying from illness than the fights with the savages themselves.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 195

The colony in Tuat was growing steadily with the local population alost reaching a thousand people. Once it hit the thousand mark, the colony could be officially a town. This would be one of the first colonies to become a town and there was great excitement since this province had not long ago been the home to savages who understood nothing but violence. The accomplishment of turning the province to a town is one Spanish people should be proud of.

Once the colony became a town, officials would be sent to the province to govern it. Maria I understood that proper governing of these new towns were imperative to the future of them. Tuat was one of the provinces acting as the frontier to the unknown south so it could be the location where future conflicts could occur. Currently, this was the closest province to the Malians and Maria I wanted a base where they could at least observe these backwards people.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Nothing like clearing the land of savages to clear the way for colonization.

 

[sebas379]

The first colonies, hurray! Time to claim the new world before anyone else gets their hands on all that free land.

 

[blklizard]

Nothing like clearing the land of savages to clear the way for colonization.

They aren't exactly productive with the land anyways.

The first colonies, hurray! Time to claim the new world before anyone else gets their hands on all that free land.

Africa is like the old, old world.

Maria I

Chapter 196

More progress was made as the province of Abomey was cleared of savages. There would come a day when the Spanish people would inhabit these lands but, until then, it was better removing these barbaric humans so they couldn't continue infesting the province. Conquistador Sancho was only saddened by the losses of more men in the process but these men died for a great cause which would be recognized in the decades to come.

Having traveled so far from home, the conquistador decided to keep a detailed account of his travels so his legacy would be remembered. He was amazed that, despite how backwards the Malians were, these people still had a civilization in these relatively harsh places. He held no illusion that conflict would arise between Spain and Mali because the heathens must be liberated from their ignorance and be guided by the one true God.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 197

Sancho and his men suddenly found themselves in another African nation. They were under the impression that Mali was the only nation which was basically a confederation in the region. Another African state actually suggested that these Africans, despite their likeness, were actually divided. Sancho wondered if such a division might actually benefit Spain in the long run in expanding into the area.

To continue exploring the region, the expeditionary force needed to travel through this nation's territory. This nation was later known as Songhai which was the best translation Sancho got from speaking with these people. A few bribes helped paved the way and the Spanish soldiers continued marching forward as they tried to get a better picture of the region. From what they gathered thus far, the region was most definitely larger than the Iberian Peninsula.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 198

Conquistador Sancho looked back at the burning village. This was the last village in Wagadugi and, with its destruction, the last of the savages in the province were killed off. The Spanish soldiers once again eliminated the infestation of these backwards savages. They felt accomplished as they truly believed they were marching in the name of God in a crusade that was given to them by God himself.

There was a sense that the Pope in Rome was merely an imposter. Otherwise, he would have known about this region and would have launched a crusade long ago. Instead, the man was living in ignorance while new regions were discovered by the Spanish people, those who were chosen by God himself to bring light to other region. Sancho was destined to lead these men to map out these lands covered in darkness so light could shine upon them in the near future.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 199

The Spanish expeditionary force was amazed when they arrived at the city of Timbuktu. These men had been traveling around with the impression the backwards people were incapable of anything great. The fact they could create civilization was already a feat the savages could never hope to accomplish. Yet, the city of Timbuktu actually defied all expectations and left the Spanish men in awe as they stood at the entrance.

Timbuktu was larger than any European city they knew of and it was a trading hub with goods from all parts of the region. The amount of goods and gold was truly astonishing and even Sancho was speechless. They spent several days in the city where they explored the major streets. The conquistador wrote detailed accounts and had a copy of it sent to Maria I so she could plan for the capture of this magnificent city.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 200

Reluctantly, the Spanish expeditionary force left Timbuktu to return to the untamed wilderness that was a norm in both Mali and Songhai. The city was truly glorious even by their standards and it made the Spanish men believe that the Songhai government must have stolen it for the Almighty. These people couldn't be capable of something like this. Spain would take the city one day as its rightful owner.

Venturing through the untamed wilderness eventually brought them to Azawadd where they engaged more savages. The local climate had deteriorated dramatically with the Spanish expeditionary force suffering more losses due to attrition. By the end of the first battle, the Spanish men numbered fewer than three thousand men. Conquistador Sancho wondered if it was time for them to head home.

As progress were being made in the south, Maria I turned her sights on The Mamluks again. She wanted Egypt and the heathen nation stood in her path to that dream. There was only one way to deal with the heathens so she declared war. The Mamluks had been growing steadily weaker over the years due to their losses of large tracts of territory. Maria I wanted to see the end of this nation's existence so Egypt could be solely Spanish territory.

There were no real threats in this upcoming war. Both Najd and Karaman were weak nations which had originally looked to The Mamluks for protection against their stronger neighbors. With the rapid decline of The Mamluks, these nations had made a poor choice as they were being dragged into conflicts even The Mamluks couldn't possibly win. For the Spanish queen, she knew victory was assured when it was declared.

The Mamluks still had a sizable army but their numbers still paled to what the Spanish nation had garrisoned in the region. Maria I wanted a decisive victory early in the war to deliver a crushing blow to her enemy. Once the armies of The Mamluks were crushed, then all she needed was the occupation of the heathen capital and the peace deal would soon be underway with more Egyptian provinces changing hands.

Due to the instability within the nation, The Mamluks had yet to rebuild her navy following the crushing defeat against the Spanish fleet. The absence of a fleet only put The Mamluks in a worse situation since she had many provinces with coasts to the Mediterranean. Once the blockades were set up, those provinces would fall rather quickly. The only saving grace for the heathen nation was that Cairo wasn't coastal but even that wouldn't save her.

With reliable intelligence on the enemy, General Alfonso of Spain led his army of twenty six thousand men from Delta and marched straight onwards to Cairo where the main army of The Mamluks were gathering. The heathen general, Jaqmaq, was likely under the impression that the Spanish forces were attacking elsewhere which gave the Spanish soldiers the element of surprise as they prepared for a direct attack on the heathen capital.

The seventeen thousand Mamluks soldiers were half a day of travel from the capital when the Spanish soldiers descended upon them. The Spanish soldiers had the high grounds and their much larger cavalry absolutely crushed the heathen army. Casualties were suffered for the Spanish but the losses for their enemy was much higher. This was the deciding battle of the war as the main resistance of the enemy was crushed only days into the war.

Along the way home, conquistador Sancho managed to hire some men into his ranks. These might be backwards men but they were good warriors from what he saw thus far. They might lack the discipline he instilled into his men but they knew how to fight. Their presence meant that he could limit the losses of Spanish soldiers since they were more expendable. The more of them dead, the less he had to pay them.

When the expeditionary force arrived in Taodeni, a large army of savages, estimated to be around six thousand, attacked without any warning. Sancho wisely placed the newly hired men at the front so they took the blunt of the enemy charge. By the conclusion of this battle, almost all of his mercenaries, if he could call them that, were dead while the losses for Spanish soldiers were minimal.

While General Alfonso was laying siege to the heathen capital, General Francisco was assigned to track down a relatively large enemy forces. He received report that eight thousand Mamluks soldiers were spotted in El Arish and they were trying to launch a surprise attack on the holy city. Their intentions weren't clear but the general could hazard a guess on what they tried to achieve in this desperate situation.

With the war all but lost, these heathens were likely wanting to make a statement before their deaths. Following the liberation of Jerusalem, more Catholics were making journeys to the holy city for their pilgrimages seeing a noticeable rise in Catholics in the city. If the heathens could occupy the city, they would no doubt commit massacres on the innocent Catholics who only wished to only speak to God himself.

The eight thousand Mamluks soldiers were slaughtered while General Francisco only lost two hundred men or so. They had prevented these bloodthirsty heathens from committing an atrocity and could split up to occupy Mamluks territory. The war was coming to a close and, the more provinces they could occupy, the sooner the two sides could arrive at the bargaining table so the Mamluks ruler could sign to the treaty Maria I dictated.

The heathen capital soon fell within seven months and the peace treaty was already underway. However, Maria I wasn't in a rush as she needed more intelligence on southern Egypt which was still shrouded in mystery. Until she knew the full extent of the Egyptian region, the Spanish queen was unwilling to negotiate when she still had many uncertainties that could dramatically affect her decisions.

On his way home, conquistador Sancho learned there was one more heathen nation to the east of Songhai. They missed it because the nation was even less developed than Mali and Songhai. The people there usually kept to themselves and it would require pure coincidence for the Spanish expeditionary force to arrive at a city, town or even a village of this nation. Luckily, they were fortunate to have avoided it altogether.

From what he heard, Sancho learned that the nation was called Kanem Bornu according to the translations he got. The nation, if one could call it that, was unfriendly towards foreigners and its people didn't even get along with the Songhai people. One could only imagine their attitude towards Spanish people who were vastly different. With a depleted army, Sancho felt it would be wise to avoid the nation for the time being.

Queen Maria I of Spain was pacing her room when she heard the news. She didn't like it one bit at all given the two nations shared a direct border. While she was busy fighting heathens, the nation of England had been turning her sights on fellow Catholics. The British Isles was basically united under King Edward VI and Maria I had a feeling the man was more ambitious than just that.

The relations between the two nations had been deteriorating slowly and there were tensions between their borders. With the formation of Great Britain, Maria I knew it was a matter of time before this nation began her expanding spree. With a navy far more powerful than what any European nation could field, Great Britain could be a real problem, especially if she consolidated her control in the French region and have a larger border with Spain.

Conquistador Sancho and his men rest in Spanish territory for a few months before they headed out to the south again. The man made a vow that he would continue exploring until his death. He had lost his love to a rich man back home and despised his home ever since. He felt the only purpose in his life was to continue mapping out the unknown for Spain till his last breath.

He, like many men around him, saw this expedition as a secret crusade given to them by God himself. They were on a mission to map out the lands which was lost to God and were infested by savages and heathens. They must continue forward to bring light to these provinces, whether through force or diplomacy, until their dying breath when they would be taken to heaven where they belonged.

 

[sebas379]

Ah, beating up mali and songhai, always fun. I wonder if these heathens have loads of gold^^
Great Britain already, that could get interesting.

 

[blklizard]

Ah, beating up mali and songhai, always fun. I wonder if these heathens have loads of gold^^
Great Britain already, that could get interesting.

I think I'm more interested in their lands, especially the ones with gold.

Maria I

Chapter 201

The war was having an impact on the people living in the Iberian Peninsula. Some of them weren't so keen on participating in the war where they could die from fighting the heathens. These people were less devoted to God and felt that they wouldn't benefit from dying in foreign lands. Maria I gave them an alternative which would allow them to continue serving the mighty Spanish nation.

The new colonies were growing steadily but their rate of growth was too slow for the queen's taste. This was an experiment to speed up the growth and there were expectations of lives lost along the way. The journey to the colonies were long and dangerous and, as expected, only a certain percentage of the total people left Ribatejo arrived at Arguin. Still, these people did technically go on their own will.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 202

The war against The Mamluks had finally concluded. This one-sided conflict certainly worked in favor of Spain and Maria I totally took advantage by taking up to six provinces in the peace deal. The peace deal also forced the Mamluks ruler renouncing his claim on a few key provinces like Alexandria. Maria I wanted the future Mamluks ruler to give up of reclaiming lands which had officially become a part of Spain.

This peace deal had surprisingly brought outrage in the Middle East. The heathen nations must have began to fear Spain if they were finally paying attention. The decline of a nation shouldn't come as a surprise to any heathen nations but the rise of a Catholic nation in the region was finally getting their attention. Maria I could only laugh as these heathen nations were ill-equipped to challenge Spain in Egypt.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 203

Spain had came a long way since she unified the Iberian Peninsula. One single crusade against the heathen nation of Morocco had forever changed the future of the nation. What began as a small conflict eventually led to a massive campaign in North Africa leading to the holy lands. The ancestors of Castille would be proud to see what their descendents accomplished in a few generations.

The Mamluks had lost access to the Mediterranean following the peace deal. This heathen nations was in steady decline and her time was almost over. The only province that was valuable was her capital, Cairo, and even that province wasn't safe. Spanish armies were stationed in various parts of this region to continue maintaining the peace until they were needed for the next war against a heathen nation.

 

[sebas379]

The middle eastern nations only now notice the threat of spain? Under what rock have they been living for the past century or so!
Its a lovely yellow coastline there, very nice indeed. The ottomans dont seem to be doing too well with those little nations in anatolia forming. I guess theyr next on the menu?

 

[blklizard]

The middle eastern nations only now notice the threat of spain? Under what rock have they been living for the past century or so!
Its a lovely yellow coastline there, very nice indeed. The ottomans dont seem to be doing too well with those little nations in anatolia forming. I guess theyr next on the menu?

The Middle Eastern nations were busy with their own conflicts. I don't blame them if they don't notice me. As for the Ottomans, they will eventually be integrated into my empire. Their land is just too tempting.

Maria I

Chapter 204

Conquistador Sancho was growing weary of the battles with the savages. He knew he was on a mission given by God but that didn't hide the fact that these battles were too bloody for his taste. He was losing men to these savages with no apparent gain while more were losing their life during the journey itself. These lands were harsh to begin with and the wildlife were equally dangerous.

At Pindinga, he lost another two hundred Spanish men who would be buried in these lands. There had been far too many unmarked graves in these parts of Africa and the families of these men would never see the corpses ever again. The return to Spain had been a difficult time for the conquistador as he had to deal with grieving families who had just discovered their loved ones were never coming home.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 205

The province of Taodeni had been settled by Spanish colonists. There appeared to be two passages into Western Africa. One was along the coast while the other was a narrow passage through the Sahara desert. Oddly enough, both ways would bring the travelers in contact with the heathen nation of Mali. Mali had expanded in an odd way which allowed her to be the first to come in contact with foreign nations from the north.

This also meant that Mali would be the first to be targeted once Spain began expanding in that region. It was not a matter of if but a question of when. Based on what Sancho learned, the region had a number of gold mines which would interest Maria I and future Spanish rulers very much. A two prong attack would certainly be a possibility with the colonization of Taodeni which, while still harsh, was plausible to send troops through.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 206

While another fight with the savages was raging on, there were some backwards people watching from afar. Sancho might not know it at the time but he was near two backwards civilizations in the region. These two nations were puny compared to Mali, Songhai and even Kanem Bornu but they were different from the savages who showed only hostilities towards the Spanish men.

At this point, the conquistador had discovered most of the West African nations. They were backwards but still civilized based on what other provinces in the region had to offer. The conquistador would also soon learn that he couldn't venture further at this point without antagonizing the heathen nation of Hausa. The nation had drawn out borders which effectively cut him off from Southern Africa.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 207

Getting lost in these parts of Africa was a costly mistake as conquistador soon learned in Yola. He and his men were trying to return to Malian territory but a wrong turn brought them to Yola where they were attacked by nine thousand savages. Being lost for several months and running dangerously low on food and water, the expeditionary team was in trouble of complete annihilation if they couldn't get to safety.

The ambush was what they didn't need and the expeditionary force suffered their first defeat in these parts. Only a thousand men or so managed to survive the engagement with Sancho as they tried to find safety. For the first time in their lives, they were fearing for their lives and some were doubting that God was watching over them. Sancho had to get the situation under control or none of them would live to tell their story back home.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 208

Meanwhile, Maria I and her advisers were having a financial problem which was hurting Spain in a big way. The wars and the army maintenance had been steadily depleting the treasury and it had gotten to the point where a loan must be taken to keep the nation afloat. No one in Spain had expected this development but wars were expensive as the Spanish government was learning the hard way.

The loan had been kept a secret but no none expected this to remain a secret for long. To repay this loan, more funds must be diverted which often came from the taxes of the civilians. Higher taxes would no doubt anger the general populace and no amount of victories abroad could change that. Maria I blamed her advisers' incompetency for this problem as she was certainly doing her part by winning consecutive wars against the heathens.