History of Yi

The area now known as Yi was originally inhabited by various tribes of which the Rei or Reija in the east and Nggaktsen in the west were allegedly the most prominent, based on the scarse written records that emerge as of approximately 100 CE. Increasing rivalry between the Reija and the Nggaktsen about the available natural sources lead to the first state-like entities, which were centred around wooden fortifications, the first ‘cities’, which are now lost.

Contact with Xiaodong is possible, although the Yi area was initially too far/too unpleasant/etc to conquer.

200-588 CE

The Kingdoms of Rei and Nggaktsen emerge and feudal systems are introduced, likely influenced by Xiaodong. Several smaller tribes flock around them, choosing and regularly switching sides. Some of them are incorporated into the kingdoms and integrated in the feudal hierarchy. Others manage to gain power; the Kingdom of Raaven steadily grows until it convinces neighbouring tribes that are part of Nggaktsen to switch allegiance. The Nggaktsen king is backstabbed (literally as it seems, although historical records give conflicting information) and after several years of internal wars, the Nggaktsen Kingdom falls in 588 CE; Raaven annexes a large part whereas the remaining lands find themselves without king and either merge with some of the other remaining lands to form new kingdoms, join the Kingdom of Rei, or stay on their own.

588 – 934 CE

Despite the balance of power tilting in favour of Raaven, the Kingdom of Rei remains the most powerful kingdom in the area. Its influence reaches to all of the kingdoms, although there is an increasing cultural influence from Xiaodong as well. The 7th and the first half of the 8th centuries are Golden Era of Rei with a strong cultural development. In this era the Öürü (Wiji) script, which was developed three centuries earlier already, was introduced in the entire area.

In 861 the Rei King [name] dies while on a routine visit to one of the outermost provinces of the kingdom. His successor is impopular and incompetent and after three years prominent nobles try to oust him and put his younger brother on the throne instead. The attempt fails and the king’s younger brother is killed in the process. The king tries to have the traitors killed but fails as well. Instead of engaging in any further confrontations the nobility chooses the town of Aatassyr (the present-day capital Ŭtasiĭ) as their new base and start a policy of ignoring the king and forming a shadow-government to counter any damage done by the king. When the king dies a natural death in 877, nobility makes use of the opportunity, kill the designated new king (an adopted son of the previous king) and appoint from their midst the Duke of Siaidzukh as new king.

Power hunger causes conflict however and in 885 the 39 year War of Four starts, a civil war between the four most prominent noble families. In 924, the war is ended by a fifth party, the brother of the King of Raaven, who assembles the most powerful army the area has ever seen and defeats the four warring parties. Instead of annexing Rei for his brother however, this prince of Raaven declares himself King of Rei and within ten years subjugates his brother and the other kingdoms in the area. In 934 he declares himself High King of Rei. The meaning of Rei (which later develops into Yi) therefore shifts to encompass the entire area and not only the Kingdom of Rei itself – which is divided into nine parts that don’t match any of the previous borders; new Dukes are appointed to head these parts.

934 – 1415 CE

The High King installs a governmental system that sees a High King governing the entire realm; he is elected for life from amidst the monarchs of the various parts of the realms (leaders of the free cities that slowly start to emerge are uneligible). In practice it is often the King of Raaven who serves as High King. In the early 14th century, there are a few High Kings who originated from minor but rich duchies who were able to bribe a majority of the electors. The fact that the Kings of Raaven remained unelected caused some controversy, which weakened the position of the High Kings.

(To be elaborated) Possibly de facto Xiaodong rule from 1332 to 1415, which slowly declines until it is ended after the fall of the Tao Dynasty?

During this era, buddhism gradually replaces the polytheist/nature religion.

1415 – 1600 CE

Restoration of the High Kingdom with the ascension of the Elder Duke of Jiacian (Ziaguin) as High King (1415 – 1458). Under his rule, the Elder Duchy of Jiacian gains prominence and eventually the Elder Dukes are de facto elected as High Kings by default and establish an absolute rule. The early Jiacian High Kings have to deal with religious wars that threaten to tear apart the country, as the arrival of Christianity poses a serious competitor for buddhist and other religions in the realm. The wars end in 1600 with the Decree of Ciiūwahĕ, which effectively makes Christianity illegal and establishes a local buddhist doctrine as the Only Truth (the doctrine is called Ciurŭtsĭhyu or ‘Only Truth’ in Yirō).

1600 – 1890 CE

The High Kingdom, although once considered a federation, is in practice a centrally governed country headed by the Jiacian dynasty, which interferes in the succession of the subjugated realms by granting kingship of e.g. Wŭrĕn (Raaven) to less powerful family members and having any serious competitors arrested. The High Kingdom wages war on neighbouring nations, with various success. Euclian powers establish small colonies at the coast? In 1890 High King and Elder Duke of Jiacian Ro Dīsiah dies and his underage grandson is elected as his successor, with his corrupt uncle as High Regent.

1890 – 1935 CE

Despite the fact that Ro Dīsiah's successor as Elder Duke of Jiacian, Ro Hélŭwuo, is only nine years old, the monarchies are convinced by his uncle Duke Ah-Ro Siŭn to elect him anyway. Ah-Ro Siŭn is appointed High Regent until Ro Hélŭwuo will become of age in 1897. Ah-Ro Siŭn appoints a lot of friends to influential positions, including his best friend and suspected lover Köyeyi Bĭn-Jĭtsiuö as Chief Magistrate. In seven years, a large part of the national budget is spent to feasts and other indulgences of the High Regent and the government, although some national feasts were organised as well. The military suffered from this and several monarchies started to protest against the situation. The High King Ro Hélŭwuo was nearing his 16th birthday however, which would mean the end of the High Regent's mandate.

In 1897, Ro Hélŭwuo contracted pneumonia however a few weeks before his birthday and he died of the consequences. He was succeeded as Elder Duke of Jiacian by his younger brother Ro Kūsy, who despite opposition was elected High King, with Ah-Ro Siŭn continuing as regent. Ro Kūsy would have come of age in 1899 but he drowned in a pond only five months after his election. He was succeeded as Elder Duke of Jiacian by his uncle Ah-Ro Siŭn (henceforth known as Ro Siŭn), who was however not elected High King.

The increasing threat of being colonised by Euclean powers convinced some of the monarchies that Yi should take matters in their own hands. Florena, a minor colonial power, was invited to 'colonise' Yi, which in practice meant that Yi would pay the Floren navy to prevent other Euclean powers from invading Yi. The Kings of Florena (Joaquim III, Micolau I, and Gabriel II; known in Yi as Lōyen Xiuekīn, Lōyen Mīkowo, resp. Lōyen Garīye) were invited to be elected as High Kings in exchange for which they would receive an impressive annual allowance.

Not all monarchies agreed to this situation and in December 1897 and January 1898 a short war (known as the Summer War or the War of Compliance) took place to bring these monarchies in line.

In 1927, Floren was invaded by Gaullican forces, an act which dragged Yi along in the Great War. Xiaodong made use of the opportunity and invaded Yi by surprise, occupying several of the western monarchies. As King Gabriel II died during the invasion of Floren, some of the non-occupied monarchies were ready to elect his daughter Isabela as High Queen but with several monarchies occupied by Xiaodong, the legitimacy of such an election is questioned and a period without High King follows, known as the Time of Confusion. The Chief Magistrate Xiie Tiu-Zahaxiĕ used this opportunity to draw power away from the office of High King to the High Royal Council as a prelude to the constitutional changes of 1951.

In 1933 it was decided that an Acting High King would be elected in the person of the 83 year old Overlord of Tiucian, Siiuciú Diödiö. He was succeeded by his son Siiuciú Yōhyí in 1936.

(To be elaborated) After the Great War, the High Kingdom tries to reconquer the lost territories; X year war with the Xiaodongese Republic?

1935 – 1951 CE

Continuing social unequality between the elite and the nobility on one side and common people on the other, fuelled by a large-scale post-war economic recession, causes a series of long protests in the country until the ruling elite is forced to accept a new constitution that will enter into force upon the death of the incumbent High King, Pŭn Siōhuo, which happens in 1951. After the funeral of the last 'old style' High King, the first commoner is elected as the new High King.

1951 – present

Between 1952 and 1957 several important mines suffered from partial collapses, killing dozens of miners and causing substantial blows to the economy of Yi. By 1956 it had emerged that at least one event had not been an accident and further investigation revealed that in many more cases sabotage had been the cause of the collapse. This caused new social unrest that continued to grow for several months and the government in 1959 formally branded the collapses as acts of terrorism. In 1960, sixteen persons who supposedly were responsible for theses acts were arrested, tried, and executed; the trials took place behind closed doors however and transcripts were never made public. Despite the fact that many people considered the trial to be what it probably was - a sham process - the protests grew quiet and order returned to society.

The ruling Party of the Rose took the events however as a means to consolidate their power over society. In the years that followed, more fake processes took place in which persons were tried for braking the law in some form but the exact nature of this as well as the execution of the verdict were done behind closed doors and the transcripts sealed. The national archive grew out to one of the best protected buildings in Yi until a great fire destroyed it entirely in 1993. Seven members of the Party of the Rose were likewise submitted to one of these secret trials; although this took away some of the suspicions that the party was abusing the law to get rid of political opponents, it is suspected that the party members involved had fallen in disgrace.

The number of these secret trials decreased significantly after the leadership of the Party of the Rose unexpectedly failed to be reelected during their annual congress in 1995 after their budget proposal was rejected and a team of young party members presented a much better proposal. The Party of the Rose continues to be the leading force of power in Yi and although democratic elections take place regularly, there are regular reports of irregularities and inconsistencies.

From the 80s and 90s Yi developed into a leading nation in computer and information technology, which caused significant economic growth.