Jade and Silk Wars
Jade and Silk Wars | ||||||||
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A Camrian frigate approaching the Tuchanese coast, prior to the Battle of Tongkew in 1819 | ||||||||
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Belligerents | ||||||||
Camria | Rodavia | File:ShaoFlag.gif Shao dynasty | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
Arthur XIV Gwilim Mendes Emreis Rhedun |
Willem II Louw van de Vorm Lennerd Ulkeman |
File:ShaoFlag.gif Shengkai Emperor File:ShaoFlag.gif Sun Shihong File:ShaoFlag.gif Zhou Mingyu | ||||||
Strength | ||||||||
??? ships ??? men |
??? ships ??? men |
250,000 men
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Casualties and losses | ||||||||
??? ships lost ??? men killed |
??? ships lost ??? men killed | 6000 men killed, 12,000 wounded |
The Jade and Silk Wars were a series of sparsely connected conflicts fought initially between the navies and trade companies of both the Kingdom of Camria and the Kingdom of Rodavia, eventually encompassing local Tuchanese governors and the Sun regency, between 1818 and 1822. The war was primarily fought in Tuchan and the surrounding seas, with both countries aiming to monopolise the trade of jade and silk to Asura, and to open up Tuchan to Asuran colonisation.
Decades of growing enmity between the two kingdoms preceeded the war, with Rodavia and Camria both aiming to increase their trade power across the globe. By the dawn of the 19th century, Camria had solidifed their grasp on Vestrim, while Rodavia had established a firm foothold in southern Catai. The trade of jade and silk, both of which were profitable exports from Tuchan, had remained largely under Tuchanese control despite Asuran attempts to monopolise the trade. The wars began in earnest in the June of 1818, when Camrian and Rodavian trade company forces clashed near Haiho. In response, both governments issued ultimatums, and after a tense week of stalled talks, Camria declared war on Rodavia on June 11th.
The course of the war itself was one of isolated conflicts, and despite the declaration of war, fighting remained largely localised to Tuchan. The Battle of Tongkew in 1819 was the first major battle of the war, and resulted in a Camrian victory; although the Camrian Navy was unable to follow-up on this victory, and the Rodavian Navy gained the upperhand in the subsequant Battle of Shallow Reef. By 1820, the navies again traded blows at Meizhou and Dakui, with the war largely remaining a stalemate. Conflict then spread to the Tuchanese mainland, with the 1821 Battle of Natsir enabling Camria to establish a foothold in mainland Tuchan; Rodavia subsequently entered the land war after the Battle of Khilai. The two armies clashed in the Battle of Aikang, which saw a tactical Rodavian victory. The incumbent Sun Regency, however, entered the war, aiming to remove both armies from Tuchan. This resulted in the Battle of Loukai in 1822, which saw a Tuchanese pyrrhic victory. Following this, Camria and Rodavia signed the Treaty of Ceraloer, which normalised relations between the two and established Tuchan as a neutral territory, while Tuchan and the Asuran powers signed the Treaty of Haiho, which again normalised relations, opened Tuchan up to limited Asuran trade, and granted the territories of Haiho and Nang Mong to Camria and Rodavia respectively.
The wars had a significant impact in Asuran, Tuchanese and world affairs. In Asura, the Treaty of Ceraloer helped warm relations between Rodavia and Camria, building the foundations for Rodavia's entry into the Entente benefique. In Tuchan, the fighting undermined the legitimacy of the Sun Regency, cementing the power of the governors. The Sun Regency would later be overthrown by the short-lived Later Jin Dynasty, ushering in the Winter Period and setting the stage for the rise of the Zhao Dynasty.