Battle of Sgrem

Battle of Sgrjem-tju (岑州之役, ~ tje-lek)
Part of Columbian War
Figurines of Drjen-era Themiclesian soldiers in armour
Date Jun. 19, 1198 Location approx. 200 km south of modern-day Suursulautuma Result Rajan victory
Belligerents
Rajamaan Yhdysvallat	Themiclesia
Units involved
	West Expedition Army (征西府)
Strength
	86,240
Casualties and losses
	27,320 dead 29,550 injured

The Battle of Sgrjem-tju (Shinasthana 岑州之役, ~ tje-lek) was the final and decisive battle of the Columbian War, fought in several battles over 1196–98, in the interior of Columbia, between Rajan and Themiclesian forces. The battle is thought to be the most devastating, in terms of casualties, to date in western Hemithea. It was fought during daylight hours of Jun. 19th, 1198, during which Rajan and Themiclesian infantry and cavalry clashed. Themiclesia and Rajamaan Yhdysvallat have contested rights over trade routes and the allegiance of native societies for centuries to this point. Since Themiclesia established forts along the routes earlier, it seems to have been more influential in the interior and the east coast, but in consequence of this battle, Rajamaan Yhdysvallat became the dominant power in the politics of Columbia's interior. The scale of the war ironically promoted the belligerent states to establish formal diplomatic missions in each other, in 1201.

Background

Themiclesia and Rajamaan Yhdysvallat both started exploring the Columbian interior during the 4th century. Early attempts were, for the most part, funded and directed privately and without state involvement.

Rajan efforts focused on the opportunity to trade with natives, who lacked metalworking technology. Rajan weapons allowed trading native societies to enjoy a technological edge over non-trading ones; thus, the weapons trade was lucrative. Some Rajan traders also raided the unwary or under-defended. Themiclesian contact with the opposite shore evidently predate that of the Rajans, originating in the pre-dynastic period (to 266 CE). Themiclesian settlers from Menghe learned of trading opportunities and contacts from the Ser-pek-njung (西北戎, lit. "northwest barbarians"), who are culturally linked to the Columbian natives.

The two actors assumed differing methods and pursued contrasting goals in developing Columbian resources. Themiclesia, though indifferent to trade with Columbian natives and deriving some revenue from licensing official trading parties, was fundamentally against settlement in Columbia. In the Sungs Dynasty (421–502), a leading courtier argued that "Themiclesia is a comparatively sparsely-settled state with limited population, which should not be allowed to emigrate in order to strengthen its position" and that "neighbouring states inevitably come into conflict with each other, so it is not good to allow individuals to found a new state opposite the Sea." This policy was inherited by the Rjang Dynasty (502–542) and Mrangs Dynasty (543–752) after it. Nevertheless, Themiclesia did acquiesce to merchants' establishing permanent trading posts in Columbia, since this permitted tax officials to collect revenues there.

During the Mrangs Dynasty, the Themiclesian court sought to affirm its legitimacy as a restoration of the Menghean Meng Dynasty by receiving tributary states, requiring the government to send diplomatic missions to solicit such tributary states. This activity relied on an active and stable trade network. In 752, the newly-established Dzi Dynasty pursued a more disruptive policy on the chain of trading posts in Columbia. First, the tax officials there were augmented with armed forces to enforce order. These units later give rise to the Themiclesian Port Corps, which survive today as naval special forces. Secondly, the predecessor of the Themiclesian Navy, which had been a non-governmental orgazniation under the Mrangs, was annexed to the state in 762. Reformed to serve the state's interest in territory as much as protection of commercial routes and fleets, the Navy was used to establish control in coastal towns. This radically departed from the placement of trading posts on land that was not claimed to avoid conflict, since coastal towns were typically settled; the Navy was used to subjugate these polities.

The Dzi Dynasty's motive for pursuing conquest has been debated. One argument states that the dynasty sought to use conquest, rather than tributary activity, as a legitimating factor. The desire to legitimate in turn is attributed to the fact that the founding emperor of the Dzi acquired power through a less consensual coup d'état than was previously normal, added to the other fact that the deposed dynasty was the exiled Meng Dynasty of Menghe, which had first come to power there in 184 BCE. The Mrangs Dynasty was argued to have lost favour with the Heavens, given the reluctance of native states to bring tribute to Kien-k'ang; this may be indirectly related to early Rajan presence. Though the civil bureaucracy assented to the new dynasty, doubt of its legitimacy still permeated the establishment; unable to procure a large increase in tributary missions, the Dzi emperors may have decided to resort to force, rather than bribery and diplomatic connivery that the Mrangs employed. For about a century, they were successful in instigating "voluntary" tributary missions, even if they appeared in ropes and gags.

Results

Territorial changes in consequence of the battle

Sgrjem-tju was a strategically key position to control, and both belligerents seems aware of this. It sat on a bluff that overlooked River Gong, in which merchant ferried their goods to the Inlet of Asumus and further west to the River Imatra. Another watercourse also led south to modern-day Novnoebiya and the Lake Sacramento. All these access points further enable a traveller to avail of native societies on their banks and vicinity. Losing Sgrjem-tju, Themiclesia could no longer control riverine traffic effectively in the Columbian interior, since most commercial traffic took advantage of the wide, navigable rivers. This dealt a blow to Themiclesia's revenues in transit duties.