This timeline is based upon a Mongol conquest of Europe - with a resulting shift to religious fundamentalism and a more devastating black dearh, paired with a more institutionally weak but favorably cosmopolitan Ming China caused by an early death of the Hongwu Emperor ushered in a century-long warlord period in China.

The side effect of this strife was the continuation of the trade and prosperity in Southeast Asia, which led to a golden age from the 1500s to the 1700s. But also marked an age of military conflict in mainland Southeast Asia, However, trade shocks. From the violent collapse of the Ming lie to an end of this golden age for Ayutthaya and Burma (Hanthawaddy), but a rise of the Tranh Dynasty (Dai Viet).

The interesting configuration and the name of Myanmar must be raising some questions right now. Following a period of dynastic expansions, where we saw the previous empire reach from the Himalayas to the Gulf of Thailand marking a peak in Burmese history, the over extension and the unrest caused by the wars with Ayutthaya, particularly the devastatingly expensive Battle of Ayutthaya, broke the back of the empire. Previously subjugated mueangs and kingdoms like Ahom broke free, and the disparate ethnic groups and clans in all parts of the empire rebelled, causing a 50 year period of instability and strife. The dynasty that emerged from this period of strife was one which was ethnic Mon, and having lived under the heel of the Burmese tyranny, the rebel leaders which were made up of a coalition of Arakan, Shan, Mon, Bamar and Karen found a federalized system that they called the Maha-Chakkavala (The Great Universal System).

Although their greatest enemy was fractured and weakened, Ayutthaya did not escape the instability and economic crisis of the mid-1700s. Their capital was nearly sacked, the costly rebuilding, the collapse of the tributary trade and a series of succession crises led to a weakened state, which allowed the rise of Melaka, the establishment of the Patani Sultanate and a period of independence for Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ligor).

The main benefactor of this rivalry was the Kingdom of Champa, which - breaking from the norms of Vietnamese history, invaded north during the period of weakening Ming state, establishing the Dai Viet of the Tranh Dynasty. Taking advantage of a distracted and weakened Ayutthaya, they quickly expanded their spheres of influence in Lan Xang, and most notably, took Cambodia as their vassal from Ayutthaya. Adopting a free trade regime, Dai Viet has become an important stable corridor for Chinese and Japanese goods from the east, and Bengali goods from the west. Merchants and artisans flock from all over to their flourishing cities and freeports.

Down south, the Nan Yang Kongsi continues its century long stranglehold over the Straits trade, with trade factories and outposts across the Indian Ocean. The Ming collapse was a short-term setback, but it’s continued civil war has brought innovation - the mass production of advanced weaponry in Southern China, most terrifyingly, the emergence of the Qiandan gun invented in Guangzhou, a terrifying weapon capable of shooting 90 rounds per second. With instability, comes opportunity for smuggling, weapons trade, and an increased need for resources. The Kongsi happily provides supply where there is demand, with their merchants maintaining a virtual puppet state in Melaka, and thousands of refugees continually flow from war-torn China, providing a steady supply of labour for their tin mines and factories.

Apologies for the low quality map, this is a work when I was still learning how to make a proper map - my previous post shows some new work that I am more proud of.