Shindan

Shindan (Seomun: 新檀, Jinmun: 신단), formally the Grand State of Shindan (Seomun: 大新檀國, Jinmun: 대신단국) and alternately the Shindan dynasty, was a historical and  that existed in what is now [[Zhenia, particularly in the Danguk Peninsula and its northeastern seaboard. It existed from 888 to 1438, being reorganized into the Empire of Zhenia alongside other states and feudatories in mainland Zhenia.

Shindan was founded following a revolution by Li Juwon that overthrew Daehwa in 888, intentionally bearing the name 'Shindan' in reverence to the primordial Dan dynasty. Adopting Sambong thought as its core ruling principle under the leadership of political philosopher and statesman Kim Dojin early on, it encouraged the absorption of Sambong thought and ideals to promote political stability and justify royal rule in the Danguk Peninsula. Its rule over the region was further solidified under the rule of subsequent rulers, most notably kings Taejong, Saejo and Munjong. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Shindan became a major player in Veharian colonialism by East Tarsis, as it led a series of expeditions across the Hanmaric Ocean, both establishing several colonial assets throughout the Hanmaric islands and Western Veharia. and linking the dynasty into an extensive global trade network. With colonial expansionism and trade, it had entered what was later known as the Shindanese Golden Age, an era of political, economic and cultural prosperity that lasted well into the 13th century.

It, however, fell into decadence after its defeat in a series of military conflicts with the mainland Zhu dynasty, most notably the Golden Arch Wars in the 1260s, after which it became the Zhu's tributary state and fell into its sphere of influence. Its resurgence and independence came with the rise of Zhenian nationalism and interactions with the western world, followed by a series of reforms under King Jeongjo, which resulted in the transformation of Shindan from a decadent colonial empire into a modernized industrial power. While successfully waging a series of wars against the Zhu dynasty, King Jeongjo proclaimed the imperial title of Taehwang in 1377, an event seen by many as its conversion into an empire. It continued its war effort against the Zhu and ultimately unified modern-day Zhenia through a series of military conflicts in the mainland while leading the Geumho Confederation under Emperor Seongjo's rule. It merged with other states and feudatories in the mainland to form the Empire of Zhenia on June 4, 1438, although Shindan remained the dominant power.

Shindan is considered the direct of the Empire of Zhenia, and thus the direct ancestor to the modern-day Republic of Zhenia. While Shindan as a political entity was discontinued with the December Revolution, it nominally persisted within the Republic until the end of the Second Great War, when the Allied High Command, referring to it as "the symbol of Zhenian imperialism and militarism", abolished it entirely. Much of the legal and political systems were carried on into the unified Empire of Zhenia, forming the basis of the current setup of Zhenia's legal system. It also left a lasting cultural legacy, forming the basis of the cultural identity shared by the Dan people both within and outside Zhenia to this day.