History of Zhenia

The history of Zhenia covers the historical relations between the world what is modern-day Zhenia and adjoining entities, characterized by broad interactions with both continental and maritime powers both close and distant.

The origins of Zhenia as a distinct entity after prehistory can be tracked down to well before the advent of the Zhen dynasty, when the primordial Liang dynasty existed in the Taimir River basin, although evidence hinting to the existence of Neolithic civilizations have also been observed near the Weisu and Chang rivers. As the first state in Zhenian history, the Liang dynasty presided over the northern parts of the Taimir River basin, a region often regarded as a, as clarified by numerous historical texts dating back to the Zhen dynasty. The demise of the Liang dynasty around 1000 BC was met with the Era of Great Divide, characterized by the rise of several feudal warlord states across the mainland and the Danguk Peninsula, although only eight of such entities survived by 1000 BC. Amid the flourishing of early Zhenian culture, philosophy and language, the Era of Great Divide saw entities across modern-day Zhenia compete for domination of the Taimir Basin and mainland Zhenia.

In 732 BC, the Kingdom of Zhen, originating from the northern parts of the Danguk Peninsula, conquered and unified much of mainland Zhenia and established the Zhen dynasty. led by Shen Lien, led a series of conquests throughout mainland Zhenia, as well as southeastern Tarsis, to end the Era of Great Divide and unify all of Zhenia for the first time in its history. As the first entity to have fully unified much of modern-day Zhenia, the Zhen dynasty, as well as successive dynasties in both the mainland and the Danguk Peninsula, developed systems to efficiently exert centralized power over its domain, a trend that continued for several centuries. The Zhen dynasty grew into one of the largest empires of the ancient world alongside the Elyrian Empire in Azora, being a leading political and cultural center until its decline in the 6th century; it, however, left lasting influences in Zhenian language, literature, culture and philosophy still felt to this day.

Throughout much of the following the demise of the Zhen dynasty, most of mainland Zhenia saw an era of division and continuous conflict among smaller states that came to replace the Zhen, during an era known as the Hundred States Era, while invasions by northern nomadic tribes caused further political unrest; in contrast, the Danguk Peninsula generally saw a period of alternating but unified dynasties, although it continuously interacted with various states along the Gulf of Danguk and the mainland. While most of mainland Zhenia remained largely feudal until the Zhenian enlightenment in the 14th century AC, numerous kingdoms and city-states along the Gulf and in the Danguk Peninsula began to prosper with maritime and overland trade, their economic activity laid the fundamentals of modern. Under such grounds, Shindanese explorers and smaller states along the Gulf led several maritime expeditions beyond Zhenia and across the Hanmaric Ocean, ushering in an era of colonization and settlement in Hanmaric islands and Veharia and opening the and expansion. Entities around the Gulf of Danguk reached their zenith of prosperity in the 12th and 13th centuries, although further political unrest and invasion from the north resulted in a period of brief decline.

By the early 14th century, an era of enlightenment and the resurgence of numerous schools of and anthropocentric philosophies brought about the rise of Zhenian nationalism and a period of political upheaval. This resulted in the formation of the Zhang dynasty in the mainland, a unified entity spanning most of continental Zhenia and parts of the Golden Arc, while it spurred the in Shindan amid changes in economic circumstances both in the peninsula and its Veharian possessions. Shindan, having industrialized earlier and more rapidly than the mainland, led a series of wars against the mainland under the leadership of Emperor Seongjo, fully unifying Zhenia for the first time since the demise of the Zhen dynasty and thus establishing the Empire of Zhenia; many survivors of mainland states retreated south to modern-day Yinguo. Zhenia's surge into a world power in the 15th century AC resulted in the advent of the Shinzhen Movement, sparking conflicts against Auroran colonial powers in Tarsis and the Hanmaric Ocean. The empire transitioned into a republic in 1499 following the December Revolution, being one of the first republics in the modern sense of the word in the region. While its victory in the First Great War confirmed its status as a global military power, Zhenian involvement in the Second Great War ended in its military defeat and economic devastation in 1538. While the nation was ruled by a military government from 1545 to 1569 as a result of the Coup of 1545, it was democratized as a result of the November Revolution in 1569, resulting in the end of the Third Republic. During the later half of the 16th century AC, Zhenia enjoyed a period of economic resurgence and prosperity after the war, rising to become a highly to this day.

Paleolithic
The earliest signs of  in Zhenia, based on archaeological discoveries of tools using the Paleolithic technique as well as signs of fire usage, have been confirmed in the 15th and 16th centuries AC to be at least 900,000 years old in continental Zhenia and 700,000 years old in the Danguk Peninsula. The earliest signs of human civilization date back to at least 70,000 years in continental Zhenia and over 55,000 years in the Danguk Peninsula, with the latter supported by the discovery of modern human teeth fossils and cave drawings at Inbon Cave dating back to roughly the same period. Archaeological evidence has supported the flourishing of Paleolithic civilization in the more mountainous parts of central Zhenia and the Danguk Peninsula around the time period, although older remains dating back to 120,000-90,000 years ago have challenged the previous estimate regarding both the origin and duration of Paleolithic Zhenian civilization.

Neolithic
The age proliferated across Zhenia around 10,000-9,000 years ago, although parts of the Weisu, Taimir and Chang basin saw the advent of agriculture involving domesticated crops around 12,000 years ago. Remains of ground domesticated millet and rice, radiocarbon-dated to over 8,000 years ago, have been discovered along the Taimir River basin, hinting towards the wide proliferation of domesticated crops and agricultural techniques around the region by then.

Era of Great Divide
The power vacuum in the Golden Arc and the Taimir River basin, following the collapse of the Liang, was quickly filled by a mix of Wei states, former Liang tributaries and states established by northern tribes all coexisting in the region. Each of these states, claiming themselves as the legitimate successor of the now-defunct Liang, fought one another seeking domination of the Taimir basin and the Gulf, in an era known as the Era of Great Divide. Formerly feudal lords and the Liang's royal relatives under the Liang's feudal system, each of the respective states during the era consolidate their own hereditary monarchies - it has been estimated that the suffix '-gong', previously meaning 'king' but referring to 'lord' in modern contexts, has ceased t be used to refer to feudal lords around the era, in the favor of the suffix '-wang' (Zhenian: 왕/王, literally 'king'), a term that was almost exclusively used for Liang monarchs. For this reason, states during the era are commonly referred to as kingdoms rather than mere states.

While dozens of states existed throughout the Taimir basin and the Golden Arc region in the early stages of the era, nine of the most prominent states survived by the 10th century BC. It was also around the rise of nine prominent states from the Era of Great Divide that the Dan dynasty, situated on the western Danguk Peninsula, began to interfere considerably in mainland politics, after having unified the western coasts of the Peninsula.

The era of continuous conflict and strife resulted in kingdoms and feudal states seeking ideologies that would help in ruling and leading their states to victory. As a result, dozens of schools of thought, each proposing numerous ways to bolster national prosperity and military strength, sprung up throughout the era, later becoming known as the Thousand Schools of Philosophy. With some schools of thought attracting thousands of followers at a time, they played a prominent role in shaping the way states functioned at the time, with the ultimate goal of empowering their states in an era of strife and warfare. The existence of the Thousand Schools of Philosophy left lasting impacts in Zhenian philosophical history, with many ideas, successful or not, providing inspirations for future philosophical movements and discussions. and collectivism in particular, two of the defining ideologies of Zhenian history, emerged from some of the schools of thought during this era. Parallel to the Thousand Schools of Philosophy, many Wuist religious texts draw inspiration from the events during the Era of Great Divide, with many of the teachings of Mushin-gong serving as the fundamentals of Wuist creeds and practices later organized by the Jinshan-gong.

In addition to ideological and philosophical development, the era also saw significant progresses in culture, mathematics and science. The Liang annals, the oldest surviving historical texts in Zhenian history as well as the first text describing the existence and history of the preceding Liang dynasty, was written during the Era of Great Divide, specifically during the later days of the Kingdom of Zhen to bolster its claim over the legitimacy of succeeding the Liang. Several surviving texts from the era suggest the consolidation of the Zhenian Seomun script across continental Zhenia, although in different forms roughly corresponding to the borders of the nine prominent states, while the Gojinga, the oldest in Zhenian history to date, is said to have been written in the same era. With the help of systematic sponsoring by the nine prominent states during the later stages of the epoch, a number of emerged throughout the region, making numerous scientific and mathematical contributions that survive to this day, including the first estimation of  in Zhenian history.

Zhen dynasty
The Zhen dynasty as an unified entity was founded in 742 BC with the declaration of imperial status by Shen Lien, following the end of the Era of Great Divide via the unification of the Danguk Peninsula as well as continental Zhenia under the Kingdom of Zhen. Regarded as the first golden age in Zhenian history, the era of prosperity and political stability during the Zhen dynasty laid the foundation of almost all successor states that, despite several centuries of division, would mostly carry on the political system centered around a centralized imperial bureaucracy. The Zhen dynasty also left lasting cultural accomplishments in various fields that are still seen in Zhenia today, including nationally standardized measurement systems and currency, as well as the fundamentals of standard Zhenian, the completion of the Seomun script, the consolidation of Wuist beliefs as the dominant religion family in Zhenia, among other accomplishments in language, religion, art, science and culture. Compared to its predecessors, the Zhen dynasty made unprecedented progress in culture and science, many of which have survived onto later dynasties and formed the fundamentals of Zhenia today.

Numerous successive Zhen emperors, including Emperor Taejong, led several military campaigns against the south, east and west to expand the dynasty's domain from a nation merely spanning the Taimir River basin and the Golden Arc region into an empire stretching from the North Zhenian Sea to the Chang River. Emperors like the ambitious Emperor Myeongjong, however, went a step further and led northern military expeditions against northern nomadic tribes and stabilized what is now northern Zhenia. The Zhen dynasty reached its first zenith from around 550 BC to 350 BC, in an era also referred to as the 'Golden Epoch'. It was during the 'Golden Epoch' that formalized imperial institutions studying legalism and Sanfengism as the nation's primary ruling ideologies, as well as the national civil service examination system, was established, while the border between, Sanfengism and pre-existent religions, particularly Wuist religions, were also clarified: legalism would remain as the dynasty's primary ruling ideology alongside Sanfengism, while most religions, including Wuism, would be separated from the day-to-day operations of the nation but would remain as a means to rule the empire. The border between the nation's ruling ideologies and religions would remain more or less the same in continental Zhenia for the centuries to come, lasting within successor states as well.

The 'Golden Epoch' ended with a series of famines in central Zhenia, followed by a series of invasions by the Yemeg Yan in the 3rd century BC. As imperial authority declined after the death of Emperor Munjong and the subsequent empowerment of, the dynasty was further destabilized with peasant rebellions. After an era known as the Epoch of Turbulence throughout the 3rd century BC, order under the centralized imperial government was reinstated by Emperor Guangzhong. Under Emperor Guangzhong's rule, the Zhen dynasty entered a new era of political stability and cultural prosperity. It was during Guangzhong's rule that the overland routes of the, connecting the Zhen dynasty and the Elyrian Empire to the west in Azora, were established over central Tarsis. Further conquests by Chao Ling and Jin Suchang in the late 2nd and 1st centuries BC solidified Zhen influence across the southern branch of the Cheonsan Mountains and stabilized overland trade routes connecting the dynasty to the west.

By the first century AC, however, the Zhen dynasty saw its decline amid power conflicts and feuding between and  in the imperial court, as well as revolts and famines. With the empire's military receiving less attention and oversight from the imperial government, many military leaders in the border regions grew to become autonomous warlords, no longer loyal to the imperial throne. Some empowered military leaders aimed for the throne themselves in a cycle of civil war among themselves, resulting in the Era of Military Emperors. The era, characterized with the decentralization of the empire as well as its financial crisis, increased taxation burden against peasants and commoners, and peasant rebellions coupled with record famines, resulted in the overall breakdown of the empire's centralized administrative system by 100 AC, with most of continental Zhenia no longer within the direct control of the imperial government. Further political unrest in continental Zhenia, as well as invasions from the north and the predominance of a handful of states where the Zhen government no longer functioned, further shook the Zhen's imperial power at its roots. The Zhen dynasty fell with the execution of Emperor Sangjo in 104 AC, when the Siege of Jinyang, followed by the Sacking of Jinyang, ended in a Northern Zhae and Kharlin victory.

Medieval history
With the formal collapse of the Zhen dynasty in 104 AC, many of the existing warlords in continental Zhenia, as well as Balakhaat and Kharlin forces from the north, proclaimed formal independence and established kingdoms across the region, ushering in an era of continuous division and warfare in much of central Zhenia.

Zhenian unification
Following the collapse of the Zhang dynasty after the Third Shindan-Zhang War, much of the now-unified territories were reorganized: almost all of its former territories, as well as most of the Geumho Confederation, was reorganized into twelve feudatories, while areas directly-controlled by Shindan expanded to include most of the Golden Arc region. The Feudatories were headed by members of the Shindanese imperial family, at an attempt to restrict the power of surviving local aristocrats and regional warlords in the respective feudatories. All feudatories became part of the primarily Shindan-led Gwangseong Treaty Organization (GTO) following the signing of the Treaty of Gwangseong in 1404 AC. Although many of its core affiliated organizations were headquartered within Shindanese territory and its executives primarily of Shindanese origin, the Gwangseong Treaty Organization, later renamed into the Confederation of Zhenia in 1412 AC, played a key role in promoting industrialization throughout continental Zhenia and maintaining an alliance between Shindan and its feudatories. Adhering to the One Continent, One Empire scheme proposed and promoted by Shindanese statesmen and ideologists, the Confederation issued agricultural reforms and land surveys that became the fundamental of land reforms later in the Empire, while also promoting infrastructure construction that linked the Feudatories to Shindan. It was also the Confederation that abolished the centuries-long class system in all of continental Zhenia and introduced tax reforms resembling those of Shindan.

In northern Zhenia, the Yemeg-Balakhaat Khanate, after its defeat in the Shindanese Northern Expedition, was also reorganized into the Khanate of Uilim in 1409 AC, while surviving Yemeg and Balakhaat factions retreated north of the Baekryong River to spur the Adai independence movement later in the century. Unlike other feudatories, however, the Khanate of Uilim maintained itself under a nominal personal union with Shindan, with the Emperor of Shindan still retaining the title of Khagan, until the southern parts of the Khanate was reorganized into directly-controlled regions under Emperor Taejong. Nominally surviving well into the 15th century AC, the Khanate, under direct supervision from the Empire of Zhenia, primarily carried out further smaller skirmishes against the Adai independence movement and surviving Yemeg and Balakhaat factions well into the late 15th century AC.

Regional warlords and former Zhang military leaders, however, continued armed resistance against Shindanese forces and ultimately the Gwangseong Treaty Organization in western and southern Zhenia. The Treaty Organization, although much of it primarily consisted of Shindanese forces, led several expeditions against surviving Zhang loyalist factions to the west and south, while also launching a series of military campaigns against modern-day Yinguo to the south, where the surviving members of the Zhang imperial family were rallying Wei refugees who migrated south of the Chang River. Later known as the 12-year Frontier Campaign from 1408 to 1420 AC, Confederation Forces brutally repelled surviving militants in most of present-day central, western and southern Zhenia, it failed to conquer the Great Yin, after the loss of hundreds of thousands of Confederation troops. While smaller military campaigns and skirmishes continued well into the 1420s, the Confederation and the Great Yin signed the Treaty of Zhuhae in 1425 AC, which included an indefinite armistice between the two nations with the Ganjian River as the demarcation line. After the Treaty of Zhuhae, the Confederation focused on promoting Confederation-wide infrastructure and industrialization projects, while the Rebellion of the Five Feudatories took place from 1435 AC in the mainland as a culmination of the power struggle between five of the semi-autonomous feudatories and the remainder of the Confederation, concluding in the Confederation's victory as well as the further centralization of power towards Shindan. Feudatories were abolished entirely with the declaration of the Empire of Zhenia in 1438 AC, as all feudatories reorganized into imperial provinces directly under Shindanese control.

Empire of Zhenia
Following its establishment in 1438, the Empire of Zhenia established a centralized governing system across continental Zhenia. While continuing most of the Confederation's policies upon its establishment, it also issued land reforms throughout most of continental Zhenia, resulting in a series of institutional reforms that allowed for easier transactions of large land estates and, coupled with agricultural policy reforms during the Confederation, the formation of several market-based agricultural co-operatives across the mainland. The Empire justified imperial rule via the Shinzhen Doctrine, an elaboration of the One Continent, One Empire scheme that further elevated Zhenia's status as the sole leading power in the Tarsis-Hanmaric region and denounced the existence of defying powers, specifically Yinguo, within its sphere of influence. Many of the conciliatory policies aimed towards former feudatories in continental Zhenia, including a merit-based scholarship system geared towards prospective talents of mainland origin, were maintained throughout the Empire to suppress dissent and separatist movements in the region, while hard-line policies to assimilate the mainland Wei and other ethnic groups into the rest of the Empire, including the suppression of the use of within the empire, was enforced at the same time. Many of such policies were implemented by Emperor Saejo, the successor of Emperor Seongjo.

Coupled with the empire's land reforms and the construction of infrastructure initiated by the Confederation, industrialization in continental Zhenia was also in full swing. Under the direction of the imperial government, a nationwide railroad network was built across continental Zhenia primarily by private hands, while the influx of capital from industrial aristocrats and merchant conglomerates allowed for exponential growth of the textile industry as well as other surrounding industries. Large-scale heavy industry, including steel mills and large-scale ironclad shipbuilding, were also pushed forth by private hands but were overseen by the government with the designation of dedicated industrial parks across the Golden Arc region. Coupled with surplus production in the nation's agricultural co-operatives, significant rural-urban migrations as well as migration from west to east, from the rural continental Zhenia to the more industrialized Golden Arc and Danguk Peninsula region, were observed. The later half of the 15th century saw the rapid growth of the Zhenian industry, signaling Zhenia's entry into the world as an industrial world leader.

Political and social changes
Exponential industrialization throughout Zhenia, as well as several political movements outside the nation, resulted in significant political changes in the Empire. Amid increasing calls for a "system with power to the people" by the Freedom and Democracy Organization, the Imperial Parliament was established as the empire's primary legislature in 1479: while most power still remained with the Emperor, the Parliament, almost entirely consisting of directly-elected representatives from across the nation, served its purpose of keeping imperial power at bay.

First Zhenian Republic
Under the leadership of Amasar Ren, Zhenia transitioned fully into a republic. Aside from adopting Renist ideology as the ruling ideology of the First Republic as well as expanding the democratic political system throughout the nation as a whole, the Republic followed many of the policies in place during the Empire.

Third Zhenian Republic
On February 13, 1545 AC, the Coup of 1545 resulted in the overthrowing of the Choi Yoondeok regime by a group of former military leaders led by Kim Shimin and the Front of National Salvation. At an attempt to stamp out resistance against the coup and consolidate his rule over the republic, Kim Shimin indoctrinated the National Security Act, while was activated under the administrative orders of the National Reconstruction Council. Winning the Chancellor elections against incumbent Choi Yoondeok on March 1, 1545 AC, Kim Shimin was elected Chancellor, while the Nationalist Party, much of which now consisted of former Zhenian leaders and those affiliated with the coup, also won the general elections held on the same day on a landslide and controlled both the Sangseowon and the National Assembly.