Samanohuwa

Samanohuwa, officially the Kingdom of Samanohuwa (: Aupuni Mōʻī o Samanohuwa, "Royal State of Samanohuwa") is a  in southern Jungju, located in the Gara archipelago and occupying most of its western third. It borders Kendan to its north, Latog and Nagara Dipa to its northeast, Thrumbo to its east and southeast, Malu'i to its south, and Lhokseumwae to its northwest. It borders the Western Ocean to its south and west, which is referred to as the Samanohuwan Sea in older maps and some regional languages.

Paleoarchaeological evidence indicates that the easternmost island of Lanuinui was settled by between 60,000 and 45,000 BCE, with the rest of the archipelago being colonized by no later than 30,000 BCE. The majority of this initial wave of migration came from the rest of Gara, though a significant amount is believed to have come from the north as well. Subsequent waves of primarily came from the north, but Samanohuwa's population remained disproportionately low by regional standards until the end of the, though some scholars believe it was much higher and evidence thereof simply did not survive the ravages of time. Samanohuwa's population began to increase noticeably around 1500 BCE with immigration largely from Haegye islanders from the Eastern and Southern Oceans, who settled in the south and rapidly spread throughout the entire archipelago.

The chiefdom that would ultimately become Samanohuwa was founded some time in the fifth or fourth century BCE. The exact date is unknown; much of the ancient city of Kaneloa was destroyed in the 6th century CE and written language did not become widespread in Samanohuwa until the middle of the third century BCE. The island of Samanohuwa proper, the centermost of the inner archipelago, was united under Ahuahu by 287 BCE, and by his death he had expanded his chiefdom's territory to most of the smaller surrounding islands and was beginning campaigns to conquer the nearest of the Inner Four to the east, 'Ewa. Further expansion campaigns by later kings would see the entire inner archipelago united by the mid-2nd century CE, by which time Samanohuwa began to be noticed as an existent state by nations beyond southern Jungju. The largely uninhabited atolls and islets to the west were colonized over the next three hundred years, during which time relations with the island nation of Lanuinui began to degrade. This would culminate in a sixteen-year war that resulted in Lanuinui's total (and permanent) annexation by Samanohuwa, and the establishment of 'Aho'eiku on its western shore. Despite numerous periods of instability and expansionism, Samanohuwa's borders have remained largely the same ever since.

Samanohuwa entered a period of semi-stability, where the king ruled in theory but in practice the nobility were often free to do as they wished. In this period, Samanohuwans gained a reputation as raiders and pirates. Samanohuwan sailing ships raided, pillaged, traded, and in some cases settled all over the Western and Southern Oceans, reaching as far as Matobo, though no Samanohuwan settlement ever lasted long as an independent entity. Over time, this evolved into a true trading network, and Samanohuwa began to establish itself as a true regional power. Apart from a short civil war in the 14th century, Samanohuwa remained as such, and maintained its independence even during the ascendancy of Sinju's colonial empires. During this period, a combination of corrupt governance and a multitude of islands made Samanohuwa yet again a hotbed for piracy. This pirate activity culminated in Samanohuwa forcibly being made a protectorate of Fusen on 28 Chirwol 1737, widely considered a major factor in the decline of the Golden Age of Piracy, if not the end of it.

Fusen's control of Samanohuwa is seen as contentious by modern-day Samanohuwans: it brought, , and to the country, along with  as the 19th century wore on. However, Fusen made every attempt to force its culture and societal laws on Samanohuwa, and it freely manipulated Samanohuwa's election system to stuff the country's new parliament with pro-Fusen members. Fusenese control of Samanohuwa began to erode over the latter half of the 19th century. Even as Fusen began to expand its colonial empire elsewhere, Samanohuwa was essentially independent by the 1880s, and officially independent by 1895. Samanohuwa spent the next several decades building up infrastructure, strengthening industry, and modernizing its military, though it was still somewhat unprepared for the Great Eulhae War. Despite this, it emerged from the war with relatively light damage compared to other participants, and benefitted greatly from the economic changes of decolonization.

Modern-day Samanohuwa is a and a, in which the monarch, called the Moa, wields considerably more executive power than the Prime Minister, who is largely a head of state. A rising, the recent discovery of vast deposits in Lanuinui and an increasingly diverse economy are expected to further increase the strength of its economy. The majority of the country consists of hot and humid islands ranging from less than one to hundreds of square kilometers and scrubby savannahs to dense jungles, though Lanuinui's highest peaks are tall enough for snow and even glaciers. in Samanohuwa is among the highest in Tiandi, and the current government has taken major strides to ensure it stays that way. Tourism is a major industry in Samanohuwa, and it is one of the most frequently visited countries in southern Jeongmi. While Samanohuwa's army is relatively small, and it lacks a separate air force entirely, the Royal Samanohuwan Navy is one of the largest of any non-Great Power, and actively participates in Congress of Nations operations, of which Samanohuwa is a founding member.

Etymology
"Samanohuwa" roughly translates to "Land of the Friendly Sharks." The smallest of the Inner Four islands is also named Samanohuwa, and has been referred to as such long before the kingdom that is now the Kingdom of Samanohuwa occupied its entirety. In official documentation, this island is referred to as "The Island of Samanohuwa" or "Samanohuwa Island" to distinguish it from the country; colloquially Samanohuwans usually refer to the island as simply "the Island".

Prehistoric Samanohuwa
The 21st century revealed evidence of inhabitation of Samanohuwa by and  as early as 1 mya and 450,000 BCE, respectively, though there is no evidence either species settled on the islands beyond the northern coasts of Lanuinui. The sites found further indicate that archaic humanity never stayed long; the sites showed little evidence of being used for more than half of the year. did not arrive in Samanohuwa until 60,000 BCE at the earliest and 45,000 BCE at the latest, with the entire archipelago being colonized by no later than 30,000 BCE. No evidence exists of them contacting other human species, let alone reusing their sites, so it is likely that the archipelago had been entirely abandoned. At this time, Samanohuwa was populated by several species of megafauna, including ratites, several species of

These first inhabitants did not penetrate the jungle interiors of Lanuinui or the Inner Four by more than a few dozen kilometers, preferring sites with easy access to the ocean. Little is known about the specifics of their culture, but they are believed to have been similar to other prehistoric Garan cultures. These populations had dark skin, curly hair, and short statures, though genetic evidence points to no greater relation to Mijuan ethnicities than the rest of Gara. These populations are genetically distinct from modern Samanohuwans, but most modern Samanohuwans have some percentage of ancestry from these groups.

The high degree of assimilation among these groups indicate that the "conquest" of Samanohuwa was largely a mythical construction of later, more warlike, Samanohuwan states, and that the actual "Haegye Invasion" was largely peaceful. Indeed, in some cases and areas, it was the indigenous hunter-gatherer groups who assimilated the incoming Haegyeans, not the other way around. Regardless of the exact details, however, the Haegye settlers swiftly reduced the indigenous population to a minority, and pushed farther inland than they ever had, and it is this "invasion" that is considered to mark the end of the prehistoric period of Samanohuwan history.

Ancient Samanohuwa
By around 1000 BCE, Haegye immigration into Samanohuwa began to slow down, for reasons presently unknown. By the start of the Haegye Invasion, the original indigenous population had just begun to use copper, by the end of it, the petty kingdoms and chiefdoms that covered the archipelago had begun to experiment with bronze, especially on Samanohuwa Island and on Lanuinui. The settlement that would become Kaneloa was founded during this period, centered around a tin mine, though it would not become an independent chiefdom until the 340 BCE ±8. Many of these small kingdoms became quite prosperous indeed, trading with each other, the central Gara archipelago, and the Taema Peninsula, from whence the methods to utilize iron ultimately came. Iron weapons came at the same time in the form of two invasion attempts, neither of which were successful in conquering the archipelago. These attempts did result in the unification of Lanuinui, however.

The introduction of iron weapons and iron mining in Samanohuwa brought about a radical shift in the political geography. Kingdoms that had access to iron swiftly began to annex those that did not, either through economic pressure or outright war. Kaneloa, lacking any immediate iron deposits, was nearly destroyed by one such attempt by the larger "kingdom" of Faleu, but in a series of semi-apocryphal battles managed to not only stave off defeat, but seize control of the invaders' iron mines.

Age of Unification
The chief of Kaneloa at the time of its first great victory over Faleu died within the decade, but his plans for further expansion were taken up by his son, Ahuahu I. Under his reign, the entire island of Samanohuwa was united by 287 BCE, at which point he renamed his entire kingdom after the island. The rest of his reign was spent expanding his control to the smaller islands immediately surrounding Samanohuwa Island, and his death put a temporary hold on the conquest of 'Ewa to the immediate east. Neither his son, nor his grandson, would live to see the completion of its conquest, though his grandson, [name TBD], would, and he would live to conquer Kaliua, the island directly to the north.

Pu'uloa, with its many choke points and river crossings, would take the longest of any of the major islands of Samanohuwa to conquer, with its annexation taking nearly three centuries. Only part of this was due to geography - the island nations had maintained good relations with the Kingdom of Samanohuwa all throughout its conquests of the other two inner islands, and the kingdoms therein were powerful, well-armed, and well-trained. The annexation of Pu'uloa was a slow, gradual process, achieved as much via treaty and soft power as by combat and attrition.

Pu'uloa's conquest marked the end of the first main phase of the Age of Unification. The second phase was, compared to the phases that bookended it, bloodless. The Samanohuwan Archipelago includes thousands of islands and islets, some less than a kilometer long, and many did not - and still do not - have so much as a hut, let alone a village. Most that did accepted the rule of the Kingdom of Samanohuwa with little open complaint, and on the kingdom's part, most were too small and remote to be worth substantial interference besides the usual deference to their new monarch. It was during this period that Samanohuwa came to begin trading, to a limited degree, with the wider world beyond its immediate surroundings - there is evidence that both Samanohuwa and Lanuinui traded, mostly indirectly, with Cheonje and Seogwan starting in this period.

This second phase was the longest of the three phases of the Age of Unification, and some of the earliest Samanohuwan epics either come from or are set in this period. It was immediately followed by the conquest of Lanuinui. Up until this point, Lanuinui had developed independent of the rest of the Samanohuwan archipelago, and shared more in common culturally with the Taema Peninsula to the north and the islands of Nagara Dipa and Thrumbo to the east. It was entirely unified and had been for centuries, and the island was nearly as large as the rest of the archipelago combined.

In the latter half of the second phase, Samanohuwa and Lanuinui both engaged in a great deal of political posturing, saber-rattling, and deals both with each other and with nearby nations. Both nations were officially at peace, yet both nations also knew that war was inevitable. Much like the victory over Faleu, the exact cause of the war is lost to history with only several semi-mythical explanations remaining. Whatever the cause, it is clear that Samanohuwa attacked first, attacking several of Lanuinui's largest cities at once. This slowed the initial phase of the invasion, but was ultimately beneficial. Despite its size, unlike Pu'uloa Lanuinui's mountains and rivers provided little impedance to the Samanohuwan advance, and the semi-legendary queen Kuitakui's campaign of conquest proceeded with few strategic setbacks.

Near the end of the siege of Lanuinui's last stronghold, one of her generals rose up against her, nearly splitting the entire army. She fell in the battle, even as both sides continued to siege the fortress for their own gains. Her death came as a shock to the kingdom, and the uprising was swiftly crushed, but by that point in the war Samanohuwa's victory was irreversible. Lanuinui surrendered the following morning, and a new capital city was founded on its western shore facing Kaliua, to replace Kaneloa which had been severely damaged by a typhoon a few years prior to the war.

Classical Samanohuwa
The Classical period of Samanohuwan history is defined as starting with the crushing of the last rebellious provinces in Lanuinui, sometime in summer of 545 CE. This completed, the now unified Samanohuwa set about restoring order to itself and its trade routes. Some of its surroundings had had warm relations with Lanuinui but rather chilly ones with Samanohuwa, and the early years of the classical period were spent correcting this. Despite the large amount of experienced troops the monarchy no doubt had to call upon, this period was largely peaceful, and the overall wealth of Samanohuwa grew.

As the nation prospered, however, its government began to falter. Over the decades, the local chieftans began to exert more and more power over their lands, and the Moa had less and less control over them. By the end of the seventh century, they were little more than a figurehead - a being to give reverence to, and pay fealty and loyalty to, but few chieftans saw themselves as servants of them. Increasingly they began to pursue their own interests in trade, and near the end of the Classical Age they even began to skirmish each other with their warriors. Ultimately, this progressed to true battles against each other, and when Samanohuwan ships could not raid Samanohuwan settlements for valuables, they turned outward. The attack and sinking of Moa La'aeka's ship (and the theft of all valuables on it) is considered the end of the Classical era, and the start of the Age of Wandering.

Age of Wandering


The Kīhoe Age, or the Age of Wandering, lasted from the end of the seventh to the end of the tenth century. In this period, ships from Samanohuwa raided, traded, colonized, and conquered all throughout the Western Ocean. Samanohuwan kīhoe, or wanderers, typically traveled as far west as Rodasia and as far east as Ratanakiri. Passing through the Eastern Taema Strait, Samanohuwans further traveled throughout the southern portions of the West Sea, as far north as perhaps Tuidung [pending approval], largely as mercenaries. It was not particularly rare for Samanohuwan ships to venture as far south as Matobo. Some historians have postulated they may have sailed as far east as Kealakekua, but this theory does not have much support, either physical or linguistically.

Samanohuwan kīhoe even ventured as far as the continent of Namju, setting up colonies on the northeastern edge of the Donggwon plateau. None of these colonies lasted more than a century, though current archeological consensus holds that these colonies were the subject of the [name TBDL] sagas. Archaeological evidence at the sites further corroborates that disease - and war with the natives - is ultimately what doomed Samanohuwa's most substantial colonies outside of the Gara Archipelago.

Often portrayed as savage raiders and pillagers, and while this was indeed a regular activity of kīhoe, trade was arguably their primary activity. Everything from local timber to silk from Jeongmi and slaves from Miji and Yoju were purchased and transported by kīhoe traders. Roughly half of Samanohuwa's minority populations, especially Mijuan minorities, came from the slave trade of this era.

Another major activity of the kīhoe was mercenary work, and outside of southern Jungju it was this they were most known for besides raiding, as Samanohuwan ships rarely ventured past the Northern Tropic. Tribes and clans fought alongside each other as much as they fought against each other. In some kingdoms, they even served as royal guards. By most accounts their prowess in battle was well-respected, even proving decisive in some battles.

While Samanohuwan activity outside the archipelago was (and is) by far more famed, Samanohuwa itself experienced a cultural golden age, despite the frequent inter-tribal warfare and overall weakness of the Moas of this period. Many of Samanohuwa's poetic and prose epics were written during this era, and wealth from trade and raiding resulted in an explosion of art - statues, tapestries, architecture, and the like. Temples and fortresses were constructed, many by foreign architects who were either enslaved for the job or well-paid to do it - with the assumption that they would not be allowed to leave the area, so as not to share any weaknesses with potential enemies.

Biodiversity
Even considering the large rainforests, variety of climates, and equatorial location, the biodiversity of Samanohuwa is vast. Its flora and fauna population is primarily a mix of southern Jungju, Yoju, and the rest of Gara. Lanuinui was once linked directly to the Taema Peninsula, and thus shares a large number of genera. At the same time, the Inner Four islands were connected due to lower sea levels, but have not been connected to the mainland or even Lanuinui for far longer. As a result, the flora and fauna there is still more unique than that of Lanuinui. Forests cover a large percentage of the country, however significant areas on the largest and flattest islands - especially Kaliua and 'Ewa - have been removed to make way for agriculture and human habitation.

Samanohuwa also contains thousands of islands and islets. Most are ancient mountain tops, but some atolls have never been connected to the land at all, and what animals have floated there evolved in perfect isolation until the arrival of humanity. The introduction of livestock and pets - pigs, rats, and cats especially - have had a substantial negative impact on some species, though the Samanohuwan government has taken steps to reduce or even halt the damage, including an extremely aggressive rat control program started in the 1950s. Many islands are considered totally or nearly rat-free.

In terms of total endemic species, Samanohuwa is second only to Namju worldwide. Tropical seas surround all of Samanohuwa's islands, the majority of which are surrounded by coral reefs to some degree, like most of the rest of Gara. Broadly speaking and excluding specifically Garan species, species on Lanuinui are mostly Jungjuan, while those outside of Lanuinui are generally Yojuan.

Military
The of Samanohuwa consist of two branches - the Royal Army, and the Royal Navy. The Moa is the commander-in-chief, and appoints the Minister of Defense based on candidates officially submitted by both the Army and the Navy, but traditionally only candidates offered by the Navy have been selected, with extremely few exceptions. Samanohuwa's military is all-volunteer, though the government reserves the right to re-enable conscription in the event of declaration of war should it be deemed necessary. Both branches play an active role in international operations.

The Royal Samanohuwan Navy is the oldest in the world [to be approved], having been founded in 1372 in order to cement the Moa's power over one of the last remaining kīhoe chiefdoms. While it has never been even close to being the globally dominant naval power, Samanohuwa has often been a substantial one, at times being the dominant naval power in the Western Ocean. It has one of the largest and most advanced navies of any middle power, being one of the few to possess more than one carrier, and its diesel-electric submarine fleet is one of the largest of any nation. All of Samanohuwa's military fixed-wing aircraft, with the exception of a few VIP transport craft, are part of the Navy.

While Samanohuwa has the technological and economic capability to develop, it is not a - its current constitution explicitly bans Samanohuwa from owning or developing weapons of mass destruction of any sort, with nuclear weapons being one of the types specifically named, except for the purposes of counteracting their effects on civilians.