Kinshū

Kinshū, officially the Republic of Kinshū, is a nation located in Bangju, within the cultural sphere of Sinju. Its population of 17,267,539 is spread across seventeen provinces covering its mainland area as well as its twenty islands. It is bordered by Tosanchi to the north, Basanreseri to the south, and the Eastern Sinju Sea to the west. Kinshū's capital, Sakaigawa, is located on Kazanjima, its largest island. The nation is largely rural, with most of its industrial centers located on the coast and outlying islands.

Modern-day Kinshū had been inhabited by nameless peoples since the Stone Age. Ancient Kinshūnese were a nomadic group of Fusenic peoples who migrated from Jungju and settled in the Kinshūnese Archipelago around 900 BCE. The early Kinshūnese were a maritime people focused almost exclusively on this archipelago and the coast of Kinshū, where they adopted indigenous fishing and agricultural techniques. By 60 BCE, Kinshūnese states had been consolidated into the Kingdom of Kuroimizu, which later became a tributary of Cheonje. These states were heavily influenced by Confucian and Buddhist thought. Following the fall of Cheonje in 876, Kinshū was reduced to a collection of petty kingdoms that engaged in near-constant warfare and piracy with each other and with neighboring kingdoms. Throughout the 10th and 11th centuries, the Kingdom of Iwasaki consolidated these states. By the late 12th century, a shift away from in the noble class led to the rise of a new social class, jizamurai, who banded together into leagues for mutual defense. Often followers of the teachings of Kenren, a monk, these leagues staged uprisings throughout the kingdom, eventually toppling provincial governors and instating new leaders, who were often abbots of local temples. In 1279, the monshu Kaneyo declared himself grand abbot of these provinces, breaking away from Iwasaki to form the Kingdom of Ikkokoku. The two kingdoms warred for several decades until Iwasaki was annexed.

From the outset, Ikkokoku was highly decentralized, with cities on the archipelago becoming more autonomous; it was during the 14th to 17th centuries that pirate states flourished in the region, preying on traders along the Yedal Road. Kaneyo's successor, Haruyo, adapted many of Kenren's teachings and passed numerous reforms that allowed Ikkoku to enjoy an era of relative stability, peace, and growth. By the late 19th century, the government had all but collapsed from heavy corruption and decentralization, leading to the Kinshūnese Civil War that resulted in victory for the warlord Tanesada Shigenori and the eradication of Jōdo Shinshū influences in the government. Shigenori's administration looked to Fusenese scholars and advisors for assistance, and began a rapid process of industrialization and imperialism. Kinshū's involvement in the Eulhae War gave it an economic boost, leading to it becoming a prominent regional industrial power throughout the 20th century.

Today, Kinshū is a rural nation whose economy relies on agriculture and heavy industry. It is famous for its language, which retains remarkable similarities to medieval Fusenese. The country is a member of the Council of Nations and the Sinju Union. Despite urges from the international community, Kinshū has struggled to embrace environmentally friendly business practices in the 21st century, and the nation suffers from heavy amounts of pollution.

Etymology
The kanji for Kinshū (葉秀, "beautiful celery) were first applied to the area by early Fusenic people who relied on the region's plentiful natural herb,, as a food source.

Prehistory
The earliest evidence of human activity in Kinshū dates to around 7000 BCE. Traces of stone tools found throughout Bangju indicate these early people groups migrated from present-day Wamu as far south as Shojin. While it is unclear how many of these people groups passed through Kinshū, there is archaeological evidence that suggests the aimuri culture had settled on the coast by 4,800 BCE. Small totems resembling various marine creatures and stone fishing tools have been found throughout the Kinshūnese Archipelago, suggesting these people were seafaring and established distinct clans throughout the islands. Unlike other early people groups in Bangju, the aimuri practiced marriage. In addition to the aimuri, archaeological evidence suggests that the wairigan and numaimi cultures--traditionally associated with Basanreseri--also had settlements in present-day Kinshū.

Ancient Kinshū
The first Fusenic people had arrived in Kinshū by 900 BCE. Migrating down from the northern parts of Bangju, these people settled primarily on the coast and in the islands of the archipelago, where they gradually displaced the aimuri culture. Early Kinshūnese adopted native sailing, fishing, and agricultural practices, and they engaged in trade with other Sinjunese peoples, adopting practices of, pottery, and metallurgy. Over time, these settlements grew and formed into city-states, which periodically raided each other for resources. By 60 BCE, these states had consolidated into the petty kingdom of Kuroimizu.

The earliest recorded documents mentioning Kinshū are the 1st century Records of Cheonje. Kuroimizu became a tributary of Cheonje in the 2nd century, and gradually adopted Cheonje institutions such as civil service exams and Buddhism over the coming centuries. The kingdom was slow to embrace these tradtions; in particular, Buddhist thought was met with resistance by practitioners of indigenous belief. A series of uprisings known as the Shūkyō Revolts occured in the 6th century, in which Buddhist temples throughout the archipelago were burned and priests were executed. These uprisings marked a period of general unrest throughout the kingdom. The situation came to a head in 582, when King Genju died without an apparent heir. Two of the king's distant relatives, Tenyo and Tanabe, raised support and clashed against each other in the Saisei War. Tenyo emerged victorious and declared himself emperor, marking the beginning of the Keihatsu Period in 601. Tenyo, a devout Buddhist, enacted the Rikai Reforms which were based on policies adopted from Cheonje, but the true aim of these reforms was to bring about greater centralization, increase the power of the royal court, and place legal protection over Buddhist temples and practitioners. Members of the court were dispatched to Cheonje to learn as much as possible, including their writing system, culinary practices, literature, and architecture.



The following centuries saw arts and literature flourish throughout Kuroimizu. Despite influences from Cheonje, its distance from the empire allowed for the emergence of a distinct culture, primarily influenced by introduction and evolution of Buddhist thought. Greater importance was placed on the emperor's status as a religious leader, rather than strictly an administrative one. Buddhist temples were routinely patronized by wealthy nobles, which in turn created a distinct clerical class known as the shito. The novels The Weeping Sea and The Tale of Kage, both written in the 9th century by the monk Hosei, are considered classic works of literature.

The late 8th and 9th centuries preceding the fall of Cheonje also saw the migration of Kuroimizu citizens further into mainland Bangju, where they clashed with indigenous cultures and other Fusenic people. This period was also marked by increased instability, as power was slowly transferred from the nobility to the growing shito class. By the time Cheonje had fallen in 867, Kuroimizu was already in danger of collapsing in on itself. The Plague of 891 was an outbreak of smallpox that killed nearly a quarter of the empire's population, including the emperor and most of the royal family. This resulted in the utter collapse of Kuroimizu in 897, and it split into several petty kingdoms, each claiming to be the heirs to the empire.

Feudal Kinshū
The period immediately following the collapse of Kuroimizu is known as the Kunan Era. This era was marked by constant warfare, as the petty kingdoms of the Kinshūnese Archipelago engaged in piracy against each other and other neighboring states. The wealth of Buddhist temples allowed them to enforce authority over large portions of the country, giving the shito class increased power over the ruling families of the petty kingdoms. As a result of this wealth and power, corruption ran rampant through the priestly class, and many noble families sent their sons to monasteries to become monks. One of these monks, Kenren (1001-1068), descended from a high-ranking family that served the emperors of Kuroimizu, and was sent to a monastery at Mt. Yokushi, where he was ordained as a. Kenren became disillusioned by Buddhist practices of the time, foreseeing a decline in the potency of the teachings being espoused. In response, Kenren left his monastery and underwent a 100-day retreat at the summit of Mt. Yokushi. On the 95th day, he had a dream where Emperor Tenyo appeared to him, explaining to him a path to enlightenment through verse. This led Kenren to found the, or Pure Land school. Kenren left his monastery in 1038, and traveled to Sakaigawa where he began teaching his new -only practice. Kenren amassed a substantial following, but was met with criticism and opposition by the Buddhist elite in Sakaigawa, despite Kenren's pledge to be on good terms with other sects, and his refusal to slander other Buddhists.