Chaos TL - a world without Genghis Khan

Rest of the world 1300-1400

14th century: Islam introduced in Darfur by the Tunjur.

Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero migrate from the north to OTL Namibia.

Mogadishu comes to prominence as a trade city.

1300+: Anasazi invade the Chaco-Canyon area, defeat Hohokam.

1303/23: Alexandrian earthquakes which destroy the Pharos of Alexandria.

1312-37: Kango / Kankan Musa in Mali, at its height of power.

1315: A Muslim prince of Nubian royal blood ascends the throne of Makuria as king.

1321: Beni Ammar establish independent dynasty in Libya.

1324: Mali Empire gains direct control over the city of Timbuktu. Mansa Musa makes Hajj; when he passes through Cairo in July, he's accompanied by five hundred slaves, each reportedly carrying a six-pound staff of gold. He spends out so much gold that it takes 12 years for the economy to recover,due to the rapid inflation that it initiated.

1325: Founding of Tenochtitlan. Musa returns from hajj; the Sankore Masjid in Timbuktu has been converted into a fully staffed Madrassa (Islamic school or in this case university) and with the largest collections of books in Africa since the Library of Alexandria, financed by a royal lady.

1325-1350: Ibn Battuta makes his famous journeys; first to Mecca (hajj), then to Choresm; after that, a second hajj, following that, East Africa; after that, Mecca again, then Constantinople and the lands of the Rum-Seljuks, and after that, the Sultanate of Delhi, but never has the opportunity to visit China and SE Asia, other than OTL. He later goes to Muslim Spain and the empire of Mali, though, and still writes about his journeys.

1331-51: Abu al-Hasan 'Ali reigns in Morocco. He conquers Tlemcen (Algeria) in 1337 and even manages to extend Morocco's rule to Tunisia in 1347-57. Later, his empire will fall apart again, though.

1343: Tepaneks unite the valley of Mexico.

1350: Last wave of immigrants to OTL New Zealand from the Society Islands.

~1350: Jolof begins dominating neighboring states such as Waalo. Start of the reign of N'Dyadya N'Dyaye.

Between 1350-1400: Cahokia abandoned.

1360: Civil War in Mali.

1375: Nimi a Nzima, the ruler of Mpemba Kasi makes an alliance with Nsaku Lau, ruler of neighboring Mbata, in which each would guarantee the succession of the other's state in the line of the two rulers making the agreement. The son and heir of this arrangement, Lukeni lua Nimi (often called Nimi a Lukeni) becomes the founder of Kongo around 1400.

1376: The Mexica elect their first tlatoani (=great speaker; means emperor), Acamapichtli. They are a tributary of Azcapotzalco.

1390: Kingdom of Kaffa founded in W Ethiopia.

End of 14th century: Ilé-Ifè (OTL SW Nigeria) declines, to be replaced by Oyo and Benin.

1400: Internal struggles and external attacks have torn Kanem-Bornu apart.

~1400: Oranyan founds the Empire of Oyo (in OTL Nigeria).

14th century: Lamu, Malindi in Kenya founded by Swahili.

Muslim world 1350-1400

1352: Mamluk Egypt allies with Sultanate of Konya against Choresm. The invade Syria together, defeat the Choresmian armies several times.

1353-55: Kay Khusrau IV of Rum attacks Bulgaria, takes the capital of Tarnovo.

1357: When Choresm is in a desperate situation, the Shah hires the Assassins to get rid of his enemies. The general of the Mamluks and the Sultan of Konya are killed. Kay Khusrau unites Konya with Rum again (and later removes the young heirs of his brother). He rules the succession, to avoid another split of the Empire for the future. Choresm makes peace, only gives northern Palestine back to Egypt.

1360: Karvuna (OTL Dobruja) is made a tributary of the Rum-Seljuks.

1361: Rum-Seljuks conquer Thessalia back and invade the duchy of Athens. The crusaders are now restricted to the Peloponnes, Epirus and the Aegaean islands.

1362: Shi'ite revolt in Persia begins, which will eventually lead to Persia becoming independent again.

1363: Caliphate in Baghdad abolished by Shi'ites; Seljuks now claim the Caliph title for themselves / their Abbasid puppets.

1364-69: Rum-Seljuks battle the allied Serbians and Bosnians, occupy their lands.

1365: Persians throw off the Choresmian yoke, forming a new Shi'ite empire under the Zahedid dynasty (named after an old Sufi order) that includes Azerbaijan and Mesopotamia. Afghanistan also becomes independent again.

1370: A new leader of the steppe people with the name Arik-Buqa who converted to Islam, together with the united people, starts what he calls a Jihad - although he'll also fight against other Muslims, if he perceives them as decadent.

1371: Rum-Seljuks pick up the pieces in Syria where the breakdown of the Choresmian empire left a power vacuum.

1374: Crusaders thrown out of Epirus. The Rum-Seljuks also try to conquer the Peloponnes, but are defeated by Teodoro of Monferrat, whom some people call "the last real knight". Black Death reaches Afghanistan.

1375: Arik-Buqa destroys the country of the Kirghiz, scattering their remains.

1377-81: Black Death hits Persia.

1378: Serbians rebel against the Muslims, but are brutally repressed. In the city of Niš, all adult people are killed. The sultan orders that the children are to be raised as Muslims - later they will turn into TTL's first Janissaries.

1378-85: Black Death strikes Choresm, preventing a reconquest of Persia.

1380: Trapezunt conquered by Rum-Seljuks.

1383-87: Rum-Seljuks cross the Danube, defeat the Hungarians several times, take control of Vlachia.

1384-90: Seljuk lands struck by Black Death, which helps them losing the Crusade. The little isolated country of Montenegro is spared by the plague, though.

1386-89: Arik-Buqa strikes against the weakened Choresm. After his hordes finally leave, as the historians say, "not even grass grows any more" in the north-eastern provinces.

1387-89: Egypt hit by Black Death.

1388-91: Last crusade. Hungarians and their allies can win some battles against the Seljuks, take Bosnia back, but no more.

1396-1400: After the Seljuks have somewhat recovered from the Black Death, they strike against Hungary again. They occupy Moldavia, Bosnia and Slavonia (East Croatia).

Central Europe 1350-1400

General tendencies:

The popes centralize the Catholic church more and more, and also try to make more and more money. Selling of indulgences is wide-spread and often criticized.

The kings of the Holy Roman Empire have more and more difficulties to do any politics in the HRE - they need too much money to be elected, to be crowned emperor (if at all), and everything else.

While the artisans and merchants in the cities make more and more money, the knights and lesser nobles don't. As a result, many become "robber barons" and oppress their peasants.

1353: First university in the HRE founded (in Innsbruck, Tyrol). Vienna, Prague and Heidelberg soon follow.

1354: Switzerland conquers the lands of the Rudolfine sideline of the Habsburgs, Aargau and Thurgau. The Habsburgs are angry, and the Roman emperor even is on their side, but when he dies, the Habsburgs have to fight alone.

1357: Golden Bull in the HRE: It says that the Roman king is elected solely by the seven electors, the pope isn't necessary. The seven electors are the same ones as OTL.

1362: Grote Mandränke (great man-drinking; a big flood) in the German Sea. More than 100,000 people are said to have died.

1363: Anjou dynasty in Hungary dies out. The nobles elect Wladyslaw IV of Poland new king.

1366: Venice defeats its old rival Genoa. However, in reality both powers have already somewhat suffered since the rise of the Rum-Seljuks and the fall of Constantinople.

1368: Famine in Western Europe.

1370: Maffeo Servitore is born.

1371: Beggars' hordes moving through Italy actually manage to overwhelm the government of Parma. A radical preacher and the government which couldn't pay the mercenaries anymore also can be blamed for the revolution. Since the other little states of Italy are in a similar situation, having to fight religious movements and beggars, and often being close to financial collapse, they can't interfere. In the city, all the property of the church, all opponents of the new government, and many people considered to be "too rich" is confiscated and divided among the people.

In Hungary, after the death of incompetent and often absent king Kazimierz / Kázmér / Casimir, the nobles elect Sigismund of Luxemburg.

1375-78: Süddeutscher Städtebund (South German league of cities) formed. Various South German princes, led by those of Württemberg and Habsburg, fight them. With the help of the Swiss, the cities stay victorious, and other than IOTL, their alliance isn't interdicted by the Roman king. In this war, the Habsburgs lose most of their territories except Freiburg with the Black Forest.

1376: Giovanni de Medici gets dictatorial power in Florence. Since the republic feels threatened by the beggars roaming in Italy, the Medici can keep their power.

1379: Vaclav III, last of the Bohemian Przemyslids, dies. The duke Heinrich II of Austria and Carinthia inherits Bohemia, Moravia and (parts of) Silesia, which makes him the mightiest prince of the HRE by far.

1380: Florence, which already has taken over other city states like Pistoia and Arezzo, now conquers Ghibelline Pisa, acquiring a harbor (later replaced by Livorno).

1383: Another famine in Western Europe.

1386: The Czechs rebel against king Heinrich's rule. In fact, a lot of ressentiment caused by hunger, poverty and some religious quarrels is mixed in. The deposed king tries to reconquer his lands from Austria and Silesia, but since the other princes of the HRE (including the Roman king) aren't interested in helping him, Hungary has to deal with the Seljuks and Poland with the Teutonic Order, noone helps him. In Bohemia, the property of the church is confiscated, preaching in Czech and the translation of the Bible legalized, and some other reforms implemented.

1387: Florence defends successfully against various mercenary groups who roam through Italy after the First Aquitainian War ended. The family degli Albizzi tries to cooperate with the mercenaries to oust the Medici from power, but are banned.

1389: The victorious Czechs form a quasi-republic, with a parliament that elects a king. The nobles, the church, the peasants and the cities send representatives to it, one quarter each. Heinrich has to accept the Czech independance, only gets the southernmost parts of Bohemia and Moravia (which are German-settled). The electorate of Bohemia officially goes to Austria.

1391: A group of radical Begines (=religious movement) topples the bishop of Utrecht, Eastern Netherlands, working together with his peasants. Although they're relatively peaceful, and probably couldn't have lasted in a war, the stupid bishop manages to anger all his potential allies in the area (the Netherlands are divided between Holstein-Holland-Hennegau, Luxemburg-Limburg, Brabant, Geldern and the (quasi-)republics of Flanders and Frisia at this time). So the new republic continues.

1392/93: Black Death strikes Hungary, being introduced by returning crusaders. The king also dies of it.

1394/95: Black Death hits the HRE. Poland is also affected, but by imposing a quarantine it's mostly saved; so is Flanders. Persecuted Jews flee to Poland, Flanders, Seljuk Balcans.

1394: Black Death arrives in Venice.

Yet another famine in Western Europe.

1395: Other Italian states are hit by the Black Death (although there are some exceptions, like Florence and Savoy). The divine republic of Parma is especially shocked - their preachers promised them that God would spare them, which doesn't happen.

1396: The lands of the Teutonic Order are struck by Black Death.

1399: Florence buys Corsica from Genoa. The current ruler, Cosimo de Medici, plans to build up a fleet and becoming a naval power in the Mediterranean.

As a fast result of the Black Death, two new addictions spread through Europe: Liquor, known by the alchemists for longer time already, is (mis-)used as a cure against the plague. So is tobacco, which is brought from the New World and sold for high prices.

The Jews have to suffer under pogroms ITTL too. Many have to flee from their places, especially in Castille and Germany.

East Asia 1400-1450

15th century generally: Sultanate of Brunei starts to expand over Borneo. Hong China sends caravans along the Silk Road to Choresm, starting diplomatic relations.

Since 1400: Nipponese start copying Chinese arms (bamboo guns, cannons) - the first ones are smuggled in - , and improving them.

1400-02 (3097, Yang Metal Dragon / 3099, Yang Water Horse): First voyage of Chinese Treasure Ships. They travel to Pasai (Sumatra), Melaka (OTL Malacca), Ayutthaya, Khmer, Pagan, to arrive in Calicut.

1403 (3100, Yin Water Sheep): China establishes a trade post at Aparri, Luzon, OTL Philippines.

1404-06 (3101, Yang Wood Monkey / 3103, Yang Fire Dog): Second voyage of Chinese Treasure Ships. They travel to Calicut again, and also visit Sri Lanka, which king accepts the Hong as supreme rulers.

1407-09 (3104, Yin Fire Pig / 3106, Yin Earth Ox): Third voyage of Chinese Treasure Ships. This time they go east, to Brunei, Majapahit, and even discover the north coast of OTL Australia (although they aren't interested in the latter).

1408 (3105, Yang Earth Rat): The ruler of Melaka marries a Chinese noblewoman, starts paying a small tribute to China. This is one of many signs of the cultural changes brought to SE Asia by the Chinese.

1410s: Mongol incursions under Baraq Khan on Chinese territory force the Chinese to interfere. They support the Merkites, splitting their enemies in two.

1416-19 (3113, Yang Fire Monkey / 3116, Yin Earth Pig): The great voyage: Chinese Treasure Ships go to Hormuz, visit Persia and open diplomatic relations, and a part of them sails down the African coast to Mozambique. Following them, Chinese merchants open new trade connections. Although under the Hong trade is still somewhat despised, they tend to accept it as a necessary evil - especially since the revenue isn't something to sneer upon.

1419: Grand Canal between South and North China renewed.

1420s: Civil War in Majapahit. China intervenes here, too. By playing out the empires of Melaka and Majapahit against each other, they put sure that neither gains the upper hand.

1421: Deccan Sultanate becomes independent from Delhi Sultanate.

1422 (3119, Yang Water Tiger): Chiang Mai (OTL Northern Thailand) pays tribute to Hong.

1425/26 (3122, Yin Wood Snake / 3123, Yang Fire Horse): Annamese uprising defeated.

1430s: Inner conflicts in Pagan split the country in two halfs. One of them, the Pegu dynasty (from the city with the same name), asks Hong China for help, gaining control of the rest of OTL Burma. China's sphere of influence now borders India.

1439 (3136, Yang Earth Horse): A general in Goryeo topples the king, adopts Confucianism as new state religion.

1446 (3143, Yang Wood Tiger): Thai conquer Angkor Wat, threaten to destroy the Khmer empire. Khmer appeal to the Hong Emperor to help them. The emperor agrees, threatens Thai; when the latter refuse, war starts in 1447 (3144, Yin Wood Rabbit).

1450 (3147, Yang Metal Horse): Thai are defeated, have to pay tribute to China.