Bangalla

Bangalla(Also occasionally called Bengali) is an African Empire that began in Asia near India, and then grew to occupy a portion of Africa and the Malay Archipelago. It was never a serious power, often overlooked as it rules several islands rather than larger landmasses.It is best known as the home of the Multigenerational Hero known as the Phantom.

## **History**

Bangalla's African portion is a former British colony and is located on the east coast of Africa. It is bordered by Ivory-Lana (also called Farilana) and Rodia (also written Rhodia). At least parts of current Bangalla was part of the Swahili culture during the time of the first Phantom, with Moribar being a Swahili city.

During the 17th Century, most of current Bangalla was part of Emperor Joonkar's empire of Nyahpura, and some cities like Spyglass were ruled by a sultan, while others were independent or belonged to European nations. At the beginning of the 18th Century, even Spyglass belonged to Nyahpura. After the assassination of Emperor Joonkar and the defeat of the Singh pirate Abba Singh, Nyahpura had a few years of democracy before a famine ruined the country. In 1717, Sanloi became an independent city.

In 1735, the rich Bengalitown was sacked by pirates and never recovered. The treasure reemerged first in modern times, giving back some of the former glory to the town.

Around the 1780s, there was a British governor in Bangalla by the name of Sir Percy Blakeney. The 12th Phantom payed him a visit and dealt with the rogue appropriately, defeating him, but sparing his life. The two gained a great respect for one another.

After the turn of the 19th Century, Moribar was a fast growing city within the British Empire.

During the era of the 14th Phantom (1811-1831), the British governor Sir William G. Loder traded work with pirates, using the alias, "the Scarecrow" after Christopher Syn.

By 1826, the British governor Sir Cedris had made all of Bangalla a British colony, but he was involved in the opium trade and was arrested and sent back to England for trial.

Sometime after 1826, Moribar was renamed Morristown.

In 1827, the British governor, Lord Flimsey, cooperated with a slave catcher, realizing too late that slave trade was illegal and punishable by death. The 14th Phantom informed him about this and he repented, and also grew a beard to cover the skull mark made by one of the Phantom's signet rings. This possibly took place.

In 1831, The Jungle Patrol was reformed with an unknown commander after some tragic events that resulted in the betrayal and capture of the 14th Phantom. After these tragic events, he ensured that the identity of the unknown commander would forever after remain a secret.

In 1886, the British governor sir Stamford Bridges had a railroad built with slave labor. When this was revealed, he accidentally killed his own son, Lieutenant Nicholas Bridges.

Towards the end of the 1880s, the British governor, Lord Hawkwood, cooperated with pirates for a couple of years until he was finally exposed by the 17th Phantom and Richard Fernwhistle, the son of former governor sir Lionel Fernwhistle who had been murdered by Hawkwood's associates.

Despite several countries such as India gaining Independence after the 1898 Mollusc Invasion, Bagalla was not part of these countries.

By the end of the 1920s the British governor repeatedly tried to merge the Jungle Patrol with the regular British forces, without success.

### Gaining Independence

The struggle for independence from the British was very violent and the colonial forces used excess violence against civilians, including executions, burning down villages and stealing cattle. The rebels used bombs to blow up public buildings, bridges and railroad track. But finally, Bangalla gained its independence in the 1960s. After gaining their independence, general elections were held and Dr. Lamanda Luaga was elected the first president of Bangalla, after having fought an epidemic in the jungle. However his opponent, General Bababu, opposed the election results and a civil war broke out. Seizing control of the country and, after announcing that Luaga was dead, he searched for the doctor to kill him and exhibit his head as proof. The current Phantom, however, abducted Bababu and brought him to the Deep Woods where Luaga defeated him in fair one-on-one fight. The Council of Chiefs sentenced Bababu to two years' hard labor at each tribal nation. There were 12 chiefs present at that time, and hard labor meant exactly that.

## **Author's Notes**

-Bangalla has several stated locations in various versions of *The Phantom* Mythology*.* It was on an island Asia in the early comics and the 1996 film. Sometimes near India, and then shifted to being in Africa. The 2009 series places it in the Malay Archipelago. I've chosen to combine these. Bangalla is now an African country that expanded to several islands.