History of Quelpart

The **history of Quelpart** spans a long period of time, from the first settlement of the island circa 1500 BC to the modern day.

## Organization

Before the Japanese conquest of Paksune, Quelpartian historiography was traditionally divided by the ruling dynasty as with Chinese historiography.

## Prehistory and Protohistory

### Austronesian migration

*Main article: Austronesian migration to the East China Sea Islands*

Between 2000 BC and 1200 BC, Austronesian peoples in Batanes began migrating north to the "East China Sea Islands", a collective term for the Orange Islands, Kyushu, and Quelpart. Quelpart in particular was reached circa 1500 BC, either directly from OSUMI ISLANDS or via a route through Kyushu and the GOTO ISLANDS. These Donghai peoples settled the islands forming small settlements and polities. Notably, they brought along their pottery traditions such as red-slipped, cord-marked, and circle-stamped pottery. They also brought local flora and fauna to the islands such as pigs, dogs, and chickens, and imported plants such as ramie and hemp from Kavalan traders. They lived in houses called *mefudayed* but often built temporary shelters called *raong*.

### Ten Clans

*Main articles: Ten Clans of Heidong and Maritime Jade Road*
After the migration, the islands once consisted of many clans ruled by chieftains. They maintained trade links with the clans in Kyushu and the Orange Islands and stockpiled jewelry such as *lingling-o*, as well as established links with the Jomon people.

Some navigators sailed north from Quelpart and settled small communities in the southwestern Jinhyung Peninsula, mainly in the Deot Wu Islands, forming the Kingdom of Ruigeong.

## Classical Period

### First Contact with China

*Main articles: Kingdom of Heidong and Chronicles of the Kings*
According to the *Chronicles of the Kings*, in the 16th year of King Kang of Zhou's reign - circa 1004 BC - Chief Peiha of the Hajia Clan tasked a veteran fisherman named Meilunglungo Saufu to venture into the northern seas. His fleet was led astray by the Yellow Sea Current, and after a long voyage, they landed in the State of Qi. After a few minor incidents, small-scale trading began, but was often disrupted by constant fighting on the island. One day, Chief Peiha personally visited the Qi and convinced them to send him weapons to conquer the other clans and unite the island in order to better control trade. The Duke of Qi was hesitant, but ultimately he agreed and was even able to convince the King of Zhou. High-quality weaponry such as the spear and dagger-axe, as well as a few minor generals, were sent in "tens of boats of the Heidong". Soon after, the Hajia Clan had subjugated the other tribes, and created the united polity known as the Kingdom of Heidong.

### Hajia Dynasty

Trade between Heidong and the Zhou dynasty was lucrative and many goods such as ceramics, textiles, and jewelry were traded. Notable types of goods traded included 璧 *bì* disks, 琮 *cóng* vessels, 鼎 *dǐng* cauldrons, and 璜 *huáng* pendants from Zhou; and the aforementioned pottery from Heidong. Standard Zhou spade money and Qi knife money were adopted by the kingdom as currency.

Business was so lucrative that it was considered to be in the best interest of the Zhou to try convert the "yi" (barbarian) Heidong peoples into "hua" (civilized Chinese peoples) and sent over scribes, priests, bureaucrats, and other officials to Sinicize the Heidongs as well as generally aid in administration. In particular, scribes compiling records, edicts, and other important documents noted the lack of native words for practically all concepts of administration and religion and used large amounts of Old Chinese vocabulary and even its writing system, starting the age of the Classical Quelpartian language. Old Chinese never fully displaced Quelpartian, however. During this period, said scribes recorded and compiled historical events such as the aforementioned arrival of the Donghai people and the voyage of Meilunglungo Saufu into the most influential source of not only Quelpartian history but also Chinese and early Korean history, the *Chronicles of the Kings*.

### Qin and Western Han Dynasties

*Correspondences* - diplomatic communications between Heidong and the states of Zhou

*Decrees and Edicts* - laws and decrees e.g. the adoption of Buddhism

## Old Period

### Xin Dynasty

*Main article: Voyage of the Three Thousand*

## Middle Period

### Wokou

*Dance of the Islanders* (counterpart to *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* as if Quelpart wasn't already the protagonist of the series)

## Modern Period

### Transitional Government and the Beuk Huo Invasion

Lee successfully convinced the American government to give military supplies and equipment to the country's budding armed forces and navy with little to no repayment, citing the proximity of China (especially with Zhoushan in Quelpartian hands) and the Soviet Union. Despite this, the government still printed much money to pay for the development of the armed forces and navy, and the USD 1.00 = QPD 2.00 peg became unsustainable.

On July 4, 1950, Quelpart officially declared war against Chosun and Quelpartian forces landed in the southwestern part of the Jinhyung Peninsula. The Quelpartian Navy occupied minor outlying islands and aided in the invasion. Chosunese forces, already spread out and underequipped, effectively did not fight back and the city of Beuk Huo fell just a month later on the 6th of August.

### Later Lee Keuan-De Administration

Quelpart rapidly industrialized. Mining operations commenced in Beuk Huo and the "New Territories"

Despite the fast economic growth, the Quelpartian dollar was devalued to USD 1.00 = QPD 3.80 in 1954.

### Mosiah Lim Administration

Donghai War

QPD devalued further to USD 1 = QPD 5.60

## References

1. ↑ Bellwood, Peter; Dizon, Eusebio (2013). 4000 Years of Migration and Cultural Exchange. Terra Australis. Retrieved on January 15, 2022.