Kanikawa Shogunate

## Kanikawa Shogunate蟹川幕府

Flag of Kanikawa

The **Kanikawa Shogunate** (蟹川幕府; Kanikawa Bakufu), was the *de facto* ruler of Zenshan since the 1400s.

## History

### Background

Having defeated the last major enemy clans in the year 1604 in the Battle of Maratowa, the Kanikawa Clan consolidated power over Zenshan, reducing the Emperor of Zenshan to a mere figurehead confined to religious duties. Foreigners including Airolians were barred from trading and conducting merchant activities in the Zenshanese isles, forcing the nation into a technologically stagnant period marked with peace, prosperity, new forms of art and culture.

In the year 1825, when an expedition by the Montelan Confederacy arrived, it showed the clear disparity between the outsiders and Zenshanese, prompting the Shogun to modernize. After 1825, foreigners were let in to trade for Zenshanese goods yet again, allowing modern equipment to slide right into the hands of the Kanikawa Clan and its enemies. The next year, Carosthanian ships sent by Maria II of Carosthania arrived, competing with the Montelans for influence. Both colonial powers tried to sway the shogunate to their side by one-upping over the weapons and strategies the other side offered, something the Shogunate greatly benefited from

In 1859, the Emperor overruled the Shogunate and declared a decree to expel all "barbarians" (this being the Montelans, Airolians, Carosthanians and other colonial powers). This sparked a brutal civil war between the Shogunate and the Imperials. Although the imperials had support from two thirds of the Zenshanese clans, the shogunate was rapidly modernizing its military and managed to defeat the outdated Imperials by 1862. The Emperor was forced to abdicate to his son, and the Zenshanese imperial family was further isolated from the outside world by the shogunate, to the point they developed a distinct dialect that was difficult to understand by other Zenshanese

The Kanikawa Clan's home base was located in the far-off southern islands of Kanikawa, which was off the shore of Cathei. These islands would serve to be the stepping stone for Zenshanese imperialism and expansion into Kalshei

### Beginning of Imperialism

After modernizing and wiping out the opposition, the Kanikawa Shogunate embarked on a path of imperialism to compensate for Zenshan's lack of natural resources. It began with what became known to the Eredanese as the Kanikawan invasion of Kon Thiet (the clueless foreigners unfortunately mistook "Kanikawa" as being the name of the country). Carosthania under Lucian I supported the invasion, which threatened to upend the colonial spheres of influence in Kalshei established by the Bracer Affair. While the invasion ended with the creation of the Protectorate of Kon Thiet, Montelan and Lesovian interference ended Carosthanian ambitions in Zenshan.

After securing Kon Thiet, the Shogunate further expanded into the island of Cathei, targeting the northern region next, which was closer to the Kanikawa isles. The Khaidai Khanate resisted valiantly despite its small size. population and poor technology, with remnants persisting to the 1950s. In contrast, Cathei suffered humiliatingly from the Zenshanese incursions. In suppressing the Jianpan Rebellion of 1900, the Kanikawa Shogunate contributed the most troops (followed by Airolia) in suppressing the rebels, occupying Xijing and garrisoning the International Legations. Due to this, the northern provinces of Pingbei and Changdong were recognized as being under Zenshanese "sphere of influence".

### "Yangxi"

Following the Yisi Revolution of 1905 and the formation of the Republic of Cathei, the Kanikawa Shogunate supported the "Yangxi Government" of president Shi Zhenxiang, and the Yangxi Clique of his son Shi Tang. The Shogunate sold arms, gave loans and appointed military advisors to the Yangxi Clique, and "convinced" Shi Tang to declare himself "Emperor" of the "Yangxi Empire" in 1923. Based on the Zenshanese system, a "Shogun" was created to rule in the name of the "Emperor", and the "Shoguns" of the "Yangxi Empire" from 1923-30 were all Zenshanese advisors and generals, *de facto* turning northern Cathei into a Zenshanese protectorate.

The "Yangxi Empire" fell into chaos following Shi Tang's death in 1930, and the Shogunate felt that the Yangxi "pet project" was no longer worth the capital and resources, opting to invade the region and putting it under direct control instead, leading to the creation of the Kahoku (North Cathei) Military District. The "Yangxi Empire" continued to exist in name until 1934, when it was formally dissolved and annexed. This marked the turning point in Kanikawa imperialism, where the Shogunate began to prefer direct annexation and administration instead of operating through puppet regimes and protectorates. The Kon Thiet Protectorate would follow suit on February 6 1955, being annexed as the Heinan Circuit

### Operation Nanshin

After securing Northern Cathei, the Shogunate invested into infrastructure, railways and industry in the region, to prepare for an invasion into the rest of Cathei. Operation Nanshin began with the December First Incident, as the Shogunate's military marched south under the pretense that the Cathese had attacked Zenshanese soldiers. The Cathese resisted, and the Zenshanese invasion was prolonged for years, heavily depleting the Shogunate's resources and morale. While Cathei was finally conquered in 1943, resistance would persist for decades and the Shogunate's control over the region was never properly secured outside major cities and strategic military or logistical positions. As Airolia had been severely crippled by the Cataclysm and Eredan was embroiled in the Great Eredanese War, other foreign powers did not interfere in Zenshan's invasion of Cathei

### Island Hopping Expansion

#### Beginnings

In the centuries leading up to 1900, Zenshanese fishermen and merchants had already established several outposts, fishing villages and diaspora communities in the various southern islands, where they coexisted with native islanders (mostly) peacefully. In 1878, the Shogunate officially annexed the Sameshima island chain as the Sameshima Prefecture, and the Misashima islands as the Misashima Prefecture. In 1884, the Hinawa islands were annexed as the Hinawa Prefecture. The Shogunate also contended with the Principality of Volleryn over 3 barren islands, which it won and established military outposts on in 1889. Together, the Misashima, Hinawa, and 3 barren islands were grouped under Nanyōdo, the Southern Ocean Circuit, and were under the administration of the Shogunate Southern Fleet.

#### Gabouran War

Plantation owners from Gabouran (bringing along their slaves) began migrating into the Hinawa islands en mass starting from the 1890s. The islands, being far-off and sparsely populated, were difficult for the Shogunate to defend at the time, and authorities on the islands felt that it could bring about economic development of the islands. Therefore, Shogunate authorities turned a blind eye to Gabouran settlement of the Hinawa Islands. However, in 1914, Gabouran plantation owners declared the Leidai Islands, the northeastern islands of the Hinawa Prefecture, an independent "State of Ledabue". Ledabue joined Gabouran as the Province of Ledabue in 1920. In 1921, while the Southern Fleet was distracted with affairs in Cathei, Gabouran occupied most of the HInawa Islands as the Province of Lower Gabouran. These would ultimately result in the Shogunate's invasion of Gabouran in 1954.

In 1954, citing Gabouran's rampant use of slavery as a justification, the Shogunate launched an invasion of Gabouran, reoccupying the Hinawa and Leidai islands. Gabouran slaves were "freed" and "evacuated" west to Cathei and the Kanikawa Isles, while the plantation owners and free settlers were mostly massacred, the survivors also being deported west to Cathei and the Kanikawa Isles. Nanyōdo became a prime location to exile "problematic" people from mainland Zenshan or the Kanikawa Isles to. While Gabouran complained to the International Cooperation Organization, the ICO did nothing to stop the Shogunate's invasion

#### Kepuanmur

As the Free Seas Federation fell apart in 1955, the Shogunate Northern Fleet were sent to claim parts of the islands for Zenshan. However, Rubernesia and Prithania were operating in the islands as well, fighting against communist and Free Seas remnant forces. However, the War of the End-Times led Prithania to cease its military operations in Kalshei, allowing the Shogunate to sweep in. A Kepuanmurin puppet government was installed, which lasted until 1978.

#### Mawikan Islands

Following the fall of Ospalar to Johninian invasion, the Mawikan Islands were left defenseless with the exception of a Prithanian military base stationed on the islands. However, as the War of the End-Times worsened, Prithanian military presence in Kalshei were evacuated back to the Home Isles, and the Shogunate quickly filled the power vaccum by occupying Tolaralis, capital of the Mawikan Islands. The islands were soon annexed as the Mawashima Prefecture, and once again the international community did nothing to stop the Kanikawa Shogunate.