Norlandic Colonization of Gulatak

## Introduction

**Norlandic colonization of Gulata**k was the **period of time where the Gulatak nation and its population were under full jurisdiction of the Imperial State of Norland**. It began in the **early 18th century ADE** and ended similarly to the other Norlandic colonized states, which would end in the **mid-19th century** amid the dissolution of the Imperial State of Norland. The Norlandics claimed all of Gulataki territory through **invasions**, **ultimatums**, and **large amounts of propaganda that painted the Gulataki royalty as a failed and corrupt family**.

## Background

The Gulataki territories was one of **Imperial Norland's primary targets** if and when it starts a colonial empire due to the Gulataki land **possessing abundant valuable resources**, the most important of which were its **spice plantations and fishing industry**; Gulatak was considered one of the **largest exporter of fish in the world** and **attracted both the Norlandic government and the STS corporation**. These resources made the islands **enormously important to the Norlandics**, so they sought to **secure the supplies for themselves**.

In the **early months of 1710**, learning from the colonization of G'chanka, the Norlandic government recycled their plans and orders the STS corporation to **start trading posts in the coasts of Gulatak**. Their intentions was to **paint Norland as a friendly trading partner to the Gulatakis** so the people will blindly trust them.

## History

### STS arrival

Norlandic presence on Gulataki territory **began on the year 1710** and **ended at the same year as other Norlandic controlled foreign territories in 1852**. Merchants of the STS corporation **first established themselves in the coastal citiy of Jahon**, two years before the invasion, as they were **interested in the fisherman lifestyle of the Gulatakis** and to **exchange with the spices they brought from the already occupied G'chanka territory**.

Throughout the span of **two or so years**, the STS would **expand their control over the coastal cities**, an **occurence that would be seen in nearly every colonial territory of Norland**. Notably, they took control of two major coastal cities and the **STS administrated municipalities of Glátò and Sakhvi** were **established a month after their initial arrival back in May**.

### Norlandic military invasion

After multiple Norlandic military operations **seized total control over the Sea of a thousand islands in February 1712**, the director of the STS **issued a recommendation to the chief of the Norlandic Navy for a Gulataki invasion plan**. The chief **initially declined the recommendation** as they **have not and most likely will not receive an authorization from the Mehr and the Norlandic government**. Nevertheless, **he took the opportunity** as he would be rewarded by the STS director with a "life-long dividend".

**General Hajan man Wala**, chief of the Norlandic Navy, began the campaign by **sending the Norlandic Navy to bombard the rest of the uncontrolled cities in coastal Gulatak**. **On 7 December 1713**, Norlandic forces successfully landed **on the city of Dhakot**, a fishing industry centre in the northern coasts of Gulatak, with support from several Norlandic warships.

Initially, the Norlandic forces bombarded key areas. Following the attacks, **landings were made at several locations targeting ports and other important points in the area**. In addition to the landings in previously uncontrolled lands, the Norlandic forces **made landings at STS settlements and municipalities** such as the two mentioned before. After these main objectives in the coasts were completed, the Norlandic forces **planned a major assault inward using divided forces of three** with different names: **East, South and Southeast**. The aim of this assault was to **capture the inland cities of Gulatak and hopefully force the remaining Gulatak forces to a surrender**.

The Eastern Force was to **advance to the territories bordering the Lakharatian countries** and to **cut off any escaping Gulataki forces** while also **seizing control over the spice plantations there**. The Southern Force was to **capture Gulataki ports over at the western face of the Gulataki coasts**. This was required as it would **completely cut off the remainder of the Gulataki defence forces from any attempts of escaping or regrouping**. **Both these forces would support the Southeastern Force**, which was to **attack and capture the heavily defended inland cities, towns, and settlements of Gulatak**.

After nearly **two and a half years** of gruesome fighting, a heavily weakened Gulataki army were **forced to capitulate and surrender** to the Norlandic forces. The last standing city, where the bulk of the Gulataki government officials were residing at, eventually seized after several weeks of besieging. **An agreement signed by the King of Gulatak, King Dánìn, was issued days later in the king's palace** where the Gulataki government led by the king would **bestow the control over their land and its inhabitants to the colonizers**, something that brought absolute devastation to the population of Gulatak.

### Establishment

After the war, **The Norlandic State of Gulatak would be created** immediately in **May of 1713**, and an **unsupervised control of the colonies would be created** alongside it. The colony was **administered by Zadarf Derahksh**, **a Norlandic STS explorer and merchant who had founded the settlement of Bîrîn** back during the first arrival of the STS in 1710.

In addition to the creation of the Norlandic State of Gulatak, a **separate political entity was created under the jurisdiction of the Norlandic government**. **The colony of Audon would be this separate political entity** that would be created alongside the Gulatak colony. The purpose of the creation of this entity was **to separate the ethnic Audonese people from the rest of the Gulataki population**. No concrete reason for this separation was discovered by historians, but the most probable reason was to simply **give the Audonese people a sovereign state**, which were in itself, **a culture that has little to no relations to the ethnic Gulatakis**.

### Dissolution

Much like the other Norlandic colonized states, the colonies would **start to dissolve a few years after the end of the Imperial State of Norland in 1848**. **In 1852**, the **Treaty of Tayy**, which **consisted of numerous acts that sought the abolishment of forceful Norlandic presence and colonization in foreign countries, was conceived**. And even though the Gulataki population **created multiple uprisings during this period**, **none of them were successful** in overthrowing the Norlandic control. Therefore, the treaty was the only condition that could bring a form of independence for the Gulatakis.