History of Yamatai

The History of Yamatai is curently WIP and facing some internal canon changes.

Prehistory and ancient period
Settlement of modern-day Yamatai by anatomically modern humans occurred in waves from two directions; westwards from the mainland towards Hinomoto and the Naichi archipelago, northwards from Yeongseon via the Nantō islands, and westwards from modern Chanha and the Eso archipelago. Paleolithic humans first inhabited Hinomoto and Hasukuni island around 30,000 BCE. Around 14,500 BCE, the Mesolithic Eastern Washu culture emerged in Hinomoto at the start of the Pre-Moriya Period. The Eastern Washu were semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers characterised by pit dwellings and rudimentary agriculture. Similar developments occurred in southern Yamatai from around 13,000 BCE, when the Sanae hunter-gatherers emerged in Hasukuni and Hōshima. The Eastern Washu spread to Akitsukuni island around 10,000 BCE, establishing the Washu culture at the start of the Moriya Period.

The biggest shift in prehistoric Yamataian culture occurred around 1,000 BCE at the start of the Hakurei-Kirisame period, when the Hakurei people entered southern Yamatai from the mainland, bringing wet-rice farming, new styles of pottery, and metallurgy. The Hakurei people quickly expanded across the Naichi archipelago, intermingling and displacing Sanae and Washu communities. Around the same time, the Kirisame people also took root in Hinomoto, driving a migration of Eastern Washu people to Akitsukuni. During the Hakurei-Kirisame period, people across the Yashiman archipelago experienced a new reliance on agriculture, as well as the introduction of weaving and silk production, glassmaking, and new techniques of woodworking and types of watercraft. The Hakurei technologies originated on the Escaric mainland, transmitted to the Naichi archipelago via Hinomoto and Shojin.

As the population expanded, the Middle Hakurei culture discovered in archaeological sites on eastern Harukuni displayed evidence of organised government and an increase in the stratification of society. In the later part of the Hakurei-Kirisame period, a number of kingdoms gradually coalesced across the Yashiman archipelago. The earliest text to mention the Yashiman archipelago, the Book of Xue from ancient Chanha, stated that there were 100 kingdoms in the Naichi archipelago by 300 BCE. During the Later Hakurei period in the 2nd century CE, there was an exodus from the Naichi archipelago to the mainland. This migration is theorised by historians to have been either due to a period of intense volcanic activity in Yamatai around 120 CE or due to major conflicts breaking out across Yamatai at the time.

Around the 3rd century CE, the Miyako Kingdom in present-day Musashi Province began unifying the Naichi archipelago through both military conquest and diplomacy, absorbing local clan leaders in exchange for rewards and roles in the government. The first centralised government to unify Yamatai, Miyako was led by a central priestess-monarch known as Himiko, a semi-mythical figure who is also a major figure in Yamatai's national religion, Michi. Modern scholars agree that the name Himiko was likely a hereditary title, and Yamatai's modern monarchy claims an unbroken matrilineal lineage to the original Himiko.

The Miyako Kingdom eventually controlled a territory including much of southern Yamatai, with the capital located at modern-day Musashi City. Himiko's rule was aided by the Jimi, priestesses of Himiko that acted as religious heralds, messengers, and law enforcers throughout the realm. There was also a state-constructed footpath network in some areas, and diplomatic delegations from Miyako were sent to the mainland states several times. The animistic religious beliefs of Miyako would attain widespread acceptance and eventually evolve into modern Michi during the classical period, and the figure of Himiko would ultimately become canonised as a goddess within the Michi pantheon.

In 482, Himiko died, which modern scholars believe was due to the final Himiko not having a suitable heir. This caused the outbreak of the lengthy Kōjutsu War between various Gozoku clans, marking the end of the Miyako Kingdom and the fracturing of the Miyako domain into various warring states. Continuing for roughly a century, the warring states eventually coalesced into seven major feudal states by 547, Ito, Kuramoto, Munemoto, Miyazaki, Nakatomi, Tachibana, and Tsugunaga, marking the start of the Yamataian Classical Period.

Classical and medieval periods
In the late 6th century, Siddhism was introduced to the Kingdom of Hinomoto from Chanha, where it quickly became popular among the ruling classes. The religion then spread to the Naichi archipelago in the 7th century by 652. In that year, the Ariake of Kuramoto State issued an order to build the first Siddhist temple in Naichi Yamatai at Kōya. Siddhism faced strong resistance in some of the states but was readily embraced by others, increasing tensions between the Yamataian states. In order to resist the spread of Siddhism, religious leaders of the native Yamataian religion began attempts to organise their faith and laying the foundations of organised Michi.

In 710, the Shinyu War (辛酉) broke out between the Tachibana State and Munemoto State over the execution of several Siddhist monks from Tachibana by Munemoto troops, quickly drawing in most of the other states and becoming a confrontation between Michiist and Siddhist states. By the end of the war in 732, the Munemoto State had expanded to occupy all of Harukuni and Hoshima, with only the Kuramoto State on Akitsukuni and the Miyazaki State on Hasukuni remaining independent. This began the Three States Period.

The relative peace and stability of the Three States Period enabled important cultural developments to flourish in Yamatai, such as the emergence of Yamataian literature and the beginning of work on the Sashizuki, the central religious text of Michi. Michi also experienced a major development with the establishment of the Kamamori Shrine by the Munemoto govenrment in 785, which aimed to organise and standardise Michi practices across the state.

The Munemoto government devised and implemented the Akagi Reforms in 799, which reformed the government to resemble that of Chanha's and implemented a household registry as the basis of a new taxation system. Though these reforms and the structure of the Munemoto government were inspired by Chanha, the Munemoto remained militantly opposed to Siddhism and also refused to do trade with Siddhist Hinomoto. At the same time, Siddhist Kuramoto and Miyazaki States saw an expansion of Siddhist-inspired artwork and architectural styles. These states also adopted government structures emulating that of Chanha, and also sent envoys to Hinomoto and the mainland to learn about writing, politics, and art.

In 855, the Munemoto Ariake, Munemoto no Hidesada, suddenly swore fealty to Empress Himiko, who was believed to be the reincarnation of the ancient Himiko, by this point considered a goddess of the Michi pantheon. Proclaiming her intent to reunify Yamatai, Himiko led the Munemoto State to invade Kuramoto and Miyazaki States in the 859 Kigai War (癸亥), successfully unifying Yamatai in 865. On 7 May 865, Himiko declared the formation of the Empire of Yamatai at a site on Tenzan Mountain, near modern-day Yamato City.

Following the unification of Yamatai, major governmental and religious reforms were carried out. Though Siddhism was officially banned, the religion remained popular with the former ruling classes of the former Kuramoto and Miyazaki and continued to be practiced in secret. The far-reaching Kashiwagi Reforms in 869 built upon the previous Akagi Reforms to increase the centralisation of power in Yamatai. In addition to expanding the taxation system, all land in Yamatai was nationalised and redistributed to cultivators according to a complex process inspired by both Chanhan practices and Michi traditions. In 875, the Kashiwagi Code was promulgated, widely considered the first constitution of Yamatai, which consolidated existing statutes of law and established the structure of the central government and the local governments. Work on demarcating and mapping the first official system of provinces began in 875, a project that would only be completed in 898.

Conflicts between the Yamataian Empire and the Kejin tribes (毛人) of Oshima intensified as the Yamataians began expanding into Oshima, settling around the fertile Mizuho Plain. In 935, Takanashi no Katsuhiko was dispatched by the Empress to subjugate the tribes and conquer Oshima in the Northern Expedition. The campaign was completed in 946, completing the unification of the Naichi archipelago under the Yamataian Empire. While most of the Kejin tribes were defeated, three became recognised as official clans (Inoue, Yonanoue, and Sakanoue) in the Yamataian system and were allowed to participate in local government.

During this period, Chanhan influence in Yamatai decreased, allowing native arts and culture to flourish. This included new architectural styles and the development of the native Yamataian Hyōkana syllabary in the 9th century. Native Yamataian literature developed greatly during this era, with one of the earliest Yamataian texts being , written in the 10th or 11th century. The Gensokyo Chronicles, collected and expanded between 973 and 1095 by multiple authors, is often regarded as the world's first novel series.

As the Munemoto Clan's dominance of the Yamataian government began to wane in the 12th century, the ban on Siddhism was eventually relaxed and Siddhists were again able to practice openly. In 1110, the Siddhist priest Fudō (不動) founded Kishinist Siddhism at the Ijō Temple. Government funds were allocated to building new Siddhist temples for the first time in 1187. At the same time, the Kamamori Shrine's influence over Michi expanded, with the Kamamorist hierarchical administration essentially encompassing all major Michi shrines in Yamatai by the early 13th century.

The rapidly increasing population in the 13th century resulted in land shortages in eastern Yamatai, resulting in peasant rebellions in northern Hasukuni and southern Akitsukuni that were put down by the Imperial Army. Despite the large amount of land available in Oshima, the local landed gentry refused to sell their lands to the government for redistribution. A particular sticking point between the government in Yamato and the Oshiman clans was the fertile lands of the Mizuho Plain, which the local clans refused to give up.

In 1290, Mount Tenzan erupted in one of the most powerful eruptions in recorded history, causing the peak to collapse into a caldera, which is now Tengoku Lake. The eruption caused a brief period of significant climate change over the Yamataian archipelago and resulted in the destruction of the original city of Yamato and surrounding settlements, forcing the evacuation of the monarchy and the government to Yuki City in the north.

The climate shift caused by the eruption resulted in severe hardships over the following years, with major famines in Akitsukuni and Harukuni recorded in consecutive years from 1290 to 1295. As much as 20% of the population is believed to have perished during this period. The importance of the fertile Mizuho Plain and the farmland across Oshima became even more apparent as the region quickly became the largest producer of rice and other staples in Yamatai. The landed producers in Oshima attempted to capitalise on this by increasing prices and demanding concessions from the government. In 1327, the government attempted to increase quotas and taxes to place pressure on the Mizuho and Yamashiro Provinces, which was resisted by the local government, citing the danger of inciting a peasant revolt. Later that year, several provinces in Oshima declared secession from the Empire, beginning the Mizuho War. Led by Tsugunaga Atsumochi, the Imperial Army attacked Oshima and regained control of the Mizuho Plain, subjugating the rebel provinces and reclaiming the region by 1330.

In 1353, Yamato was rebuilt and the government moved back to the city, marking the start of the early modern period of Yamataian history.

Early Modern Period
In 1356, Empress Fusome moved her seat to Miyako on Akitsukuni, named after the ancient Miyako Kingdom. The remoteness of Miyako and the role of the Empress becoming increasingly focus on religious duties rather than governance resulted in the beginning of a long decline of the central government's power. The Black Sash Rebellion in 1410 caused widespread disruption across the country before the Imperial Court could decide on a course of action, driving many local governors and clan leaders to hire mercenaries or begin raising their own private armies to protect their holdings. This was ignored or intentionally overlooked by the Imperial Court. In 1433, Empress Yoteyo moved the capital back to Sanjo-Kyo, which was rebuilt as Yamato.

Concerned by Hinoan attempts to form an alliance with Kazaharan Shirakawa on the mainland, Yamatai invaded Hinomoto in the 1452 Shinbi War (辛未), sending a large force led by Nakatomi Terunaga and comprising of both Imperial Army and the private armies of some clan leaders who also served as officers in the Imperial Army. The war quickly bogged down and would only end in 1465 when Taikun Nakanoin no Kiyohiko agreed not to form an alliance with Shirakawa, without a major victory won against Hinomoto's feudal clans. The disgrace in the Shinbi War caused major social upheavals in the Imperial Court as the clan leaders began to blamed the Imperial Army's poor leadership for the campaign's failure, and also sought compensation for their expenses in the war. The Imperial Court acquiesced to several of the clan leaders' demands, paying them large sums and officially recognising their right to raise private armies.

As the authority of the central government continuously declined, the clans' territories became synonymous with local government, with clan holdings largely stabilising on provincial lines by 1500. The size of the Imperial Army also decreased. Originally, professional officers were recruited directly from the clans, but as they began to serve in their own clans' private armies, there were insufficient officers and the Imperial Army was downsized to the point that it was only capable of defending Yamato and relied heavily on "brushstroke generals"; scholars and civil servants with little military experience or interests, pressed to be Imperial Army officers in order to advance their careers.

In 1501, after returning from a three-year tour of Hinomoto and the mainland, Akamatsu Tomomochi attempted to form a Taikunate in Yamatai centred on his capital at Akagi, intending to form a secondary government separate from the Imperial Court. This triggered the lengthy Kōjutsu War (甲戌), also known as the First Yamataian Civil War, which was initially between pro-Akamatsu Taikunate and pro-Imperial Government factions, but eventually evolved into a general war for supremacy among the Yamataian clans. The central government, unable to act due to the poor state of the Imperial Army, largely left the war to develop on its own. Some clans began importing large amounts of weaponry with the mainland and Hinomoto, introducing firearms into Yamatai by 1515.

The Kojutsu War reached a turning point in 1524, when Morikawa Fusakata became the first to swear direct loyalty to the Hinoan Taikun Nakanoin no Teruhiko, who immediately sent a large force to assist his new vassal and invaded Yamatai. The arrival of the Hinoans caused another major schism to form among the Yamataian clans, and some clans swore their allegiance to the Hinoan Taikun. Fighting continued until 1530, when the final Yamataian clans surrendered to Taikun Nakanoin no Teruhiko and agreed to pay tribute to him.

During this period of Hinoan rule, the Hinoan Taikun was the de facto ruler of Yamatai, receiving regular tribute from the Yamataian clans while ruling from his traditional seat at Mikawa on Hinomoto. Nonetheless, the clans still paid minimal taxes and officially swore their national loyalty to the Imperial Court in Yamato, which never officially acknowledged the Taikun's de facto dominance over the Yamataian clans. At the same time, the Taikunate also never made any attempts to disrupt the Yamataian Imperial Court or to usurp the authority of the Empress. The only areas in which the Imperial Court attempted to push back against the Hinoans was in matters of religion, as the Hinoans attempted to push for an expansion of Siddhism in Yamatai.

Yamataian clans also participated in the 1571 Hinoan invasion of Chisei under Taikun Nakanoin no Yasuhiko III, which lasted until 1591, when the mainland territories were invaded by Saramosir and Hinoan forces withdrew. This conflict with the mainland eventually led to the Shirakawan invasion of Hinomoto in 1611. Lasting three years, the Shirakawans eventually gained the upper hand and the Taikun and many of the Hinoan clans retreated to Yamatai, re-establishing the Taikunate at Satsuma City. These Hinoan clans, including the Taikun's Nakanoin Clan, lost all of their land possessions and became known disparagingly as Botsuhan Clans (沒藩), nonetheless retaining their prestige and status in the Taikunate. This caused dissent among some of the Yamataian clans, who viewed the Botsuhan as undeserving of their noble status.

Michi saw a major development in the 17th century, when a schism formed within the Michi clergy regarding the degree to which the unified Kamamori Shrine should oppose the Hinoans' promotion of Siddhism. In 1634, the Kannushi Sixth Ascendant Ayanokouji Saneyoshi and his followers were exiled to Sakurajima, where he founded the Kiyoshi Path and began training an anti-Siddhist militia. This marked the start of Michi's split into multiple denominations, and the further erosion of any authority the Yamataian Imperial Court held beyond Yamato.

In 1676, the Taikun Nakanoin no Nobuhiko II launched a costly invasion of Hinomoto, retaking the island from the Chiseians by 1678. As the Hinoan clans were bereft of land holdings and forces, the vast majority of troops used in this invasion were levied from the Yamataian clans. While the Taikunate returned to Mikawa after the war, many of the Hinoan clans refused to return to Hinomoto, preferring to maintain their titles without having to administer land holdings. Many minor Yamataian clans instead took control of the lands on Hinomoto.

The aftermath of the retaking of Hinomoto resulted in increased discontent among the Yamataian clans against the Hinoan Taikun, both due to the Botsuhan issue as well as insufficient compensation for their losses in the war, which many of the clans had also been privately opposed to. Several Yamataian clans began conspiring to carry out a general rebellion against the Taikunate, though this would not gain much traction until 1705, when Minagawa Kanemoto and several other major clan leaders issued the Thirty Demands to the Taikun Nakanoin no Tamehiko. This eventually led to the Akibashi Incident on June 14, 1710, when Minagawa and several allies confronted Botsuhan leaders at the Akibashi Bridge in Satsuma. Minagawa's death in the ensuing duel galvanised support for the anti-Hinoan cause, and in April 1711 the Kichū War (己丑), also known as the Second Yamataian Civil War, broke out.

Initially fought as an anti-Hinoan war, the Kawahireya Conference (川鰭屋) in 1714 resulted in an agreement by the rebel clans to restore the Imperial Court and to restore the Empress as the absolute leader of Yamatai. Scholar Morishita Miyuki managed to gain access to Empress Chinami, convincing her to return to her governing role and to endorse the rebel forces. With the rebels united under the Empress's banner, many more Yamataian clans joined the rebellion, and the last clans loyal to the Taikun fell in 1717.

On 25 May 1717, Empress Chinami and issued the Proclamation of the Second Empire, declaring a return to centralised government and the formation of the Second Empire of Yamatai. As a result of the Hinoan loss in the war and expulsion from the Naichi Archipelago, turmoil engulfed the Nakanoin Taikunate, and the Fukumura Clan took over control of the Hinoan Taikunate after the Hinoan Civil War (1719-1722).

Early Modern Period OLD VER
Yamatai became embroiled in numerous affairs involving Hinomoto and the mainland Kazahara Dynasty in the 16th century. An alliance between Yamatai and Hinomoto was formed in 1565 through the marriage of one of the Yamataian princes and one of the Hinoan Shogun's nieces, beginning a period of intermarriage between the Yamataian Imperial House and the Hinoan Sakuma Dynasty. Hinomoto was essentially absorbed into the Yamataian Empire, and the Hinoan Shogun became a vassal to the Empress of Yamatai, granting them and the Hinoan clans access to Yamataian Imperial Court.

During this period, Yamatai also joined the Age of Discovery, with Yamataian explorers reaching Antar and as far as Amphia. A permanent Yamataian trading station was established in the Songese city of Hai Phượng in 1570, marking the beginning of a long period of Yamataian influence over that region.

In 1571, Yamatai invaded Kitahashi on the mainland, beginning a period of War with Shirakawa. The expeditionary wars lasted over a decade and ended in 1582 with a peace treaty with Uraan, leaving Yamatai in control of substantial areas of the mainland. Marking the greatest extent of Yamatai's territorial domination until the colonial era, Yamataian rule over the mainland ended following numerous rebellions and clashes with other mainland states. This culminated in the 1590 Saramosir-Yamatai War and the abandonment of the mainland by Yamatai in 1591.

Tensions remained high between Yamatai and the mainland, now under the Shun Dynasty, and in 1611 the Shirakawans invaded Hinomoto in the Second Shiro-Yamataian War, conquering the island by late 1612. However, an attempt to invade the Naichi Archipelago was thwarted by a major tsunami in the Sea of Yashima that heavily damaged the Shirakawans' invasion fleet shortly after landing, a phenomenon that came to be known as the Kaminami. Petitions by the Shogunate and the Hinoan clans to the Imperial Court for Yamatai to retake Hinomoto were rejected by the war-weary clans. With their fiefs on Hinomoto lost, the Shogun of Hinomoto and the surviving Hinoan clans residing in Yamatai were scorned by the Yamataian clans for receiving similar social standing while owning no lands, becoming known disparagingly as Botsuhan Clans (沒藩), meaning "no domains". Nonetheless, the Sakuma Dynasty largely retained its prestige and protected its vassals through the intermarriages with the Yamataian Imperial House.

Following the loss of Hinomoto, the Hinoan clans and sympathetic Yamataian allies began a long-term conspiracy to achieve enough political power to force Yamatai to retake Hinomoto. Political machinations amongst the Botsuhan Clans and the Yamataian Imperial Court ultimately resulted in Sakuma Masatame becoming the Shogun, while his daughter Princess Fusono unprecedentedly became the Crown Princess of Yamatai through her marriage to Prince Yasuharu. Concerned by this turn of events, several influential Yamataian clan leaders attempted to confront the Botsuhan clan leaders at the Akibashi bridge in Yamato, resulting in the Akibashi Massacre and removing several potential obstacles to the Hinoan plans. In 1633, Empress Kanao died of natural causes and Princess Fusono acceded to the throne as Empress Momiji II, becoming the first non-Yamataian to take the throne and the first to break the Imperial bloodline in history.

Almost immediately, the Jinshin Rebellion (壬申) broke out as many Yamataian clans opposed the coronation of Momiji II, which essentially placed Shogun Sakuma Masatame in control of Yamatai. These rebel clans were opposed by the clans that were allied with the Hinoan clans, and the rebellion was rapidly put down. Concerned about the safety of Momiji II's brother-in-law Prince Suketoki, who was still a child but could eventually produce a legitimate heir to the Imperial Throne, the legendary Ichibashi Masanari spirited Suketoki away to the mainland, where he was sequestered with the friendly Shirakawan Araragi Clan.

Ostensibly as punishment for the Jinshin Rebellion, the Sakuma Clan began to remove the autonomy of many of the rebellious Yamataian clans, primarily through revoking their territorial rights through Momiji II's power, granting these lands to the Hinoan clans or the allied Yamataian clans. Heavy taxation of the domains and conscript levies were also enacted as the Hinoans plotted to retake Hinomoto from the Shirakawans. Most of the remaining Yamataian clans chafed under Hinoan rule, but cooperated out of respect for the Imperial Throne and fear of having their holdings eroded further. During this period, the Yamataian Empress became nothing more than a figurehead for the Hinoan Shogun.

By the mid-17th century, contact with the Crosswind Sea cultures, as well as Ordan and Antaric traders, had increased trade and cultural exchange. Yamataian clans that had lost their wealth due to taxation and land reappropriation began to form large trading companies and banks, forming the roots of the powerful trade conglomerates that would eventually dominate the Yamataian economy.

In 1676, Yamatai invaded Hinomoto in the Third Shiro-Yamataian War, one of the most bloody conflicts in Escar up to that point. The violent conflict resulted in numerous Yamataian casualties, with several of the most rebellious Yamataian clan leaders and warriors killed in the conflict. Even after the reclamation of Hinomoto, many of the Botsuhan Clans remained in Yamatai, though the Shogunate returned its seat of power to Mikawa. As a result of the Botsuhan refusing to return to Hinomoto, several minor Hinoan and even loyal Yamataian clans were granted land on Hinomoto, forming a new generation of Hinoan feudal clans.

A peasant uprising occurred in the Western Naichi in 1682 following a massive famine. This Black Sash Rebellion, which was partly instigated by Yamataian rebel clans, caused the Shogunate to establish the Niwashi Corps (庭師), a secret police force used to enforce the Shogunate's will. Around this time, a rumour emerged that a legitimate heir to the Bamboo Throne existed, leading to massive manhunts by both the Niwashi Corps and rebel clans throughout Yamatai, though only a select few knew of the existence of the Yamataian royalty hiding in Shirakawa.

Continual meddling by the Shogunate in the affairs of the Kamamori Shrine culminated in the Shrine becoming almost a mouthpiece for Shogunate propaganda and the heart of an attempt by Shogun Sakuma Sadatame to rewrite Yamataian history. This resulted in a split within the Shrine between the Traditionalist Kamamorists and the Reformist Kamamorists led by the Kannushi Sixth Ascendant Ayanokouji Saneyoshi, who challenged the pro-Hinomoto actions of the rest of the Kannushi Conclave and led a movement to protect and re-examine the Sashizuki. Ayanokouji and his followers were exiled to Sakurajima in 1695, where he secretly founded a new school of Michi, the Kiyoshi Shrine.

As internal issues began to plague the Hinoan Shogunate due to the rise of the Fukumura Clan and their challenge to the Sakuma Clan's leadership of the Shogunate, rebellious activity against the Hinoan rulers began throughout Yamatai. In 1708, Ayanokouji Saneyoshi survived an attempt on his life by the Niwashi Corps, subsequently leading an armed uprising spearheaded by the Kiyoshi Shrine against the rulers of Hōshima, the pro-Hinomoto Suganuma Clan. This Hōshima Rebellion is popularly viewed to have marked the start of the wider movement to remove Hinoan rule over Yamatai and re-establish the legitimate Empress's power.

In 1715, Princess Chinami, the grand-daughter of Prince Suketoki and the legitimate heir of the Imperial Throne, was escorted from Wanshu to Satsuma by Ichibashi Genji, a descendant of Ichibashi Masanari. There, she met with Ayanokouji Saneyoshi, egalitarian scholar Morishita Miyuki, and five rebellious clan leaders at the Kawahireya Meeting (川鰭屋). The clan leaders swore fealty to her and pledged to restore her to the Imperial Throne. Led by Kobuin Yuhi, the rebellious clans formed the Yamatai Imperial Army by combining their clan armies and declared war on the Sakuma Empress, beginning the Yamataian Civil War. Lasting almost two years and quickly encompassing the entire Naichi archipelago, in January 1717 the Sakuma Empress finally abdicated the throne and fled to Hinomoto, ending the Yamataian Civil War.

On 25 May 1717, Princess Chinami was coronated as the Empress, and issued the Proclamation of the Second Empire, declaring that she would form a new government with the assistance of the victorious loyal clans. As a result of the Hinoan loss in the war, turmoil engulfed the Sakuma Shogunate, and the Fukumura Clan took over control of the Hinoan Shogunate shortly after.

Colonial Period
With the establishment of the Second Empire of Yamatai, the nation returned to a form of absolute monarchy with the Empress in a political role. Influenced by egalitarianist scholar Morishita Miyuki, Empress Chinami planned to enact governmental reforms based on the Chiseian model, which she had witnessed first-hand growing up in Chisei, a grand political restructuring known as the Aozora Revolution. The new system would abolish the old feudal system, replaced by impartial examinations to progress in levels of authority, open to all levels of society. The five clans that swore their loyalty to the Empress were to be recognised as the Regent Houses of Yamatai, while the other clans that had been loyal were to be rewarded with assured places in the new government. Pro-Sakuma clans were stripped of their properties or exiled. Declared the first Imperial First Minister, Morishita Miyuki led the creation of the Aozora Constitution, the first Yamataian constitution.

During this period, Yamatai's colonial ambitions and economy grew dramatically. Following the 1773 Nhâm Thìn War with the Song Empire, the Yamataian Empress was made the monarch of the Song, and Yamatai began directly colonising and developing the region as Yamataian Ekuni, bringing lucrative colonial resources to fuel the Yamataian economy. Yamatai also began developing the Imoshima colonies on Sahil, forming alliances and unequal pacts with the local rulers to get access to vital resources, luxury goods, and strategic trading posts for the increasing trade with Amphia. Trade conglomerates began to emerge and grow in power, dominating the economy and diversifying to a multitude of industries. Yamatai became one of the leaders of the industrial revolution in Escar, rapidly modernising its industry, military strength, and also leading to education becoming more widespread, raising literacy rates dramatically even amongst the lower classes.

As trade with Amphia along the Crosswind Sea route intensified, a nationwide fad surrounding foreign culture, primarily Ordan, emerged, known as the Nanbunka (南文化). This phenomenon led to the introduction and consumption of a vast array of foreign elements, ranging from music, architectural styles, fashions, cuisines, arts, languages and more. Considered highly exotic and mysterious, the impact of the Nanbunka phenomenon could be felt mainly amongst the wealthy trading families and urban middle class, particularly in the port cities of southern Yamatai. Nanbunka faced severe criticism from traditionalist elements of society, particularly the ruling elite and the religious clergy, as well as the increasingly educated urban lower classes.

By the early 19th century, Yamatai was a major colonial power that competed heavily with Chisei in the colonial arena, with both states vying for domination of the Crosswind Sea and later the exploration and colonisation of Valeya, with Yamatai colonising Kitayōshima in 1800, and Miraikuni in 1808. In 1826, the Great Niihama Fire burned down much of the port city, believed to have been caused by a revenge plot by a group of Ordan traders. This erupted outrage throughout the country against foreigners, and the Senbonzakura Movement began in Yamato, spearheaded by students and vocally supported by then-Crown Princess Kayako, along with a group of ruling elites that believed this would weaken the increasingly-uncontrollable trade associations. Declaring foreign culture to be destroying Yamataian culture and eroding the traditional Yamataian values, the Senbonzakura Movement aimed to purge Yamatai of negative foreign cultural influence.

As the Senbonzakura movement swept across the nation, violence broke out in cities throughout the country, causing chaos, loss of life, and heavy property damage. Several foreigners were also murdered or imprisoned by the rioters. With the government unable to quickly resolve the crisis, in order to bring the chaos under control the Yamataian military launched the April 13 Coup on 13 April 1839 under Grand Admiral Sakamura Masamitsu, who had the approval of now-Empress Kayako.

Imperialist Period
The Sakura Revolution began with the installation of a military regime in Yamatai, led by the Yamataian Imperial High Council. Martial law and a general crackdown across the nation led to the restoration of order by the end of the year. Meanwhile, major changes were made to the government, beginning with the adoption of the Sakura Constitution and the dismantling of the old civilian government. Ultranationalism and an increased focus on a government-warped version of Yamataian history and culture were heavily promoted, and a cult of personality was established around the Empress of Yamatai, creating a distinctive ideology later known as Kayakoism. Many strategic industries and private businesses were also nationalised, or placed under the oversight of military officials.

Between 1839 and 1855, the new government also sought to bring the colonies under their direct rule in order to increase resource extraction and to ensure a secure control over strategic resources and sealanes. The Unequal Treaties of Nha Trang and Cửulong River War ensured Yamatai's conquest over Nanyōkuni by 1855, establishing the colonial state of Yamataian Nanyōkuni, while the Subjugation of Kita Imoshima in 1843 created the colonial state of Yamataian Kita Imoshima with the elimination or coercion of the native Sahilese chieftains. In Valeya, Kitayōshima and Miraikuni were consolidated as Yamataian Shinkoku. With robust supply lines in place, Yamatai underwent a vigorous industrialisation and militarisation, with the Yamatai Imperial Navy becoming the second-largest naval force in Escar by 1850.

Yamatai's rapid expansion and competition with Chisei for supremacy in Escar eventually culminated in its involvement in numerous regional wars to cement its position as a great power. In 1863, Yamatai attacked Arshavat in the Second Northern War, and later annexed Hinomoto with the Treaty of Fujishima in 1867. The rapid expansion of Yamatai was met with concern by the other Escaric states, and Chisei and Chanha began taking steps to contain Yamatai's expansion. Subsequently, Yamatai defeated Chanha in the First Shen-Yamataian War of 1868, seizing the islands of Huangwan and Wodao, further confirming Yamatai as a force to be reckoned with in the region.

This series of conquests against the traditionally superior mainland Escaric states emboldened the Yamataian regime, and nationalist rhetoric began developing to include racialist ideas and the increasingly prevalent idea that Yamatai was "divinely destined" to unify the peoples of the Yashiman race, which was said to include Chisei, Shojin, and later Yeongseon. As a symbol of Yamatai's great progress, in 1873 the capital city was moved from Yamato to the planned city of Heian, built near the culturally significant Mount Aozora.

By the 20th century, the colonial competition between Yamatai and Chisei intensified into numerous bush wars in Valeya. These conflicts eventually led to a direct clash between the two powers in 1918, when the First Escar-Varunan War broke out. During the conflict, Yamatai defeated the superior Chiseian Royal Navy and carried out a direct invasion of Chisei, attaining an unexpected victory and shifting the regional balance of power greatly. Yamatai directly administered the occupied part of Chisei as the New Territories. The nation experienced massive economic growth during the interbellum years, fed by the large amounts of resources and manpower from its colonial empire, as well as international trade flowing to Yamatai instead of Chisei. Uncontrolled speculation led to a massive economic bubble, which collapsed in the 1935 Escaric economic crisis.

Due to the Yamataian government's reliance on central planning and inefficient state-owned corporations, Yamatai struggled to deal with the economic crisis. In 1937, Chisei attempted to reclaim its occupied territories, beginning the Second Escar-Varunan War. With the war coming to encompass the entirety of Escar, Yamatai and its Niihama Pact ally Kuiju were drawn into overextending their forces against both the Escaric Allies and Arshavat. In 1944, Yamatai signed a ceasefire treaty with the Escaric Allies in order for the two sides to focus on containing the threat of Arshavat's expansion of the communist sphere. Yamatai ended its fighting with Arshavat in 1945 with the Treaty of Hai Phuong, and officially ended the war with the Escaric Allies at the 1949 Treaty of Eito.

In the post-war period, Yamatai was in a poor state to carry out post-war rebuilding due to having lost control of most of its colonial empire as well as Hinomoto, which was occupied by the Allies. Poor leadership and a series of power struggles in the upper echelons of the Yamataian military compounded the ongoing economic and humanitarian problems. In 1949, a succession crisis for the position of Imperial Grand Marshal eventually enabled Okabe Nariakira to seize control. Carrying out sweeping reforms, Okabe endeavoured to end the military control over the government in order to enable Yamatai to recover from the war and rejoin the global post-war order.

A highly controversial leader, Okabe carried out privatisation of industries, removed the ban on political parties, empowered local governments and the long-vestigial Teikoku Gikai, and introduced civilians into the Imperial High Council, though the Okabe regime was still marked by brutal suppression of political opposition and civilian protests, and controversial abuses of loopholes in international treaties and agreements. With his plan supported by Empress Kiyono, on 1 July 1957 Okabe stepped down as the Imperial Grand Marshal and retired from the military, and was immediately appointed without election as the first civilian Prime Minister of Yamatai, ending 118 years of military rule. The current Yamataian constitution was also ratified by the Teikoku Gikai on the same day.

Democratic Period
Yamatai struggled to rebuild its shattered economy and international relations during the 1950s, suffering under demands for war reparations and sanctions imposed by the Allies. Okabe worked to improve Yamatai's post-war image and ensured the nation was active on the anti-communist front to repair relations with the Escaric Allies. In a breakthrough in international relations, Chisei and Yeongseon formed the Three Powers Alliance with Yamatai in 1953 to better coordinate the defence of the Song Republic in South-East Escar. Okabe's government took large amounts of foreign loans from nations as far away as Amphia in order to repair and expand infrastructure, while the Yamataian military was kept small to appease the other Escaric states.

As the Escaric Divide unfolded, the Hoaian War occurred in 1957, when the Union of Dai Hoa invaded the Song Republic. The Three Powers Alliance were unable to defeat Arshavat-supported Dai Hoa in the proxy war, which lasted until 1960 with a Hoaian victory and the full withdrawal of Alliance forces. Yamatai's limited involvement due to its weak military was considered one of the key reasons that the war was lost, prompting the Escaric states to quietly withdraw their requests for wartime reparations as well as the remaining sanctions placed on Yamatai. Yamatai would become a founding member of the Heian Cooperation Organisation in 1963.

In April 1961, Yamatai held its first democratic elections in history, with Okabe running against a plethora of new political parties and candidates for Prime Minister. Accompanied by allegations of economic fraud and voter intimidation, Okabe won the elections by a close margin. The next year, however, he was suddenly assassinated by ultranationalist terrorists, forcing snap elections in August 1962. Okudera Gunzo of the Yamatai Restoration Party became the first post-Okabe Prime Minister to take office, beginning a campaign to grow the domestic economy through expansion of the service sector in order to return the massive loans Okabe had taken. Okudera also attempted to improve the relations between Yamatai and its neighbours by personally apologising for the devastation caused by Yamatai in the Endwar.

In 1974, the Allies' 30-year occupation of Hinomoto came to an end, and Hinomoto was handed over to Yamatai as a self-governing Special Autonomous Region in 1974. Outrage amongst Hinoan nationalists began an insurgency that would plague Hinomoto for years to come. Yamatai became a nuclear weapons state after successfully testing a nuclear weapon in 1976. Yamatai became globally known for producing innovative and high-quality electronics and cheap automobiles in the 1980s. Yamataian culture began experiencing a new surge in popularity as foreign consumers became increasingly interested in Yamataian food, films and animation.

In 1990, the Yamataian government declared the Hinomoto Insurrection over in an attempt to increase investment in Hinomoto. This angered some officers in the Yamataian military, culminating in the 1991 Heian Incident, a coup attempt by ultranationalists that sought to restore the old military dictatorship by securing the Empress's approval, though it was quickly put down. This brief crisis and the ensuing mismanagement of the economic downturn by Prime Minister Kawamura Hideki led to the slowing of the Yamataian economy in the 1990s. The 1997 Hasukuni earthquake, accompanied by a tsunami, was the largest to hit Yamatai in recent history. It caused over 12,000 deaths and large amounts of property damage, which was poorly handled by the government and prompted the resignation of the Kawamura cabinet. The YRP lost the subsequent general elections, and for the first time the Democratic Party of Yamatai achieved the majority and Watanabe Tadao became the Prime Minister on a platform of economic rejuvenation.

Besides repairing the disaster damage by enlisting the aid of international corporations, Watanabe's government enacted several pro-competition reforms to increase foreign investment in Yamatai, while carrying out cautious partial-privatisation of key state-owned corporations. Yamatai was also one of the first Western Escaric countries to take advantage of the liberalisation of Dai Hoa. Tight fiscal policy and the implementation of a goods and services tax increased government income and enabled the implementation of various infrastructure upgrade initiatives in 2002. However, Watanabe's cabinet was forced to resign in 2003 following the Mizuno Land Scandal involving the Land Minister having ties to the Gokudo, enabling the YRP under Morito Tatsuya to retake control. Later the same year, Empress Kiyono died at the age of 90, passing the throne to her daughter Empress Keiko.

Yamatai was involved in the 2010 Masukan War, the HECO military intervention in Masuka. Due to her personal opposition to the war and her own ailing health, Empress Keiko abdicated the throne in the same year, with her daughter Empress Kazuko becoming the Yamataian Empress. In 2015, Yamamoto Hanako became the Prime Minister after defeating the incumbent Ishihara Junichiro. Seeking to address the slow recession that Yamatai had been experiencing since the 1990s, Yamamoto pursued a three-pronged strategy of aggressive monetary policy, fiscal consolidation, and sustainable growth strategy. The Yamamoto cabinet has also attempted to address Yamatai's shrinking population problem by easing immigration policies and attracting foreign talents.