Chapter 200: Bitterness Before Sweetness

The census near Kizikus has ended. After Timur's Western Expedition, there are still 420,000 people gathered here. A large part of them are ordinary people who escaped, and they are all Christians.

Farmers settled mainly in the coastal plains, while nomads followed tribes in the mountains. The Governor ordered the construction of several roads to connect these areas together. Locally produced furs, cotton and other products can also be shipped to the port for sale, allowing it to quickly restore its economy.

The basic framework of the church was established, one dome formally replaced another, and missionaries opened schools and hospitals to bring lost people back to the right path.

The inn system and newspapers also spread to Anatolia, and cultural information exchanges became frequent.

“I heard that if you take the exam in Constanta, you can become an official.”

"It's true, I'm afraid it's not the lord's lie."

"Really, I saw it with my own eyes."

Some businessmen who came back from the Balkans talked about their insights in Constanta. They had never seen the wealth and culture there, especially the military and elected officials. Civilians could also change their lives against the will of nature. Why wouldn't this make people happy? Excited, they lamented that good times are coming and shouted long live for the Bartland family.

Speaking of Constanta, this city on the Black Sea coast has grown into a large port with a capacity of nearly 50,000 people. Various commodities from the Black Sea will be sold or resold here. The local textile industry, metallurgy, shipbuilding and other industries are also very prosperous. In addition, there are universities, libraries, etc. in the area, and the cultural atmosphere is strong.

The history of Wallachia compiled by the University of Constanta has been completed. This history book from the conquest of Dacia by the Roman Empire to the establishment of the Principality of Wallachia has filled in the gaps in the history of Wallachia.

Before the Roman Empire crossed the Danube River, it belonged to a powerful country - the Kingdom of Dacia. Under the leadership of the great leader Brebista, Dacia's national power flourished: but the good times did not last long. The Roman Empire had coveted the wealthy Dacia for a long time. It invaded many times and was repeatedly attacked by Dacia in more than 100 years. The people's political and military resistance was tenacious and they failed to succeed. In the spring of 87 AD, the Roman Emperor Domitian sent an expeditionary force to invade the country. King Decebal of Dacia responded calmly and led the Dacia army to defeat the enemy. In this battle, Decebal showed superb commanding skills, extraordinary strategic vision and overall view: the Dacian army lured the enemy deep into the area, and the Roman army then conducted an ambush after they penetrated deeply into the dangerous Orte Valley. Killed the Roman commander Phoscus and annihilated the Roman expeditionary force.

After Trajan came to the throne, he was determined to take down the hard nut of Dacia. He led 150,000 troops across the Danube and launched the Dacian War. Facing the powerful Roman army, Decebal formulated a strategic counterattack plan that can be called a classic in the history of war. He led the Dacian-Germanic-Salmit alliance army to avoid the Roman frontal attack and attack from the Dobroga region in the east. Cross the Danube River and then go west, going around the back of the Roman army to cut off the supply line between the Roman expeditionary force and the Roman mainland. After Trajan learned of Dacia's movements, he hurriedly transferred his main force eastward along the Danube River to prevent Dacia's surprise attack from behind. The battle lasted for several days and ended with a Roman victory. Rome then occupied Dacia and began a two-hundred-year rule.

Later, barbarians invaded and Rome had to give up the land north of the Danube. But the Romans living on this land stayed. For more than a thousand years, they suffered invasions from many nomadic tribes. There are very few documents left, so this period is called the Dark Ages in the book.

Wallachia gained independence from Hungary in 1330. After sixty years of various wars and events, Wallachia finally soared into the sky and became a great country spanning two continents. The things in this are the most detailed and exciting.

In addition to history, poetry, prose, architecture, painting, etc. have all made great progress and integration in Constanta. Mosaic paintings from Greece and tempera paintings from Northern Italy were introduced to Wallachia. As a large number of construction projects began, the demand for paintings rose sharply.

After dividing the Balkans with Morea, cultural exchanges between the two places became frequent. A large number of Greek scholars came to Wallachia, and nobles and merchants also admired Roman art and sponsored it heavily. For example, a nobleman from Tervono spent 4,000 lei to invest in some artistic elements.

The culture of ancient Greece and Rome was highly respected. As the center of ancient Greek culture, Athens has naturally become a gathering place for many intellectuals. They discussed philosophy and art in the dilapidated Acropolis. From Socrates to Plato and Aristotle, philosophy began to be revived, a cultural group began to form, and the Eastern version of the Renaissance began.

Constanta is undoubtedly one of the centers of the Renaissance. In addition to it, major cities such as Bukul Yesti, Iasi, Tervono, Skopje, and Adrian have also set off a retro style. These cities have one thing in common, that is, they are the most economically developed places and are the local economic centers.

Mircea and the Senate used all possible means to support the economy, from unifying currency and weights and measures to reducing taxes and subsidizing industries. No country in Europe had issued so many orders, but Wallachia did it. Although there was a small rebellion, it was all worth it.

It turns out that Wallachia's efforts were successful. All walks of life developed rapidly, exports soared, and domestic grain could not only meet its own needs, but also be exported. The number of wealthy classes such as rich farmers, factory owners, and wealthy businessmen increased, and the middle class such as teachers, doctors, and brokers also expanded rapidly. With the increase of these people, more taxes were collected, and they could also become social mediators.

Economic growth was also accompanied by the search for markets. Merchants formed small groups and went to Naples, Sicily, Lithuania and other places to follow the example of Venice and Genoa, establish trading posts and seek privileges. After the Ottoman Empire fell apart, Wallachia signed a trade treaty with Karaman and the Mamluks of Egypt. Wallachian merchants could do business in Antioch and Alexandria, and also obtained a small area of ​​local land as their special trading zone.

Wallachia began to threaten their lifeline. This sentence Wallachia began to threaten their lifeline. This sentence had a huge response in Venice. Everyone knew that Wallachia's entry into the Levant and Egypt was a threat to their spice routes. Every year they had to import spices worth up to 10 million gold coins from Egypt. Once Wallachia took root, Venice's profits would definitely decline, which they did not want to see.