Danish Expedition to India
Denmark has limited colonial presence in the Orient. It has made this up to some extent through principally focusing on China, where it is in fact a highly important part of the tea trade with China. Over a third of the import of tea into Europe has come on Scandinavian hulls, and Denmark represents an outsized proportion of this, perhaps around 2/3, therefor meaning that 20% of tea trade to Europe comes through Denmark. But in India itself, its trade and financial component is limited. Given the focus on colonial matters which is being currently encouraged by the Danish state, it has been decided that we should encourage our markets to expand there, and what could be done better than through conquest of certain vulnerable regions? In particular, Travancore!
Travancore is a small state in Southern India, which recently defeated the Dutch. Fortunately, we are quite certain that in contrast we will suffer no problems against them. The state has certain commercial benefits which we stand to gain in taking it. In addition to providing for a point for our ships to be resupplied in travelling to China, as it is on the very southern tip of India, there are crops such as coconut, tea, coffee, cashews, and spices, including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Furthermore it offers a spot for taking control of valuable Indian textile trades, and securing agricultural production for various Danish colonies around the Indian ocean, such as in Madagascar.
Building off these ideas, the Danish navy is set to escort a Danish army to the region, proceeded by funding to build up sepoy regiments to conduct much of the fighting - after all, it is extremely dangerous to attempt to deploy Europeans into India where their rates of disease are quite high, so it is expected that there will be substantial usage of sepoy troops to reduce casualties. They are to capture Travancore with an assault on Padmanabhapuram, landing troops with covering naval artillery. Before their arrival however, the Danish East India company will be engaging in very lengthy negotiations with dissident factions in the court to try to find native allies, and assuring those without a vested stake in the system of our intention to incorporate them on generous terms into a new order. We will also try to find regional allies like Mysore, or the Deccan states, who will assist us in war against Travancore or who we can use to attempt to tie down the Travancore army. Fast messenger boats are already in course for India right now, carrying the information, and they will arrive several months at least before our regular army - plenty of time to conduct such delicate negotiations and to gather information, reconnoiter the terrain, and prepare reports for the arriving military commanders to be aware of. Careful discussion will also occur with the Asiatic Company concerning various voyage and travel conditions, which the military will be made aware of to prevent them from suffering excessive losses, and liaisons from the company will be placed onboard.
Furthermore the Danish government has decided that it will be splitting the East Indies company into the Asiatic Company - which is still ongoing to China - and a regular East Indies Company which is for India itself. That way the highly profitable Asiatic Company with its focus on the China market, while still benefiting from the bases that we build up in India, won't be dragged down by the more expensive conditions which occur in India and by its strategic concerns. It has been well shown by the Dutch the dangers of having a unity company, and by keeping a careful separation between the two we can insure that two fundamentally different commercial programs are run on their own initiative. The East Indies Company will also be in charge of our Madagascar expedition. This will be presumably together enough by the time our forces arrive to help provide them with a stop-over point before travelling to the rest of India.
[code][b]Land forces[/b]
x3 Line Infantry Regiments
x1 Skirmisher Regiment
x2 Light Cavalry Regiments
x2 Field Artillery Regiments
[/code]
[code][b]Naval Forces[/b]
x3 third rate ships of the line (4.5)
x3 fifth rate frigates (3)
x6 unrated ships (1.5)[/code]
The soldiers will be transported on regular merchant ships of course, which will also help to expand our commercial influence in the East.
Their departure is expected from Copehangen at the next time that weather conditions permit them to travel to India correctly, which is no joining matter - there has to be coordination with monsoons and the Indian campaigning season.
Travancore is a small state in Southern India, which recently defeated the Dutch. Fortunately, we are quite certain that in contrast we will suffer no problems against them. The state has certain commercial benefits which we stand to gain in taking it. In addition to providing for a point for our ships to be resupplied in travelling to China, as it is on the very southern tip of India, there are crops such as coconut, tea, coffee, cashews, and spices, including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Furthermore it offers a spot for taking control of valuable Indian textile trades, and securing agricultural production for various Danish colonies around the Indian ocean, such as in Madagascar.
Building off these ideas, the Danish navy is set to escort a Danish army to the region, proceeded by funding to build up sepoy regiments to conduct much of the fighting - after all, it is extremely dangerous to attempt to deploy Europeans into India where their rates of disease are quite high, so it is expected that there will be substantial usage of sepoy troops to reduce casualties. They are to capture Travancore with an assault on Padmanabhapuram, landing troops with covering naval artillery. Before their arrival however, the Danish East India company will be engaging in very lengthy negotiations with dissident factions in the court to try to find native allies, and assuring those without a vested stake in the system of our intention to incorporate them on generous terms into a new order. We will also try to find regional allies like Mysore, or the Deccan states, who will assist us in war against Travancore or who we can use to attempt to tie down the Travancore army. Fast messenger boats are already in course for India right now, carrying the information, and they will arrive several months at least before our regular army - plenty of time to conduct such delicate negotiations and to gather information, reconnoiter the terrain, and prepare reports for the arriving military commanders to be aware of. Careful discussion will also occur with the Asiatic Company concerning various voyage and travel conditions, which the military will be made aware of to prevent them from suffering excessive losses, and liaisons from the company will be placed onboard.
Furthermore the Danish government has decided that it will be splitting the East Indies company into the Asiatic Company - which is still ongoing to China - and a regular East Indies Company which is for India itself. That way the highly profitable Asiatic Company with its focus on the China market, while still benefiting from the bases that we build up in India, won't be dragged down by the more expensive conditions which occur in India and by its strategic concerns. It has been well shown by the Dutch the dangers of having a unity company, and by keeping a careful separation between the two we can insure that two fundamentally different commercial programs are run on their own initiative. The East Indies Company will also be in charge of our Madagascar expedition. This will be presumably together enough by the time our forces arrive to help provide them with a stop-over point before travelling to the rest of India.
[code][b]Land forces[/b]
x3 Line Infantry Regiments
x1 Skirmisher Regiment
x2 Light Cavalry Regiments
x2 Field Artillery Regiments
[/code]
[code][b]Naval Forces[/b]
x3 third rate ships of the line (4.5)
x3 fifth rate frigates (3)
x6 unrated ships (1.5)[/code]
The soldiers will be transported on regular merchant ships of course, which will also help to expand our commercial influence in the East.
Their departure is expected from Copehangen at the next time that weather conditions permit them to travel to India correctly, which is no joining matter - there has to be coordination with monsoons and the Indian campaigning season.
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