Chapter 183 Colonial Experiment
Wallachia's taxes were much lower than those in other countries, but they were still relatively high for farmers, because a fixed annual tax replaced a large number of temporary taxes. Each peasant pays 80 baris, citizens pay 1 lei and 20 baris, and nobles pay a fixed proportion of tax based on their income and output.
In addition to these taxes, there are also salt monopoly, mineral tax, beekeeping tax, hotel tax, customs duties, etc., which together form the tax system of Wallachia.
Peter also pays taxes to the government every year. His income is composed of the following: 30,000 gold coins from the annual salt trade, 330,000 ducats from the Hanseatic League to buy out maltose, and 170,000 gold coins from dividends from the Chamber of Commerce and the Ross Company. In addition, the bank will also earn a large amount of handling fees and interest every year, plus the income of the Dobroga fiefdom. After all, Peter's small treasury has exceeded 1 million gold coins in recent years.
This kind of income has exceeded that of any other country. Even Mircea has to admit that Peter's earning power is unmatched in Europe. Moreover, after gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea, Peter immediately organized a few Jews and Vlachs to form the South China Sea Chamber of Commerce, which was responsible for competing for trade volume with Italian city-states such as Venice and Genoa.
In addition to this, they had another mission, which was to explore North Africa and Iberia, preferably to establish a permanent settlement.
That's right, although Peter was not interested in the New World on the surface, in fact he still wanted a piece of the pie. Who made the New World so rich in resources? Even if you spend ten lifetimes, you won't be able to use them all. So after gaining access to the Adriatic Sea, Peter sent a team composed of chambers of commerce and religious orders to head west.
Using Sicily as a springboard, they arrived at the city of Tunisia. This city destroyed by Rome prospered again because of its geographical location. After investigation, it was found that it was suitable for establishing a permanent settlement, but the local religious situation may not be so optimistic.
Continuing westward, they came to Sardinia and Algiers, and finally reached what they thought was the furthest point - the port of Ceuta.
Since the Carthaginian rule in the fifth century BC, Ceuta's geographical location has made it an important town on the trade route and a strategic military location. But after the Roman Empire occupied Ceuta in 42 AD, this poor city had only a military role. About 400 years later, the Vandals drove away the Romans, and then the Spanish Visigoths and the Eastern Roman Empire successively occupied this place.
In 710, a Muslim army approached Ceuta, but under the persuasion of Julian, ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom of Ceuta, the army turned to attack Spain. Therefore, Ceuta became the base for the Berber army to attack the Iberian Peninsula.
After 1249, Ceuta has been in a state of instability. It was then occupied by the Marin dynasty and subsequently became the most important port city in North Africa and also a base for Muslim pirates.
The team arrived here. After investigation, they found that one end of the place is connected to the gold and salt mines south of the Sahara, and the other end has extensive connections with Egypt, Mecca and other places. It is a rare and good place, and they learned from local businessmen that there is an ancient and busy trade route that can cross the Sahara Desert. In 20 days, they can reach the "green country" with lush forests and fertile land. From there you can get African pepper, gold, ivory. So we decided to colonize here.
Peter gave them a budget of 120,000 gold coins, and they established trading stations in three places: Sicily, Tunisia and Sardinia. In Ceuta, they finally spent 10,000 gold coins to convince the local chief executive to grant them a budget of 120,000 gold coins. They use 35 acres of land for business. This was the beginning of Wallachia in North Africa.
Peter tried every means to support the immature shipbuilding industry in Wallachia. The newly established shipyard was tax-free for five years, and the high prices attracted shipbuilders from various countries. He founded a navigation academy in Varna to train domestic sailors to improve their navigation skills; he established an observatory to attract geoscientists, cartographers, and Mathematicians and astronomers jointly researched and formulated plans and programs; extensively collected various documents and materials on geography, meteorology, trade winds, ocean currents, shipbuilding, navigation, etc., analyzed and organized them for their own use; and established a travel library, including "Marco" "Polo's Travels", he also collected many maps and drew new ones.
In addition, Peter also funded mathematicians and craftsmen to improve and make new navigation instruments. For example, the compass, quadrant, horizontal scale, etc. introduced from the East. As a land-sea composite country, most of Wallachia is still on land. Peter supports the navy, shipbuilding industry and colonization.
In order to support the communities and colonies that the church and chambers of commerce were expanding overseas, Peter had to find new sources of income. He encouraged the industrial development of the colonies and exempted and exempted taxes for three years, including the development of textile, printing and dyeing, fishing and other industries, and actively developed the sharecropping system to reduce the cost of colonization.
In addition to the New World, Peter also knew that there was a trans-Sahara trade, from which large amounts of gold were transported to Egypt and then to Europe. He didn't know if he could participate in this trade route that had lasted for hundreds of years. Before the discovery of the New World, a large amount of gold was shipped here to Europe.
In addition, a bank will be opened wherever a business station goes. This is because countries with strong finances will colonize more quickly. The reason why the industrially powerful German Empire cannot overtake France is because of the difference in financial strength. France has this reason It also received the title of usurious imperialism.
Wallachian banks are mainly run by Jews and some Wallachians. With their help, Wallachian banks have accumulated a lot of wealth. Most of their loans are to businessmen, so there is no need to worry about non-repayment. , unless Peter approves, no loan will be given to a certain monarch.
Wallachia expanded most rapidly in Sicily, Anatolia and Rus'. Expansion is easiest with government support, and population flows to Wallachia, which makes the quality of life here better than elsewhere. A steady stream of population is the basis for the growth of a country's strength.
Looking at it now, Peter and Wallachia spent a lot of money to encourage expansion and were unable to make ends meet, but the combination of the Order and the Chamber of Commerce for colonization can make Wallachia's control stronger. Rather than expanding colonies, they expanded territory. Even the colonies funded by Peter would be placed under the direct jurisdiction of the province after he succeeded to the throne. He had to keep the colony from losing money so that he could squeeze out more money for the army and other things.