Myamunu I

Myamunu I, also known as Angadu Myamunu or Myamunu the Great, was the 57th king of the Kingdom of Asidama. Myamunu I was instrumental in the opening of the country from its centuries-long and self-imposed isolation in 1698. He held office for 51 years, being crowned in 1693 and dying in 1744. Myamunu I is remembered for having led a cultural revolution which replaced much of the traditionalist social and political systems with ones which were more modernized. His reforms had a lasting impact on the kingdom, and many institutions of the modern government trace their origins to his reign. He developed the port city of Yan into the new royal capital, moving from the former capital at Angadu in 1721.

Early life
Myamunu I was born in the royal residence outside the royal capital of Angadu in 1671. He was the second-born son of King Icinagi III, although his older brother's death by fever a year later led to his being declared the new heir. He was educated from an early age by several tutors commissioned by his father, a king whose rule had been notably more worldly than those who had come immediately before.

Myamunu was appointed to the post of Master of Rites at the age of 16 in 1687 by his father the king. At 18, he was named Presiding Councilor over his father's personal council of advisors, a role that gained him much standing among the nobility and allowed him to show his skill as an administrator and reformer. He also supervised the reconstruction of several forts along the southwestern coast of the big island of Kuguni, and was awarded an increase of 10,000 bai in income for this service. He consistently worked to keep the kingdom abreast of foreign political developments, employing a web of informers and foreign merchants to give him information concerning the outside world.

Reign
In 1693, King Icinagi III relinquished the throne due to his declining health. Myamunu was crowned the same year, among great pomp and circumstance. His reputation as a reformer worried many in the nobility as to his designs for the nation as king, but the first few years largely mirrored those under his father. However, following the death of King Icinagi III in 1698, Myamunu I announced in a royal proclamation that the kingdom's era of self-imposed isolation, having begun in 1587 under King Mabumunu the Stalwart more than a century previous, had come to an end. Myamunu I implemented sweeping reforms aimed at modernizing Asidama. Heavily influenced by advisors from his network such as Naama Uyataga, he reorganized the Dama navy along modern lines and planned to reassert its status as a maritime power. He faced some domestic opposition from the nobility to his decision to reopen the country, but his successful manipulation of court politics and intrigue prevented a full-blown rebellion from brewing.

In his process to help modernize Asidama, he invented scholars, artists, and nobility from abroad to his court. Most notably, he introduced several pieces of fine art from artists of renown in Mitruhmoer and Gemurtrak. He also arranged for several marriages between the children of Dama nobility and neighboring kingdoms. Although the practice had been snubbed by Dama nobility in the past, it quickly proved fruitful as an avenue of diplomacy. As part of his reforms, Myamunu began the process of modernizing the island's industries, which had largely stagnated in isolation. He did so by encouraging a limited amount of foreign investment in exchange for access to the Dama market of various goods, chief of which was rubber. By the end of the century, Asidama came to be the single largest exporter of rubber in its lobe of the world.

To improve Asidama's position on the sea, Myamunu sought more maritime outlets. He ordered for the construction of several new harbors and drydocks along the nation's coast, as well as the retrofitting of several older ones. Perhaps the greatest of his reforms was his moving of the royal capital from Angadu to the port city of Yan. Yan had long stood as the kingdom's largest city, and was now the center of Myamunu's push to open the country and develop maritime commerce therein. In his new court at Yan he invited embassies from neighboring nations including Mitruhmoer, Gemurtrak, Kwamplik, and others.

Later years and death
Myamunu's last years were marked by further reform in Asidama. So great and far-reaching were his reforms that some urged him to take the title King-of-Kings to reflect Asidama's new status on the world stage, but he refused, not wishing to suggest his superiority or preeminence over other neighboring leaders. In 1728, Myamunu established colleges in place of the old central agencies of the Dama government, including foreign affairs, war, navy, expense, income, justice, and inquiries. Each college consisted of a First Minister, a Second Minister, a number of councilors and assessors, and a procurator. Some foreigners were included in various colleges, but never as president. In 1732, he created a new order of precedence called the Table of Offices and Ranks. Formerly, precedence had been determined by birth. To deprive political enemies of his from high positions, he directed that precedence should be determined by merit and service to the crown and nation.

Myamunu also decided that all children of the nobility should have some early education, especially in the areas of sciences. In 1734, he issued a decree calling for compulsory education, dictating that all Dama 10-16 year old children of the nobility, clerks, and lesser-ranked officials must learn basic mathematics, geometry, history, and natural philosophy and be tested on said subjects at the end of their studies. He also introduced new taxes to fund improvements to the nation's infrastructure. He abolished the archaic land and household taxes and replaced them with a poll tax. Taxes on land and households were payable only by individuals who owned property or maintained families; the new head taxes were payable by peasants and the lower classes. On a return journey to Yan from a visit inspecting nearby shipyards in 1744, illness struck the king. He was attended until his death by a small group of physicians who observed symptoms included fever, jaundice, and dropsy, with swollen limbs, coughing, and breathing difficulties. Several operations were performed to tap out the excess fluid from the king's abdomen. His son and heir Maasikumui III stayed by his bedside for nearly a month before leaving to arrange for his father's eventual funeral. Myamunu dictated to him a letter shortly after his leaving: "My dear son: I am living in contentment and regret only that I am separated from you." Many tributes and gifts were also sent by nobility wishing to pay homage. Lingering for a few months longer, the king finally died with the last words of "A pity -- too late."

Marriages and children
Myamunu I had two wives and at least one long-term mistress, with whom he had fifteen children, three of whom survived into adulthood. His father Icinagi III selected his first wife, Uhaibu Matiba, with the advice of other nobles in 1685, consistent with previous traditions by choosing the daughter of a minor noble. This was done to prevent infighting between the stronger noble houses and to bring fresh blood into the family. He was also known to have had a mistress at this time, a courtesan named Funu. In 1697, Uhaibu passed away from an unknown illness. She had borne Myamunu three children, none of which survived past childhood. Sometime between 1701 and 1703, he was introduced to the noblewoman Naata Inaŋji. The two married with much public spectacle in 1706 and Naata would go on to bear him six children, including his heir Maasikumui III.

Legacy
Myamunu I completely altered Asidama's governmental structure, establishing the character of modern Dama political organization. His reforms curtrailed certain privileges once held by the nobility and invested said power at the heart of the new Dama state. He bypassed the old system of political appointments and offered positions of power to members of the lower gentry who showed promise. In ending the nation's isolation, he aided greatly in the revival of Asidama's trade, political, and cultural links with other states. Today, Dama historians regard him as being among the kingdom's greatest rulers, and he is among the most commonly referenced in rites and ceremonies centered around the royal family.