Following the establishment of formal relations between many of Oceanyka's city-states and Asia's societies, particularly following the Eight Ming Treasure Voyage, trade and the exchange of knowledge began to flow both ways. One of many foreign influences came in the form of language; most Oceanykan languages, both Aboriginal and Ferozen, adopted the Brahmic script, which was widely used throughout the Malay archipelago. However, some of them (most often in the north) adopted Chinese logographic characters. This allowed for easier communication with the outside world. As new technologies of war (in particular gunpowder) were introduced, the earlier trend of growing political stability diminished.
One of the most important events in this epoch was Alfonso de Albuquerque's Expedition, which is considered to be Oceanyka's first contact with European colonialism. An old collective memory was recalled, as priests and nobles throughout the continent felt historical parallels with the Ferozen Invasion, which had ushered in an age of barbarity and the collapse of Oceanykan civilisation. As a result, most city-states throughout the continent began implementing protectionist, isolationist or outright xenophobic policies, seeking to contain the influence of outside powers within Oceanyka.
Though the Chinese sphere had been Oceanyka's second most important foreign influence for two hundred years now, the rise of Japan's Wokou pirates throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans became an important cultural phenomena. During the mid-16th century, Japanese pirate warships ravaged the Chinese coastline, though they found themselves hunted down by the Ming government soon enough. Many of these pirates took refuge across Oceanyka's northern coasts, the most important of their bases being located in Farenday, a city-state which welcomed them with open arms. Most of these outlaws eventually became traders and mercenaries, though others continued their trade.
Western Aboriginal society flourished thanks to trade with Asia and Europe, while their eastern and south-eastern counterparts saw more limited progress. This changed with the rise of Morlon of Toffia, who underwent a number of military campaigns known as the Asterist Crusades. After these events, Morlon of Toffia and his aides wrote down a number of treaties and books known as the "Wordly Reflections", which helped Ferozen society to accelerate its progress with enormous speed, resulting in the Late Middle Ages.
Economic History: Economy of Transitional Middle Age Oceanyka