Historically, the Cossack originated from runaway Rus' serfs who were unwilling to be oppressed by their lords. This group began to take shape around the mid-14th century, but at that time, there was no formal name or title for them. As time passed, in Manuel's timeline, roughly around the same time the Theodoro Principality won its war against Genoa and captured Theodosia and Phanagoria, these Rus' serfs, who had adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle, began to refer to their wandering group on the vast steppe with the Tatar word for 'freemen'.
Up until then, these exiled Rus' people still had no formal designation. Even so, they subtly displayed a noteworthy energy. It was this potential that Manuel recognized, prompting him to magnanimously attempt to enlist and win over these groups, who had unknowingly gathered around the Bosporus, and, following the name from his previous life, bestow upon them the title of 'Cossack'.
This also marked what historians in this timeline consider the official birth of the Cossack class.
However, that was all for later. For now, what was most useful for the Bosporus was to attract a group of orthodox nomads who possessed some fighting capabilities and could continuously squeeze the living space of the Tatars under his rule. After all, this peasant faction's uprising was so significant, and while the root cause lay with himself, it was largely due to the aid from Tatar tribes outside the borders. This only further exacerbated Caesar's already low opinion of them. To counterbalance these foreign tribes who constantly caused him trouble, he decided to introduce the Cossacks, also a nomadic group, to maintain stability in North Tauris before it completed its agricultural and feudal transformation. He also intended for them to become his scimitar, assisting with potential future peasant revolts. As long as he could firmly suppress those commoners, letting some privileges slip through his fingers was of no consequence to him.
Let's bring the time back to the present. After personally bestowing the title of 'Cossack' upon these Rus' people, Manuel also conveniently granted honorary titles like squad leader to several of their chiefs, effectively incorporating them into his command. If these Cossacks could prove useful on the battlefield later, as they did in history, he also intended to truly integrate them into the army.
On the morning of the day after the peasant rebellion was completely quelled, Manuel rose early from his palace chambers. After breakfast and morning prayers, he proceeded to his office to handle the small amount of official business that had accumulated during his absence, which the cabinet and regents had no authority to deal with. Fortunately, although these matters were important, they were not numerous, so by midday, he had quickly resolved them and had a basic understanding of the current situation in the Tauris portion of the Autocratic State:
Militarily, adding the troops he sent back to quell the rebellion and the forces of the governorship, but excluding conscripted soldiers, the garrison in the Tauris region was approximately 5,000 men. Although the number was slightly reduced compared to before due to a portion being transferred to Pontus, as defenders, they were generally sufficient to accomplish the task of defending against external enemies under normal circumstances.
Administratively, the simple bureaucratic structure he had established fully achieved the results he had envisioned in managing the directly governed Tauris region. And during Caesar's absence, the two regents he appointed largely continued his policies, vigorously promoting and implementing this administrative system across the entire peninsula. If not for the excessively harsh taxation during the subsequent war against the Ottoman, the peasants would have had neither the ability nor the inclination to initiate any faction.
"So, you idiot, the problem is the economy!" After confirming that other aspects were in order, Manuel slapped his cheek hard, scolding himself thus.
Yes, as mentioned before, due to military expenditures during that period, he had to borrow from the Venetians. And after the Tauris peasant rebellion, the Bosporus had completely slid into a financial deficit. Although the war ended last month and the peasant faction was recently pacified, thus avoiding catastrophic consequences, the Bosporus's debt has now reached as much as 50,000 ducats.
"No matter what, this is more than one and a half times the annual income of the Theodoro Principality in 1428." Thinking of this, his whole head began to ache. If he hadn't exempted the peasants from a year's agricultural tax to appease them, gritting his teeth and holding on for six months until the general environment stabilized, Trabzon, with its excellent location and the highly probable reopening of the Black Sea trade routes, could have made huge profits, even reaching a state of financial abundance. At that time, with the commercial finances of Pontus and Tauris, and the military capabilities that could be elevated by several tiers, by 1444, nine years later, he might truly be able to unite various anti-Ottoman forces and reverse the outcome of history in his previous life.
But now...
However, even at this point, he still did not intend to revoke the tax exemption and demand taxes from the peasants again. This was not because he feared angering the peasants; otherwise, he would not have ordered their leaders to be beheaded and exposed. The real reason was that Manuel still wanted to establish a positive image as a monarch in domestic affairs: although I ordered a bloody suppression of the peasants and authorized the regents to allow exaktors to extort heavily, I keep my promises, love my subjects, and am still a good Caesar.
Therefore, based on the above, he must find another way by the middle of this year.
"It's time for that Medici Family member to show the results of what he's been tinkering with these past few years." With this soliloquy, Caesar finally decided to push for the establishment of the Autocratic State Bank ahead of schedule.
The 'Medici Family member' he referred to was Carlo di Giovanni de' Medici, the illegitimate son of the current Florentine usurper Cosimo de' Medici, who had unexpectedly come to the Black Sea to seek refuge with him the year before last, unwilling to comply with his family's arrangements.
Speaking of the Medici Family, the various literary works from his previous life, due to the family's 'legend' and their close ties with various Renaissance artists, had unknowingly mythologized them. However, Manuel and other European monarchs, as their contemporaries, were quite clear about their true nature: the Medici Family initially seemed to be just a family of physician-merchants from Florence. Although Salvestro de' Medici had already led the entire family as an emerging force in Florentine politics in the 14th century, it wasn't until the beginning of this century that Giovanni de' Medici truly expanded the Medici Family by developing an international bank and investing in the then Pope. Only after gaining the support of the Popes did the Medici Family possess the religious capital to deeply intervene in Florentine politics. And what allowed them to consistently receive papal support was money, gold coins, and the various ducats and florins obtained through the development of the financial industry!
As Caesar's thoughts were about to be lost in the golden coins in his mind, Carlo de Medici had already accepted his summons and arrived before Caesar. In front of this young man from the Medici Family, Manuel eagerly asked him a question he cared about deeply:
"Lord Carlo, given the state of the Bosporus, can a bank be established?"