Artur Hawkwing's invasion of Shara
Artur Hawkwing 's invasion of Shara (FY 993) was one out of two simultaneous campaigns launched by Hawkwing to conquer lands outside the Westlands, the other being an invasion of the Seanchan continent.
Artur Hawkwing's invasion of Shara (FY 993) was one out of two simultaneous campaigns launched by Hawkwing to conquer lands outside the Westlands, the other being an invasion of the Seanchan continent. The invasion was commanded by one of Hawkwing's daughters, and consisted of 2,000 ships and up to 300,000 troops.
At the time of the invasion, the Sea Folk recorded that the Imperial force landed in several locations on the western and southern coasts of Shara. The Sharans were caught by surprise, and Hawkwing's forces had some initial military success. Later reports stated that the Imperial ships were ablaze in the bays and inlets where they had landed; this could suggest that the Sharans had cut off the Imperial forces' only chance to retreat, trapping them on Sharan soil. The Imperial army was not heard from again, indicating that it had either been annihilated or forced to surrender.
Aftermath
The invasion has since been largely forgotten, and in the present day, Sharan traders deny all knowledge about the conflict. For the Westlanders, the defeat was overshadowed by the death of Hawkwing's heir Laiwynde and the disappearance of his son Tyrn sur Paendrag Mashera, which occurred around the same time. Hawkwing fell ill and died without an heir the same year, throwing the Empire into chaos. This marked the beginning of the War of the Hundred Years.
While Hawkwing's Sharan campaign had failed, Hawkwing's descendants eventually managed to conquer the Seanchan continent. This campaign became known as the Conquest, and lasted for roughly 320 years until all resistance had been defeated.