I wanted to try something different, the literature perspective is supposed to make it more fun to read and also provides some minor subplots later down the line. And no, this won't go the way of every other AAR I've ever attempted because I've been playing for ages now so I have plenty to upload!

Game Conditions are;

Campaign Difficulty; VH
Battle Difficulty; H
Victory Condition; World Domination (Hold 50 Provinces by 1799 including Akbarabad.

[This message has been edited by Aftermath (edited 07-31-2009 @ 06:21 AM).]

Great start. I like the perspective of the writing, and the writing itself. It's kind of hard for me to follow what's happening because of my own ignorance of both ETW and it's mechanics but I'm sure it will become more clear as I read more.

I'll definitely be following this with interest.

Yes very intriging i'm glad to hear that this will not have the same fate as Austria the vanguard of europe one I will be following this with interest but my own aar may prevent that.

Glad you liked the first bit guys

The campaign was actually a lot of fun to play, very challenging though because the Mughals only have a limited selection of troops. Once you get into the late technologies and 'upper tier' units they are severely lacking in everything but heavy cavalry - which itself isn't all that useful in ETW as other players are aware.

Next update should be tomorrow!

Once again I am in envy of those who have a good enough computer to run this

Mabey you just need a new video card EOJ.

Personally, I haven't had the desire to buy ETW. The period just doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm hoping this AAR piques my interest.

A nice touch, that point of view.

I hope to see this one completed- it has piqued my interest already.

General Zulfiker had readied a partition of his army to march and rescue the beleaguered defenders at Ahmadnagar. The same Marathas General who had plagued the fortress for so long made a pre-emptive strike against Zulfiker and his forces in Hyderabad Fortress, cutting Ahmadnagar off from reinforcements.

THE BATTLE OF HYDERABAD FORTRESS, WINTER 1701

The sun rested high in the sky, partly obscured by a dense layer of stormish cloud. The Marathas wasted no time in advancing upon the Fortress walls once more, they had been here only just over a year ago and were defeated. Now the two military forces square off again.



Caught relatively unprepared, Zulfiker could not mobilise his troops fast enough to defend the walls properly. Hindus ascended onto the battlements without much challenge.



The first wave was repelled once the garrison of Mughal forces were also on the battlements however and the real battle begun as a second unit of Hindus sought to climb the mighty walls.



Bowmen from the tribes launched arrows into the approaching enemy.



Zulfiker gave the order for the cannon emplacements to open fire on the Marathas forces once they were close. The effect on morale is devastating, but they refuse to break and continue their assault.




Irregulars fire upon a unit of Hindu musketeers flanking the main defensive position.



The Marathas attack was faultering, so their commanding officer committed the rest of the troops to the battlefield, the majority of them Bargir Infantry who had been in the process of a flanking maneuver in order to attack the fortress from a weaker, relatively undefended side.



Zulfiker recognised the threat and begun to re-organise the defense of the walls, shifting units not currently fighting to stop the approaching Bargirs from taking the walls from him.



The defenders opened fire with their bows, muskets and cannons.




Still, the tide of Marathas forces could not be slowed quickly enough. Bargir Infantry pour over the walls and engage the mob of untrained levies in close combat. Zulfiker prayed that their superior numbers would prevail over the enemies superior fighting skills. It is noted in his battle report which he submitted to Sultan Aurangzeb as follows; "Sultan, as the simultaneous pounding of cannons on the advancing Marathas insurgents was followed by a momentous cheer from the brave soldiers holding the battlements I could have been tempted to assume the battle won. However, upon witnessing the Bargir Infantry scale the fort walls and engage in hand to hand combat with the defenders I admit the wind could not find my lungs. I muttered a prayer to God that those brave men would have all the resilience and strength they needed to overcome the stronger enemy. Fear has no place in a soldier's heart, but as more and more of them pulled themselves over our walls I could feel the dread of a battle lost squatting on my chest like an immovable shadow."




A side of the fortress undefended was scaled by a part of the Marathas force which had flanked the main scuffle on the walls.



Zulfiker moved his entourage of Elephants to intercept them before they could secure a position within the walls.




Fleeing the fearsome unit of elephants they run back to the top of the battlements where a unit of Islamic swordsmen had been intercepting the rest of their sneaky comrades.




The levies successfully repelled the Bargir Infantry, but have taken horrendous casualties.



Using the momentum on his side, Zulfiker orders a counter-charge and the irregular units pursue the attackers outside of the fortress walls. A regiment of Hindu swordsmen realised that the counter charge is a scare tactic and turns to fight the far weaker civilian units. As a result they rout. I am no military tactician, general or even soldier, but I recognise what Zulfiker had aimed to do - send the enemy from the battlefield before they could regain morale and regroup. It is a shame then, that historians and generals of the future shall note this as one of the most reckless decisions ever on a battlefield, almost throwing away the entire battle. I shall note before I continue retelling the story that General Zulfiker's career is addressed later in these scrolls for those who are interested.






Zulfiker relayed orders almost immediately upon releasing his ploy had not worked and the cannons resumed their relentless barrage of the attackers.



A momentary lapse of control over an impetuous unit of valuable Islamic swordsmen results in them giving chase to the Hindu Swordsmen and clashing with them outside the walls.




Before they can be ordered back inside and their retreat covered safely the Marathas Lancers were upon them.



Losing one of the most valuable units under his command forced Zulfiker to re-order the cannons to fire down on the attackers. The barrages were merciless but necessary, now that he did not have the close combat abilities of his opponent he would surely lose the walls if another successful attack was mounted upon them.



Zulfiker's battle report also made mention of a group of civilian levies he heard of fighting a single Marathas Lancer. One of their most prestigious - and feared - battlefield units. Whether or not it was simply hearsay or exaggeration the tale is almost legendary and as a result I had to place my own depiction of the tale in this chapter.


My Illustration of the famed 'Mughal citizens defend their Sultan and Homes against the Insurgent Marathas' folk story.

As the battle continued, the Marathas aggression became increasingly focused on the southern wall as a battle of attrition raged.



The viscous barrages were successful and the morale of the attackers is shattered under the weight of lead on their brethren. The remaining Marathas on the battlements descend in order to flee. Zulfiker had managed to repel them once again.



In response to this, the Marathas force besieging Ahmadnagar retreated. Knowing that their rear is now exposed to Zulfiker and his men who were earning themselves a reputation with the Marathas.



This Marathas retreat was a false hope however, as 1702 loomed closer and closer they regained their confidence, regrouped with a larger army and committed to an all-out assault on Ahmadnagar.

THE ASSAULT ON AHMADNAGAR, WINTER 1701

There was a light haze in the sky on an otherwise sunny day. The marine blue sky decorated by fluffy white clouds. Angelic spectators to the bloodshed that would follow. General Daraz has a poor reputation, a well known imbecile and coward ascended to command by birth not by merit unlike his peer Zulfiker. He would be hard pressed to win thanks to the cavalry heavy Marathas force, also boasting two units of Elephants.



Makeshift barricades are erected, one to protect and elevate the cannons for a better field of fire. The other to trap and kill the charging Marathas Lancers and Elephants.



The Marathas cannons echo over the plain. The cannonballs finding their targets amongst the large government structure firelock armed civilians had taken refuge in.



A Mughal citizen who had taken up arms in Ahmadnagar to defend his home against the Marathas foe saw the advancing army from atop the council building and wrote "It was as if death itself were descending upon us. Morale was shaky enough as the full time soldiers had told us tales of cowardice and foolishness on the part of Ram Daraz, the Mughal General in charge. I wanted to flee as soon as the first cannon balls struck the building we were garrisoned in."



The defending Mughals were blessed with the presence of two units of cavalry, one armed with bows the other with muskets and carbines. They surveyed the battle from a nearby plateau. The soon to be overwhelmed infantry stationed in and around the town prayed General Ram Daraz had the sense when to use them to turn the tide of the battle as they swoop down from their hiding place.



Heavy damage is taken by the central structure. Good firing positions are lost as the bombardment continues.



Lancers charge the musketeers. Hopefully their stakes will save them else they'll be decimated by a concentrated charge.



As wooden stakes meet the flesh of the lancer's horses the charges are broken. Enabling the musketeers to inflict further gruesome casualties by opening fire at point blank range.



On the left flank a unit of firelock armed civilians opens fire from a secure rooftop. Here they are safe from the marauding Marathas lancers.



Meanwhile, on the outside of the building those not lucky enough to be inside somewhere open fire. Aiding their scimitar armed comrades embroiled in close combat with the cavalry.



As the Marathas make their way around the barricades the Cannons open fire as per their orders. Friendly casualties are inevitable but the extra firepower is necessary to tear the enemy riders from their steeds and elephants before they can rout any of the infantry.



The attack continues. The central building now lies ready to crumble as fires eat away at it's structure.



The cavalry units cannot withstand another barrage from the cannon emplacements and their losses from their initial charge into the stakes cripples their morale. They begin to flee the confines of the streets and head into the open plains.



A unit of Bargir Infantry has secured a nearby building overlooking the main battle line and fire down onto the Mughals.



Sensing the tide of the battle up in the air and knowing their general is too incapable to order the attack the cavalry charge the remaining marathas Lancer units in an attempt to capitalise on the precious few seconds of momentum.



The Mughals are outgunned by the Bargir Infantry who are able to take cover.



General Daraz refused to take part in the battle, it is noted by his top lieutenant that he surrounded himself by the peasantry and brave civilians who took up arms to defend their homes. His cowardice shall be punished in time, Sultan Aurangzeb was furious to hear of his actions in the battle report sent via courier - upon the orders of the lieutenant I am certain, if Ram Daraz were behind the dispatching of such damaging 'career suicide' reports he must be insane. In an exchange of letters between Sultan Aurangzeb and General Zulfiker which I was privy too Zulfiker did not outright defend the actions of his peer Daraz, he did however recognise that if Daraz had committed his bodyguard unit to the battle and had routed or gotten himself killed the civilian levies which made up more than half of his entire defence force would have also fled.



Remaining cavalry of both forces clashed on the open plains. Fortunately for the weaker Mughals the Marathas had little fight left in them and were easy to break.



The Bargir Infantry who had earlier taken up position in a building were dominating the battle. The Mughal artillery crew were dedicated to bringing the building down on top of them as their Marathas counterparts had almost brought the council structure to the ground completely.



The Mughal cavalry were now acting entirely on their own initiative and sought to silence the Marathas cannons which had inflicted such extensive damage on their comrade's entrenched positions. And once again dear readers; forgive me for putting my academic opinions into military matters but in my educated opinion these men were the reason for the outcome of the battle.



The Mughal cannons had pounded away at the building the enemy Bargirs were holed up in and eventually they were forced out into the open as the battered Qizilbashi Musketeers killed as many as possible as they fled the crumbling structure.



As seen in my previous illustrations, the government structure in the centre of the town had taken such extensive damage from bombardment that its outer walls almost entirely fell to the ground. The resulting updrfit of dust, soot from the fire and smoke from muskets, cannons and other debris made the shootout with the Bargirs treacherous. Neither side was sure of casualties until the terribly thick smog lifted.



A second unit of Bargir Infantry sought to flank the main defense of the town, but they were defeated under the sheer weight of numbers as civilian firelock armed infantry blocked their path to the east.



With no supporting cavalry the remaining Marathas infantry and their elephant mounted general were easily flanked. The resulting fire from both mounted units of Mughals would be the turning point of the battle.



Showing the reason for their feared reputation the Bargir Infantry forced the Qizilbashi musketeers to flee the engagement. The nearby Dervishes charged them.



A mass of scimitar armed civilians had flanked the engaged Bargirs and charged headfirst into the melee to drive the invaders from their homes.



The enemy general is killed in the crossfire from the Mughal cavalry and the Bargirs were eventually decimated in the melee, although it is evident from the battle summary they were a dreadful foe to fight on the battlefield - causing tremendous casualties and refusing to break until they were outnumbered almost 4 to 1.



Miraculously Ahmadnagar had been saved from Marathas rule, no thanks to General Daraz but rather of his stalwart troops and cunning officers.



As my illustration of the military situation shows, the Mughals were in a strange position. Ahmadnagar was entirely secure from a Marathas occupation and to the south east the province of Hyderabad was also relatively safe. However, neither Mughal force could afford to attempt to capitalise on the situation for if they left their respective settlements the Marathas could easily re-attack and retake either unguarded.

I remember the evening which Sultan Aurangzeb spoke with me about this situation. The sun was setting gently as Aurangzeb sat at his elegant furniture on his rooftop garden. Next to him fluttered a pair of Kingfishers who had made their home somewhere amongst the decorative ponds, hanging baskets and exotic looking flowers on the palace roof. He looked old, eyes a little greyer than in our previous encounters. He had just read a letter to me from General Zulfiker - who still manned the fortress at Hyderabad. The letter recommended sending a smaller company on the offensive into Marathas occupied trade ports along the coast.

"No Generals are nearby, except for Daraz but the debacle at Ahmadnagar has been his last act as General in the Mughal Empire's Army. I am in the process of removing him." Aurangzeb spoke, wheezing a little intermittently as a nearby guard moved from his post to grab a goblet of water for the elderly Sultan.

I sat quitely and met his expectant gaze.

"Are you asking me for an opinion on Military matters, Sultan?"

He sipped at the water he now had and tipped his head in the form of a nod.

"Well, I have no experience in Mughal military matters."

He laughed dismissively and then re-asked for my opinion. I could not help but notice that the palace guards within earshot were now watching me waiting for a response, also. I took a nervous gulp from the goblet of water the guard had also brought me. The Sultan's gaze persisted.

"What does the Persian in you think?" Aurangzeb asked.

I could not avoid the question any longer. "Persians, Historically, " I added, "Have always been aggressive in military matters, but always make calculated risks." Silence followed as they all considered my words.

"What then, would the Persians do if they were in my situation?"

"Well, Sultan, I believe they would use the men without a General. The calculated risk is that you cannot afford to lose either Hyderabad or Ahmadnagar."

"I value your advice, Mahjid, and I agree with you. It will be a huge undertaking however. We Mughals have not been on the offensive against the Marathas since they rose up all those years ago." He handed a scroll over to a nearby guard, an officer by the looks of his uniform. The man nodded, took a slight bow and went out of sight. Aurangzeb caught me watching the man.

"Order Dispatches." He said. I was puzzled, why had he asked my 'Persian' opinion on matters which I was unqualified and that which he had already decided upon.

"And these are for you." He handed a second wad of papers over to a second man, this one was certainly just a mere servant. I flicked through quickly, my eyes met with diagrams, a few illustrations and many pages of reports.

"Battle reports from our Generals over the past year. This is a very important task for our Empire I have commissioned you for, Mahjid. Take these scrolls and continue the good documentation work you have been doing so well already."

And so I did as I was asked. I had only just finished collating the reports of the particularly bloody year of 1701 as you, esteemed reader, have just read when a knock at my quarter's door brought to me the battle report of the first Mughal attack on the Marathas since the war began... as is detailed in the following Chapter 2 of my biography of Mughal Sultan Aurangzeb.

[This message has been edited by Aftermath (edited 08-07-2009 @ 11:08 AM).]

Amazing update. Some of those screenshots were absolutely beautiful. I love the story and the way you are writing it. Good job.

I agree with Bones apsulotly Beutiful screen shots amazing story line I can not wait for your next update.

Next update incoming, will be the same sort of size as the last one.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone, it's good to know I'm not writing all this out to fall on deaf ears

Great news. I can't wait.

This is coming along quite nicely.

Well written and illustrated. Are you aiming to become the first of the Order of the Electrum Stylus of Guild of the Skalds? (Those who write HSRs) This one would certainly qualify, if it reaches completion.

This is one sexy looking AAR.

well done dude, I'm reading it on my phone so the pictures look very crappy but I didn't come here to look at pictures. Well written.

CHAPTER 2

As you, noble readers, are already aware 1702 rolled around heavy Marathas presence along the Ahmadnagar coastline continued to cripple Mughal trade. Still lacking a proper economic infrastructure the Empire struggled to maintain itself. A strike force which had previously guarded an important trading port in the Gujarat province moved in to remove the enemy forces. During their march however the Marathas came out to intercept them and force the Mughals to fight before they were ready.



The commanding Mughal officer ordered his contingent of cannons to open fire on the enemy captain who lead a unit of Lancers.



The bombardment is successful and the lancers retreat to the rear of the column.



Now the cannons turned their attention to the incoming Bargir Infantry with equally effective results. The infantry continued their march on the Mughal position however.



Once the Marathas were in range Hindu Musketeers fighting for the Mughals opened fire. They were backed up by a unit of horse archers who rained arrows down on their foes.



The Lancers attempt a second charge but again the cannons inflict serious losses.



The battle raged as line infantry of both factions exchanged volleys.



Once a few volleys had been fired the Islamic Swordsmen sprung from their hiding place amongst the long grass and shrubbery. Slaughtering their enemies in melee.



The Hindu Musketeers in the centre formed a Square to fend of the Mughal's flanking maneouvres.



A Mughal Civilian Levy charges the Hindu Musketeers and breaks the square formation.



Another unit of Hindu Musketeers head towards the Hindus fighting for the Mughals whilst taking casualties from Mughal cannon fire.




The Hindu Musketeers loyal to the Mughals open fire on their peers.



Melee had broken out on the other flank, however the unit fighting hand to hand was not trained swordsmen but rather a mob of civilian levies. They were eventually outmatched by the Marathas Hindus but this shift of momentum was temporary as Mughal cavalry charged into their exposed rear resulting in an instant rout.



The Mughal Hindus outmatched their Marathas counterpart and continued, brutally, to gun them down as they fled. I had previously expressed my concern with such tactics, but had been summarily silenced via a series of letters from Aurangzeb's Military Minister.



The Mughal officer now faced a dilemma. The last unit of Bargir Infantry were holed up in a building to the south. His cannons were just out of range and only the lucky occasional hit did any damage to the structure. He would have to commit his forces to an assault on the easily defendable structure, against his better judgement it is noted.



The Islamic swordsmen are the closest unit and so they charged the building. Musket fire from the large windows and moreso from the open roof of the building caused many casualties.



The Islamic swordsmen do not rout, but are pulled back pending a reinforcements to their assault, but their unit is greatly weakened.



Qizilbashi musketeers were now in position on a nearby shallow hill and did their best to engage the Bargirs in a firefight but came out on the worse end. They could not inflict as many casualties on the Bargirs who ducked and sought cover behind the building walls.



Too many losses were being taken at range, it would be a close combat assault or nothing which would win the battle so the musketeers draw their scimitars and charge in.



Hindu Musketeers arrive to back them up in the close combat assault.



The Mughals battle their way through the lower floor, and manage to emerge on the roof. They had, however, exhausted themselves in the process. The men on the lower floor fled as the Bargirs still on the lower floor pushed them back. Cutting the men on the roof off. This vicious fighting temporarily breaks the morale of all Mughal units inside the building and they flee.



After a regroup the Mughals march on the building again. Determined to win a much needed victory against the Marathas.



The Bargirs, seemingly dismayed at their Muslim opponent's will. Open fire on the mass of approaching Mughals.



This time the fervour and determination of the Mughals overpowered and overwhelmed the outnumbered Bargirs who were butchered in the staircase as they attempted to flee. The victory won here against the Marathas is very significant as it is the first time the Mughals have gained ground on them, rather than just defended themselves as necessary.



Nothing much happened for another year. Summer, 1703 Aurangzeb was troubled as his advisors informed him the Empires territories were closer than ever to all out widespread revolt. Yet Aurangzeb still needed to increase taxes as the pirates continued to pillage and raid the undefended trade lanes around the African coast.



Patriotic fervour spread throughout the capital as Aurangzeb held a celebratory feast. The same men who had won the first Mughal offensive victory since the outset of the war with Marathas had swept over the countryside in Bijapur and had come to lay siege to their capital Satara.



The lack of resistance in Bijapur was perhaps characterised by heavy Marathas military presence on the offensive in Hyderabad.



The Mughal scholars in the school in Benares, Hindustan refocused their research to that of a military nature. As a scholar myself I cannot help but wonder if the correct decision was made in the beginning by focusing on agriculture.



Meanwhilst in a Marathas school in Bijapur a Mughal agent shadily stole another military technology – one they call Canister Shot. Reportedly a type of ammunition for artillery, devastating at close range but also unnecessary brutal, some scholars have said.



Winter 1703 and the siege of Satara continues.



Reports came in regarding the successful Mysorian subjugation of Marathas territory Carnatica at the tip of the Indian subcontinent. Mughals have mixed views on the Mysorians, many see them as fellow followers of Islam and thus, friends against the Marathas. Others, most notably, Sultan Aurangzeb himself eyes them suspiciously.



Ram Daraz and his troops in Ahmadnagar are brought out from occupation of the town and ordered to move towards Hyderabad in order to help contain the marauding Marathas army. A portion of his forces join the siege at Satara.



Summer 1704 brings about further 'education' developments as yet another Marathas technology is stolen by, quite frankly, disrespectful academic practices on the part of the Mughal scholars. I had previously confronted Aurangzeb about the issue, this angered him, and he claimed it was a mistake asking me to write out the History of his empire as it happens if I do not know him well enough to see he will commit to anything to ensure the security of his lands; including the theft of Marathas knowledge.



A number of Dervishes from in and around Hyderabad join the Mughal army in Hyderabad. The Marathas forces there are split in two, each one raiding Mughal holdings.



Zulfiker, still garrisoned in the fortress at Hyderabad finds himself once again under the siege by the largest Marathas host yet. A victory at Bijapur would be meaningless if General Zulfiker could not hold the Marathas off. It would mean the defeat of the largest and best Mughal army in the entire subcontinent, the Marathas could easily retake their homes in Bijapur and then strike out in all directions from there, unchallenged by the Mughal Military.

THE LAST STAND IN HYDERABAD, SUMMER 1704

The summer sun blazed heavily on Zulfiker's forces. A slight breeze refreshed the men stationed on the fortress battlements. Visible in the distance were the silhouettes of a huge Marathas force, led by Damodar Kosaraju – the same man who had time and time again marched his forces against Hyderabad only to be turned back by the staunch defenders under the command of Zulfiker.



The Marathas had, to General Zulfiker's dismay, brought two cannon batteries with them. The Marathas General Kosaraju had obviously learned his lesson from the countless unsuccessful assaults on the walls. He would knock them down and simply walk in.



The Qizilbashi Musketeers anxiously prepared to defend the breach the cannons created. General Zulfiker noted in his battle report he was surprised that the Marathas General did not attempt the assault on the breach, but rather began to open a third, fourth and fifth hole in the fortress walls. He had never thought of his opponent as a patient man. I quote from Zulfiker's battle report notes to Sultan Aurangzeb; “There is no better way than to know a man than through battle. Damodar Kosaraju had for the past four years done away with subtlety and tried, unsuccessfully, to root me and my men from Hyderabad via the use of brute force and weight of numbers. I was taken aback, Sultan, when he employed tactics – although basic I was able to anticipate the end result. Multiple breaches in the wall would make the fortress tenfold times harder to defend."



Continuing from Zulfiker's notes; “As the cannons pounded away, he made a mistake. The battery inflicting the most damage was left unguarded. Kosaraju was obviously overconfident in his ability to break the walls and attack from the flank on which he amassed his forces. Through the back gates of the fortress I sent lieutenant Akbar and his camel cavalry. They would not be detected on their approach to the cannon battery and could use the thick vegetation to approach head on."



"Before the artillery crew could react Akbar and his men burst from the shrubbery, up to the crest of the hill and slaughtered them all.”



The cannons on the southwestern flank continued to punch holes in the walls. Meanwhile Kosaraju had sent some Hindus to investigate why the other battery had halted fire.



Just as they were halfway up the hill the sound of hooves befell their ears. Seconds later Akbar and his men burst from the crest of the hill and charged towards them. Unfortunately, Akbar had made his move too soon, by the time the surprise had worn off the Hindus they had enough time to fire a volley directly into the oncoming camels. An almost unmissable target, heavy losses were taken as a result.



The camels engaged the Hindus in melee, but from their previous losses and ineffectiveness of the surprise attack they fled.



Back at the fortress some of the civilian units who had taken up arms to aid Zulfiker were trapped upon the walls. Both parts of the walkway besides them had been destroyed. They had no choice but to fight to the death. Cheers of bravery and encouragement echoed up from below them as the soldiers ready to defend the breaches saluted them.



As another breach was opened by the last set of cannons. Zulfiker began to doubt the success of the situation. Defending so many holes in the walls would leave him overstretched and morale would surely be crippled thanks to the bombardment. He also knew the Marathas General Kosaraju had a preference to fill his ranks with musketmen. Meaning his forces would stand and fire through the breaches, inflicting severe casualties before charging in; or worse, forcing the defenders to leave the walls to engage.
Zulfiker rode his Elephant into the centre of the defense force, and rallied his forces into a patriotic fervour. I was lucky enough to receive a letter from one of the Tufangis under his command detailing the speech and it's effects. I quote; “It was wonderful, Zulfiker spoke of God and how he protects us, he smiles on the Mughals as we bring his faith to those misled and crush those who oppose or attack us. He spoke of the corruption of the Marathas, filled our hearts with the love of our brothers in arms all around us, filled our minds with the images of the Marathas spreading like a plague throughout Mughal lands. When he was finished a mighty roar echoed from the battlements, from the soldiers, from the musketeers, from the dervishes and from those injured and dying. Reinvigorated by patriotism. It was then, as he commanded 'And so go forth, and once again turn the vile Marathas from our lands, our people and our god! Do not let your brethren die in vain!” Even before he was finished, still screaming, shouting and chanting we poured from the fortress like ants.” Unfortunately, I do not have a transcript of the speech itself.



The smoke from the fires masked the Mughal's descent towards the Marathas.



When the Mughal forces emerged from the blanket of smoke and vegetation the Marathas battleline was unorganised and taken completely by surprise. The cannons began to fire upon the approaching Mughals.



The battle at the bottom of the hill began as musketfire was exchanged briefly. The Mughal Tufangis were outshot, but they only needed to hold the Bargirs and Hindu's attention whilst the Dervishes approached from their flank.



Once the unit of Dervishes began the charge into the Bargir's flank the other Dervishes behind the Mughal battleline followed suit. In response the Marathas on that flank formed squares and continued to shoot into the rapidly approaching Mughals, but it did not stop their momentum.



In previous battles at Hyderabad Marathas General Kosaraju had used the formidable Marathas Lancers to charge into the rear of an already engaged unit, breaking them instantly. The charge did not have the same effect this time however, and the cavalry became bogged down in the mass of melee.



The Hindus on the flank the Dervishes were attacking began to fall back to gain a better firing position. Many were cut down in the attempt, but worse still for Kosaraju was his Lancers were now left to fend for themselves, unable to escape the Dervishes.



Zulfiker launched his attack on the other Marathas flank now. The cannons increased their firing and at point blank range killed many of the levies who charged them. Still, they did not break. More Hindu Musketeers scrambled to get into a good firing position.



The remaining Dervishes on the left flank had now charged out from their positions. The Marathas here were now entirely surrounded. Their only unengaged point was in the direction of their last intact flank, which, as told in the last paragraph was now coming under Mughal attack.



More Marathas begin to flee the relentless Mughal counterattack.



The Qizilbashi Musketeers fire into the mass of Marathas bodies who are now trying to reinforce the left flank.



Bhuyima Bowmen fire into Hindu Musketeers as they in turn attack the Qizilbashi



The left flank now almost completely gone, the remaining units are stuck fighting the armed citizen levy which had previously destroyed the final cannon battery. The Dervishes fall upon them like vicious insects.



The Hindus outclass the Mughal levy in melee and eventually they flee.



Hindu musketeers have now gotten themselves into a good firing position and target the Dervishes who have wiped out their entire left flank by now. All that remains of the Marathas army is a desperate mass.



From his long flanking maneuver General Zulfiker himself emerges amongst his fearsome Elephant bodyguard. According to his notes, he emerged from the fortress along with his forces but took a longer route below a shallow cliff, obscuring him from sight and preventing the enemy artillery from targeting him. I understood the reasoning, and General Zulfiker's cunning and tactics are once again praised in these scrolls. If he had been killed or his unit forced to retreat back to the fortress, morale would be crippled and the Mughal line would break.



Stomping straight through two units of Hindu Musketeers Zulfiker and his entourage do untold amounts of damage.



To prevent himself being caught up and bogged down in melee against ten times his number Zulfiker has his Islamic Swordsmen, who have fought with him here against the Marathas since 1700, charge in and finish the Marathas off.



Dervishes begin to cut off the Marathas retreat.



The melee was frantic, but the Mughals were now clearly winning. Shouts and cries of the Marathas General's demise amongst the chaos and carnage crushed their spirits.



An injured levy sketched the scene you see in the picture below from the crumbling battlements. A depiction of the valley as the Mughals drive the remaining Marathas from the field.



Once again, living up to their reputation a unit of Bargir Infantry on the left flank are the last Marathas to still be fighting. Their number drastically reduced, they appear to be holding their own against the ferocious Dervishes who had slain so many of their brothers.



A nearby unit of civilian levies close in from the rear, still enthused by Zulfiker's speech.



The Bargir's notice the attack too late and they are engulfed in Mughal steel.



The battle is won, clearly the Dervishes played a huge part in the victory. Four units of them fought through and wiped out the Marathas left flank and centre. Zulfiker's charge finished the right flank.



The Province of Hyderabad was now completely safe from the Marathas. Although the fortress was crippled and Zulfiker's men depleted they had driven the Marathas Invaders fromt he area once and for all. Now the Marathas exist only in Bijapur, where the remains of their nation were besieged by the Mughals.




Many Mughals talk about the day as the turn of the war. I personally believe that the war shifted during the liberation of the Mughal trading ports. The Marathas never seemingly recovered. Before the siege of Satara was even over Aurangzeb commissioned a great Mural to depict the actions of the valiant followers of Islam in the final defense of Hyderabad. The first half depicts the midst of the close quarters bloodshed and Marathas General Kosaraju's bloody death. The second half depicts the scene after the battle. A homage to the fallen Mughals and celebration of the fallen Marathas.

[This message has been edited by Aftermath (edited 08-07-2009 @ 11:05 AM).]

This update was cool, playing both of those battles was very exciting. I hope I managed to convey the situation effectively.

Well written and illustrated. Are you aiming to become the first of the Order of the Electrum Stylus of Guild of the Skalds? (Those who write HSRs) This one would certainly qualify, if it reaches completion.

It would be an honour to be the first entered in the Order of the Electrum Stylus. Hopefully this will prompt more similar AAR/HSRs.

I would like to see more AAR's/HSR's of this quality.

This is superb!

Excellent AAR (or HSR), Afty! Should have picked up on this earlier.

It does serve to make me incredibly jealous, though. Some of those graphics in ETW look amazing.

[This message has been edited by Andalus (edited 08-07-2009 @ 02:04 PM).]

Well, this update certainly didn't disappoint. Well done.

This is incredible. I am speechless.

Well done.

This AAR is terrific. Some of the pictures looked really good. I applaud you! I wonder when's the next update because I wait with it with great relish.

I didn't wanna go about it this way, but it's harder to convey the storyline otherwise - quite a wordy update incoming.

After General Zulfiker's valiant defence of Hyderabad and the subsequent celebrations fizzled out Aurangzeb and his Imperial Ministers set about the immediate, and, quite frankly severe problem inflicted upon their treasury.



The Minister of the Treasury, Qazi Abdullah, defended the nuances and effectiveness of his spending and tax policies. Aurangzeb listened silently, looking noticeably older than I last remember but still carrying himself with a strong posture befitting the ruler of one of the largest empires in the east. An aged hand gently stroked his now entirely grey beard. I had spent enough time around Aurangzeb to know by his expression and silence that he did not doubt the actions of Qazi Abdullah, he let the other ministers debate amongst themselves.

From a side door Aurangzeb's eldest son, Alamgir II entered the court room, he was followed by Bahadur Zafar, his elephant-like bodyguard. I noticed Aurangzeb did not bat an eyelid in Alamgir's direction as the young Muslim posted himself at the bottom end of the room, leaning over an unused marble podium.

A few more minutes of argument passed. Qazi laid out the outgoings of the Empire. The army's wages cut through just under half of the Empire's whole income. The maintenance of the small number of Mughal ships and the wages of their crews took a minuscule amount. Worryingly though, the amount being spent on town militia and policing forces was more than half of the Empire's Income. The statistics were a rude reminder of the fragile state of the Empire as a whole. On the verge of all out rebellion, rioting and revolt. Aurangzeb slouched a little and seemed to slip into deep thought. Now a few moments of silence passed.

“It will take time; the spreading of Islamic law, religion and garrisons of troops to settle our vast holdings.” spoke justice minister Muqarrab Bakhsh.

“Perhaps we moved against the Marathas too soon! We can barely hold onto the rest of our provinces.” chimed in Aurangzeb's head of government Muazzam Daraz, he was met by an iron glance from Sultan Aurangzeb.

“Still, spending will at least need to increase. But by the end of this year we will be in deficit, which cannot be hidden from the people, such news will throw the country into chaos. Public order will be at an all time low-”

Interrupting, Alamgir II's voice boomed over the distressed chatter of the ministers.
“Why not turn our hopes beyond our borders? Money has been poured into our Infrastructure but such spending will not be returned for many years yet. Explorers have found valuable trade resources on the African coast. We could use our fleet to bring them home and sell them back to our trade partners.”

Aurangzeb was eyeballing his son. I could not place the emotion behind them; Pride? Love? Scorn? Fear?

“Prince Alamgir, we must focus on issues here; at home, before we expand trading agendas further afield. If we are not secure here how can we safely reach further?” Replied the Head of Government Muazzam Daraz. Alamgir regarded him with distaste.

“The unrest all over the country can be turned outward – we are still seen as foreigners, even invaders in the far south. But what if we were to turn that aggression, that dissent out onto our enemies, both current and future. We need to change the perception of the people – we need to turn their opinions from oppressors to saviours, liberators and defenders of India!” Alamgir leant over the podium he stood behind, I guessed he had planned all along to stand there.

Silence took the room once more.

Aurangzeb shifted awkwardly in his seat before addressing his eldest.
“Son, our enemies are those who question our rule. Those who refuse Islam.”

“But what next? Once we have crushed the Marathas and later quelled the unrest. What next? Do we sit comfortably, waiting for a foreign invasion? You yourself have spoken to this imperial court more than once about Mysore's war with Portugal. You fear the Europeans so much that you would commit the Mughals to sit and squander away as they did under your rule previously. You only acted because the Marathas forced your hand. If you had no enemies on the continent you would have let the Europeans demand or take more and more concessions, land, resources.”

Alamgir moved his head side to side, being sure to make eye contact with the ministers all around the room. He glanced dismissively at his father Aurangzeb who had no reply to his last display. And at that, he turned and left the room. Bahadur opening the extravagantly carved wooden door and subsequently following him through it. The door boomed shut and Aurangzeb dismissed all of the ministers except for the military and naval.

To Nizam Hassan, the military minister he issued orders for the force besieging Satara to assault the last bastion of the Marathas immediately. The minister questioned such action, stating the original goal of the siege to be prolonged in order to draw out every last pocket of Marathas resistance possible. Aurangzeb admitted such tactics would be used, if the economy was not in such dire need of the riches and wealth of Bijapur. The regions capture would give a huge boost to Mughal coffers.

The Naval minister was issued orders to act on Alamgir II's suggestion. Take the trading resources on the nearby African east coast. Such action, although brash and risky was a necessary move in the security of India, Aurangzeb concluded. The profit should be worth the efforts, however.



Upon receiving his orders, Amin Shafi, the commanding officer of the force which had so far been responsible for pushing the Marathas down the west coast into Satara began the assault of the settlement.

THE MUGHAL CONQUEST OF SATARA, SUMMER 1704

A monsoon raged full force down on the plains of Bijapur as the Mughal artillery was rolled into place. Amin Shah had used the cannons to great effect in previous confrontations and no doubt they would be vital to his assault on the fortress. The Marathas forces inside were not professional soldiers, but mostly civilians who had taken up arms for the Marathas cause or just simply Hindus/Buddhists who would fight before they endure the Muslim rule of a Mughal Bijapur.

Mughal cannons rained death and destruction down upon the fortress, opening multiple breaches in short time.



A section of the wall is obliterated as the Mughal artillery finds it's weak point. The armed civilians atop them are either sent flying to their deaths with the debris or try to jump out of the way of the crumbling battlements.



The northern wall of the fortress is rendered useless by the cannon fire. The Mughals begin to make their approach.



Knowing the enemy do not have the skill to win at range the Qizilbashi Musketeers fire volley after volley into the beleaguered defenders.



Hindu Musketeers head into the centre of the fortress through another unguarded breach.



Dervishes scale what is left of the walls.



The Hindus have enough time to fire a volley into the backs of the armed citizens before they charge them. More Musketfire from point blank range causes further damage.



Now the Dervishes are inside the confines of the fortress walls and waste no time in charging another mass of armed citizens.



The battle rages, although the Mughals are outnumbered they have the upper hand through experience and training.



Another unit of Dervishes charges into the backs of the some of the Marathas.



Those Firelock armed citizens inside the fortress have shifted their focus from the Qizilbashi to the swarms of Dervishes who now surround their peers.



Most of the Marathas force begins to congregate near the northern fortress gate. In an attempt to fight together and use their numbers advantage as best as possible.



The Dervishes are not intimidated by the huge number of armed citizens and dive in headfirst, relishing in the combat.



Handfuls of the civilians begin to break free from the slaughter and flee their lost cause.



The battle was won. The brave civilians holding the middle of the fortress stood fast as their friends and brothers were gunned down by Hindu and Qizilbashi musketfire.



As if they hadn't suffered enough, Amin Shah did not offer a surrender but instead allowed the brutal Dervishes to charge them. Flesh was carved from bone by their savage axes and the butchery of the Marathas people was finished.



---------

The battle was fierce and the Mughal conduct was, in my academic opinion, unnessecarily ruthless. It is a shame the civilians and citizens of Bijapur had to pay for the revolt of the Marathas. Many buildings within the city were damaged.



Their nation destroyed.



Mughal Bijapur. By taking the region the Mughals were now making a further 1500 Rupee on taxes, and almost 4500 Rupee in trade resources and agriculture in the region. Aurangzeb was right, it had brought the Empire out of deficit and back into healthy profits. Public order was very low however, upon my first read through of the battle report I was unsure if Amin Shah would be able to keep his hold on the region facing such strong staunch opposition.



Surely enough, Winter 1704 landed several reports of a region wide strike in Bijapur.



Summer 1705 came reports of rioting. A profitable cotton weavers was almost burned to the ground in the protests of Mughal rule.



It was mid Summer 1705 when I was awoken by one of Sultan Aurangzeb's servants in the early hours of the morning. The sky was not pitch black, but painted a dark red in anticipation of the sunrise. The servant took me to Aurangzeb's lavish quarters. However, upon entering the decorative room I knew something was wrong. Aurangzeb's personal surgeon stood at the bedside, all manner of tools and medicine spread on the carved bedside table. As I was ushered forward I saw Aurangzeb weakly lift a hand wavering a few inches above the bed, seemingly beckoning me closer still.

He tried to speak, but painful gurgling and wheezing was all that came from his cracked, dry lips. A white tint at the corners of his mouth. I sat at a chair at Aurangzeb's bedside as the hussle and bussle slowly died down. All that could be heard in the room was Aurangzeb's labored breathing. Eyes open but glazed with pain, not fear.

I was stirred from my grieving daze by the lightening of the room. I looked over my shoulder, through the stone balcony doors and towards the sunrise. As the vast golden red sphere slowly emerged from the far horizon Aurangzeb exhaled deeply. Simultaneously a flock of large birds, Herons perhaps, flew upwards from a river running towards the Imperial Palace. Their black silhouettes looked picturesque as they moved upward from the beautiful green landscape below and passed in front of the great emerging sun. Once they had passed out of sight I turned back to Aurangzeb. He was lifeless.



And so the end of an era had come about in the Mughal Empire. Aurangzeb's son, Alamgir II shall have his ceremony later this very evening, immediately after Aurangzeb's burial. Over this five years I have spent with Sultan Aurangzeb I feel as if I have gotten to know him better than most of his ministers, subjects and servants. He was a man who had the best interests of his Empire and religion at heart. His rule was strong, but I would not say remarkable until 1700, when I was asked to write his autobiography. Truthfully, I had hoped I would have had some extra years to finish these scrolls, although it is perhaps an appropriate place to end – Aurangzeb lived to see the conquest and elimination of the last of the Marathas, the single greatest threat to Mughal rule since their conquering of the Indian subcontinent.




I have now to pack my bags and will be leaving in the morning, upon the glorious sunrise which only a few days ago took the man I have written extensively about the last five whole years.

Thankyou, noble readers,

Yours sincerely,

Mahjid Farah

I'm disappointed that it's over, but it was brilliant. Very enjoyable. Thank you for putting in the time of creating it and for sharing it with us.

Indeed, very enjoyable. Some epic screenshots there in the assault on Satara!

CHAPTER 3

Forgive me, noble readers, for misleading you in the previous passage. Just as I was leaving, during Alamgir II's ceremony in which he officially ascends to be Sultan of the Mughal Empire, a thunderous knock at my chamber door just as I was to open it.

Upon opening the door I was momentarily taken aback by the mighty human form of Bahadur Zafar, Alamgir II's loyal personal bodyguard.

“Sultan Alamgir II requests your presence.” The brute said rudely.

“Please tell Sultan Alamgir II that it is to my eternal regret that I must now return to Esfahan to compile and publish the scrolls I have worked so hard on over the past five years for his noble father.”

As I had feared, it was not a request at all. I was dragged by the behemoth before Alamgir II who sat alone in a throne room.

“Mahjid. My father hired you to write about his life, about the Mughals during his reign. I did not agree with the old man about many things, but it was indeed a good idea to have the legacy of the Mughals written by an outsider, an unbiased Persian to tell everything exactly how it was.”

“Regrettably, Sultan Alamgir II I swore to your father I would write about his legacy and once finished they would be published in good time before his name or his people are vanquished into obscurity.”

Alamgir II's facial expression compressed, Bahadur became tense and shuffled slightly. I had offended the new Sultan.

“We are his legacy, the Mughals are his legacy. You will stay and continue to write about us. I can tell you this; my father did good work; he removed the Marathas threat to the south. Almost entirely securing Mughal India, such an academic biography will, as you put it, 'fade into obscurity' as the years wear on. But I can also tell you the most interesting years of the Mughal Empire are only just being set in motion. As I'm sure you are aware we are all that remains of great Timur's dynasty, who invaded the Delhi Sultanate in 1398. The name revoked fear all over the known world. That is where the Mughals will be, I shall not be content with a 'safe' homeland as my father was. Mughals are destined for greatness and I shall bring it to them, and have the Muslims all over the world – united!”

“Furthermore, you shall travel with me at all times. Battle reports and such shall be couriered to myself, and you shall be able to write them up immediately. Secondly, by this you will never miss the footfall of a Mughal step – all the goings and comings of the Empire.”

Surely enough. Alamgir II had won me over, I wanted these scrolls to be my life's work. Famous from Bengal to Esfahan to Ankara and perhaps even further! Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Vienna, Austria. And so I shall continue to write about the Mughals.

---------

I spent a good amount of time around Alamgir II well into the late summer 1705. In the last few months since his father's death almost the entire southern Mughal provinces were on strike.

The new Sultan conducted all of his business from his throne room. Sparsely decorated except for some potted plants and a small fountain on the east wall, for the Sultan to wash his hands, face and freshen up in the Indian summer heat.



Alamgir has a harsh reputation amongst the lower classes of his empire, and even his ministers fear him somewhat. He believes the punishment should befit the crime, and an example should be set to prevent others treading the same paths. Some would argue such is a necessary trait for the Sultan of an Empire as large as the Mughal's.

Contrary to Alamgir II's harsh reputation he is one of the most honest men I know. He will speak his mind, as I had seen in the Imperial Court around a year ago. It is almost more than just a personality trait, it is to the extent that he seems to strive to be Honest himself, and have his ministers follow his lead. From my almost constant presence around him I have noticed he and Naval Minister Ali Hassan talk often, be it in person or via letters. It seems Alamgir II is serious about expanding the Mughal's limited naval capability, something he emphasises will be key in defending foreign invasion of India and expanding Mughal influence. As such more and more spending has gone into the development of the Navy, so much so I would guess it is a passion of Alamgir's. No doubt it would be his chosen career path if he was not born to politics and Imperial rule.

Some also say Alamgir is 'Frugal and Thrifty', that he keeps a tight reign on the privy purse strings, he has spent little of the considerable tax income across the Empire, although I wouldn't say this is a part of the Sultan's character. Rather he is being careful as to avoid the same deficit his father experienced.

Lastly, in order to get you to know Alamgir before I write about his leading of the Mughal Empire, I must convey an observation I have made. It is a trait my fellow scholars at Esfahan used to call 'Jug Headed'. Meaning, although he tries to conceal it, Alamgir is a radicalist. To the extent to which he borders on Republican, such is his wish to improve the lives of the Muslims all over his Empire. He has always been one to 'shake up' the old regime, however.



Following Aurangzeb's death the southern provinces of the Mughal Empire were thrown into strike, perhaps the lower classes were testing their new Sultan's leadership, or perhaps they adored the Sultan Aurangzeb so much?



Alamgir II wasted no time in sending and envoy to fellow Islam state Mysore who now controlled the southern tip of India. He had always advocated his support of the Mysorians and they were perhaps the Empire's most valuable trade partner – the trade lanes could not be pirated, the trade did not strengthen an enemy nation, nor did it give foreigners expensive, unquenchable tastes of Indian goods.



Following this, considering the south secure Alamgir ordered the spreading of troops from Hyderabad and Ahmadnagar to restore public order to those faraway provinces. Zulfiker is ordered to head north to Ahmedabad, Gujarat to indoctrinate the Hindus there. Hindu Musketeers had served in the Mughal armies well previously. Alamgir recognised their contribution in the destruction of their fellow Hindus the Marathas.



Spending on farms and infrastructure is still important to the subcontinent.



It was in winter 1705 I received first news of the rebellion in Bijapur. The Marathas were scattered and broken but they still managed to field a moderately sized force and terrorized Mughal Satara.



That same year the newly redesigned Mughal Navy consolidates the trade resources in the straits of Madagascar. The trade ships were currently under construction to being shipping the valuable resources back to India, and from there their Mughal's trade partners.



That same year, confident of the return in revenue from the trade resources from Africa Alamgir quells the peaking unrest by lowering taxes for the lower classes. Bijapur is still in open revolt, but such is to be expected due to the Mughals still being seen as an enemy occupation in the province.



Summer 1706 saw the Marathas rebels in Bijapur rampage all over the countryside, burning the weavers, school, trade port and farms. Alamgir had sent order dispatches to the Mughal forces in the area to put a stop to the insurrection before they gained more support.

THE BATTLE OF BIJAPUR, SUMMER 1706

The sky was filled with wisping clouds, a foreboding in the air, perhaps a warning of another coming rain. Or of the inevitable deaths in the coming confrontation. Visibility was excellent, an excellent condition for the now well experienced cannon crews to pound the Marathas into submission.



The commanding officer Amin Shah was, of course, as you by now noble reader you are aware; a proficient commander in the usage of artillery. Still, the first few volleys fell far short of the Marathas battle formation. Almost hitting the advancing Mughal Infantry – Qizilbashi Musketeers and untrained Tufangis taking a few casualties to friendly fire.



A single unit of Marathas 'landless rabble' as the Mughals called them thought they would take the opportunity to attack. The Qizilbashi confidently formed rank and fired into the incoming mass of bodies. Turning them back to join the rest of their formation, holding fast.



Amin Shah orders the reorganisation of the Mughal battle formation. To fight more defensively and let the cannons draw the Marathas in.



And so the Hindu and Qizilbashi Musketeers wait patiently. The Mughal cannons placed on a slight incline to maximise the range and accuracy of fire.



The Marathas did not take the bait and both sides waiting for the other to attack. I must take a moment to praise the bravery of these rebelling Marathas. They outnumber the Mughals but most are only civilian levys fighting for what they believe in, or to drive the Mughal occupation from their homes.



To antagonize the Marathas into attacking, Amin Shah has a unit of Zamindari horse archers attack one of the Marathas flanks.



Thinking the unit isolated the Marathas take the bait and move in to attack the cavalry.



Once within range of the Mughal cannons no time is wasted by the artillery crew. Frighteningly accurate cannonballs tore into the closest unit of Marathas. It was written of the battle by a Tufangi that the mixture of up-churned earth, dust and clouds of blood from the impacts were sickening.



The Marathas unit did not rout but instead retreated slightly.



Much to the surprise of Amin Shah he discovered he was being engaged from the right flank by a unit of firelock armed Marathas peasants, taking cover in thick vegetation. Although impressed by the clever flanking move Shah was ordered the Hindu Musketeers to pin the enemy unit in place whilst the Qizilbashi move to attack their flank.



Meanwhile, back at the centre of the battlefield the Marathas advance was stalled once more by the artillery crew. Thanks to the angle of the cannonfire the balls were bouncing through entire Marathas formations, racking up a huge bodycount.



Now the Qizilbashi were in place and opened fire on the firelock armed citizenry.



Panic had taken hold of the Marathas rebels now and so they break formation, a confused mass of bodies provided an excellent target for the Mughal artillery.



Those Marathas who had fired upon the Hindu Musketeers on the right flank had now routed under the pressure and the Zamindari horse archers give chase.



The Marathas make a bold full frontal charge on the Mughal battleline. The artillery crew switches to canister ammunition and obliterates around 20 men on the right flank of the Marathas unit as they charged.



Shortly thereafter Shah gave the order for the rest of his soldiers to open fire.



Before the Qizilbashi can rejoin the main Mughal battlegroup they are caught up in close combat with a large number of the Marathas.



To the Marathas commander's horror several groups of Dervishes which Shah had cleverly hidden in vegetation just off the left flank emerged and descended on the Marathas.



Shah personally led the Islamic swordsmen in to reinforce the Qizilbashi. Before they even reached the melee however the Marathas knew they could not win and began to flee.



The Hindu Musketeers had moved to cut off the Marathas retreat but was suddenly finding itself crushed beneath the hundreds of Marathas armed civilians who aimed to escape the lost battle.



Zamindari horsemen returned to haunt fleeing peasants as they headed to their nearby village.



Islamic swordsmen joined in the pursuit.



The Marathas-loyal village was a scene of chaos.



Some Marathas had regrouped in the centre of the battlefield. But the Dervishes were not far behind.



The leader of the Marathas revolt was slain by one of the Dervishes' unit commanders in the melee.



Those peasants who had fled in the opposite direction of their village were not spared either, the Qizilbashi ruthlessly gunned them down.



The final pocket of Marathas resistance is attacked by the Dervishes.



The scene at the Marathas village, according to the testimony of some of the Zamindari horsemen, was like a mass burial site. The Mughals had put down the first, and hopefully, last Marathas uprising against their rule in Bijapur.



---------

As I was collating the reports of the aftermath of the recent Marathas rebellion in Bijapur. One of Alamgir's servants whispered grave news in his ear. His expression turned stale. He shot his gaze quickly from me to the faithful bodyguard Bahadur who stood, as always beside the door to the Sultan's throne room.

“Remember what we spoke about? About Mahjid?” Bahadur nodded but I was lost trying to interpret their mysterious conversation.

“The plans need to be accelerated, it has to happen now!” Alamgir said to Bahadur, who only now looked over to meet my puzzled gaze. He nodded and left the room hastily, to make preparations for something urgent. In his place stepped in two other guards armed with ornamental spears but sharp scimitars were sheathed unconcealed at their waist. It was all something to do with me! I gulped nervously, perhaps Alamgir II had been offended by something I had written during my cataloging of his Empire? Would he have me killed?

My panic stricken thoughts were silenced by Alamgir himself.

“Mahjid, Persian friend.” He addressed me, oddly.

“Bahadur is preparing your horse, you know how to ride? Yes?”

Before I could gather the courage to answer he continued.

“He and my most trusted men are taking you to Esfahan. You will travel with haste to pick up your wife and son.”

“But, my...wife and son? Why, what is wrong?” Dread hung over me like a mighty boulder about to drop and crush me at any moment. Darkness seemed to descend all around me as my head began to spin.

“A Persian army has laid siege to Neroon Kot, Sindh, on our mutual borders.”

Before I could think of another response Bahadur was back with an entourage of 12 or so armed men. I was ushered out quickly before any other words were said and within moments I was in the Sultan's Palace stables mounting up.

The journey was long and arduous. On the way my mind was beginning to understand the situation. Alamgir had expected, or wanted, war with the Safavids in Persia all along. He spoke of 'the plan'. He had already made a plan to evacuate my family in such an event.

We met my wife and son about a day outside of Esfahan. A Thugee under the employ of Alamgir had escorted them this far to avoid me and my Mughal entourage needing to travel within sight of the Persians at Esfahan. I was glad to have them with me, but my heart was elsewhere. I felt torn, I would be writing about the Mughals, fighting and killing my countrymen. One particularly cold night during the journey to Esfahan I sat at the makeshift campfire with Bahadur. He put my mind at rest a little, telling me how Alamgir II would destroy the Safavids and their supporters for the incursion at Neroon Kot. "The Sultan's war is not with the Persian people, but the Safavids who rule the country." He said. We both wondered how the battle at Neroon Kot had gone, it had surely ended by now; I admit I was a little anxious to get back to my room in the Sultan's Palace at Akbarabad - back to the desk at which the battle report surely waited.

When we all arrived back little had visibly changed at the palace itself. But I found myself escorted to a new wing. We passed through a library of sorts where several Mughal scholars were at work, and then came to and extravagant four room dwelling. Beautiful views at all sides through the masterfully built windows. I looked around for a sight of Alamgir in what was certainly his new living space.

“Welcome to you and your family's new quarters.” Alamgir II spoke suddenly from behind me. My wife and son were already unpacking their things and flitting around the room in awe at all of the expensive and lavish decorations and furnishings.

“Your desk is through those doors. You have a lot to catch up on, Mahjid. The empire's reports are all waiting for you, organised in chronological order by our scholars whilst you were gone.”

“But Mahjid, remember; write it how it all happened. I know the Persians are your people, but it is the Safavids and their followers who invaded Mughal territory, and so it is them who shall be punished as such.” He turned to leave, Bahadur giving me a slight bow – we had gotten to know eachother far better than I could have imagined over the course of the trip to Esfahan.

I sat at my new marble desk. The stack of papers, artwork, illustrations and scrolls were higher than I could have possibly imagined. I laid out a blank scroll and was ready to pick up where I had left off. A lot had happened since I was last here, I knew, and I would continue the work I so love.

THE PERSIAN SUBJUGATION OF NEROON KOT, SUMMER 1706

A light rain and cloudy sky marked the start of the Persian-Mughal war. The Persian forces raced towards the small town whilst the civilians who had taken up arms to repel them ran to get into the best defendable position possible.



The Persian forces far outnumbered the Mughal civilian defence force.



In their position in the town square the firelock armed civilians fired into the incoming wave of Dervishes.



The Dervishes were relatively unshaken by losing a few men to musketfire and charge in. Butchering the defenders in melee.



In another street the Mughal civilians hold off a charge of Persian camel nomads attempting to flank the rest of the Mughal defence.



The leader of Mughal resistance is slain somewhere in the chaos of battle as the Dervishes continue to decimate all who oppose them. Most of the Mughals begin to flee.



The last bastion of Mughal control over the town in the town centre which the Dervishes storm as muskets fire from the windows.



The battle was unwinnable, but the Mughal civilians were brave enough to take up arms in defence of their homeland and families. They died with honour.



---------

As winter 1706 came around a large number of farm developments were finished. The boost to tax income and population growth is much needed now that the Mughal Empire was down one province and needing to fund a war in the north.



Alamgir is aware that despite putting down one rebellion in Bijapur already public unrest is still high, not discouraged. As a result he promotes an old friend of his, Ram Khan to serve as General to the Mughal forces in the region. He hopes that under his leadership the fires of the Marathas will be put out quicker.



I received a letter from Alamgir himself as to the reasons of Ram Khan's promotion. He describes the man as valiant, brave and at the same time fearsome. He is a skilled general and interestingly, it seems Ram Khan has had a borderline 'phobia' of Europeans since childhood.

Nervous of European ambition if they thought the southern empire was weak due to the Marathas rebels and the war in the north. A ship is sent to spy on the Dutch holdings in Ceylon. The province seems quiet and Mughal fears are put to rest for now.



Summer 1707, a pirate host attacked the Mughal fleet holding a monopoly on the trading resources of the Straits of Madagascar.



The Fleet was outnumbered, outgunned and caught by surprise. Those ships which were not close enough to be dragged into the battle fled back to India.



Still, Alamgir intends to continue with his plans. The trade ships are continued to be built and the navy is rebuilt in preparation for an attack on the pirates once the Mughal fleet is strong enough.



Many had expected Marathas remnants and supporters to engage in a second uprising and revolt in Bijapur, and it occurred in the winter of 1707.

Unlike the previous Mughal commander of Satara the newly promoted Ram Khan led his forces against the rebels immediately...

You sly bastard!

I only got the chance to read the first part explaining that he would continue writing the history. I can't wait to read the rest. I'm very excited that this is still going.

Haha you're more sneakier than Brett Favre! That was a good sly trick and a good post. Can't wait for the next addition!

Yes, Mahjid is quite a materialist really, isn't he?

Glad you liked the twist, more coming soon.

THE SECOND UPRISING OF BIJAPUR, WINTER 1707.

The sky was clear, once again good visibility provided the perfect conditions for the now veteran Mughal artillery crew to inflict damage on the Marathas battleline.

They waste no time in opening fire.



After a few volleys Ram Khan and his elephant mounted bodyguards lead a charge on the Marathas accompanied by a single unit of Dervishes.



The Elephants rapidly gained speed and completely obliterated the center of the Marathas formation.



Those who weren't dead, injured or being trampled were speared and impaled by Ram Khan and the bodyguard unit.



The Dervishes cut off the Marathas retreat.



A single Marathas peasant runs for the hills as the Mughals have once again smashed the peasant resistance



A small warehouse atop a nearby hill held the rest of the rebels.



Ram Khan was surprised to see Bargir Infantry on the battlefield, remnants of the Marathas no doubt.



The Mughals advance again.



The Elephants once again bear down on an isolated rebel unit.



Musketfire rings out from the bodyguard unit before they charge in and again, crush the men in the rebel formation.



The peasants rout.



Some of the Marathas firelock armed citizenry, disgusted by the wanton slaughter of their companions descend their hilltop position to open fire on Ram Khan's unit.



A single elephant is dropped by the barrage of musketfire and as the Elephants get dangerously close the Marathas, perhaps suicidally, charge headlong into the monsters. I personally find the existence of such tactics and flagrant disregard for ones life highly unlikely, I would not wish to call the newly appointed General Ram Khan a liar in his battle report, however.



Inspired by their firelock armed comrades a second unit of the Marathas men descends the hill. This time the Dervishes cut them off. More elephants would surely have been lost otherwise, with them already pinned in combat.



The following piece of artwork was painted by a Persian scholar after his hearing of the battle. It is a Marathas supporter, perhaps a commander of a destroyed unit running down the hill waving the Marathas flag. He is charging towards the Mughal position by himself. As you, noble reader, would assume his death is perhaps moments away. It is blatantly created by a Marathas sympathiser, and the symbolism is the brave Marathas never giving up against the tyrannical tactics and odds the Mughals presented them with. The painting is magnificent I thought and so I placed it here during my transcribing of the battle.



The Bargir Infantry had been busy flanking the Mughal units fighting at the bottom of the hill and set up position firing on a unit of Dervishes. The Dervishes promptly charge at the Bargirs, taking several losses at point blank range.



The warehouse atop the hill was now being pounded by Mughal artillery. The last few Marathas bravely stood their ground, hoping they could force a Mughal Infantry assault and use their advantageous position to inflict grevious losses on their attackers.



The Bargirs held fast against the Dervishes, and thanks to the exhausted state of the Mughal unit were actually winning the melee.



Cannonfire finally shakes the foundations of the building and the firelock armed citizenry holed up inside the warehouse begin to flee before it collapses on top of them.



The Dervishes saw Ram Khan approaching with his Elephant Bodyguards from the rear of the Bargirs and only had to hold their attention for a few more seconds... Just before Ram Khan crashed into the rear of the Bargirs the Dervishes fled to a safe distance to avoid also being crushed beneath their weight and momentum.



Ram Khan had, in his first battle demonstrated ruthless tactics and unorthodox methods such as the use of his elephant bodyguards as a giant hammer crushing those who stood in the way. And so the second Marathas uprising was put down, more fiercely than the first but I am not convinced it will be the last.



---------

Safavid presence in and around the province of Sindh continued to increase. Raids and small incursions were all that followed, however, Alamgir and his military strategists knew it would not be long before the raids probed deeper and stretched the Mughal defenses thin. As in the previous war with the Marathas logistics is a problem. The Sultan has begun to forming of an Imperial battalion consisting of the most capable Mughal soldiers. It will take years for the training and recruitment to be complete, but Alamgir II hopes they will spearhead the Mughal offensive against Safavid rule in Persia.



Mughal scholars continue to make enlightenment advances.



Zulfiker Khan arrived in early winter 1708 to besiege the Persian forces occupying Neroon Kot. He and his men are eager to liberate the Mughal citizens from Safavid rule but orders from Alamgir are to continue the siege to draw Persian reinforcements out.



As the summer months pass by and winter begins unrest is still rife in Bijapur. The working classes are on strike, refusing to work for the oppressive Mughals.



Alamgir II orders the destruction of a trading port at Bombay to enable the construction of a naval shipyard. The only naval facility the Mughals currently have access to is in Bengal, far from a tactical location.



The trade lanes are consistently blockaded or raided, although nothing much can be done about such actions in the far off mediterranean. The Russians and Austrians are the prime culprits, they blockade Ottoman provinces Rumelia and Anatolia, through which the Mughal trade travels.



As I had expected, summer 1709 brought news of a third Marathas uprising in Bijapur. Once again, Ram Khan; who's forces were patrolling the area outside the city of Satara attack the rebels before they can do any damage or rally more to their cause.

THE SUPPRESSION OF THE THIRD MARATHAS UPRISING, SUMMER 1709.

Clouds littered the sky, the windless air hung in the atmosphere eerily. The calm before the storm, the prelude to the imminent conflict. This time the Marathas rebels had a regiment or two of Hindu warriors, far more competent in battle than the levies and mobs who revolted previously.

The Mughals under the command of Ram Khan set up position on a hill, forcing the Marathas to approach using artillery barrages.



The clearly inexperienced Marathas commander led his camel cavalry close behind his men to offer morale and tactical support. The Mughal artillery crew were trained to target generals and officers first however. Surely enough, the Marathas leader was forced to withdraw to a safe distance.



The cannons continue firing from the advantageous position at the hilltop



The Mughal forces surge forward as the Marathas advance slows to a halt at the bottom of the hill.



Firelock armed citizens fire on an incoming unit of Islamic swordsmen.



The inexperienced gunners cause little casualties and are overwhelmed in melee



As the Mughals press the attack all over the line, Qizilbashi Musketeers open fire



Weary of becoming surrounded one of the Hindu Musketeers units forms a square as Dervishes charge them; not deterred by a direct hit from Marathas cannons.



The Islamic swordsmen continue their advance, taking some serious damage from canister shot fired from Marathas artillery.



A unit of Hindu swordsmen have evaded the main part of the battle, by avoiding the potent Mughal melee troops they intend to attack the weaker ones. Fortunately Ram Khan placed the Qizilbashi Musketeers in their path.



As the Hindu swordsmen rapidly close the gap the Qizilbashi suddenly begin to withdraw, the Hindus, thinking they are routing blindly pursue. It is then that Ram Khan springs the trap and charges the unit side on.



The mighty elephants crash straight through the last Marathas unit capable of putting up a good fight. The Marathas rebels soon rout.



The battle statistics are a testament to Ram Khan's tactical ability. I shall watch his career with great interest.



---------

The Persian fleet in the gulf has been a thorn in the side of Mughal revenue since the outset of the Safavid-Mughal war. The Mughal fleet moves in to engage and free up one of their trade lanes to Europe.



Summer, 1710. The Mughals use the Safavid's tactics against them and a small fleet of Mughal trade ships raids the Persian supply route.



Meanwhile the Mughal navy moves in to attack the Persian fleet.

THE BATTLE OF THE PERSIAN GULF, SUMMER 1710.

The sun was midway through it's daily rising routine. It's reflection shimmered on the water between the boats of the Mughal fleet. The Persians were outnumbered and definitely out gunned as all they had were trading ships. However, the Mughal navy has historically always been the empire's weakness and the sailors and captains have never experienced combat.



The Mughal Sixth rate, the fleets flagship heads up the assault. The wind favours the Persian angle of attack, but the Mughals would easily surround them.



The Persian trade ships try to use their front mounted cannons but their accuracy is poor.



Surely enough, the first trading vessel is devastated by a full broadside from the Mughal flagship, the raking shot killing most of the crew.



Chaos overcomes the Persian fleet as more of the Mughal ships come into range and fire.



The Mughals consistently managed to corner and surround the Dhow trade ships and pound them into submission.



This is a piece of artwork one of the scholars here in the palace wing painted whilst pre-reading the battle report. It captures the Mughal tactics perfectly – the raking shots and clustering of Safavid ships for maximum damage.



The last few Persian ships which had not surrendered attempted to flee, but such was the formation the Mughals were in they had to pass right through several ship's field of fire.



The gunners on the Mughal ships worked hard and fast to force the last few Persian ships to surrender.



The battle ended a success. All enemy ships were captured. Those who still had strong hulls, fully working guns and a willing crew were put to work in the Mughal trade fleet ready to be sent to the African coast once it was cleared of pirates. The others, it saddens me to say were plundered and sunk along with their crew. The old designs and styles of the Persian vessels, in my academic opinion, is what cost them the battle. Bow-mounted cannons could not compete with a full broadside from the Mughal ships, let alone the additional damage the raking shots they opened themselves up for. Such unnecessary Persian deaths sadden me, but these scrolls are not vessels of my 'Persian' opinion as Aurangzeb had put it all those years ago, I would write the events as they happened.



---------

The Mughal fleet, unchallenged now blockaded the Persian port in the gulf.



Persian raids in Punjab were picking up in both frequency and the size of the forces involved. A small Mughal army was garrisoned in a small town in the region to try and prevent them going any further.



Towards the end of the Winter Alamgir II removed the previous head of government from his cabinet and replaced him with a man who was both good at the job and popular with the lower classes. As such the unrest all over the Empire is settled a little.



The weary Dutch, perhaps fearing distrust or even war with the other European nations who parade themselves as enemies of Islam break off the trade agreement. It has little effect on Alamgir II however, hardly; if any, of the goods being shipped to and from the dutch were being pirated or blockaded anyway.



Meanwhile, in the north General Zulfiker and his forces have come to the end of their siege, convinced no other Persian forces will attempt to try and reinforce them the occupation force begins to mobilize to assault their besiegers. Zulfiker prepares his men to drive the Safavid loyalists from the region...

Elephant bodyguards! I want this game more than Micheal Jackson wanted a decent night's sleep!

Anyway, are the Marathas rebels generic rebels or actually Marathas?

Great post and finally the Mughal naval fleet finally get a victory! Praise be to God!

EDIT- In English it Allah means God so same thing.

[This message has been edited by Legion Of Hell (edited 08-15-2009 @ 04:52 PM).]

Shouldn't that be 'Allah'

Anyway, are the Marathas rebels generic rebels or actually Marathas?

Did you look at the screenshots? They're Marathas.

I'll update again soon, I got my ass handed to me in a massive battle with the Pirates

[This message has been edited by Aftermath (edited 08-17-2009 @ 05:25 AM).]

Yeah I did, but I'm not well versed in ETW uniforms

You've got to hand it to the Creative Assembly: those graphics are impressive. And the naval battles... awesome.

You're a genuine master of this art, Aftermath. *jealous_look*

THE LIBERATION OF NEROON KOT, WINTER 1710

The battle began as Marathas artillery pounded at the Mughal battle formation. Zulfiker retreated to a safer place, a stray cannon ball could easily kill him and his elephant mounted bodyguards.



Cannonfire continues to inflict casualties on the Mughals as the Marathas advance on the Mughal left flank.



The Hindu Musketeers loyal to the Mughals move into a better firing position



They engage a group of firelock armed citizens. Zulfiker stated in his notes; ”I was surprised to see the Persian citizens committing to a shootout with the far better equipped and trained Hindu Musketeers. At first I assumed it some misguided act of foolish bravery to get into the thick of the battle. Soon after however I realised it was a delay tactic; the citizens were forcing the Hindus to engage them, preventing the Hindu Musketeers under my command from getting into position to fire into the incoming Persian melee forces bearing down on the Qizilbashi Musketeers. I found myself impressed at the cleverly disguised tactics of my Persian opponent.”



The Qizilbashi are in danger of becoming overwhelmed in melee against the Dervishes and civilian levy, they fire at the Dervishes – the biggest threat to them.



Zulfiker then sprung the Dervishes under his command from their hiding place in the vegetation to move to the Qizilbashi's rear to support them in the inevitable fracas.



The Hindu Musketeers had by now routed the firelock armed citizens who had previously attempted to distract them. Now that the Hindu Musketeers had moved to the right flank of the Qizilbashi they were able to support them by musketfire and melee once the civilian levy and Dervishes reached them.



The Qizilbashi on the front line draw their swords and fend off the axe wielding Dervishes



Islamic swordsmen are ready to support them if needed



From far out on the Mughal left flank came a large citizen mob. In General Zulfiker's notes he states ”The citizens who accompanied us onto the battlefield were those who had been forced out of their homes when the Safavid Dynasty conquered Neroon Kot several seasons ago. They came to retake their homes and there could be no greater honour given than to serve with these brave men. They volunteered to sneak around the Persian lines and attack the dug-in artillery which hounded our formation.”



The Persian levies and Dervishes are sent running, the Qizilbashi are once again able to fire into them as they flee. At such close ranges casualties would have been severe for them, I am sure.



The Mughal citizens had reached the Persian artillery and charged them. Point blank cannonfire did not deter them.



The Persian commander orders his Camel Gunners to shoot into the Mughal Dervishes who had cut off his force's retreat.



Hindu Musketeers had run into position to return fire.



Meanwhile, at the Persian artillery emplacement the crews had been eliminated. A crowd forms as the last Persian is butchered by the Mughal people for their invasion.



Qizilbashi move into position to also fire upon the Persian commander and his unit.



In a desperate last move, the Persian charges up the hill to try and assassinate General Zulfiker. The sudden move catches Zulfiker off guard and he loses several of his elephant bodyguards to the Persian Musketfire. The move forces him to charge the Persian unit.



The crushing charge of the elephants and terrifying noises the beasts of war make sent the Persian camel gunners running.



The Mughals had retaken Neroon Kot. The populace happy to be back under Mughal rule.



---------

The garrison in Lahore, Punjab is boosted due to sightings of a large Persian force approaching the settlement.

THE SKIRMISH IN LAHORE, PUNJAB, SUMMER 1711

An almost pitch black sky heralded the downpour. The Safavids brought several units of artillery but due to the Mughal's strong starting position they could not be placed in the most advantageous position – the crest of the distant hill. As a result only two batteries had a direct line of fire on the small Mughal force.

Bhuyima Bowmen awaited the Persian advance atop a small building, a good position from which to fire their arrows into the enemy whilst remaining relatively protected themselves.



A few of the Persian cannonballs found the structure, kicking rubble, sand and dust over the nearby Dervishes.



Now the Persians began their advance



The Mughal commander changed his formation to allow maximum protection for all units



The Mughal cavalry awaits their moment to strike atop a small hill just off from the bulk of their forces.



The Mughals shifted position once again as the Persian forces moved in a large flanking arc rather than approaching the Mughals directly.



Instead of attacking as one the Persians falter in their advance and so the Dervishes are free to charge into them without exposing their rear.



Mughal Bowmen finish off routers and harass other advancing Persian units.



The Dervishes which were previously protecting the Mughal's rear position are free to engage the Persian forces now



Many of the Persians could not withstand the brutality of the infamous Dervishes in close combat so they begin to splinter and flee



Mughal civilians charge into the fray as the Persians are on the back foot in the combat



As the Persians are chased from the battlefield a unit of Desert Musketeers lines up to fire at the charging Dervishes. They could not get into position in time however and suffer being caught up in melee.



Now the Mughal Camel Cavalry strike and persue the remaining Persian infantry from the battlefield.



The victory was a little easy, although not undeserved thanks to cunning micromanagement on the part of the Mughal commander.



--

It appears that Ram Khan and his men succeeded in crippling and suppressing the rebellious remnants of the Marathas. The population of Bijapur has finally settled into Mughal rule.



Winter 1712, Repairs are completed in Neroon Kot and due to no nearby Persian forces General Zulfiker advances into the Persian territory to the North.



The new First Imperial Army heads towards the largest groups of Persians. The bulk of their forces who attack Mughal holdings. The aim is to tackle the main army of the Persians, leaving the smaller raiding parties stranded. Mughal Thugee spies also report that if the Imperial Army can win the battle they will be almost unchallenged as they march on the Safavid throne of power in Esfahan.



Once again, in winter 1713, the Mughals are facing financial difficulty.



Meanwhile on the Northern front the large Persian army retreated before the Mughal Imperial Army could engage them. In turn the Mughal forces in the area are free to advance on Kabul, Afghanistan and Zahedan, Baluchistan.



The Russians in the Mediterranean are the prime cause of Mughal financial difficulty. They blockade the port the Mughal traders use in Rumelia.



As the last few winter months roll by a small Mughal army catches up to the last major Persian raiding party in Kashmir.

THE SKIRMISH AT SRINAGAR, KASHMIR, WINTER 1713.

The skies were once again almost pitch black, a combination of the coming night and the already raging storm. The terrain here was very hilly and sandy. Visibilty would be a problem in the small battle as would misfires on the muskets as rain will hamper the effective use of gunpowder.



The Mughals take the offensive this time and charge downhill towards the smaller Persian raiding force



A unit of Desert Musketeers is engulfed in Dervish axes after unleashing only one volley, perhaps too early as only a few Dervishes fell during their full speed charge



As the last few Persian Musketeers flee the melee the Mughal camel cavalry move in to cut them down



Afghan Hillmen, renowned skirmishers indeed. Unfortunately they had thrown in with the Persian aggressors. The commanding Mughal officer is clear in his battle report notes that he has no quarrel with the Afghans, but if they fight beside his enemy they shall not be spared.



The battle was short and sweet. The Mughals lost only a handful of men. The final Persian raiding party had been eliminated from Mughal lands. Now the military could focus on planning an offensive to end the war.

--------

A cunning Persian tactic; the large army the Mughal Imperial army was headed for has split into two smaller forces, making the Mughal commander choose which one to persue. They both flee to the south to avoid confrontation with the large Mughal army.



A small Mughal force under the command of Mirza Daraz is intercepted by a similar in size Persian force.

THE SKIRMISH IN PUNJAB, SUMMER 1714

Once again rain plagued the battlefield. Both forces were aligned on opposite hills, the Persians refused to move so the Mughals initiated their attack first.



The Persian Camel Cavalry attempt a long flanking move



On the opposite flank Desert Musketeers attempt a flanking move, gunfire into the Mughals flanks will surely force a rout.



The opposing forces meet in a cluster of thick vegetation halfway up one of the hills. Bowmen begin to fire as Dervishes advance.



A mob of Muslim citizens charge the Persian general in an attempt to pin him in combat and overwhelm his unit with sheer weight of numbers.



A unit of Dervishes supports the attack by hitting the Persian general from his flank



Dervishes loyal to both the Persians and Mughals tear eachother asunder in the grass



Desert Musketeers fighting for the Safavids successfully flanked the main Mughal position, inflicting some casualties before a unit of Dervishes was brought over to eliminate the threat.



The Mughal citizens now attacked the remaining Persians in the vegetation



The Persian general and his loyal bodyguards have returned to the battle after previously fleeing.



The battle continues as the outnumbered Persians are massacred



The Persian commander, in a last ditch effort charges the Mughal forces.



Mirza states in his battle report that the Safavid loyalist fought incredibly well against the mass of Mughal numbers and inflicted impressive casualties, still, the Mughals were too much for him and his men alone and so he fled once again ending the battle in favour of the Mughals.

----------

Zulfiker Khan is almost within sieging range of the Persian settlement Zahedan.



A small fleet of Mughal trade ships attacks and captures a single Persian vessel which was raiding the trade lanes



The Mughals maintained their dominance on the east coast of Africa, trade ships were still being produced and moved to the area to begin profiting off the monopoly.



It was in the winter 1714 that the Mughal forces finally laid siege to both Zahedan and Kabul. The year would prove a turning point in the war as my brethren, the Persians were being pushed back to their capital in Esfahan.



Also, significantly the Mughal Imperial Army was able to strike at the largest Persian army in the region. The battle would decide whether or not the Mughals pressed on their offensive or needed to regroup in friendly territory. A great amount of time and Rupee had gone into the grand army's forming and upkeep, Alamgir II and his advisors hoped it was money well spent.

THE BATTLE OF AFGHANISTAN, WINTER 1714.

The clouds were grey in anticipation of the most important battle yet in the Mughal-Persian war. The Mughal Imperial Army position itself in front of a town in a standard line formation – Musketeers at the front, cannons dotted throughout and close combat specialists just behind the first line. Cavalry off to both sides. The Persian forces, because they were split into 3 forces would not all arrive at the same time on the battlefield, providing a fortunate advantage for the prepared Mughals.



These Mughal cannon crews were a little inexperienced and so several round shots lodged harmlessly in the ground several feet in front of them



A few units of Persians emerged from the nearby town behind the main Mughal formation. The numerous cavalry units were dispatched to deal with the threat.



Once the Zamindari Horsemen had fired several volleys of arrows into these cunning Persian units nearby Dervishes charged into combat with them.



In order to break the Persians quickly Mughal camel cavalry charged into their rear simultaneously.



By now the main Persian force was within range of the Mughal Musketeers. Mughal loyal Hindus were the first to open fire on the enemy



The Persian forces were primarily made up from close combat soldiers, the Dervishes changed their route of attack after suffering several volleys from Mughal musketeers.



Instead the Persian loyal Dervishes attacked a unit of Hindu Musketeers placed on a ridge. The attack was an attempt to sever the Mughal battle line leaving the center and right flank to be overwhelmed in melee. Through the thick smoke from all of the previous musketfire they fought.



In response to this the Mughal commander committed his Dervishes to support the outmatched musketeers in the fracas



All of the Mughal cannon crews were caught up in the melee. This was troubling as now the Mughals could do nothing to prevent the other Persian forces from joining the battle.



On the far left flank the Hindu Musketeers had not yet engaged in battle due to the concentration of the Persian attack on the Mughal right and center. In response these musketeer units were moved into a position in which they could provide crossfire support for the soldiers in melee



Many units of Persian cavalry streamed onto the battlefield



To prevent the right flank being completely crippled almost all of the Mughal cavalry was redirected there to attempt and drive the Persian cavalry attack away. Zamindari horsemen first fired their bows at the incoming camels and then proceeded to draw their sabres and clash in close combat.



Finally the Persian Dervishes are turned away on the right flank



Now the Hindu Musketeers were not caught up in close combat they were free to fire at the easy targets which were the Persian cavalry.



A gap had opened up in the Mughal line right at the centre after the Persian Dervishes wiped out one of the units of Hindu Musketeers. A remaining unit of these Safavid-loyal Dervishes headed to exploit this weakness. The Mughal commander had their Mughal counterparts charge through to assault them.



Chaos has broken out amongst the Persian cavalry. After being engaged by the full force of Mughal cavalry and then being torn to pieces by musketfire once the hindus were able to shoot at them they attempted to regroup but were caught by the Mughal cavalry who proceeded to massacre them in the confusion.



Some of the Hindu musketeer units had suffered horribly at the hands of the Persian Dervishes but continued to serve the Empire, rather than flee.



The rout on the right flank is triggered as the Persian cavalry can't regroup and the Persian infantry who attempted to engage the pursuing Mughal cavalry was themselves routed by a charge from Mughal Zamindari horsemen.



All over the battlefield Persian forces break into a rout. Mughal forces give chase, preventing several units from taking up defensive positions in the nearby town



The battle ends as the battered Mughal cavalry finish off the Safavid loyalists



The first Mughal Imperial Army had crushed the Persian army, forcing the Safavids to go on the defensive now. The battle was costly however, these tactics are not familiar to the Mughals and must be perfected over the course of the next few battles the Imperial Army fights to make the investment worthwhile.



--------------

Trading picks back up in late 1714, a fortunate event enabling the Mughals to resupply their battered Imperial Army.



It was in Summer 1715 that the Mughal trading ships arrived in the Straits of Madagascar. Tons and tons of Ivory were shipped from the area, it generated a huge amount of wealth for the Mughals as the Ottomans, Great Britain, France, and allies Mysore purchased great amounts. As a result the Mughals turn their attention to further increase wealth by securing the west coast of Africa as they had the east coast. Pirates were operating in the area however, so a Mughal fleet was sent to the area to remove the Pirate threat.



The ships in the Mughal fleet were all of basic design and did not have much firepower, but they should be able to easily obtain victory over the sole pirate ship under the command of the famous Joseph Culliford.

THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE IVORY COAST, SUMMER 1716

The majority of the Mughal fleet lowered their anchors and let the two largest ships in the fleet tackle the larger pirate 5th rate vessel.



The pirate vessel had already suffered damage in a previous battle preying off the trade ships in the region as evident by several holes in the hull.



Using their better maneuverability the two Mughal sixth rates moved to cut off the escape route of the pirate vessel as it tried to avoid the large number of anchored ships



Getting into position and flanking the pirates both Sixth rates pounded the 5th rate with broadsides



The pirate ship quickly took a lot of damage from the dual attack and so one of the Mughal sixth rates closed in for the attack. As it approached both vessels continued firing their broadsides. The closer they got the more damage was done.



Once they were close enough, the Mughal crewmen loaded the cannons with grapeshot – an anti personnel ammunition.



The resulting volley took the crew count on the pirate vessel well below half as the grapeshot penetrated the pirate hull



Securing the pirate 5th rate with ropes the Mughals had not only won the battle but also captured a more powerful ship than they could currently construct in their shipyards! Such an endeavour greatly increased the reputation and confidence of the Mughal sailors.

--------

Meanwhile, back in Baluchistan Zulfiker moved in to rid the settlement Zahedan of Safavid loyal Persians, of who there were little. The battle went without a hitch and as such is not worth writing about in these scrolls.



Used to Safavid rule the citizens of Baluchistan were a little reluctant about their new leaders but were obviously not all that happy under Safavid rule either due to lack of resistance or unpopular opinion.



The same happened in Afghanistan in winter 1716. The citizens of Kabul however are a hardy people and the lower classes especially were not happy about being ruled by another 'foreign' power.



Mughal spies had made good progress through Persia and were now watching over the territory in and around Esfahan – the Safavid capital. From the spies' reports it appears the Persians were a little scattered – perhaps due to the blow they received at the hands of the Mughal Imperial Army. There were however a large contingent of Safavid loyal Persian citizens who would fight for their Sultan and his administration. I feared for their safety at the hands of the Mughal military, afterall, they were my countrymen.



At the end of 1716 a report of another minor battle on the seas just off the Persian coast landed on my marble desk. It seems the Persians had not ignored their navy and 3 small Dhow ships were once again raiding the Mughal trade lanes. With the value of Ivory being imported by the Mughals and distributed to their trade partners they were now losing more money than before to these raids. A single Mughal sixth rate in the area was sent to deal with the problem.

THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE PERSIAN GULF, WINTER 1716.

The Mughal vessel wasted no time in approaching the small Persian fleet, who perhaps encouraged by the single ship which had come to engage them also moved in to attack.



The Mughal sixth rate turned to its side and unleashed a broadside just before it reached the Persian ships. A considerable amount of damage was done and the sixth rate turned again to move straight between the Persians.



Seperating the inferior Persian ships allowed the Mughal ship to fire from both sides.



One of the Persian ships moved away from the sixth rate to approach from a better angle, the second however moved closer in an attempt to get a lucky shot with it's front-mounted cannon and puncture the Mughal's hull

The Mughals were the better cannon crew however and were reloaded first. The result was a devastating full broadside at close range.



The Persian ship then attempted to flee as the crew started to jump overboard.



Seconds later it was half submerged, the crew drowning.



As the sixth rate approached the third Persian ship the Dhow landed several good shots straight into the oncoming Mughal vessel. The other Dhow approached the sixth rate from the rear.



Reloaded again already, the Mughals repeated their previous tactic and unleashed another full broadside up close.



The remaining two Dhow ships surrendered to the superior Mughal ship and so were captured and sent to the African coast to further increase the trade revenue coming from the goods there.



---------------

The Mughal forces left Zahedan in Summer 1717 and entered Persia itself, my homeland.



Smoke and signs of battle could be seen from the direction of Esfahan. Just as a Mughal fleet carrying the Imperial Army was about to deploy in the area. Military advisors persuade Alamgir II to call off the attack, at least until it is clear what is going on. Either the administration is changing in Persia or another power are besieging the city.



Mughals begin to monopolise the East Indies trade theatre too. Valuable spices will be very profitable once trading fleets can be mobilized to the area.



Mughal spies revealed that the Persians were far from finished however, even if they lost Esfahan to whoever it was sieging it a large army was garrisoned in Azerbaijan.



As 1717 retreats into winter an Ottoman army is seen fleeing the Esfahan area, persued by a Persian force as a larger one heads for the Ottoman-held Baghdad.



The Mughal Imperial Army waits patiently aboard it's fleet. Waiting for orders to strike at Esfahan.



Many Mughal provinces are exempted from tax to promote their growth. Other settlements are not too happy about such a policy but are nowhere near the level of dissent and disorder as several years ago when Alamgir II was crowned Sultan.



The mighty Mughal fleet, 13 ships strong moves through the waters of the East Indies to secure it from pirates and make sure the area is safe for Mughal traders.



Zulfiker Khan leads his forces to raid the town of Shiraz, Persia. He now has orders to rendezvous with the Imperial Army and take command for the assault on Esfahan. Spies also reported that during the early months of 1818 the Persians conquered Mesopotamia and relieved the Mughals of control of the area. This presented the Mughals the opportunity to take Esfahan whilst the Persian military was less concentrated on defending one area and then perhaps taking Baghdad from them. Gaining ground without going to war with the friendly Ottomans.



Zulfiker meets with the Imperial Army who made landfall in the previous winter.



Winter 1718 and Mughal scholars continue to make military technological advancements.



Spending continues on turning India into a contender for one of the richest places in the world. Exports of trade resources continue to go through the roof.



As a result, the Mughal finances are in the best position they have ever been.



A medium sized pirate fleet is seen in the East Indies. The Mughal Navy moves to protect their trade vessels in the area.



Rice farms all over the subcontinent are constructed to boost population, wealth and prevent food shortages which have always been an issue in India.



Summer 1719, the Imperial Mughal Army now under the competent control of their most respected General – Zulfiker Khan besieges Esfahan. The throne of power for the Safavid dynasty.



Prussia approaches the Mughals with a proposition of trade. They demand military access to Mughal lands but they are far off from walking all over them. A strong friend such as Prussia in Europe will be of great benefit to the Mughal Empire, I am sure.



With the signing of the trade agreement the Mughal trade income booms beyond Alamgir II's wildest dreams.



As such the powers of Europe who receive the Mughal goods are more than pleased, all have a friendly demeanor and do little more than blink an eye at the Mughal's domination of an entire subcontinent.



Winter 1719, the Naval Minister himself strode into my study, where I was busy compiling economic reports from the trade ventures. He looked troubled, but said nothing. Only handed me the documents and proceeded through the elaborate wooden doors. Two of Alamgir's royal guards followed him out. I assumed the report contained bad news, and that he was on his way to an audience with Alamgir afterwards. I read it with intrigue.

THE BATTLE OF THE EAST INDIES, WINTER 1719.

The Mughal navy, triumphant in a good number of it's previous battles anticipated the battle with confidence. On the horizon approached 4 Pirate Galleons and the command vessel a fifth rate under the command of the pirate Bartholomew Teach. The Mughal navy outnumbered the enemy by more than 2:1.



The battle started as the Mughals planned to use their superior numbers to the maximum advantage. The best ships in the fleet formed the first, the rest were made up of brigs and sloops. The plan was to inflict damage with the sixth rates, attack the pirates flank with the second group and meanwhile move the third group around to the pirates rear to surround the smaller group of ships.



These pirate vessels were in much better condition than the previous one the Mughals fought and captured.



The formation sets about their objectives



The first volleys are fired from the pirate galleons into the second group who approached from the side. Raking shots were causing a lot of damage.



The sixth rates were then brought into the fray, later than originally intended it appears. They attacked the pirates from the front but could not quite get enough momentum to get in front of the lead pirate ship.



To avoid more raking shots the second group of Mughal ships abandons the plan to move through the pirate fleet and turns to follow them, allowing their broadside cannons to be fired. They are still outgunned at this range however, and relatively unsupported by friendly ships.



The third group gets into position in good time, they just need to get a little closer and the pirates will be surrounded.



As the plan begins to come to fruition the Pirate's commanding 5th rate begins to take heavy damage from the second fire group.



The second group of Mughal ships moves between the pirate Galleons, trying to cut the 5th rate off. The killing or sinking of the commanding vessel should send the rabble packing.



Just as the third group were getting to within firing range a Galleon fires a broadside. Miraculously over the long distance a lucky cannonball strikes the gunpowder aboard and the ship explodes.



Seconds later a fire still rages as the ship plummets to the murky depths.



To avoid catching fire by passing the flaming ship the next Mughal ship in line turns about, only to collide with the other Mughal ship in the area. The disaster opens the two up as easy targets as broadsides from the Galleons tear through the hull and crew alike.



It is too much for one of them and they begin to sink, the other fleeing the chaos.



A pirate galleon passes closeby one of the Mughal sloops which has been devastated by bomabardment. Almost the entire crew dead. It promptly surrenders.



The Mughal ship from the collision is almost completely submerged now. The crew trying to get the attention of another Mughal vessel as it helplessly flees the pirates. The third line of attack is pretty much scattered by now, meaning the Mughals have no chance of surrounding the smaller pirate fleet.



The second fire group has successfully concentrated fire on the pirate admiral and set his 5th rate on fire. Panick begins to settle in, hopefully a lucky wind shall spread the fire amongst the pirate ships in close formation.



No such luck would be had as the Galleons form up and head straight for the sixth rates who were inflicting the most damage.



A galleon has also caught fire but by now the majority of the smaller Mughal ships have been destroyed or fled. Only the sixth rates remain.



The smaller ships do their best to concentrate fire on one ship at a time whilst getting into a better position to prevent becoming surrounded.



The pirates closed in too quickly too fast. The Mughal crews were racked by short range broadsides.



The Galleons began to circle the doomed Mughals



The commanding Mughal sixth rate takes fire from three pirate galleons and at that the Mughal fleet was decimated.



The pirates clearly had no intention of capturing the Mughal ships or crews but rather sending them all to the bottom of the sea. Those vessels which did surrender were added to the fleet, the crews however, were not spared. This is a huge setback and now the Mughals cannot protect their coastlines or the trade which has made them so prosperous. It will take many years to build a navy of comparable size.

[This message has been edited by Aftermath (edited 09-09-2009 @ 01:31 PM).]

Ouch you suffered greatly at the hands of the Pirates. Looks like you might have to scale back a little bit on military production to recoup the losses from the East Indies battle. The AI are quite clever. I was quite impressed with the splitting of the Persian forces so to cause a dilemma for you. But you just simply wiped them out.

This is a fine piece of work and I wait with relish for the next installment. Can I ask what difficulty is this in and on what version?

The AI are quite clever. I was quite impressed with the splitting of the Persian forces so to cause a dilemma for you. But you just simply wiped them out.

Yeah, it would've been far more effective if they hadn't retreated south to stand right next to the army they originally split from

This is a fine piece of work and I wait with relish for the next installment. Can I ask what difficulty is this in and on what version?

Glad you like it

I posted the campaign winning conditions and such in post 2. Difficulty is VH Campaign and H battles. Version is 1.3 (the latest). I guess I need to finish it up before patch 1.4 because the patches tend to be non savegame compatible.

[This message has been edited by Aftermath (edited 09-04-2009 @ 04:19 AM).]

CHAPTER 4
OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES

Meanwhile, at Esfahan Zulfiker Khan and the Mughal Imperial Army came under attack from the Persian army whilst sieging the city.

THE BATTLE OF ESFAHAN, WINTER 1719

The Persian force was of a comparative size to the Mughals, plus they had the benefit of extra reinforcements arriving on the battlefield. The Mughals lined up as they did in the previous battle, awaiting the Persian attack. The Persians came at them in a frenzy, full of patriotic fervour in defense of their capital city.





Here, artwork drawn by a Persian shepherd who was working in the mountains overlooking the battlefield depicts the foreign Mughals waiting beneath the clear starry sky. A light haze from the horizon in the picture resembles the coming of the Persian relief force, coming to rid Persian lands of the invaders.



The Mughal cannons, placed in a better position this time pounded the hillside as the Persians descended towards them.



The Persian musketeers came within range and exchanged volleys with the Hindu Musketeers fighting for the Mughals. They were clearly outmatched.



Musketfire echoes all across the Mughal lines as the Persians try to regroup



They succeed and begin to charge the Mughal left flank with their sabres drawn



Whilst on the right flank Persian cavalry bolster the infantry attack



To prevent the musketeers getting swamped in melee the cavalry on the left flank move ahead and charge some of the weaker Persian units such as the civilian levies.



The Persians show a fair aptitude for musketry on the right flank. The Hindu musketeers are taking more casualties than their enemies.



Zamindari pikemen head towards the Mughal cavalry as the cannons harrass them with Canister Shot causing a great number of casualties.



Meanwhile the Mughal Zamindari horsemen attack desert musketeers in close combat



Persian cavalry attempts to flee the battle but runs through the Mughal musketeers line of fire.



Zamindari horsemen on the right flank also engage the Persians in melee.



Cannonfire plagues the Persian cavalry units who have struggled to support their infantry throughout the battle.



Mughal cavalry clashes with Persian cavalry on the right flank.



The Persian left flank is broken and the cavalry in the area persue the routers



To force the rest of the Persians to rout Zulfiker sends the Mughal melee forces into the fray



The Persians positioned their cannons in a good spot which overlooked a good portion of the Mughal battleline. Unfortunately once the left flank broke nothing was protecting the gun crews from the Mughal cavalry.



Dervishes press the Mughal counterattack against the backdrop of Esfahan.



Some of the Persian reinforcements consist of their best soldiers – the desert musketeers. They move into line formation much like the Mughals



Zamindari pikemen struggle in melee aganst the Mughal Camel Cavalry



Islamic Swordsmen charge uphill to attack the Persian reinforcements who are still getting into firing position.



Persian citizens fled back to Esfahan to defend their homes which they knew the Mughals would come for next. The Persian military could not protect them here anymore.



The battle is once again won by the Mughal Imperial army, which is getting a reputation across the middle east. Once again it had defeated the largest Persian resistance in the area and was now free to take Esfahan itself. The battle statistics are impressive indeed. Outnumbered by nearly a thousand enemy soldiers the Mughals won the battle and only took themselves 345 casualties. A true triumph of a victory. Zulfiker Khan proves that even in his old age he still has the ability to pull off a victory against the odds.





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The shipyard in Ahmadnagar is upgraded to allow better ships to be built. Alamgir II declares this a priority after the crippling naval defeat at the hands of the pirates in the Indies.



No reinforcements in sight for the beleaguered defenders of Esfahan in summer 1720.



Baghdad, Mesopotamia is also relatively unguarded. A probable next target for the Mughal army.



Winter 1720 brings news of a huge Persian expansion into other nearby Ottoman territory. It appears they have taken Armenia and are pressing on Anatolia. Perhaps in response to losing the territories in the south to the Mughals.



A large Dutch fleet is seen heading for the East Indies. It could either be a fleet of trade ships looking to take advantage of the lack of a Mughal fleet



In Europe Alamgir II recieves news of a political uprising in Rumelia. The Ottomans are fighting a civil war, the Royalists appear to be losing. A new Republican administration may bring more harm than good to Mughal ambition.



An envoy from Great Britain brought a proposal from their Queen Victoria I. It is as Aurangzeb had predicted at the outset of the 1700's. They asked for land, the region of Sindh to be precise. In return for Mughal land they offered several technologies which would benefit the Empire greately. Alamgir II turned down such a proposal however, a European foothold in India would not be beneficial.



A small force of reinforcements has arrived on the outskirts of Esfahan. Zulfiker had the opporunity to intercept them but decided to crush them all in one decisive blow when the moment came to assault the settlement.



Spies revealed a very large Persian army occupying Yerevan, Armenia. Fortunately they are not pressing south to engage the Mughals but rather trying to hold onto their new regions from the Ottomans.



As the summer months of 1721 begin Zulfiker determines it is time to finish the Persians off in Esfahan.

THE ASSAULT ON ESFAHAN, SUMMER 1721

The Mughal Imperial Army outmatched the Persians and their reinforcements. They would fight hard though, I knew. The sky was a perfect blue as the sun scorched the dry earth. Smoke rose into the sky as the Mughal cannons pounded at the town the remaining Persian resistance was holed up in. From a fortified position in the main street the Persian artillery returned fire.



The Persian defense was organised around a small palatial estate.



As the Mughal cannons fired in the direction of the town several units of Hindu Musketeers flanked the settlement and formed a battleline on the Persian right flank. The Persians were cunning and wasted no time in attacking the formation before it was set up properly. Camel Cavalry charged into a thin line of Hindu Musketeers who in response adopted the highly successful square formation to defeat them. The other Hindu Musketeers shot at the nearby Persian units headed for them from the narrow streets.



Soon enough the focus of the whole battle had shifted to this front as several units of Persian Desert Militiamen engaged their Hindu counterparts. Mughal Dervishes engaged those who tried to evade the Hindu Musketeers' fire.



Meanwhile Qizilbashi Musketeers – the elite infantry of the Mughal army move through the thick grass to the left flank.



Once in position they opened fire on the Persian stragglers.



A unit of Hindu musketeers supporting the Qizilbashi assault an armory from which desert militia fired their weapons.



By now the Mughal cannons had gotten their bearings on the palatial estate, the centre of the Persian defenders. It crumbled as fire licked at it's structure. The roof collapsed killing a good majority of the brave Persians who defended their country. This triggered the end of the battle as the remaining Persians were cut down by the Mughal Camel Cavalry.



--------------

Safavid Loyalists all over the region are less than happy about their new rulers and strikes and riots are almost a certainty over the next few years.



With the capture of Persia itself the Mughals gained their prestigious schools and colleges in Kermanshah. The scholars there were put to work on agricultural improvements.



There are several scattered Persian armies in disarray in the north. It is likely they will combine their efforts and try to liberate Esfahan.



Ram Khan has been busy in Satara. Alamgir II has given command of the second Imperial Army to him. As troops are recruited new weapons such as the Mortars are built for use on the battlefield.



As predicted, the Persians riot against their Mughal 'oppressors' in Summer 1722. The mob first formed outside the city walls as the Mughal flag was raised above the former Safavid Palace. Mughal soldiers guarding the building were pelted with vegetables and fruit, most of it rotten. Soon enough they were forced to form ranks and open fire into the citizen mobs. This forced them to scatter all across the poor and even commercial districts of the great city. Looting and sacking continued for almost two entire days as Zulfiker began to order his regiments through the streets to restore order. Hundreds of Persian citizens were killed in the riots, to my distaste. Alamgir's war with the Safavid Dynasty was one thing, but a war against the people seemed to be boiling up. If so I must seriously consider my loyalty - to my fellow Persians or the Mughals? Could I really continue to write about the murder and extermination of my own kind if the war turned in such a way? The civil unrest was certainly not quelled, only postponed. I await the next report from Zulfiker and his garrison in Esfahan with much anticipation, concern and dread.



The Mughal friendly Islamic state of Mysore engages in a large military buildup on their borders inspired by the military spending on Imperial Armies by the Mughals.



Sure enough, the Persians in the area of Esfahan have combined to form a much larger army, it is still no match for the Imperial Mughal Army however and so they don't attack.



Summer 1723, A triumph in Bombay! The first Fourth Rate Ship of the Line in the east is constructed by Mughal workers. It is a wonder of the seas, the Mughal Navy has learned the harsh lesson the Pirates taught them and do not intend to make such a mistake again. More are due to be constructed, the Mughal navy will rival even those fleets from Europe.



Musrat Khan is named the Governor of the Mughal's Europe territories, beginning with Esfahan. Alamgir II recognises that he cannot rule his expansive Empire from his throne in Akbarabad. Musrat has been a part of Alamgir's close advisors since he was first named Sultan. Although he is considerably younger than the Sultan it is clear his advice and wisdom is respected in the palace. We shall see if he can live up to the job.



The build up of suspicion on the borders between Bijapur, Goa and Mysore resulted in the Mysorians declaring war on the Mughal Empire in late Summer 1723. A large Mysore army marches to lay siege to Hyderabad. The defenders are clearly outnumbered and outmatched. Hopefully the fortress there will once again prove invaluable and aid the Mughal defenders in their defense of the settlement.

THE BATTLE OF HYDERABAD FORTRESS, SUMMER 1723

Taken entirely by surprise by the traitorous Mysore assault the defenders scramble to man the battlements and load the cannons.





The Mysorians send their entire infantry at the walls. Mughal cannons bombard them in kind.



There are too many of them to repel via musketfire and cannonfire. Two large units of Mysore Infantry reach the walls and begin to scale them!



The Dervishes in the service of Mysore reach the battlements and begin to carve through the inferior firelock armed citizenry.



The Mughals on the walls desperately try to hold their ground. If Mysore gains control of the walls or even the gate mechanism they can let their huge numbers of cavalry flood the fortress spelling certain defeat for them.



The lesser Mysorian units flee the steadfast defense on the battlements.



More Mysore infantry join the assault.



Whilst those already broken flee past the Mysorian general responsible for the cowardly surprise attack.



Ultimately the Dervishes were annihilated atop the walls and the Mysorian cavalry had no way to gain access to the fortress and so were forced to withdraw. A narrow victory for the Mughals, but once again they had held onto the hotly contested province of Hyderabad.



--------------

An exploratory venture to the coast of Brazil in search of new profitable trade goods ends in yet another pirate fleet capturing the Mughal vessel.



Ram Khan, upon hearing of the betrayal of Mysore at Hyderabad, acting even before he receives orders to do so led his newly recruited Imperial Army to attack three Mysore armies in Goa. When the news of the brash action reached the Sultan's palace panic spread like wildfire. Was Khan completely mad? Marching straight into enemy territory to fight not one, not two but three of their armies?! If he was defeated the entire subcontinent would be up for grabs as all of the other Mughal military was focused on the war in the north.

THE BATTLE OF GOA, WINTER 1723

The Mughal formation was not a convential one. Musketeers made up the first line. The second contained more units of melee soldiers, cavalry was spread throughout at the back of the formation with a higher concentration on the flanks. Finally the brand new Mortars were overseen by Ram Khan himself with his elephant bodyguards.



The force of Mysore were set up just to the left side of the settlement of Goa itself. A cannon battery finds itself at the forefront as the other Mysore forces enter the battlefield. Mortar shells are seen exploding high above the enemy's heads.



Mortars continue their bombardment, so far they haven't proven all that successful but there is a lot of movement on the Mysorian lines and the crew are very inexperienced.



More and more Mysore reinforcements arrive



Some units of Hindu Musketeers take up defensive positions in nearby structures. One such unit blocks any attempts of a cavalry flanking attack through Goa's streets as the Hindu Musketeers there would wipe out any cavalry units with ease from their advantageous position.



More explosions from the mortars as the Mysore battleline bulks up.



Zamindari horsemen fighting for Mysore attack the exposed Islamic swordsmen on the Mughals left flank.



Mysore's melee infantry charge the Mughal lines only to be met with a wall of musketfire all along the line



As they make contact and begin to fight hand to hand with the musketeers on the left flank Islamic swordsmen kept in reserve move to a better position to support their brethren.



The Mysore general enters the range of the Hindu Musketeers as they pluck away at his unit. Mortar shells cause some significant deaths amongst the Mysore cavalry.



The Islamic swordsmen engage the numerous Mysorian forces on the left flank which has devolved into a tide of melee



Though the Islamic swordsmen are the best close combat specialists the Mughals have to offer they are caught off guard by the Dervishes charge who are vicious in combat.



Ram Khan orders the right flank of his musketeer line to form a 'V' shape in order to provide fire on the advancing Mysorians due to lack of activity over there.



Mysore's Shaturnal Camel Gunners harrass and demoralise the islamic swordsmen who are now fighting full force with half of the Mysorian Infantry



Mysore's general spots a hole in the Mughal lines. The Islamic swordsmen and loyal Dervishes are now cut off from supporting the Hindu Musketeers and other troops to the right. He wastes no time in exploiting the seperation of the Mughal formation.



Zamindari Horsemen fighting for the Mughals struggle to contain the Mysore attack. They charge into a unit of Hindu Musketeers fighting for the enemy to break them before they can complete their flanking maneuver which would devastate morale.



Pure carnage in the melee as the Mysore general charges in to punch straight through the Mughal battleline.



Mughal cavalry continue to struggle and as a result cannot support the main battleline



The Red-tops, or Qizilbashi as you probably know them, noble reader, are the elite of Ram Khan's Imperial Army. Experienced from his campaigns against the Marathas rebels they are no stranger to combat. They move into position to flank the Mysore cavalry.



Mughal Dervishes are now available to support the Hindu Musketeers who could not hold the line any longer.



Watching his right flank on the verge of collapse as unit after unit flees Ram Khan once again flung himself headfirst into the battle, taking potshots at the Mysore general and his bodyguards as he passed.
Ram Khan crashes into the Mysore Infantry.



The Qizilbashi have surrounded the Mysore cavalry and promptly eliminate them.



Meanwhile, just past Ram Khan the Mysorian general adopts the same tactic and slams into the Mughal Dervishes holding the line.



To ease some of the pressure on the shaky right flank the other Hindu Musketeers advance to block further Mysore reinforcements from attacking easily. They shoot down more Mysore camel cavalry as the entire line opens fire.



Seeing he is slowly getting surrounded and fearful of the Qizilbashi advancing on him the Mysore general begins to retreat. The Islamic Swordsmen and Dervishes give chase.



Thick clouds of smoke obstruct vision across a good portion of the battlefield. Still, Mysore artillery crews continue to fire in the direction of the Mughals



Mysorian reinforcements continue to pour onto the battlefield however, flinging themselves at the tiring Mughals.



A cunning tactic employed by Mysore's cavalry, they flank the main battle line in a large arc, avoiding Mughal cavalry and attack Ram Khan and his bodyguard where he fell back too after disengaging from the melee. His life is in danger until Mughal Islamic swordsmen rush to his aid. The death of Ram Khan would have surely ended the Mughal's hopes of victory here due to the crippling effect on morale. He is, afterall, arguably the best general ever to lead a Mughal army, better perhaps than even the legendary Zulfiker Khan.



Hundreds of corpses litter the battlefield, the dead can be seen clearly now as the Mughal lines advance. Mysore Hindu Musketeers approach the reformed and reinforced Mughal right flank.



The Mughals have pressed forward, gaining more and more territory on Mysore's forces. The Mortars continue to lay down support as their explosive shells begin to find the Mysorian positions more and more.



More Camel Cavalry fighting under the Mysore banner is decimated by the Mughal Musketeers



Cannonball impacts smoke gently in the breeze as a unit of Islamic swordsmen guarding the rear right flank of the Mughal battleline advances with their comrades.



Bhuyima Bowmen attack the Mughal Hindu Musketeers beyond range of retaliation. Ram Khan orders nearby Zamindari horsemen to charge the exposed unit to prevent further deaths.



The battle continues. The momentum has shifted completely as the Mughals are beginning to gain control over the field.



Yet Mysore is not completely depleted – more of them arrive to support their countrymen



The attack of the Zamindari horsemen provoked a charge by Mysore's Dervishes. To prevent losing their only remaining full strength cavalry unit in the nearby area Ram Khan orders Mughal Dervishes to intercept them



More Mysore Dervishes fall upon the Mughal battleline. This time the fearsome Qizilbashi Musketeers calmly open fire, reload and repeat until the Dervishes fell back.



Attempting to attack what they supposed was an unprotected left flank another set of Dervishes is chased by Mughal Dervishes



The Mughal Dervishes press through the town which by now was directly to the left of the Mughal battleline thanks to it's calm advancement across the field of battle. By taking and advancing through the town the Mughals can safely flank the Mysore army. The town buildings would protect them from counter-fire.



The Hindu Musketeers fighting for Mysore who had earlier took up strategic position in a building opened fire on the approaching Mughals. The Dervishes took some heavy casualties thanks to the confines of the streets.



Meanwhile the right flank is once again becoming the focus of the battle. Ram Khan sets his Qizilbashi Light Cavalry to support his men there, but they are caught up in melee with Zamindari pikemen. The pikemen take their toll on the light cavalry until Islamic Swordsmen come to the rescue.



Whilst back on the far left flank the Dervishes are now attacking the musketeers in the building. While they did so Mysore citizens charged into their flank, but the Dervishes are valiant and did not waver.



Islamic swordsmen arrive to help the Dervishes out. If the Mughals can take control of this town the Mysorians will be surrounded on almost 3 fronts. An attack from this direction will set about the end of the battle for certain.



The melee infantry in the middle of the field are sent forth. Mysore's Hindu Musketeers do their best to wither them down with musketfire but they are unsuccessful.



The Mughal lines surge forward to finish the forces of Mysore off whilst they are on the back foot, so to speak.




Many Mughals lie dead, and they shall be mourned. But many more of the traitorous Mysore dogs were wounded or killed.




At this point the Mughals were forced to withdraw from the field, due to the threats posed to a now unprotected Satara, which had much more value than Goa. Ram Khan considers the battle a great victory according to his battle report; He and the Second Imperial Army under his command crippled, and infact, almost completely wiped out three armies of Mysore. The Military ministers however scowl at the mention of the battle, declaring it a phyrric victory if not an utter defeat. Mughal lives were lost in the pursuit of a cause which the Sultan did not authorise, we did not seek to conquer Goa so why attack it and waste resources? They beckon. I however, believe a true victory was achieved.




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Woah those were some desperate battles, especially the one at Goa. That battle was touch and go at some points where you nearly lost the battle along with Ram Khan. But what made you want to attack three well equipped Mysorian armies that outnumbered you just under two to one?

Also the revolt of the Turks in Romania is also quite interesting. I wonder why they were revolting, probably of high taxes and repression. It'll be interesting to see if they succeed. Btw the why did you say that if the rebels succeed it'll harm Mughal interests? Anyway a great AAR and some beautiful pictures. I can't wait for one that shows the full impact of a cannon shell or even worse canister shot!

Woah those were some desperate battles, especially the one at Goa. That battle was touch and go at some points where you nearly lost the battle along with Ram Khan. But what made you want to attack three well equipped Mysorian armies that outnumbered you just under two to one?

Ram Khan had no choice - If he had waited the Mysore armies would have attacked him anyway, or worse; spread out past him to attack the middle and upper Mughal territory which is completely undefended. Plus it was a good plot arc

The next few updates are very battle heavy!

Ram Khan had no choice - If he had waited the Mysore armies would have attacked him anyway, or worse; spread out past him to attack the middle and upper Mughal territory which is completely undefended.

Ahhh so that's why. Better to attack them before they sweep towards your lands. At least you managed to cripple them quite badly without too much significant damage.

Plus it was a good plot arc.

Yeah and also if you lost you would have gone out with a bang. Make one last heroic banzai charge with all your men.

[This message has been edited by Legion Of Hell (edited 09-08-2009 @ 12:57 PM).]

As Ram Khan falls back to protect Bijapur from any counterattack he orders the retraining of the musketeer units who are below adequate numbers. To replace the large number of Hindu Musketeers he needs retraining he transferred a large number of recently recruited Qizilbashi musketeers residing in Bombay to his command. The year was just about over, and Ram Khan was preparing to strike again.



Spies and Mughal loyalists in Mysore's territory fed information back to the palace. The smaller nation had certainly been busy since their wars with Portugal and the Marathas ended. They have several armies in the area. I begin to wonder now, if Ram Khan alone can hold at bay the entire weight of Mysore's soldiers.



As 1724 rolled around the Mughal trading fleet in the Straits of Madagascar was attacked and destroyed by a Mysore fleet.



Another large army of Mysore's occupied Arcot, Carnatica.



The Hindu Musketeers who had previously been under the command of Ram Khan had boarded the small but growing Mughal fleet in Bombay and sailed south to land at Goa. From there the Mughal force laid siege to Goa itself. Ram Khan had clearly ordered the move in order for him to strike out again and protect Hyderabad or even advance into Mysore itself. This time though, the forces the Mughals would face at Goa were drastically reduced thanks to the efforts of the Second Imperial Army the previous year.



The Republican rebels in Rumelia had apparently succeeded in overthrowing the Sultan. It will be interesting how this effects the Ottoman-Persian war and their relations with the Mughal Empire.



More Mughal trade fleets are attacked and sunk



Ram Khan, a firm believer in the phrase 'The best defense is a good offense' once again lashes out at the armies of Mysore. Launching an attack on two Mysore armies headed towards Hyderabad.

THE BATTLE OF KURNOOL, WINTER 1724

I'll start this battle report with a direct quote from Ram Khan; “A cursed fog shadowed the plains between my Imperial soldiers and the forces of Mysore. Many of the men under my command were raised in Hyderabad and Bijapur and when the first Mysore raids and attacks fell upon these provinces many loved ones were lost and as such they were eager to punish the betrayers before them. I am a man of principle, Mysore were treated generously by Sultan Alamgir II, they were treated as friends. To take such trust and generosity and mistake it for weakness or cowardice is a mistake we shall teach them to never make again. The men, shall follow me once again into battle, despite high command's treatment of the battle in Goa as a defeat we accept it as an absolute victory thanks to the utter crippling of Mysore's armies in the province. Once again we head to the battlefield to inflict damage, once again not under the orders of the Military ministers at the Capital city Akbarabad.”



The mortars, more experienced crews now fired more accurate shots. Killing a good portion of the slow moving camel cavalry of Mysore.



Mysore, believing the Mughals to be outmatched and outnumbered waste no time in a full strength advance. Their General leads the advance.



Cavalry reinforcements for Mysore pour onto the battlefield.



And more, and more and more!



The Mughals await the attack in a basic formation. Long lines of musketeers three ranks deep. Melee infantry in a supporting role to the rear. Cavalry at the sides and reserve musketeers dotted behind the first line.



The Mysore cavalry is first to taste Mughal bullets



Mughal mortars continue to plague the Mysorian formation



Shaturnal Camel Gunners harass Qizilbashi Musketeers on the Mughal flank. Ram Khan orders the Qizilbashi Light Cavalry to eliminate them.



Mysore closes in



To minimize the damage taken by the armies of Mysore focusing on the centre of the Mughal line the Musketeers reform into a staggered formation. The result is deadly overlapping fields of fire, setting up several key 'killing zones'



Mysore Dervishes carve up some of the Qizilbashi Musketeers



After chasing the Camel Gunners from the battlefield the Qizilbashi cavalry have returned and charge into the rear of an exposed unit of Dervishes



The Mysore commander continued to make the mistake of placing his valuable cavalry units in the firing range of the Mughal Muskets



The Mysore attack begins to falter, the momentum of the initial charge slipping from their grasp. Volley after volley from the Mughal musketeers is taking it's toll.



Mughal Dervishes move to wipe out a unit of Mysore citizen levies. The volunteer soldiers are no match for the ferocious tribesmen.



Recognising the Qizilbashi Musketeers would not form a square the Mysore camel cavalry try to break through the line at it's most vulnerable point.



The Mysore general patrols his battleline, attempting to steel his men against the Mughal fortitude. All the time explosive Mortar shells crackle all around him, small fires eating at the grass.



A thick blanket of smoke adorns the centre of the battle.



With a good number of Mysore's units destroyed or routing the General is open for attack. Nearby Dervishes fearlessly charge into melee with the monsters.



Hindu Musketeers on the Mughal flank begin to 'fold up' the Mysore remnants



The close combat corps of the Mughals move in for the killing blow.



Hindu Musketeers fighting for Mysore begin to panic as they cannot reload quickly enough to fire at the incoming Islamic swordsmen



Meanwhile to their rear their Hindu brethren show no remorse as they continue firing



Another isolated unit of Mysore Hindu Musketeers forms a square to prevent being surrounded by the Mughal Dervishes who attack them.



The battlefield has turned into a Mysore bloodbath. Islamic swordsmen calmly and callously carve through the few remaining enemies.



Once again, much like Ram Khan's battle against Mysore in Goa the court ministers in Akbarabad consider the battle a loss. To them the correct 'time' for a counterattack and pressing of the Mughal advantage had passed. Still, Ram Khan and his men had once again decimated an army of Mysore. Even if the Mughals kept 'losing' battles such as these Mysore could be brought to heel, simply for the fact that the Mughals can throw the weight of an entire continent on their fellow followers of Islam.



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Thanks to the expensive training, retraining and especially upkeep costs of funding Ram Khan and the borderlands defense in the south in addition to the warring in the North the Mughal coffers are emptying rapidly. The fact is not helped that they have now lost their monopoly on the trade resources of the Indies and Africa.



The only half-strength new Mughal Imperial Navy is given an opportunity to attack a Mysore fleet on the way to raid their trade lanes.

THE BATTLE OF THE MYSORE COAST, WINTER 1724

Although numerically outnumbered the brand new, and also – battle untested, Mughal fleet consisted of a handful of Fourth Rate “monstrosities”, as the Naval Administrator put it. They had surely learned their lesson at the hands of the Indies pirates several years ago and were perhaps about to teach the same lesson to their Mysore opponents.

The sails of the Mughal fleet could be seen a good distance away.



They advance with the wind in two columns. A simple strategy – attack from both sides.



These ships are clearly the biggest ever constructed in the known Eastern world, boasting two cannon decks.



The Mysore fleet closes in, consisting of many smaller ships. But a lucky or up-close shot below the waterline by one of these low-sitting vessels could cause one of the larger Mughal ships to sink.



Some of the Mughal fourth rates change their direction with the wind. They now sit directly before the incoming Mysore fleet.



A single fourth rate from the back of this column is ordered by the fleet admiral to continue on the previous course.



Mughal ships hold their fire until their cannons are sure to cause more hits and more damage on the raking shots they were lucky enough to be handed by the foolish Mysore head on attack



This fourth rate is christened as its entire number of cannons fire at the nearest Mysore vessel, causing untold damage.



One of the fourth rates stops an attempted Mysore flanking attack with weight of cannon balls.



The Mysore vessel is rocked by the volley



Mysorian ships completely fall out of formation



One of the smaller Mughal ships, more mobile than the fourth rates forces the first Mysore ship to surrender by passing close by. Not wanting to suffer a close range grapeshot attack the Mysore crew fly the white flag.



The fourth rates begin to mop up the rag tag Mysore fleet. A devastating broadside obliterates a Mysore ship.



Sinking it seconds later, the Mysore sailors crying out for rescue as the sea around them is violently churned up whilst the Mughal fourth rate stalks off in search of it's next victim.



The battle was a huge success. The new fourth rates were clearly a good investment and once a complete force the first Mughal Imperial Fleet would surely follow the footsteps of it's land-based predecessor and hopefully not make the same mistakes the original Mughal navy did.



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Unopposed in the Indian Ocean the Mughal ships blockade the Mysore trading port cutting off their trade revenue.



Ram Khan regroups with his men just outside of Hyderbad Fortress, another large Mysore army lurks on the western border of the province.



Meanwhile, up in my homeland Persian rebels have risen up against Mughal rule and sacked the town of Teheran.



Under pressure from the south and now not in direct danger of Persian armies Alamgir II approaches the ruling Persian Safavid Hoseyn I with the proposal of them becoming a protectorate of the Mughals. It is declined, perhaps too brashly I fear.



Mysore ships continue to engage in pirate actions against the helpless Mughal traders.



More time and effort is being spent on improving the Mughal navy with cutting edge technologies.



During the months between winter 1724 and summer 1725 Mysore thrust into an all-out assault on Hyderabad. Mughal forces in the province were now outnumbered more than 2:1.



Still, Ram Khan and the second Imperial Army under his command continue to exact their personal vendetta against the aggressors. Refusing to wait for the government to organise a defense and scramble other troops to the war effort. He engages a Mysore army close to the previous battlefield.

THE BATTLE OF KURNOOL, SUMMER 1725

The Mughals set up a defensive battleline across a large hill in the region. Their mortars cracked and exploded in the sky, raining hot metal and shrapnel on the enemy forces below.



Refusing the attack the Mughals atop the hill the Mysore forces did their best to dig in a defensive position of their own among the small walls. Ram Khan responded with more indirect artillery shells.



The Mughals cannot provoke the patient Mysore general into ordering the attack on their position at higher ground so they advance.



Mysore cannons provide support to a handful of Mysore units sent to attack the Mughal left flank.



Camel Cavalry and Zamindari horsemen harass the left flank as the Mughal Qizilbashi Musketeers scramble to a better firing position.



Now that the Mysore cavalry was under attack from the Musketeers they were dropping like flies. To put an end to the threat the Zamindari Horsemen charge in head first whilst a sneakier unit of Camel Cavalry charges the Qizilbashi flank.



Meanwhile a small number of Mughal forces were pressing forward on the right flank. Qizilbashi rush to firing positions as a Mysore unit is caught in their field of fire.



Shortly after taking cover behind a small wall and firing at the nearby Mysore units – forcing them to charge the Mughals a second unit of Qizilbashi had set up to their flank. They patiently bide their time as the outclassed Mysore men struggle to escape the gunfire of the entrenched Qizilbashi regiment. Those who were brave enough to charge them didn't last long in combat in any case.



Slowly the first Qizilbashi unit became swamped in melee as more and more Mysore levies joined the fight. This was the time for the second unit of Qizilbashi to strike – routing those in close combat and at the same time preventing more from joining the melee.



The first unit of Qizilbashi did not face too much of a threat from the desperate Mysore levies.



They flee away from the battle, right into the arms of more Qizilbashi



And Dervishes who were also a part of this Mughal flanking maneuver sprang from a nearby hiding place amongst some tall bushes to finish off the escaping routers.



Mysore had brought forth cannons to pound the Qizilbashi and push back the Mughal flank attack. More Qizilbashi are sent to aid their brethren.



Edging closer and closer to the Mysore position the Qizilbashi calmly stop and fire upon Mysore units reorganising the defense of their flank.



The Qizilbashi reserves were now in position to open fire and another unit appears from behind atop a small hill. The Mysore forces in the area are under attack from almost all directions.



They smash into the closest Qizilbashi unit in desperation but were still defeated in the melee



Meanwhile all had been quiet on the left flank, once the Mughals there had turned away the Mysore attack. A cunning squad of Camel Cavalry had flanked the Mughal positions but were ambushed by a hidden unit of Islamic swordsmen before they could do any damage.



The Mysore general, sensing the crippling of his flank sends several units straight up the middle of the battlefield to attack the original Mughal position. The action is foolish however as Ram Khan only ordered a small portion of his Musketeers and melee troops to attack the Mysore flank.



The Mughals tighten their grip on the Mysore flank, some enemy Hindu musketeers attempt to set up a line and repel the attackers but rout before firing even their first volley thanks to being under fire from two Qizilbashi regiments.



The first Qizilbashi unit to engage in the flank attack had since pressed its way up through the shrubbery and now pounced on an idle Camel Cavalry unit awaiting their orders. The camels were easy targets for the experienced musketeers.



With the eradication of all Infantry units on the flank the Mughals advance within range to attack the cannon battery. They take heavy casualties and abandon their posts before they can fire a single answering shot.



The Mysore General attempts to recapture his flank and sends several units to do so. The undisciplined men scatter when met with the sturdy Mughal battleforce in the area and routs after taking heavy casualties in the musket crossfire.



Whilst all this was going on on the right flank Ram Khan had been putting in motion a similar plan on the left flank. Several units of Islamic swordsmen had moved around to hide in high grass and vegetation almost directly behind the Mysore formation. From here they could see Hindu Musketeers taking cover behind a small wall and Zamindari pikemen striding forth to meet the incoming Mughals on this flank. They would defend it fiercely, Ram Khan suggests he knew in his notes. After losing the right flank the Mysore general's defeat or victory rested on his ability to hold the Mughals off on the right flank.



As the Mughal forces on the left flank continue to close the gap with the Mysore forces the Islamic swordsmen spring the trap. A unit of Dervishes nearby, probably attempting to flank the incoming Mughals themselves were surprised to be charged from the rear by the swordsmen. Camel Cavalry and Zamindari pikemen headed in that direction to plug the hole the surprise attack had created.



The Qizilbashi are cautious of advancing too much further as the Mysore cannon crews were trained to use the deadly canister shot.



Mysore cannot tolerate the static Qizilbashi units at it's left flank and so their Hindu Musketeers are dispatched to drive them away.



The Dervishes now vanquished the Islamic swordsmen engage the camel cavalry, aided by a second unit of swordsmen who were joining the left flank assault.



A unit of Qizilbashi musketeers retreats to a better firing angle on the approaching Zamindari pikemen headed their way.



As they attack the Qizilbashi Ram Khan sends a veteran unit of Hindu Musketeers to take advantage of the hole left in the Mysore defences. They rush forward from the original Mughal position.



The Islamic swordsmen have carved through most of the Mysore defences on the left flank and now attack the Hindus taking refuge behind the small wall.



Whilst the second unit of swordsmen attacks the cannon crews from behind thus enabling the safe advance of the musketeers.



The Mysore general was the constant target of the Mughal mortars as he moved away from his collapsing left flank. Only the centre of his formation was intact, but now it was open to being surrounded by the Mughals.



The remnants of the Mysore army defend against the advancement of the Mughal forces on the right flank. Mysore loyal Hindus pepper the Qizilbashi ranks with musketfire whilst Dervishes charge in for melee



The Qizilbashi were taking heavy casualties against the Dervishes and so a nearby unit of Mughal Dervishes rushes to their aid.



The Mysore forces on the left flank are in a rout and flee towards the other remaining Mysore forces whom the Mughals are pressing against on the right flank.



Heavy melee combat takes place on the former left flank of the Mysore army. A unit of Hindu Musketeers and Zamindari pikemen fight bravely against the superior Mughal Islamic Swordsmen



The remaining Mysore levies flee the battlefield, Qizilbashi and Dervishes persue.



The Mysore general attempts to evade capture or death at the hands of the Mughal Musketeers, charging straight through a battered unit of friendly Hindus in his haste, still even at this range the Qizilbashi were presented with easy targets in the form of his elephant bodyguards.



The sole remaining unit of Hindu Musketeers stubbornly holds their ground in a square formation. Firing from all sides at the surrounding Mughals.



They are quickly overcome however and slain to the last man



The victory forces the small number of survivors to flee back to Mysore territory to the south.



Once again Ram Khan proves his worth to the Mughals, his command prowess leaps and bounds above his peers.



Another meeting of the Mughal council in the Empire's capital of Akbarabad was held upon the receiving of this battle report. Several politicians argued Ram Khan was a loose cannon.

I took notes and observed from the side of the Sultan's seat – Alamgir II sat patiently, his hands cupped before him. Bahadur stood as always by his side. Alamgir listened to the men argue about the Mysore threat and the future Mughal response until he could take no more of their bickering.

“Enough!” He shouted

“Nizam Hassan, You are my military advisor, you have served me well. In both the oppression of the Marathas rebels and the victories against Safavid Persia. However, you are testing my patience now. This man; my best general; Ram Khan, has single handedly kept the armies of Mysore at bay since the outset of their betrayal. At the time of their first attack their armies outnumbered ours by 4 to 1! Ram Khan and his loyal soldiers have drastically reduced this number and valiantly held onto every inch of Mughal territory in the south. Meanwhile we lend him no support, you politicians are content to scheme, plot, and debate!"

"Sultan Alamgir, respectfully, politics is a necessary part of any war. As such we were appointed your cabinet - my duty is to oversee military matters of the Empire; the strategy and tactics, strikes and counterattacks. How am I able to do my job when the only General in the south on the Mysore border has essentially gone rogue and acted of his own authority." Rebutted the Military Minister.

Alamgir waited for Hassan to finish before leaping from his seat and slamming his fist into the carved wooden table.
"General Khan has my full support in his actions in the south. If it were not for his initiative-"

"You mean his blind rage." Interrupted Nizam Hassan. The air was almost sucked out of the large room as the following seconds of silence echoed heavily on my ears. The other ministers were stunned, most glancing around the room, not daring to look at either Nizam or Sultan Alamgir. I took a moment to peer up from my scrolls as I hurriedly wrote everything down. Alamgir stared straight into the eyes, no, the soul of his Military Minister. I noticed Bahadur - Alamgir's personal bodyguard step forward slightly, an icy gaze cast over his face. At this Nizam Hassan lowered his head and stared at the table.

Alamgir continued;
"If it were not his initiative the armies of Mysore would have swept past him and his men, maybe even reached us here in Akbarabad - the Imperial Capital. No Nizam, it is not Ram Khan who has failed me, it is you. You dare to declare Mughal deaths in General Khan's offensives as causeless and unwarranted? What better cause is there to fight than to protect Mughal civilians? To punish the backstabbing dogs whom I had treated as brothers for two decades?!"

This time no reply came.

"From this moment on I shall handle military matters in regards to the war with Mysore. Nizam you shall for the moment continue as before with all other matters of military concern."

At that Alamgir II glanced around the room, as if challenging any other Ministers who doubted his old friends actions, or would dare challenge his authority in his Imperial Court. He turned to leave, Bahadur holding open the considerable doors leading in the direction of the palace living quarters. A quick nod from Bahadur conveyed the permission of my presence with the Sultan. So I left the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room too. I felt almost relieved once the doors were shut behind us.

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The victory was well deserved, but Mysore forces in the region of Hyderabad were still strong.



The man Ram Khan had trusted command of the second army in the south, Dalpat Rathor, decided it was now the time to put Mysore Goa out of it's misery. The occupying forces were battered and withered from their encounter with the Mughal Imperial Army and Ram Khan. Dalpat made his move to snatch Goa away from their possession.

THE SECOND BATTLE OF GOA, SUMMER 1725

The Mughal cannons Dalpat had at his disposal were old and heavy. They were not mobile, initially he was concerned this would cause him trouble because Mysore would take refuge amongst the buildings around Goa. These fears were put aside as Mysore set up just outside of the town, only a small fragment of it's forces took up a defensive position actually inside the town. Dalpat ordered his cannons to begin by firing at the Mysore cannon emplacements.



The cannon crews are experienced from the battles with the Marathas with which they participated in and so their ammunition mostly found it's target



To escape the unexpected accuracy of the Mughal's stationary cannons Mysore's infantry retreats to the safety of the town.



To eliminate the Mysore artillery pieces Qizilbashi cavalry move to engage their crews, firing carbines and muskets from atop their horses.



A few units of Mysore move to engage the Qizilbashi before they lose their cannons



They close in on the Qizilbashi cavalry but before they are bogged down in melee they flee back to the safety of the Mughal battleline. The Zamindari horsemen and civilian levy give chase.



The Zamindari paid for the foolish pursuit of the Qizilbashi and ran straight into a barrage from Mughal cannons and Musketeers, routing the depleted unit.



The pursuing Dervishes were a little more cunning and made for the relatively unprotected flank but before they could attack the Mughal light cavalry Islamic swordsmen intercepted them.



The Qizilbashi charge into the volunteer corps of Mysore. Forcing them to flee, they could not escape the agile horsemen however and were butchered.



On the far side of the battlefield small numbers of Mysore reinforcements arrived, along with several units of camel cavalry to boost their defense of Goa



Although the town was out of the effective firing range of the Mughal artillery, due to their placement on a slight incline they were able to land the lucky shot on one of the buildings Mysore infantry were defending.



Mughal Camel Cavalry rushes forward to stop the Mysore reinforcements in their tracks, before they can reach the rest of the Mysore army. Dalpat knew better than to send his Qizilbashi cavalry as camels frighten horses. He did not want to purposely put those valuable units at unnecessary risk.



The Qizilbashi cavalry are once again shooting at the Mysore cannon crews



Mughal camels charge the Mysore reinforcements



Unsettled by the lucky shots by Mughal artillery Bhuyima Bowmen advance to attack the Qizilbashi Cavalry



The fortifications did a reasonable job of protecting the cannon crews from Qizilbashi musketfire



Camels rush to get into position before the second wave of Mysore's reinforcements are within attacking range.



And they charge, the camels outnumber the Mysore Infantry



Mughal cannons had continued their bombardment of the town as best they could, resulting in the destruction of several buildings in the area.



Realising firing at the cannon crews from horseback is ineffective the Qizilbashi charge them, Bhuyima Bowmen who came to the aid of their cannon crews brace for impact.



The Mysore commander throws more and more units into the defense of the cannons. The Qizilbashi are quick and nimble, easily able to outrun, outflank and then charge units individually. The two Mughal Qizilbashi light cavalry units were responsible for the destruction and routing of around a quarter of Mysore's forces.



As the Mysore commander ordered stronger units to the area to rid the Qizilbashi from the battle the Mughal camels – who had finished wiping out the Mysore reinforcements joined in the chaos. Charging and retreating over and over until the Mysorians were broken.



Now that Mysore had given up on holding the town they retreated to behind it, the Mysore artillery also removed as a threat the Mughal musketeers could advance on the town and the Mysore army.



Only two units of Mysore infantry were holed up in the town. The Hindu Musketeers wasted no time in firing up at them in the first building, killing many as they popped into the windows to return fire.



Further down the battlefield Mughal Hindu Musketeers were securing a small building before engaging the remaining Mysore army in the area.



In the town the Hindus moved to take the large building by force, taking several casualties as they advanced from the fire of the second Mysore unit defending a nearby smaller building.



Mysore attacked the Mughal formation near to them. Assaulting the recently taken building to remove the Mughal foothold on the area.



The Mughals were able to fend them off in the close combat however and this spelled the end of the battle for Mysore as other units of Hindu Musketeers were able to scramble into firing positions. Routing their last few survivors and killing the Mysore commander.



After taking control of the larger building in the town the Hindu Musketeers were in a huge advantageous position in comparison to the firelock armed citizens in the smaller structure nearby. After a few minutes of taking fire from the windows and rooftop high above them the men of Mysore fled.



Goa had been seized from Mysore control. The province itself was pretty worthless. Limited trade resources, limited tax income, limited towns and settlements in the area. The Mughals had not decided on how to best use the victory there to a strategic advantage, but at least Mysore has lost a base of income, however small, and cannot recruit or retain more soldiers in the area.



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In response to the loss a region a large Mysore army under the command of Jasraj Inda leads his men to assault Hyderabad fortress. The advantage was with the army of Mysore, in both numbers and skilled soldiers.

THE BATTLE OF HYDERABAD FORTRESS, SUMMER 1725

The artillery pieces Mysore brought to the fray would undoubtedly prove invaluable. The famous fortress had repelled countless Marathas assaults thanks to their lack of proficient artillery forcing an assault on the walls. If Mysore could punch several holes in the fortifications the lesser quality, outnumbered Mughal defenders would be surrounded and crushed.

The battle started as the numerous Mysore artillery opened fire on the fortress. Many shots falling short of their target and skidding along the hill the fortress rested atop. Enough shots found their mark to cause significant damage however, and the more volleys the cannon crews fired the more accurate they became.



Dust and smoke hung in the breezeless air as a section of the fortress battlements finally collapsed. A fire breaking out in the defensive tower. The main fortress gate also suffered several cannon shots threatening it's structure.



As the fires raged the Mughal infantry plugged the hole as best as they could. The Mysore general ordered the full frontal assault on the defenders, knowing his numerous cavalry forces would not be threatened by Mughal cannonfire.



The Mughal Dervishes took the brunt of the Mysore cavalry charge through the breach.



Several Mysore units hoped to attack the wing of the fortress and take the walls whilst the majority of the Mughal forces were preoccupied with holding the breach. If the walls were taken the men of Mysore could safely open the other fortress gates to allow the cavalry forces to perform flanking maneuvers



The Dervish axes carved through Camel and man flesh alike, valiantly stopping the momentum of the charge.



Mysore's reinforcements approached the fortress from a different angle and the Mughal commander personally led his cavalry units to kill the reinforcements' general.



Mysore has a huge numerical advantage but this is useless to them in the small breach as they can't bring the full weight of their numbers to bear. A good portion of the Mughal forces are involved in the melee now.



As the Mysore cavalry continue to push attempting to break through the Mughal wall of bodies their general moves up in support, hoping to use the intimidating nature of his elephants to simply smash through.



In the thick of the combat men are shoulder to shoulder, the effectiveness of the Cavalry is greately reduced in such quarters, reducing their greatest advantage – their mobility.



Mughal Dervishes have successfully repelled the Mysore attempt to control their walls.



Mughal armed civilians bravely throw themselves into the combat, hoping to give their brothers in arms the advantage they need to push back the Mysorians.



The Mysore cannons cannot safely continue to fire upon the fortress in fear of miscalculating a shot and landing it in the centre of the breach killing their own men.



Despite the risks however they are forced to resume fire. The Mughal defenders were causing far too many casualties in the single breach. The cannon crews begin to pound away to open a second, spelling the end of the battle for the Mughals. In response the Mughal camel cavalry sneaks out of the fortress side gate and moves to attack the relatively unprotected Mysore artillery pieces.



The Mughal citizens cannot bear the casualties of the bloodbath and flee the battle, taking refuge in the fortress buildings, tending to their wounded and no doubt praying to Allah for a victory.



All units of Mughal Islamic Swordsmen are now involved in the combat – the best melee infantry they have to offer. They begin to rack up an impressive amount of kills, their blades slicing through camel legs, desert militia and Mysore Zamindari pikemen.



The Mughal Camel Cavalry charge the Mysore cannons, taking severe casualties as one of the cannon crews were able to fire at point blank range.



The Zamindari horsemen cannot stay in the middle of the bloodbath any longer and begin to flee from the breach.



This triggers more and more men of Mysore in the breach to drop their swords and run for their lives.



By now only a small fraction of the original Mysore camel cavalry remain in the struggle for control of the breach but are seemingly doomed against the ferocious Mughal defense.



Mughal Camel Cavalry are swept up in a wave of fleeing Mysore camel cavalry, cutting many of them down as they fled past.



The extent of the slaughter is indescribable. With the battle report I received a first hand account of the aftermath of the battle for the breach from an officer in the ranks of the Islamic Swordsmen and it is quoted as follows;
“A mighty cheer erupted as the last of the Mysore cavalry were torn from their mounts and eviscerated. I stepped forward and ordered the reforming of my unit's ranks. Only nine men stepped out from the bodies all around! Blood splashing up as they walked; the most gruesome sight any of us had ever seen. Guts, protruding bones, missing limbs, crushed faces, carved-up camels and slaughtered horses. You could not stand in vicinity of the breach without being a whole foot from the floor, standing atop an almost unrecognisable slush and pulp of flesh.” The description turned my stomach as I read, but such cannot be omitted from my documentation of the Mughals.



The battle at the breach was over, but the Mughal camel cavalry patrolled the area outside the fortress, killing off routers and remnants of Mysore soldiers. They caught up with the enemy general near to where the Mysore cannons had fired from. Killing him in the short melee.



The Mughals had turned the Mysore invaders away, at great cost to their armies. I cannot imagine the horror of the fighting in the breach, and can only hope to do those brave men justice by placing them firmly in the scrolls of eternal history. Their bravery and heroism was much talked about in Akbarabad by soldiers, politicians and peasants alike.



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So it was understandable then, that when the Imperial Court received word via courier that only a handful of months later the fortress was once more under attack from the Mysore traitors, a solemn aura filled the military planning sessions as the ministers and strategists and Sultan Alamgir anxiously awaited the outcome of the siege.

THE SECOND BATTLE OF HYDERABAD FORTRESS, SUMMER 1725

The ancient fortress at Hyderabad would once more be tested by the enemies of the Mughals. The Fortress was a relic of the wars against the Marathas, a landmark of the Mughal grip on the Indian subcontinent. This time the Mysore forces moved against the fortress without artillery pieces, but with many more infantry forces. This was clearly from the lesson they had learned here only a matter of months ago.

This time the Mughal Infantry were able to deploy on the battlements and as a result were able to bring the fortress mounted cannons to bear. Earth was thrown into the air as the advancing Mysore infantry were bombarded.



In an attempt to avoid the cannonfire many Mysore units moved to the side and rear of the fortress. The Mughal defenders would be spread to thinly to effectively fight them all off.



Coming crashing through the leftmost fortress gate Mughal cavalry attempted to turn away Mysore infantry in the area due to a lack of Mughal infantry on the walls they were trying to scale.



At the main gate Mysore Dervishes charged through to attack reforming Islamic Swordsmen in the rear.



Mirroring the battle of Hyderbad fortress earlier in the season the camel cavalry were massacred as they were bogged down in melee with superior infantry.



Now that they had control of that gate too, Mysores infantry charged through in an attempt to capture and hold the centre of the fortress.



To the rear of the fortress opposing Dervishes fight it out.



Armed citizens from the area volunteering to bolster the Mughal defense charge into volunteer and conscripted Mysore citizens.



At the centre of the fortress Islamic swordsmen attempt to turn away Mysore camel cavalry



Another unit of Mughal Islamic swordsmen – who successfully repelled the attack at the main fortress gate reform to counterattack the multiple Mysore units now inside the fortress walls.



As troops were scattered the close combat devolved into many one on one duels. Meanwhile Mysore Hindu Musketeers rush forward to support their brethren fighting the Mughal Islamic swordsmen



The last few Mysore men atop the walls attempted to push through a force of Mughal Dervishes and citizens to join the attack on the fortress centre.



Yet more Mysore Hindu Musketeers form ranks to attack the centre. The Mughals had lost complete control over the fortress gates and battlements, allowing the Mysorians to attack from any direction they please.



It appears as if at this point in the battle Mysore had actually gained control of the centre of the fortress. No doubt thanks to the almost continuous steam of infantry joining their forces in the attack.



In a last ditch attempt to repel the invaders from the fortress all of the remaining Mughal forces able to fight form together and assault the Mysorians.



Only a fraction of the original Mughal defenders are still alive by the end of the battle. They had struggled throughout against the superior mobility and numbers of the enemy but their fortitude and skill once again prevailed in sending the Mysore attackers fleeing. Bodies littered all corners of the fortress.



As can be seen from the submitted battle statistics, the victory was remarkable.



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Mir Singh, the Mughal lieutenant who had assumed control of the Mughal forces in Hyderabad against the Mysore advances was to be promoted to General of the Mughal Army. Alamgir II signed his papers the very night upon hearing of the outcome of the battle. Along with the promotion papers Alamgir was sending a great amount of Rupee to be spent on the fortress repairs and reinforcing of his men. His orders were to build a third Mughal army in the area and aid Ram Khan in the defense of Mughal provinces and citizens in the south. A great honour.

It is assumed that the Imperial courier arrived bearing this news at Hyderabad before the armies of Mysore once again moved to attack the fortress. The winter in the south was just beginning when the Mysore commander Avanish Laxmibai arrived at the historic settlement. The first and second vicious battles at the fortress had reduced the Mughal professional soldiers in the area to a measly 149. Avanish Laxmibai brought with him around 1000. Sure enough the fortress finally changed hands. And aid of Ram Khan claims that he saw the famous General shed tears for the brave Mughals under Mir Singh, and felt a slight responsible for the Mysore conquering of the region,; Unable to come to Mir's defense.



Ram Khan gave the orders for Dalpat Rathor to press on through Mysore territory and besiege the enemy capital city.



That same month Ram Khan marched his forces back to the north to retake Hyderabad and punish the Mysore insects for their incursion and brutality.



Meanwhile, in the north; Zulfiker and his men prepared for battle with the ever increasing Persian forces in the area. Now two large armies. One marched to within striking distance of Esfahan, the second further to the north.



Due to the war in the south intensifying with the Mysorians, Alamgir sent an envoy to the relocated court of Safavid Sultan Hoseyn I offering a protectorateship in exchange for a generous amount of technology and Rupee. Such an offer seemed almost unrefusable, especially since the Ottoman Republic armies had reconquered almost all of their territory. Leaving the remnants of the Persian Safavids in Armenia.



The Persian army stationed dangerously close to Esfahan succeeded in their goal; Zulfiker could not stand idly by without leaving Esfahan with his forces to fight a battle with the Persian rebels.

THE BATTLE OF ESFAHAN, WINTER 1725

Refusing to advance against the Persian lines Zulfiker formed a standard line formation. The Mughal artillery pieces fired accurate shots in the Persian cavalry ranks drawing them into an all out assault on the Mughal battle formation.



The first few waves of Persians were turned away, thanks to heavy volleys from the Hindu line infantry and canister shots from the cannons for those Dervishes and close combat soldiers who dared to attempt a charge.
As the Persian attack began to falter the Dervishes under Zulfikers command were ordered to countercharge. They pressed forward, axes raised as the Persians were caught halfway between a retreat and reformation.



Desert Infantry who had been firing from behind a low wall abandoned their shooting position to meet the charging Mughal islamic swordsmen in melee.



Zulfiker used his camel cavalry against the Persian regular cavalry, mostly consisting of Zamindari horsemen. The smell and appearance of the camels upsets the horses and a rout is more likely.





By the end of the afternoon the battle was over, all pockets of Persian resistance in the immediate area of Esfahan had been eliminated.

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The remains of this rebel force fled far to the mountains in the north. The second Persian army remained where they were, Zulfiker could not strike at them also without leaving Esfahan open for rioting, rebellion and perhaps retaking by other Persian remnants.



As the winter passed by, the second Persian army attempted a last ditch assault on Esfahan. They were grossly outmatched by the Imperial Army however and were wiped out entirely. The battle report was mostly uneventful, but I shall not publish it because I found the slaughtering of these Persian citizens distasteful. Zulfiker had plainly intended to set an example to other potential upstarts in the province.



Smaller forces of Mysore in the region of Hyderabad approach the besieged forces from the rear in hopes of lending their support when Ram Khan finally attacks.



Summer, 1726 and Dalpat Rathor marched his men to lay siege to Mysore. The Mysore forces were nothing to be scoffed at, commanded by Ganesh Donepudi the defense forces consisted of many Dervishes, Pikemen, Hindu Musketeers and the tribal Zamindari Horsemen. There were even several regiments of Qizilbashi Musketeers in the settlement – no doubt recruited from the tribes in the south who have lived for generations beneath the Mysore rulers. Of course the professional soldiers protecting the Mysore thrown of power were joined by numerous citizens and civilians who would take up arms and fight to the death to repel the Mughal invaders.



In the Persian gulf a small Mughal sixth rate transporting troops and spies to Esfahan and Mesopotamia crossed paths with a small Persian Sloop raiding Mughal traders in the area.

THE SKIRMISH IN THE PERSIAN GULF, SUMMER 1726

The Mughal vessel outclassed and outgunned the Persian ship as it moved in closer, it's sails catching the slight wind.



Fire from the Persian ship was inaccurate and splashed harmlessly around the Mughal vessel as it completed it's turning maneuver to bring it's superior broadside to bear.



The Persian sloop suffered only a handful of full broadsides before it's crew surrendered.

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Concern was raised in the Summer of 1726 about the relatively unguarded state of Satara, Bijapur. With Mysore still having a considerable military presence to the immediate south it is not unreasonable to suggest that a small raiding party or splinters of previously routed units could form up and retake the valuable province from the Mughals. As such an immediate recruitment drive is ordered to bolster the fortress with more soldiers in the event of such an attack. Alamgir did not want to risk losing the region, after the Mughals fought and died so hard to conquer it, suppress the populace and maintain order all those years ago.



It was not so much a suprise then, that when in winter 1726 a small raiding party attacked the now undefended Goa. The citizens in the area loyal to Mughal rule took up arms to fight.