Ulugh III : Part 1
Maymbil Malay first act upon taking power was to take the title Ulugh III
His official reason was to honour the legacy of Ulugh the Great, but all knew the reality was a little different. Maymbil Malay literally translates into Monkey Boy, a reference to his more than normal (to put it nicely) hairiness.
The same condition led to a strong feeling of insecurity in Ulugh. Some have since postulated it was this that led Ulugh to his second act in power, beheading, excessive beheading. It was of course traditional for a Khan to behead a few of the old administration on taking the throne. But Ulugh beheaded a grand total of 462 beating the old record of 213 held by Murtada for nearly two centuries. Ulugh's only comment on the matter was
"This is sure to earn me a nickname of some sort."
He then went on to ban the words hair, hear, hare, here and heir. Any caught uttering these words were punishable with a good old fashioned tar and hairing. Of course this caused quite a dilemma for the judges of the Horde who found that stating the sentence was in effect enough to have them suffer it.
In the chaos that the changeover caused the Christian rebels in Vologda managed to seize the province. Then in a move not yet understood they marched not into more Muslim territory but rather attacked their home nation, Muscovy.
The rebels march on Muscovy
Ulugh's army quickly marched on Vologda and laid siege to it. Those in the province who remained quickly embraced Islam in an attempt to be spared the inevitable slaughter that would come when the army breached their city walls. But it was to no avail Ulugh would settle for nothing less than a bloody mess.
Vologda the day it converted, still held by rebels. The Vologda religious rebellions and subsequent conversion have always been considered one of the strangest episodes in Horde history.
The north was settled, the west showed no opportunities at present but in the south a golden one lay. Fars. For too long this joke of a nation had remained an independent country. And for what? Like the question of if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to audibly detect it does it make a sound, nobody could answer it.
But Ulugh ever the philosopher resolved it. Cut down every tree so that none are left to fall down, or in other words Fars was annexed in June 1695.
The age old question is answered; Fars exists to be annexed
Within Poland a considerable faction remained that called for the ties with the Horde to be broken and Polish sovereignty restored. The volatile situation quickly spilled over into civil war.
Civil war over Poland's submission to the Horde erupts
Not one to leave his vassal alone against such a foe Ulugh dispatched elite troops for some more of that ever popular pastime rebel quashing.
Nobody quashes a rebellion like the Horde
By 1697 Ulugh had still failed to sire a child. Rumours were beginning to fly regarding the issue no matter what Ulugh did to try and quiet them. Perhaps he would get that nickname after all, but would it be Ulugh the Sterile?