Shah Tahmasp I - Manipulating the Mughals
Tammy decided it was time to deal with the Mughals. After holding council with his advisors a plan was formulated. Some called for the removal of the Mughals altogether; they were a blight on the lands which should be Safavid while others had a more interesting way to deal with them. To the east lay the rich provinces of India which Tammy (being nasty and greedy) wanted to make lots of money from. Unfortunately attacking, annexing and occupying the region would be have a high price both in human life and in ducats. Therefore plans were drawn up to firstly make the Mughals Shiite vassals and secondly aid them in an invasion of India. Then a large proportion of the wealth would be due to the Safavid court in tribute. A master plan!
Without further ado the Safavids declared war – the Mughals weren’t going to convert and become vassals without a fight…
The Mughals in an alliance with Balkh were already at war with the Uzbeks and their allies so that gave the Tammy and his men a large advantage. Unfortunately the Mughal lands around the Indus River were plagued by bogs and jungles and a nightmare for armies to negotiate. Despite his usually good military planning Tammy missed this detail while gloating over his amazing plan and so the 20,000 strong Persian Army led by Tammy had to retreat after the first month due to horrific losses caused by lack of supplies. The Balkh and Mughals used this opportunity to launch a counter attack which was tracked by the Kara Koyunlu horde.
The Horde fell upon the Mughals at night and routed them within a day, sending them fleeing back to their capital at Kabul with their tails between their legs.
The Venetians wisely decided to beg for peace offering 32 ducats. Tammy accepted without even looking at the gains made by the Ottomans. He was tiring of their war mongering. Meanwhile back on the east front the more righteous war was just getting going. Tammy split the Persian Army into smaller 7000 men groups. The fragmented Safavid army then moved across the southern Mughal provinces and removed any Mughal garrisons present. The Mughal lands were now firmly under Safavid control with only fortresses holding out against Tammy.
Next Tammy led a group of infantry to assault these fortresses using newly learnt techniques which were a fruit of Ismail’s investment in the military. Sindh, the Indus, Thar and Panjab all fell in quick succession but then a problem arose. Tammy was running out of infantry and his cavalry were reluctant to dismount and attempt the risky business of assaulting fortresses.
More infantry were trained immediately and the Persian Army reassembled on the borders of Kabul where Humayun, the Mughal Emperor awaited with a 30,000 strong Mughal army. Despite being outnumbered (the Persian Army at this point had only 20,000 men) Tammy ordered the attack. Riding at the front of his army with a few loyal companions he led them on to the Mughal capital of Kabul.
The battle was a bloody affair. Thousands were slain on both sides and farmers turned up bones in the fields outside the Mughal capital for decades to come. Tammy won, partly due to his tactical prowess and partly due to the reforms Ismail made to the military. The Safavid forces were simply better equipped and trained then their Mughal counterparts. After the victory Tammy withdrew, leaving 14,000 infantry to assault the fortress however by this time winter was approaching and snow storms unlike any ever seen in the area hit Kabul. Almost 9000 men lost their lives to the winter of 1532, almost as many as had been died in the battle itself. The men withdrew but the respite was only temporary for the Mughals. The Safavids returned to assault the fortress and force Humayun to convert.
The first part of the plan was complete, now after a little waiting Tammy would return to vassalise the Mughals and then… well then Tammy would soon have all he ever dreamed of – lots of gold.
Shah Tahmasp I – Manipulating the Mughals (1530 – 1533)
Tammy decided it was time to deal with the Mughals. After holding council with his advisors a plan was formulated. Some called for the removal of the Mughals altogether; they were a blight on the lands which should be Safavid while others had a more interesting way to deal with them. To the east lay the rich provinces of India which Tammy (being nasty and greedy) wanted to make lots of money from. Unfortunately attacking, annexing and occupying the region would be have a high price both in human life and in ducats. Therefore plans were drawn up to firstly make the Mughals Shiite vassals and secondly aid them in an invasion of India. Then a large proportion of the wealth would be due to the Safavid court in tribute. A master plan!
Without further ado the Safavids declared war – the Mughals weren’t going to convert and become vassals without a fight…
Humayun – the emperor of the Mughals receives news of the war and crushes a rose, claiming the same fate awaits the Safavids (cocky just like the Timurids).
The Mughals in an alliance with Balkh were already at war with the Uzbeks and their allies so that gave the Tammy and his men a large advantage. Unfortunately the Mughal lands around the Indus River were plagued by bogs and jungles and a nightmare for armies to negotiate. Despite his usually good military planning Tammy missed this detail while gloating over his amazing plan and so the 20,000 strong Persian Army led by Tammy had to retreat after the first month due to horrific losses caused by lack of supplies. The Balkh and Mughals used this opportunity to launch a counter attack which was tracked by the Kara Koyunlu horde.
The Horde tracks the Mughal counter attack
The Horde fell upon the Mughals at night and routed them within a day, sending them fleeing back to their capital at Kabul with their tails between their legs.
The Venetians wisely decided to beg for peace offering 32 ducats. Tammy accepted without even looking at the gains made by the Ottomans. He was tiring of their war mongering. Meanwhile back on the east front the more righteous war was just getting going. Tammy split the Persian Army into smaller 7000 men groups. The fragmented Safavid army then moved across the southern Mughal provinces and removed any Mughal garrisons present. The Mughal lands were now firmly under Safavid control with only fortresses holding out against Tammy.
The Mughals in tatters
Next Tammy led a group of infantry to assault these fortresses using newly learnt techniques which were a fruit of Ismail’s investment in the military. Sindh, the Indus, Thar and Panjab all fell in quick succession but then a problem arose. Tammy was running out of infantry and his cavalry were reluctant to dismount and attempt the risky business of assaulting fortresses.
More infantry were trained immediately and the Persian Army reassembled on the borders of Kabul where Humayun, the Mughal Emperor awaited with a 30,000 strong Mughal army. Despite being outnumbered (the Persian Army at this point had only 20,000 men) Tammy ordered the attack. Riding at the front of his army with a few loyal companions he led them on to the Mughal capital of Kabul.
A Mughal warrior on the eve of the Battle of Kabul
The battle was a bloody affair. Thousands were slain on both sides and farmers turned up bones in the fields outside the Mughal capital for decades to come. Tammy won, partly due to his tactical prowess and partly due to the reforms Ismail made to the military. The Safavid forces were simply better equipped and trained then their Mughal counterparts. After the victory Tammy withdrew, leaving 14,000 infantry to assault the fortress however by this time winter was approaching and snow storms unlike any ever seen in the area hit Kabul. Almost 9000 men lost their lives to the winter of 1532, almost as many as had been died in the battle itself. The men withdrew but the respite was only temporary for the Mughals. The Safavids returned to assault the fortress and force Humayun to convert.
The first part of the plan was complete, now after a little waiting Tammy would return to vassalise the Mughals and then… well then Tammy would soon have all he ever dreamed of – lots of gold.