Shah Safi – Into the Mist
Shah Safi – Into the Mist (1637 – 1642)
Next Abbas set about drawing up the declaration of war against the Uzbeks. In his letter he cited their evil actions against his grandfather as the main cause for the war and informed the Uzbek Khan Banudur that he would not rest until he was dead. Under heavy pressure from both Abbas and the other generals of Abbas the Great, Safi signed the declaration and it was sent to the Uzbeks. War had come to the Safavid Empire yet again…
The soon to be battlegrounds of Abbas’ War - Khiva (brown) and the Uzbeks (turquoise) and (the ever blue) Safavid Empire
The greatest challenge for Abbas was not so much winning the battles, as despite its decline in the years after his grandfather’s death the Safavid army was still one of the most feared in the world. The challenge came in fighting and keeping men supplied on the long march into the unknown. The Uzbeks had inherited the Chagatai Khanate thus giving them land deep into the east. None really knew how far this land stretched and what they might find when they got there. Rather then ponder the issue for too long Abbas simply took a map, drew a large red line into Uzbekland and ordered his army to get ready to march.
The Safavid map of the Uzbeks and Abbas’ proposed route
Abbas and his army marched for over a year with little rest. Constantly beating off attacks from small Uzbek forces as they pushed on through the freezing mountainous paths… if not for Abbas’ leadership they would have surely perished.
Meanwhile the main body of the Safavid army was under the command of the great general Ferhan Khan, now almost 70 years old. He could no longer ride into the battle with the cavalry but was as wily as ever and determined to bring the Uzbeks to justice for the death of his old Shah. The young Abbas had given him renewed vigour and he would win this war if it killed him! Ferhan split up the army so as to avoid heavy losses to disease and lack of supplies (which he knew Safi wouldn’t send) and had them lay siege to the Uzbek cities in the west. As the armies marched the old man smiled briefly – it was nice to see the Safavid forces again march and bring terror to their foes.
The Safavid war machine moves once more!
The small pockets of Uzbek resistance fled before the Safavid army into the cities and fortresses. As they cowered in their holes Persian cannon bombarded the walls – they would not hold out for long!
Banudur on the other hand had fled eastwards away from Abbas. Eventually after over a year and a half of the chase Abbas and his men came upon a strange outpost. It was not built in the style of the Uzbeks… nor was it manned by men who looked like Uzbeks. No one was sure quite who these people were… perhaps the fabled Mongols of Genghis Khan which had once reached Egypt?
After a rather tense stand off it was established that they had reached China. Unfortunately for the outpost guards it was always established that they had let Banudur through the checkpoint and into China. Just as conflict was beginning to look inevitable two men carrying a large sack arrived at the other side of the outpost. They announced they were servants of Banudur who had slain him and brought him to face the justice of the Safavids (although they admitted it was hard to face justice when dead). Abbas, who had heard all those stories of great kings killing the servants of their rivals who had been betrayed them thought he may as well continue a tradition. After all he wanted to be a great Shah one day so he may as well start now. The men were thanked then executed while Banudur was fed to the dogs. Justice was done.
Abbas’ maps of the Uzbek lands
Abbas now set about laying siege to the lands he had discovered. In the west everything was already under Safavid control but the supply lines were stretched and Ferhan daren’t march his forces further east.
Just as things were looking up Safi did his best to mess things up with some bad decisions at Isfahan.
Safi tries to ruin things
He also managed to spark some good old fashioned clan warfare with some incredibly poor diplomacy…
Safi tries once more to spoil the party having to pay off the clans
It cost the treasury almost 500 ducats to repair the grievances caused. Fortunately the Safavids had a lot of money but it was a heavy blow whatever way you looked at it especially considering the army would have to be reinforced after the war.
Finally by 1640 the last Uzbek stronghold was taken and Abbas was free to enforce a peace on them. He took the region of Bukhara, famed for its wines, and had a refinery built there as well as taking 100 ducats to improve the treasury slightly. The peace could have been harsher but Banudur was dead and that was the main aim of the war as far as Abbas was concerned.
Sadly in that same year Ferhan died. It seemed that with the murderers of Abbas the Great put to the sword he felt his time was done. He passed away in his sleep on a cold January morning after peace had been made. What became clear after his death though was that it was mainly his influence which had protected Abbas from Safi’s wrath. When Abbas returned to Isfahan instead of being greeted as a hero he was banished to Safavid South Africa (SSA).
With few other options Abbas reluctantly accepted his fate and boarded a ship. On his arrival he organised an expedition north to see what other riches may lie in these lands. Who knew he may even carve out a kingdom of his own in Africa…
Abbas sets about doing something useful in SSA
On his 23rd brithday however events took a turn for the better. A general had secretly travelled to SSA to meet with Abbas. He told how the people were tired of Safi as was the army. If Abbas would return to the Empire then he would be carried to the throne at the head of the army!
Abbas set sail the next day…