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I like your title:rofl: You're not making it easy for yourself now are you? If I were in your position I would probably use every immoral trick in the book to get ahead of my foes:eek:o

If things are keeping up the way they are, you might have control over all of the Indian ocean by 1819, that should your ultimate goal!
 
@ Enewald: Indeed I do outdo my neighbors, but Malwa is still a considerable threat and growing more powerful each year, and Delhi's two remaining provinces are, if I recall correctly, mountainous with bad winters, so they might be a tough nut to crack.

@ Constantine XII: I'd love nothing more than to have dominance over the Indian Ocean! The inevitability of European meddling in India is still worrisome, though...


I hope to have an update up within 24-36 hours, but be warned, it'll be a short departure from the style of the AAR so far.
 
I've never done this sort of thing before, so bear with me. If it's rubbish, please let me know and I'll stay away from this sort of stuff.

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On July the 26th of the year 1450 the Sultanate of Sindh began its greatest military and naval undertaking yet. The Sultan created a series of military access agreements along the Indian Ocean, making several safe ports for Sindhi vessels. He then ordered the newly created Army of Africa, some 2600 brave Sindhi soldiers, onto seven galleys bound for Nampula. The voyage, which would take a considerable amount of time and traverse thousands of miles, was Sindh's first step in legitimizing their claim on Nampula - a military presence would mean that they have actual authority. The voyage, immortalized in a historical tome (written by the Sultan's personal scribe), "The Voyage of the Taghlak," (so named after the flagship of the fleet, named for the Sultan who invested so heavily in map exchanges and exploration of the far corners of the earth) came to be a pivotal moment in Sindh's history.

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The Voyage of the Taghlak

It came to be that the Sultan, a man of the highest integrity and a true Believer, ordered a contingency of the Army of Sindh across the sea. In July the fleet set sail and the glorious Sultan's plans were in motion. He, the Sultan, had befriended the good and virtuous people of Mahra and ensured, through the grace of Allah, that Socotra would be an open port for the Sindhi vessels.

When the Sindhis reached Socotra, a windstorm broke upon the sea. The brave sailors were trapped on the island for a fortnight before favorable weather again shone down upon them. The good and noble Arabs living on the island provided for the travelers, and so it came to pass that relations were strengthened a bond between two righteous peoples formed.

Now, Socotra was a barren island, harsh and prone to storms. The people there are a hard lot who live off the sea, fishing and trading along both Arabia and Africa. They piled home upon home, reaching high into the sky, as to not overcrowd the island.

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When the seas calmed and the mercy of Allah again graced the sailors, the ships left Socotra for Mogadiscio. The people there are barbaric, living in huts of mud and dung. The Sindhis rested there for not more than a weekend and set sail southwards, towards Zanzibar.

Zanzibar, the fisherman and traders along the way told the sailors, was a place of great wealthy and wonder where could be found every race and religion imaginable. Upon arriving in the harbor, the sailors learned that what was said of the city was true - fabulous wealth and riches could be seen throughout. Ivory adorned every minaret, the palace doors were leafed in gold, and the walls painted with the most vibrant of colors.

The market was bustling with traders of all skin colors, all races, all religions. Wares were being peddled that had never before been seen by Sindhis, rarities from the heart of Africa to the Indies to the Orient. Above all else, though, came the sale of slaves, taken from the mainland and brought out to the island to be sold throughout the African world.

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At that point the tome ends. The sailors did indeed reach Nampula safely, although after almost a year at sea. 6 of the 7 galleys made it, as did 2300 infantrymen.


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Normal updates will resume during the week.
 
Sorry for the slow updating and the short update that's coming. I've not been in a very FTG mood the past few weeks.
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Very little happened in Sindh until the first of January 1454. The treasury finally recovered enough from the war against Baluchistan to promote a tax collector in Panjab. The Sultan hoped that it would help strengthen the economy and increase the annual income of Sindh. There were some concerns about separatist rebels reacting negatively, but the Sultan brushed aside such concerns.


On 1 November 1455 the Sultan arranged a marriage with the Maghreb state of Morocco. He hoped to expand Sindh's maps to include West Africa and the Atlantic. They were not as extensive as the Sultan had hoped for - Morocco had been partitioned between Castille and Portugal and had been unable to extend into Africa. However, Mossi and Songhai, two pagan states, were discovered.


Later in February a generous gift was sent to Gujarat, Sindh's wealthy but weaker neighbor. Relations greatly improved, to the point where the Sultan doubted it was possible to be closer while still respect Gujarat's sovereignty.

A year later, however, Gujarat requested that Sindh become its vassal. The Sultan laughed off the demand, but relations between the two neighbors suffered significantly.


November of 1458 brought an interesting proposal to the Sultan. An architect came to him petitioning for the construction of a massive palace, one that would put the neighboring states to shame. The Sultan thought it through, weighed the pros and cons, and eventually came to the conclusion that he could not spend so much money on a project like a palace while there were so many other concerns. He knew that his international reputation would take a hit, but it was the price to pay for prudence.

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In December 1459 the alliance expired. Sindh attempted to recreate it, but Afghanistan would have none of it - they through their lot in with the central Asian successors to the Timurid Empire. Gujarat and Malwa both agreed to rejoin, and Kilwa (the nearest Sunni nation to the Sindhi colony of Nampula) was brought in.


In May of 1460 the colony of Nampula was finally promoted to a city. The population, which at that point was 1,870, welcomed becoming a full part of Sultanate.

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It had been a slow decade in Sindh, spent investing in infrastructure and colonies. Perhaps the next would be more interesting.

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Well, I just bought EU: Rome Gold. That means I have, in addition to school work and two other AARs, something else to contend with for my time. Frankly, I just haven't been feeling into FTG as much in the past month or two, so I think it's time to put this on indefinite hold. It's not dead, and I mean to get back to it when the FTG juices start flowing again, but for now it's not going anywhere.