Update Five
The forces arrayed against Khandesh were comparable in size to the army which Miran could muster. Thankfully, however, the coalition was comprised of a number of states which could only field small armies individually. Mercifully also, the enemy coalition had no military leader of Miran's impressive calibre. Thus Miran sent the Khandesh army firstly against one of the largest threats currently facing Khandesh, Rajputana.
Once more directing the battle from afar, from the nearby province of Udaipur, Miran was quick to join his force once victory had been secured.
With Miran busy waging war, far from the aparatus of government, he was unable to order his usual high volumes of useless, but impressive looking,
Diwani script filled documents. The resulting savings proving quite considerable.
The savings were quickly appropriated by Minister Hemant, who spent most of the money upon sending members of his family on 'missionary' junkets.
The once mighty Vijaynagar was the first country removed from the war in July 1437. Vijaynagar was still suffering from the effects of bankruptcy and had subsequantly been unable to field any armies whatsoever. Thus making the nation exactly the type of opponent Miran favoured fighting. A defenceless one.
The peace deal was damaging for Vijaynagar as she lost one of her three remaining provinces when forced to free the Maldives. Hemant had insisted upon this being a proviso of the peace deal, arguing that it was only right that the Maldive people should live in peace and harmony, governing themselves independently. He also made it clear that his being given a free holiday villa by the Maldives government, following the peace deal, had no impact on his reasoning whatsoever.
Having bested a number of the nations opposing Khandesh, Miran was left hugely worried upon learning the identity of the only nation within the enemy coalition who still had an army large enough to truly challenge him.
It was his nemesis, Bihar, who had 10,000 men under arms.
Not only had the Bihar army survived the previous war but it had slightly grown in size. This thus showed once again that Miran's decision to offer peace to a nation which had so nearly been decimiated by Khandesh, had been an act of utter folly. Desperate to make ammends, Miran ordered a small force into Indravati to act as bait so as to draw Bihar's force on to the attack.
He then led reinforcements from the nearby province of Bastar, planning to then outnumber the attacking Bihar force. This next battle was crucial, it would likely decide the fate of Miran's reign. He would either once more be lauded as a great leader, or suffer an uncomfortable pain in his *cough*.
The battle of Indravati proved a crushing victory for Khandesh. Alas Miran had not attended the battle itself, being forced as he was to rest in Bastar after having lightly sprained a finger. Thankfully he had been able to send the reinforcements on ahead nonetheless, thus bringing about the impressive victory. Miran then staged a remarkable recovery upon learning of Khandesh's victory, quickly racing to Indravati so as to be able to lead the chase against the fleeing Bihar force.
Once again Bihar's smaller routed force was being slowly but surely ground down. Still, as in the previous war between both nations, Miran remained worried about the attrition being suffered by his army and sudden possible defeat.
A flagging Miran mentioned to an aide that he was considering an offer of peace to Bihar once more, as he still worried about ravaging Bihar's lovely countryside with continued fighting. The aide merely had to make reference to the rocketing price and shortage of pokers, to have Miran suddenly chase after the Bihar army with great speed. One last victory would likely finish off Bihar's forces.
Final victory was then at least achieved in May 1438. That Miran had taken so long to defeat a force smaller than his own, which was lacking in morale, a force which had managed to escape with 91 men left alive after the Battle of Jharkhand despite the overwhelming numerical superiority Miran enjoyed, was of little consequence. Finally Miran had accomplished complete victory once more. His confidence had returned. Khandesh had her military great once again.
With no more enemy armies left in the field, attention turned towards siege duties. Miran however opting to return to the capital in order to recuperate and enjoy the plaudits which followed his stunning and courageous victories over considerably smaller nations.
Further good news followed in December 1438 with Orissa's annexation.
Having achieved the aim of annexing Orissa peace was declared with the enemy coalition leader, Rajputana, in return for some minor concession, bringing the war to an end.
Following the end of the war, Miran continued to enjoy his revived fortunes in rule. Yet more welcome news greeting him in January 1439, when the Oriya people became an accepted part of Khandesh, courtesy of the newly acquired core on Cuttack.
This was welcome news indeed, Miran happy in the knowledge that the Oriya people had wished to fully integrate into Khandesh no doubt due to his great rule. In truth, it had been Minister Hemant's creation of a poker production factory in Cuttack. The Oriya people had taken the hint, quickly realising that joining fully with Khandesh was preferable to a short sharp pain in the *ahem*.
The years began to slip by, Miran happily living off his success over Bihar, letting his waist expand whilst still boasting of his military prowess. Diplomatically too, Miran was experiencing success, in August 1440 the Ottomans offered an alliance yet again. It mattered not that the Ottomans were too far from India to ever provide any direct aid in times of war. Nor that the perfidious nation had already reneged on previous alliances with Khandesh in time of war numerous times before. The alliance made Miran look an ever more wise and effective ruler therefore it was gladly accepted.
Having amassed a considerable amount of army tradition (71.70%), following Khandesh's many victories, a general was finally hired by Minister Hemant.
Miran was outraged by this decision, failing to understand why Khandesh could possibly need a professional, highly trained officer, when she had a chubby, deluded ruler of questionable courage to lead her armed forces. He was however mollified when Hemant pointed out that the recruitment of General Miran Mubarak Khan Eswara would allow for Miran to 'oversee' battles far more effectively whilst still gaining all prestige from victories, as he could simply claim to have been the actual Miran on the field of battle.
Impressed with this reasoning, and realising that two military greats named Miran were clearly better than one, Miran declared war on both Deccan and Travanacore on the same day in January 1442.
It was time to once more best some far smaller nations so as to prove that the Sultan was the better of the two Mirans. Clearly both Deccan and Travanacore had little chance against the great leadership provided by both leaders Miran.
Furthermore it mattered not that Khandesh's allies had proven so confusingly traitorous, both the Maldives and the Ottomans honouring and breaking their alliance against different foes. As with the Ottomans too far away able to send any direct aid, and with the Maldives without any fleet whatsoever to transport her pitifully small army, both were unimportant allies merely there to shoulder some of the vast amounts of glory this victorious campaign would most certainly bring to Khandesh.
Victory for both Mirans was clearly assured.