Rebuilding the Great Empire - Timurids AAR (Death and Taxes MOD)

dragonizer said:

with those stats he is guaranteed to surive. ha ha

Click to expand...

Anyone will have to do now. Just need an heir to prevent regency council so our expansion can continue .

Chapter 84

To distract the sultan further from the death of his son, the nobles advised him to begin another war with Muscowy. They hope the potential good news will cheer the sultan up. The sultan, unable to decline the offer, went through with the war. Muscowy, yet to recover from their previous war with Mughal empire, barely managed to scrape together enough men to fight a war. For the new war, the sultan hired a new general to lead his troops to victory. The general wasn't as promising as his predecessors but, for the small war against Muscowy, he was more than capable of winning the war.



The Mughal general, with troops that greatly outnumbered his enemies, was able to annihilated the entire Muscowy forces in Bogutjar. The victory left the Muscowy capital wide open to a siege. With the forces closing in on the Muscowy capital, the Muscowy king had no choice but to escape into Lithuania. However, this would be the last time the Muscowy king would return to his own nation. When the capital finally fell to the Mughals, the nation called Muscowy was forever wiped from the map. The Mughal empire has finally annexed one of the Russian nations and, with Novgorod slowly shrinking, was closer than ever to controlling all of Russia.



The joy from the victory in Russia was short lived. The sultan, after his great accomplishments for his nation, has passed away peacefully in bed. The sudden death of the sultan came at a surprise for many. The victory, for many, was believed to have cheered the sultan up. However, the loss of his many sons has proven to be too much of a burden for the sultan. Despite his many conquests in battle, he couldn't save the sons he loved dearly. To honor this great sultan, a statue was erected in Moskva to remember his final conquest. The war with Novgorod was delayed for a few days so the soldiers can pay their respect to their great ruler. Once the few days ended, the regency council was established and they decided that the nation, without a ruler, needed to restore peace and stabilize. As a result, a peace deal was agreed with the Novgorodian ruler with the Mughals gaining further gains in Russia.



The end of the war with Novgorod brought about peace for the Mughal empire. The peace was quickly disturbed with news from the east. Wu has defeated Bengal and rumors said that they, along with Tianwan, were preparing for an invasion on the Mughal eastern front. Unwilling to take a risk, more patrols were sent out in the eastern front. With the limited power held by the regency council, a war with the eastern giants would prove to be disastrous.



Tech:

Government: 25
Production: 24
Trade: 24
Naval: 23
Land: 27

Chapter 85

The many wars in Russia has made the people in Mughal weary of war. With a regency council taking of business in the nation, the young heir can grow up peacefully until he can take the throne. However, the tutors found out that the heir wasn't too bright. Not only was the heir unwilling to learn from the tutors but he always chose to hang out with those the court considered as misfits. As time passed, it became obvious that the heir couldn't accomplish anything significant. This was alarming news for the nobles within the nation. An heir that cannot accomplish anything would spell disaster for the Mughals. Surrounded by powerful enemies, a sign of weakness could spell the end of the nation. To deal with the situation, the nobles had their meetings to discuss the future of their nation. On the day the heir rose to the throne, the nobles had their final meeting. The final meeting was concluded by a well known noble.

My fellow brothers!

It is time for us to decide on the fate of our nation. Our nation began as a minor nation. We were surrounded by enemies and had to fought for our survival. With each battle we fought, we grew stronger. No matter what challenge stood ahead of us, we continued moving forward. We feared no one and we moved forward. With each step we took, we talked a step closer to creating an empire that rivals the one our ancestors create. Yes, we are the Mongols. Our once great leader, Genghis Khan, led us to the height of our power. We were feared everywhere and our power stretched from one end of the globe to the other. What happened then? Why did the empire collapse? I'll tell you the reason! The heirs of the great Khan were weaker. They can no longer govern such a great empire. Following that, their heir was even weaker. After a few generations, the great empire we once knew disappeared. The empire has disappeared. However, the people haven't! We are still around. The blood of those great warriors still flowed in us. That's why our great leader, Timur, took on the challenge to recreate an empire feared by all. He may not have lived to see his dream come true but he has something even greater. He has surrounded himself and his future generations with highly skilled advisers to ensure that our nation will remain stable. That our nation would continue to grow into the great nation we see today. That is his accomplishment. That is what we wish to continue.

So, what's the problem now? The problem is our new sultan. Our nation must remain stronger to hold off our enemies. The Chinese in the east eagerly await a chance to attack us while the Ottomans and Europeans in the west seek our land as well. We cannot show any weakness unless we want a war at two fronts. Let me tell you this. We are strong but we are not invincible. A war on two fronts would only spell disaster. What's making us weak? Our heir! He is, to put it plainly, an idiot. We cannot let them rule us when we need leadership the most. The survival of our nation count on it. The heir becomes the sultan today but I don't accept it. Even though he was named heir and has the blood of Timur, that doesn't make him our best candidate. Why must we accept that fact an idiot should lead our nation? For two and a half century, we have learn to change to grow stronger. We accepted new ideas and continue to do so. That hasn't failed us yet and it won't ever. This is time for change! This is the time we put the fate of our nation as the priority. We mustn't ever risk our nation so we can satisfy some old tradition. It's time for a new era for our nation. It's time for us to continue our dream of creating the greatest empire the world has seen. It's time for us to make our move!



Tech:

Government: 25
Production: 24
Trade: 25
Naval: 25
Land: 28

Chapter 86

The new sultan was watching riders racing on horses when the high ranked nobles gathered behind him. The sultan's servant quietly walked beside the sultan.

Servant: Sultan, the nobles ...
Sultan: Can't you see the fact that I'm busy right now? Get lost!
Servant: Sultan, ...
Sultan: Guards! Execute this rude dog!!!

Just as the guards moved forward to arrest the servant, a noble signaled them to stop. The noble walked towards the sultan.

Noble: Sultan, I have urgent matters to speak with you.
Sultan: Well, isn't this Kushruh? What urgent matter do you speak of?
Kushruh: You see, we received some disturbing news.
Sultan: Oh, enlighten me with the news.
Kushruh: Someone wants to assassinate you.
Sultan: What? Who dares to do that? They better be ready to get through all my guards.
Kushruh: Ah, they are professionals. They have already killed many sultans in the middle east. A few guard cannot stop them.
Sultan: Kushruh, you must save me. I'm too young to die!
Kushruh: I know, sultan. There is a way to save you. Though, it may be difficult unless you agree to it fully.
Sultan: I'll do anything. Just tell me.
Kushruh: We need you to make yourself a smaller target. To do that, we need to form a noble republic. That way, we have many people governing our nation. Thus, there would be a much smaller chance you would die.
Sultan: That means I still have a chance to die, doesn't it?
Kushruh: There's a way we can solve that.
Sultan: How?
Kushruh: If you retire from your position, then you will no longer be a target. However, we will continue ensure that you live comfortably.
Sultan: That sounds wonderful! When can we start?
Kushruh: Right now!

Kushruh signals to the other nobles and they brought the documents to be stamped by the sultan. Once everything was stamped, the Mughal empire has become a noble republic.

Chapter 87

As a noble republic, the Mughals must hold an election to determine their new ruler. The choice was quite obvious as there wasn't much competition. Kushruh was a young man descending from a powerful Mughal family. His family was well known for the military academy which produced many fine generals for the Mughal nation. Kushruh wasn't happy with inheriting his father's position as the head of the military academy. Instead, he chose to serve the sultan directly and, in the times of war, become a general. However, the new sultan disgusted him to the point that he wanted to remove the sultan. Thus, he gathered many nobles that shared his view to create a plan to remove the sultan. After much discussion, Kushruh took the lead in the formation of a noble republic. With the noble republic, someone like the sultan cannot possibly hope to remain in office. When the sultan signed the documents to approve the change to noble republic, Kushruh was thrilled about the changes that would continue the progress of his nation. What the young man didn't expect was the fact that he was nominated as a candidate. Unlike to the other candidates, Kushruh was young, ambitious and talented. The young Kushruh was elected as the next ruler. A new chapter has begun for the Mughal empire.

Chapter 88



The young Kushruh may have wanted to be a general but his administrative and diplomatic abilities were not to be underestimated. Rising to office, Kushruh made an important decision for his nation. He decided take the change a step further. While noble republic can ensure a better candidate as the ruler, this form of government still cannot be efficient in governing a nation as large as Mughals. Thus, the new ruler saw the need to improve efficiency of the administration within the nation. A necessary changes would have to be focused on the bureaucracy. Kushruh hoped that the bureaucracy would guarantee the maximum efficiency while maintaining order. Such changes would still bring about some resistance. Originally, the noble republic gave the nobles of the nation substantial benefits and rights. The transition into administrative republic would take everything away from them. Some influential nobles wanted to usurp the new ruler so they can halt the changes. As a result, those nobles formed a coalition to fight against this change.

On the day before the republic voted on the issue, the coalition formed by the nobles plotted the killing of the ruler. They knew the death of Kushruh would end the vote before it started. A hundred well armed men were hidden near the palace entrance. When Kushruh passes by the entrance, they would use that opportunity to kill him. Kushruh, with his connections in the army, had learned of this attempt for his life. Therefore, Kushruh made plans to have a criminal that looked like him replace him. Once his replacement was killed, he would discover who opposed him. The criminal was killed according to plan and the nobles in the coalition were quick to act. They began making speeches regarding how Kushruh was a traitor and his death was necessary. When the speeches ended, Kushruh made his move and ordered his men to arrest the nobles. The nobles were executed and peace was restored in the nation.

Chapter 89

With internal conflicts resolved, the Doge of Mughals had his sights on more conquests. His first target would be Novgorod which is still at war with Lithuania. The Doge hoped that the Russian resistance would provide him with the opportunities to occupy enough land to take. The actual situation proved that the Doge's decision wasn't sound. The Lithuanians, learning from their mistakes in the past, have cracked down harder on resistance. As a result, less occupied provinces were liberated and thus less opportunities for the Mughals. In the end, the Doge can only walk away with a single province. It wasn't profitable as he had hoped for and thus he asked for reparation costs for the brief war. The Novgorodian ruler had no choice but to agree.



While Novgorod and Mughals were in peace talks, incredible news came from the east. The once mighty coalition of Tianwan and Wu has separated. The two Chinese nations can no longer tolerate each other and their alliance was dissolved. Such news meant that the Mughal eastern front would be a lot safer. Without the coalition, the two Chinese nations would surely turn on each other. Given the size of the two nations, it was without a doubt going to be centuries before a victor can be declared. That would be ample amount of time for the Mughals to capture all of Russia. More good news arrived at the Mughal court. The generals of Mughals found a perfect training spot for their cavalry between former Muscowy and current Lithuania. The harsh conditions would make the Mughal cavalry more hardy and, with their discipline, a much deadlier force to fight against.



Not long after the Mughal cavalry got improve, the Doge began the regimental system to improve his nation's ability to field larger armies. Fielding large armies have always put a big dent in the nation's treasury and the changes implemented would no doubt help that. In the long run, the nation needed a strong economy and thus require more resources dedicated there. The Doge hoped his changes would put a fifth of the ducats invest in military into the economy. The extra ducats would improve many infrastructures while improving productivity and trade within the nation. However, these changes were minor compared to what he aimed to do next. In the west, the European nations have adopted very advanced research. The Doge knew that his nation need to rival those nations in the west if he hopes to conquer all of Europe. As a first step towards modernizing his nation, he began focus on the government technology. Improvement in bureaucracy wasn't enough if there wasn't new ideas to strengthen it. The changes to government tech will greatly improve his nation's ability to boost the efficiency of the nation as a whole.



As for the other nation east of Mughals, Bengal lost yet another war against Wu. With the constant losses of territory, Bengal was struggling to maintain her status in the region. For the Doge, a bruised Bengal is always good news. With Wu not taking any territories, neither of the powers were getting any stronger. Instead, they grow weaker while the Mughals can focus on the west. On the topic of the west, the Doge had his eyes on a nice province controlled by the Zaporozhie. Zaporozhie had just broke free from Poland and doesn't have many friends yet. However, they did ally themselves with the Eretnids. As luck would have it, the Doge also had his eyes on the Eretnids. If the Ottomans didn't guarantee their independence, the Eretnids would have long been annexed by the Mughals. As expected, the Eretnids were brought in as the Doge was able to hit two birds with one stone.



The annexation of Zaporozhie came swiftly but the Doge had other things to worry about. After being in office for three straight elections, Kushruh was viewed as power hungry. His supporters began losing faith in him and wanted someone else to take over. Kushruh, faced with a tough decision, finally succumbed to the decisions of everyone else. He stepped down to let someone else to rise. Once again, a military candidate was picked for office. Like last time, military wasn't this candidate's forte. Instead, he proved to be very capable in diplomacy. When he rose to office, some worried that he may choose diplomacy over conquest. However, he was elected through proper procedures and no one dared to oppose him yet.



Tech:

Government: 26
Production: 25
Trade: 25
Naval: 25
Land: 29

Chapter 90

Soon after the annexation of the Zaporozhie, the Mughal Doge recruited a a general for the conquest of Eretnids. The Doge knew that a general that knew the area well would perform very well. General Mahmud lived relatively close to the Eretnids and thus landed the position. The new general immediately mustered up a twenty seven thousand regiment for the conquest of the Eretnids. The Eretnids tried to put up some resistance in Erzincan where they hoped a defensive stance could enable them to hold out against the Mughals. What they didn't expect was the might of the improved Mughal cavalry. The Cossacks, with proper discipline, proved very devastating in battle. The entire Eretnids regiment was crushed by the cavalry while the Mughals suffered almost no casualties. With their momentum, the Mughal regiment began to began their sieges of the Eretnids. With outdated forts, the sieges were expected to be short.



When the Mughal officials began to update their information regarding their nation, they discovered an interesting surprise. With the conquests of Russia, the Russian population has rose dramatically within the nation. At the time of the information gathering, it was discovered that the Russian population has reached a point where they are widely accepted as loyal subjects under the Doge. With the Russians more accepted, there began to be a greater urgency to capture all of Russia. The Russians under Mughal rule has discovered the benefits under the Mughals and wanted all their brothers to enjoy the same benefits. There was also good news in diplomacy as well. The Ottomans have enjoyed good relations with the Mughals and their ruler wanted an everlasting peace. To do so, they asked for military access through Mughal territory. Military accesses not only help the Ottomans move easier around the region surrounding the Black Sea but breaking it would have devastating effects on them.



While the war against Eretnids continued, the Mughal generals imported new ideas to improve their infantry. While their cavalry proved to be a deadly force, their cavalry's effectiveness began to drop well once they move into other regions. To better adapt to all terrains, the Doge decided to model his infantry after the Eastern Tercio to create a better balanced army. The changes would take awhile to implement which didn't see any Eastern Tercio in action in Eretnids. The war in Eretnids ended not long after the implementation and the Mughals got a lot of territory out of the war along with a nice amount of ducats.



As soon the Eastern Tercio become an integral part of the Mughal regiments, the war against Novgorod was declared.



Tech:

Government: 26
Production: 25
Trade: 25
Naval: 25
Land: 30

Chapter 91

In the west, a superpower has began a new chapter in her history. The English has united the entire British Isles and declared themselves as Great Britain. Great Britain had a powerful navy that had no equal at the time. For the Mughals, this news wasn't that welcoming. With a dream of invading Europe, a power like Great Britain could easily dash that dream. The Mughal Doge began to put more focus on the Mughal navy in hopes of one day challenging for the control of Europe. Meanwhile, a new election within the Mughals saw the rise of a new Doge. The new Doge had proven to be a better military leader than all those before him. His military capabilities and diplomatic skills appeared to make him the ruler fit for Mughal.



The war against Novgorod was concluded quickly. Lithuania held a firm grasp over almost all of Novgorod and only Ustyug was out of reach for Lithuania. The Mughal Doge demanded the province and a small reparation costs. The conclusion of the war saw the Doge take care of one important domestic issue. Oman has been a loyal vassal and the people within the nation wanted to be a part of Mughal for a long time. With peace returning and no conquests in the near future, the Doge found this as a perfect opportunity to integrate Oman. As another vassal is integrated, the Mughals were a step closer to uniting all of its vassals with itself.



Time flowed quickly during peace time and the Doge found himself in an election. Given that the military candidates were getting elected a surprisingly amount of times, the ruling class decided to vote for a different candidate before the generals become too powerful in the nation. As a result, a bureaucratic candidate was picked. The new candidate wasn't as incredible as the last candidate but his administrative skills will fill in some of the holes the military candidates left behind. Under the new Doge, Mughal began to go into another great change. The Mughals began to modernize their trade tech in hopes to earning more profits from their center of trade and trade routes.



While the nation recovers from stability hit from the changes, the Doge made new changes to aid his troops in combating the rebels that were sure to rise. The Doge imported infantry technology from Poland. His infantry would follow the Saxon Infantry offensive tactics and discipline. The new infantry, along with a feared cavalry, would definitely make the rebels shake in their boots.



Tech:

Government: 26
Production: 25
Trade: 25
Naval: 25
Land: 31

Chapter 92

Before much time has passed, the Mughals had another election. The bureaucratic ruler did an alright job but he definitely wasn't spectacular. Some of the nobles argued that a bureaucratic candidate wasn't the ideal choice for their nation. They argued that the military candidates have brought about greater and better changes for Mughal. Thus, a military candidate was picked as the next ruler. The candidate picked wasn't too amazing on paper but his rise to office did silence the critics. Another four years passed without anything to note. The nobles were getting restless and they decided to switch back to a bureaucratic candidate. The new ruler proved to be more capable at his job and the nobles hoped he can bring about more acceptable changes.



The new Doge wanted to make a name of himself. To follow the ways of his predecessors, the Doge began a war against Novgorod. Novgorod have suffered Lithuanian occupation for almost forever but the Russian resistance still fought their helpless battles. The Doge, seeing a Russian province freed by the Russian resistance, didn't waste time to declare war. His troops mobilized quickly to the province to begin a siege. The defenders had yet to repair the fortifications and were caught by surprise by the Mughal regiment. With overwhelming numbers, the Mughals assaulted the city and took it with hardly any losses. During this entire time, the Doge hired a new adviser. The adviser was a foreign army reformer who the Doge desperately needed. The Doge needed to make a modern army as his nation would soon border nations in Western Europe. The arrival of the army reformer allowed the Doge to fill all the prerequisites to reorganize his army.



The modernizing of the troops proved to be a very welcoming change in Mughals. By being the one to implement this chance, the Doge was elected for another term. The Doge promised to continue making the big changes. Not long after the start of his second term, the Doge learned of bad news. The people within his nation has grown tired of holy wars. They no longer support this type of excuse to declare war on others. Considering how the Mughals tolerated those of other religion, the continuation of this idea would only pit the government against its citizens. The Doge can no longer push westwards in the name of holy wars which brought him a headache. The Doge began to think about improving the economy and infrastructure within the nation while his subjects create new claims.



The war with Novgorod was concluded soon after with another province gained. The holy war for Russia has concluded as a new chapter began for the Mughals. What awaits this nation that has relied heavily on holy thus far?



Tech:

Government: 27
Production: 26
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 32

Chapter 93

The end of the war against Novgorod brought about prosperous times for the Mughals. To remember this prosperous time, the Doge invested a large amount of ducats to build a fine arts academy in Obdorsk. The Doge hoped the academy would produce many great people for his nations. The Mughals cannot stay at war forever and the great people produced by the academy would help move the nation forward during times of peace. Still, the Doge needed support to get re-elected and he needed a war to do so. Thus, the Doge ordered another declaration of war. This time, he had his sights on Africa and Arabian Peninsula. While the Doge did have a few nations in mind, he only had a casus belli with Swahili. Swahili was allied and guaranteed by many nations. A declaration of war with Swahili would bring in a few nations, a few of which the Doge had his eyes on.



The Doge had plenty of confidence in his troops' capability in Africa. Thus, he only recruited a single general for the battles in Deccan. As expected, Adal proved to be no threat as their entire army was wiped out in Ifat with Mughals suffering little casualties. Meanwhile, there were news of victory in India. The newly recruited general proved to be more than enough to take on the Deccan army. Following two small victories, he was able to eliminate the only thing standing in his way of sieging all of Deccan.



While one Mughal regiment was taking on the Adal army, another regiment was assigned for the invasion of Swahili. The Swahili army tried to finish a siege before the arrival of the Mughals. However, they weren't able to retreat in time and the Mughals regiment caught up with them. Not a single men in the Swahili regiment survived the massacre. The Swahili provinces were without proper walls and fell quickly to the marching Mughal troops. Luckily for Swahili, the Mughals had their eyes on other prizes and ended the war with two provinces.



Tech:

Government: 27
Production: 26
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 32

Chapter 94

The war in Northeast Africa was thought to be a piece of cake. However, the Mughals got a wake up call when the Hedjaz knocked on the Mughal door. Mustering up an impressive twenty six thousand men, they won a victory against the Mughals. It has been a long time since the Mughals suffered a loss and the defeat hurt the Mughal pride a lot than it should. While the general in Deccan was making his way to Africa, the Doge recruited another general to hold the fort until both generals can begin their counterattack. The new general was ordered to lead a regiment that would reinforce the retreating regiment in hopes to forcing back the Hedjaz threat.



The Hedjaz regiment didn't give up the chase of the Mughals. Their general knew that, should the Mughals regroup, the situation in Africa would shift in the Mughal's favor. In Mogadishu, the Adal and Hedjaz banded together in hopes of eliminating this threat. However, the Mughals still refused to be annihilated and continued their retreat. While the chase was on, the two sides were also battling for naval supremacy. With the entry of Shabankara, the Mughal side got the boost needed to win a decisive battle on the water. The Hedjaz may not have lost any ships but the loss created fear among their ranks. Fearing for another disastrous naval defeat, they refused to send out their navy.



The general from Deccan finally arrived in the Oman region where he, leading a small regiment, fought with the retreating Mughals against the Hedjaz. The Hedjaz regiment split up thinking a smaller regiment can defeat the Mughals. However, the arrival of the general turned the entire battle around. In a battle where Hedjaz should've won, the Mughals was able to annihilate that entire regiment and turn the tide of the battle. Turning the tide didn't mean the war was won. With their focus on Africa, the Doge ended the war in India with a single province. He didn't want to deal with any situations that would force his nation fight a two front war.



While the war for Africa continued to rage, the Doge learned of something interesting in Europe. Great Britain had just suffered a big defeat which saw them losing a few key ports. For the Mughals, a war torn Europe would aim them tremendously. At the moment, they need to solve the problem called Hedjaz.



Tech:

Government: 27
Production: 26
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 32

dragonizer said:

Great Britian got stomped. There must be a way to take advantage.
could we get a world map please and thank you.

Click to expand...

They are so fortunate that I neither have any ports in Europe nor a large navy. They may continue their existence for awhile longer since I allow it. Below is the known world for the Mughals.



Chapter 95

General Nazirun continued to lead troops to fight the Hedjaz. His previous victory was only a minor setback for his enemy who still had a dangerous army. In Dhofar, Nazirun led his troops to another victory. A small Hedjaz detachment was situated in Dhofar to alert the main Hedjaz regiment of the Mughal general. However, their whereabouts was discovered the Nazirun annihilated them in an ambush. In the court, a key election was taking place. The Doge was losing support due to a scandal within the court. He had supporters but there was a possibility that there wasn't enough to re-elect him. After a very close race, a new Doge was decided. The new Doge, a bureaucrat skilled in the art of war, sat on the throne to direct the nation towards a brighter future.



While Hedjaz army had already made their mark in the war, the Mughals soon faced another strong opponent. The Syrians, bidding their time to grow strong, had made their move to aid the Hedjaz. The Syrians sent a 15 thousand regiment hoping to strike before general Nazirun can reach the front line. To do so, the Syrian regiment must get through General Wazirun. Wazirun, with a thirty thousand regiment at his disposal, was unfazed with his first battle since his promotion. Utilizing his advantage in numbers, Wazirun managed to send them packing. Instead of giving chase, he made the wise decision of lifting a siege. The Adal army was trying to turn around the situation and hoped the Syrians can distract the Mughals while they lay siege. In Lamu, Wazirun destroyed the Adal regiment there while general Nazirun took cared of business in Majarteen.



Next, a few big battles took place in Majarteen. The Hedjaz regiment sent their main forces to take out the regiemtn led by Wazirun. Luckily, Wazirun was able to retreat into friendly territory while Nazirun led his regiment to engage. A large battle took place in Majarteen and, following three weeks of combat, Nazirun won with both sides taking heavy casualties. With good communication, Wazirun cut off the retreating Hedjaz regiment and annihilated them. With the main Hedjaz regiment annihilated, the other regiments within the Hedjaz coalition were shaken. Taking advantage, the Mughals continued their onslaught hoping to demoralize their enemies more.



The Hedjaz was hit hard but they were anything but out. With a new regiment formed, the Hedjaz general didn't waste time to move back into the front lines. The new Doge, seeing the situation, decided that his troops needed a break from all the battles. By taking Adal out of the war, the Mughal regiments can focus on playing defensive until a peace can be agreed on between Mughals and Hedjaz.



Tech:

Government: 27
Production: 26
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 32

Chapter 96

As a republic, the Doge decided on a new change that would greatly improve the efficiency of the Mughals war machine. The Doge has decided upon creating a cabinet within his government. The cabinet's job was to improve the diplomatic relations with other nations while greatly reducing the negative reputation gained from wars. The cabinet would make it possible for more conquests while the Mughals maintain acceptable reputations with her neighbors. The new cabinet would created immediately as the Doge already had a list of candidates. The installment of the cabinet proved to be a very welcomed idea amongst the upper ranks of the Mughal government. With most, if not all, the upper ranked officials supporting him, the Doge easily won another term. He got re-elected in which he hoped to continue implementing his grand plans for the nation.



When the Doge got re-elected, he begun a series of great architectural development. He hoped the developments would showcase the greatness of his nation while improving the pride of her own people. The construction of schools also aided the nation in educating its people in the arts of war to promote them to join the Mughals army. To take it a step further, the Doge modernized the production technology. For too long, the Mughals had low productivity considering their land area. To continue supporting their armies, the Mughals must improve their production to continue funding all the projects within the nation while maintaining their massive army. With the production technology modernized, the Mughals were another step closer to complete westernizing.



Meanwhile, a great diplomat was born to the Mughals. Diplomat Musharif worked diligently for his nation and his work finally paid off. Through great diplomacy with Mughals' neighbors, Musharif has brought about stability and improved reputation for his nation. These contribution couldn't have come at a better time with the Doge organizing another war. The Arabian Peninsula still remained a threat for the Mughals and the Doge cannot ignore them without gaining greater control in the area. To show that he was serious, the Doge targeted Hedjaz, the scourge of the Arabian Peninsula. Attacking Hedjaz would also bring in many of the other nations nearby. With everyone at the party, the Doge can let his troops fight to their hearts content. Once the war is over, the Doge knew that he would be a step closer to controlling all of the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt.



Najd was the first nation to agree to Mughals' peace terms. The Doge wanted to annul Najd's treaty with Bengal since Najd would, sooner or later, be a part of the Mughals. Without the interference of the Bengals, the Mughals would have a much easier time taking all of Arabian Peninsula. With the Najd taken cared of, the Mughals turned her sights on Yemen. Since integrating Oman, the Yemen rulers have continuously threatened the region by promoting rebels. The rulers of Mughals have tolerated these actions for far too long and the current Doge decided that it was time to teach the Yemen their place in the world. With a regiment vastly outnumbering the Yemen army, the Yemen was beat back with ease as the Mughals advanced unchallenged into Yemen territory.



For strategic reasons, the Mughals only took two provinces from Yemen. The Mughals needed to make sure that they took some more territory in Northeast Africa. The Yemen ruler, knowing that his nation cannot hold out against the Mughals, had no choice but to agree to the peace deal. For the same reason, the Doge sent a white peace to Swahili which was agreed upon immediately. With three nations out of the war, the Mughals can focus on the greater threat, Hedjaz.



Despite the many victories, the Doge wasn't impressing many of his subjects. Instead, the Mughals wanted a new ruler to rise up into office. As a result, Alaman was voted in as the new Doge and his diplomatic skills would come in great news with the Mughals earning a bad reputation from their current war. The Doge wanted to improve the reputation of his nation as quickly as possible to gain more territory in the war against Hedjaz. Bad news soon reached the Doge when the top Mughals general, Nazirun, had suddenly passed away from his illness. His sudden departure would be a serious hurt for Mughals' chances in Northeast Africa. The Doge needed to ensure that the troops' morale remained high as the tough battles are still ahead of them.



Not long after, general Wazirun passed away due to an infection to a wound. With two generals dying in such a short time, the Mughals were shocked at their bad luck. The war in Northeast Asia was raging on and the Mughals desperately needed leaders to lead the troops to victory. The death of the generals did have incredible impact on the soldiers' morale and the Doge must take immediate actions. The Doge decided to first take care of the leadership problem. He recruited two generals who were nothing like their predecessors. However, average generals were still better than no generals. The generals would immediately move to the front lines to continue the war against Hedjaz.



The death of the generals didn't change the fact that the Mughals were living in prosperous times. While the war was draining the nation's treasury, the Mughals still had plenty in the treasury to invest in great things. First, the Doge decided to invest in a university to boost his learning of her citizens which would result in greater government tech growth. However, the Doge also had his sights on another investment. A Fine Arts Academy was built to improve the stability of the nation while increasing the chances of recruiting skilled advisers for the Doge. Both investments would provide both immediate and long term benefits. These benefits will make the Mughals that much stronger.



The two new generals took a passive stance in the war. Their goal was to maintain the situation left behind by their predecessors until a peace deal can be agreed on. The Doge, worried about the possibility that the war would go downhill from here on, agreed to take whatever peace deal he can get. With the many victories in battle and occupied provinces, the Doge was able to get favorable terms. The Mughals gained seven provinces which further helped them establish a presence in the region. With the new territory, Adal was placed in a more dangerous situation as the Mughals can now strike from two sides. The Doge had the simple plan of taking out much of Adal before focusing on Hedjaz.



For his many great contributions, the Doge was offered a second term.



Tech:

Government: 30
Production: 27
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 33

Chapter 97

Not long after the conclusion of the war with Hedjaz, the two generals (one of which didn't get a screenshot) died. The two generals, having been foreign to the region, succumbed to the local diseases that took the lives of so many Mughals soldiers. The Doge still gave the generals a proper funeral to thank them for their service in the war. While they didn't accomplish the same feats as their predecessors, their contributions cannot be overlooked. While the funerals were taking place, news of Russia has arrived at the Mughals capital. The Lithuanians have finally agreed to a white peace with the Novgordians. The Lithuanians and Novgorodians have been at war for 111 years with much of Novgorod occupied. This was indeed great news for the Doge. The Lithuanians, with all of their time and resources invested in this war, got nothing to show for their efforts. Russia became ripe for conquest once again and the Doge looked to capitalize on the situation as soon as he can.



The king of Trier has just became a lot more powerful with Prussia now under his command. In the HRE, Trier has struggled to become a major power in the political stage. With Prussia supporting the Trier king, the king now looked to expand his interests. However, there have been rumors of the Trier king using assassination to accomplish this feat. Without any evidence, no one can prove otherwise. For the Doge, this development would remove the presence of the Prussians when he does attack Russia. Yet, the Doge had other things to worry about. Westernizing had entered its final stages and the Doge cannot show weakness. Thus, he first ignored the demands of a few nobles who rose up when they were refused. The Doge dealt with the rebels swiftly but his troubles have only just began. Next, a well-known artist in Mughal threatened to end his life should the Doge continued his ways. The Doge, clearly not a fan of the artist, ordered the execution of the artist personally. Finally, merchants in Central Gujarat banded together to oppose the Doge. When the Doge refused their request as well, they chose to donate their wealth to the locals before joining the local Buddhist temple as monks.



Another election took place and the Doge gladly gave up his seat. His nation was a step from westernizing and he knew he wasn't the man to do so. After a grand speech for a bureaucratic candidate, he stepped down and joined those below the stage. The election result took awhile before everyone learned of it. As expected, the bureaucratic candidate won in a landslide. As the new Doge, he would bring about one of the greatest changes in Mughal history. His predecessors have worked long and hard to the stage they were at. The new Doge would finish what they have begun and take that final step. The Doge would now make his nation capable of keeping up with the nations in Western Europe. While there could still be plenty of resistance within the nation, the Doge knew that his nation has weathered the worst of the storm. They just needed to overcome one last hurdle and the Mughals would began to set her conquest on the rest of Europe.



The Doge then learned of distant colonies. The Europeans have fought to colonize North America, South America and Africa. The Doge had no intention in joining this race. He only had his sights on the rest of Europe. If anything, he would just chase the Europeans off their native lands so they can properly live at their newly expanded territory.





Tech:

Government: 30
Production: 28
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 33

Chapter 98

The peace for the Mughals ended when the Doge ordered another conquest on the Hedjaz. Once again, his nation faced off against the same nations in the previous war. However, his objective changed this war. He needed to weaken the Hedjaz who posed the greatest threat in the area. While Hedjaz is the main objective, the Doge knew that he needed to first take territory from the Adal to connect all of his territory. Thus, he focused his main forces in the area to attack Adal with small detachments were sent to hold off the regiments from other nations. The war with Adal was swift and the Doge took the territory he needed. With Adal out of the picture, he could move his focus on Hedjaz. He did need to focus on making peace with the other nations though. While they don't pose as big a threat, they can still create problems that would hinder the advances of his regiments.



Yemen was one of the nations that posed some threat. In the battle of Hadramut, the Yemen regiment won a great victory that sent the Mughals regiment packing. The Yemen cannot give chase due to heavy casualties. The Mughals decided to divert some of their forces to deal with Yemen. They needed to force a peace out of Yemen if they hope their reinforcements from the north can aid in the fight against Hedjaz. As for Hedjaz, they didn't waste time sending in their own regiments. A great battle took place in Nubia that saw Hedjaz suffering heavy casualties. With a Hedjaz reinforcements nearby, the Mughals didn't dare to give chase. Their general decided that waiting for another opportunity to isolate the Hedjaz regiments would be the best option. Thus, the general ordered his troops to retreat to a safer province to wait for the opportunity to strike.



When the Mughals began to siege Yemen territory, the Yemen ruler has realized that he was in trouble. He asked for a white peace hoping to come out of the war without a scratch. As luck would have it, the Doge didn't have his eyes on Yemen in this war and the peace deal was agreed upon. Swahili, facing the same situation as Yemen, asked for a white peace as well. The Swahili territory were dirt poor which made taking their territory that much less alluring. The Doge had no intention of expanding further south of his holdings in Northeast Africa. The peace deal was agreed upon and Hedjaz, other than Najd who cannot contribute at all to the war, was by herself.



The Doge then made an important decision of taking the title of Defender of the Faith. For too long, those nations of the Sunni faith has suffered against nations of other faiths. With weak nations taking the titles, the situation hasn't improved at all. The Doge knew that, by taking the title, he would deter many of his enemies from expanding into territory that he felt he had claims on. The new title would also strengthen his troops further. In his future wars against European countries, he would need every advantage he could get. At the moment, the extra benefits would make the victory over Hedjaz that much swifter.



Tech:

Government: 31
Production: 29
Trade: 26
Naval: 26
Land: 33

Chapter 99

Ibrim became one of the key battleground for the war when the Mughals main forces in Northeast Africa met with a Hedjaz main regiment. The two sides had been moving quickly to gain the strategic province called Ibrim. The Hedjaz regiment arrived first and hoped to set up a base as they wait for reinforcements. This regiment wasn't so fortunate when the Mughals launched a sudden surprise attack. The attack proved to be a turning point in the war. For a long time, the Hedjaz had been successful in resisting with their relatively massive army. The Mughals had to tread with care if they don't want to be caught off guard. The victory saw the Hedjaz suddenly losing a key chess piece and the Mughals were going to press their advantage. With their army cut in half, the Hedjaz ruler immediately ordered his other regiment to retreat back to Egypt as he recruited more troops. For the moment, time was in the Mughals' favor as the tide has finally turned in the war.



The Najd ruler finally sent a peace deal. Their participation proved to be uneventful but the Doge was leaving nothing to chance. Hedjaz was alone and the Mughals, having the decisive victory in Ibrim, knew that their victory was close. With a rather unacceptable reputation, the government in Mughals decided that a new Doge was needed. The Mughals needed a Doge with high diplomatic skills to quickly improve their reputation. With the war with Hedjaz still raging on, it was hoped that the new Doge can improve the Mughals' reputation to the point that the Hedjaz would cede all the lands the former Doge had his eyes on. Soon after his rise to power, the new Doge urged his troops on as the Mughals have finally made some head way in Hedjaz territory.



Not long after, the Mughals won another decisive battle (no screenshot) that wiped out the last of the Hedjaz resistance. The Hedjaz ruler continued to recruit but it was simply too slow. The Mughals regiment began to split up to carpet siege the Hedjaz. The newly recruited troops were unable to go up against the experienced Mughals regiments and Hedjaz cities fell one after another. It wasn't too long before territory, formerly under The Mamluks' control, began to defect over to the Mughals. The defections would be a great blow for the Hedjaz. Not only did the Hedjaz lost the provinces before a peace deal can be agreed on but he also lost much of the taxes he needed to maintain the large armies he had prior to the war. The Mughals had improve their reputation greatly thanks to their new Doge. The defections were a welcome sight as the Mughals began to put together a peace deal that would see more Hedjaz territory under their control.





Tech:

Government: 31
Production: 30
Trade: 26
Naval: 27
Land: 35

Chapter 100

The news of the many victories and defections has increased the support of the Doge. With another election around the corner, the people within Delhi gathered around the palace to show their support. Even within the government, the officials have showed their supports. When the election finally came around, the Doge was elected with ease and, with the election behind him, he can continue his war on Hedjaz. However, his spy network soon discovered an infiltrator within the midst. The infiltrator created some slight chaos within the government but the Doge was able to calm it quickly. While the infiltrator was never found, there was little doubt that Hedjaz was the backer in this incident.



To end the war he started, the Doge requested seven provinces, one of which was Jerusalem. Taking the holy city from the Hedjaz was a great victory for the Mughals. Not only did the victory showed that Allah was aiding the Mughals but it also greatly guaranteed the Mughals' position in wiping out the enemies of Islam. With the land lost from defection and the peace deal, the Hedjaz became a shadow of their former selves. Still, the Mughals had some unfinished business and the Doge hoped to tie the loose ends once the truce is over. The Mughals now had a firm grasp of Egypt. The nearby small nations could still be a problem if the Mughals get into a war with a large nation. The Doge knew that, like Hedjaz, he had many loose ends to take care of before he can turn his sights back on Russia.



With the capture of the holy city, the Doge knew that he no longer needed mandatory church attendance to show his nation's devotion to Allah. Thus, he changed the policy to one that would aid his nation's expansion greatly. For too long, the Mughals, despite having a strong economy, struggled to build up a grand army without being forced to pay huge costs. With the new national idea, the Mughals can suddenly field more regiments without putting a huge strain on their treasury. It would appear that this new national idea, along with the capture of the holy city, was enough to earn the Doge his third term in office. The Doge, knowing that he cannot let this term go to waste, aimed to continue the contributions to strengthen his nation.



Time passed quickly and the truce with Hedjaz ended. The Doge, promising another war with them, declared the third conquest war on Hedjaz.



Tech:

Government: 33
Production: 31
Trade: 27
Naval: 27
Land: 35

Chapter 101

The Doge also declared a separate war to pass the time. Adal is an ugly mess on his map and the Doge liked cleaner borders. With a claim on one of the Adal's provinces, the Doge declared a reconquest war. With most of the forces in Egypt facing off against Hedjaz and Adal, there was only a few small detachments that would fight Najd and Yemen. The Doge was losing his patience with Najd and wanted to teach those backwards people a proper lesson. Therefore, he took a province from Najd this time to show that he meant business. The detachments that were sent to Najd were redirected to Yemen to aid the detachments there in the invasion of Yemen.



Much of Hedjaz's resistance was removed following two battles in northern Egypt. The Hedjaz regiment was hunted down in Diamientia where they had to face against a much larger Mughals regiment. The Hedjaz fought for their lives and the battlefield was piling up with bodies of Mughals soldiers. However, the Mughals soldiers continued their attack and eventually broke the morale of their enemy. The Hedjaz regiment suddenly found themselves routing with the Mughals looking to wipe them out. In Delta, the Hedjaz regiment, also one of the two standing regiments of the Hedjaz, was wiped out completely. The Hedjaz nation had one last hope if they want to survive the Mughal invasion. The victory in Diamientia proved to boost the morale of all Mughals regiments. Two key battles in Egypt and one key battle in the Arabian peninsula saw the Mughals a step closer to eliminating all oppositions. The victory in Alexandria was enough to convince the Syrian ruler that entering the war was a mistake. A white peace was agreed by both sides and Hedjaz lost another important ally in their fight for survival.



Meanwhile, the Mughals took cared of Ethiopia. Despite being an Orthodox nation, they chose to aid the Sunni Hedjaz. The Doge wasn't too happy when he heard about the involvement of the Ethiopians. While the Doge did think of dealing with them another time, he decided that he must take action to deter any other nations from opposing him. Thus, Ethiopia was annexed as the Mughals wiped out the last Christian presence in Egypt. Not long after Ethiopia was taken cared of, the Doge ended his war with Adal with a single province. The constant victories for the Doge proved to be enough to satisfy the general public and the officials in Delhi. The Doge was elected once again for his fourth term.



Tech:

Government: 33
Production: 31
Trade: 27
Naval: 27
Land: 35

Chapter 102

The Mughals war with Hedjaz had finally concluded with the Mughals taking a fair share of Hedjaz territory. The Hedjaz can no longer be a threat in the region as the Mughals became the uncontested dominant power in the area. In addition, the Mughals got a small trade income boost since controlling more of the area. With their southwest flank now covered, the Mughals can turn their sights again at Russia where the provinces were ripe for the picking. While the Ottomans, Bengal and Chinese nations can pose a threat elsewhere, the Doge felt that he was in a safe position. The Ottomans were in good relations with the Mughals and a war between these two nations seemed rather unlikely. Bengal, after suffering their last loss facing the Mughals, had been hesitant to start another war against the Mughals. As for the two Chinese nations, they worried about the other too much to be bothered with the Mughals. Thus, the time was perfect for the conquest of rest of Russia.



To prepare for the war in Russia, the Doge took further measures to strengthen his troops. He adopted battlefield commissions to ensure better training for Generals. Experienced generals would make the Mughals regiments that much tougher to defeat. In addition, the generals will help reduce the attrition during Russian winters that would otherwise devastate the Mughals regiment. The new policy would require time to implement and the Doge wasn't in a hurry. While the implementation was taking place, the Doge learned of a large scale war in the east. The Tianwan and Wu had finally turned against each other as they fought each other for the control of China. The Doge hope the war will be a slow and painful affair that would make the two Chinese nations too busy to even plot against the Mughals. While the Doge got a good laugh from the war in the east, he took a further step to improving his nation's military capabilities. By learning from his ancestor's design of a Mongol bow, small adjustments were made to the weapons of the Mughals soldiers to increase the effectiveness of general's command.



Tianwan proved to be too much for Wu to deal with. Hardly two years passed and Tianwan got the upper hand in the war. Wu ruler decided to agree to Tianwan peace deal to stop the situation from worsening. The Mughals Doge wasn't thrilled when he heard of this but he was glad that China still haven't unified. Thus, the Doge only place a couple of regiments near the Mughals-Tianwan border while mobilizing most of his forces to Russia.



Tech:

Government: 35
Production: 31
Trade: 28
Naval: 28
Land: 35