Chapter Eight - Omanhandled
With the war against the Ottomans now at an end, the Sokot government are quick to realise something.
Non-stop warfare and horrifically high taxes are not good when it comes to keeping your nation happy, war exhaustion beginning to rise considerably. The situation deteriorating so much that rebel factions even begin daring to create hymns.
Thankfully the government has an easy way of staving of any potential rebellion, General Kabe quickly appeasing the nation with more of his stirring poetry.
These rebellious poets always raise my ire,
For I am beginning to tire,
Of writing yet more inspired verse,
The situation is becoming worse.
The next poet who so dares,
To write a hymn I do swear,
Will have to deal with the whole Sokot army,
I mean this most sincerely as I have had more than enough of this nonsense and if there are any more hymns the upstart poet responsible will be punished because poets daring to challenge my ability are turning me quite barmy.
Sadly though not even Kabe's brilliant poetry is enough to console Sokoto as terrible news greets the nation, the peerless tactician Rumfa passing away.
Victor only recently against the Ottomans, and too against Ethiopia, the loss of this titan is a bitter blow. It is unlikely Sokoto will ever again witness another general with the innovation, daring and ability to create complex strategies such as the vaunted 'Just Throw Everyone Forward' tactic.
Having recently lost Sokoto's most able general and with war exhaustion still high, rebellion remaining a real possibility, the Sokot government make the only possible choice in the circumstances. The diplomats are sent forth.
Several months later the diplomats return looking wet and bedraggled. Unsurprisingly the Sokot ship they were assigned sank on the return journey from Oman. Surprisingly the diplomats had expected this after their trip to Abu Dhabi, as they brought a small rowing boat with them on the trip to Oman. Unfortunately for the well prepared dipomats there was one small thing they overlooked. The rowing boat was Sokot made.
With the death of Rumfa the Sokot government quickly realise it is unlikely to recruit another general of his calibre and thus the policy of 'Encouraging Officers' to join the Sokot army is finally brought to an end.
Instead the government begin a process of 'Encouraging Bureaucrats' in Mocambique. Intent as they are on gaining enough bureaucrats in the province so as to be able to promote the colony to a full Sokot state, with the many advantages this will bring to Mocambique. Advantages such as having to pay much higher taxes, suffer from hugely increased administrative incompetence and the forced wearing of pink.
The Sokot government is left in confusion in January 1849, at first thinking a patriotic society in Sokoto had brought about the downfall of the Ottomans.
Reading the reports more carefully it becomes clear that the Ottomans humbling at the hands of Sokoto has caused them such international embarrassment that they have lost their position as a great power. This the fate likely to befall any nation losing to a pink clad horde led by shockingly incompetent leaders.
Sokoto's ever swelling band of academics, swelling due to the constant conquest and kidnapping of said academics from their defeated homelands, complete the research into the Rights of Man.
Now no citizen in Sokoto is left in any doubt that if poor they have no rights and should look forward to a life of misery. If rich, they can do as they wish and enjoy a life of plenty. This eminently fair. Research is immediately begun into the Publishing Industry, the Sokot goverment keen on developing a free press within Sokoto with the first entirely censorship free newspaper, available to all and written solely by the government. Liberty thy name is Sokoto.
War with Oman finally ends with her annexation.
This an impressive victory for Sokoto over an entirely defenceless nation crushed within a mere eight months. Sadly despite Oman having no standing army many brave Sokot soldiers suffered horrific injuries whilst besieging her. Horrific injuries such as paper cuts caused by their reading books in an effort to pass the time during terror filled siege duty