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1520 - Bengal comes into a rare surplus of gold, much of it a donation from a rich noble. With one of its greatest leaders to date currently ruling the timing is excellent for sending a missionary out. Santal is chosen, for its good odds and cheap[er] cost.

If we thought vassalizing the Bahmanid Empire would make them less aggressive we are soon proved wrong. They attack Vijayanajar yet again. Arakan declares war on them shortly after. Hah! A chance to exact some vengeance on them for their countless insults!

We send an army to Arakan while Bahmanids assail Yanam.

1521 - In the midst of war, a most handy occurrence...
bengal_1531_a.jpg


Calicut meanwhile offers us a peace treaty. Doubtless the Bahmanids and Vijays are not thrilled since they enjoy being at each others throats but Bengal cares little about what its vassal might want. Peace accepted. We need to concentrate on the siege of Arakam.

1523 - The siege is complete. With Yanam secured the Arakamese have little choice in negotiations.
bengal_1523_a.jpg


Well, does the renewed peace stop Sindh from getting in on the act? Of course not, they declare war on us. Stupid Sindh. They have one province on our side of the river Indus that is easy to siege and our cavalry wrecks any army that crosses the river.

1525 - Good news on all fronts, but lets start at home. Our mission activity in Santal has proved a resounding success.
bengal_1525_a.jpg


We also have arrived at infrastructure level 3. Meanwhile, the war goes very for us, as anticipated. Sindh and Chagatai both want out desperately now.
bengal_1525_b.jpg


Alas for the Bahmanids, their annexation can't come too soon for Bengal.
bengal_1525_c.jpg


1526 - Really, Bahmanids, are you guys serious?
bengal_1526_a.jpg


Gujarat has Delhi vassalized and they like us well enough. Peace is quickly achieved, we don't even need to attack Gujarat. As for the war with Vijayanajar, well screw the Bahmanids. This time they can fight it on their own. We make a separate peace with Vijay and pull our troops out in 1529.

1531 - We have had some of our vassals for over a century and with our BB fading into a manageable state it is time to start incorporating them. Our most recent vassal is also our happiest. Malwa joins Bengal...

bengal_1531_a.jpg


You might think Arakam was the most recent, but apparently they get events to end vassalization from us because we lost them in 1530 for no apparent reason. History books record that an event occurred to allow this though.

1533 - Just when you think everything is going well you get trouble on the homefront.
bengal_1533_a.jpg


No deals for you Sher Khan. We'll crush your rebellion. +10 revolt risk, how nice! I guess we'll be sitting back for the next 7 years and wasting our troops crushing the inevitable revolts. There are plenty of these but eventually the revolt risk subsides, Sher Khan is defeated and we can get back to our kingdom work.

1541 - Our oldest vassal is next in line...
bengal_1541_a.jpg


That's it for this update. An interesting contact with China begins the next one.
 
I actually think it could be a good idea on waiting to annex the Bahmanids. Let them expand south into the Hindu provinces, and wait for them to convert a bunch of provinces! :) But you should keep them on a leash, so they don't starting to declare war on your vassals (vassals declaring war on vassals must be one of the most irritating things in this game ;)).
 
@HC.AFC: I didn't dishonor the alliance, I entered the war and then made a separate peace as soon as possible.

@Olav: The one problem is that Vijayanajar is stronger than they are so they aren't making any progress. Otherwise your idea would be good. Now though, they are just causing me problems.
 
A quick note...

Updates are forthcoming but are on hold due to the birth of my daughter. I will pick this up again in a week or two.
 
Hi there, just started reading and enjoyed this a lot, subscribing.

Congratulations on the new arrival.
 
Anarion said:
A quick note...

Updates are forthcoming but are on hold due to the birth of my daughter. I will pick this up again in a week or two.

Oh wow, congrats! Here's to everyone's health. :)
 
Thank you for the congrats everyone. Let us continue...

1544 - Despite an implacable hatred for us we receive an intriguing diplomatic message from the Chinese.

bengal_1544_a.jpg


How nice of them! We feel the impunity to do whatever we want for 5 years.

1545
bengal_1545_a.jpg


1546 - Our military geniuses arrive at a major breakthrough - land 6 - and the promise of an increased rate of discovery for the next few decades. To accompany this grand discovery we reward our advisers by moving our military policies further away from our inconsequential navy.

Also, we submit an offer to Jaunpur to assume overlordship of their lands.

bengal_1546_a.jpg


1547 - The extent of the Bengal Empire...
bengal_1547_a.jpg


A short update only but eventful...
 
Hmm... at this rate, India will soon be in your grasp! :D
 
The Mughals are a non-factor, it must be said.

1548 - A tidy gift to the Bahmanids makes them very amenable to becoming our next acquisition. China still has one year left on their guarantee so this is as good a time to annex as any. Taking all our vassals has given us a bit of BB that we could do without. Bengal needs to lay low for a few years.

bengal_1548_a.jpg


1555
bengal_1555_a.jpg


1561 - The reckless and foolish Sindh alliance declares war on us again (Sindh and Gujarat and Rajputana, the latter having gained independence from Gujarat only recently). Sindh has an easily conquerable province on our side of the Indus river and Gujarat and Rajputana have no armies of note. Conquest of the 5 provinces they hold on our side of the Indus should be straight forward. We send an army to besiege Sindh and hold the river crossing and then we cover Gujarat and Rajputana's provinces and siege them one by one.

1564 - A new dynasty seizes power in Bengal. We go through half a year of turmoil while the Kerrani dynasty works to achieve stable rule.
bengal_1564_a.jpg


By the end of the year Gujarat has succumbed entirely and they have no choice but to dishonor their alliance and accept a humiliating treaty with Bengal. We leave them all their lands (to be annexed later of course).
bengal_1564_b.jpg


Around this time we also offer Sindh a peace in which no tributes are exchanged. Sindh accepts the white peace, leaving us free to besiege the Rajput princes in their powerful fortress.

1567 - The siege of Rajputana takes a bit longer than planned as we have to raise it on several occasions to deal with rebels in other provinces. However, it is inevitable that the city must fall.
bengal_1567_a.jpg


Bengal Empire circa 1569...
bengal_1569_a.jpg
 
Update time, but first to answer the question...

I don't have a religious map screenshot from this time but I can tell you that most of the provinces in the northwest areas of my realm have converted to sunni before I annexed them. My early gains and some of the provinces I recently took in the southeast are still Hindu. My conversion success chance is too low to bother trying because Bengal monarchs tend to suck.

1571 - We haven't paid them much mind lately and without our meddling the military researchers have launched us all the way up to land 10.

1572 - China guarantees our freedom again! Good! We have some BB to work off, but no one is likely to attack us if it means China will get a CB on them. We suspect China has designs on Tibet and/or Burma and hopes they will DoW us. We use the 5 years to let our BB dwindle a bit.

1582 - Our 150 years long casus belli on Arakam is about to expire. If we want free retribution for all their slights now is the time. Arakam has no allies. DoW!
bengal_1582_a.jpg


1583 - It's not much of a war. We drop some cannon strengthened armies onto Arakam and Yanam and take them both in short order. Justice is served on the Arakamese.
bengal_1583_a.jpg

bengal_1583_b.jpg


1587
bengal_1587_a.jpg


1589 - Gujarat and it's 3 sunni provinces are now ripe for being added into our kingdom. More importantly they are very receptive of the idea.
bengal_1589_a.jpg


There's an open spot in our alliance. We ask Delhi if they want to join, after all we'd really like to eventually annex their last province. Delhi is at war with our vassals, Rajputana. It doesn't matter to us.
bengal_1589_b.jpg


1592 - Actually we have a few available alliance positions. We wouldn't mind Sindh joining us, after all it would be better to add them then to countenance their repeated war efforts against us. A few gifts of gold later and Sindh is amenable.
bengal_1592_a.jpg


1594 - We suddenly realize, with some dismay, that Delhi is no more. The Rajputs have annexed Delhi! But wait, this may be a good thing. We are further along the path to annexing Rajputana then we were with Delhi. We may just get two provinces earlier instead.

1596 - We now jumped up to land tech 12. Safayid Empire, our nearest big threat is at 13. We're close, but a war with them would be costly if it ran any length of time.

1598 - A handy dandy occurrence.
bengal_1598_a.jpg


1600 - Rajput time. The princes have posed problems to others who have tried to subjugate them. We offer to annex but we keep in mind the possibility that they may rebel and often. However, we do get Delhi too and that is a greater gain.
bengal_1600_a.jpg


Any ally is better than none, although we have a feeling Malacca may be an ally in name only if it ever comes to that.
bengal_1600_b.jpg


Bengal Empire, circa 1600...
bengal_1600_c.jpg


Sindh is the same green as us so it's important to note the border of the Indus river, and the actual province of Sindh still belonging to them.
 
Very good! :D What's your BB now? And where will you expand next, with all your vassals gone?

That's a shame with poor ADM monarchs. Are you Narrowminded, so you get free conversions from events? Also, do you have problems with high RR in Rajput? I always get high RR there when I capture it with Vijya(...), but that's perhaps because they're Hindu.
 
My BB is somewhere around 18 or 19 our of 47. It is pretty stable there because it drops down before I take the next vassal and I'm not adding too many provinces at once. I have my eye on Vijay and its vassals and allies and I plan to get rid of Portugal, and England when they show up. Not sure if I will succeed in either of those plans but we'll try.

I am narrowminded so I have been getting conversion events but I'll need a lot more of them to get all my provinces converted. The Rajputs are a definite irritant, the key is when the RR gets too high I just allow them to rebel and DoW me. Then I'll take them again and start over. Costs some BB but drops the RR right back down.
 
Unfortunately I am forced to abandon this AAR. Circumstances dictate that I no longer have the time for it.

I played it through to about 1685. I had a number of wars, including one with Portugal through which I obtained Goa. I also absorbed Mysore and Gingee and that is basically where it stands. I feel it's pretty certain that by games end I could have taken the remaining provinces in India, although it would have meant war with Portugal and England at the same time.

Anyway thanks to those who read and posted, and to those who just read. I wish I could have finished it but I just can't find enough free time.
 
This was a good AAR and I've enjoyed reading so it's a shame to hear you can't continue.

Let's hope you have the chance to write again sometime soon.
 
Thanks guys,

That is my plan too, hopefully it won't be too long before I have some time to do it again, but I didn't just want to walk away and have my small audience wonder what happened.