Fight for Asia - A Bengal AAR

[Tudyboss]

Don't be disheartened if your AAR doesn't have many supporters. Perhaps people just don't feel like commenting, who knows? I personally like a lot how Bengal is shaping and wish you good luck.

 

[blklizard]

Don't be disheartened if your AAR doesn't have many supporters. Perhaps people just don't feel like commenting, who knows? I personally like a lot how Bengal is shaping and wish you good luck.

Thanks! I enjoy writing these AARs so I'm not that disheartened. However, I wouldn't mind getting more feedback on my style of play or my style of writing. I'm human so I'm still envious of AARs that has lots of supporters.

 

[ATBKING]

However, I wouldn't mind getting more feedback on my style of play or my style of writing. I'm human so I'm still envious of AARs that has lots of supporters.

If you build it...... they will come.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 7 - Bengalese Political Crisis

The Bengalese Political Crisis resulted from the death of the successor of Bengal. The state of Bengal was desperately trying to find a new successor before their enemies can take advantage of the situation. The crisis only worsen when the advisor of the former sultan died unexpectedly. While investigation by high officials reported that this was a suicide, many believed that this was an assassination by a group of nobles under the leadership of Ahmad Koch. These nobles were believed to oppose the former sultan and, in more than one occasion, got in conflict with the advisor. With the elimination of the advisor, there seemed like no one could possibly oppose Ahmad from succeeding to the throne.

Ahmad Koch was the son of a noble under the Hindu state that governed part of Bengal. His father defected to Shah when he saw that the defeat of the Hindu government in the region was imminent. Since then, Ahmad was able to rise up in the hierarchy due to his charisma and cunning. Soon, he gathered loyal supporters and hoped for an opportunity to rise even higher to power. Patiently, he waited and waited. When Shah died, he did not make his move. He knew that the successor had a strong claim to the throne and making his move would result in a lot of opposition. The death of the successor and the advisor proved to be the opportunity he was looking for. He quickly gather his followers and began taking control of the government. With his power and influence, there was few that could stand in his way. Ahmad ordered assassinations of those foolish to challenge him. Only when the court was cleared of all obstacles did Ahmad crowned himself as the sultan of Bengal.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 8 - Rapid Expansion

Once Ahmad Koch secured his throne, he began seeking expansion. The political crisis did stagnate both the economy and expansion of Bengal. With a new sultan, the state is once again unified and the economy got back on track. Ahmad continued what Shah was started and began several Jihads to expand his borders.

After years of peace, the Bengal army was eager for battle. Due to the fact that most of the men were newly recruited, few had experiences on an actual battlefield. Therefore, Ahmad chose small Hindu states to get his men into shape before they tackle more dangerous enemies. As expected from the sultan, the small Hindu states proved to be not much of a threat. Surguja was facing its own political problem at the time. A pretender, with control of the military, was sieging the capital and aimed to overthrow the current ruler of Surguja. This made the lives of the Bengal troops that much easier as they ambushed and slaughtered the pretender's army. Barely 4 months later, Surguja fell to Bengal troops and was annexed.

While Surguja was sieged, a small detachment was sent to Orissa. Orissa, still recovering from the previous war, wasn't ready. Their troops was annihilated and the capital was immediately sieged. Few months later, the Hindu state suffered the same fate as Surguja.

Barely a year since the start of the wars, two provinces were gained and two Jihad have ended. However, there was still one more to go. Ahmad wanted a quick war against the Kokrah but Assam and Bastar decided to intervene. This angered Ahmad greatly and he wanted to teach the other two states a lesson. Bastar was an easy target and appeared to be a very nice territory. Conversely, Assam no longer shared a border with Bengal and their territory proved to be of little value to Bengal. This made the sultan's life easier as his reputation did not take much of a hit by only annexing the two Hindu states and not Assam.

With the four new provinces, more taxes were collected and the treasury appeared to be less empty. Ahmad then wanted to turn his sight further south. He wanted to control more land before he dared to contest Delhi for the control of India.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 9 - A Bit of Peace and Quiet

Ahmad was a religious man and believed that Allah will lead him to greatness. With the conclusion of the Jihads against the small Hindu states, Ahmad decided to finish a mission that the previous sultan was unable to finish: to construct a fleet for his nation. The newly conquered land added more ducats into the treasury and, with careful planning, it is possible to expand Bengal's fleet. After several years since Allah has given this mission, Ahmad finished creating a navy fitting for his state.

His next mission proved to satisfy his ambition quite well. The ruler of the nearby Hindu state, Sikkim, has apparently been disrespectful to Bengal. He has, on many occasion, announced that he would show the Bengal ruler a thing or two about military. With much of the funds tied up to ship building, Ahmad has decided to tolerate the small nation. Now that Allah has told him the time is right, Ahmad quickly assembled the troops and planned to strike once there is a good amount of ducats in the treasury.

While Bengal was preparing for a new invasion, troubling news came from the west. The Timurids have fallen into chaos with the sudden uprise of rebels. The Golden Hordes, sensing their vulnerability, decided to pay the Timurids a visit. With an already successful campaign against the Kartids, the fall of Timurids would put the hordes in close proximity of India. Bengal not only had to deal with a threat of Delhi who inherited two large nations nearby but also now had to deal with the prospect of facing a very dangerous Golden Horde.

To strengthen the nation, Ahmad decide to make his state more centralized. Centralization would bring in a lot more income and would really strengthen the nation. As always, there were some opposition to this move and the most notable was the rise of a pretender. With a very solid backing by much of the nation, this minor problem was soon solved.

Soon, more good news would arrive at the court of Bengal. The Sind leader died without and heir and, like Deccan swore allegiance to Bengal. Now, Bengal has grown even stronger. While it wasn't strong enough to take on Delhi, it has managed to secure a good foothold in India.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 10 - India Split In Two

The fact that Bengal was growing stronger did not go unnoticed. The strongest nation in India, Delhi, was kind enough to send Bengal an alliance offer. Ahmad, preferring Delhi as a friend rather than an enemy, accepted without hesitation. He knew that this alliance was going to buy him time to get stronger. Without the fear of Delhi attacking out of the blue, Ahmad planned his next move. There were still plenty of east Hindu kingdoms to annex. Now that Bengal and Delhi are allies, it became a simple race to see which state can eat up more land. A few months after the alliance offer, it became clear that Delhi had the same idea.

The Delhi sultan had his eyes on entire India as well. He believed that the alliance was a perfect way to keep Bengal in place. Should Bengal enter the war, their troops would be too busy for other wars. If they refused, then Delhi would have a casus belli against Bengal. It seemed like a win-win situation for Delhi. However, Ahmad was underestimated. He was already a step ahead the Delhi sultan as he began his own Jihad.

Doing the mission given by Allah, Ahmad knew that he wasn't going to be deterred from making his state stronger. Sikkim proved to be too easy as one of the Bengal regiment annihilated a puny Sikkim army within a week. Ahmad knew that other war wouldn't impact his state that much. The Sind army alone can deal with the pitiful 4000 men that Rewa's coalition can muster. Yet, Ahmad was still a cautious ruler who preferred to have everything under control. He didn't wanted to take a chance of Rewa calling in a stronger ally. Thus, he accepted a white peace from Rewa as soon as the Rewa messenger arrived.

Soon after, the Sikkim surrendered and Bengal got another province under its control. (Lost the screenshot, sorry.) The war against Sikkim was too short and unsatisfying for the Bengal sultan. He began looking elsewhere and found a state ripe for the picking.

Golcanda, a Hindu state, just got into a war with Vijayanigar. With their forces busy fighting a losing battle, Bengal could easily benefit from attacking. The key to this war wasn't number but speed. The first army to begin the siege occupies the province and thus Bengal troops needed to get around quickly. Yet, there was a minor problem called Deogarh. The small Hindu kingdom decided to aid their allies against the mighty Bengal. Ahmad took that as an insult and, with the small kingdom bordering Bengal, annexation was arranged.

The Keladi ruler, upon hearing the news of the annexation, feared for their safety. They sent a messenger immediately to ask for a white peace. The Bengal sultan, forgiving as always, decided to spare the small kingdom. Taking that small nation wouldn't be that beneficial as it's quite far from from Bengal.

The race for land ended with a draw. Vijayanigar and Bengal each took half of Golcanda and it seemed everyone won. However, Ahmad has long wanted to take land from Vijayanigar and his chance finally arose with the new borders. Bengal needed a period of peace and, when it's ready, Ahmad planned to take over all of Vijayanigar.

(Below is the map of India. I intend to keep southern India all to myself )

 

[unmerged(471650)]

I'm along for the ride.
things are looking good so far.
and good luck against Delhi.

 

[blklizard]

I'm along for the ride.
things are looking good so far.
and good luck against Delhi.

Welcome aboard! I'm currently allied with Delhi so hopefully the alliance will last until I become stronger than them.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 11 - Let the Conquest Continue!

Bengal, despite her expansion, still had an unstable economy. The smallest instability could result in the state losing ducats. Ahmad, determined to improve the economy, decided to construct a National Bank. The National Bank, owned by the state, was the first of its kind in India. For centuries, wealthy family and religious factions held much of the wealth. Ahmad hoped that the bank would accomplish two purposes. One purpose of the bank was to help the nation control inflation while minting. As a state that survives on military power, Bengal needed to mint in order to build and maintain its reasonable size army. Looking at its neighbors, Bengal clearly has a disadvantage in army size. The second purpose was to strengthen the state's control over its own economy and lessening the reliance on alternative sources. Ahmad hoped that the bank will, in the long run, provide his state the funds needed to maintain a powerful army while still capable of improving the infrastructures in each provinces without the interference of wealthy families and religious factions. While there were oppositions among the powerful families in the state, Ahmad was determined to keep his plan going and threatened with force to those who dared to oppose.

Soon after the implementation of the National Bank, Ahmad received news of rebels succeeding in Delhi. It would appear that Bihar patriots were managed to liberate one of their provinces and were currently fighting for their independence. Knowing full well that the rebellion would fail, Ahmad, in the name of assisting his ally, sent his troops to defeat the rebels. The rebels were too busy confronting Delhi army and Bengal troops were quick to begin siege. Before long, the Bihar capital fell and the rebellious state was annexed. Normally, such act would be considered an act of war as Bengal took what was rightfully Delhi's. However, Bengal merely answered the call to arms from Delhi and thus avoided a diplomatic crisis.

A year after the annexation of Bihar, Ahmad decided to continue to conquest of southern India. The National Bank has enabled the state to maintain 33 thousand men. With 22 thousand men eager for battle, two Jihads were declared.

The Vijayanigar had been the biggest Hindu threat in India and victory against them was a must for the control of southern India. Reddi, a close ally to the Vijayanigar, was a minor Hindu state that bordered Bengal. Ahmad simply cannot tolerate such a minor state claiming independence. Ahmad hoped to accomplish two things in this war: severely weaken the Vijayanigar and removing the minor state called Reddi from the map. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Ahmad skillfully maneuvered his troops and won many key battles. He slowly whittled down the enemy and soon began laying siege in both Reddi and Vijayanigar provinces. When he received news of enemy reinforcements heading his direction, Ahmad reluctantly called on Deccan for help. Ahmad had worries that Delhi may backstab him while he was busy in the war and hoped to keep the Deccan and Sind troops fresh and rested should it happened. Now, he needed the extra men to ensure victory and there wasn't any other choice. The Deccan troops, having suffered humiliating defeat from the Vijayanigar in their last war, were eager to have a payback. The combined forces of Bengal and Deccan proved to be more than enough to handle the enemy reinforcements. As the war raged on, the allies of Reddi and Vijayanigar saw that they were losing the war and begged for peace which Ahmad gladly accepted.

With fewer distractions, Bengal soon became the obvious winner with troops sieging all the enemies' provinces. Before long, all of Reddi's provinces fell and the Reddi ruler accepted annexation. The war with Vijayanigar was coming to a close too and, luckily for Bengal, Delhi was too busy to bother with her.

 

[Hughrocks123]

A nice study pace of conquest you have there. The New Sultan also doesn't talk much to his advisers, does he.

 

[blklizard]

A nice study pace of conquest you have there. The New Sultan also doesn't talk much to his advisers, does he.

Who needs advisors ? This sultan is fine being the tyrant he is. At least he's doing some good for Bengal.

 

[unmerged(471650)]

you stole bihar great move!!!!
once you control southern India will you kick delhi's door down?

 

[blklizard]

you stole bihar great move!!!!
once you control southern India will you kick delhi's door down?

I merely took Bihar under my wing. I did them a favour . As for Delhi, you'll find our how I deal with them in maybe two or three more chapters.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 12 - Eventful Peace

Not long after the annexation of Reddi, the Vijayanagar finally saw sense that they couldn't win this war against the Bengals. They agreed to a peace offer from Bengal the minute it arrived. The peace deal resulted in the Hindu state ceding 4 provinces and ending vassalization of a small Hindu kingdom. Not only did Bengal grow stronger with the new addition of provinces but the decline of Vijayanagar has begun. It would only be a matter of time before the Hindu state faces the same fate as Reddi.

The successful conquests have made Bengal stronger but she was far from being immune to problems. Troubling news reached the sultan soon after the war. The National Bank has gotten in trouble. This concept was still very new to the people of Bengal and many still aren't willing to accept it. The few that do borrow from the bank only took advantage of the opportunity. Ahmad knew that his decision of a National Bank was the right one for his state. He knew that the bank is still in its infancy and needed a chance to grow. Therefore, he decided to bail out the bank by giving it 100 ducats. While 100 ducats seemed a lot, he knew such an investment was worth it.

After bailing out the National Bank, Ahmad received news of an island. The location of the island was very interesting. The island, situated very close to Southeast Asia, makes it an ideal location for a naval base. With the presence of Delhi in the west, the only option for expansion would be east. Should Bengal get this island, they will be able to intercept many ships that Southeast Asian states would send to India mainland. The potential of the island as a naval base and the many colonists that are eager to find a new home, Ahmad began the settlement of the first colony in Bengal history.

Soon after the colonization of The Andamans, a merchant from distant lands came in search of investors. This merchant, claiming to be from Venice in Europe, asks the great sultan of Bengal for investment. Ahmad, amused by this offer, decided to take up the offer. His nation, now quite wealthy and powerful, can afford such a small expense. Plus, he wished to learned about this place the merchant calls Venice. After providing the 65 ducats and getting as much information as he can from the merchant, the sultan returned back to governing his state.

Before long, there were enough colonists in The Andamans to claim it as a province. 1500 people lived in this new province and it was expected to continue growing. The people lived on fish which was fine for Ahmad. The more ordinary the island appears, the less his enemies would suspect an attack. Who would suspect innocent fishermen declaring war? Of course, the sultan knew he had unfinished business with the Vijayanagar. He decided a few more years of peace were needed before another war could begin.

 

[blklizard]

Chapter 13 - Old Habits Die Hard

As soon as a fort was built in The Andamans, Ahmad continued his expansion southwards. The Vijayanagar state still hasn't fully recovered from the previous war and Ahmad wasn't going to give them time to recover. Unlike the last war, the Hindu state can no long support as big of an army. However, the nearby Hindu kingdoms were all willing to aid them. Ahmad admired the way these Hindu kingdoms and state can band together to fight for their survival. Nonetheless, the sultan knew his army will destroy this coalition. It was only a matter of time.

This time, he decided to add Gingee as his side dish. Gingee was previous governed by the ruler of Vijayanagar. However, the humiliating loss had the nobles of Gingee rethink their decision to be ruled over by Vijayanagar. After selecting their own king, Gingee was, at the time of the war, an independent Hindu kingdom. Despite their goal of independence, the nobles of Gingee merely made themselves a easy prey for Bengal's expansion.

For many wars, the small Hindu state of Manipur has continuously reminded Bengal that she was a thorn. Ahmad decided to remove this annoyance once and for all in this war. His state cannot properly fight a war as long as there is a minor distraction in the rear. Hoping to show all the other kingdoms the consequences of messing with the Bengal state, Ahmad didn't hesitate when he ordered the annexation of Manipur. Despite the negative reputation he gained from the annexation, Ahmad saw Manipur testing his patience for far too long and decided to take proper action.

During the annexation of Manipur, bad news arrived from the Venetian merchant. Apparently, the cargo was lost at sea. The merchant decided flee back to Venice fearing the wrath and Ahmad. Ahmad, deciding to write off the bad debt, made a vow that day. He, or one of his successors, will one day reach Venice and seize the riches of these dishonest merchants.

Soon, the sultan of Bengal received great news. The people of Kongu, having suffered enough under the tyrannical rule of the Vijayanagar, decided to defect over the Bengal. Originally, the people of Kongu lived happily under the Mysore Hindu state. The Mysore government chose a peaceful approach to diplomacy and avoided wars at all cost. However, their approach only made them an easy target for the warlike Vijayanagar. Soon after the annexation of Mysore, people from Kongu were often forced into military to help with the expansion. With this opportunity to join a stronger power, the people of Kongu didn't hesitate. They have heard that, upon conversion to Sunni, the citizens of Bengal are treated well. Choosing between a life of fear and a life of peace and opportunity, it became obvious what they would pick. Ahmad, of course, gladly accepted the defection.

Unexpectedly, the Gingee people proved to be more cunning than the Vijayanagar. They managed to avoid the Bengal army many times and even successfully occupied one Bengal province at one time. Seeing that they would not go down easy, the Bengal general ordered all the men to focus down on Gingee. This time, the Gingee army, vastly outnumbered and outmaneuvered, were finally annihilated and their provinces fell soon after. The only fate awaited them was annexation.

After the successful war against the Gingee, the war against Vijayanagar seemed that much easier. With little resistance, the Bengal army soon found themselves sieging every province of their enemies. Before long, the war was practically decided and Ahmad was busy sending out his peace treaties. The treaties will not only weaken the Hindu state even more but also forces the Hindu kingdoms to pay reparations for the damage they had caused, though Tanjore was spared as they were too poor to provide any reparation.

 

[dodedo]

in the words of Eliot Spitzer: you're a madrefudging steamroller

 

[unmerged(471650)]

at this rate it will not be long
until 1 year ago all I played where countries in India and SE Asia.
so I don't like Delhi.

 

[blklizard]

in the words of Eliot Spitzer: you're a madrefudging steamroller

Haha. With all the provinces added to India in Death and Taxes, don't think I can be anything else.

at this rate it will not be long
until 1 year ago all I played where countries in India and SE Asia.
so I don't like Delhi.

Delhi is very overpowered with the 1356 start but sometimes the player just gets lucky. You'll know what I mean with the upcoming chapter.

Chapter 14 - India is Practically Ours!

Following the victory over the Vijayanagar, the Bengal sultan decided it was time to expand further. However, his next expansion wouldn't involve his soldiers. All he needed was a diplomat. Deccan has been ruled by Bengal for 60 years and the people there accepted the rule of Ahmad. Yet, Deccan was still a separate nation from Bengal and that may cause problems in the future. Before he made up his decision, Ahmad planned out a trip to Deccan. He visited many cities and found the people loving him. Even the officials there were proud to serve under him. In the final days of the trip, he asked the top officials of Deccan whether they were willing to be integrated into Bengal. Given the sensitivity of this topic, Ahmad fully expected the officials to not give him an answer there and then. Instead, the officials seemed to have already come to an consensus to an integration prior to the Sultan's trip. They wanted to find the right time and, as though planned by Allah, the sultan gave it to them. The people of Deccan, according to the officials, already saw themselves part of Bengal. All of them longed to be part of Bengal and not simply be ruled by the same sultan. Seeing that both parties agreed to such arrangement, Ahmad rushed back to his capital to draw up the proper documents. The very next day, a diplomat was sent and Deccan officially became a part of Bengal.

The integration of Deccan went rather smoothly. For Bengal, the addition of Deccan territory almost enable her to match the size of Delhi. The extra income would also help expand Bengal's army which is still tiny compared to the army of Delhi. For Ahmad, he knew his state still cannot match Delhi. He needed to first control all of Southern India. Next, expansion eastwards would be necessary. Luckily, his nation became strong enough to make Delhi rethink the breaking of their alliance and declare war. Plus, their good relationship and royal marriage will put his state at a higher moral ground. Ahmad only hoped that these reasons alone would deter a war between the two great Indian states. Soon, he received news of the death of Delhi's ruler.

According to a reliable report by the palace guards, an assassin managed to sneak in and successfully killed the Delhi ruler. In the process, the assassin managed to wound the Bengal princess. Top Delhi officials were stunned by the successful assassination. They knew the Delhi ruler, a true coward, always surrounded himself with lots of bodyguards. Rumours had it that the number of bodyguards he had with him at all time can rival an army of a small kingdom. The fact that the assassin managed to reach the ruler without incident must mean that there was a traitor within their midst. The officials instantly ruled out Bengal princess as a culprit given that she was also injured in the incident. They assumed that the assassin had hoped to spark a war between the two Indian states by harming or even killing the princess. Some officials believed that the assassin may have been originated from Gujarat. The state of Gujarat has recently been inherited by Delhi but the officials there weren't too happy with the decision. The Delhi ruler, hoping to calm the Gujarat populace, decided to promote a few Gujarat officials to higher ranks. It is believed that they could easily sneak in an assassin. Many wondered why the people of Gujarat would want something like this. Apparently, some evidence was dug up recently about Delhi sending assassins to kill the sultan of Gujarat and the incident resulted in the personal union. Regardless of who sent the assassin, Delhi was now without a ruler and without a successor. Needing to keep her stability, top Delhi officials immediately sent word to Bengal.

 

[unmerged(471650)]

HAHAHA man I almost fell out of my chair :rofl::rofl: