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.