CHAPTER I: MALI
Part 4: The Black and the Red (1460-1465)
Final Preparations
When last we left our heroes, we were on the way to deal with an Ashanti rebellion while waiting for Tadmekka to core. While Uli II marched south to deal with the former, we entered a royal marriage with Hausa. Why? Well, they're not on our hit list, we don't have
any diplomatic relations elsewhere, and it won't hurt to be civil. Especially as I think it helps our legitimacy, which suffered when Uli switched to a Tribal Federation.
In February 1460, Ashanti nationalists breached the walls of Kumasi. In March Uli arrived and put them to the .. spear. He then rushed back to the Kanem Bornu border.
Artisans continued to express their disappointment that sand painting isn't an art form. Uli recants his father's pronouncement, allowing sand paintings to be sold tax free. We are at Stab 0, and I can afford the 87.7 gold this cost.
In September Tadmekka cored, reducing our overextension to 48. We then send officials to Kumasi to explain the benefits of coring to them as well, a task not completed by the end of this session.
Later that month we form an alliance with Hausa, again 'cuz. Plus, Hausa has reason to hate Kanem Bornu, and maybe they'd like in on the action. Then we declare war.
Elephant Stomping
In September we invade. Hausa decides they'd rather do their nails. Fine. Zambar, Katsina and Gobir, the three border provinces, are under siege by November. We smash a newly raised regiment before it can organize. 3,000 Kanem-Bornu...Bornites? Bornians? march on Katsina from Terra Incognita, later known as Damagaram. Uli crushed them, then chased them all the way to the capital at Bornu, destroy the K-Bs, and siege the city that February.
Through 1461 Kanem Bornu keeps raising units in Damagaram, quickly crushed by Uli. Their last attempt, in August, sees two mercenary regiments raised as K-B's manpower fails. We kill them too.
By September Gobir, Zamfara and Bornu fall. Katsina's delayed because they've fallen below full strength. The Zamfaran regiment discovers Kano, the province to the east, defeats a newly raised regiment and sieges there as well.
The K-Bs are tricky though. One of their regiments tried to sneak around the uncontrolled lands to the south of our nations and ran into three thousand angry natives. Another regiment snuck into Zamfara. We can easily afford it, and I don't want to lose momentum, so I raise 5 mercenary regiments to guard our rear. I don't trust my other general, Traore.
In December 1461, peasants in Kano decide they don't like either one of us, and rise up in revolt easily annihilating my sieging force. Fortunately they'll sit there for the duration of the war.
In January 1462 the mercs relieve Zanfara, then move north to finish the siege in Katsina. This annoys Maliese patriots, who apparently still don't realize we're all on the same side of the cultural war, and they revolt in Gobir. This is when I decide it's time to get out of this war, especially since conquering/vassalizing Kanem Bornu would take 129% war score.
Damagaram falls in May, Katsina in July. In addition we have two provinces east of Bornu under siege. Since we can't force them to bend their knee, I only have one other way to permanently weaken K-B. That's to take some of their land.
This was almost certainly a mistake. My overextension is at 72% again, and while I don't give a rat's tail about my reaction penalty for being overaggressive, my peasants do. I kindly explain to them that I have no reason to go to war with them. They say "Yeah? Watch this."
Year of the Rebels
First thing's first though, and that's to deal with the patriots I just inherited in Gobir. Uli's army, reinforced by our mercenaries, descends upon them in October. Not a big deal. We chase them to Katsina in November. Still okay. Then in December another patriot revolt breaks out in Zamfara, just in time to take in the last refugees of the first patriot army. Uli loses.
That's when the Ashanti decide they'd like to try again, and start a revolt of their own. Some peasants also offer a petition of redress which I could either ignore to trigger a third rebellion, or lose some prestige.
I'm stubborn. I'm not stupid. Yes, I know they sound alike. My wife confuses the two when she talks about me as well.
Okay, enough of this crap. It's January 1463, I'm well aware my RR is even worse than when I started with Mali, and there's only a 33% chance I'm continuing with Mali past 1465. I'm going to give the AI the best chance I can. TWELVE mercenary regiments - and it's a testament to my economy that I'm still operating at a profit after hiring them. My army swells to 25,000 (not including my replenishing manpower).
In May Uli II smashes the Ashanti. I replenish Traore's army and he smashes the patriots for me in June. Following the two victories I consolidate merc regiments to try and save some money, but the entire army still has 31 regiments.
I'm just beginning to relax, and watching the Kano peasants overrun most of Kanem Bornu, when pretenders rise up in Futa Jallon. These worthies follow 'Abd al-Rahman Tuore, who shouldn't be confused with Uli's son, 'Abd al-Rahman Keita. Tuore has A1 D5 M6 - not quite as good as my little boy. Uli can't allow this insult to pass, comes over and explains things to the pretender.
Sunset
Most of 1464 passes quietly. Our ivory, taken from Kanem Bornu elephants, is high quality and worth +1 prestige. The Sunni find out we have another animist in our government, and we still don't care losing 25 piety in the bargain.
In October, 8,000 MORE patriots rise up in Gobir. Fortunately Traore has hit his stride and deals with it, though they spend the rest of the turn ping-ponging between Traore and the K-B peasants.
That's when the Ashanti decide to try yet again. I have Uli's army one province away. No problem.
It is now March 1465, a tad late. Let's see what the dice say.
Johan's Dice:
Length of reign: 21 years
Roll to continue: 2
Continue? (Y/N): (Need 5+) No
Right.
Okay, we leave Mali in a precarious position. That last landgrab may have been a mistake, but I had to try.
Rebels are going to be a problem for a long time due to Uli's horrible administration. Given how nasty rebels are in EU4, I suspect Chief Ragusa's prophecy may come true and I won't be happy when I look in on Mali in a few years.
But...if Mali can hold on long enough and spend 20 or 30 years consolidating and getting everything under control, then their future is very bright. Their economy is strong enough to fund one of the largest militaries in the world. Tech will always be an issue, but if they can hold on, they might be strong enough to give even the Western Europeans something to think about.