The Age Of The Timurids
The story of the Great Mughal Empire is a brilliant one. It started hundred years before there own time, with the cunning leader Timur Lenkh, or Tamerlane. He created a vast empire, stretching from the gates of Delhi to the walls of Byzantium. When he died, his son Shah Rúkh took his place and ruled over this gigantic empire called the Timurid Empire. A new age began in Asia, The Age Of The Timurids.
Shah Rúkh wasn´t interested in expanding the kingdom anymore. It was time for consolidation. Enemies lurked in every direction, north, west and east. Only two nations were somewhat friendly to the Timurids, the vassals in Bagdhad and The Sultanate Of Delhi. Shah Rúkh created an alliance with both of them, securing the west and the east slightly.
The troubles began already in 1420, when the old allies in Chagatai assembled their forces and headed for Samarkhand. Their forces numbered about 20 000 cavalry, equal to Shah Rúkhs forces. They marched in and captured Tadjikistan and Kirgistan just east of Samarkhand.
Shah Rúkh went out on on the open field and waited for their army to arrive. This was a bad decision. The battle was a tremendous victory for Chagatai, and it changed a few small but important things. For the first, it showed that the Timurids could be beaten. Second, it changed the armies of the Great Empire from large masses of cavalry who just cut everything down, to smaller armies using guerilla tactics. Chagatai never got anything from their wars with the Timurids though. Never even got past Samarkhand...
The reign of Shah Rúkh was filled with war, from the beginning to the end. When he died in 1447, he had succesfully held of three invasion by the Gujarats of India, two invasons by Chagatai two invasions by Mongol tribes in the north, as well as three invasions by the Black Sheep Turks to the east, the latter the only fraction he had to give up a piece of land to. The assholes in Delhi had abanoned Shah Rúkh nad fought against him with the Gujarats in the "war for Afghanistan" (1442-1445), and a great hate for both the Gujaratis and the Delhis were built up.
Ulugh Beg took over after Shah Rúkh. His two year long reign was the calm before the storm. He built his great observatory in Samarkhand in 1448 and then died in 1449. Now Anarchy ruled the Empire, and it wouldn´t see peace until the early 16th century when the "Tiger" arrived...
The Age Of The Timurids part II
In the late 50´s a man named Abu Said wanted revenge. He raised a big army, and when Gujarat started their 5th war against the Timurids, he surprised them counter invading their lands. He would´ve been succesful if it wasn´t for the Golden Alliance. in 1458 the Black Sheeps, almost entirely swallowed by their rivals the White Sheeps entered an alliance with The Golden Horde. The Golden Alliance, consisted of the Golden Horde, Ak Koyunlu, Qara Koyunlu and Nogai (allied to the Timurids during the Second Black Sheep war 1439-1442). Qara Koyunlu out of pure desperation declared war upon the Empire. The Asian wars had begun.
The Asian Wars 1460-1500
Abu Said along with his vassals in Baghdad face over 100 000 enemy soldiers. Baghdad had around 25 000 soldiers, while Abu Said only had around 15 000. Nevertheless it was time to move. Abu Said concluded a peace with Gujarat, and headed for Tabriz, last stronghold of the Black Sheeps.
This was what happened:
Baghdad moved north to Kirkuk.
Ak Koyunlu headed for Tabaristan, and Qara Koyunlu headed for Awhaz (next to Isfahan)
Then Golden Horde showed up, routed Baghdads army so that an invasion by Ak Koyunlu could be followed. Overwhelmed by the superior forces, Baghdad collapsed, giving Basrah to Sibir (who joined the Golden Alliance) and giving freedom to the people of Mesopotamia.
In 1465 Abu Said had to give up Tabaristan and Awhaz but the war continued. The Golden Horde refused to make peace and so the war went on. Meanwhile, Gujarat made another invasion, and this time they occupied all of southern Persia and threatened Samarkhand! Fortunately, Abu Said rallied what troops he had, beat back Gujarat, and finished that war. War Exhaustion was slowly killing the Empire.Eventually, in 1485 peace was made with Golden Horde. The war was over, but soon another one started, and the Asian wars went on...
This time it was the Mongol tribes to the north, the Uzbeks, the Khazaks and Nogai (made a seperate peace, left the Golden alliance and joined up with these...bastards.) The Timurids faced 70 000 soldiers this time. Their own forces numbered 20 000. Against all odds, and by using the famous guerilla tactics, Timurid soldiers travelled deep inte enemy lands, took their capitals and slaughtered any reingforcements they spotted.
The problems didn´t stop there however, the declaration of independece by Persia from Qara Koyunlu caused even more trouble. The Persian population in the Empire became even more rebellious than they already were, and faced with another war the nobles decided to cede the Persian part of the Empire to Persia securing the western border. Soon the northern tribes sent peace offers, which was accepted. Finally, the rebellions ended and the Timurid empire was at peace. Then came Babur.
Babur´s Ambition
Babur realized that the future of the Timurids was in India, and not here in the steppes or in Persia. He moved the capital from Samarkhand to Kabul and totally reformed the country. He founded the Mughal Empire. He remembered stories from his youth, about the evil Gujaratis and the treacherous people in Delhi. These nations would be the first to fall....
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This is my new AAR. My Dai Viet campaign is on hold, not abandoned though. Yesterday I had this great Timurid campaign, and I just had to write an AAR about it. I´ve never had so fun with any nation in Eu II, and I´m eager to continue.
I play vanilla with Normal/Coward settings.
Saulta
The story of the Great Mughal Empire is a brilliant one. It started hundred years before there own time, with the cunning leader Timur Lenkh, or Tamerlane. He created a vast empire, stretching from the gates of Delhi to the walls of Byzantium. When he died, his son Shah Rúkh took his place and ruled over this gigantic empire called the Timurid Empire. A new age began in Asia, The Age Of The Timurids.
Shah Rúkh wasn´t interested in expanding the kingdom anymore. It was time for consolidation. Enemies lurked in every direction, north, west and east. Only two nations were somewhat friendly to the Timurids, the vassals in Bagdhad and The Sultanate Of Delhi. Shah Rúkh created an alliance with both of them, securing the west and the east slightly.
The troubles began already in 1420, when the old allies in Chagatai assembled their forces and headed for Samarkhand. Their forces numbered about 20 000 cavalry, equal to Shah Rúkhs forces. They marched in and captured Tadjikistan and Kirgistan just east of Samarkhand.
Shah Rúkh went out on on the open field and waited for their army to arrive. This was a bad decision. The battle was a tremendous victory for Chagatai, and it changed a few small but important things. For the first, it showed that the Timurids could be beaten. Second, it changed the armies of the Great Empire from large masses of cavalry who just cut everything down, to smaller armies using guerilla tactics. Chagatai never got anything from their wars with the Timurids though. Never even got past Samarkhand...
The reign of Shah Rúkh was filled with war, from the beginning to the end. When he died in 1447, he had succesfully held of three invasion by the Gujarats of India, two invasons by Chagatai two invasions by Mongol tribes in the north, as well as three invasions by the Black Sheep Turks to the east, the latter the only fraction he had to give up a piece of land to. The assholes in Delhi had abanoned Shah Rúkh nad fought against him with the Gujarats in the "war for Afghanistan" (1442-1445), and a great hate for both the Gujaratis and the Delhis were built up.
Ulugh Beg took over after Shah Rúkh. His two year long reign was the calm before the storm. He built his great observatory in Samarkhand in 1448 and then died in 1449. Now Anarchy ruled the Empire, and it wouldn´t see peace until the early 16th century when the "Tiger" arrived...
The Age Of The Timurids part II
In the late 50´s a man named Abu Said wanted revenge. He raised a big army, and when Gujarat started their 5th war against the Timurids, he surprised them counter invading their lands. He would´ve been succesful if it wasn´t for the Golden Alliance. in 1458 the Black Sheeps, almost entirely swallowed by their rivals the White Sheeps entered an alliance with The Golden Horde. The Golden Alliance, consisted of the Golden Horde, Ak Koyunlu, Qara Koyunlu and Nogai (allied to the Timurids during the Second Black Sheep war 1439-1442). Qara Koyunlu out of pure desperation declared war upon the Empire. The Asian wars had begun.
The Asian Wars 1460-1500
Abu Said along with his vassals in Baghdad face over 100 000 enemy soldiers. Baghdad had around 25 000 soldiers, while Abu Said only had around 15 000. Nevertheless it was time to move. Abu Said concluded a peace with Gujarat, and headed for Tabriz, last stronghold of the Black Sheeps.
This was what happened:
Baghdad moved north to Kirkuk.
Ak Koyunlu headed for Tabaristan, and Qara Koyunlu headed for Awhaz (next to Isfahan)
Then Golden Horde showed up, routed Baghdads army so that an invasion by Ak Koyunlu could be followed. Overwhelmed by the superior forces, Baghdad collapsed, giving Basrah to Sibir (who joined the Golden Alliance) and giving freedom to the people of Mesopotamia.
In 1465 Abu Said had to give up Tabaristan and Awhaz but the war continued. The Golden Horde refused to make peace and so the war went on. Meanwhile, Gujarat made another invasion, and this time they occupied all of southern Persia and threatened Samarkhand! Fortunately, Abu Said rallied what troops he had, beat back Gujarat, and finished that war. War Exhaustion was slowly killing the Empire.Eventually, in 1485 peace was made with Golden Horde. The war was over, but soon another one started, and the Asian wars went on...
This time it was the Mongol tribes to the north, the Uzbeks, the Khazaks and Nogai (made a seperate peace, left the Golden alliance and joined up with these...bastards.) The Timurids faced 70 000 soldiers this time. Their own forces numbered 20 000. Against all odds, and by using the famous guerilla tactics, Timurid soldiers travelled deep inte enemy lands, took their capitals and slaughtered any reingforcements they spotted.
The problems didn´t stop there however, the declaration of independece by Persia from Qara Koyunlu caused even more trouble. The Persian population in the Empire became even more rebellious than they already were, and faced with another war the nobles decided to cede the Persian part of the Empire to Persia securing the western border. Soon the northern tribes sent peace offers, which was accepted. Finally, the rebellions ended and the Timurid empire was at peace. Then came Babur.
Babur´s Ambition
Babur realized that the future of the Timurids was in India, and not here in the steppes or in Persia. He moved the capital from Samarkhand to Kabul and totally reformed the country. He founded the Mughal Empire. He remembered stories from his youth, about the evil Gujaratis and the treacherous people in Delhi. These nations would be the first to fall....
_________________________________________________________________
This is my new AAR. My Dai Viet campaign is on hold, not abandoned though. Yesterday I had this great Timurid campaign, and I just had to write an AAR about it. I´ve never had so fun with any nation in Eu II, and I´m eager to continue.
I play vanilla with Normal/Coward settings.
Saulta
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