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The Sultan watched as his guardsmen chased the Jaunpuri spy from the courtroom. How much the spy had been able to learn from the Delhi Sultanate was of some concern to Nusrat, who was still planning to attack Jaunpur. It had been some time since the amulet had been spotted there, but the chance to reconquer some lost territories whilst also checking the thief had not returned there was too good to pass up. With the spy no longer a problem, the Sultan returned to the initial purpose of the meeting, which was to gift the province of Shekhawati to Nagaur in order to maintain his subjects’ loyalty. Nagaur had been a very useful march subject for the past ten years and the rewards of land would keep them loyal for some time to follow. Whilst there were some in the court who could still remember the conflicts between the two nations, these were now firmly in the past, the Sultan proclaimed, to nods and cheers of agreement from both sides.

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The governor of Margalla left the room as the court took in what he had said. The people had been so impressed with the wandering Guru and his teachings that his religion, “Sikhism” as it was known amongst the locals, was now the dominant faith of the province. The Lodis had always tried to practice tolerance of all faiths and beliefs and so the Sultan had decreed that as long as the people still paid their taxes, the people of Margalla would be allowed to keep their new faith. The improved centralisation of the Sultanate’s bureaucracy would help the Delhi court keep an eye on this Guru and his teachings, a decision could wait for now. The Sultan’s mind was on a speech he was due to give, inviting his people to show their resilient nature ahead of the forthcoming war with Jaunpur - although he had not made his plans known, he was still convinced this would be the best course of action for both the Delhi Sultanate and recovering the amulet. Nusrat Lodi went about his business that day, continuing to formulate plans which he would share with his generals when the time was right.

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In his chambers that evening, the Sultan lay awake frustrated with himself. The plan had always been to fight Jaunpur and Multan before the latter could make any allies. Nusrat had been ready to declare a war as soon as the previous truce with Jaunpur had expired, instead he had spent the last six months seeing his plans go up in smoke. His plans to attack Jaunpur and Multan had been dealt a blow when Sistan had signed an alliance with the latter, but the attack on Jaunpur was still due to go ahead when a deputation arrived from Transoxania, asking for the assistance of Delhi in fighting a war against Uzbek. Faced with the choice of accepting the call to arms or suffering a loss of prestige, the Sultan had of course had to honour the existing alliance, which was where the problems had really begun. First of all, nobody in court, or in the army, knew where Uzbek actually was; secondly, nobody in court had heard of Uzbek’s ally, the “Great Horde”, which sounded rather intimidating in name at least, and nobody knew where it was either. What was encouraging for the people of Delhi was that according to the reports, Transoxania and Delhi outnumbered Uzbek and the Great Horde, and that despite not knowing how to get to either of those two nations, Delhi could attack the third enemy in the war, Afghanistan. The Delhi army had been split in half, Ibrahim Viqar ul-Mulk would take one half to Karor, Mubarrak Shah Jehan had been sent to besiege the fort at Roh. Despite the victory that seemed likely on paper, the Sultan cursed a missed opportunity to attack Jaunpur, although he hadn’t heard of the amulet for some time. He offered a prayer as he fell asleep, a prayer that the opportunity would not pass him by again.

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Irfan Nadeem unpacked his things, being sure to hide the chest containing the amulet. He had felt relieved about not going west after escaping Sirmur - the buzz in Jaunpur was that Delhi had gone to attack Afghanistan. Having been on the move for several months, Irfan had chosen to settle in Lucknow for the time being, its proximity to Jaunpur via road and the Gomti river would serve him well if he needed to make a swift escape. With Delhi occupied in the west on behalf of Transoxania, this looked unlikely for now. The following morning he watched the sun rise in the distance and thought about his next moves. Since inheriting the amulet from Yusuf Singh he had been on the move for some time, and he wished for nothing more than a return to his existence as a farmer in the mountains. Perhaps it was time for him to offload the amulet onto someone else, he thought as he basked in the warmth of the sunlight.

The commanders gathered around Birgis Qadra Khan as he began issuing new orders. Ibrahim Viqar ul-Mulk had been struck down with camp fever as his forces occupied Afghan territories, and had passed away in the night. Birgis would lead the campaign from here. Although he had been the popular choice, Birgis Qadra Khan was not the most experienced of leaders compared to his predecessors, and he hoped that the war would not go on for too long. The Delhi invasion had been a rather charged and passionate affair against a state that had been a rival of the Sultanate since gaining independence from the Timurids. The rivalry had been simmering for some time on the borders, but with the recent fall of Kabul the tensions had turned ugly, with the Delhi soldiers sacking the enemy capital. Fearing yet more needless devastation when Afghanistan was already beaten, Birgis instructed his senior general to take his men to Kangra in the mountains to suppress any thoughts of independence amongst the locals.

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To the relief of Birgis Qadra Khan and his Sultan, the war with Uzbek was a short one. Merely a couple of years after the hostilities began, Transoxania had won a decisive victory, claiming much territory for themselves as well as forcing Afghanistan to cede Bannu to Delhi. Nusrat Lodi had been thankful to Transoxania for the new province, which was one less place that anyone with the amulet could hide. With no more distractions to the west, the Sultan would surely turn his attention east again the following morning.

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As he slept that night, Nusrat found himself being woken by a knock at the door, a messenger telling him to come to the balcony of the palace. The Sultan looked into the night sky and to his dismay saw a comet. Nothing had ever definitively linked comets to bad fortune for the people, but the Sultan knew there was no way of convincing his people that this was an omen not to invade Jaunpur. He returned to his chambers in a saddened state, and wished for no further bad news when he woke the next day.

Jonaraja Granth stepped into the courtroom, and stood facing the Sultan. Delhi had grown desperate for a man of his silver tongued statesmanship and he had gladly answered his lieges call. It would be a busy first day for him, with the Sultan matching a declaration of rivalry from Vijayanagar to the south with one of his own. The Sultan did take the time to welcome Jonaraja Granth to the court, pleased to have some assistance after a busy few months. He had issued orders for the construction of a new workshop in Lahore, as well as reissuing his uncle’s policy of efficient tax farming. In addition, he had been called to adjudicate against the sufis amongst the Sultanate, but in doing so had found a new sense of kinship with the Rajputs. Nusrat was glad to have Jonaraja in court, and he hoped to have made a new friend in his advisor. At least someone else could now help with court business while he continued the search for the amulet of Malik Bahram Lodi. The Sultan smiled to himself as his business concluded for the day, having found a new sense of optimism that the amulet could be recovered.

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The Sultan listened to the bards telling the tale that would now be sent out around the kingdom, a new heroic tale of his great-grandfather Malik Bahram Lodi that would boost the prestige of the ruling dynasty in the eyes of his people. Such an epic would surely be remembered for generations to come, Nusrat told himself. The tale of Malik Bahram Lodi may also prove a useful morale boost to any communities who would feel the impacts of the upcoming war with Jaunpur. Relations with Malwa and Bengal were at a high thanks to new marriages with the ruling dynasties, and Jaunpur still did not have many allies to call upon that posed any real threat to Delhi. The army was now stronger than it had ever been, numbering nearly twice what it had under Bahlul Khan Lodi, which would certainly tip the balance in favour of Delhi. Whilst watching the army go through it’s practices, the Sultan had observed one or two things to the new general Birgis Qadra Khan, who was quick to appreciate the tactical nous of his liege. It seemed to all involved that Delhi was ready for war, all that was required was the declaration of Nusrat Lodi. All that Nusrat needed was a report of the sighting of the amulet.

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Irfan Nadeem breathed a huge sigh of relief as the deal was concluded, and left the meeting to head back to his farm. The inconvenience of having to fear a Delhi attack was no longer his problem, and he could look forward to returning to the life he had once led before the night that Yusuf Singh had given him the chest - he had never even seen the amulet, he had simply believed his master that there was an amulet in the chest. Irfan had not told the new owner of the chest, Jasprit Kaif, of the untold curse of those who held the amulet, namely that they would spend their days on the run from the Delhi armies. Inside the building, Jasprit Kaif stared at the chest, looking at the outline of the subcontinent, and wondering just why Irfan Nadeem had given such a valuable looking object away in haste. Nevertheless, if his masters were correct about its contents, then Kaif had just acquired something that could make them very rich indeed.

The Sultan took in the reports from across the north of India with a rather furrowed brow. The first phase of the war had been a complete disaster, with Multan having avoided being wiped out by the initial Delhi attack, followed by the hire of an army from Mewar by the enemy. The Sultan was happy to see that Bengal and Malwa were making gains to the east, but the enemy had concentrated itself rather heavily on Delhi. To make things worse, the next messenger brought news of the Delhi army being defeated in battle by the combined enemy forces in Multan. Not only had Delhi failed to take over the fort in Multan, but their routed, heavily depleted armies had little morale and if caught, they would surely be massacred. The gathered courtiers looked nervously at the Sultan, who could feel the pressure. This was supposed to be the war that would see Delhi eclipse its eastern rivals, retake a sizeable chunk of lost territories, and most of all (to the Sultan at least), see the recovery of the amulet. So far none of this was happening, and it seemed that everyone would gain at the expense of the Lodis in Delhi. The Sultan took a moment to steady himself before announcing his next move.

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Since the arrival of the new military advisor the war had started to turn in favour of Delhi, they had been brought in to bring some extra steel to the men of the armies after the defeat at the battle of Multan. Whilst this extra discipline had yet to manifest itself in battle - the enemies had gone to occupy the northwestern provinces, whilst Delhi had gone on the offensive in the east. Further good news came from the coastlands to the south, where Gujarat found itself attacked on all sides. The gains in the war had helped the defeated soldiers to recover their morale, and the attackers at the siege of Jaunpur were reporting water shortages in the enemy capital. The upturn in fortunes had seen the smile return to Nusrat Lodi, who gave thanks for the victories, and hoped that the amulet was still where he had last heard it to have been; in Jaunpur itself.

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Jasprit Kaif held his robes close to him, and hoped that nobody looked too closely at the contents of his cart as he fled the city in haste. He had heard of reports that the provincial governor was about to surrender the capital, and was getting out while he still could. His bosses had told him to remain in Jaunpur until they could come to meet him and ascertain the value of the chest, but they had been unable to get through the blockade and had returned to their base of operations. Kaif had been stuck inside the city, and so had gathered his possessions together, before leaving he sent a note to his employers, telling them of his desire to head to pastures new. Perhaps, he thought as he left the city, this was why the previous owner had been so keen to get rid of it.

The glow of the Sultan as he politely but firmly refused the offer of help from Malwa was a sight for all in the Delhi court. Whilst it was a polite offer, Nusrat Lodi knew his own destiny, and would need no assistance in running the war or in ruling his people. The war was still ongoing, but there would surely only be one winner now. Jaunpur had fallen, and the enemy forces had suffered a heavy defeat at the battle of Nagaur, some cynics said it was because Delhi had avoided the engagement and left it to the command of Malwa and Bengal, but Nusrat had been far more interested in eliminating Gwailor and Multan from the war in order to cripple Jaunpur when it came to signing a peace treaty. For Nusrat Lodi, the uncertainties of the last couple of years were a thing of the past, and the war had been a welcome distraction from home affairs. The full ramifications of the decree purifying the tax laws of inconsistencies had yet to be fully understood as the previous years had been mostly taken up with the war. There were others who were uneasy at the Sultan's easy attitude at the cult of the Guru, who had converted the population of Bhattiana to their religion, but the Sultan’s continued policy of letting them believe whatever they wanted as long as they paid taxes to him would hold for now. Their taxes had funded the war, and it was a war that Delhi would soon win.

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The court stood stunned as the Vijayanagari diplomat delivered the insult he had travelled all the way from the south to deliver, a reminder that despite its dominant position in the north, Delhi still had many enemies and needed to be on its guard. The war with Jaunpur was still in its final throes; Multan had been forced to annul their alliance with Sistan but emerged relatively unscathed - the Sultan wanted to be ready to attack again whilst there was nobody there to defend them. With Jaunpur fully under occupation to the east, the final resistance was coming from Gwailor, where the defenders had simply refused to surrender despite the walls having been breached several months earlier. Once it fell, there would be little to stop Nusrat Lodi from taking as much land as he wanted, although it would be made all the more sweeter if the amulet was found first.

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Jasprit Kaif and his cart rounded the edge of the desert and watched the fireworks from the cities in the distance. With no instruction from his masters, he had yet to settle down since barely escaping Jaunpur, and was still on the move. The celebrations were all coming from the north, which could only mean that peace had been made, and Delhi had won a resounding victory. It was time for Jasprit Kaif to head somewhere quieter, and away from the attentions of the Lodis, the celebrations would provide a very handy distraction as he journeyed through the night.

Ali Hussein woke with a sore head some time in the morning - he didn’t know exactly when, the sun had not yet passed overhead, but it was certainly much later than he would normally start his work in court. The Sultan and the court had celebrated the victory over Jaunpur heavily, and the parties had gone on late into the night for several days now. Nusrat had kept a low profile, announcing that there would be a new workshop in Central Doab, and watching the army display its latest integrated “pike and shot” formations. Delhi was now a powerhouse in the north of India, but despite the advances there were still those who thought that the Sultan and the government still made poor choices in the running of the country - Ali was sure that there were many who would disagree with this statement given the recent expansion and reoccupation of the former heartlands of the Delhi Sultanate. Ali stumbled groggily into court to continue his day job - collecting even more taxes for the Sultan - and hoped that nobody would ask any difficult questions; he couldn’t even remember how many glasses of wine he’d had last night, and would prefer that the day was over sooner rather than later so he could return to his bed.

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Followed the link from the weekly showcase and this looks great! Will try and catch up as soon as possible! :)
 
Afghanistan's not going to recover from this, but Jaunpur is one of th most feared nations in India if you don't conquer it quickly

Jaunpur are certainly down but not out at the moment, I'll be sure to keep an eye on them

I’m still catching myself up with this story but I’m already in love with it! I’m nominating this for the Weekly AAR Showcase, please continue this excellent work!

Thank you ever so much! I will certainly be continuing as there are still plenty of places for the amulet to hide :)

Followed the link from the weekly showcase and this looks great! Will try and catch up as soon as possible! :)

Thank you and welcome along. Hope you enjoy it!
 
All caught up! Really enjoyable writing and love the premise. Looking forward to more. :)
 
Very good updates
Nusrat I has taken the Lodi dynasty and Delhi to new heights. With Afghanistan weakened, the central Asian/Hindu Kush frontier safe, Malwa and juanpur crumbling, it's time to march south and repay the price of the insult that Vijaynagar sent. Maybe the amulet may just be where you least expect it!
Sikhism is also spreading fast. The tolerance policy is okay for now, but best to be wary of it upturning your own rule.

Excellent updates. Your AAR inspired me to play India in CK2 after not playing in India for the last 5 months.
I am loving it
 
The Sultan would have loved the party to last for a long time, but instead the peace and celebrations were disturbed by a call to arms from Malwa. Perhaps perturbed by their lack of territorial gains in the fight against Jaunpur, Malwa was now fighting Mewar, and expecting Delhi to help. Not wishing to annul the alliance between the two countries, the Sultan had accepted. At least, the Sultan thought to himself, Mewar could not rent out its troops to the enemy this time. Having only briefly returned from enemy territory, Mubarrak Shah Jehan and his troops were soon headed back to Girid, to try and besiege Gwailor. Birgis Qadra Khan would await with his soldiers in support. Nusrat Lodi would try not to overcommit to this war, but any opportunity to find the amulet would always be welcomed.

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Mubarrak Shah Jehan arrived at the fort of Girid only to find the Malwan armies encamped and a siege firmly in place. Realising that there would be no point in losing men to attrition, the general chose to move on to Ranthambore to the west. With both of these forts under control there would be very little stopping the advance of Delhi and Malwa. As he advanced with his army, Mubarrak wondered exactly what Delhi now stood to gain from this war, if anything at all. There had been some grumblings amongst the troops about being called to arms so soon after the peace with Jaunpur, but general Mubarrak’s men marched for now, he just hoped that Birgis Qadra Khan would get the message and be in a position with the relief force if he had to.

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In the village of Lingshed far to the west, Jasprit Kaif finished writing his message before attaching it to the carrier pigeon. He had chosen to settle here for the time being, Ladakh being a tributary of the much larger Chagatai should deter any attackers, he had thought. The remoteness of the village should give him time to flee if he had to, and would attract little attention whilst the north of India was at war. He settled with his wine and clutched his pack tightly to him, feeling the outline of the subcontinent in the chest as he did so. Knowing that he held the amulet of Malik Bahram Lodi made him slightly nervous, although he was sure nobody would be looking for it in a small mountain village far from the Lodi base in Delhi. He enjoyed the chatter in the tavern for a while before making his way back to his new dwelling. It was unspectacular, but for a man who didn’t want attention it was perfect. He unpacked and prepared his wares for the markets in the morning, wishing to hear from his masters before anyone else came looking for the amulet.

The newly promoted Iqbal Ali took a look around his commanders and made sure they were all on board and his leadership. The death of Mubarrak Shah Jehan not long after the blockade had been established around Chittor had caused the Delhi army to falter, not really sure what to do next. Iqbal had arrived from Delhi with orders to continue the siege and search the city. There were still some disgruntled voices about how many lives had been lost at the siege of Ranthambore while Malwa was being occupied by a few enemy forces, the rest were doing their best to run amok in Delhi with little success. Nobody was suggesting anything mutinous for the time being, and the soldiers began to look for ways to breach the fortifications. The sooner the siege was over, the sooner they could enjoy peace again.

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The Sultan was furious. The situation in the war had made him angry, but the cheek of the mercenary men who had served the Delhi army to demand extra payment for their services - when they were already being paid significantly more than the regular soldiers - had made him very irate indeed. Mercenaries accounted for nearly a third of the Delhi infantry, and with the extra costs, the Sultan was faced with the embarrassing situation of having to call upon the national bank to borrow a loan larger than the one he’d recently paid off in order to be able to afford the upkeep of the mercenaries. If only he’d refused the call from Malwa, he had thought. It would’ve cost him the alliance, but Malwa would’ve been hopelessly outnumbered and suffered a heavy defeat. The conquered lands could then have been claimed by Delhi in order to see if the amulet was under his nose in Malwa after all, but alas the Sultan had come to the aid of his allies, and had regretted the decision ever since. At least the war was nearly over. Chittor and most of Mewar was under allied occupation, Gwailor had already been annexed to Malwa (another disappointment for Nusrat, who had hoped to gain the land for himself), and there was no sign of peace with Rewa Kantha refusing to surrender. Financially, this war had been a very draining one, but at least once peace came, Delhi would be able to recover. It was unlikely the same could be said for Mewar, the thought comforted the Sultan as another demand for payments came. He sighed, and hoped the next piece of news was about something other than debt.

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Peace came, and with it also came the dismissal of several mercenary companies. The Sultan was grateful that the Delhi soldiers were unaware of how much more the mercenaries had been paid than they had during the recent battles at Patan and Lahore, which had at least brought an end to the war. Mewar had surrendered several provinces to Malwa, whilst Delhi had gotten very little in return, something that Nusrat Lodi would remember the next time he was dictating peace terms. With the war over the army could return home, and with any luck enjoy a moments peace.

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Nusrat Lodi gave the order and the advance into Multan began. He knew that this was yet another war in quick succession, but a report had recently come to him of a mysterious trader in Ladakh, who refused to sell his most valuable assets without his masters permission. The reports matched some of Bahlul Khan Lodi’s writings describing a past owner of the amulet, which was all the pretext the Sultan needed to occupy Ladakh and try to find it. How fortunate that Ladakh had chosen to ally Multan, Nusrat thought to himself. Delhi could eliminate a neighbour that had been a nuisance for the past few decades and the Sultan could try to search for the amulet without having to fight Chagatai. Nobody else was coming to the aid of Multan, and Nusrat smiled at the thought of the coming victory, and the chance to find the amulet.

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Jasprit Kaif sighed as he left the territory of Ladakh. He had thought he would have had more time to establish himself, he also thought he would’ve heard from his masters, but once again they had failed to be in contact. Could it be that they weren’t able to get to him? Or that he had no masters any more? Whatever the reasons, Jasprit was headed south, grateful that the Nagauris weren’t very thorough in their search. He still had the chest, and if he could get to his masters, maybe they could take it from him so that he could have peace at last.

With Sistan and Kutch having declared war against Multan, the Sultan realised he needed to act fast. The enemy troops had been defeated at the battle of Cholistan and Ladakh was under siege, which left Multan under attack from all sides. What the Sultan wanted most of all, apart from the amulet, was the state surrounding Multan, which was already occupied by Delhi. If his armies could make it to Baltistan, then at least it would be Delhi occupying the lion's share of Multanese lands, and so it would be Delhi who would take the land that they wanted before anyone else had the chance. The only disappointment was that the amulet had once again escaped before the Delhi army had arrived - Nagaur had established the siege and their soldiers were obviously not under orders to search anyone leaving the cities. The Sultan had put out a description of the man and hoped that he would soon be caught if he entered the kingdom of Delhi. From Ladakh, there weren’t many places one could go, unless they went via the mountain passes. The Sultan had thought about sending his armies to look, but the generals had said that the terrain was impassable even for them. The search for the amulet would have to wait, but at least Delhi had grown more powerful in the meantime.

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Nusrat Lodi gazed lovingly at his newborn son, and watched the glow around the boy. It had been a difficult birth, but the signs in the sky had led the Sultan to believe that this new heir had a special destiny ahead of him. The only thing standing in the boy's way was Nusrat’s firstborn child, Sayyid Khidr, but with Sayyid having been mysteriously killed in a hunting accident the previous afternoon, Nusrat II - the Sultan had named the boy after himself - was now next in line to the throne. The outpouring of grief from the royal couple had been enough to silence any doubters about what Sayyid Khidr had been doing on the hunt in the first place; truly this had been a tragic accident, and everyone at court was praying for the health of the Sultan and his new heir. The Sultan held the boy in his arms, and wished that one of them would be the one who found the amulet.

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A gathering in Multan had been arranged for the governors of the new provinces taken in the recent war. The governors of the region surrounding Multan had come along with the crowds to see the Sultan announce that Delhi had restored its rule over the area, and the state would see a new era of peace and prosperity. Any hope for the locals to return to Multanese rule was being crushed by the continued occupations of the remnants of Multan by first Sistan, then Kutch and finally Mewar, who were all taking what territories they could. Not only were Multan eliminated, but further west the news of the downfall of the Timurids brought joy to Delhi. Those old enough to remember Bahlul Khan Lodi had stories of just how fearsome the Timurids had been, but with the former vassal states now defeating what remained of Tamerlane’s empire, they were no longer to be feared. Perhaps if someone were to reunite the territories, an advisor had pointed out, then they could replace the Timurids as the powerhouse of the Persian region and pose their own threat to Delhi. The point had not been received well by all in court, but Nusrat Lodi with his years of experience chose to see the wisdom in the counsellors words. Delhi was still allied with Transoxania, the Sultan pointed out, so would surely be aware of anyone becoming too big for their boots in Persia. Besides, he continued, Delhi was far more powerful now than it had been half a century ago, and was growing stronger still. Delhi need not fear anyone with the Lodi dynasty on the throne.

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The September sun rose as Rayizza Khiliji gathered the Delhi court. Her husband, the Sultan Nusrat Lodi had passed away in the night. With Nusrat II only three years old, Rayizza would have a decade or more of ruling as regent whilst the boy grew up. The assembled courtiers agreed with the Sultana’s decree that a day of mourning Nusrat Lodi would take place, and that he would be buried with his grandfather, the great Bahlul Khan Lodi. As the assembly finished, Rayizza sat in the throne her husband had ruled from for nearly forty years. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered Nusrat Lodi, a great man who had achieved much in court whilst his soldiers had conquered on the battlefield. Delhi had become a powerhouse in northern India, and it was up to Rayizza to see that it remained so, and that Nusrat II would grow up and claim what was rightfully his.

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All caught up! Really enjoyable writing and love the premise. Looking forward to more. :)

Thanks, glad you're enjoying it! :)

Very good updates
Nusrat I has taken the Lodi dynasty and Delhi to new heights. With Afghanistan weakened, the central Asian/Hindu Kush frontier safe, Malwa and juanpur crumbling, it's time to march south and repay the price of the insult that Vijaynagar sent. Maybe the amulet may just be where you least expect it!
Sikhism is also spreading fast. The tolerance policy is okay for now, but best to be wary of it upturning your own rule.

Excellent updates. Your AAR inspired me to play India in CK2 after not playing in India for the last 5 months.
I am loving it

Thank you for the kind words :), funnily enough I've also been playing in India in CK2!
 
Another successful war for Delhi, but the amulet is still however to be found! Rats. Will the young Nusrat be the one to reclaim the lost treasure?
 
The Sultana inspected the new shipyards, admiring the wares being unloaded from the docked merchant ships. She had always had an eye for the finer things in life, and was keen to get to the markets to see what the traders had brought with them. As soon as the ceremony was over, a messenger interrupted her trip to bring news of an insult from Vijayanagar. Whilst this was nothing new - the southern upstarts had been causing trouble for a couple of decades now - Rayizza hoped that nothing else would disturb her trip to the markets, which was mostly why she had come. Court life had been tricky, but not impossible; she certainly lacked her late husbands grasp of military matters, but had made up for this by remaining busy in other affairs. After the disastrous mix up with mercenary payments during the war against Multan, Rayizza’s reform of mercenary payments had satisfied both the court and the mercenary companies. She had also given a speech reminding the people of their kinship with their western neighbours in Afghanistan, on account of ties in their respective nobilities. Whilst it was disappointing that relations between Delhi and Afghanistan were often hostile, there were some in Afghanistan who had not forgotten that Delhi had aided them in gaining independence from the Timurids. The mixed reaction to the speech had made Rayizza Khiliji realise that simply trying to please everyone would be a thankless task, and she would far rather do things her way than try and rule like her husband. She would do her best to enjoy her time on the throne, and if that meant treating herself every once in a while, so be it, she thought to herself as she made for the town square.

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The Timurid diplomat left disappointed. He had come to ask if the Timurids could hire some soldiers from Delhi to try and defend themselves from the Sistani attack, but Rayizza Khiliji had simply shown him the door. The Sultana had already crushed one noble revolt and was not about to let her troops wonder away under someone elses control; she needed her armies where they would be most effective, training in Delhi. To her left, Shergill Sodhi stood inspired by his new leader. He had been hired to enhance the reputation of the Delhi Sultanate, which would certainly come in helpful if the spies the Sultana had sent to the northern state of Dang were discovered. It had taken a couple of years, but she was starting to show some of the tendencies of looking to expand whilst also keeping the economy growing through building that her husband had done. Nobody had revolted against her, and life in Delhi seemed stable. The boy Nusrat had also begun appearing in court, but he was more interested in exploring the palace and marvelling at his home for now. If Rayizza ruled capably for a few more years, it would be his home for much longer.

The town criers in Delhi had begun announcing the iron shortage, which had come at an inopportune moment. Rayizza Khiliji had accepted a call to arms from Transoxiana, and Delhi was now at war with Chagatai. The Sultana had instructed Iqbal Ali to defend Delhi provinces if they came under attack, but the broad plan was to do as little as possible in the war. The troops were still coming to terms with the loss of Birgis Qadra Khan and the void his death had created, so the orders not to fight and have this lack of leadership exposed suited them very well. According to reports, Transoxania had the superiority over Chagatai anyway, and the war would be an easy victory for them, hopefully without too much help from Delhi.

Jasprit Kaif met with the shadowy man in a dimly lit tavern. He had finally been able to get through to his bosses and they had said they would dispatch an agent as soon as they could. Fortunately for Jasprit, Delhi had not found his new hideout - the death of Nusrat Lodi had slowed down their expansion for almost five years since the war with Multan. The shadowy figure sat and listened as Jasprit explained how he had acquired the chest, and the misfortune he had suffered since. As Jasprit finished his tale, the shadowy man nodded and asked to see the chest. Jasprit obliged, and the figure struggled to hide his surprise at the genuine chest containing the amulet of Malik Bahram Lodi. The figure touched his hands to his shoulders, the signal for his comrade to knock out Jasprit, who never saw the blow coming. The two men made off with the chest, and made for their base of operations. By the time Jasprit Kaif came to, they would be long gone.

The Delhi soldiers had enjoyed a rare length of time at home, having followed their instructions to the letter. The recent promotion of several full time officers had resulted in a restructuring of the army, but in their practice manoeuvres they had been far more efficient than they had been before. With little threat from Chagatai, Delhi had been able to focus on its defences; the Sultana had recently ordered the construction of a fort in Feyzlabad which would help slow down attackers from the east. The Sultana had also been busy distributing crown land to the estates, gifting Margalla to the amirs, Sirmur to the brahmins and Feyzlabad to the rajputs. With the loyalty of the estates assured, and the war in control, the Delhi troops had little to worry about as they patrolled home territory. They were even able to enjoy the instability in other nations - the Ming dynasty had ruled China for hundreds of years, but reports were coming to Delhi that the mighty rulers had lost control of the south of the country. The soldiers hoped that it would not come to this for the Lodis, and awaited any further orders that may come from the capital.

Hyder Jehan rushed to join the Delhi army, still stationed at Feyzlabad; as soon as he reached the army they marched as one for Lucknow. The Sultana’s plan for peace had been disrupted by news of a Jaunpuri attack to the north, which had set Jaunpur and Limbuwan against their former allies in Mewar. Reports were that everyone would use this opportunity to attack Jaunpur, and Rayizza Khiliji had made sure she had been the first to move. She had called once more upon the assistance of Bengal, who had been hoping to take some Jaunpuri land for themselves, and the two parties would make short work of this war. If the Sultana and her armies were lucky, they may not even have to fight a single battle. The only certainty was that Jaunpur was going to suffer. A lot.

The brothers Wasim and Muhammad observed from the mountain at the marching armies. Jaunpur had become a warzone once again and their destination was no longer safe. They looked at each other and at the horses carrying their possessions, one side of Muhammad’s horse sagging slightly under the weight of the chest. As they looked back towards the marching armies and then at each other, before heading back the way they had come. It had been a long journey east, but west would be safer for now. Neither man had wholly believed Jasprit Kaif and his tales of misfortune, but perhaps there was some truth in them after all.

It had been a busy year for Rayizza Khiliji as she had been heavily involved in reforming the nation’s monetary systems and tax laws, and the death of the national military advisor, Jonaraja Gobind hit her hard. Ever since they had arrived, the Delhi army had remained undefeated in battle, with none of the setbacks the likes of Ibrahim Viqar ul-Mulk or even Bahlul Khan Lodi had suffered. The courts new advisor Narendra Jahan and new national defence policy would help on that front, but it would take some going to even match their predecessor. It would likely be some time before the army would see the battlefield again - Chagatai were being heavily beaten in the west and Jaunpur was being overrun by invaders from all sides in the east. Indeed, such was the power of Delhi and its allies that Nogai and Limbuwan had both been forced to pay heavily for peace, in the case of the latter it had cost them the province of Koch as well as a large sum of money. With Jaunpur now alone and completely occupied, peace would come soon, although the glint in Rayizza Khiliji’s eye led some people to think otherwise.

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It had been a short period of peace, six weeks in fact, but Hyder Jehan was on the march again, north this time. The provinces held by Dang had been the Sultanas next target - if Delhi hadn’t conquered them, surely somebody else would soon do so, and as with Jaunpur the Sultana had wanted to be the first to take the spoils. The policy had worked against Jaunpur, who had been forced to surrender several territories, and now it was Dang’s turn. The Sultana only wished to take the territories at the foot of the Himilayan mountains - there was little point in expanding further north - and with Bengal aiding Delhi by fighting off any help from the east, this war would also be swift, and for Delhi, victorious.

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Wasim and Muhammad had hurried through the foothills as fast as their horses could carry them. Their leisurely journey west had been disrupted yet again by the armies of Delhi, and the brothers were having to avoid soldiers at every turn. Now they were stuck in the jungles in Doti, with enemy soldiers occupying the province. Fortunately for them they hadn’t yet ventured into the jungles - forcing the surrenders of the towns and forts was enough - but the brothers knew their luck would run out very soon if they were not careful. They took turns to keep watch whilst the other one rested, hoping they would not be caught. If they could escape this then they would continue west. They had come up with a plan, and if they were lucky they would be able to put it into action.

The Delhi court celebrated the annexation of three more provinces from Dang, but hoped that there would be no more fighting for the time being. Unrest in the newly conquered provinces was very high, and the country would soon be overrun with rebels if there was a return to warfare. If this point needed explaining to anyone, then the news of a war for the Mandate of Heaven in Ming China was enough to bring it home. The Ming dynasty had ruled for a century and a half, but it looked as though they may not have much longer on the celestial throne in Beijing. Koxinga had fled to Taiwan, which had also not helped the cause of the Chinese government. With all eyes on China, nobody had been looking at affairs closer to home, which had turned relations between Delhi and the Bahmanis from a potential alliance to one of rivalry. Rayizza Khiliji had been disappointed by this, Bahmanis would have made a very useful ally against Vijayanagar, and instead Delhi was facing rivalry from two southern powerhouses. Consolation for the court could come in the form of the rivalry between Vijayanagar and Bahmanis, at least the two of them were not going to ally against Delhi. For the Sultana the other consolation was that her son, Nusrat II was making a good name for himself in court, always interested in what was going on and especially in the construction of the buildings in the capital. In addition to his enthusiasm for building, the boy clearly had some potential for leadership, and it would only be a few years before he was in charge.

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Wasim and Muhammad slipped away from the Chagatai baggage train as it headed west. The contingent of eight thousand had never seriously hoped to overcome all of Delhi, and had retreated at the first sign of trouble. The Khan brothers had made it through Delhi territory without the amulet being spotted, but with morale low amongst the soon to be defeated Chagatai - the war was all but won, and there was a growing call for peace in the Delhi cities they had passed - it would only take one soldier to spot the chest and there would be infighting amongst the men. Taking advantage of the cover of darkness, Wasim and Muhammd had stolen two horses and were making for a destination they hoped would bring security.

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Great updates
I guess China is exploding now. War with both Bahamanis and Vijayanagar at once while a woman rules is a very scary possibility so beware

Good writing
 
It just never stops in Delhi, it would seem. Always a new foe to be taken down a peg or two – and the amulet remains elusive!
 
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Rayizza Khiliji was growing to enjoy court life, indeed it would almost be a shame to give up the throne, but she had promised her husband that Nusrat II would rule the kingdom as soon as he was of age, and she would remain true to her word. With the war of Transoxania against Chagatai still not having reached a conclusion, the calls for peace amongst the people of Delhi continued to grow, but the Sultana’s hands were tied, she could not risk upsetting Transoxania and potentially costing Delhi what had been a useful alliance. Useful allies were certainly what Malwa and Sistan had needed, Rayizza thought to herself. Malwa had gone to war with Jaunpur and Sistan was fighting Afghanistan, and despite having started the wars, both of the attackers were losing heavily. It would be a valuable lesson for the soon to be of age Nusrat II, and one that the Sultana made sure he knew. Delhi had come a long way since Bahlul Khan Lodi, and in her son, Rayizza saw the chance for the Sultanate to go even further, especially once she shared the knowledge of the amulet with him. She had kept it a secret for the first twelve years of his life in case he had not been fit to rule, but on his accession he would know, and woe betide anyone who was rumoured to have the amulet with Nusrat II on the throne.

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The gathered crowds were hugely relieved to hear of peace between Transoxania and Chagatai, after a decade of being at war, Delhi finally had peace. Whilst Delhi had barely lifted a finger to help Transoxania - not that they'd needed assistance - the Sultana had used her last years in power to teach the administrators in the capital a thing or two about being adaptable to the people of newly conquered territories, as well as keeping the wealthy estates in line. At the conclusion of the speech, Rayizza Khiliji stood and smiled for a moment and let the cheers from the crowd wash over her. Her son would soon celebrate his fifteenth birthday and accession to the throne, and the Sultana could retire with the trinkets she had collected from over a decade of rulership. She prayed silently that her heir would succeed in ruling Delhi with competence, and in finding the amulet of Bahlul Khan Lodi. As she retired to her chambers, she took with her the notes and maps her husband had made. It was time to teach her son about his destiny, the search for the amulet that had belonged to his great-great-grandfather.

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Wasim and Muhammad arrived at the imposing fortress, announcing themselves as refugees from Jaunpur, they were welcomed inside. They stayed the night at the tavern before exploring their new surroundings. The mountain fort would be a daring attack for anyone, they had agreed, let alone a child in his first months of rulership. The city would be their home for some months, plenty of time to come up with a plan for what to do with the amulet and the chest. Their reconnaissance of their surroundings complete, Muhammad went to search for work, whilst Wasim guarded the apartment they had found. If they were compromised in their new home, it would not be an easy escape.

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Those at the Delhi court could barely keep pace with Nusrat II Lodi as he began his reign. Whilst it would be easy enough for the title of Khalifa to have passed from father to son, Nusrat II had also denounced sect practices in the Sultanate. His appointment of a new Sheikh-ul-Islam and further reforms to the meritocracy in Delhi had caused a lot of work for the bureaucrats in the capital, but they were slowly getting a handle of things. The flurry of activity had not stopped with the administration of his Kingdom, as the Sultan had declared war against Afghanistan and the army of Hyder Jehan was marching for Roh. Iqbal Ali and his detachment would be left behind in the eastern territories to take care of any rebellious uprisings after the previous wars. The garrisoning of the army allowed the Sultan to focus on the west, and particularly on reports of two men in Kabul. They had recently moved into the city, and only one of them would leave their borrowed apartment at a time, which had attracted the attention of Nusrat’s spies in the area. If his spies were correct, Nusrat could begin his reign with the recovery of the amulet, something which would truly be worth celebrating.

From their safehouse in Kabul, the brothers Khan made their way to Nagaur as part of the supply train for the Afghan army. Wasim had been in the city’s temple helping the collection of the tithes when the news of Delhi’s declaration of war had come, and the following morning he and Muhammad had signed up for the army, knowing that being on the road would be far safer than the city. They had planned to slip away in the night, as they had done when serving the Chagatai army not so long ago, and would soon be able to take their chance as soon as the Afghan forces laid siege to Nagaur. The only question for the brothers had been where they would go next; if Nusrat II had started as he meant to go on, then finding someone who Delhi would not attack would be a smart move.

Nusrat II Lodi was grateful for the offer of the spies, but felt that Delhi was in such a strong position that he was able to refuse their aid. Certainly the war was going well despite the death of Hyder Jehan. Islam Nagar had been promoted to lead the siege of Roh, and once the fort had fallen then the attacking army would encounter little resistance in Afghanistan. The enemy forces were still trying to take Nagaur, and the relief army of Iqbal Ali was on the way to aid the defenders. With victory all but assured, Delhi would become one of the subcontinent’s largest powers, possibly the largest after the establishment of the Yunnan Protectorate, which had further weakened Ming China to the east. The Sultan knew that Delhi was capable of usurping Ming’s position as the most powerful kingdom in the east, but keeping Delhi in it’s powerful position would be easier said than done.

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The Khan brothers had made it into Nagaur just in time. Posing as defectors from the Afghans, they had been allowed into the city the previous night, and as the sun rose on this particular September morning, the besieging Afghan force had been engaged by a relief army from Delhi. The two men joined the crowds watching on the city walls as the Delhi army swept the Afghans from the field, inflicting heavy losses as they did so. Muhammad and Wasim joined the cheering crowds in the taverns and celebrated long into the night. Perhaps, they mused as they wandered the city the following morning, they were safer in territories ruled by the Delhi Sultan after all.

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The surrender of the entire Kabulistan state to Delhi had been rather galling for several of Delhi’s neighbours, but none of them would be able to stand up to the mighty Sultanate on it’s own. A coalition would be the way to bring Nusrat Lodi and his ever growing kingdom down. Fortunately, the Sultan had known this when he signed the peace deal. Sistan and Afghanistan could take as much umbrage as they liked, but without more allies, the two minor states would be on their own, and Delhi would surely emerge victorious. With the whole of the subcontinent at peace for the time being, the Sultan was able to spend some time taking stock of what had been a whirlwind year since his accession. Delhi had expanded once more, and in Transoxania and Bengal, the Sultanate had two very strong allies to call upon in warfare. Nagaur had been a useful subject, but Malwa, having gone to war against Jaunpur and Mewar, was looking nowhere near as strong as it had once been. The rivalries with Bahmanis and Vijayanagar were still in place; although Bahmanis were certainly the weaker of the pair, they were allied to Mewar, which made the Sultan think twice about attacking them. Despite the unrest in the newly conquered provinces, Nusrat knew it had been the right decision to attack Afghanistan. The reports of the amulet were true, and the two men had been seen escaping Kabul. They had not been found yet, but surely it was only a matter of time.

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A whole year had passed, and no reports had come to the Sultan that had required any real action. The whole of the subcontinent was still at peace, and there had been no reports of the amulet. The two men had been seen with the Afghan army during the war, but had not been spotted for some time, and nothing had come up from the search of the dead outside the city. As the rains fell that afternoon, an idea came to Nusrat; with nothing else to do, why not pay a visit to Nagaur himself? With the Afghans subdued, what else was there for him to do?

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The soldiers assembled outside the city of Nagaur to welcome Nusrat II Lodi and his entourage, which included the newly hired Yusuf Shergill - a replacement to the recently deceased Shergill Sodhi. The city governor bowed to the Sultan, and took him on a tour of the city and the castle, being sure to show the Sultan everything he desired to see. The tour concluded with dinner in the castle hall; throughout the tour, the governor had not dared to ask the Sultan exactly what the purpose of his visit was. As the main course was served, the Sultan asked for the guards to be dismissed, and the governor obliged. He was somewhat nervous as the Sultan set down his bowl and began to speak.

“I would imagine you’re wondering exactly what I’m doing here.” The governor nodded cautiously.

“Well, it’s partly because life in the court at Delhi can be a bit tedious sometimes, I’m not surprised my great-grandfather used to lead his armies into battle. Bahlul Khan could be reckless, but he certainly knew how to inspire his men. I have preferred to let the soldiers fight for the country, and I have been proud to have Nagauri soldiers fighting alongside us in war. You have always served us well, and with no hint of dishonesty. There were two men that arrived during the siege of Nagaur by Afghanistan. Do you know anything about them?”

The governor was stumped. “Forgive me your highness, but two men isn’t much of a description to go on, men and women pass through the city gates all the time, and my guards cannot keep track of all of them.”

The Sultan fixed a brief stare at the governor, who still looked bemused by the Sultan’s question. Of course, Nusrat realised, the governor was right. Nobody would keep track of everything and everyone that passed through the gates of any city. “Fair enough, but if you hear any reports of two men who happen to have a wooden chest that has an engraving of the subcontinent, or any stories of an amulet, you will let me know won’t you. If you hear anything I will of course make it worth your while.”

The governor nodded, and the two returned to their meals. After a couple of days in Nagaur, the tour returned to Delhi, although at the insistence of Yusuf Shergill the governor now had posters placed around the city with people who knew anything about an amulet to see the governor. It was the least that Nagaur could do, the Sultan thought on the long ride home.

Muhammad Khan stood atop the walls of Nagaur and watched the royal baggage train disappear out of sight, before returning to the apartment him and Wasim had been sharing. Wasim had been preparing a disguise for the pair, and they would be leaving the city that night. Darkness fell and the brothers loaded up their cart, and headed to the city gates. They were stopped by a guardsman from the local patrol, who asked about their business in leaving the city so late. Sensing Muhammad’s hesitation, Wasim stepped in with an excuse that they were off to gaze at the stars for the night. The guardsman grew suspicious, and it was only the hefty bribe that Muhammad offered that saved them from a more rigorous inspection. The brothers headed into the starry sky and headed east, whilst the guardsman pocketed the money and hoped nobody had seen the exchange.

The Delhi court wondered if the Sultan had lost his marbles when he decreed that the recently conquered Kabulistan territories were to be advanced in their enhancement, but most of them had not heard of the innovations in art and building that were coming from the western provinces. Almost a century ago, a “renaissance” had occurred far away, and news of it was reaching the Delhi Sultanate. In the hope that all of Delhi would benefit, Nusrat Lodi needed a majority of the people to understand the renaissance, certainly a larger majority than those that did at the moment. The advancement would come at a great cost, he understood, but if it gave Delhi an edge on it’s rivals he would take it. If it brought the amulet, it would be worth it no matter the cost. Advancement would be the watchword of the Sultanate.

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Shaking with a fever, Nusrat Lodi had to conduct his royal business from his bedchambers where possible, although the vast majority would be conducted in the provinces where possible. The Sultan had sunk into something of a depression upon realising that the truce between Delhi and Jaunpur would soon end; when he had decreed that Delhi needed to be ready to attack Jaunpur again, it was then that his new master of mint had pointed out that Delhi would need a pretext for this war, and that it currently didn’t have one. After taking a few moments to calm down, Nusrat Lodi had collapsed, and needed a lot of help to get up again. Those at court had worried for his health, and his young heir had been ready to take the throne if necessary, but Nusrat had recovered, or so he had thought. It would be tricky to rule a kingdom from his bedchamber, but the Sultan would do his best.

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just read through it all. very nice AAR, keep up the good work!
 
A rare appearance from the Sultan - his first in a month, was to declare a war on Jaunpur. Reports had made it to court that Bengal had already invaded, and if Delhi was hoping to take any of the remaining territory for itself then the Sultan would need to act fast, which he had. Jaunpur was hopelessly outnumbered, and being attacked from all sides, but it would be the forces of Delhi that laid siege to the capital city first. From his bedchambers, the Sultan took in as many reports as he could, hoping that the war would be quick, and that there would be no invasions from the Timurids in the west - Nusrat had accepted another call to arms from Transoxania, but was not expecting Delhi forces to have to actively participate. As another bout of fever ran through the Sultan, he closed his eyes and dreamt of the amulet. It was the main thing keeping him going through the illness, and he hoped it would continue to do so for a while yet.

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With the fall of Mandla, the war was over. The former territories of Jaunpur had been shared equally between Delhi and Bengal, and the only major loss for Delhi had been the general Iqbal Ali who had been bitten by a mosquito during the siege of Mandla, and never recovered from the malaria. His replacement, Aladdin Alam Shah Sharma was a man who had plenty of experience of siege warfare from his years in the army, and this nous would be invaluable if the amulet was discovered in enemy territory. Since the general's appointment, new military advancements to had been made to both the cavalry divisions and the artillery. The Sultan was still mostly bedridden, but the elimination of Jaunpur would have no doubt made his ancestors proud. The celebrations ended early so that the Sultan could get some rest, but early the next morning, the Sultan was woken by a messenger from Nagaur. The two men who had evaded capture in the city had been reported heading in the direction of Kalpi. A new burst of energy fired the Sultan; he rose from his bed and headed for court with a spring in his step, and a new target on his mind.

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The recent conquest of Jaunpur had seen Delhi establish itself as a great power within the region, having eliminated its main rival in the north of India. In spite of this, Nusrat Lodi was relentless in his wars of conquest. The main benefactor had been the army, which had seen another major reform in an attempt to show its superiority. There had not been a chance to flex this new military muscle, but with Nusrat Lodi in charge, the wait would not be long. When he was not in court - he was still suffering from the illness that had been laying him low - the Sultan would engage in philosophical discussions with his new advisor Daulat Khan Singh, the previous advisor having been removed from office on a string of apparent charges of embezzlement. Nobody had been entirely convinced that the master of mint had been responsible for the crime, but there had been no other obvious suspects, whoever it was had obviously been careful to cover their tracks. For Nusrat Lodi, who was making a slow and steady recovery, he only wished that Rewa Kantha would leave some of Malwa left for Delhi to invade, and that the amulet would be in one of the surviving territories. Aided by Vijayanagar, Rewa Kantha had taken advantage of Malwa no longer being allied to either Delhi or Bengal, and was reaping the rewards. With another three years or so before Delhi could attack, the government had been able to show progress in negotiations with mercenary payments, and the army had shown signs of improved manoeuvres in practices. Even though Delhi was nominally at war with the Timurids, the army had yet to see any real action, which had left Delhi in a prime position to invade Malwa, and for Nusrat Lodi to continue the search for the amulet.

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Wasim and Muhammad surveyed their new homestead on the edge of the Kalpi province. Having narrowly escaped the attention of the people of Nagaur, and then having avoided the armies of Rewa Kantha, they had chosen a rural settlement in order to lay low. They left their cart in a barn at the back of the hovel, loaded with some emergency supplies in case they had to make a swift departure. They had ridden their luck on several occasions, and needed to keep their guard up in case people came looking for them or the chest. It had taken a large bribe for them to escape Nagaur, they may not be so lucky the next time.

Persistent calls for peace were arriving in court. The citizens had had enough of the current war, and in truth, so had the Sultan. Delhi had only joined in to show support for Transoxania - although they would have defended their territories if the Timurids had invaded, this had not happened, and the forces of Transoxania, Khorasan, Afghanistan and Nagaur had been enough to crush the remnants of Tamerlane’s once great empire. To the east, the Ming dynasty was experiencing internal conflicts in the territories it was clinging on to. The great kingdoms of a century ago had all but vanished, and new ones were emerging to take their place.

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The superpowers in the subcontinent were Vijayanagar in the south, and Delhi in the north, and something was coming that might tip the scales in Delhi’s favour. The so-called “renaissance” was spreading from the west and had reached its first big city, Kabul. If the people there embraced the “renaissance”, surely it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the Sultanate had caught up with it. With the Sultan’s health improving, his attention had turned from Malwa to another neigbouring state, that of Mewar. Mewar had always considered itself a rival to Delhi, which the Sultanate had always laughed off. Delhi had always been technologically and numerically superior, and had little to fear from Mewar. However, the recent expansion of Mewar into the former Sindh provinces and further west into Baluchistan had given the Sultan an idea. The people of Bhakkar still identified themselves as belonging to the state of Sindh, but an independent country by that name no longer existed. The Sultan therefore made the governor of Bhakkar an offer he could not refuse; if the people of Bhakkar paid their taxes to the Sultan, then he would allow them their state of Sindh, as a vassal of Delhi. It had been too good an offer for the governor of Bhakkar to pass up, and the state of Sindh emerged once more. Whilst there had been some who questioned the Sultans motivations, to him it was clear. The people of Sindh were in the debt of the Delhi Sultanate, and if the Sultan regained the lost provinces of the former kingdom of Sindh, then they would stay loyal to him. Any reports of the amulet in the kingdom of Mewar, and Delhi was now very ready to strike.

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Reports came to the Sultan of the overnight success of the coup, Sindh would now be ruled by the Samma dynasty. Not only would they now stay loyal to the Lodis in Delhi, but they would report any news of the amulet to the capital immediately. A royal marriage between the two courts saw a further strengthening of the ties to be on the safe side. For Nusrat Lodi it was all about making sure the amulet would not continue to evade him. He had come close on a few occasions, and was determined that the next time Delhi went to war, the amulet would be his. Spies had reported that the two men from Nagaur had made their way to Kalpi, and were settling into a farmstead near the border with Gwailor. It was time to begin the search for the amulet of Malik Bahram Lodi once more.

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With the enemy forces in retreat after the battle of Bandogarh, the route into the Malwa lay open for the armies of Delhi. Only the forts at Gird and Kalinjar, plus the capital Chanderi would provide any real resistance. If the men with the amulet escaped into Gwailor, they would soon be trapped once Malwa had been eliminated. All was going to plan for Nusrat Lodi, who was in much better health nowadays. To the east, Bengal would take care of Koch, leaving Delhi to focus on Malwa, Porbandar, and Gwailor. To the south, Vijayanagar and Bahmanis were fighting again. The whole of the Indian subcontinent was at war with itself, it seemed, but at least when the dust settled, Delhi would still be there. The same would not be true of their enemies.

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Wasim and Muhammad held their breath as the Delhi troops searched the homestead on the outskirts of Kalpi. They had not had time to escape with soldiers seen on all sides, and had retreated to their crawlspace in the basement, hoping they would not be seen. They watched in horror as two armed soldiers entered, and searched the room. They could not see the brothers in their darkened space, but one of the soldiers did notice something underneath a woolen rug in the corner of the room. He called his colleague over and they lifted the rug away, to unveil a chest. Wasim looked at Muhammad in horror; the amulet! Neither one had thought to take it with them in their haste, and the Delhi soldiers now had the chest in their grasp. The brothers watched as one of them picked the chest up and made to leave the basement, before seeing the other draw a pistol behind his back. Two gunshots rang out in the room bringing a lot of dust into the air. When it cleared, Wasim and Muhammad opened their eyes and emerged from the crawlspace into the basement. One of the Delhi soldiers lay dead, the other had escaped with the amulet.

Khalim Sayyid returned to the army camp with the chest in his pack, his commanding officers had accepted the story that he had shot one man in the farmstead after his colleague had been assailed. In the morning the squad struck camp and left for Khalinjar, where they would establish the siege that would bring the fall of Malwa. For Khalim Sayyid, this was only the beginning. The tales of the former grandeur of the Sayyids in Delhi had been passed down from Alam Shah through generations to Khalim, especially of how the once proud ruling dynasty had been overthrown by the usurping Lodis. Having heard the stories of the upstart Lodi dynasty as a child, Khalim had taken it upon himself to act, and had enlisted in the Delhi army. It had been a stroke of good fortune that had seen him enter the farmstead with his now deceased colleague, and nobody would know that he was soon to desert the army and escape to somewhere that had the potential to stand up to the Delhi Sultanate.

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Islam Shah Nagar marched out of Malwa with his army, heading for home. Malwa had been forced to cede Kalpi and a vast sum of money to Delhi, but there was now peace between the former allies. Further north, Koch had been forced to surrender several provinces to Bengal, leaving the two major Indian powers left against the coastal territories of Porbandar, and the fort held by Gwailor. The war had hardly been a contest, and with Malwa and Koch no longer participating, it would be even less so. The general noticed a new happiness among the mercenaries in his army, who had been heavily rewarded for their loyalty in a recent proclamation by the Sultan. At least the mercenaries were still fighting for Delhi, the general mused as the armies marched to their capital.

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The court gathered around the Sultan as he slumped in his throne. The death of his heir in a hunting accident had left him feeling very depressed, as his greedy brother Islam Shah would now assume the throne when Nusrat passed away. Islam Shah’s love of money was known throughout the capital, and quite possibly beyond. The annexation of the fort of Girid was of little consolation, offset as it was by the lack of any reports of the amulet, and the loss of his son. Over the coming weeks, the Sultan did his best to present a brave face, but it was obvious to those around him that it would take some time for him to get over the death of his son. The only hope for Nusrat II was that the greed of his son might drive him to find the amulet.

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With the return of Kalpi to the Delhi Sultanate in the recent war, the kingdom had now regained all of its former heartlands - lost with the breakaway of Jaunpur almost two centuries earlier. A ceremony took place in the newly rededicated city of Agra (formerly Upper Doab), saw many wonder whether the Sultan planned to relocate the capital of the Sultanate, although the speech given by the Sultan announcing the rededication left people in no doubt that Delhi would remain the capital. Once the ceremony had concluded, the Sultan returned to his palace, to receive further reports from the west. The plan of advancing development in Kabul had paid off, as the overwhelming majority of the city had embraced the renaissance. Time would tell if it would catch on all over the Sultanate, although Nusrat Lodi certainly hoped it would, as he had yet to see any problems or disadvantages from Kabul. If his people could all embrace the renaissance as Kabul had done, Delhi could enjoy an even greater prosperity, and an edge over its rivals for sure.

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Nusrat Lodi had enjoyed rather mixed fortunes over the past few months. He had enjoyed seeing Mewar heavily defeated by Vijayanagar and its allies, and had been preparing to take advantage of this by going to war himself. New infantry had been recruited ready to take on someone, but who would they be taking on? Conflicting reports had been issued over some weeks, with the army being ordered to make ready to fight Mewar and Bahmanis before being told to stand down - apparently Bengal had decided that they were too debt ridden to join in the war. This had made the Sultan think twice about declaring war on Mewar; no matter how weak Mewar and Bahmanis appeared, they could still spring a surprise on Delhi if they were not careful. The Sultan chose to bide his time, and instead investigate reports from further south in Baglana. According to the spy who had fabricated a claim on Narbanda, an individual bearing resemblance to a recent army deserter had recently been seen heading through the city, on his way south.

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I hope everyone isn't making a mistake by assuming that the amulet is in that chest.

This would be such a clever idea! Unfortunately I'd not really given much thought to that at all, I got a bit too caught up in "lets make the amulet appear somewhere I'm about to fight next" instead. Something I will have to consider for another time perhaps.

just read through it all. very nice AAR, keep up the good work!

Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!
 
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Realised that this thread had been hidden away in my notifications for a month and I’ve fallen a couple of updates behind. Will have to catch up asap! Hope to see some more adventures in the near future. :)
 
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