The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 256 Balance
In April 1709, Mir Hotak, the leader of the Gilzai people, and his followers could not bear the brutal rule of the Georgian Gurkin, the governor of Kandahar, and launched a massive rebellion. They killed Gurjin, expelled all Persian officials, and then declared their independence from Safavid rule.

The then imperial Shah Sultan Hussein first failed to recruit him twice, and then ordered Kai Khosru, the nephew of the slain Kandahar governor Gulkin, to lead the imperial army and unite with Abda, the feud of the Gilzai people. The Li people went to Kandahar to put down the rebellion.

Unfortunately, the counter-insurgency army was repulsed by the Gilzai people, their coach Kai Khoslu was killed, and the siege of Kandahar had to be abandoned.

Although the empire did not suffer much losses during this counter-insurgency, the consequences of this defeat were serious, and the Safavid dynasty lost control of Kandahar.

In the autumn of 1719, the increasingly powerful Gilzai people, led by their new leader Mahmoud, tentatively invaded Kerman, an important town in the southwest of the empire.

Unexpectedly, the city surrendered without a fight, the governor fled upon hearing the news, and Mahmoud captured Kerman almost without a fight.

The Gilzai people carried out bloody massacres and looting in Kerman, tearing off the empire's tiger skin for the first time, revealing its frail body.

In the midsummer of 1721, Mahmud, who had tasted the sweetness, once again invaded the empire and visited Kerman again, hoping to harvest another handful of wool and another crop of leeks.

However, this time Kerman very unexpectedly chose to resist to the death, so that the Gilzai people who were preparing to make a happy "zero dollar purchase" did not succeed.

After besieging the city for more than eight months, the Gilzai people reluctantly accepted the 2000 tomans (1 toman is approximately equal to 2.7 taels of silver) as a redemption fee from the city of Kerman, and then left the siege angrily.

This enemy is the neighboring Karat Khanate and the Qi people of India. Taking advantage of the emptiness of Kandahar's military strength, the enemy gathered more than 10,000 troops and crossed more than 200 kilometers of desert without hesitation. Before the Gilzai people had yet to When they fled back, they despicably destroyed their lair.

However, what shocked all the Gilzais who fled back was that Kandahar was actually captured by the enemy!

However, in the process of escaping all the way, the Gilzai people not only lost a large number of "Little Hornet Cannons" and ordnance supplies, but also had to abandon countless looted rare and rare treasures, which in vain gave the Qi people who were chasing behind them a try. Like a beggar, he arrived in Kandahar in panic.

It has to be said that the Gilzai people were very lucky. During the siege that lasted for more than seven months, the Persians made all the mistakes they could. In the end, they lost all their cards. He could only take the initiative to open the city gate. The imperial Shah Sultan Hussein presented Mahmud with the feathers symbolizing royal power on his turban, and put it on the turban for the conqueror with his own hands.

The Afghans, who once killed four points, suffered a series of defeats when facing the Qi people. Shiraz, Yasuj, Shahr, and Najafabad were defeated by the Qi people one after another. It was defeated, so that the Gilzai people were knocked out of the shadows and did not dare to fight with them again.

The Qi people held a very high-profile reunion celebration in Kandahar, announcing that Kandahar would return to the rule of the Safavid dynasty.

The people of Qi verified the heads, received the gifts, and then...continued to lead the army in pursuit, making a gesture of vowing to kill all the Gilzai people in one fell swoop.

They asked for the empire's "understanding" to stop the Gilzai rebellion and allow them to return to Kandahar in safety. At that time, the Gilzai people will promise to cancel their self-reliance, return to the rule of the empire, and never rebel again.

They strolled to Isfahan, the capital of the empire, and then they had bad luck. After defeating more than 40,000 imperial troops in Gulnabad, he wanted to play big and decided to conquer Isfahan and plunder the richest city in the empire.

The forced Gilzai people thought of cutting off their tails to survive. To be precise, it should be "abandoning the commander to protect the soldiers". Mahmoud's cousin Ashraf united with several senior generals and led hundreds of confidants to disperse Mahmoud's guards while camping at night, took control of his royal tent, and then resolutely chopped off his head. .

Seeing that the situation was not good, Ashraf continued to flee eastward with his people, passing through rugged mountains and boundless deserts, and finally ran back to Afghanistan.

Let me tell you, the people of Qi are so unreasonable.

Not only did they immediately support Prince Abbas, the brother of the deposed Shah Sultan Hussein, to succeed the Shah of the Empire, but they also mobilized more than 20,000 troops to land in Persia and launch an attack on the Gilzai people. attack.

If there is no objection from anyone, then this group of "hillbillies" from Kandahar will miraculously complete a dynasty change in the empire, allowing the Afghans to take over Persia for the first time.

However, the nosy Qi people stood up at this time and clearly expressed their opposition to the Afghans occupying Persia, killing innocent people indiscriminately, banning trade, and destroying civilization.

Ashraf sent someone to give Mahmud's head to the Qi people who were pursuing him, and also enshrined dozens of carts of gold, silver and jewelry.

After plundering again in Isfahan, he quickly withdrew to Afghanistan.

But they never expected that the Qi army would not give up. After successfully regaining Isfahan, they followed the direction in which they escaped without taking much rest and pursued them all the way.

In desperation, under the order of leader Ashraf (most likely spontaneously), the Gilzai people quickly broke into pieces and scattered in the mountains.

In order to evade the pursuit of the Qibo coalition forces, the Gilzai people organized several interceptions. However, due to the panic among the people, the troops behind them often collapsed at the first touch. They were unable to stop the Qi army for a moment and were always pushed back.

Although the defenders of Kerman City were forced to pay a sum of money, which saved face, they lost their reputation and did not gain any substantial benefits. Mahmoud was unwilling to return to Kandahar like this, and decided to take a walk around the hinterland of the empire to try his luck and see if he could grab something back.

However, the Qi army did not stay in Kandahar for long. After hearing that the Caucasus region was invaded by Russia, they left in a hurry, leaving only more than 10,000 coalition soldiers to guard the area.

Perhaps in order to avoid future troubles and eliminate the root causes, the coalition launched a large-scale armed clearing of the Gilzai tribe in the mountains around Kandahar, trying to hunt down Ashraf and other leaders.

In plain areas, or in an upright battle between two armies, the coalition forces with absolute firepower advantage will often beat the Gilzai people who have backward weapons and lack effective organization to a sudden defeat.

However, in the mountainous areas with complex terrain, the coalition's advantage disappeared. In turn, they were beaten by the elusive and brave Gilzai warriors and suffered repeated losses.

In the several-year guerrilla war in the mountains, relying on local tribes and the complex and changeable mountainous terrain, the Gilzai people frequently defeated the coalition's suppression operations and created several battles that defeated the Qi army.

Although among the many results of the war, not many Qi soldiers were captured and killed, and most of them were Indian servants, this piecemeal victory allowed the Afghans who lacked weapons and equipment to seize a large number of firearms, which effectively supported the They carried out a long-lasting "jihad operation" against the invasion of foreign enemies. After suffering a humiliating defeat, the coalition forces subsequently launched large-scale military retaliation, pushing more local tribes to the side of the Gilzai people and jointly launched attacks against the invaders.

Although in the course of many years of killings, the Gilzai people also had internal disputes. Ashraf killed Mahmoud without authorization and flattered the Qi people. He was retaliated by Mahmoud's brother Hussein, and a fierce battle ensued. They were killed in a firefight, which severely weakened the power of the Gilzai people and brought their resistance to a low point. However, limited by the fragmented mountainous terrain of Kandahar Province, they still retained considerable strength and were temporarily dormant, waiting for the future.

However, the situation in Kandahar Province is still tense, and the Persians have only restored their existing rule in major towns and oases. In the vast mountains and valleys, they are still within the sphere of influence of local tribes.

When Nadir's envoy, his brother Ibrahim Khan, came to Kandahar from Herat with a business group, the journey was only more than 7 kilometers, because there were dozens of large and small people along the way. Due to the existence of tribal armed separatist forces, it took them a month and a half to overcome numerous obstacles and finally arrived safely in Kandahar in the evening of July 28.

At this moment, the scenery of Kandahar is like a magnificent picture scroll. The ancient castle stands majestically, and its spiers and towers look particularly solemn in the rising sun.

The city walls are made of stone and bricks, which are extremely strong, and are also carved with exquisite patterns and patterns. Along the city wall, you can see rows of Persian soldiers patrolling. They are wearing gray cloth military uniforms, with scimitars on their waists, and carrying muskets on their backs. Their eyes are wary of watching the caravans filing in, and they guard the city with all due diligence. The tranquility of the city.

The center of the city is a bustling market. The stalls are filled with all kinds of goods, from Qi spices, cloth, hardware products to gold and silver jewelry, all kinds of accessories, and the merchants are shouting one after another.

In one corner of the bazaar stood a true temple, its pointed dome shining golden in the sunlight. In front of the door of the real temple, believers lined up to enter. They wore white headscarves and black robes, clasped their hands, and prayed devoutly.

Surrounding the city is a vast low shrub grassland, with groups of cattle and sheep grazing leisurely, and herders holding long whips, from time to time driving the livestock near the edge.

Climbing the tower and looking into the distance, you can see that the continuous mountains look more majestic against the blue sky. Although it has been devastated by war, the city of Kandahar at this time still has magnificent castles and bustling markets, as well as devout believers and bustling residents. This city attracts travelers and businessmen from all directions with its unique charm.

"Are you sure you can meet your high-level Qi officials in Kandahar?"

After checking into a larger hotel, Ibrahim Khan did not choose to take people out to enjoy a delicious meal. Instead, he ordered his attendants to buy some cooked food in the market, and after preparing to eat in a hurry, he ordered Take an early rest to relieve fatigue after a long journey.

But while he was waiting for the meal, he summoned an accompanying Qi officer to confirm again whether he could meet a senior Qi official who could make some final decisions in Kandahar City.

"Our Qi State has stationed an Afghan envoy in Kandahar, who is mainly responsible for handling diplomatic and expatriate affairs in the region." Fu Kedong, intelligence analysis officer of the Qi State Staff Group in Persia and Linghu Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant Colonel), said expressionlessly : "Even if he cannot make a decision on your request, he can quickly report to the nearby Governor General of India or the High Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in India. Therefore, no matter what, he can give you a clear response."

"Well, very good." Ibrahim Khan showed a smile and looked at the other party sincerely: "If we can get a positive response from your Qi country, I think we will establish a mutually beneficial and friendly relationship in the future. Here we are. At that time, our Lord Governor will definitely invite you to Mashhad to serve as our military advisor to guide and train our new army. "

"..." Fu Kedong's mouth twitched, with a wry smile on his face.

More than a month ago, as an intelligence analyst, I went to Khorasan with the Persian Empire army to conquer Nadir, but I did not want to be ambushed by Nadir's army in Mayama. The battle lasted only half a day, and the Persian army was defeated, and all the troops fled in droves.

However, he was pursued by the cavalry of Nader's army and failed to escape in time, and unfortunately he was captured by them.

Perhaps out of fear of our Qi State, or not wanting to offend our Qi State too much, several captured Qi State officers, including him, were not treated harshly by the Nader army, but were treated with great courtesy by them.

As Nadir's army returned to Mashhad in victory, Nadir warmly received these captured Qi officers with a gentle attitude and reassured them that they could stay in Khorasan for the time being without worrying about their lives.

A few days later, Nadir summoned Fu Kedong, who had the highest position and rank, and asked him to serve as Nadir's representative and accompany a visiting delegation to Kandahar to help introduce senior officials from Qi to discuss cooperation between the two parties. matters.

Being captured by the enemy on the battlefield is already humiliating enough. Even if he returns safely in the end, he will definitely be ridiculed and despised by his colleagues in the army, and his military career will be greatly affected. For this reason, he still It's always stuck in my chest.

But I didn't expect that Nadir would use his identity to help introduce and visit senior officials of Qi State, so as to gain opportunities to contact and communicate with Qi State, so as to achieve the goal of in-depth cooperation between the two parties.

This is a rare and good opportunity for our Qi country!

Don't look at the fact that our Qi State is now sparing no effort to support Persia, pretending to want to help the Safavid dynasty achieve a "great renaissance."

But between countries, apart from their own interests and strategic needs, there is no selfless "internationalist spirit"!
Moreover, our Qi State’s strategic positioning is to consolidate and maintain its dominance in the Indian Ocean Rim region. Under such circumstances, how can it be possible to support a strong competitor in the Indian Ocean?
At the beginning, the Qi-Bo coalition defeated Russia and captured the entire eastern Caucasus. The Persians took the opportunity to depose the subordinate kingdoms in the region and incorporate them into the territory under the direct jurisdiction of the empire, pushing the borders of the empire to the Terek River. Forming a strategic suppression of Russia and the Ottomans.

However, this move was opposed by our Qi State, claiming that it would intensify local ethnic and religious conflicts and be detrimental to the stability of the Safavid dynasty's borders.

To put it bluntly, we in Qi do not want the Persian power to expand too much. If this encourages the Persians to expand their ambitions, let them drift, turn around and start fighting with the Ottomans in the west, who do you want us in Qi to help?
There is also the Safavid dynasty’s expedition to Khorasan Nadir, although the Persians left us Qi people aside and wanted to use their own strength to complete the de facto territorial unification.

But we people in Qi have some "little thoughts". If we want the Persians to stumble in front of Nadir and suffer a big loss, it is best for both sides to maintain a delicate balance and keep Persia in a state of division.

In this way, we, Qi, can use our hands to control Persia's internal affairs, diplomacy, military, economic and trade, and many other aspects, and firmly hold this most critical link in the Indian Ocean region in our hands.

Nowadays, Nadir has shown outstanding strength on the battlefield, proving that he has the ability to compete in front of the Safavid dynasty.

What's even better is that Nadir is so well-informed that he takes the initiative to join us in Qi.

So, as a captured general of the defeated army, if I can help Nadir reach cooperation with Qi through some strings of threads, wouldn't I be able to save some of my reputation by doing so?

(End of this chapter)