The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 258 Travel to India (continued)

Nine years ago (1722), the Third Mughal Civil War (also known as the Northwest War) broke out. Under the instigation of Prime Minister Nizam, the young emperor Muhammad Shah prepared to rise up and destroy the Mughal Empire. Separate the independent Nawab Kingdom and Panjinad Kingdom, thus bringing the prosperous Punjab and Sindh to the center.

At that time, hundreds of thousands of troops from the three parties launched bloody and cruel wars in Ludhiana, Rajput and other areas, causing millions of innocent people to be displaced and turned into refugees.

The Karat Khanate wanted to take advantage of this great opportunity, when all parties had no time to take care of other things, and sent troops to invade Sindh and seize the Indus River Basin, which has a large population and rich products, so as to strengthen the strength of the Baloch people.

However, the Qi people, who were determined to consume the strength of the three parties and plot the whole of India, immediately stopped the speculative behavior of the Karat Khanate and did not allow it to send troops to capture the Indus River Valley, which was empty of troops.

What a joke, if the Karat Khanate rashly intervenes and attacks the Sindh region where the Nawab Kingdom is based, wouldn't it put the entire northwest situation in danger of collapse and gain the Mughal Empire in vain.

If the Mughal Empire is allowed to take advantage of the situation and defeat the Nawab Kingdom and the Panjnad Kingdom, thereby completing the de facto unification of the north and allowing the Mughals to achieve a "great renaissance", then how can our Qi country encroach on India? , how to dismember the Mughal Empire and how to fully colonize the subcontinent?
Furthermore, if you, the Kerat Khanate, swallow up the sacred land of the Indus River Basin and gain a large population, its strength will inevitably expand rapidly. How will we, Qi State, deal with you in the future?
Although the Karat Khanate was unwilling to stop the Qi people, they did not dare to disobey. They stationed their troops on the border of Afghanistan and were on standby at any time, preparing to follow the Qi army to invade Kandahar in order to seize the Girzai people's rear. road.

Later, perhaps as a reward for the hard work and loyalty of the Kerat Khanate, after the Kandahar War, the Qi people forced the Nawab Kingdom to occupy an area of ​​about 30,000 square kilometers in the northwest on the pretext of assisting the Nawab Kingdom in quelling the riots in the capital. The oasis plain was "given" to the Karat Khanate, and finally the Baloch people had a fertile land with rich water and grass.

When Ibrahim Khan followed a huge caravan through the winding and rugged Bolun Valley, he came to an impressively open plain area.

In the endless cotton and wheat fields, hard-working farmers are busy picking and harvesting under the scorching sun. Although they looked tired and sweaty, they had bright smiles on their faces.

However, in order to pass through these two key mountain passes, the prerequisite is to control Herat in the northwest corner of Afghanistan. Based on this, we can occupy the absolute strategic initiative and will cause geopolitical consequences for Afghanistan and India. Greater military pressure.

"At this time, Khorasan should also be in the autumn harvest. I just don't know how much harvest will be possible after frequent wars and famines." Ibrahim Khan was riding on his horse while looking at the farmland on both sides of the road. and villages, while pondering the current situation in Khorasan.

Throughout thousands of years of history, whenever foreign forces want to invade India, they usually choose to break in through the Khyber Pass. As long as you cross this pass, you will see the endless Indian plains. If you rush down, you can quickly sweep across the entire India. .

In this beautiful agricultural landscape, people can feel the greatness and power of nature, and also see the beautiful scene of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. On this oasis plain, happiness and peace flow in every corner, allowing people to stay away from the hustle and bustle and war and feel the blessings of nature.

However, in Ibrahim Khan's view, going south to capture Kandahar was not a good choice, because it would arouse the vigilance of the Qi people and encounter strong counterattack by them.

This is only a peripheral area of ​​India, but whether it is agricultural production or industrial and commercial development, it faintly surpasses Khorasan. If we go to the heart of India, wouldn't it be more prosperous and wealthy?
Well, the people of Qi have been in India for decades and must have gained a lot of wealth from it. That's why they became so powerful and extended their influence to the Persian Empire.

In addition, there is a very inconspicuous mountain pass, which is the Bolan Pass in the territory of the Karat Khanate. After passing this place, it is the fertile Indus River Basin. Whether continuing to cross the Indus River to the south, breaking through Sindh and entering Rajput, or turning southeast and attacking the densely populated Punjab, it will be a smooth journey without any obstacles.

In the orchard, the plump and round fruits make people salivate. Three or five children, bare-chested and barefoot, cling to the trees and gnaw secretly, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to the entire farm.

This was Ibrahim Khan's first time on a boat, and it was a very fast steamer. Less than half an hour after leaving Sukkur, he vomited and became as languid as a dead dog. He was still lying on a narrow wooden bed, moaning and howling in pain.

After Nader's military group consolidated its rule in the Khorasan region, it quickly sent troops to defeat the Abdali people and captured Herat, thus gaining an excellent strategic situation in the region.

Since India is so rich, if one day we can bring troops to kill us, we will definitely be able to grab a lot of money, and then we can recruit more soldiers, buy more weapons, and then continue to seize more land and conquer all of us. All enemies encountered.

In this land, the land is fertile, the climate is pleasant, the sun is shining, and the waves of unharvested wheat in the fields are swaying gently in the wind, making people feel a sense of abundance and satisfaction.

After staying briefly for two days in this most important trading city on the lower reaches of the Indus River, Ibrahim Khan and a dozen of his entourages boarded a small steamer with a displacement of just over 200 tons and sailed down the river. Get off and go to Jinmen (now Karachi), the seat of the Xizhou Governor-General Government.

In the distance, rows of trees swayed gently in the breeze, bringing coolness and comfort to the plain. The breeze blows, and the grass under the trees ripples. On the grass, there are some lambs running wildly. They spread their hooves and play happily on the green grass. This filled the entire farm with laughter and vitality.

In addition to white cotton fields and golden wheat fields, there are also green vegetables and colorful fruit trees. In the vegetable field, rows of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and other vegetables are arranged in sequence. The crystal water droplets on the green leaves shine in the sun, creating a vibrant scene.

Don't be funny. Even if Nadir's military group is really powerful and can capture cities and strongholds along the way and defeat the Karat Khanate, it will definitely suffer heavy casualties in the end and become a spent force, unable to fight again.

What's more, even if Kandahar is successfully captured, can it lead the army to cross hundreds of kilometers of desert, kill the Karat Khanate protected by Qi State, and finally break into the Indus River Basin?

Going north, you can join forces with Mashhad to attack the Bukhara Khanate to gain more tribal cavalry resources; going south, you can attack Kandahar and raid eastern Persia; going east, you can capture Kabul and break into Khyber. Ershan Pass and enter the prosperous India.

Whether on the endless grassland or on the battlefield full of dangers, Ibrahim Khan was a highly skilled warrior. He rode his horse and wielded his sword, slaughtering cities and destroying lands. What a wanton life. No matter how bumpy the powerful and majestic war horse is, or how fast the speed is, he can sit firmly on the saddle, and the cutting blade does not shake at all.

Just when Ibrahim Khan was secretly thinking about how to invade India in the future and grab a big one, their caravan had arrived at Sukkur City, an important town in the Nawab Kingdom.

But he never thought that on this small steamer, such a brave and majestic man, he would act like a cowardly clown, vomiting in a mess on the ship, and he was also dizzy, his hands and feet were weak, and he could only curl up pitifully. On the bed.

On the other hand, those Qi people and some Sindhi people seemed to be indifferent, with expressions of ridicule and contempt on their faces, which made Ibrahim Khan and others feel inexplicably ashamed and... angry.

Fortunately, the wind and water were smooth, and the small steamer was very fast. In the evening, it arrived at Hyderabad, located on the lower reaches of the Indus River. I originally thought that I would stay in this city for one night and continue taking the small steamer to Tianjin tomorrow morning.

Unexpectedly, the accompanying Qi people happily told Ibrahim Khan that they would take a train here and reach Tianjin in just over three hours.

What kind of vehicle is a train?
Could it be a fire-breathing carriage?
With great doubts, Ibrahim Khan and other members of the delegation got into the carriage in a daze, and when the sky was completely dark, they arrived at a large "inn".

More than a dozen long "carriages" lie quietly on two tracks made of iron. Countless coolies are constantly carrying packages of goods into the "carriage carriages". Bustling people are flowing in and out of the carriages. Under the guidance of the uniformed "soldiers", they filed into the "carriage carriages" in the front row.

At the front of the long "carriage carriage" is a solid iron carriage. For some reason, white smoke is constantly emitting out, as if it is filled with boiling hot water.

Further forward...well, there is nothing, no horses dragging the horses, and no grooms driving the carriages.

How does such a "carriage" travel?
These "carriage carriages" are obviously connected end to end. If they are strung together, they will weigh so much. How many horses will be needed to drag them! ?
Full of doubts, Ibrahim Khan sat uneasily on a row of soft leather chairs, waiting for the "carriage" to start.

"Woo..."

As a roaring whistle sounded, the "carriage" seemed to have some movement.

Ibrahim Khan looked out the window in astonishment. Yes, the buildings and staff that kept retreating proved that the "carriage" they were riding in was moving forward. Through the half-closed window, they could still hear The clanking sound made by the "wagon wheels".

As the front of the car continued to spit out black smoke, the "roaring" sound became louder and louder, and the speed of the "carriage" gradually accelerated. In the end, it was as fast as a galloping horse. The windows on both sides of the carriage continued to pour in the cool evening breeze. The car that was dull just now suddenly became more transparent.

My true God! Such a long line of carriages actually moved, and the speed was so fast, no less fast than the speed of the cavalry when they attacked quickly.

In the carriage, many passengers like him who were taking the train for the first time were very excited. They all curiously stuck their heads out of the window and looked at the dark wilderness, and kept making exclamations from their mouths.

As early as more than ten years ago, after the government of Qi liberalized railway technology control, it wanted to build a railway from Tianjin to the Sinde region in order to obtain the abundant grain, cotton and various mineral products in the hinterland, and at the same time, it could also connect all the The country's commodities are continuously exported to the populous inland areas.

However, the situation in the Sindh region has never been very peaceful. Border conflicts with the central government of the Mughal Empire broke out from time to time. A few years ago, the Northwest War spread to the entire Sindh, Punjab, Rajput and other regions.

As the war broke out, the construction of the railway was delayed again and again and was shelved indefinitely.

A few years ago, when the Kingdom of Nawab and the Kingdom of Panjinad showed signs of being unable to sustain themselves due to the outbreak of civil strife in their respective territories, Qi State directly intervened in the war.

The Western Governorate mobilized thousands of garrison troops and Qi Indian servants to invade Rajput. It not only thwarted the Mughal Empire's attempt to sneak attack the Nawab Kingdom from the rear, but also successfully instigated the Rajput The people launched an armed uprising, expelled Mughal officials and soldiers, and declared that they wanted to establish autonomy and establish a country.

At the same time, Qi State also secretly encouraged the Maratha Empire to lead its troops northward, directly targeting the core areas ruled by the Mughal Empire.

Subsequently, the people of Qi expressed their willingness to mediate in the ongoing war in the northwest in order to restore peace and stability to the entire region.

After several years of fighting, although the Mughal Empire did not fully achieve the goals set before the war began, it had greatly weakened the strength of the two rebel kingdoms through military strikes, and also successfully provoked a Sikh rebellion. The Punjab and Sindh territories occupied by the opponent were plunged into endless wars, and they felt that it was almost time to stop.

Furthermore, taxes in the Deccan and Bengal have never been paid in full, and they are frequently in arrears, which has long made the central government of Delhi unable to make ends meet, resulting in many troops being in arrears of pay for months or even a year or two to varying degrees. If we continue to be entangled in the northwest war, there is no guarantee that there will be a serious crisis within the empire.

Therefore, after Qi State announced mediation, the Mughal Empire and other three participating countries all betrayed Qi State's face, happily ended the three-year war, and signed a temporary armistice agreement.

Now that the war is over, let's carry out a large-scale post-war reconstruction.

The Qi people easily obtained a large number of commercial and political interests in Sindh, Punjab, Rajput, and Gujarat, which not only further strengthened their control over the northwest coastal areas of India, but also extended Qi's influence to the hinterland.

After careful and in-depth exploration and planning, Qi State began to build the railway from Tianjin to Multan last year. By early June this year, the first phase of the railway from Tianjin to Hyderabad was successfully opened to traffic and commercialized. .

Therefore, when Ibrahim Khan and his delegation arrived in Hyderabad by boat, the Qi people in charge of the reception asked them to take a train instead to experience the baptism of modern civilization.

If we continue to take the small steamer, it will take almost more than a day to reach Jinmen. These barbarians from Khorasan are probably going to spit out their gall.

Taking the fast and convenient train, the journey of more than 140 kilometers successfully arrived at the destination in just over three hours.

Ibrahim Khan got off the train in a daze, then boarded the carriage arranged by the Qi people. Looking at the dotted street lights outside the carriage window, he still didn't come back to his senses.

"My true God! Are the people of Qi really the messengers sent to the world by Allah? That's why they can use the power of God to create such ingenious and miraculous things!"
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(End of this chapter)