Prologue: The Persian Surprise
It is summer of the year 1729. A great army is camped outside Khanpur across the river. An Indian general sits outside his tent, scrawling some words on parchment.
My name is Bhalchandra Akurdikar I am a General in the Royal Indian Army of Queen Tarabai. I serve under my brother the great Rustam Akurdikar.My brother has taught me many things over the years, being in the service of India’s greatest general will do that. There are others though who are jealous of the title. One such man is Balkrishna Indukuri. Balkrishna and Rustam served together in the great Indian War of Independence 1685-1725.
We all fought on the side of the Confederacy to topple a corrupt and ancient regime the Mughal empire, may they rest in peace. Now I gladly write you about a peaceful India, my homeland. A land where a Hindu can find happiness and fulfillment anywhere in our great empire, even in the former Mughal capital of Akbarabad.
Unfortunantely the time of peace and prosperity was short-lived. As soon as India was united the treacherous Persians declared war and launched an invasion. I was busy putting down rebellions in Hindustan at the time but Rustam and Balkrishna repelled the Persian invasion. Balkrishna in an attempt to make a name for himself led an attack on Kabul,Afghanistan against orders. He took them by surprise and the attack was a smashing success. Queen Tarabai was not pleased neither was the Senakarta (Chief of the Army) who absorbed most of the fallout. After Kabul was taken the Persians refocused their attacks there instead.
In a miraculous showing of good faith, Queen Tarabai offered the Ottoman Empire Kabul in exchange for a military alliance between the two nations. A brilliant move because now the Persians were caught between two great powers that were now allied. Now if the Persians want to invade India they must go through the Ottomans first. Rumors are circulating around camp that Queen Tarabai used some afterhours diplomacy to make old Mustafa come around. Of course these rumors are quickly squashed.
Today, Rustam received a letter from army command headquarters. The letter states “All Royal Indian Forces are to make for Neroon Kot, secure the city and commence invasion of Persia. Primary objective is Baluchistan. Secondary Objective is to eliminate all Persian forces in the region. This can be left to the 2nd Army. The 1st Army must occupy Baluchistan.”
The following night, en route to Neroon, there was an officer’s meeting, both armies in attendence. I walked in to the shouting of Balkrishna, I wasn’t surprised.
Balkrishna: Why do we have to make for Neroon when we can turn West now and make it to Baluchistan in half the time. This is folly!
Rustam: The day we start questioning orders from command is the day we stop serving our country.
1st Royal Lancers: With all due respect general Indukuri, command believes there to be Persian forces massing outside Neroon, if we don’t overtake them now the city could be overrun.
Balkrishna: Then send one army to Neroon and one army west now! We are wasting men and time by sending both our armies south!
Bhalchandra: If Persia is going to invade India they would start with Neroon and we don’t know the strength of their forces so to be safe we might very well need both armies to repel them.
Balkrishna: The Persians are caught in a vice between the Ottomans and us. They have a lot of borders to guard so I seriously doubt they are massing this humoungus invasion force you all are imagining. I bid you all good evening. In the morning my boys are marching west.
Rustam: Bal, if you do this command will have no choice but to relieve you of your command this time.
Balkrishna: If this wins us the war its worth it. Let’s see if I can’t catch them by surprise twice!
::Balkrishna Exits::
Bhalchandra: Rus what are we going to do about him? What if he’s wrong and we need a second army to beat back the Persians at Neroon?
Rustam: Ah little brother, I think this time Bal has the right of it. Command wouldn’t have us attacking Persia in the first place if they didn’t sense weakness. I just hope Bal doesn’t rush too far ahead and get cut-off and encircled. Then headquarters might take my head as well for letting it happen.
Rustam and I retired to his tent to discuss the battle plan for Neroon. In the morning Balkrishna headed west as promised. Godspeed.
On our way to Neroon it was assaulted by the Persian army; as promised. The militiamen fought bravely but they were slaughtered.
The march was very long but now it is almost over. Tonight we make camp on the outskirts of Sindh. Tomorrow the Battle for Neroon will begin. The Persians will be made to pay for the crimes they committed on good indian citizens when they took Neroon.
This is the calm before the storm…
Today the Battle of Neroon begins but it’s not the battle we had expected. The Persian army continued their drive into the heart of India, after a brief siege they took the mighty city of Ahmedabad. Now the 1st Army must retake Ahmedabad as well. This separates us further from the 2nd Army, I am fearing for the worst but praying for the best.
Summer, 1730, The Battle of Neroon Kot began at dawn’s early light. I can’t really call it much of a battle though, because it’s an entire army against two divisions of militia. As soon as the battle began Rustam committed 4 divisions of the mighty sikh warriors to take on the militia. I asked why and he said for two reasons.
1. To bring an end to the conflict quickly and efficiently.
2. To give battle experience to the only non-experienced troops in the army.
The mighty Rustam Akurdikar atop his war elephant.
As expected the Sikh warriors began to make short work of the militia.
The Sikh musketeers had trouble with the militia, the militia was actually holding their own.
Rustam ordered the swordsmen to join in and bring an end to the fighting.
The Militia formed up and made one last valiant charge.
Only to be gunned down and routed.
The victory was a sweet one but more men were lost than I would have liked and I am sure Rustam is fuming. To be honest the only way we could of lost that battle was in we charged in backwards with our hands tied behind our backs, and even then we still might have won. No doubt the government will turn this into one of the greatest victories ever achieved and they will sing songs about the brave soldiers who retook Neroon Kot.
Now with the Battle of Neroon over, we are regrouping and getting ready to advance on Ahmedabad.
We wasted no time, no sooner had we taken the palace we were already on the road again.
Even though we tirelessly march to reach the Persians, their war machine barrels on. Now the Persians lay siege to Ahmadnagar. Finally, I think they have met their match. Tired, wounded, and exhausted they pushed on and now they have ran into a city guard twice their number, and fully rested. I prayer that our brave Indian captian of the guard can pull through with a victory.
The Captain of the city guard was cleaning his sabre when a small messenger boy ran up to him.
Boy: Captain Ganesh!! Captain Ganesh!!
Ganesh Thakur: What is it boy? Spit it out!
Boy: Captain, Persians! As far as the eye can see sir! There's hundreds of them.
Ganesh: Persians?! What! Here?
City Watchman: ::panting:: Captain!..::gasps:: Persians...sir! Thousands::still gasping::...of 'em!
Ganesh: Oh great now it's thousands? Next you'll tell me theres a million and were the 300 spartans. Boy, go find Skirdish and tell him to assemble the guard, and prepare for battle.
The Battle of Ahmadnagar has begun...
Musket fire erupted as the two armies met. Smoke filled the air along with the cries of the dying. The Persians advanced and the city guard held their ground.
Ganesh shouted for his precious musketeers to pull back and charged his swordsmen. His musketeers pulled back and provided fire from afar, the remainder of the battle was a chaotic bloody mess. But the brave men of the watch pulled out a great victory for India. The Persian menace was checked for now. After the battle several men were awarded medals, including Captain Ganesh Thakur who also was wounded in the battle.
It is late 1731, the 1st Army took back Ahmedabad without much incident, it was defended by a mere 2 divisions of militia. We wasted no time immediately continueing our march. Determined to catch the remainder of the Persia forces before they cause more damage. Meanwhile across the world the 2nd Army continues their march towards Baluchistan unaware of the chaos the Persians were causing in their homeland...
[ETW AAR] Indian at War
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