Larkana, seat of the Ziyarid Malikate

[Xion]

History

A noble dynasty descended from a Mamluk warrior of the Soomra(ٍخخةقش) Dynasty of Sindhi that by the 1170s his descendants had become Emirs of a portion of Sauriva under the Soomra as a reward for service in the past in wars against the Solanki Rajputs to the east. However in 1175, the Solanki would successfully defeat the Soomra Dynasty as part of an apparent war to place the Thikana of Debul as leader of Sauriva(or said Rajput vassal of the Soomra successfully revolted and conquered Sauriva), forcing the Ziyarid to retreat northward to Mansura(منصوره), the original Sindhi capital that was sacked in a prior war by the Ghaznavid Dynasty and was a shadow of it's former glory. The Ziyarid have remained in Mansura, rebuilding it to some degree and serving the Ghurid Sultanate after their overlords bent the knee in 1182 AD to the Sultanate as courtiers in the court in Lahore, or as border wardens against Debul. Following the descent into chaos after the Ghurid Sultanate's collapse along with the apparent extinction of the Soomra Dyansty in a Rajput uprising in Aror, the Ziyarids have managed to annex much of the former western bank provinces of the Soomra Shahdom under their rule while forming an alliance with the Shah of Multan to destroy the upstart Raja of Aror and reclaim Sauriva, and as of 1207 both these goals have been accomplished. The Ziyarids now plan to attempt to keep their realm together against any who may attempt to divide it, return to Debul, and have claimed the throne of the Sindh that was vacant following the end of the Soomra.

Realm Information

Capital : Larkana, Bhakkar Provinces : Debul, Quzdar, Kandail, Sibi, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Ranikot, Armail, Kurat Present Objective : Weakening of the Maharaja of Solanki, maintain current lands Military Information 14,000 Points (5,000 from title, 9,000 from provinces) *May be 16,000 if secondary title takes effect) Host of Larkana Location : Divided, en route to last two Debul provinces Commander(s) -Malik Ismail Ziyarid -Sheikha Soraya Ziyarid -Tariq Ziyarid 140 Askari Horsemen [Elite Mobile] 3,000 Ahdath Bowmen [Light Missile] 4,000 Levy Spearmen [Light Spear] 3,000 Sammat Macemen[ Light 'Sword'] 600 Qiqaniyya Archers [Heavy Archer] 600 Mamluk Warriors [Heavy Sword] 400 Sindhi Rajput [Heavy Sword] 550 Bharat Spearmen [Heavy Spearmen] 500 Zamindari Pikemen [Heavy Pikemen] 170 Sindhi Horsemen [Light Horse Archers] 170 Dhiqan Lancers [Light Cavalry] 175 Mamluks [Heavy Cavalry] 175 Mamluk Horse Archers [Heavy Horse Archers] 10 War Elephants

[Wheatley]

A train of riders in scaled armor arrives from the northern bank of the Indus River. At their head comes Arslan Shahzada, son and heir of the newly proclaimed Shah of Multan. On the other side of the river lay the Raja of Aror. His men cast suspicious looks across and were met with equally malicious looks from the Hindu Sindhi. Arslan's courtier rode to the gates and called out to the gate guards.

"Mirza Arslan Fakhr al-Din Shahzada ibn Mahmoud arrives to speak with the Emir of Larkana! Is he given access?"

[Xion]

Two weeks after the failure of diplomacy at Lahore and the apparent agreement of a second council to be held in roughly five months time, the Ziyarid twins return to Larkana to discover a Hindu Rajput had risen from the chaos across the Indus where their now former liege, the Soomra Dynasty's fiefs were located. Some consider it a sign from Allah for a change of leadership in the Sindh, while others considered it an ill omen of the Hindus seeking retribution for past actions. The Ziyarid demense already had consisted of Kandai, Bhakkar, and Quzdar from prior events, but with the chaos beginning to grip the realm and the loss of their nominal overlord, the Sheikh of Rajanpur and Timarot of Sibi swore their fealty to the Ziyarid after being approached by the twins as they passed through their lands, explaining the necessity for the former vassals of the Soomra that were not already divided up or under a Rajput had to band together to ensure the survival of their Kingdom and potentially the restoration of a Soomra Shah to the throne of Sindh. Late into the night the twins discuss their next course of action, and what stance they should take towards these successors to the Ghurids.
--
Soraya and Ismail are sitting in the Paradise Garden built by their father on the shores of the Indus when the messenger arrives inquiring if the Emir of Larkana will meet with a emissary of the self-proclaimed Shah of Multan. "Emir of Larkana? Is our title not Emir of Bhakkar, brother?" "That is my title, sister. Yours is Emira of Sauriva, at least in actuality when we reclaim it from the infidel." Soraya hisses in irritation before sipping from her glass of coffee. "I thought it was the other way around, but perhaps we should entertain this emissary to distract us from our disagreement." "I could not agree more. Do send for him, guard." "Yes, my lord."

The emissary and several of his retainers are let in after a short wait and led through Larkana to the palatial grounds, then to the Paradise garden where the twins are sitting on the far side of the garden under an umbrella on divans with a table bearing several plates of food and two glasses. A servant points out the emissary to the pair and they nod to the guard. "It seems they are ready to receive you now."

[Wheatley]

Arslan nods to the servant.

"Thank you." He says and long broad steps to the table. The moment he had left his father's lands, eyes had been following his party on the east bank, occasionally an arrow would be shot from a young hot-head of either party and land in the river or on its shore. One time, someone of importance had seen them coming. A short man with a thick black mustache, wearing a purple turban and golden robes surrounded by tall sturdy warriors covered in small pieces of steel here and there, wearing a long white cape over the metal. The sun had also been an unwelcome companion on his journey, boiling his men in their armor. They'd refused to remove it, as long as they were in foreign land with infidels a few hundred paces away.

He made himself seen before the twins.

"May I sit?" He asked them.

[Xion]

The servant bows to Arslan before walking back over to the table as well, while the guard that had escorted the party to the garden has returned to his route. When he stands before the twins, both look up and gesture to a third divan facing the two they each have occupied. "Of course. Would you like something to drink or eat after your journey from Multan?" "It is most unfortunate such a journey is now fraught with risk due to events across the Indus, primarily the fall of the Soomra Dynasty to some southern Rajput clan." On the table, he can see a variety of fruits, two loaves of flatbread, and a mixture of local and Persian food.

[Wheatley]

Arslan bowed his head and took a bite of an apricot as he sat down.

"Water please, the sun has drained me dry." He said, switching his gaze between the twins. It was a bit unsettling how they spoke as if they were one mind with two bodies.

"My father Mahmoud has also heard that the Soomra have fallen to the wrong-believers and grieves at such a loss for Islam, despite them being Ismaili and not Sunni like himself. He had hoped that you two would join forces with him and expel the Raja of Aror from Ab-e-Sind."

[Xion]

A servant brings Arslan a glass of water and leaves the pitcher on the table. Another brings in a map with several chess pieces to represent Aror, Solanki, Debul, Multan, and Larkana.

"Of course we will, allowing the Raja to solidify his reign and seek allies in Debul or the Solanki Rajputs would present a great risk to Multan and Larkana. Hopefully there are some Soomra supporters across the Indus still..perhaps we could see if they would rise up to support us, Insha'Allah."

[Wheatley]

A servant brings Arslan a glass of water and leaves the pitcher on the table. Another brings in a map with several chess pieces to represent Aror, Solanki, Debul, Multan, and Larkana.

"Of course we will, allowing the Raja to solidify his reign and seek allies in Debul or the Solanki Rajputs would present a great risk to Multan and Larkana. Hopefully there are some Soomra supporters across the Indus still..perhaps we could see if they would rise up to support us, Insha'Allah."

"Hopefully... There is also the possibility that he already has these allies, else how dare he declare himself Raja without knowing to be supported when we come for him?"

He pointed to the lands south of the Ziyarid Emirate, that separated them from the sea and then his finger moved to the Gujarat.

"To strike at the Aror is to provoke his two neighbours to the south and east. It'd be wise to make sure these two are not given the time to join forces against us."

[Xion]

"Ambition to exploit the vacuum of power left by the fall of the Soomra, perhaps?" "Quite similar to the division of the Sultanate amongst all those at Lahore." Soraya thinks. "If he already has those allies, he could be plotting with them as we speak to launch an attack on one or both of our lands." Ismail moves the Debul piece, a pawn to Larkana, and the other two Hindu pieces to Multan. "One of their forces could engage our forces here in Larkana while the other attack Multan, or the reverse could occur if they deem Larkana the greater threat. Or the Raja may divide his forces and attack both Larkana and Multan with the support of the southern states."

Ismail then moves them back to their original positions. "I agree. We would have to strike with all haste at Aror and not only defeat his forces, but capture him and his heir if not slay them to prevent them from escaping to either of these courts to rally them to restore him not only to Aror, but expand his realm at the expense of ours." Soraya selects two pieces and places then on the border to the south and the border of Gujarat and Multan. "While perhaps keeping a small army to delay any attempts by Gujarat or Debul to support Aror by opening another front to the war?"

[Wheatley]

"Ambition to exploit the vacuum of power left by the fall of the Soomra, perhaps?" "Quite similar to the division of the Sultanate amongst all those at Lahore." Soraya thinks. "If he already has those allies, he could be plotting with them as we speak to launch an attack on one or both of our lands." Ismail moves the Debul piece, a pawn to Larkana, and the other two Hindu pieces to Multan. "One of their forces could engage our forces here in Larkana while the other attack Multan, or the reverse could occur if they deem Larkana the greater threat. Or the Raja may divide his forces and attack both Larkana and Multan with the support of the southern states."

Ismail then moves them back to their original positions. "I agree. We would have to strike with all haste at Aror and not only defeat his forces, but capture him and his heir if not slay them to prevent them from escaping to either of these courts to rally them to restore him not only to Aror, but expand his realm at the expense of ours." Soraya selects two pieces and places then on the border to the south and the border of Gujarat and Multan. "While perhaps keeping a small army to delay any attempts by Gujarat or Debul to support Aror by opening another front to the war?"

"If you hold the Debul in place, I can move in on Aror and then join forces with you to fully subjugate them. Then our combined forces can together face any threat the Gujarat might pose, if they even are willing to raise their swords against. Perhaps Allah is generous and keeps the Maharaja of Gujarat occupied on another front when we move to take the Ab-e-Sind." Arslan said with hope. Inside he knew that such luck was slim.

"My father can field a few thousand, enough to match both Debul and Aror. They could be here within a few months time, insha'allah, and clear the east bank from Hindus."

[Ace_General]

Ghazan Durrani arrives

[Ace_General]

Ghazan Durrani arrives to discuss important matter

[Xion]

Ghazan is let into Larkana after the guards receive permission from the Ziyarids, and led to the Paradise Garden of the Palace, where Ismail and Soraya are present, with Ismail playing chess against one of their vassals, and Soraya inspecting a setar she had bought from a merchant, occasionally playing a note.

[Ace_General]

Ghazan is let into Larkana after the guards receive permission from the Ziyarids, and led to the Paradise Garden of the Palace, where Ismail and Soraya are present, with Ismail playing chess against one of their vassals, and Soraya inspecting a setar she had bought from a merchant, occasionally playing a note.

Ghazan bows and says

Blessings of the Prophet be upon you, Ismail and Soraya Ziyarid. I have come after speaking with Imam Sadreddin and my brother and I have several opportunities to discuss.

[Xion]

"May the Prophet also bless you, Ghazan Baig. What are these opportunities you speak of?" Ismail looks at the Afghan curiously, intrigued. Soraya, less so. "I will venture a guess these may have to do with the Imam's words from Lahore?"

[Ace_General]

Ghazan takes a seat next to the chess board and looks over the game and then says to Ismail

Well several related things. First, we know you have your eye on Hindu lands in the Indus and we wish to liberate our pashtun brothers in the Ghurid remant. Also, the Imam, may allah watch over and guide him, wishes to form a confederacy of muslim states, which we have, in preliminary stages agreed to join.

Now, we ask several things, first, when my people march on Kandahar and Herat, we ask taht you join us and may take the province directly to your west. Then, when you move against the Raja of Aror, we promise to send troops to aid you, provided we get a share of the slaves and the loot. We also ask that you join this confederacy the Imam is proposing, that that is has stated to me he would be willing to provide the support of the confederacy to wrest the mouth of the Indus river out of the hands of the Infidels.

From what we understand, this confederacy of the faithful, there will be trade agreements, mutual defense, and perhaps a common currency, but all of this will be up for debate. And do you think such a agreement would interest the Mahmoudins?

[Xion]

"You are asking a lot of us, Ghazan Baig." Soraya says while playing a few notes on her setar. Ismail nods. "My sister is right. You wish for us to engage the Ghurid Remnant state in Persia as part of a likely long war with our forces that may be already engaged in conflict against the Rajputs to our south or against a successor state to the Sultanate should civil war erupt from whatever may occur in a few months time at Lahore. What if the Ghurids win, they will seek reprisal against us or even worse may consider the proverb "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." They may stomach to work with the Rajputs against the Ziyarids only to betray them later. You offer aid against Aror, when you may still be engaged in war with the Ghurids, and many of the people there are Muslim..we would not be pillaging their land but liberating it from the Hindus, Ghazan.I feel they may rise up against this self-proclaimed Raja if his force is defeated in battle."

"This confederacy, is it not true the Imam's lands are on the other side of the former sultanate, past Delhi? Such an alliance is risky to accept since aid is unlikely to arrive from either end of it until it is too late." Ismail nods. "My sister has a point, this confederacy seems to be rather isolated from each other. Perhaps if others were to join it may be more viable...and as for the Shah of Multan, I know not. You will have to present it to him to determine his opinion." Ismail sighs and takes a piece of his opponents. "For now, with the risk of Debul, Aror, and potentially Solanki being greater than ever, I fear we can't agree to support your war at this time..and as I have said about the confederation, perhaps if others join and it's principles are fully stated, we will consider it."

[Ace_General]

"You are asking a lot of us, Ghazan Baig." Soraya says while playing a few notes on her setar. Ismail nods. "My sister is right. You wish for us to engage the Ghurid Remnant state in Persia as part of a likely long war with our forces that may be already engaged in conflict against the Rajputs to our south or against a successor state to the Sultanate should civil war erupt from whatever may occur in a few months time at Lahore. What if the Ghurids win, they will seek reprisal against us or even worse may consider the proverb "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." They may stomach to work with the Rajputs against the Ziyarids only to betray them later. You offer aid against Aror, when you may still be engaged in war with the Ghurids, and many of the people there are Muslim..we would not be pillaging their land but liberating it from the Hindus, Ghazan.I feel they may rise up against this self-proclaimed Raja if his force is defeated in battle."

"This confederacy, is it not true the Imam's lands are on the other side of the former sultanate, past Delhi? Such an alliance is risky to accept since aid is unlikely to arrive from either end of it until it is too late." Ismail nods. "My sister has a point, this confederacy seems to be rather isolated from each other. Perhaps if others were to join it may be more viable...and as for the Shah of Multan, I know not. You will have to present it to him to determine his opinion." Ismail sighs and takes a piece of his opponents. "For now, with the risk of Debul, Aror, and potentially Solanki being greater than ever, I fear we can't agree to support your war at this time..and as I have said about the confederation, perhaps if others join and it's principles are fully stated, we will consider it."

The Afghans nod and says

We will clarify the princepals of the confederacy and come back with a revised proposal pending negotiations with the Shan of Multan.

[Xion]

The Afghans nod and says

We will clarify the princepals of the confederacy and come back with a revised proposal pending negotiations with the Shan of Multan.

"Very well, my court shall await your return with a more comprehensive proposal, Ghazan Baig. Ma'Salaam." Ismail puts the king of his opponent in checkmate.

[Wheatley]

Arslan frowned in deep concern and looked up from the paper, scratching the hair on his chin.

"Then we must move before Aror is brought under Solinki protection. The Maharaja must also be vary to strike at us, no? For all they know, the Ghurids or some of the Mamluk Generals will come to our aid if we were attacked." He said, though he did not know how much the Maharaja knew, how many spies he had in the old empire of Mu'izz al-Din Mohammed. It would be a gamble.