Mithila, Seat of Imam Sadreddin al-Rumi

[Nesimî]

WIP

[Dirty Chai]

It was a dimly lit room, the sun's light having disappeared into the west.
There were fires lit about, but it was still comfortably of twilight nature.

Hasan was sitting on one side of a low table upon a comfortable red cushion.
He had traveled with Sadreddin to these eastern lands, and had stopped for a while in the Imam's new home before continuing on to explore Assam.

"Were you serious about declaring a new 'succession', here in the far east? There is no man related to the Prophet east of the Sind.."
Hasan Shahin had found it an awing idea at the time, but was now weary of the response it gathered from the other leaders.

[Nesimî]

"To be honest with you, I imagined we would have someone fill the position for a while as everyone went and found a Qurayshite to marry. My grandfather said he was a Sayyed, you can find a lot of these claimants in Turkish and Persian nobility."

Sadreddin answered.

"We will find a way when the opportunity arises, but first I believe we should turn our attention to our immediate frontier. Our lands are seperated, a foothold for the southerners is a serious disadvantage."

[Dirty Chai]

"To be honest with you, I imagined we would have someone fill the position for a while as everyone went and found a Qurayshite to marry. My grandfather said he was a Sayyed, you can find a lot of these claimants in Turkish and Persian nobility."

Sadreddin answered.

"We will find a way when the opportunity arises, but first I believe we should turn our attention to our immediate frontier. Our lands are seperated, a foothold for the southerners is a serious disadvantage."

Hasan blinked.
"We will be overrun if the south attacks in any significant strength."
He looked down to the table between them, as if there was a map there.
"A Hindu rules freely now in Bengal, to the south."

[Zectorman]

A contingent of riders approaches the edge of Mithila, bearing the Standard of Yilmaz. One of the riders calls out to the gaurds of the city, "My Lord Sultan Cihan Yilamz wishes to speak with the honored Imam!"

[Nesimî]

He is quickly greeted and shown into a small study, where the Imam had been happily leafing through a short book. "Cihan Bey, to what do I owe this honor?" he asked, setting his book aside. The words "Deliverance from Error" could be made out on its cover.

[Zectorman]

Cihan smiled, genuinely, "Asalaamu alaikum, Imam, I see you also have a fondness for knowledge. Whenever I have the chance I like to sit and read myself. Though those days become fewer and fewer in these chaotic days."

Cihan went to take a seat opposite of the Imam, "As you might already know, my lands are directly bordering yours to the west and I wised to personally guarantee that I have no ambitions for your own lands. In fact from what I know you wish to unite us, which is a very noble cause. I myself stylize myself a Ghazi, seeing the holy lands myself at a young age within the Ayyubid Sultanate. I also wish to unite fellow Ghazi and holy men, where it is faith and knowledge that determine greatness, not the force of arms. I wish to continue the work I was doing under the reign of our now passed master, and bring all of India together."

He looked around the study for a second or two before continuing, "I wish for us to be allies Imam Sadreddin,and more importantly friends. I think together we can subdue the many hindus that surround us and protect ourselves from greedy eyes of our brothers, though that pains me to say. Already I have noticed a former hindu subject has absorbed a smaller state and has threatened us not to interfere with his work. Not to mention Islam is relatively young and new to this place and the number of converts is small but growing. I wish to protect us all, and secure our new homes. I wish to reach out to your pupil as well, to solidify the east as best we can, to mutually assure that Islam is protected and will grow. "

[Nesimî]

"Ayyubi? Now there was a great man. I respect your devotion to faith and knowledge, but I have never been able to call myself a Ghazi. I feel I cannot be sure which wars I fight in are truly righteous. The aggression of the Maharaja, however must be contained. This alliance is a good initiative. What exactly did you have in mind?"

[Zectorman]

"You may not be a Ghazi now, but you command the respect and loyalty of many. You are indeed a great man to have garnered this much admiration. What I wish to do is form a coalition of sorts. I would like to use the strength of the eastern emirs and curb the advancement of the Bengals and expand further south to protect our immediate lands. My long term goals? I will not lie to you, I wish to unite all of Islam in India, but i would do so with little to no bloodshed between us as possible. I will show them by my own deeds that I am fit to unite the Ummah."

Cihan rises and finds a map of the know area among the many texts, "Where I would start, is just to have word of our mutual partnership known and maybe the partnership of your old friend Hasan, then unite our lands by subduing the hindus in Madhupur. Uniting our lands would be the first step in securing ourselves in the east. But of course, this all hinges on your blessing. I cannot pass through your lands without your consent. But if you did, maybe the word of our rather strong friendship could make the hindus cower and submit without war."

[Nesimî]

"You may not be a Ghazi now, but you command the respect and loyalty of many. You are indeed a great man to have garnered this much admiration. What I wish to do is form a coalition of sorts. I would like to use the strength of the eastern emirs and curb the advancement of the Bengals and expand further south to protect our immediate lands. My long term goals? I will not lie to you, I wish to unite all of Islam in India, but i would do so with little to no bloodshed between us as possible. I will show them by my own deeds that I am fit to unite the Ummah."

Cihan rises and finds a map of the know area among the many texts, "Where I would start, is just to have word of our mutual partnership known and maybe the partnership of your old friend Hasan, then unite our lands by subduing the hindus in Madhupur. Uniting our lands would be the first step in securing ourselves in the east. But of course, this all hinges on your blessing. I cannot pass through your lands without your consent. But if you did, maybe the word of our rather strong friendship could make the hindus cower and submit without war."

"The Afghans also have agreed to a sort of confederation, with the clause that we aid them against the Ghurid remnant. Do you mean to name yourself Sultan, after these plans are achieved? I would certainly like the idea of unity, but a new candidate for Sultan is not something new. No doubt Akbar also wishes to become the single leader of Islam in Hindustan.

[Nesimî]

"The kingdom between our lands is dangerous, and no doubt the Elephant Man will try and take his hold there soon. Perhaps some action needs to be taken."

[Dirty Chai]

"The kingdom between our lands is dangerous, and no doubt the Elephant Man will try and take his hold there soon. Perhaps some action needs to be taken."

"Not with our strength."
The young mamluk seemed frustrated.
"They have divided the Ummah over petty ambition, and now we cannot stand against our foes. Just as Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn defeated the crusaders in the west, we must defeat the Hindus here in the east."

[Nesimî]

"From a certain perspective we are the crusaders here. I have no desire to take more Hindu land, but it seems that politics works in this way. Ideally we could be united somehow and just snarl at the smaller kingdoms until they bent the knee, but short of some strong alliance, I am not sure how to proceed."

[Zectorman]

Cihan looked to the floor considering the Imams point before continuing. After a second he raised his eyes to meat the imams, "It was Akbar that fractured the Ummah in the first place, and I think he means to unite us whether we wish it or not. He is more ambitious than he is pious. And I do not say those words lightly of a man I once called brother. I do not wish him harm, but he moves to subjugate other emirs in India."

Cihan leans forward, fingers interwoven together under his head, "As to the question of whether or not I wish to be sultan. Many sultans have already been made in one day. If I can unite the ummah with as little bloodshed between us as possible, am I not a better candidate than those that would kill other Muslims?"

[Dirty Chai]

"From a certain perspective we are the crusaders here. I have no desire to take more Hindu land, but it seems that politics works in this way. Ideally we could be united somehow and just snarl at the smaller kingdoms until they bent the knee, but short of some strong alliance, I am not sure how to proceed."

"Yet they are the ones who would now crusade against our hold here."
Hasan shook his head.
"Allah should see no difference when two men fight; the man who wins is a murderer, no matter who he is.
If Allah does disrespect this equality, then he is not Allah. It is the hard truth of this world that we must often live with our actions, not justify them."

[Nesimî]

Cihan looked to the floor considering the Imams point before continuing. After a second he raised his eyes to meat the imams, "It was Akbar that fractured the Ummah in the first place, and I think he means to unite us whether we wish it or not. He is more ambitious than he is pious. And I do not say those words lightly of a man I once called brother. I do not wish him harm, but he moves to subjugate other emirs in India."

Cihan leans forward, fingers interwoven together under his head, "As to the question of whether or not I wish to be sultan. Many sultans have already been made in one day. If I can unite the ummah with as little bloodshed between us as possible, am I not a better candidate than those that would kill other Muslims?"

"That entirely depends on whether you will be supported. I will not conceal my feelings here, I would rather see you than Akbar as Sultan, but the truth of the matter remains the same. You wish to declare yourself supreme ruler with as little bloodshed as possible, would you shed blood should I not support you? How about the Ziyarids or Akbar? It seems entirely as if you will take the same path as Akbar, with only your piety as stronger support."

"Yet they are the ones who would now crusade against our hold here."
Hasan shook his head.
"Allah should see no difference when two men fight; the man who wins is a murderer, no matter who he is.
If Allah does disrespect this equality, then he is not Allah. It is the hard truth of this world that we must often live with our actions, not justify them."

"If a man attempts to kill someone, and the other is forced to defend himself and kill the other, they are not in the same position. The first took the initiative on his own, the other not only preserved himself but also struck down an attempted murderer, something he himself never was."

[Ace_General]

An Afghan Dispatch rider arrives with a letter for Imam Sadreddin

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

To our most wise Habibi:

We have entered negotiations with Mahmoud Shah, and he has agreed to support our confederacy.

May the Prophet Guide you,
Abdullah and Ghazan Durrani

[Dirty Chai]

"Yet he still has ended another life."
Hasan was confident in this, raising a finger.
"You cannot reason that away, malik. All I am saying is that lives should be respected and revered, not cut down like weeds in a field."

[Zectorman]

Cihan smiled, he figured this would be the next question, or the question on every other emirs mind in general. "The point of this meeting, is to come to an agreement so I will never have to make such a choice. But your concerns are valid. I would name myself this Sultan of Sultans, only because I think I have the ability, not only the piety too. Not subjugate, but unite mind you. I have no intentions of fighting other Muslims unless they force my hand. Force through unprovoked hostility, or attacking other Muslims. I have seen one family kill one another over land, while their are more important enemies and paths that need attention. If you do not support me, then I would show you why you should, not through threats but by promises. I promise to show my brothers and sisters within the Ummah why I am fit to lead. I will not only protect them against the infidel, but I will continue the Late Sultans work and push further into India. By my actions alone I will inspire them to join me willingly."

He leaned backwards and sighed, "Maybe not this year or even in the next decade. But I intend to show the Ummah I am worthy"

[Nesimî]

"Yet he still has ended another life."
Hasan was confident in this, raising a finger.
"You cannot reason that away, malik. All I am saying is that lives should be respected and revered, not cut down like weeds in a field."

"And if this man is riding a white elephant, and coming towards you very quickly? Respect for life is certainly important. Not so perhaps for some of the Emirs who have replaced the Quran with Bukhari, but I digress. What would you have us do?"

Cihan smiled, he figured this would be the next question, or the question on every other emirs mind in general. "The point of this meeting, is to come to an agreement so I will never have to make such a choice. But your concerns are valid. I would name myself this Sultan of Sultans, only because I think I have the ability, not only the piety too. Not subjugate, but unite mind you. I have no intentions of fighting other Muslims unless they force my hand. Force through unprovoked hostility, or attacking other Muslims. I have seen one family kill one another over land, while their are more important enemies and paths that need attention. If you do not support me, then I would show you why you should, not through threats but by promises. I promise to show my brothers and sisters within the Ummah why I am fit to lead. I will not only protect them against the infidel, but I will continue the Late Sultans work and push further into India. By my actions alone I will inspire them to join me willingly."

He leaned backwards and sighed, "Maybe not this year or even in the next decade. But I intend to show the Ummah I am worthy"

"Until such an impression is made, I do not think I can yet support your claim. What I can do is both supply an alliance and a chance to prove yourself. A confederacy is being made between the Muslim states of Hindustan. If you would join us and fight alongside us we would have a chance to witness your worth."