The Vales of Kashmir to the Malabar Coast- a Mughal Empire TL

[Badshah]

*As told in the history of the Indian Empire by Dr Faroukh Khan


The ascendance of Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Khushru-i-Giti Panah, Abu'l-Fath Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Padshah Ghazi, otherwise known as Jahangir I, would be considered a turning point for the Indian Empire at Delhi, as Emperor Akbar died. The empire was a standard of wealth and imperialism unlike no other, and in his death the late emperor had left a treasury holding vast amounts of wealth that would strike a man blind if he ever saw it with the naked eye. He also left something more, a wealth of culture and philosophy that pervaded everyday life in the imperial court.

Attachment 156275
The world upon the death of Akbar I

The main goal of the empire was to recapture Samarqand, for it was the place where Babur had hailed from, and was the birthplace of the empire of which we live in today, but Jahangir, upon becoming emperor, rejected that goal. He argued that the best place to expand would be the south, and as emperor it was his duty to make sure his empire prospered. What was hidden from public fact, was that while he was a capable commander, he was an incompetent ruler, and left that to his wife, Nur Jahan.

He craved the heat of battle, blood on his sword and valour in his heart, and, so, on the morning of January 26th, 1606, Jahangir began his march to the south.

The Deccan Conquests

Jahangir began his attack on Golconda first, easily removing its weakened defenses, and worked very opportunistically. He wooed some of the Muslim states in the south to weaken their Hindu neighbours, and they did what was told to them, for none of them wanted to challenge the Mughal Emperor. What he really did, however, was weaken his future conquests, and although none of them realised it yet, they had been tricked into falling prey to Jahangir's sinking fangs. By the end of a decade, Jahangir had conquered vital regions of the Oriyan Coast and had laid the foundations of inner skirmishes between the South Indian states on which one should get what, adopting a policy of non-interference on the topic, waiting on the opportunity to strike.



The world 1616

[MerryPrankster]

I don't recall seeing any Mughal-centric Indian TLs here before, so points for that.

How does the Emperor leave governance to his wife exactly? Does he simply rely on her for advice a lot?

I doubt she would be able to rule openly in his absence or have any official role.

[Badshah]

Originally Posted by MerryPrankster

I don't recall seeing any Mughal-centric Indian TLs here before, so points for that.

How does the Emperor leave governance to his wife exactly? Does he simply rely on her for advice a lot?

I doubt she would be able to rule openly in his absence or have any official role.

Nur Jahan was OTL the power behind the throne. It's the same thing at this point.

[Badshah]

Any more thoughts, so far?

[Roger II]

Now this is something new. Subscribed.

[Badshah]

I should have a new chapter up in an hour or two. Just gotta finish up on some homework.

[Novak]

I'm liking it, keep it up!

[Badshah]

Jahangir and Nur Jahan

Jahangir was hardly a good ruler, and was not close to as tolerant of other faiths as his father. Luckily for him, this was tempered by the fair dealings of his wife and courtiers, who were truly responsible for running the empire. Jahangir frequently found himself indulging in drink, and had a reputation for being drunk when it came to the battlefield. In fact, many of his allies stated that it had saved his life more than once. Beyond the battlefield, he was heavily interested in sport and women, and spent equal amounts of time in his harem, as out on the field with his falcons. Early in his youth, it was surmised that he had an affair with one of his courtesans, something which Emperor Akbar forbade, eventually entombing her alive in a prison of brick, in which she probably starved in. This story is romanticised in the movie, Mughal-e-Azam, albeit with a happier ending, although still sad.

Jahangir met Nur Jahan in 1606, following the mysterious death of her husband. Immediately infatuated with her, they got married the following year after, just as he commenced his Deccan campaigns. Eventually, her grip on Delhi increased exponentially, and she became the real ruler of the country, while Jahangir was at war. Her rule saw the increase of dealings with Europeans, something she used to her advantage, giving them worthless land in establishing trading posts. Soon, however, she limited this, seeing the effects of these trading posts on Ceylon, essentially making them a puppet, and put through increased reforms concerning trading rights with Europeans, something which they disliked.

Nur Jahan supported her stepson Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) as the next Mughal Emperor and advised to be patient, rather than create a war of succession, and reminded him of the fate of Khusrau (who was blinded following his disloyalty). Eventually, Khurram relented, and she married off both her niece, Mumtaz Mahal and Ladlii Begum, to Khurram. This not only cemented her grip on the court of Jahangir, but also on that of Shah Jahan.

Certainly, the emperor and his wife complemented each other immensely and stories of their love echo even today from the vales of Kashmir to the Malabar coasts.

[Badshah]

Okay, I'm going to create a discussion thread for this, where you guys can post your opinions, any ideas on how to improve the thread, or even help me with making maps or even contribute some stuff. If I use it, I will credit you for it, so don't worry, and I could use the help for countries beyond Asia.

Here's the link to the Discussion Threadhttp://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...d.php?t=214961

[Badshah]

No thoughts on the timeline?

[Ganesha]

It's good so far. How do you plan to avoid the issues of decentralization that the Mughal Empire faced OTL?

[Badshah]

Originally Posted by Ganesha

It's good so far. How do you plan to avoid the issues of decentralization that the Mughal Empire faced OTL?

I created a discussion thread on all this, so I can give you a detailed explanation on that, and maybe you could give me a few contribution and ideas.

[Badshah]

I should have an update up by the end of today...latest tomorrow.

[Flocculencio]

I'll be interested to see how you develop Mughal involvement in S. India. IOTL the Mughals were never able to extend their power into the Tamil country and to Kerala. The religious mixture they'll find in the South is going to be very different from that in the North.

[Badshah]

Originally Posted by Flocculencio

I'll be interested to see how you develop Mughal involvement in S. India. IOTL the Mughals were never able to extend their power into the Tamil country and to Kerala. The religious mixture they'll find in the South is going to be very different from that in the North.

Then you're going to be really surprised with the 20th century. I'm sure it'll be implausible, but what I'm more focused on is telling a story that makes sense and is at least good! There will be some surprising events, and I could use a lot of help from you, being as knowledgeable in Indian history as you are, so if things start to get really impossible, please point them out.

[Badshah]

The Mughal-Madurai War

With Madurai severely weakened by Mysore, Jahangir cunningly led an attack on the shell of a country, pushing through the area swiftly. By 1626, the country is on the verge of collapsing, with trade between the British and Portuguese failing, and the lack of food coming in to the people. However, in 1627, as he continued his campaign, Jahangir fell ill. Vomiting severely with blood coming out of his throat, several holymen surrounding him commented that he was atoning for his sins. According to his doctor, his skin had turned pale, and his eyes had become diluted and the treatments used on him failed miserably. Jahangir died that night, most possibly a victim of poison, and his campaign lost steam. The troops had lost morale, and a bigger event had popped up: the succession crisis caused by his death. With whatever influence they had left, a peace accord was signed with Madurai, as the troops returned to Delhi to fight for Prince Khurram.

[Badshah]

I should have an update tomorrow, but maybe not, since I have a lot of homework. I'll try to at least create a short entry.

[Badshah]

The War of Succession

The death of Jahangir triggered a war for the throne between his two sons and grandson. Prince Khurram, who was at Lahore at the time of his death immediately seized the throne and thus claimed the title of emperor. His nephew and brother, however, had different ideas. Prince Sharyar was in Awadh at the time of his father's death and controlled large parts of the east, arousing the support of the Nawab of Bengal, and claiming the throne for himself. Dawar, Shah Jahan's nephew, however, decided to seek help against the forces of his uncle, and secured the aid of Persia in exchange for land.

Dawar was unstoppable and his forces were constantly encircling Lahore, while the Persians invaded Afghanistan in the east. His forces successfully captured Delhi in the Siege of 1627 and he held court there for quite a few years, while Khurram was basically completely blocked from the rest of his army in Lahore. Prince Sharyar had not liked that, and he attempted several attacks on Delhi before simply consolidating what land he had.

Khurram attempted several ways to get out of his situation, including hiding in a fruit basket in order to get out into the front, and managed to get most of his family out, with the exception of Muhiuddin, whom stayed with his father for the remainder of the siege.

[Badshah]

Cont'd

The Dawari forces had advanced considerably in 1628
By 1628, Dawar had cemented his hold on northern India, as the Persians continued to move in and assist his forces moving into Thatta and Afghanistan. Delhi itself was in his grasp, and while Lahore was still holding out, it would not be long before Dawar would be able to take over the entire empire. He had ambitions to broaden the empire towards the south, and even sought to expand into the lands in the east...but first, he had to contend with Khurram, or Shah Jahan, as he called himself. Dawar and his loyal generals created a plan, where enlisting the help of the Persians was absolutely necessary, and as a result, they discussed a treaty ceding large areas of the Northwestern frontier to Persia, in order to procure the forces needed to attack the forts of Lahore directly. Muhammad Sharrouf, a general of Dewar, spearheaded the attack with cannons, which would penetrate the walls of the palace. After that, they were to move in the infantry, supported by the bowmen and musketmen, which would attack from the front. At the sides of the fort, the forces of Abdul Rahman would send in the elephants to trample the weak point of the fort, followed by the horseback fighters. Dawar actively wooed the Sikhs of Panjab for their aid, and so a regiment of Sikh warriors joined the fray, hitting the city from the back.

Attachment 157267
City of Lahore, 1867, well after the reconstruction of it.

Eventually the fortress was penetrated, and the forces of Dawar entered the imperial chambers, whereupon he killed the eleven-year old Mohiuddin, and faced "Shah Jahan". Dawar, who was not known for his mercy, offered some to his uncle. Instead of killing him there, he ordered his imprisonment in the Lahore Fort, never allowing him to leave.

While all this was happening in Lahore, Sharyar, all the way in Varanasi, decided to suspend his campaign, and flees to Nepal, not wishing to be imprisoned, and while he isn't chased after, it is assumed he died there shortly after entering by order of the king.

[Badshah]

The Consolidation

After the imprisonment of Shah Jahan in Lahore Fort, Dawar, crowning himself officially in Delhi, and renamed himself Akbar II, much to the chagrin of his relatives. In the peace processes, several generals were assassinated in the court, and others, were promoted, including Muhammad Sharrouf, who ended up becoming a chief adviser to the emperor. Muhammad negotiated a peace treaty with the Persians, offering them land, but took away any power the Sikhs had in order to maintain central authority over the empire. This angered the Sikhs, but at that time they were a minor factor, and Akbar II was more concerned with taming Bengal, the former stronghold of Prince Shahryar. The majority of the forces were sent there to contain any possible revolts against the Empire, and the troops stationed there were ordered to capture or kill all dissenters.



Several religious leaders cried out against the violence, but to no avail: it happened anyway. A great "purge" happened, with the virtual destruction of the royal family itself. Dawar ruthlessly ordered the death of his brother, Garshasp and his cousins, Tahmuras and Hoshang. He tirelessly pursued the sons of Shah Jahan, and managed to kill them all except for Dara Shikoh, who managed to get asylum in the Ottoman Empire.

The Exile
Dara Shikoh did not enjoy his life in Istanbul, and he yearned to return to India, but eventually, he started to create a new one there. The Sultan Murad IV was a brutal ruler, and only three years older than the Prince, but on 1640, he was married to the Sultan's sister, Princess Miriam, in a wedding ceremony that echoed through Europe and Asia, and the following year they had a son, whom they named after the emperor, Murad.

The Reign of Akbar II

During his rule, Akbar II had commissioned the creation of the Delhi Imperial Palace, based on the architecture of Topkapi Palace, and built the city of Akbarabad, currently merely a section of Delhi, then a bustling metropolis of trade and culture. He promoted trade with other powers and managed to increase the influence of Indian merchants in Zanzibar and Malacca, establishing power bases there.

Akbar II had managed to unite the Empire completely, ideologically and in spirit in 1640, without any more rebellions, but the birth of Murad in Istanbul left him in an anxious mood. While he himself had a head for administration and proved to be an able ruler, putting through many reforms and managed to further Islamic law in the nation without further conflict, Dara had gained the favour of the Caliph, and there was no further legitimacy than that. This, coupled with the growing foothold of the Portuguese, and the enlargement of China, as well as the fact that his own son was a drunk, left him troubled til the day of his death.