The Delhi Rajya: The Proud and Pure Army

Gwalior, Pahar Ki Mothi

Journals of the Serpent King, Prithviraj by Walter Raleigh; Chapter 5: In to the Fires

6:00 AM, 30 December 1556, Etawah:

Gwaliar Challo!

Prithviraj couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm of his troops. As they marched out of the small but beautiful town of Etawah, their spirit was renewed for the war ahead.

Just like Meerut, this town was a shadow of it's former glory. It used to be the financial capital of Panchala in the days of Mahabharat, filling thousands of merchants coffers. Now it might be enough for one or two to start a jeweler.

Clearing his head, he mounted his horse and started riding towards the main road, but Jaswantdas told him to follow him in another direction.

He agreed, but one thing he, nor his men, knew that they would be taking the route through the jungles. Jaswantdas didn't tell them, because he thought that this would demoralize the army.

He was too right for his own sake.......

*****

3:04 PM, 4 January 1557, Track from Etawah to Gwalior:

Men were dying at a great pace. What was originally meant to be a shortcut from Etawah to Gwalior, using the jungle as a detour to Gwalior turned into a nightmare. The army lost it's way and were in for hell. The Nepali soldiers were not immune to the diseases present, so were falling sick and dying. All men alike were dying from the constant raids by the Amir's, Bhil vassals, with their knowledge of the land and deadly weaponry. The army had lost a quarter of it's men and Jaswantdas himself, died from a poisoned arrow in the knee, before the army got back on it's original two day journey. Prithviraj's scouts told him that it would be four to six hours before the they made it out into clearer land. Prithviraj had instated Warish in Hussain's place, knowing that the young man was most capable. He knew he made the right choice when he noticed how seriously Warish took his job.

*****

6:15 PM, 4 January 1557, Track from Etawah to Gwalior:

"Ba Al Atish, Hameh Chi Bahakshide Shod"

Prithviraj and Sapal could both hear the beautiful Farsi hymns and smell the fire. A Zoroastrian hermitage. They knew that if they set up camp near the hermitage, they would be safe from raids, knowing the Bhil chieftans respected the holy fire. Going to the hermitage Prithviraj dismounted and waited for Magi to come out. As soon as the old man came out, Prithviraj said:

"O, venerable keeper of the Fire, grant me a place to stay for the night."

"Gladly son but who are you ? And these men with armour ? My name is Kurus, and I don't get many visitors here, so would you care to tell me your story ?........"
 
Last edited:
How integrated were the Bhils and other Adivasis into Indian society at this time? Were they Hindu, and did they acknowledge the sovereignty of any of the kingdoms, or was the jungle basically a no-man's land?
 
Bhils were definetly Hindu. They did accept the authority of the major states, so were usually rewarded as kotwaals and thakurs of their lands, given their own small contingents and forces to be skirmishers and raiders. Depicted usually as 'civilised barbarians', most rajputs accepted Bhil soveirgnity, due to the exstensive amounts of intermarraige. Dangaria is a rare example, a man who refuses the authority of anyone but himself, his dominions only ruled by Bundelcand and the Suri empire in name, him being the real master of his country.
 
Hamara Dharm

Journals of the Serpent King, Prithviraj by Walter Raleigh; Chapter 5: In to the Fires

2:07 PM, 5 January 1557, Kurus' Hermitage:

Prithviraj had spent the last night telling the wise old Kurus about the events going on at the moment. He told him about his current campaign in dire straits and him being close to defeat, unless he took Gwalior.

Kurus had thought about it for a while and then told Prithviraj to talk to him about it at afternoon. Vaguely making out som e figures coming from the forest he saw Kurus and his disciples coming back from their tilling of the fields.

*****

7:18 PM, 5 January 1557, Kurus' Hermitage:

As Prithviraj and the officers and generals of his army sat down for dinner being prepared by Kurus, his massive family and his disciples, they chattered about the next steps in the campaign. Soon the food was brought in and they started eating together with idle chatter and talk. Then Kurus suddenly asked Prithviraj:

"O King, do you know anything about the matters of the state, the rules of kingship and the needs of the common man ?"

Prithviraj staring at his food said:

"Close to none, venerable old sir."

Silence filled the room for a while. Suddenly Kurus said:

"Then I bid you give me three nights to teach you about the knowledge needed to be a king."

And the education and forming of the first king of the dynasty was started...................
 
Its back. Three days are quite short for learning, bet he will learn more as time goes on. I hope he gets the Arth-Shastra.
 
Guys, I have thought that i'll put the Delhi rajya on hold for a while, as im really geared up for the new crusader kings 2 DLC, Rajas of India. Call me stupid, (I probably am). I just want to do a Kabul Shahi TL.
 
Top