Here is thy update, Codex. I've been having a few troubles with MM that have yet to be resolved, but I managed to play enough for a decently sizable update. The Khan of Khans will, in time, make all the fields his forefathers set their eyes upon the lands of him and his children alone. Should he fail, then Andhaira VIII will take up that duty, and should he fail, then Andhaira IX. History shall repeat itself as such, until all the Andhairavids are scourged from God’s sight.
With support from Andhaira himself (The event doesn't tell you, but converting costs you 100 ducats for some reason.
) the Sikh Guru and his followers finish the glorious temple at Amritsar. The temple is, upon completion, far more majestic than anything Andhaira could have imagined. In his inane artistic pretention, the Shah saw no option but to either convert, or to scour the Sikhs from the Earth. Andhaira, forgoing his coronation oaths, swears by the teachings of the Guru. The Andhairavids are now a Sikh dynasty, all glory to the one true Sikh deity whose name I do not know!
A substantial population of the Empire is already Sikh. Many more willingly give up their faith, so that they might return into the glorious embrace of their divine ruler. For some reason no one raises much of a fuss about the whole religious conversion thing. I guess Andhaira really is love.
The old Islamic religious offices such as the Sheik ul-Islam, founded by Andhaira I himself, are disbanded. This is a great blasphemy to be sure. Andhaira the Great's memory is a sacred body in the Empire. Fortunately, the Shah can simply rely on the ignorance of the uneducated masses. Even if they knew, they would probably only be vaguely outraged for a short time, and would then go back to their farming and sodomy. For the intellectual, well-educated men of the Shahdom, there is always the chopping block.
The conversion to Sikhism eliminates the Guru as a political adversary to the Shah. Now, he is simply a religious leader, not a political one. Sikhs throughout the Empire are rallying under the visage of Andhaira I. They cry out to the Shah, that his standard must fly over every corner of India, and perhaps, beyond? The common people march up and down the streets, in a vague semblance of military drill, shouting to the heavens.
"Andhaira is love! Andhaira is love! There is only Andhaira, for Andhaira is love!"
The Shah begins a general reform of Andhairavid forces, with a focus on developing infantry and artillery tactics. The Andhairavid cavalry remains much as it was, although the use of firearms instead of the traditional nomad's bow is becoming more common. Superior modern artillery is introduced, but artillery still remains mostly a tool for sieges.
Andhaira looks to the Ottoman Empire and their splendid Janissary Corps. A similar kind of infantry, uniform, tightly disciplined and equipped with firearms, is adopted. Regional troops such as ferocious Pashtun raiders from Kohistan are still used, but they are irregulars. The solid gunpowder formations of the West will form the mainstay of the Andhairavid army from now on.
Another look at the Sikh religious bonuses. Not only am I now supremely multikult, but the 10% manpower bonus is very significant. Sunni Muslim states gets a -20% manpower penalty, so Sikhism is massively superior at face value. The leader fire bonus is also nice, seeing as I'm relying on masses of infantry now.
I get a slightly different version of the Guru event. This leads me to believe that the Sikh event chain is rather shit. The Golden Temple event wasn't very good either. For some reason I have the option to ban the religion I just converted to. The only difference here is that supporting Sikhism costs 25 ducats, rather than 5. I'm assuming this event is available for Sikhs to help spread Sikhism, but it could just be bad design. It might also have something to do with my multikult, similar to how I could ban trade with the Muslim world when i was still Sunni. I decide to pay the 25 ducats, in the hopes that it might help spread the new faith.
On the bright side, the Sufi Order and Muslim merchant events now sort of make sense.
Oh shi-
The bastard Khan of Samarkand has declared war on the Andhairavids (in fact, correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think this is the first time someone has actually declared war on me during peacetime in this LP. Religion of Peace indeed.
). He is a mighty ruler, but the glorious Sikh Empire of Andhaira can only triumph in the face of such a despicable heathen adversary! The Khan demands that the Shah embrace the so called "Religion of Peace". His carcass will be put on display outside Amritsar! (or it would, if the game let you execute monarchs) Sikhism is the true Religion of Peace! The Shah will shove his pacifism down their filthy Uzbek throats. Still, this declaration comes as something of a surprise. War with the Transoxianans has been some time coming, and the Shah was expecting conflict with the Muslim heathens, but not so soon. They may overrun some border defenses. Regardless of what happens, this will most certainly be a bitter conflict.
Andhaira succeds in marching his men swiftly enough to prevent an Uzbek incursion into the Punjab. So swift is his reaction, he even has time enough to occupy some Transoxianan land. The old seat of the Ghaznavids is occupied. Meanwhile, the Sindhi Horde is keeping the Uzbek scum at bay in Baluchistan.
After some brief skirmishing along the border, a large force of mountain tribesmen marches into Sistan through Khorasan. The Sindhi Horde moves to engage this raiding force, sending more than ten thousand souls to a fiery damnation (Do Sikhs actually have a hell of some sort?)
The Khan of Samarkand, of the Durranid dynasty, is an able commander of men, admittedly even more so than the Shah. What he lacks however, is competent computer AI. He brings his main force to attack the Shah at Kohistan. He is solidly beaten, and is forced to flee to Ghazni. The Shah follows, but if a decisive victory is not won then he does not plan to pursue. If his men didn't starve in the desert, then they would be ambushed in the mountains. The main Transoxianan force must be completely destroyed before the Shah can march on Samarkand.
As expected, a decisive victory is not won ( I'd like to note that the Transoxianans are land tech 20, meaning they lack gunpowder troops. Presumably shitty rolls and shittier generals are why we're inflicting roughly even casualties) at Ghazni. The Shah retreats to Kohistan, while the Sindhi Horde remains in Baluchistan.
Several months pass. Both Andhaira and Durrani Khan reinforce. The Uzbek filth manage to outmaneuver the Shah, attacking the Sindhi Horde while the Shah is in Kohistan. The Shah sends his cavalry ahead to aid the Baluchistan defenders. The Shah’s gambit is ultimately a success, giving him enough time to reinforce the Sindhi Horde. The elusive decisive victory is not won, but it is a blow severe enough to send the subhumans flying back into their mountains.
Pro Patria
Both sides reinforce, in preparation for another bout of brutal fighting. Durrani inexplicably decides to march into Kandahar, directly between the Delhi and Sindhi Hordes. With some maneuvering, the Shah manages to catch him in a pincer attack. Durrani, however, pulls his men back with relatively few casualties, inflicting heavy losses on the Shah's forces through ambush and attrition. Andhaira is forced to retreat, realizing that his maneuver failed.
Fight the good fight! (with your voice on the radio.) Believe what is right!
Galvanized by a sudden surge of fighting spirit back home, Andhaira's men rain bloody fury on the Uzbek subhuman sodomite savages At long last, after years of harsh fighting, the Transoxianan army is crushed. Durrani is forced to flee for his citadel in Samarkand, waiting for his inevitable defeat. The Shah is a man of good manners, so he will not have to wait for long.
Andhaira allows his men a few months to reinforce. After the two Hordes are suitably replenished, the bloody march to Samarkand begins. The Sindhi Horde forces up through Kandahar, while the Shah takes his men through Kabulistan and the Afghan mountains.
The Shah's Baluchi scouts bring word of an enormous rebel force outside of Samarkand. Andhaira is determined to seize the great city, if only as a symbolic victory. No way around it then, the rebels must be crushed.
The push continues. Both the Sindhi and Delhi Hordes meet at Karshi. They have been severely diminished, but these brave soldiers must endure for just a few more months. Soon, Samarkand will fall to Andhaira and his Sikhs, and then, the Uzbeks suitably humbled, there can be peace.
The rebels seize Samarkand. Andhaira spots his opportunity. If the rebels are beaten in the field, then their small garrison force will not last for long.
The battle is another bloody victory, but it is a victory regardless. Samarkand is ripe for the taking. Timur must be spinning in his grave right now.
Finally, at long last, the great city of the Timurids falls. The war, despite fierce bloodshed and hardship, is a complete and utter victory.
The peace is far too lenient, in the Shah's opinion (If it wasn't 3 infamy per province I'd have taken Kabulistan and Ghazni), but it is enough. Hopefully the Uzbek subhumans will learn something from this. If not, then at least next time they will not be quite so troublesome.
Oh God, the WE, it hurts, it hurts so bad.
Meanwhile...
By the magnificent bronzed testicles of Christ’s second lover, holy shit! I only noticed this at the end of the war. I kept getting generic Sikh religious events, but that would have forced me to split this war into two updates so I left them out. Presumably that is what caused this extremely rapid conversion. As you can see, the entire Empire is now Sikh. Not only that, but most of my religious minorities have vanished! The Shahdom is now united in faith under the glorious reign of the Andhairavids. Many brave soldiers died in this war, and many more must die if Andhaira's love is to spread across Asia. There is only Andhaira, for Andhaira is love.