1635 Han style rises again

March 1672, 3, Malabar Coast, Shanghai Fort (now Bombay, India).

After the Qiguo Indian Trading Company acquired this stronghold consisting of several small islands six years ago (1666), to be honest, it did not carry out any serious construction, but based on the development of the original Portuguese and the British, The defense facilities have been slightly reinforced.It wasn't that the trading company was unwilling to spend large sums of money. The frequent wars that broke out in the Maratha area near Gein severely damaged the economic order of this inland hinterland, making it impossible for Shanghai Fort to carry out normal trade at all.

Yes, the Maratha war that was once pacified by the Mughal Empire was rekindled. The Maratha hero Sivaji returned to the Maratha Mountains, and then regrouped and launched a massive anti-Mughal campaign War of the Empire.

In 1666, the same year that the famous Great Fire of London happened, Sivaji, the leader of the Maratha uprising, accepted the recruitment of the Mughal dynasty and went to Agra, the capital at that time, to meet Aurangzeb, expressing his surrender and preparing to stop it. The resistance of the Marathas.

However, Aurangzeb, the great Mughal emperor, was somewhat contemptuous, and only gave Sivaji the grade of 5000 mansab (the name of the official rank of the Mughal Empire), while his brother was also given the same grade.The proud Sivaji was recruited for 7000 mansab, so he was extremely dissatisfied with the emperor's reward, but he had no choice but to be imprisoned in a mansion in Agra.

From the perspective of a newcomer, the most serious mistake Aurangzeb made was that when Sivaji expressed dissatisfaction and showed an unruly attitude, he should be executed immediately to avoid future troubles.Instead of just putting him under house arrest and letting him fend for himself.

Perhaps, in the eyes of the emperor, Sivaji was just an insignificant little character, and he didn't take it seriously. After he surrendered, he didn't bother to care about him anymore.

A year later, the powerful Sivaji managed to escape from Agra and returned to the Maratha Mountains. Then he summoned the old ministry and launched round after round of attacks on the Mughal Empire.In just three years from 1668 to 1671, Sivaji captured a large area including Pune, and even tried to imitate the previous Deccan country, establishing a set of Peshwa (Prime Minister) ) and other departments, the bandit group that previously collected protection fees began to transform into a formal regional state.

Tsk tsk, if Aurangzeb learns about these actions of the Marathas, he will definitely have a familiar taste, because this is also the path that the Mughals walked three generations ago.

Chhatrapati Shivaji stood on the wharf of Shanghai Fort, looked at a [-]-ton Qi State armed merchant ship docked at the berth, showed some envy, and remained silent for a long time.

"We also want to build a powerful navy comparable to that of the Qi people." Shivaji said solemnly: "You know, the Maratha region is adjacent to the Malabar coast, and we can conduct foreign trade nearby and earn a lot of money in order to maintain and strengthen our army. At the same time, with a strong navy, we can also obtain a large number of horses from the north-west of India, ample food from the south, and sharp firearms and sharp weapons from foreign hands. Iron sword."

"...to build a navy, it will cost countless money." Sviraj Patil was shocked by Sivaji's words. At this time, even the mighty Mughal Empire Nor has it established a powerful navy comparable to that of Qi. The only thing that can be relied on is the inland navy composed of many small boats in Bangladesh.

In the early years, the Mughal Empire also built some huge sea ships in order to go to Mecca for pilgrimage.Later, when the Qi people came to India, in order to gain the favor of the imperial ruling class, they first provided sea escort services to the Mughals on their pilgrimage to ensure their safety along the way.In the next few years, the people of Qi simply launched a kind of maritime "Didi business", and brought in several special boats for immigrants to provide intimate and full-service services for the Mughals' annual pilgrimage activities.So far, the Mughal Empire has simply given up building those unreliable large ships, and entrusted the merchant ships of Qi State for personnel travel, cargo transportation, and military capital transfer.

And although their Marathas captured a lot of territory in a short period of time, with millions of people and more than [-] troops, compared with the huge Mughal Empire, this strength is simply incomparable. .Moreover, they have to face threats from the Mughal Empire and the Bijapur Sultan Kingdom at the same time.How can they build a strong navy under these circumstances.

"We Marathas cannot always depend on outsiders." Sivaji shook his head and said: "Whether it is the Qi people or the Dutch, now they can secretly provide us with weapons and other supplies for the sake of profit. But if we face the Mughal Under the threat and pressure of the empire, they will also abandon us backhandedly. It is even very possible that under the heavy bribes of the Mughal Empire, they will blockade us at sea and prohibit the import of materials."

"...The Qi people should not be afraid of the Mughals." Sviraj Patil, who has been dealing with the Qi people for several years, hesitated a little, and said softly: "They are in the Indian region and have powerful sea power. , and also controlled the two kingdoms of Cochin and Kozhikode in the south, which can be described as strong. Moreover, with the minds of the Qi people, it is inevitable that the Mughals will not be able to successfully unify the Indian region and establish a complete and powerful empire. Therefore, it is in their fundamental interest for the people of Qi to support us with materials and armaments."

"Patil, the affairs of the Indian region must be resolved by us Indians ourselves in the end, and we cannot pin all our hopes on outsiders." Sivaji said in a deep voice: "If time passes, we Marathas will defeat conquered the Mughal Empire and Bijapur Kingdom, controlled the entire Deccan Plateau, even unified the Indian continent, and established a great Maratha Empire. At that time, a powerful maritime force that could threaten us at any time will inevitably become our enemy. Therefore, we now need to plan ahead and build a navy of our own.”

"We don't have our own port now, let alone our own shipyard. It will be very difficult for us to build a navy from scratch."

"It doesn't matter, we don't have our own port, we can grab one. We don't have our own shipyard, we can recruit craftsmen to build one." Sivaji said with a smile: "As long as we make up our minds and overcome all kinds of difficulties, sooner or later there will be a The navy belongs to our Marat people. Well, this time we come to the Qi people to buy weapons and food, and you can ask by the way, can you sell us one or two sea ships, and train our own sailors first."

"..." Sviraj Patil looked at the high-spirited Sivaji, and couldn't help but sighed slightly.

Although our Maratha leader is talented and far-sighted, he is also a great invincible commander on the battlefield, but he is still a bit ambitious in achieving the goal of establishing a navy.Whether it is in terms of material and financial resources, or the severe situation we are in now, we Maratha people are not allowed to maintain a strong army on land and at the same time build a navy that can be used to great effect. .

"...At present, the attention of the Mughal Empire is still on the desolate northwest border area. The unruly Afghan local tribes continue to set off uprisings against the Mughal Empire, and even launched attacks on the wealthy Punjab region several times. Although the army sent by the Mughal Empire was well-equipped and extremely good at fighting, in the complex terrain in the northwest mountainous area, it was also difficult to cope with the endless sneak attacks of tribal fighters. It is estimated that it would be difficult to completely eliminate them in a short period of time. Those enemies."

Zuo Deshun, the black-clothed intelligence officer stationed on the west coast of India, Captain Renyong (Lieutenant) put down the intelligence materials in his hand, looked at the visiting Maratha guests with a smile, and said: "In view of this, the Mughals The Emperor of the Empire has made an important decision. I think this decision may be considered excellent news for you Marathas."

"What good news?" After hearing what the translator told him, Sivaji was a little displeased with the way the officer from the Qi State was playing tricks.

Maratha people often travel to and from Shanghai Fort. In addition to buying arms and supplies, they will also ask Qi people for some important news about the Mughal Empire so that they can make advance responses.Over the years, they have traveled freely and horizontally in the Maratha Mountains. Under the encirclement and suppression of the Mughal Empire and the Sultan Kingdom of Bijapur several times, they can always escape easily and inflict heavy damage on their opponents from time to time. This is inseparable from the Qi people. Some important information provided.

Zuo Deshun saw Sviraj Patil quietly stretching out a few fingers on the opposite side, nodded knowingly, and continued: "The emperor of the Mughal Empire, Aurangzeb, faced the endless land in the northwest region. He has lost patience with the rebellion. He is going to lead a personal conquest and lead the elite Royal Guards in Peshawar to personally wipe out the resistance forces there. According to reliable sources, Aurangzeb will also mobilize part of the army from the Deccan region, Send to areas of tension in Afghanistan. Then you Marathas have your chance!"

Hearing this, Sivaji frowned, and the joy flashed across his face.

In recent years, when the Mughal Empire started to resolve the turmoil on the northwest border, the Maratha people began to step up the integration of the tribes and armed forces in the Maratha area, uniting them into a powerful fighting group to carry out resistance against Bijapur Liberation Wars of the Sultans and Mughals.

In October last year, after a tough battle, the Marathas conquered the important town of Pune in one fell swoop, and their power rose sharply.Numerous Maratha tribes and many local Hindu forces who were dissatisfied with the rule of the Mughal Empire responded and voted, becoming an important third-party force in the Deccan region.

While stepping up his siege, Sivaji was also paying close attention to the reaction of the Mughal Empire, fearing that the empire would gather a large army to encircle and destroy their unstable Maratha regime in anger.

Today, according to information from the people of Qi, the Mughal Empire still seems to be focusing on the barren Afghan region in the northwest, and even has to deploy troops from the Deccan Plateau to completely consolidate their frontier security.

As the Qi people said, the opportunity for their Maratha people has come. They can take advantage of the distraction of the Mughal Empire to continue to consolidate and expand the area controlled by the Maratha people, and they can even consider establishing a Maratha kingdom. Unite the hearts of the army and the people.

"We can give you the weapons and food you are looking for this time, but the payment method needs to be changed a little bit." After Zuo Deshun reported the intelligence about the Mughal Empire to the Marathas, the Indian Trading Company was stationed in Shanghai. Zhuo Yuanzheng, the treasurer of the fort, said with a smile: "We need you to provide a thousand Maratha warriors, including five hundred cavalry, to accompany our Indian trading company to the Qiulong Kingdom."

"You Qi people want to conquer the Qiulong Kingdom?" Sivaji couldn't help frowning.

"Boss, we are a trading company, how can we conquer a country?" Zhuo Yuanzheng shook his head and said, "We are just rectifying the normal trade order and removing unnecessary market barriers. At the same time, we want to let this country Our merchants and trade activities can uphold a relatively fair and friendly attitude."

When Sivaji heard the words, a look of disapproval appeared on his face.When these Qi people faced the powerful Mughal Empire, they were extremely submissive, strictly abided by the various rules of the Mughals, and conducted trade activities honestly.But when they dealt with several small countries in the south, they showed a strong desire to control.

The Kingdom of Cochin has existed in name only a few years ago. Members of the royal family, including the king, were completely emptied by the Qi people. After receiving an annuity of 30 rupees from the Qi people every year, they happily stayed in the palace and enjoyed a dreamy life. .The local affairs, diplomacy and defense of the country are all controlled by the Qi people, or managed by the Cochin puppets supported by the Qi people.

As for the Kingdom of Kozhikode, after the Portuguese were squeezed out eight years ago, the people of Qi gradually controlled all foreign trade and domestic economy and people's livelihood, and even the import and export tariffs were decided by the people of Qi.The daily training and management of the kingdom's army is also controlled by the military instructors sent by the Qi people, and it seems that they have become a vassal of the Qi people.

Now, the Qi people have set their sights on the poor hilly kingdom again, and are planning to build a castle on the west coast of India, starting from Lumen Fort (now Karachi, Pakistan) in the north and going south to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin, the southernmost tip of India). , a commercial network supported by Surat, Shanghai and Anfeng (now Cochin City in southwest India) in the middle, in order to completely monopolize and control the foreign trade channels on the west coast of India.

If the current layout of Qi State in Persia, the Red Sea, East Africa, and South Africa is added, the trade network and major routes in the entire Indian Ocean region will be completely controlled by them, realizing the maritime supremacy that the Portuguese dreamed of.

More than 100 years ago, the ambitious Portuguese formulated a grand maritime strategy, which was to bypass the African continent, control the Indian Ocean trade to choke the throat of the true god world, and at the same time find a strong ally in the east to pinch Egypt (then Mamelu Ke Dynasty) and the Ottomans, to realize the unfinished great cause of the Crusades.

In the first ten years of the sixteenth century, the Portuguese suddenly rushed into the ancient Indian Ocean, disrupting the traditional pattern of the region by virtue of the technical advantage of artillery.The Portuguese's goal was simple: to switch the traditional trade routes of Eurasia via the Middle East to new ones via East Africa and the Cape of Good Hope.If this ideal goal can be realized, then the new trade monopoly will greatly nourish Portugal, and at the same time severely damage the world of True God, which relies on the Red Sea and Persian Gulf trade routes.

Under the guidance of this idea, Portugal first seized a series of city-states and strongholds, including Sofala (1505), Kilwa (1505), Mozambique (1507) in East Africa; Cochin (1503) on the west coast of India; ), Kannur (1505), Goa (1510).However, the most important achievement among them was the capture of the city of Malacca in 1511.

In general, before 1530, the Portuguese successfully attacked the old sea route by controlling a series of strongholds along the coast of the Indian Ocean. The ideal goal completely turns things around.

Although it successfully captured Malacca, it could not prevent the true God businessmen from forming new trade centers in Brunei and Aceh to compete with it.Although it successfully established a series of strongholds along the coast of India, it was unable to go deep inland to control production, and it was simply inconspicuous in the eyes of the main Indian kingdoms.

It threatened the crucial Red Sea and Persian Gulf, but it was not enough to control these two areas.Control of Hormuz required Persian support, which itself damaged Portugal's monopoly; while Socotra Island was not enough to block the Red Sea, Portugal could not seize Aden.

After all, Portugal was not a new self-righteous overlord, but a novice player in the ancient Indian Ocean trade.The Portuguese played big chess, only to realize that the board and the rules of the game were actually imagined by themselves, only to realize that they had changed from a chess player to someone else's chess piece.

The logic of history is sometimes very strange. You think you are playing a big game of chess, but in fact this game does not exist at all.

You think you are playing one game of chess, but you are actually playing another game of chess.

You think you are playing chess, but in fact you are being played.

Perhaps only at this time can people realize how small the subjective consciousness is within the limitations of the times.

And now, Qi Guo stood up again, ready to continue playing that game of chess that the Portuguese hadn't finished playing in the Indian Ocean.