Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

After reaching an agreement with Burma, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, Alatan Cang, moved his army from Jiangtou City to Mengyang City. While actively raising military supplies, replenishing troops, and training soldiers, he patiently waited for reinforcements from Sichuan and Guangxi provinces, led by the Governor-General of Sichuan, Jiancun Jiangqu, and the Governor-General of Guangxi, Zheng Guoyin. To mislead the Mughal Empire, he also released a message that he would return home once the Burmese king presented tribute.

During this period, Yunnan Governor Fang Yuxuan offered two strategies: first, to recruit 5,000 troops in Mengyang and 3,000 troops in Mubang to consolidate his rule; second, to send envoys to pacify the Nagaland Kingdom residing in the Naga Mountains, the Kata (Manipur) Kingdom residing in the Manipur River basin, and the Assam Kingdom residing in the Brahmaputra River basin. These three kingdoms blocked the passage from Burma to India, especially the Assam Kingdom, whose Brahmaputra River connected to the Ganges River of the Mughal Empire, and was the planned marching route for the garrison to advance on Delhi, making its strategic position extremely important.

That day, after finishing his military exercises, Alatan Cang returned to his main tent and suddenly felt hungry. He ordered his men to roast a fragrant leg of lamb and devoured it. Just as he was enjoying his meal, Fang Yuxuan, the governor of Yunnan, strolled into the tent. As the governor's close friend and chief strategist, Fang Yuxuan could freely enter and leave the command tent without needing his personal guards to announce his arrival.

"Here, a freshly roasted lamb leg, smells delicious," Alatancang said with a smile, personally cutting off a piece of lamb and handing it to him.

Fang Yuxuan didn't stand on ceremony, taking the fragrant mutton and swallowing it in large mouthfuls, smacking his lips. He then drank a small bowl of milk tea and let out a hearty burp. This made Alatan Cang laugh heartily, "Governor Fang, you're becoming less and less like a civil official these days, more like us rough, bloodthirsty men!"

"My lord, you are not a crude man, but a renowned general. As for me, I would rather be like Ban Dingyuan than a pedantic scholar." The imperial edict had just been received: the Great Khan of Lotus had appointed Alatan Cang, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, as the Grand General of the Southern Expedition, and Batu Mengke, the Governor-General of Ü-Tsang, as the Deputy Grand General of the Southern Expedition. He ordered them to lead their armies from west to east and from south to north respectively to invade India. Therefore, Alatan Cang was proclaimed "Grand General."

Having his itch touched, Alatan Cang chuckled, "The governor of the city has come to see me; there must be good news."

"Your Excellency, the envoys sent to the three kingdoms have returned. King Jadanahiyan of Naga and King Paiba of Katar (Manipur) are both willing to submit to the Kingdom of David, but they encountered some trouble in Assam. King Chakdewa Singh of Assam is willing to submit, but the real power in the country is in the hands of Regent Rajit Balapkhan, who is very arrogant and claims that Assam has always been independent and has no need to submit to any foreign power, thus driving our envoys back," Fang Yuxuan replied.

"Hmph~ He's just a mere local chieftain. If he doesn't obey, we'll send someone to kill him as an example to others," Alatan Cang sneered.

“You may not know this, but this man is not easy to deal with,” Fang Yuxuan calmly explained the situation of the three kingdoms to Alatan Cang, focusing on the situation of Lachit Balapkan, the God of War of Assam.

In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Southeast Asian mythology, the "Naga" is a mysterious water serpent or dragon god possessing immense power and wisdom. The Naga Kingdom was not actually a single nation, but rather a tribal alliance comprised of tribes such as the Kongyak, Chin, Ao, and Song, who worshipped the serpent god and resided in the Naga (Naga) Mountains. King Jadanahiyan was merely the alliance leader elected by the various Naga tribes. The harsh mountain environment forged the Naga people's indomitable spirit, enabling them to repeatedly repel Burmese invasions. Because of frequent wars with Burma, the Kingdom of David, which had defeated Burma, was considered an ally by King Jadanahiyan, who readily agreed to submit to David in exchange for protection.

The Kingdom of Kata, located in the Manipur River basin, has a very long history. Its earliest ruler was the mythical figure Khampa, dating back to the 15th century BCE. The first historically documented founding monarch was King Pakhampa in 33 AD. The name "Kata" originates from the language of the dominant ethnic group, the Metai. Besides the Metai, there were also the Naga and Kuki peoples, who practiced the traditional religion "Sanamahi" and believed in animism. During this period, with the rise of the Mughal Empire, Hinduism gradually spread to the kingdom.

The current King Paiba is a monarch of great talent and ambition. During his reign, he codified laws, strengthened administration, and waged several wars against Burma, failing to give his adversaries any significant advantage. Because of his enmity with Burma, he allowed Hinduism (Vishnu Buddhism) to spread within the kingdom, but rejected Prince Karibuniwaz's (originally named Pamuhiba) suggestion to fully implement Sanskritization and the caste system, insisting on using the kingdom's own ancient script, Manipuri, and striving to maintain the traditional social structure. Politically, while continuing the kingdom's unique "Pa-Sa" system ("Pa" refers to the king, and "Sa" refers to an advisory council composed of nobles and tribal elders, providing a certain check on royal power and reflecting an early form of consultative politics), he also worked to strengthen royal power. Militarily, he rigorously trained the army, especially the cavalry, based on the tradition of brave and skilled warriors.

Like Naga King Jadanahiyan, King Katar Paiba also agreed to submit to the Kingdom of David due to strained relations with Burma. However, in order to use external forces to counter Burma, he also maintained good relations with the Mughal Empire.

The Kingdom of Assam, located in northeastern India, was a kingdom established by the Tai (Shan) people. In 1228, the Tai leader Sukhafa led his people from the border region of Yunnan, China and Myanmar to the Brahmaputra Valley, conquering local tribes and establishing the kingdom. Like the Naga and Kata, the kingdom also practiced animism. However, with the introduction of Hinduism, the royal family converted to Hinduism, and the rulers changed their title from "Fa" to "Singh." During this period, the kingdom was at its peak, its territory covering the entire Brahmaputra Valley, and it developed prosperous agriculture, literature, and architecture.

However, the country unfortunately encountered its powerful western neighbor, the Mughal Empire, and the cunning, ruthless, and militarily brilliant Emperor Aurangzeb. This "world conqueror" was extremely ambitious, hoping to expand the empire's territory eastward and control the fertile Brahmaputra River basin. During the reign of his predecessor, Jayadwaji Singh, the Mughal army had briefly occupied the capital of the Kingdom of Assam, plunging the entire kingdom into crisis. Subsequently, the Mughal army continued to create friction along the border, hoping to find an opportunity to swallow the entire kingdom in one fell swoop.

Faced with the threat of the Mughal Empire, the current King Chakdewa Singh rose up to revive the dynasty, appointing outstanding generals such as Ratchit Balapukhan and reorganizing the army. Six years earlier, Shaishta Khan, the Mughal governor of Bengal, dispatched a powerful army led by his nephew, Count Muhammad Raza, to invade the Kingdom of Assam, thus beginning a large-scale war. Subsequently, Emperor Aurangzeb appointed Ram Singh I, King of the Kingdom of Ambel in Rajasthan, as commander-in-chief to conquer the Kingdom of Assam, vowing to bring the entire country under his control. King Chakdewa Singh appointed Ratchit Balapukhan as military commander, leading a coalition of tribes in a life-or-death struggle against the invaders.

The Mughal army numbered over 30,000, including elite cavalry, artillery, musketeers, and infantry, with relatively advanced equipment and tactics for the time. The Assamese army, numbering around 40,000, consisted mainly of tribal soldiers, with a smaller contingent from their ally, the Jaintiya Kingdom. Although poorly equipped, many armed only with homemade spears and bows, they were intimately familiar with the local terrain and skilled in guerrilla warfare, mountain warfare, and naval warfare. More importantly, they had a brave and fearless commander, Lachit Balapkhan. Inspired by him, the entire army was highly motivated and determined to defend the land their ancestors had inhabited.

(End of this chapter)