Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

To celebrate the arrival of their allies, a grand banquet was held in Kokrajal. After the banquet, Alatanchan sought out Batumengke to discuss military matters.

“Saindu (good brother), I want to advance westward along the Ganges and take Delhi, the capital of the Mughals, but I am worried that the troops stationed in Bengal to the south will harass our rear. How about we split our forces? I will lead the army westward to Kuchibihar, and you will lead the army southward to conquer Bengal. What do you think?” he asked with a smile.

Batu Mengke understood perfectly well that despite the friendly address of "brother," Batu Mengke showed no humility in vying for credit. This method of dividing the spoils clearly meant he was keeping the credit for conquering the enemy capital for himself, while only giving him the reward for capturing a key enemy stronghold. He wanted to refuse, but Batu Mengke was far more senior, having been personally appointed by the Great Khan as the Grand General of the Southern Expedition and Commander-in-Chief of the entire army. Batu Mengke was merely the deputy commander; disobeying would be disobeying orders. Left with no other choice, he could only reply, "I am willing to obey the Grand General's commands."

Upon his agreement, the atmosphere in the tent immediately relaxed, and the two continued to discuss the details of the division of troops in a cheerful manner.

"General, King Basudev of Kuchibihar has bound our envoy who was sent to persuade us to surrender and sent him to Allahabad," the Yunnan Governor Ma Zhilin rushed in to report as they were discussing the matter.

"what!"

"hateful!"

Killing or humiliating the envoy was a great disrespect to the Mongols, and Alatan Cang and Batu Mengke were furious when they heard the news.

"This humble general is willing to lead an army to raze Kuchibihar and avenge the envoy!" Yunnan Governor Ma Zhilin volunteered for the mission.

"I thought that such a small country would be terrified and surrender without a fight after seeing the fate of Kuchhajor. I didn't expect that Basudev would not only be unafraid, but also take our envoy to Allahabad and hand him over to the Mughals. I underestimated him," Alatanchan said with a sneer. He had tacitly approved of King Chakdewa of Assam's massacre of Kokrajal, partly to intimidate the surrounding city-states. Anyone who dared to resist would suffer the same fate as Kokrajal! But that Basudev fellow is quite bold. I wonder what the Mughals gave him to be so loyal. Hmph! Since that's the case, let him experience the might of David!

"Issue my order: the entire army will march on Kuchibihar at the crack of tomorrow morning," he issued the order fiercely, then smiled at Batu Mengke and said, "I wanted to spend a few more days with you, my worthy brother, but I didn't expect we would have to part so soon."

Batu Mengke bowed respectfully, "I will also lead my troops to Bengal early tomorrow morning. Take care, General! Until we meet again!"

The Kingdom of Kuchibihar was far stronger than the Kingdom of Kuchihajor, possessing over 20,000 cavalry and infantry. However, their king, Basudev, was not the fearless hero Alatancham had predicted. On the contrary, this king was not very courageous, even somewhat cowardly. When Emperor Aurangzeb led his army to conquer Kuchibihar, the overwhelming might of the Mughal army had left a deep impression on him. Although the Kuchibihar army fought valiantly, they ultimately had to submit to the Mughals and cede large tracts of land. This gave him the impression that the Mughal Empire was invincible. After the war, the Mughal Empire stationed heavy troops in the cities of Alabahhad and Gogra, near Kuchibihar, further emboldening the king, who believed that as long as he clung to the Mughal Empire, he had nothing to fear. When news arrived that the Kingdom of Kuchikhajo, sharing the same language and culture, had been massacred for resisting the guards, King Basudev, though fearful, still organized the army and civilians to defend the city and sent envoys to Ram Singh, the Imperial Governor in Alabahhad, requesting reinforcements. To inspire national unity and hatred, he spread rumors about the guards' brutal acts of burning, killing, and looting, urging his people to avenge their fallen brothers from Kuchikhajo.

Therefore, when the envoys sent by Alatancan entered the capital city of Kochebihar with the arrogance of victors, demanding that King Basudev submit to the Kingdom of David and prepare to welcome the guards through the border, the king actually turned against him and ordered the envoys to be bound and taken to Alabahhad.

“Basudev! You will regret this! David’s iron hooves will trample your country, and your head will be hung on the walls of Kochebihar!” The messenger roared angrily as he was taken away, but to the king it was just pointless chatter.

Allahabad, meaning "City of Allah," was named by the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great in the 16th century. Among the many cities of the Mughal Empire, this city held an extremely important position. The confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers made it one of the most important holy sites in Hinduism. The Kumbh Mela, held every twelve years, attracted countless devotees to bathe here in order to purify their souls. Beyond its religious significance, the convenient transportation provided by the confluence of the three rivers also made it an important economic and cultural center. Akbar the Great built the formidable Allahabad Fort here, making it a crucial military stronghold of the empire.

Ram Singh, the Mughal governor of Allahabad, was a veteran general with distinguished military achievements. Born into the Rajput tribe in the western part of the empire, he was a prince of the Jaipur (Ambel) kingdom. Among the empire's ethnic groups, the Rajputs, having submitted early, were the most trusted tribe by the emperor, second only to the Mughals. Ram Singh's father, Mirza, was one of Emperor Aurangzeb's most trusted generals. He inherited his father's position and responsibilities in the Mughal court, becoming a skilled and capable Mansabudar (an important military commander and nobleman).

However, this excellent commander suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Salagah during his invasion of the Kingdom of Assam due to underestimating the enemy. After the defeat, he fell out of favor with Emperor Aurangzeb and was assigned to handle Sikh affairs. He did not complain about this loss of favor and remained loyal in persuading the ninth Sikh guru to convert to Islam. Although unsuccessful, he regained the emperor's trust. A year ago, he was appointed governor of the strategically important city of Allahabad.

Upon receiving the guards' envoy sent by King Basudev, the governor displayed superb political skills. He first wrote a letter praising Basudev, then reassured the king that he would send reinforcements. He then immediately beheaded the guards' envoy and hung his head above the city gate, cutting off the king's retreat. He then gathered a large army at Gogra, west of the Kingdom of Kuchibihar, but did not advance any further.

"Father, reinforcements are needed urgently, why are you holding back here?" his son Bishon Singh asked, puzzled.

"The Empire's main force is currently fighting the Marathas in the Deccan, and His Majesty needs time to recall the army. If we are defeated, the Guard will advance straight to the gates of Delhi. Kochebihar is far less fortified than Allahabad Fortress; if anyone is to defend, it should be Allahabad, not Kochebihar. However, if we do not come to their aid, Kuchibihar may surrender to the Guard. Therefore, I made a show of force in Gogra to give Kuchibihar a glimmer of hope," Ram Singh said shrewdly.

(End of this chapter)