Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

In the Red Fort of Delhi, tall and imposing palace guards stood at attention, swords drawn, a palpable sense of menace filling the air. The fifty-nine-year-old, gaunt-faced Emperor Aurangzeb sat solemnly on the "Peacock Throne" in the main hall. This throne, commissioned by his father Shah Jahan, was considered one of the most extravagant in the world. Resembling a platform bed with a backrest and armrests, its base was cast in gold and inlaid with numerous diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls. The backrest was decorated with an enamel peacock sculpture, its tail inlaid with gemstones, symbolizing "the peacock spreading its tail feathers." Such a lavish throne seemed incongruous with the simple white cotton robe he wore. His father believed only such a precious throne was worthy of the Mughal emperor's noble status, unaware that true value lay not in jewels, but in the hearts and minds of the people. Aurangzeb despised his father, believing his extravagance had plunged the empire into internal strife. He believed that without his own military force to reunify the empire, its fate would be uncertain. After ascending to the throne, he waged wars in the south and north, and almost unified the whole of India. Although he lived a simple life, his illustrious achievements were more precious than any precious throne.

Indeed, his illustrious military achievements and devout Islam earned him widespread support among Muslims within the empire. However, he failed to realize that his discrimination against non-Muslim groups was alienating many from the empire. At its zenith, the empire's strength concealed these issues, but conflicts surfaced whenever a powerful enemy invaded or other uncontrollable events occurred. The desertion of numerous Hindu and Sikh soldiers during the Mughal invasion exemplified this, and the recent mass surrender of the Jati people living on the east bank of the Yamuna River to the Mughal army further exposed the empire's internal contradictions. Nevertheless, as the empire's most accomplished monarch and a conqueror of the world, Emperor Aurangzeb still enjoyed immense prestige within the country. As long as he lived, the Mughal Empire remained a unified force, and no one dared to challenge his might.

"Ahem~" Aurangzeb swept his imposing gaze across the assembled high-ranking officials. Intimidated by his imposing presence, no one dared to make a sound; the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The vizier (Prime Minister and Chief Finance Minister) Jumra, Mirbaksh (Military Commander) Amir Khan, Khan Isaman (Minister of the Interior) Chasvant, Mirbakshman (Palace Steward) Ibn, Sadr al-Ussudur (Minister of Religion and Justice) Farhad, Rajput Subadarzai, and other high-ranking officials silently awaited the Emperor's instructions.

"The great general of Wei has sent an envoy. Heh, he dares to say that I should remove my imperial title and submit to their Khan, cede Alabahhad, Kuchibihar, Kuchihajor, and Bengal to Wei, and pay them 200,000 taels of gold and 3 million taels of silver in return, and then he will immediately withdraw his troops. What do you all think I should do?" The old emperor spoke calmly, but his sharp eyes flashed with murderous intent.

“Your Majesty, this is a trick by the enemy to undermine the morale of our army. You must not fall for it!” Rajput Subadalchai was the first to object.

Aurangzeb glanced at Chai with satisfaction. The Rajputs had converted to Islam and were the most trusted ethnic group in the entire empire, second only to the Mughals. Chai, of Rajput descent, had always been utterly loyal. During the recent invasion, when Aurangzeb had mobilized reinforcements from various garrisons to aid the capital, Chai was the first to arrive with 20,000 troops, demonstrating his unwavering loyalty! Although the old emperor was very pleased with Chai's performance, he was in no hurry to express his opinion. "A strong wind reveals the strength of the grass, and a turbulent time reveals the loyalty of a minister," he thought, wanting to know the attitudes of the others.

“Governor Chai is absolutely right. This is a treacherous plot by the Wei people. Once you submit to their Khan, our army’s morale will surely be thrown into chaos!” Amir Khan immediately followed up. As the empire’s military commander, he was not only in charge of military affairs but also of appointing Mansabudars (military nobles). He wielded immense power and was highly trusted, so naturally, he had to show his loyalty at this crucial moment.

"God above all, you must not bow down to infidels!" Farhad also clearly expressed his opposition. As a devout Muslim responsible for religion and justice, he could not tolerate submitting to infidels.

"Your Majesty, we are willing to fight to the death to serve our country!" "Yes, we would rather die in battle than live a life of hardship!"... Chasvante, Ibn, and others also expressed their determination.

"Hmm," the old emperor hummed in satisfaction, glancing at Vizier (Prime Minister and Chief Finance Minister) Jumra. Jumra felt the emperor's intense gaze and knew that as the head of all officials, he had to demonstrate an unwavering resolve to fight the enemy. But as the emperor's most trusted minister, how could he not diligently advise the emperor and merely parrot others?

“Your Majesty, our main force is currently in Deccan, making it difficult to fight the Guards head-on. Since the enemy has proposed peace talks, why don’t you play along, feign peace talks to buy time, and wait for Shaysta Khan’s army to return?” In the end, Jumla decided to fulfill his duty as a subject and offered his suggestion.

“Vizil is utterly mistaken. There are already 30,000 troops stationed across the land to defend the king. Add to that His Majesty’s 20,000 Imperial Guards and the organized militia, and the garrison in Delhi will number no less than 100,000. And according to reliable sources, the number of guards on the east bank of the Yamuna River is only around 80,000. Our army has the numerical advantage. With His Majesty’s valor, why resort to delaying tactics?” Amir Khan roared.

"Our army is united in purpose, yet Jumla advises His Majesty to submit to the infidels. Is he trying to undermine morale?" Ibn shouted. As Mirsaman (the chief steward of the palace) and a close advisor to the emperor, he was prone to arrogance and domineering behavior, but the upright Jumla did not tolerate it, creating a rift between them. Now was the perfect opportunity to lash out.

Upon hearing this, Aurangzeb glanced at Jumra suspiciously. Given the immense power of the vizier, he had been gradually weakening the vizier's power over the past few years in order to centralize imperial authority. Could it be that Jumra was dissatisfied with this and wanted to consolidate his power by negotiating with the enemy?

"Anyone who undermines morale shall be executed, Your Majesty!" A furious roar suddenly echoed through the hall. A young general stepped forward; he was none other than Muhammad Amin Khan, Mansabdar (a military nobleman) from Kashmir. His father, Bahadur Khan, was the emperor's cousin and brother-in-law, and had rendered outstanding service to the empire. After his death, the emperor, out of affection for his father, bestowed upon him the title of Khan. Upon hearing of the invasion of a powerful enemy, he had specially led ten thousand troops from Kashmir to come to the capital.

"You—" Seeing a little brat dare to be so rude, Jumla trembled with anger.

"Enough! The vizier's delaying tactics are for the good of the country! You mustn't be rude!" Aurangzeb waved his hand to end the argument, then declared loudly, "Throughout my life, I have fought countless battles, never fearing any enemy, no matter how powerful. Have I grown old and become cowardly? Issue the order to behead the guards' envoy and hang his body above the city gate, proclaiming to all my subjects my determination to resist to the end! The Mughals only have emperors who die in battle, not emperors who surrender!" (End of Chapter)