Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

In the Mughal Empire, the will of Emperor Aurangzeb was supreme. After the body of the guard was hung on the walls of Delhi, everyone understood the will of the supreme ruler. All the departments related to the war sprang into action, and one after another, Mansabudars (military nobles) were incorporated into the army with their cavalry. The empire practiced the Mansabudar system, where Mansabudars, while enjoying status, land, and stipends, were required to provide their own cavalry, equipment, and horses, undergo regular inspections, and participate in battle when war came. The number of troops they contributed depended on their rank. In addition to 50,000 regular soldiers, another 50,000 "militia" quickly gathered near Delhi.

With an army of 100,000 at his command, Emperor Aurangzeb felt confident. A seasoned warrior, he knew how to utilize the terrain; the turbulent Jumuna River provided excellent cover. He established his camp on its west bank, dug three wide and deep trenches, behind which were laid barbed wire and horse traps, and erected long earthen walls. He then ordered cannons to be mounted on these walls. "If any of my troops want to cross the river, they'll have to pay with their lives," he proudly told his men.

"Although Your Majesty's defenses are impregnable, the Jadi have already surrendered to the enemy. We must guard against the enemy bypassing the Jumuna River and launching an attack on us from the north," Vizier Jumla kindly reminded us.

Aurangzeb glanced at the prime minister and chief treasurer and smiled, “Vizil is absolutely right. I anticipated this and have already sent Muhammad Amin Khan with 10,000 elite troops to garrison Panibat. Muhammad Amin Khan is brave and fierce in battle. Even if the guards come from the north, what is there to fear?”

“Your Majesty, Muhammad Amin Khan is young and impetuous. I fear he might fall for the trap set by the Central Guard. Panibat is the place that twice changed the fate of our Mughal Empire; it must not be lost. I am willing to lead 10,000 troops to reinforce Panibat,” Jumla volunteered. The two battles that supposedly changed the fate of the Mughal Empire refer to the two epic battles fought on the Panibat plain. The first occurred in 1526, when Babur the Great, the founder of the Mughal Empire, faced Ibrahim Lodi, the last Sultan of the Lodi dynasty in Delhi. Babur used heavy artillery fire and employed the “Trugma” tactic (flank encirclement by mobile cavalry) to defeat Ibrahim's army, destroy the Lodi dynasty, and establish the Mughal Empire. The second occurred in 1556, when Akbar the Great, Babur's grandson, faced the Hindu general Hemu, who had once occupied Delhi and proclaimed himself “Vijaya.” The thirteen-year-old Akbar fought bravely with the assistance of Vizier Bairam Khan. During the fierce battle, Khmu was shot in the eye and fell into a coma, leading to the defeat of his army. These two major battles, one establishing the Mughal dynasty and the other reversing the decline of the Mughal dynasty after the death of Babur the Great, laid the foundation for the establishment of a vast empire in the future. This is why Jumla said that the Mughal dynasty was "changed twice."

“Yes, Vizier is right,” Aurangzeb nodded and was about to agree.

Seeing this, Mirsaman (the chief steward) Ibn quickly approached the old emperor and whispered, "The guards are attacking, and everyone in the court wants to fight the enemy to the death. Only Jumra has advised Your Majesty to negotiate peace with the infidels. You previously stripped him of his power, and he is bound to harbor resentment. If he secretly colludes with the guards, our army will be in danger! You must not let him take command of the army, and you must not send him to Panibat."

Upon hearing this, Aurangzeb's face darkened. He slowly said to Jumla, "You are the head of all officials. I need you by my side to advise me on state affairs. How can you leave so easily? Let Farhad take ten thousand troops instead. He is experienced and prudent, and he will surely be able to restrain that young upstart, Muhammad Amin Khan. Hahaha~" A few bursts of laughter eased the awkwardness. Jumla understood that His Majesty the Emperor had become suspicious of him because of his proposal to negotiate peace. He sighed inwardly and could only awkwardly laugh along.

……

"Outrageous! I thought the Mughal Empire had few troops left in Delhi, making the capture of the city a piece of cake. But unexpectedly, the enemy is not only numerous, but the Yamuna River is also so turbulent. We attacked three times, failing to cross the river and losing over seven hundred men!" Looking at the densely packed camps of the defenders on the west bank of the Yamuna River, General Alatan Cang sighed deeply. A veteran of countless battles, he could tell from the number of enemy camps that the defenders were no fewer than the Imperial Guards, perhaps even more. He had tentatively sent three groups of troops to cross the river, but not only had they failed, they had lost over seven hundred soldiers. How could he not be furious?
"General, I have many Jadi guides in my army. They say that the Jumuna River is not long. If we bypass the Jadi settlement, we can reach Panibat in northern Delhi. That place is a plain, which is very advantageous for our cavalry to maneuver. Why don't we pretend to cross the river and secretly detour to Panibat?" suggested the chief of the ten thousand households, Obodui Ulanghai.

Alatan Cang glanced at Obodui Ulanghai with surprise. Everyone said this brother-in-law of the emperor was brave but lacked strategy, but he never expected him to have such insight, understanding the art of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass." He repeatedly praised, "This plan is brilliant!" He then ordered the Naga king Jadanahiyan to continue camping on the east bank of the Jumna River with more than two thousand Naga warriors, creating a false impression, while he himself led an army of seventy-seven thousand to bypass the Jumna River. The army moved extremely quickly, bypassing the Jumna River in just ten days and appearing on the Panibat Plain. To lure the enemy into battle, the commander ordered the infantry to advance slowly, taking only twenty thousand elite cavalry ahead. At this time, in the city of Panibat, in addition to the ten thousand elite troops brought by Muhammad Amin Khan from Kashmir, there were also ten thousand Islamic soldiers under the command of Sadr al-Ussudur (Minister of Religion and Justice) Farhad.

"Come on, let's go out of the city and form ranks! Let these infidels taste our might!" Seeing the enemy at the city gates, the young and impetuous Muhammad Amin Khan, who had never suffered a defeat, wanted to go out of the city to fight.

“No, His Majesty repeatedly instructed us before we left that if the guards come around the river, we should not engage them in battle, but simply hold our ground and wait for reinforcements,” Farhad objected.

“The enemy’s numbers are similar to ours, and they are exhausted from a long battle. What are we afraid of?” But Muhammad Amin Khan refused to listen.

"I am the commander-in-chief. Anyone who acts without authorization will be executed!" Farhad shouted sternly. The Mughal Empire was governed by Islamic law, and this old man had long been in charge of religious and judicial affairs, enjoying high prestige within the country. He immediately subdued the indignant young man.

Seeing that the enemy was holed up inside the city and wouldn't come out, Fang Yuxuan suggested to Alatan Cang, "Why doesn't the commander use a provocation tactic?"

"Men, shoot arrows into the city to persuade them to surrender," Alatan Cang nodded and ordered his men to shoot arrows into the city.

Arrows laden with surrender letters were shot into the city. These letters portrayed Emperor Aurangzeb as a tyrant who supported Muslims in oppressing non-Muslims and offered terms for surrender: the defenders would be spared death if they renounced Islam, converted to Hinduism or Sikhism, and demolished the city's mosques. For Farhad, who was in charge of religious affairs and a fanatical believer, the fact that the guards demanded he renounce Islam and demolish the sacred mosques was an utter humiliation.

"Pass on my order: the entire army is to march out of the city and fight the infidels to the death! Allah above, protect us and let us annihilate these devils!" The old general's beard bristled with rage, vowing to wash away his humiliation with the blood of the infidels. (End of Chapter)