Revised: An Official Noob History of the Uzbeks

[danielbranda]

Uzbek Khanate
11 November 1444
Uzbek and Kazakh Cultures
Sunni Religion
Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid (4/2/5)
78 AP / 52 DP / 91 MP

Khan Abu'l-Khayr, legendary Uzbek warrior of the steppes​

This is a revised re-write of the first few chapters of the thread A Noob History of the Uzbeks.

Rewrite Notes - I attempted to rewrite posts in the original thread because I simply wasn't ready to write a productive AAR when I started. I wasn't screen capping, I was providing too many mechanical details without telling the story, etc. It was bad. But in the rewrite, I somehow lost the prologue and couldn't replace it without ruining the order. So here we are.

I am new to EUIV. I haven't played a Paradox game since EUII some ten years ago, and that was only for a few weeks. I came into this experience familiar with the general mechanics of EU, and aware that I didn't want to learn the game using a European nation. Before playing, I watched some EUIV videos on YouTube, read the EU4 Wiki, and the instruction book. I did play a few false starts as the Uzbeks (complicated by the economy of my starting position) prior to the AAR, which gave me an idea of the general personality of my neighbors.

Also, because this is as much about me learning EU4 as it is about telling a story, I created a story construction that allows me to save my game and restart at pivotal points if everything goes wrong. That story construction is the Khan's prophetical jinni, Arezoo. And if I screw up completely (like in Chapter 3), Arezoo will foretell of that screwup in a narrative format.

Finally, although this isn't a Let's Play ... AAR, please feel free to chime in. I will be a few hours of play ahead of the latest chapter but I welcome the dialogue to help me learn before my next planned AAR (either as an Asian or Scandinavian nation attempting to colonize the new world).

Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1. The War of Kazani Aggression
Chapter 2. The Four Years Peace of Khan Abu'l-Khayr
Chapter 3. Disaster Foretold
Chapter 4. The War for Taraz
Chapter 5. The Brief But Glorious Life of Khan Alim I Giray
Chapter 6. The 2nd Nogai-Chagatai War of Conquest

Brief Prologue

Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid, descendent of Genghis Khan, supreme bej of the White Horde, Khan of the Uzbeks, Khan of the Kazakhs, and Khan of Western Siberia, joined his military leader Bakht Qara Temur (0/2/3/1) and the 12 regiments (9/3/0) of 1st Uzbek Army in its Winter Camp in Kypshak on the eastern shore of the Aral Sea in November 1444. With more than 11,000 men available for conscription, the subjects of the Uzbek horde were hungry for a new war.

As a steppe horde, I received +50% manpower, +50% land force, and -50% better relations.

Trade was not in good shape. In my home trade center of Samarkand, where I held 20.1% trade power on 4.29 ducats, I collected 1.67 ducats each month. The Siberian provinces were in the Kazani trade node, where I held 0.6 trade power in the current political climate. However, my trade range did not allow a merchant to work in the Kazan trade node. My 2nd merchant worked in Astrakhan, where I have no provinces and 0.2 trade power. The merchant was transferring trade downstream to Samarkand, generating 0 ducats.

Khan Abu'l-Khayr's control over the Uzbek provinces was strained (92% OE).

• Siberian nationalists in the northern provinces were pushing for independence. Harsh Treatment would cost 190 MP, and Coring would cost 380 AP.
• Kazakhi nationalists in the eastern provinces were also pushing for independence. Harsh Treatment would cost 40 MP, and Coring would cost 80 AP.

To further push the issue, these 9 provinces were not paying taxes.

Tyumen - 24%OE - 120 AP - Sibir - 6 ducats
Irtesh - 20%OE - 100 AP - Sibir - 5 ducats
Kurgan - 12%OE - 60 AP - Sibir - 3 ducats
Chelyaba - 12%OE - 60 AP - Sibir - 3 ducats
Sibir - 8%OE - 40 AP - Sibir - 2 ducats
Nadym - 8%OE - 40 AP - Kazakh - 2 ducats
Sozak - 4%OE - 20 AP - Kazakh - 1 ducat
Kypshak - 4%OE - 20 AP - Kazakh - 1 ducat​

Culturally, the Kazakhs were the dominant peoples. The Uzbeks were a majority in only one province, with 10 Uzbek provinces under the dominion of the Timurids, including the rich trade center of Samarkand. The Sibirs in the north were not an accepted culture.

Sharing a border along the Ural Mountains, the Kazan Horde was hostile, with designs on conquering Western Siberia. Nogai to the west was friendly, the Timurids to the South were both hostile and strong, with the largest force limit in the region. Chagatai to the east is hostile but weak, and the Oirat Horde was hostile and heretical, make any relationship nearly impossible. The Golden Horde, which will struggle with Muscovy and Crimea, is friendly. To add to the difficulty of the Uzbek starting position, all of the hordes have Tribal Feud as a Casus Belli.

To start the game, I accepted a mission to placate the Timurids to gain 5 prestige and 25 DP, hired a Diplomatic advisor, Haqnazar Suren Gal (+30% Better Relations) and a price of 16/1 to help with the mission, began the coring process in Nadym and Sozak (60 AP, 22 months), applied Harsh Treatment to Kurgan (30 MP, adds 0.3 ducats to my monthly tax income immediately)

 

[danielbranda]

The War of Kazani Aggression

Historians say the Uzbek borders did not change between 1444 and 1454 ​

"This decision, my confidence in my men to defend our realm, shall define my place in history."​

- Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid, rejecting peace on the eve of battle​

The Pretender Wars
In November 1444, while preparing for war, Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid, descendent of Genghis Khan, supreme bej of the White Horde, Khan of the Uzbeks, Khan of the Kazakhs, and Khan of Western Siberia, made the mistake of not announcing his intentions and of meticulously planning and building his army. Growing weary of peace, the Uzbeks found a new champion: Vali Muhammad Bora Chinua and 9,000 mean (5/4/0) lay siege to the eastern province of Nadym and claimed the title of Khan. Soon, 6,000 more men would rally to Vali I Muhammad's cause.

Though Khan Abu'l-Khayr's plodding war plans proved wearisome to the people, his cause for caution while strengthening the army proved justified at the Battle of Nadym. Though General Bakht Qara Temur built his reputation as a warrior and commander of cavalry and he enjoyed a Shock Advantage in the desert, the Uzbeki 1st Army suffered severe casualties by the pretender army, losing 60% of its infantry and 80% of its cavalry.

Compelled to reinforce the army or allow a pretender to raid the desert provinces, Khan Abu'l-Khayr takes on a heavy debt (136 ducats) and orders the purchase of 7 mercenary units of infantry that he will personally command in battle (Khan's military skills: 3/0/1/2). 4 of the mercenary regiments are sent to Kypshak to be joined and 3 of the mercenary regiments are sent to Kerey to join Temur's fleeing army.

In May, 6 months after the defeat at the Pretender's hands, the 2nd Battle of Nadym begins (desert). The 2nd Army (4/0/0 under Khan Abu'l-Khayr) attacks from Kypshak to the west at the same time the 1st Army (5/1/0 under Bakht Qara Temur) attacks from Kerey to the north. The rebel armies are routed and the pretender Vali Muhammad Bora Chinua is executed. Khan Abu'l-Khayr orders the pretender's head to tour the khanate so all can see what true weakness is.

Making Frenemies, Foreign and Domestic
While quashing a war at home, Khan Abu'l-Khayr sent his diplomats throughout the Steppes to build relationships. But from his diplomats he received troubling word of alliances forming. The Timurids forged bonds through Royal Marriage with the Kazans and the Golden Horde while the Kazans also entered diplomatic nuptials with the Crimeans. Meanwhile, the Kazani pre-occupation of Chelyaba became more than a growing concern as scouts in the Ural Mountains reported a growing army stacked along the border.

Convinced by his principal foreign advisor Haqnazar Suren Gal that the prudent course of action is to respect the powers on his border and improve relations, with the best possible outcome to prevent a two-front war, the Khan sent his diplomats to glad-hand the Kazans and Timurids. The Khan also the provinces of Kypshak and Sibir to be brought under his patronage while harsh treatment is ordered for the Siberians in Chelyaba.

Meanwhile, the Uzbeks had their own guest at court, Muhammad Ediguid of Nogai, who entertained the Khan's guard with stories from the shores of the Caspian Sea.

As the Winter of 1445 turns to Spring, the diplomatic investment seems to prove dividends as new information arrives that raises the aspirations of the Khan. Haqnazar Suren Gal delivers word that Chagatai has declared war on Kashmir. With its military resources dedicated to its southern border, the Khan orders preparations to attack Chagatai from the north and recalls his diplomat from Kazan. At Bakht Qara Temur's recommendation, the Khan enlists 3,000 more infantry and 5,000 cavalry (total army: 6/6/0) for the invation.

This conquest should satisfy the people and quell any future pretenders. However, the Khan's plans once again prove to be too slow and the opportunity for Chagatai conquest slips through his grasp. Another pretender, Dost Boke Arslan of Kerey, raises 3,000 men to challenge the Khan. The Kazani forces along the border swelled to 16,000 strong. Showing weakness and indecisiveness, Khan Abu'l-Khayr sent his diplomat back to Kazan with a guarantee of protection, hoping to influence them to turn their focus north to Perm or Muscovy.

Before the rebellion could be put down and the diplomats message received, the Counsel's fears are realized. Kazan declares war to conquer Chelyaba.

The Kazani Conquest for Chelyaba

In October 1445, 10 Kazani regiments crossed the border into Chelyaba. Having begun preparations for an invasion of Chagatai (a plan now scrapped), Khan Abu'l-Khayr had 11 regiments available in Nadym and a free Diplomat headed to Nogai with a request for military access. The Khan granted mercy to the armies of Dost Boke Arslan in Kerey, foreseeing that the pretender's 3000 men would some day meet the invaders on the field of battle.

In the spring of 1446, the Battle of Zhetryu in Nogai pits the full forces of Kazan (17 regiments) against the 1st Uzbeki Army. As with the Pretender War, General Temur is defeated and forced to retreat to the Capital province of Qaraqalpak with just 3 regiments left (2/1/0). Meanwhile, the Kazan army route the pretender in Kerey, but takes some fortuitous casualties. Temur capitalizes on the Kazani distraction to march his troops through Nogai and lay siege to the rich Kazani province of Samara. Temur is met by Kazani's 2nd Army, under Cherkes Nigmatin. Though outnumbered, the battle is heralded by a grand omen for the Uzbeks. An heir, Muhammad Amin Shaybanid, is born to the Khan.

Having made the mistake of crossing The Volga River, Nigmatin gave away the advantage to the Uzbek forces and was defeated. The Battle of Samara was truly a turning point in the War of Kazani Aggression and the career of General Temur. The Siege of Samara is shortlived however, as General Temur is forced to engage in a cat-and-mouse retreat with the Kazanis while 5 mercenary regiments are raised in and around Qaraqalpak and Kazani detachments siege the Siberian provinces Chelyaba, Irtesh, Tyumen and Sibir. Strategically, the Khan allows these provinces to fall. Sibir successfully cored early in the war, and Chelyaba and Irtesh were constantly in threat of rebellion.

In May 1448, just days before a pitched battle in the province of Kerey, Kazan offers peace terms. They will take their war goal, Chelyaba, plus 30 ducats. Additionally, the Khan would need to sever relationships with the Golden Horde and Nogai. With trust in General Temur's battle preparations in Kerey province, the Khan (perhaps fool-heartily) rejects the peace accord.

The Khan's confidence proves enlightened. Bakht Qara Temur and the 1st Army win a decisive Battle of Kerey, with only 500 men surviving in the main Kazani army, to 5,000 men in the 1st Army. The 1st Army chases after the Kazani siege teams in Siberia, winning another victory in Tyumen, while 3 Siberian nationalist regiments also rise up. The Khan also purchases the services of 4 additional mercenary units to begin sieges in enemy territory while also taking on more debt.

On the eve of Winter 1448 at the 2nd Battle of Kerey, 300 Kazanis are wiped out by the 1st Army. In the new year, the Sibir nationalists successfully take Sibir from the Kazanis. The Sibir nationalists move into Kazani-occupied Irtesh while Uzbek forces fight to reclaim Chelyaba, Kerey and Tyumen. By summer, Chelyaba falls and the Kazanis no longer have their war goal. By the Autumn, 8,000 Uzbekis lay siege to the Kazani capital. In one year, the capital falls.

By November 1450, with both sides lay siege to key provinces and the Uzbekis proving victorious in skirmishes throughout the Kazani countryside, the Uzbek and Kazani forces prepared to meet each other in the field for one last, large and decisive battle. However, pre-empting the battle, the Kazani's offer a peace settlement acceptable to the Great Khan Abu'l-Khayr. Kazan pays a tribute of 32 ducats, and annuls its treaty with the Timurids. Uzbek gains 6 prestige for its glorious victory in the War of Kazani Aggression.

Diplomatic and Domestic Notes
During the War of Kazani Aggression, the Khan received word that Kazan and Chagatai had entered into a military alliance. With the Khan's sights still set on Chagatai conquest, this alliance will put a clock on the Khan's war plans. Should he linger too long and let the truce expire, a war with Chagatai would mean a second engagement with Kazan.

After the Sibir rebels sacked Irtesh in the winter of 1449, the Khan accepts the Sibir nationalist demands, granting autonomy to Sibir and Irtesh until 1469. The Kazakh nationalists also sack Kyzylkum and the Khan accepts their demands for Kyzylkum autonomy through 1469. Simultaneously, the Khan committed his Administrative Resources to boost stability throughout the Khanate. (134 AP)

After the 1st Army wipes out a post-war uprising of peasants in Kypshak, the Khan invests 63 DP to reduce 10 points of war exhaustion. The mercenary units are disbanded, leaving 11 regular regiments with 3,000 troops to return to Winter Camp in Syghnak.

The Khan orders coring to occur in the provinces of Tyumen (121 AP/25 months), Irtesh (101 AP/25 months), and in April 1450, Chelyaba (60 AP, 22 months), leaving a balance of 4 AP.

To save 1 ducat each month, Haqnazar Suren Gal is relieved of his Diplomatic Advisory duties. The Khan graciously allows him to keep his head. The economy is now netting 3.2 ducats each month (1.45 taxes, 1.94 trade, 2.52 production, -1.36 interest, -1.35 army).

 

[danielbranda]

The Four Years Peace of Khan Abu'l-Khayr

Historians say the Uzbek borders did not change between 1444 and 1454 ​

The Immediate Aftermath
After the Khan's victory against Kazani aggression, the Uzbek khanate found itself in significant debt and struggling to maintain an army. Only 3,000 soldiers, not much larger than the Khan's personal guard, made winter camp in Syghnak on the east bank of the Aral Sea. With only 200 men subscribing to the army each month, it would take 4 years for the army to completely fill its 11 regiments, still 6 regiments short of an ideal army to advance on its enemies. Mercenaries were not anything more than a foolish choice for an immediate conquest, with only 8,000 mercenaries available throughout Uzbek.

Having defeated Kazan, the Hordes will not attack in the next few years and the people's thirst for battle has been quenched. This time for replenishing the armies will also be used to improve the Administration of the Khanate, with provinces coming under Khan Abu'l-Khayr's patronage so that they will begin to provide ducats and men to the greater good. Diplomatic relationships will be improved, and influence banked for conquering foreign provinces in the near future. New military technology will be researched so that the Uzbek warriors, though they might be fewer than the Kazanis and the Timurs, will be faster, stronger, and better prepared for victory.

Another factor in the management of the horde in this time of peace, the Uzbek's war clock was always ticking and a choice was at hand. Will the Uzbeks resume plans to conquer Chagatai to the east (plans that were in motion before Kazan invaded across the Ural Mountains?) or does the Khan press his victory against Kazan and attempt to cripple one of the horde's most fearsome enemies? In five years, the peace with Kazan will expire. The decision must be made first, or the Uzbeks risk a war on three fronts with the Nogai-Chagatai-Kazan alliance as well as the constant threat of Timurid intervention.

On advice from his trusted jinni Arezoo, Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid took a slow, diplomatic approach to building for war that begins with a review of the surrounding hordes and other prominent neighbors.

Kazan-A Rival who is keen on conquering Western Siberia. The truce with Kazan expires in November 1455. Kazan is allied with Crimea and Qara Qoyunlu. Neither ally has access to Uzbek unless the Golden Horde is involved in the war. The Khan and his advisors are very worried to hear that Kazani diplomats are attending court in Chagatai. Kazan is a potential focus of trade for Uzbek.​

Golden Horde - An ally who is also aligned with Aq Qoyunlu and the Timurids. During the War of Kazani Aggression, Khan Abu'l-Khayr sent a diplomat to Astrakhan to strengthen relations. An Uzbek merchant is currently trading in Astrakhan but not finding much success.​

Timurids-In a Holy War with Portugal and Castille due to their alliances with the Ottomans, but they do not seem to be actively participating. The Timurids are also allied with the Golden Horde and Yemen. Much to the Khan's dismay, no reports of Persian insurrections have reached Qaraqalpak but word of the Timur's army of 30,000 certainly has the Khan biting his tongue when it comes to conquest of Samarkand.​

Oirat Horde-Allied with Tibet and working to consume its vassal, the Mongol Khanate. As Buddhists, they will never be friends with the Uzbek khanate and that opinion is mutual. They consider the Uzbeks a rival, but have conquest of Chagatai in their hearts.​

Chagatai-Having completed a conquest of Kashmir, Chagatai's empire extends to the Delhi border in the Indian peninsula. They are also building an alliance with Nogai to the west of Uzbek.​

With intentions of raising his international prestige and keeping the Timurids at bay, Khan Abu'l-Khayr pursues a friendship with the Mamluks. The Khan's diplomats gain trust by proposing a Royal Marriage and exchanging military access. In just a few months, a delegation from the Mamluk Sultan are welcomed in Qaraqalpak with an offer of alliance. Not only will the Mamluks keep the Timurs at bay, but when the Khan sees the opportunity to conquer Samarkand, the Mamluks will invade from the Timur's Western Front.

Having maximized a friendship with the Golden Horde, the Khan accepts his second royal marriage as well as an alliance. Should the Kazans or Crimeans find a thirst for Tatar blood or a greed for Astrakhan riches, Khan Abu'l-Khayr's friendship with Khan Kuchuk Muhammad would provide an opportunity to further neutralize the Timurid rivalry. Nothing forges an alliance like fighting side by side.

Khan Abu'l-Khayr also established a trusting relationship with Crimea by requesting military access, and began work to improve relationships with Nogai. The military access provided by Nogai proved crucial to defeating Kazan, and would be necessary again in a future conflict. Additionally, with Chagatai working toward building an alliance with Nogai, the Khan pressed his diplomats to neutralize the threat of being pincered by alliance.

Having achieved some prestige through his newfound relationship with the Mamluks, Khan Abu'l-Khayr was disappointed to learn from his Counsel what other hordes were saying: Khan Abu'l-Khayr cannot be respected until he earns the respect of his subjects. To achieve more diplomatic influence, the Khan directed the full administrative resources of his government toward unifying the people.

Just a few years ago, Uzbek was a khanate divided by culture. Uzbeks were the dominant people in only one province, while the Kazakhs were the majority. Kazakh nationalists were encouraging rebellion in Kypshak, Sozak and Nadym. The Sibirs to the north were not even an accepted culture by the Uzbeks, and the northern provinces of Chelyaba, Sibir, Tyumen, Irtesh, and Kurgan were not even paying taxes.

With a combination of administrative dedication and military might, the rebellions were quashed and the Kazakhs provinces accepted the Khan's full protection during the Kazani war. Sibir province also accepted the Khan's protection just days before Kazani forces laid siege to the province.

In Spring 1453, Tyumen, Irtesh, and Chelyaba finally accepted Uzbek patronage and the Uzbeks in returned accepted the Sibir culture. One year later, the coring of Kurgan finally united the nation and silenced the Khan's critics at home and abroad.

Reviewing the stability of the Khanate in June 1454, the Sibir nationalists still seemed restless. General Temur advised the Khan that irradicating the Sibirs was the only way to have lasting peace in the north but the Khan on advice or Arezoo rejected the millitary proposal, which would cost the Khan most of the diplomatic good will he had accumulated. Such a final solution would also make more problematic a potential conquest of Kazan's eastern provinces.

Similar logic caused the Khan to reject irradication of the Kazakh culture, making problematic a conquest of Kazakh provinces in Chagatai. The Khan, however, thought long and hard about irradicating the Kazakh, finding it tiresome to be constantly referred to as "assholes" and "evil nitwits" by the Kazakh who spread rumors that the Uzbeks have a bone in the middle of their brain.

The Khan instead decided to invest administrative power to boost his nation's stability (+2)

During the Four-Years Peace, the Khan repaid several loans taken during the Kazani War of Aggression, with 16 more loans coming due by August 1455. The economy began to boom, netting nearly 3 ducats each month.

Noticing that trade range has increased to 200 (with the coring in West Siberia? or with stability?), the Kazan trade node came within range of Uzbek. Merchant Abu Said Altan Vachir was collecting trade from Astrakhan, but found this task difficult without any Uzbek provinces sending their goods through Nogai and across the Caspian Sea. With the Sibirs sending their goods to Kazan, Vachir found his new trade node much more promising and the Uzbek's trade income increases from 2.07 to 2.67.

In the next chapter, the Khan receives counsel on invading either Kazan or Chagatai. Arezoo foretells disaster with on of the decisions.

Uzbek States, June 1454​

Manpower: 168
Stability: 2
Prestige: -23 (it dropped after the war, I'm not sure why)
Legitimacy: 98
AP: 22
DP: 310
MP: 736 - The Khanate will advance to Military Tech 4 in 1458

The Army has 4 of 6 infantry regiments and 5/5 cavalry regiments at full strength.​

 

[danielbranda]

Disaster Foretold

Historians say the Uzbek borders did not change between 1444 and 1454 ​

6 June 1454 - Counsel of Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid

With his army nearly restored, a counsel of Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid, descendent of Genghis Khan, supreme bej of the White Horde, Khan of the Uzbeks, Khan of the Kazakhs, and Khan of Western Siberia, was established to determine a course for conquest. Khan Abu'l-Khayr was joined by General Bakht Qara Temur (0/2/3/1), along with diplomats Shahmurad Mongke Eng and Vali Muhammad Bora Chinua. Khan Abu'l-Khayr summons his jinni, Arezoo, to join the counsel.

"My bej, we should send our armies into Chagatai. Their armies are meek, their women bountiful," Bakht Qara Temur advised. "We will gain Kazakh provinces and increase our trade power. Should their allies in Nogai join the battle, they will be no match for our forces."

"Great Khan, we cannot abide the Kazani threat to our north," Shahmurad Mongke Eng said. "We have defeated them already on the battle field and they are weak. Their provinces are rich and the spoils of the war will pay for the campaign."

"I agree," Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid said, "that the Kazans are vulnerable and we can press our advantage. General Temur, what is the war plan for Kazan?"

Bakht Qara Temur unfurls a map of the steppes and carefully places markers to represent the 1st Army of Uzbek, as well as the 2 Kazani armies.

"We know the Kazani army is made of 2 companies. Amassed on the border with Chelyaba, the Kazanis have 11 regiments (10/1/0). Along the west border with the Golden Horde, the Kazanis have 6 regiments (5/1/0)," Temur states.

"And how many Golden Horde regiments?" the Khan asks.

"My bej, we know the Horde has 10 regiments (5/5/0) on the Kazani border," Eng states.

Temur places a new marker on the map to mark the armies of the Golden Horde.

"Our Army of 11 regiments (6/5/0) will be at full strength in June of next year," Temur reports.

"You will march them here," the Khan states, pointing to the Nogai province of Ryn. "From here, you have full view of Kazan and can cross the border into three provinces."

The Khan moves the 1st Army marker to the southern Kazan border.

"And I will command an army of our people's best warriors (6 merc regiments -4/2/0)," the Khan says. "We will stand in Chelyaba and defy the Kazans to cross mountains and rivers to attack us."

"My bej, and if the Kazans send their full army after you?" Temur asks.

"We evade while you sack their country," the Khan says.

"Will the Horde join the fight?" Temur asks.

"They shall take the opportunity to wipe the great enemy of Kazan off the map and expand their khanate into Penza," Eng says.

"Temur, you will advance into Samara to siege the city," the Khan says. "With rivers surrounding you and an army to match all that Kazan has, you will have the advantage on the field of battle. The Horde will cross into Penza. If the Kazanis cross into Chelyaba, move north to take their capital, their will, and their heart."

"My Khan, Fortune does not favor us in Kazan," Arezoo says.

"Our plans are sound, our men strong. We will be victorious," the Khan says.

"Fortune cares not," Arezoo says. "If you travel this road, your house will die before the war begins." With an inconspicuous gesture by the jinni, a fog of smoke rises over the war map. Glimpses of the future in the fog tell of doom for the Shaybanid house.

Warriors rise up, wielding fiery swords. "Death to peace," they cry as they charge the khan's personal guard. One of the warriors carries a child's head, the head of Muhammad Amin Shaybanid, heir to the Khan, descendent of Genghis Khan.

In Kurgan, 5000 cavalry commanded by pretender Narbuta Bora Chinua raid the Khan's mercenary camp as they prepare for war with the Kazani. The Khan, commander of mercenaries, is assassinated in his tent. Though the mercenaries prove ultimately victorious, their forces are halved and the khanate is thrown into a Tribal Succession Crisis.

Bakht I Burji (4/4/6), a Mamluk whose house is in Personal Union with the Kazan, claims the khanate. 11,000 pretender warriors rise in Tyumen under Muhammad Amin Shria Gal, with 3,000 warriors rising in Kerey to support the pretender's cause.

To assert his promise as a warlord Khan Bakht I Burji proceeds with the Kazani Conquest Plans despite the casualties among his mercenary ranks. However, with the turmoil throughout Uzbek and the failure of the Golden Horde to answer the call to war, nobody notices Kazan's new allies. As Temur prepares to invade Kazan, 11,000 Chagatai steppe warriors invade Uzbek from the East.

The Kazans find a secret pass through the Ural Mountains into Chelyaba. Unsure of his skills on the battlefield, the new Khan retreats into Nogai and crosses into Kazan to sack Simbirsk. The Uzbek countryside is completely undefended to the pillaging of the Kazanis, Chagatais, pretenders in Tyumen, and nationalists in Sozak.

Sparing no images of violence, Arezoo shows the Khan and his council the sacking and pillaging of Kurgan, Kerey, Chelyaba, Argyn and Nadym.

Then, as if giants sidestepping mountains and rivers, 15,000 Kazanis return home from the East to route the 2 Armies of Khan Bakht I in Bashkortostan.

"17,000 warriors dead in battle. Your life, your heir, your house all lost. Foreign hordes picking over our best horses and women. Fortune does not favor us in Kazan," Arezoo says.

The fog clears. A sober counsel wonders how a well-laid plan could prove so disastrous.

"And if we invade Chagatai?" the Khan asks.

 

[danielbranda]

The War for Taraz

23 August 1457
At just age 45, Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid, descendent of Genghis Khan, supreme bej of the White Horde, Khan of the Uzbeks, Khan of the Kazakhs, and Khan of Western Siberia, lay on his deathbed in Qaraqalpak, beckoning Arezoo to provide news of his son and heir, Muhammad Amin Shaybanid, as well as the future of the Uzbeks.

"My khan, Muhammad (age 11) is just a child," Arezoo says. "He is too weak to lead, and another will claim his place. The great warrior, Alim Giray (3/5/5)."

With a coughing laugh, Khan Abu'l-Khayr dismisses Giray as nothing more than a herdsman.

"Today, he is just a herdsman. Tomorrow, he will lead the Uzbeks to a glorious completion of this war," Arezoo promises.

"My war! My glory!" Khan Abu'l-Khayr says in a coughing fit.

"It's true my Khan. You will always be remembered for your wisdom in strengthening the Uzbeks in a time of trouble, growing our treasury and leading us to the sea. You foresaw the foolish Nogai coming to the aid of Chagatai. You foresaw the Buddhists taking advantage of a weak enemy. And you claimed glory for your people."

"What will history say? What will be my true legacy?" the Khan asks of his jinni.

The Nogai Trap
It is told that Khan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybanid had the vision of Allah, the wisdom of Mohammad, and the warrior's skills of his great ancestor Genghis Khan. In 1455, with the people clamoring for war nearly ten years after fighting off the Kazan horde, Khan Abu'l-Khayr and his General, Bakht Qara Temur, marched two great armies into the eastern desert provinces (Alimuly and Zhetyru) of Nogai for the purpose of conquering the Taraz province of Chagatai to the east. Chagatai possessed a small army of no more than 8,000 men and foolishly governed a land that circumscribed the great Afghan mountains. Knowing that the real threat and the real prize lay in Chagatai's ally, Nogai, and that Kazan was bound by honor and treaty to not join the war, Khan Abu'l-Khayr ordered his 17 regiments (12/5/0) to lay in wait.

In February, Vakkas Ediguid (1/4/1/0) and the Nogai army (8/3/0) attacked the full Uzbek forces on the snow-covered desert plains of Alimuly. With a second line of infantry and 4 flanking regiments of cavalry, Bakht Qara Temur nearly wiped out the full forces of the Nogai horde in one month's time. 3000 Nogai reinforcements joined the fight too late to have any effect except to increase the death toll.

With all of Nogai available to be sacked, Khan Abu'l-Khayr ordered his forces to return home instead. The 5,500 warriors of the Chagatai horde had marched into the Argyn provice to lay siege of the Uzbek people. The homeland must be defended at all costs. And while Nogai would be allowed to hire mercenaries to rebuild its army, they would be forced to join in battle of the plains of Uzbek.

Defending the Plains of Uzbek
With the winter thawing into the summer months, Esen Buqa Chagatayid (1/2/1/2) lifted his siege of Argyn to prepare his army (7/4/0) to meet Bakht Qara Temur in battle. Chagatayid had heard stories of Temur's invincible cavalry that could not be touched by Nogai blade, and set to steel his own men against the myth. A Chagatai scout managed to capture an Uzbek youth on horseback and brought him back to camp where he was tortured and executed for the enjoyment of the invaders. "They are merely men!" Chagatayid exclaimed.

Chagatayid was correct, and Temur's cavalry proved mortal. Of 5000 horsemen, the Chagatai warriors managed to kill the one boy in camp plus 6 more cavalry on the field of battle. The remaining 4,993 Uzbek cavalry plus the infantry managed to route the Chagatai army, leaving no man alive to tell the tale however.

Temur marched his army across Syr Darya into Tazar, the war goal, where he slaughtered 4,000 Chagatai mercenaries. The Oirat Horde to the north of Chagatai declared its own war of conquest, scavenging provinces and nearly breaking the Horde.

One year after escaping the slaughter of his soldiers, Vakkas Ediguid marched through Qaraqalpak in January 1456 with 10,000 men while 3,000 more Nogai soldiers lay siege to Chelyaba, the Sibir province on the Kazan border. Meeting Ediguid in Kyzylkum, Temur's cavalry once again demonstrated their dominance over the Nogai hordes. While the Uzbek's suffered massive casualties to their infantry, losing 4000 men from the 7 regiments, the cavalry once again remained largely intact: only 500 casualties in 5 regiments. Though the Nogai casualties were complete, Ediguid's men held out long enough to allow their northern forces to complete the siege of Chelyaba, holding the province for 6 months.

In January 1457, the decisive battle of the war was fought in Kypshak against the joint forces of Chagatai and Nogai under the banner of Esen Buqa Chagatayid.

With very little resistance remaining among the enemy hordes, Khan Abu'l-Khayr ordered the complete sieges of Chagatai and Nogai. The Khan would not survive to see the end of the war, however, and a new house would rise to leadership. Interestingly, the last battle of the War was not led by Temur or the Khan, but rather Abdul-Aziz Altan Vachir, a pretender to the throne, whose 3 regiments defeated the remaining 900 Nogai mercenaries in the Battle of Nadym on the 23 August 1457.

On the 19th of February, 1460, Nogai accepted a separate peace with Khan Alim I Giray, ceding half its lands including the shores of the Caspian Sea.

The Khan also took 50% of Nogai's trade power in Astrakhan and 8 prestige, while losing 150 DP and suffering a 45 Aggressive Expansion Penalty.

Chagatai ceded Taraz (the war goal) and paid 20 ducats to the Uzbeks, while also granting freedom to the new nations of Kashmir and Kangra (both seized and occupied by the Oirat Horde).

 

[danielbranda]

The Brief But Glorious Life of Khan Alim I Giray

The Post-War Administration
Having seen to the completion of Khan Abu'l-Khayr's conquests in Nogai and Chagatai, the new bej of the Uzbek khanate, Alim I Giray, went immediately to work in stabilizing the nation and asserting his patrimony over the new lands. The Khan personally led troops into Irtesh to put down the Sibir rebels in the north while General Bakht Qara Temur suppressed the Kazakhi rebels in Sozak to the south. Meanwhile, the Administration focused on relieving all war exhaustion (0.46), reduce inflation, boosting stability (+2), and asserting control over the new provinces of Alimuly, Ustyurt and Zhetryu from Nogai (all Tartar culture) and Taraz from Chagatai (160 AP).

The Khan also ordered diplomatic relations to begin with Crimea, sending Shahmurah Mongke Eng to the Crimea to establish trust (accepting military access) and improve relations while at court.

In August, while awaiting the birth of his son and heir, Abu Said Giray, the Imams tested the Khan's vision for the future by demanding that science not be pursued but instead the Qur'an remain the one true source of knowledge. Unwilling to fall behind the technological advances of his enemies, Khan Alim I cast aside the Imams' wishes.

(Note: Until my khans begin to survive long enough for their heirs to be viable without a regency council, I will stop noting their births. A regency council is unacceptable to the warrior culture of the steppe hordes, and a new ruler always rises up to claim the throne and execute the heir.)

A year later, in July 1461 with the economic outlook constantly improving, the Khan brought a new advisor into Winter Camp: Natural Scientist Habash Boke Arslan of Irtesh (cost: 14.4/1.3) promised to increase the administrative advances of the khanate while also increasing production efficiency.

The same month, Chagatai finally accepted peace with the Oirat Horde. The new world map presented an appetizing opportunity for conquest to the East.

With only 2 provinces, Zhetysu and Dzugaria, Chagatai is left vulnerable by its peace accord ​

While the Administrative process in the former Nogai provinces went smoothly, the Chagatai people in Taraz rose in revolt (3/1/0) under Barak Chagan Chinua in December 1461. At the same time the Khan Esen Buqa Chagatayid requests military access into the Uzbek provinces. To demonstrate his strength and resolve, Khan Alim I rebuffs the Chagatai request and personally marches on Taraz to suppress the revolt with 5000 men ordered to take no prisoners. By October of 1462, Taraz would become a core province of the Uzbek khanate, completing the administrative goals of the administration.

With the regiments still recruiting at war not yet an option, in the autumn of 1462 the Winter Counsel of Khan Alim I suggested that armories be built across the plains.

Having just received word that Nogai entered a military coalition against the Uzbeks, the promise of increasing manpower, reducing recruitment time and regiment cost was worthy of the Khan's consideration and he ordered clerks into camp to calculate the full cost and benefit of such a decision.

"We would benefit from the extra manpower, but only if we build armories in every province," General Bakht Qara Temur advised. "Without your full commitment, the benefits would be too small." The General also dismissed the threat from Nogai, reminding the Khan of a war truce that does not expire until 1465.

From the treasury, the Khan received a report that such an investment would cost nearly 1000 ducats and a third of the military's current resources. The loans alone would take centuries to reconcile.

The Winter Counsel closed with orders by the Khan to send a diplomatic envoy to Muscovy, where relations would be improved to hopefully help in any future wars against the great rival Kazan.

The Cost of Building Armories Would Be Too Great​

The Qara Qoyunlu War For Astrakhan
In April 1463, Khan Alim I Giray caught his opportunity to demonstrate his greatness on foreign soil. Qara Qoyunlu had declared war on the Uzbek's friends, the Golden Horde, and had marched on Astrakhan. Khan Jahan Shah Qara Koyunlu however had definitely taken on more than he could handle (a warning in cascading alliances that the Uzbeks were certain to heed in their future conquest endeavors).

Joining the cause for the Golden Horde were the Timurids (war leader), Aq Qoyunlu, Kazan, Crimea and the Ottomans. Khan Alim I mobilized his 11,000 men (6/5/0) to march through the Timur provinces into Mazandaran on the south shore of the Caspian Sea where they would lay siege.

Along the way, a minor misstep occurred which forged the legend of Khan Alim I. Scouts mis-identified a large army of 17,000 rebels who were sacking the Timurid province os Astarabad. Though hesitant to help the Timurs maintain full control of their vast khanate, Khan Alim I made quick work of the peasants and began the siege in Mazandaran.

By July 1463, vast forces mobilize against Qara Qoyunlu as Khan Alim I Lays Siege in the South​

With the siege of Mazandaran approaching 10 months, the 1st and 2nd Armies of Qara Qoyunlu under Hasan 'Ali Qara Koyunlu (total forces: 17/11/0) foolishly attacked through a narrow mountain pass while also crossing 3 rivers. Pressing his advantages to shock and awe (out-maneuver) the lesser Koyunlu, Khan Alim I took full advantage of his enemy's strategic miscalculation to win the Battle of Mazandaran and rejoin the siege.

Though outnumbered by more than 2 to 1, the battlefield only allowed for 6000 men to fight on either side

The narrow battlefield and the Khan's vast skills in shock and maneuver were too much for the 2 Armies of the Qara Qoyunlu Horde​

By the Spring of 1465, with the defeat of Qara Qoyunlu seeming inevitable, Khan Alim I ordered siege teams to fan out along the Caspian Sea. The Timurids would not be granted a chance to claim all the glory in the certain peace. If the Uzbeks could make significant gains on the battle field, Khan Jahan Shah could be forced to free the Persians--a significant disruption for the Timurids who have been dealing with large forces of Persian rebels throughout this war. In July 1465, Khan Alim I sacks Mazandaran. By the following spring, Gilan and Qarabagh also fall with the Qara Qoyunlu armies all but broken.

With the Timurids and Koyunlus fighting in Mosul, Uzbek siege teams march along the Caspian shores​

At the conclusion of May 1466, Khan Alim I negotiates a Separate Peace with Khan Jahan Shah Qara Koyunlu. Knowing that time was short before the Timurids negotiate for all involved, the release of Persia is out of reach. As a counter offer, Khan Jahan Shah offers 42 ducats along with the release Mosul and Shahrizor (2 provinces occupied by the Timurids) to the 1-province Shahnate of Iraq. Seeing an opportunity to create a new ally on the Timurid border as well as take away from the Timurid conquest, Khan Alim I accepts the glorious victory.

Sadly, Khan Alim I Giray would not return to Uzbek for a victor's welcome. His death in June came in a foreign land and a new Khan, Agatay I Janid (4/3/5 - military leader: 2/2/2/2), would rule.

 

[danielbranda]

The 2nd Nogai-Chagatai War of Conquest

Having learned from the ill-timed death of his predecessor that Fate has full dominion over mice and men, Khan Agatay I Janid began war plans before his armies returned from Qara Qoyunlu. Taking full advantage of the foolish alliance between Chagatai and Nogai, the Uzbeks would expand their hold on the Caspian Sea to the west while conquering Chagatai in the East.

With no stomach for foreign relations, the Khan allowed the counsel and the diplomats complete autonomy in their actions. Having survived their fair share of Tribal Succession Crises, these actions were almost automatic. A new royal marriage was arranged with the Mamluks, once again linking the Uzbeks with the great enemies of the Timurids while establishing the Khan's legitimacy. Administrative power was dedicated to boosting stability and decreasing inflation. As relations with Muscovy peaked, an alliance with the Sultanate of Iraq, the new friend of the Uzbeks, through a proclamation of guaranteed independence, a sharing of military access, and a Royal Marriage. Sadly, because the Iraqis embraced the heretical shiite sect of Islam, they were disqualified as candidates for vassalizing.

Meanwhile, the Khan brought a Military Advisory into Winter Camp, Commandant Jumaduq Tsoy (Discipline +5%, cost 19/1.3), as the last preparation for war.

With a National Mission to conquer Mangyshlak, war against Nogai and Chagatai was declared in the Spring of 1467. (Baluchistan joined the war as well, but did not send troops through Timurid.)

Taking personal command of the Uzbek army (6/5/0), Khan Agatay I marched on Zhetysu to meet and destroy 1000 Chagatai infantry. The Khan orders 4,000 mercenaries to join him in Chagatai and lay siege while he advances in Dzungaria to defeat what he believed to be the remaining Chagatai army (2/1/0) under Ali Tegusteni. While victory is swift, 1400 Chagatai regulars flee into Zhetysu where the siege teams wipe them up.

Khan Agatay I aims to make quick work of Chagatai​

Believing he effectively conquered Chagatai, Khan Agatay I marches his army toward Ustyurt in September 1467 where 11,000 Nogai warriars are sieging the province. Before the Khan would reach Ustyurt, the Nogai army would retreat, beginning years of cat-and-mouse as Khan Agatay I (rightly) refused to meet a strong army on the plains of Nogai where his own troops would be at a disadvantage.

While Khan Agatay I was 1 step behind the Nogai, in January 1468 Esen Buqa Chagatayid, the Khan of the Chagatai, crossed the southern wastelands with 3,000 infantry to attack and defeat the siege team in Zhetysu. (Note: I was completely caught off guard and surprised by this. With both provinces under siege, Chagatai was unable to raise troops. What instead must have happened is that Chagatai kept 3 regiments in the wastelands, behind the fog of war.)

Khan Esen Buqa Surprises the Uzbek Siege Forces​

Fortunately for the Uzbeks, Esen Buqa decided not to engage the 2nd siege team in Dzungaria but instead he moved west, into the former Chagatai province of Taraz, where he attempted to sack and reclaim his former land. Dzungaria falls to the Uzbek mercenaries by March and Khan Agatay I, having grown tired of chasing Nogai across the plains, wipes out the Chagatai forces by May 1468 at the Battle of Taraz.

Having killed their Khan in battle without annexing his lands, Khan Agatay I unwittingly created a Tribal Succession Crisis in Chagatai that resulted in the rise of Buzan Qadancher and 5,000 pretender regiments in Dzungaria.

Leaving be the pretenders in Chagatai, Khan Agatay returns his attention to the chase of Nogai's 1st Army (8/3/0, lead by Din Muhammad Berkegene). This cat-and-mouse game would continue more than two years, until December 1470. Meanwhile, General Bakht Qara Temur raised 4000 mercenaries in Western Siberia to chase away a Nogai siege team (2/0/0, led by Ghazi Qadantai) which had settled in the central province of Kerey. By March 1469, Bakht Qara Temur would have his victory in Irtesh, with only 800 Nogai infantrymen escaping.

Bakht Qara Temur defeats the Nogai Siege Army​

In April 1469, with the Uzbek mercenaries completing the Siege of Zhetysu in Chagatai, the Khan received a peace offer. Chagatai would surrender Zhetysu but keep Dzungaria. They would also pay 28 ducats and annul its treaty with Nogai. Achieving the true war goal was not yet certain for Khan Agatay I and this was a good offer from Chagatai. While the horde would continue to exist with 1 Mongol province, the Uzbeks would take the last Kazakh province and not need to contend with the pretender armies in Dzungaria. However, short of losing one weak ally, Nogai escapes the war completely unscathed. With the agreement of his advisors and glory in his eyes, Khan Agatay I of the Janid House, descendant of Genghis Khan, et al, rejected peace with the promise to completely crush his enemies.

A month later, the pretender would complete his siege of Dzungaria and march on Zhetysu. Bakht Qara Temur and his 4000 men would join with the 2000 mercenary siege team to fight the pretenders. However, without cavalry, the Pretenders would prove too strong for the once great General. They would continue their seige of Zhetysu until April 1470 when Khan Agatay I and the 1st Army would end the pretender's games.

Against his better judgment, Bakht Qara Temur takes 6000 infantry into battle​

Ultimately, the distraction of the Chagatai pretender proved costly in time and bodies. The Khan had to send forces to take back Dzungaria while the Nogai used the opportunity to sack the province of Alimuly while swelling the size of their 1st Army to 13 regiments (10/3/0) and Chagatai was able to raise 1000 infantry shortly after the defeat of the Pretender.

The War Map, November ​

In December 1470, with Khan Agatay I crossing a river with a smaller force, the Nogai Army under Ghazi Qadantai finally accepted a battle. Casualties were heavy on both sides, but the Khan proved victorious on the plains of Western Sibir.

In the Spring 1471, with Dzungaria once again falling and a siege team left to take back Alimuly, the Khan chased the enemy army into the Nogai plains, where 8 regiments (6/2/0) under Din Muhammad Berkegene were once again defeated by the Khan. Ordering siege teams into Nogai, the Khan chased the remaining regiment into Chelyaba where it was wiped out. (Note: At this time, the Uzbeks advance to Military Tech 5.)

Sieges begin in Nogay. By January 1473, the conquest is complete.​

Before the sieges were completed, the Uzbek horde would suffer one last great loss. During the siege of Alimuly, General Bakht Qara Temur would be killed after a glorious 28-year military career. He would be replaced after the war by Sevinch Mongke Nasan (5/1/3/1).

The Death of a General and the Discovery of an Agent.​

The war would finally end in January 1473 with the fall of Ryn when Nogai for the 2nd time was completely besieged by Uzbek warriors. While Chagatai had no choice but to accept full annexation (+4 prestige, -50 DP, +7.5 Aggressive Expansion), Nogai resisted full annexation and instead ceded 50% of its trade power in Astrakhan along with Mangyshlak on the Caspian Sea (+5 prestige, mission accomplished) and Bayuly and Buzuluk on the Kazan border. Nogai also paid a war tribute of 88 ducats. (+8 Prestige, -145 DP, +0.22 inflation, +45 Aggressive Expansion)

New Borders After the 2nd Nogai-Chagatai War of Conquest​

 

[danielbranda]

The Last Warlord of the Uzbeks

Following the death of Khan Agatay I rose Khan Subhan Quli I, the last warlord of the Uzbeks to claim the khanate without a legitimate heir.

In 1476, Khan Subhan Quli I led 20,000 Uzbeks in the Conquest of Bashkort against Kazan and the Timurids. As has been the strategy for decades, the alliance with the Mamluks once again proved beneficial to the Uzbeks, fighting the Timurids to the west and allowing the Uzbeks to dominate Kazan and take its war goal.

By the time Kazan was completely besieged, the Timurids had spilled across the border to lay siege across the southern front. However, they split their forces too thin and with Kazan's men wiped out, the Uzbek armies were victorious in a series of small battles across the arid steppes. After six years, the Timurids conceded defeat and broke their alliance with Kazan, while Kazan surrendered the war goal of Bashkortostan.

After the war, Khan Subhan Quli I took a few quick measures to improve the economy by declaring Jizya and building a marketplace in the capital province of Kypshyk. Taking advantage of the Muscovite Peasant Wars to the north, the Khan also surprised all of Europe with a quick conquest of Perm. Perm would become the vassal of the Khan while Muscovy would soon collapse. Ten years later, with Muscovy in full revolt, the Uzbeks would take advantage of the opportunity and conquer two more provinces to complete Perm.

The Permian vassalization became a major concern for Uzbek's neighbors, who formed a coalition against the Khan. However, the Permians proved extremely formidable allies to the Uzbeks with their advanced Eastern military technology. When Nogai, Kazan and the Timurids declared a punitive war against Uzbek in 1487. Along with the Permians, Baluchistan, the Golden Horde, and Iraq join the war for Uzbek, which keeps the Timurids occupied while the Uzbeks once again knock out Kazan and Nogai. The Ottomans will join the war on the side of the Timurids, which is a huge concern but they prove more concerned with Iraq.

During the war, Iraq surrenders to the Timurids, accepting full annexation. Suddenly the Ottomans are free to attack from the west. However, as will constantly repeat throughout history, the Ottomans don't send a large enough army to beat the stacked forces of Uzbek and the Golden Horde. However, the Uzbek alliance is drained as the Ottomans are able to send wave after wave of 14-17 regiments across the Crimean.

Peace brings the province of Nogay (leaving just Ryn and Yaik to the Nogai horde), as well as Timurid ducats. Nogay is cored by 1494, gaining a stronger hold of the Caspian Sea to the Uzbeks.

The reign of Khan Subhan Quli I also marked the beginning of Uzbek's colonial empire. Having learned the benefits of colonialization, the Uzbeks would settle in Tura to the north and then begin the long and slow expansion east across the Siberian tundra. Furs and precious metals would bring more and more money to the Uzbek coffers.

In November 1502, with the Oirat Horde at war in Kashmir, the Great Warlord declares another opportunistic war to take Urumqi. The Kashmir war ends a year later with the Oirat Horde earning full annexation. However, during the war, Manchu declares war and attacks Oirat Horde from the east, maintaining the two front battlegrounds.

The Uzbeks quickly and successfully win the sieges of Altai and Urumqi, but its armies struggle in battle against the Oirat Horde who has the benefit of a much better general (4/2/0/0 vs 2/0/1/0) despite the Uzbeks' better military tech.

Before the war would end successfully, Khan Subhan Quli I would die in 1506. Upon his death, the House of Chagatay would rise to rule for generations.

Shortly after the rise of Khan Shadi I, the Uzbeks would occupy western Oirat lands while Manchu controlled much of the east. The Uzbeks would take the war goal and begin the work of organizing under the House of Chagatay.

 

[danielbranda]

The First Khan of the Chagatay House

During the war with the Oirat Horde, a new khan, Shadi I Chagatay (4/4/4) rises to the throne in 1506. The Chagatay house will be successful in retaining the throne through generations and the reign of Khan Shadi I proves devastating for the Kazakhs of the horde, as cultural assimilation under the Uzbeks begins. By 1521, the Kazakhs are wiped out. The horde also evolves under Khan Shadi, eventually adopting the idea "Life osf a Steppe Warrior" which includes a -20% land attrition bonus. Chagatay also sent his diplomats to strengthen their defensive alliances against the Timurids and Ottomans, keeping friendships with the Golden Horde and Crimea to the west as well as Khorosan to the South.

​

Opportunity and Ascenscion to Steppe Superpower
Just a few months after the War to the East, Khan Shadi I declared war against Kazan to take Udmurtia, another opportunistic conquest while Kazan was at war with Crimea. The war is quick and painless, with the Kazanis completely besieged in 18 months. Kazan is left with only its single, rich capital province and a promise that the Uzbeks would soon return. Kazan was an easy target for Smolensk (the new nation built from the scorched provinces of the Muscovite peasant war), and Khan Shadi I asked his advisors how to coax the Kazanis into breaking their truce.

Kazani Conquest Causes 98% OE, leaves only the province of Kazan as table scraps​

With no rest for the war weary, having seen that the Golden Horde declared war on Nogai and the Timurids unable to prevent provinces from defecting into Persia, the Uzbek army marched into Yaik and Ryn themselves. In under one year, Nogai was fully annexed by Khan Shadi I. (Overextension now at 124%) The Uzbeks now shared a long border with the Golden Horde, who stood in the way of Uzbek control of the Caspian Sea.

​

The border friction with the Golden Horde, and its alliance with Kazan, proves the opportunity that the Uzbeks needed to take Kazan without actively breaking its truce. Having established a claim on Astrakhan, Chagatay declared war on his former allies in the Golden Horde, who were also at war with Crimea. Kazan foolishly joins the war and is promptly sacked. In 2 years, with the Golden Horde having lost provinces to Crimea and now completely besieged by Uzbek, they surrender. The Uzbeks finally gain their expensive war prize, Kazan, while the Golden Horde are forces to break alliance with the Timurids.

After a short 4-years peace, the Peasant Nation of Smolensk proved their intentions to take Kazan, declaring war against the Uzbeks to try to take the important trade hub. Luckily, by May 1516 Kazan is completely cored before Smolensk crosses the border

At the first Battle of Vetluga in Smolensk, the Peasant Nation proves no match for the Uzbek army and our new artillery. General Ubaydulla Qara Termur wins decisively, despite being outnumbered 2:1. Throughout the war, as long as the Uzbeks had the defensive position, the Smolensk army proved no match. However, offensive gains for the Uzbeks also proved hard to come by while peasant revolts kept rising in Perm. After three years, Smolensk surrenders and agrees to pay 85 ducats in tribute.

The Uzbeks would see more than 10 years of peace following the Smolensk war, allowing the growth and stabilization of the economy, the continued expansion of a successful colonial program, the beginning of Permian annexation, and most importantly, a new generation of 43,000 men coming of age. To the south, the Timurids have been battling peasant rebels and the expansion of Persian influence. Their forces and manpower were depleted. The opportunity to conquer Uzbek lands first aspired to by Khan Abu'l-Khayr at the Winter Camp of 1444 now seemed possible.

Khan Shadi I orders a national army of 43 additional regiments (55 total), taking a loan of 1064 ducats to do it. By February 1529, with the armies built and organized, the Khan declared war on the Timurids to take Urgench. The Timurid forces could only manage an army for one battle, and despite fighting peasants throughout, it only took Chagatay two years before all of the Timurids were besieged and the Uzbeks had reached the Persian Gulf. Peace proved expensive, however, and Khan Shadi I only received 2 provinces, Urgench and Tashkent (16% OE). However, the Timurids were also forced to pay 138 ducats and cede Khuzestan to Persia and Herat to Khoresan, nearly splitting the nation in half.

In his last conquest, Khan Shadi I Chagatay turned his focus to the trade hub in Astrakhan. The Golden Horde had fallen on hard times in the 16th century, losing lands to Crimea and fighting peasants, they were on the verge of collapse. War was declared in 1533 and the Golden Horde quickly overwhelmed. One year later, the GH was overrun and Chagatay took Astrakhan plus two more provinces for his khanate (68 OE).

Having grown his borders in all directions, the death of Khan Shadi I in 1541 would provide him one last accomplishment. His heir, Sufyan I, would ascend to the throne.

The new Uzbek borders under Khan Shadi I​

 

[danielbranda]

The Heirs of House Chagatay

(Note: Briefer than normal, as my screenshots got lost.

1541-1567

The reign of Khan Sufyan I Chagatay proved a new challenge to the Uzbek people. Seeing the stability and legitimacy of an heir ascending to the throne, the khanate also was faced with its first weak leader (1/2/1). However, with strong advisors, the ambitious expansion of the Uzbek khanate continued. The provinces of Uzbek's vassal, Perm, while proving to be a strong ally in war, were finally and fully annexed. A second conquest into the Timurids once again saw the ancient enemies completely besieged, and the rich province of Khiva was taken as a war prize. The southern coast of the Caspian (with the exception of Gilan) was conquered in the Conquest of Persia, while the western shores of Qara Qoyunlu and the remaining provinces of the Golden Horde were conquered in the Conquest of Sarai. Both wars saw extensive combat against the Ottomans, who prevented more conquest. Finally, and brilliantly, the kingdom of Muscovy (2 provinces) were annexed in the Conquest of Viatka, giving the Uzbeks access to the White Sea.

Overall, 23 provinces were added under Khan Sufyan I Chagatay between conquest, diplo-annexation, and colonialism. However, his weakness as a leader did prove costly, as diplomacy failed to keep enemies of the Uzbeks from uniting.

Khalifa Iskandar I - August 1567

The third in the House of Chagatay, Khalifa Iskandar I (4/4/4), proved a more skilled leader than his father, but he was limited by the mistakes of the past. In the early years of his reign, Chagatay was able to further weaken the Timurids, expand his colonial empire to the Sea of Okhotsk and the east coast of Asia, and gain access to the Black Sea with the opportunistic Conquest of Circassia and the full annexation of Georgia, the Uzbeks' expansion crossed a line for the neighbors and Iskandar I was forced to beat back two consecutive punitive wars, first led by the Russians and then led by the Persians leading to truces with the Byzantiums, the Ottomans, the Russians, the Iraqis, the Persians, the Qara Qoyunlus and the Timurids. The Uzbeks remained a coalition target of Sweden, the Ottomans, Lithuania, Russia, Persia, Qara Qoyunlu and the Timurids, with only an army of 7,000 men still standing.

During this time, the Timurids were also completely occupied by the Oirat Horde.

 

[danielbranda]

What Next?

So, it seems that I've painted myself into a corner, and while I am going to proceed, I just wanted to take a time out to ask, Where should I go from here? (Keeping in mind that this is my first campaign.)

Here's a brief synopsis of where I stand:

Tech: 5/5/10 - I'm equal to most of my neighbors in military tech, ahead of a few. However, because I spent much of my AP and DP on conquest and stability, as well as Exploration Ideas, I am 4-5 levels behind everyone on Diplo and Admin Tech

Buildings: I have Armories in 7 provinces with the most manpower, and Marketplaces in my 5 richest provinces in the Samarkand trade node (my capital node). Because my shore provinces are not yet cored, I have no docks. All of my colonies need Forts, and none of my provinces have Level 3 forts.

Armies: 40 regiments (13/18/9) to a 99 force limit. About 25,000 men in those 40 regiments, and 34,000 manpower. My khan is a 4/2/2/0 leader, and my General is a 2/1/5/1. Army tradition is 43.3, tactics 1.5, defensiveness +22% and discipline 100%. I have Life of a Steppe War (-20% land attrition) and Traditions of the Great Khan (+20% cavalry ability).

Diplomacy is strained:

Persia, Russia, and Qara Qoyunlu hate me, and have formed coalitions against me. The coalitions also include Lithuania, the Byzantiums, the Ottomans, the Iraqis, and the Timurids (who are dying).

I have a vassal (Muscovy) and 1 strong ally (The Mamluks, who have proven vital in defending my southern borders throughout this campaign). I also have a royal marriage with Crimea (+32 relations) and a relationship with Khorasan, who provides military access. They don't like me though (-62). My colonial expansion east has also caused border friction with the Oirat Horde, Ming, and Japan.

Good news is that Legitimacy (88) is the highest I have had since my first Khan, thanks to my heirs reaching succession age through three generations. Prestige is 77.48.

Overextension isn't a problem - I'm coring the remaining provinces. Religion is a bit of a problem; I've picked up some Sunni provinces that I'm converting, and have Orthodox provinces in the north. (One option, to release Perm as a vassal, or sell Muscovy my Permian/Orthodox provinces?)

Trade is a big problem. I'm certain I'm losing money here:

Samarkand is my capital node, and I am currently collecting in Samarkand and in Kazan.

My understanding is that if I sent merchants upstream from Samarkand (to Yumen where I have trade power, and to Kashmir where I have none) that they would send ducats downstream to Samarkand and I would make more money. In my other trade nodes where I have power (Astrakhan, Crimea, Kazan, Persia) that would automatically be sent upstream towards Samarkand, at a very inefficient rate.

So about 20 years before this current situation (I had less power in Yumen because my colonies hadn't developed, and no power in Persia and Crimea), I sent my merchants to Yumen and Kashmir to send trade forward. My trade income was cut by about 33%, so I returned them to the current alignment.

So, simple question, what's the best way to deploy my merchants? And, how should I have deployed them in the past? If I send Merchants to transfer in Persia and Yumen, my trade income drops to 7.3