Onward Christian soldiers! Good to see Jerusalem once again in the hands of the faithful (by which I mean orthodox).
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Watch out for attrition in that desert.
And be vareful helping out the Persians too much. You may simply trade one strong neighbor for another, especially if they keep stabbing you in the back like that.
And be vareful helping out the Persians too much. You may simply trade one strong neighbor for another, especially if they keep stabbing you in the back like that.
Good stuff, but as was said the enemy is easy it is the desert that is the biggest killer, especially as you head down the pennisula.
As Ibrahim rapidly advanced on Sinai, Eufasius Nicomachi’s army continued to march through the deserts of Arabia. When he had set off for Tabuk, his army was 20,000 men strong, however, as they marched through the blistering winds of the Arabian desert, water quickly became scarce. Eufasius refused to go back however, determined to prevent Ibrahim from claiming all of the glory. Over 5,000 men had perished by the time Jerusalem had fallen, and a revolt among the officers of the army was in the air. Fortunately for Eufasius, his goal, the city of Tabuk was now in sight.
Tabuk had long been a stop for Muslim pilgrims on their way to both Mecca and Medina and Jerusalem, and as a result was a fairly wealthy settlement as far as Arabian cities go. However, Eufasius knew the Emperor had no ambitions on this settlement, and knew he could persuade his men to go this last step at the promise of riches and vast amounts of wealth. The vast sands of Arabia were lightly defended as Jordan had been, this region had a very low population, and could not field many soldiers to defend it from northern attacks, barely enough to stave off the Bedouin Raiders that constantly attacked its borders.
Eufasius easily brushed aside the 4,000 men protecting the region, and advanced directly on the city of Tabuk. The garrison, under nourished and poorly armed was only 2,500 men strong, and after a quick but brutal assault, Eufasius easily breached its walls, and began a week long rape and pillage of the desert city. By October 4th, hardly anything had been left standing. The army took another week to rest in what remained of Tabuk, before continuing their march towards Medina. When word of the Tabuk Massacre reached the Sultan, it is said his face paled, as he realized that same army was marching on the Holy City of Medina.
Ibrahim was enraged when he received news of Eufasius’ actions, but continued onward towards Sinai, for he knew time was of the essence. The portion of the 31,000 men waiting in Sinai was from the routed army in Judea. Ibrahim knew they would still be reorganizing, and forced his soldiers to march hastily on their position without a moments rest. If he could catch them whilst they were still recovering, their numbers would be moot against his seasoned veterans. As his army approached, enemy scouts reported his approach to the Mameluk’s encamped in Sinai, however, Ibrahim predicted this, and prevented them from properly reorganizing by sending 1,000 of his Bedouin mercenaries to harass the enemy camp while his main force advanced.
With the constant raids by the Bedouin Mercenaries keeping them off guard, the army was in sorry shape by the time it met with Ibrahim’s main force. Using his canon to cause further chaos among their ranks before advancing in full force, he quickly forced his confused and demoralized foes to retreat before his rapidly advancing army. Sinai, as with Arabia was lightly defended. Its largest settlement, Aqaba, had only 4,500 people living within its walls. Its garrison was pathetic, and Ibrahim breached it within a couple of days easily. However, unlike his Greek brother in arms, he did not put the population to the sword. Tasting that victory was at hand, Ibrahim turned to Egypt itself, and the Mameluk capital of Al Qahirah.
However, as it became clear to the Sultan that he would indeed lose this war, he made a desperate move. He called out to the nobility of his kingdom, long bickering amongst themselves, and secretly plotting ways to seize the turban of the Sultan for themselves, he told them of the loss of Jerusalem, of the potential loss of Medina and Mecca, and of the collapse of the Sultanate all together should they not stop their foolish inner fighting and unite against the invading Romans. Faced with the loss of the Holy land, and more importantly, their rich Egyptian estates, they were forced to stand together to drive the Romans back.
It did not take long for a massive force to be brought to bare in Al Qahirah. 33,000 men awaited Ibrahim in the narrow land bridge build along Sinai and Egypt. When his scouts reported back to him, Ibrahim was astonished to find that they still had so much to throw at him. But he knew that Al Qahirah would not be easy to capture. Though the men under his command were seasoned veterans who had experienced countless battles under him, and had a vast technological advantage, Ibrahim knew he could not simply ignore the vastly superior numbers of his foe. Though inexperienced in warfare, they were determined and desperate to prevent their capital from falling into enemy hands.
While the armies of the two great nations clashed, the Emperor Andreas II was being confronted by a Pope eager to see the Muslims expelled from the holy city of Jerusalem. Pope Julius II was eager to have all Islamic influence purged from the Holy City of Jerusalem, but Andreas II knew that to do so would be to alienate his Turkish subjects, including his greatest General, Ibrahim. Though the decision was long and hard, with much tension between the royal court and the Patriarch of Constantinople, who loved the Pope’s suggestion, Emperor Andreas II came to the conclusion that Jerusalem would be open to all pilgrims, be they Christian or Muslim.
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The people had gathered in the center of Jerusalem, word quickly spreading through the city that their new conquerors were announcing plans that would affect the entire region for centuries to come. People feared the worst, they knew through written text that Christians could be notoriously brutal, and feared that they would all be driven from their homes, if not slaughtered outright. As the weary and fearful people gathered in the market at the center of town, they saw several armed guards and a fairly small and meek individual standing in the center of the stage.
Glancing at those below him, he slowly rose his hands into the air, signaling them to be silent while he spoke. “People of Jerusalem, your new Emperor, Andreas II has sent me here with a message to all of those living within these walls. We know many of you fear persecution such as that suffered at the hands of the heretic Pope and his followers, but fear not! For our Emperor is most just and merciful. Jerusalem shall remain open to all visitors, regardless of religion, as long as they obey Imperial law. This is the Emperors decree, his word is final.” The man finished, lowering his hands.
The crowd was silent, they were amazed at the mans words. Many were simply shocked. Even the Knights Templar had never publicly announced tolerance in such a way. The people began to turn and go on with their daily lives. Though happy to know they were safe to worship God as they pleased, they were still under the domination of a foreign Empire. There were no cheers filling the streets, but at least there were no tears, either.
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The Pope was enraged by this action and withdrew his support from the war effort, which he had so eagerly donated to. The Muslim nations of the world however were ecstatic once the news reached them. Persia in particular, whose one worry about supporting the Romans was the annexation of Islam from Jerusalem now gave their full support to the Empire against the Sunni Mameluks. Ibrahim was surprised, but greatly relieved when he learned that the Persian Shah Isma’il was sending him 4,000 of his best Safavid Cavalrymen, taken from his own noble families private army. Now feeling assured in his victory, Ibraham advanced on the waiting Mameluk army, and towards victory over Rome’s hated enemy.
Now with cavalry superiority, Ibrahim knew victory was within his grasp if he properly supported his new weapon. On January 4th, 1511the two armies met near the capital of the Mameluk Sultanate. Over the past 10 days, Ibrahim had pushed them back from Suez, and began his aggressive forward march towards the capital, finally forcing them into a stand up confrontation only a few miles from its walls. The Mameluks chose to throw everything that they had at Ibrahim, their entire army mobilizing for a frontal charge. Ibrahim chose to move to the high ground, there, he turned his canon on the approach Mameluks. Their momentum was not halted by the blasts from the canon, however.
Ibrahim knew he would have to make perfect use of all that he had, as he was still greatly outnumbered by his foe. As the approaching Mameluks were continually shelled by Ibrahim’s canon as they advanced, they became increasingly eager to simply reach his lines. As they approached the incline that Ibrahim had positioned his small army of 16,000 atop, they began to scale the steep incline, desperate to get under the minimum range of his canon. Ibrahim knew they would have little choice but to continue their charge in the face of the constant bombardment, and as they moved up the incline, Ibrahim sent all of his Safavid cavalry and Roman Kataphractoi charging down hill towards the approaching Mameluks. The result was devastating, and though the Mameluks eventually repulsed the cavalry charge, it was not until significant damage had been done. By then, the infantry had began to pin them down in the front.
As the Mameluk army and Ibrahim’s veteran infantry clashed, the cavalry quickly regrouped for a second attack on the flank. The Mameluks own legendary cavalry had been all but broken in the initial charge down hill, leaving their infantry highly vulnerable. This charge on the flank once again dealt heavy damage to both the moral and organization of the Mameluk army, though the cavalry was once again driven back eventually, it managed to inflict significant damage before it was. Nearly 8,000 infantry broke from the main Mameluk army to give pursuit, attempting to ensure that the cavalry would not return again. However, they underestimated the skill and cleverness of the Safavid riders. It was this final charge that showed the true skill of Ibrahim and his men. Following their Generals plans to the mark, the 2,000 Kataphractoi turned and directly charged into the infantry that pursued them. The Safavid’s meanwhile circled around to the rear of the main body of the Mameluk army, and charged headlong into their ranks.
The result was devastatingly decisive, the Mameluk army began to panic, and as more troops were shifted towards the back to repel the Safavid’s, the infantry gradually pushed forward, until finally, the Mameluk’s moral and will to fight collapsed, and they were scattered into the desert sands of Egypt, in an attempt to escape from the wrath of Ibrahim and the Emperor. Ibrahim had once again brought the Imperial Army a great victory, though he lost nearly half of his entire army as a result, one must remember the great numbers he faced. The 2,000 Kataphractoi that chose to hold off the pursuing infantry, were almost utterly destroyed, though the infantry would later be routed themselves with the rest of their army. Some of Ibrahim’s closest friends were among their ranks, and it is clear today that their deaths had a profound impact on his life.
Al Qahirah would soon fall to the Romans, and the Sultan, exiled from his throne, and hidden away in Alexandria, gave the order to surrender to the Romans demands.
In Constantinople, there was celebration, soon followed by a funeral for the brave Kataphractoi that gave their lives to win the final victory of the war. Ibrahim personally lead the ceremony where he spoke of his lost friends and companions. The Emperor along with the Patriarch lead all who were present in an hour long prayer for the souls of the departed.
The Roman Empire after the 3rd Mameluk war.
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Well, that is it for now. Again, sorry for the long wait, I’ve been having troubles of my own here. I hope you enjoy. Man…I know I complain about vastly inferior armies beating far larger ones, but I have to admit, I love it when it happens to me.
Tabuk had long been a stop for Muslim pilgrims on their way to both Mecca and Medina and Jerusalem, and as a result was a fairly wealthy settlement as far as Arabian cities go. However, Eufasius knew the Emperor had no ambitions on this settlement, and knew he could persuade his men to go this last step at the promise of riches and vast amounts of wealth. The vast sands of Arabia were lightly defended as Jordan had been, this region had a very low population, and could not field many soldiers to defend it from northern attacks, barely enough to stave off the Bedouin Raiders that constantly attacked its borders.
Eufasius easily brushed aside the 4,000 men protecting the region, and advanced directly on the city of Tabuk. The garrison, under nourished and poorly armed was only 2,500 men strong, and after a quick but brutal assault, Eufasius easily breached its walls, and began a week long rape and pillage of the desert city. By October 4th, hardly anything had been left standing. The army took another week to rest in what remained of Tabuk, before continuing their march towards Medina. When word of the Tabuk Massacre reached the Sultan, it is said his face paled, as he realized that same army was marching on the Holy City of Medina.
Ibrahim was enraged when he received news of Eufasius’ actions, but continued onward towards Sinai, for he knew time was of the essence. The portion of the 31,000 men waiting in Sinai was from the routed army in Judea. Ibrahim knew they would still be reorganizing, and forced his soldiers to march hastily on their position without a moments rest. If he could catch them whilst they were still recovering, their numbers would be moot against his seasoned veterans. As his army approached, enemy scouts reported his approach to the Mameluk’s encamped in Sinai, however, Ibrahim predicted this, and prevented them from properly reorganizing by sending 1,000 of his Bedouin mercenaries to harass the enemy camp while his main force advanced.
With the constant raids by the Bedouin Mercenaries keeping them off guard, the army was in sorry shape by the time it met with Ibrahim’s main force. Using his canon to cause further chaos among their ranks before advancing in full force, he quickly forced his confused and demoralized foes to retreat before his rapidly advancing army. Sinai, as with Arabia was lightly defended. Its largest settlement, Aqaba, had only 4,500 people living within its walls. Its garrison was pathetic, and Ibrahim breached it within a couple of days easily. However, unlike his Greek brother in arms, he did not put the population to the sword. Tasting that victory was at hand, Ibrahim turned to Egypt itself, and the Mameluk capital of Al Qahirah.
However, as it became clear to the Sultan that he would indeed lose this war, he made a desperate move. He called out to the nobility of his kingdom, long bickering amongst themselves, and secretly plotting ways to seize the turban of the Sultan for themselves, he told them of the loss of Jerusalem, of the potential loss of Medina and Mecca, and of the collapse of the Sultanate all together should they not stop their foolish inner fighting and unite against the invading Romans. Faced with the loss of the Holy land, and more importantly, their rich Egyptian estates, they were forced to stand together to drive the Romans back.
It did not take long for a massive force to be brought to bare in Al Qahirah. 33,000 men awaited Ibrahim in the narrow land bridge build along Sinai and Egypt. When his scouts reported back to him, Ibrahim was astonished to find that they still had so much to throw at him. But he knew that Al Qahirah would not be easy to capture. Though the men under his command were seasoned veterans who had experienced countless battles under him, and had a vast technological advantage, Ibrahim knew he could not simply ignore the vastly superior numbers of his foe. Though inexperienced in warfare, they were determined and desperate to prevent their capital from falling into enemy hands.
While the armies of the two great nations clashed, the Emperor Andreas II was being confronted by a Pope eager to see the Muslims expelled from the holy city of Jerusalem. Pope Julius II was eager to have all Islamic influence purged from the Holy City of Jerusalem, but Andreas II knew that to do so would be to alienate his Turkish subjects, including his greatest General, Ibrahim. Though the decision was long and hard, with much tension between the royal court and the Patriarch of Constantinople, who loved the Pope’s suggestion, Emperor Andreas II came to the conclusion that Jerusalem would be open to all pilgrims, be they Christian or Muslim.
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The people had gathered in the center of Jerusalem, word quickly spreading through the city that their new conquerors were announcing plans that would affect the entire region for centuries to come. People feared the worst, they knew through written text that Christians could be notoriously brutal, and feared that they would all be driven from their homes, if not slaughtered outright. As the weary and fearful people gathered in the market at the center of town, they saw several armed guards and a fairly small and meek individual standing in the center of the stage.
Glancing at those below him, he slowly rose his hands into the air, signaling them to be silent while he spoke. “People of Jerusalem, your new Emperor, Andreas II has sent me here with a message to all of those living within these walls. We know many of you fear persecution such as that suffered at the hands of the heretic Pope and his followers, but fear not! For our Emperor is most just and merciful. Jerusalem shall remain open to all visitors, regardless of religion, as long as they obey Imperial law. This is the Emperors decree, his word is final.” The man finished, lowering his hands.
The crowd was silent, they were amazed at the mans words. Many were simply shocked. Even the Knights Templar had never publicly announced tolerance in such a way. The people began to turn and go on with their daily lives. Though happy to know they were safe to worship God as they pleased, they were still under the domination of a foreign Empire. There were no cheers filling the streets, but at least there were no tears, either.
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The Pope was enraged by this action and withdrew his support from the war effort, which he had so eagerly donated to. The Muslim nations of the world however were ecstatic once the news reached them. Persia in particular, whose one worry about supporting the Romans was the annexation of Islam from Jerusalem now gave their full support to the Empire against the Sunni Mameluks. Ibrahim was surprised, but greatly relieved when he learned that the Persian Shah Isma’il was sending him 4,000 of his best Safavid Cavalrymen, taken from his own noble families private army. Now feeling assured in his victory, Ibraham advanced on the waiting Mameluk army, and towards victory over Rome’s hated enemy.
Now with cavalry superiority, Ibrahim knew victory was within his grasp if he properly supported his new weapon. On January 4th, 1511the two armies met near the capital of the Mameluk Sultanate. Over the past 10 days, Ibrahim had pushed them back from Suez, and began his aggressive forward march towards the capital, finally forcing them into a stand up confrontation only a few miles from its walls. The Mameluks chose to throw everything that they had at Ibrahim, their entire army mobilizing for a frontal charge. Ibrahim chose to move to the high ground, there, he turned his canon on the approach Mameluks. Their momentum was not halted by the blasts from the canon, however.
Ibrahim knew he would have to make perfect use of all that he had, as he was still greatly outnumbered by his foe. As the approaching Mameluks were continually shelled by Ibrahim’s canon as they advanced, they became increasingly eager to simply reach his lines. As they approached the incline that Ibrahim had positioned his small army of 16,000 atop, they began to scale the steep incline, desperate to get under the minimum range of his canon. Ibrahim knew they would have little choice but to continue their charge in the face of the constant bombardment, and as they moved up the incline, Ibrahim sent all of his Safavid cavalry and Roman Kataphractoi charging down hill towards the approaching Mameluks. The result was devastating, and though the Mameluks eventually repulsed the cavalry charge, it was not until significant damage had been done. By then, the infantry had began to pin them down in the front.
As the Mameluk army and Ibrahim’s veteran infantry clashed, the cavalry quickly regrouped for a second attack on the flank. The Mameluks own legendary cavalry had been all but broken in the initial charge down hill, leaving their infantry highly vulnerable. This charge on the flank once again dealt heavy damage to both the moral and organization of the Mameluk army, though the cavalry was once again driven back eventually, it managed to inflict significant damage before it was. Nearly 8,000 infantry broke from the main Mameluk army to give pursuit, attempting to ensure that the cavalry would not return again. However, they underestimated the skill and cleverness of the Safavid riders. It was this final charge that showed the true skill of Ibrahim and his men. Following their Generals plans to the mark, the 2,000 Kataphractoi turned and directly charged into the infantry that pursued them. The Safavid’s meanwhile circled around to the rear of the main body of the Mameluk army, and charged headlong into their ranks.
The result was devastatingly decisive, the Mameluk army began to panic, and as more troops were shifted towards the back to repel the Safavid’s, the infantry gradually pushed forward, until finally, the Mameluk’s moral and will to fight collapsed, and they were scattered into the desert sands of Egypt, in an attempt to escape from the wrath of Ibrahim and the Emperor. Ibrahim had once again brought the Imperial Army a great victory, though he lost nearly half of his entire army as a result, one must remember the great numbers he faced. The 2,000 Kataphractoi that chose to hold off the pursuing infantry, were almost utterly destroyed, though the infantry would later be routed themselves with the rest of their army. Some of Ibrahim’s closest friends were among their ranks, and it is clear today that their deaths had a profound impact on his life.
Al Qahirah would soon fall to the Romans, and the Sultan, exiled from his throne, and hidden away in Alexandria, gave the order to surrender to the Romans demands.
In Constantinople, there was celebration, soon followed by a funeral for the brave Kataphractoi that gave their lives to win the final victory of the war. Ibrahim personally lead the ceremony where he spoke of his lost friends and companions. The Emperor along with the Patriarch lead all who were present in an hour long prayer for the souls of the departed.
The Roman Empire after the 3rd Mameluk war.
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Well, that is it for now. Again, sorry for the long wait, I’ve been having troubles of my own here. I hope you enjoy. Man…I know I complain about vastly inferior armies beating far larger ones, but I have to admit, I love it when it happens to me.
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Yeah! One more Mameluk war and you'll be back to the borders of the East Roman Empire with the wealth of Egypt flowing into your coffers. Good to see the Emperor standing up to the pope, those upstarts in Rome need to learn their place once and for all!
I was shocked that you went for it, but impressed that it worked and you were able to take the rest of the Holy land. Nice work! Now to clean up the map a bit and get rid of that unsightly purple next you.
Very nice, the Eastern Roman Empire fares well in these dark times. So, have we any word of the new world? Hint-hint?
After the reconquest of Jerusalem by the Empire, its influence over the Orthodox world grew immensely, suddenly the Grand Prince of Moscow, Vasili III was requesting audiences with the Emperor every Christmas to celebrate the miraculous recovery of the Empire over the past century, the Bishop of Peace in Ethiopia was entertaining the possibility of a compromise regarding the so called heretical beliefs of the Ethiopian Church, Nubia was promising military should another war with the Mameluk’s break out, Moldavia was even pushing for Roman support in forcing Hungary to free Wallachia. Finally, the Orthodox Christian community was beginning to see the Empire as the leader of the True Faith once more, after Andreas I had shaken it to its core.
Even though old wounds had began to heal, the Empire found itself constantly caught in the politics of the smaller nations around it. Imereti was constantly threatened by its larger neighbor, Crimea, who had attempted to annex the small kingdom on several occasions. Finally, after the failed invasion of 1512, Imereti was in poor shape, and Crimea was already preparing for another assault. Imereti King Bagrat III sent a plea for aid to the Emperor, asking for support against the Mongols. Though Emperor Andreas II Palaiologos wanted to avoid a war with the Mongols to the north, he did guarantee their independence should Crimea attack.
The Mongols seemed to back down for a while, fearing their much larger and more powerful neighbor, much to Imereti’s relief. For a time, the Empire seemed as if it would be able to once again settle in for a period of peace and economic prosperity. With its strongest Neighbor Persia so friendly towards it, the Empire had no real external threats for the moment. Though the growing lands directly controlled by the Habsburg dynasty were becoming a concern, over all, the Empire was stronger than it ever had been in the past 800 years. Constantinople flourished with over 200,000 people calling the great city their home.
Though Andreas II was considered one of the more peace minded Emperors to rule over the revitalized Empire, his reign would be cut short when he suffered a violent heart attack on November 12th, 1516. Though only 32 years old, he lived an extravagant lifestyle, and was quite portly by the time of his death. His brother, Ioannes IX succeeded him, his coronation ceremony being held on December 2nd. In stark contrast of his overweight and fairly lazy brother, Ioannes was highly athletic, energetic and very conservative when it came to spending the Imperial Treasury on luxuries.
He was also an aggressive expansionist. The Empire had been keeping a close eye on Egypt after its defeat in the 3rd Mameluk war, observing the Sultan closely to insure no other hostile actions were being planned against the Empire. When al-Ashraf Tumanbay, the last Sultan of the Mameluk’s died on January 30th 1517, the former Sultanate was thrown into chaos, noble families warring over the vaunted turban, turning the once great oriental power into a land of petty clans. Ioannes saw this as a perfect opportunity to finish off the dieing Mameluk dynasty once and for all, he wasted no time ordering his greatest general, Hussen Adu Ibrahim, to draw up plans for an invasion. He was eager to bring Egypt back into the Imperial fold as soon as possible.
Ibrahim believed that a simultaneous attack from both land and sea would be the quickest way to defeat the crumbling Mameluk Sultanate. Egypt was the key, he stressed, and their Arabian territories were nonessential to force them into unconditional surrender. His plan was simple yet effective: They would land an army of 25,000 in the lightly defended province of Quattara, while 15,000 men would march on Egypt from Sinai. While 40,000 men might seem like a small army to conquer Egypt with, Ibrahim knew that the nobility of Egypt were so embroiled in their own petty wars and feuds, that they would never be able to properly unite, making the conquest of Egypt a relatively simple task in comparison to their previous wars.
The Mameluks could raise a force no larger than 31,000 at the most in their present state, and it was estimated that the war would be over in only a few months. War was declared on the fractured Mameluk Sultanate on March 10th, 1517, a desire to save Egypt from being devastated by civil war being used as the reason for the declaration. Ibrahim wasted no time launching his invasion, 25,000 soldiers directly under his command landing in Quattara, while 15,000 men under Eufasius marched directly on Al Qahirah from Sinai. The initial confrontations were resounding success, the small army in Quattara was easily crushed by Ibrahim, while Eufasius attacked Al Qahirah and with the aid of his superior arms breached its walls.
Following Ibrahim’s strategy, Eufasius marched on Delta after securing Al Qahirah, defeating a small army of less than 1,000 men upon arriving. Ibrahim, following his conquest of Quattara marched directly on the great city of Alexandria, once the breadbasket of the Empire. The Mameluks, unable to organize their leadership, sent the bulk of their forces into eastern Egypt to try and reclaim Al Qahirah even as Eufasius conquered the Delta. While this was happening, Ibrahim and his army of 22,000, including Veterans from the last war, launched an assault on the great city of Alexandria itself. Though in the past, the city had been guarded by strong walls and well armed garrisons, this was no longer the case. Ibrahim easily breeched the walls of Alexandria, and not long after paraded triumphantly through its streets in victory, the Coptic population cheered for their hero as he rode down the streets, followed by his loyal veterans.
With Al Qahirah, Dumyat, Alexandria and the provinces that surrounded them in Roman hands, the noble families of Egypt finally agreed to negotiate a surrender. Ibrahim had left the Mameluk’s Arabian territory unharmed for a reason, and when the various heads of the noble families of Egypt converged in Alexandria to talk of peace, Ibrahim promised them and their families safe passage into Arabia, as long as they surrendered all of Egypt to the Empire. After much deliberation, the families unanimously agreed to abandon Egypt in exchange for their lives, ordering all existing Mameluk armies to disband, while their families were granted safe passage into Arabia. Once there, they chose the holy city of Mekkah as the new Capital of the Hedjaz Sultanate, electing Barakat II as their new Sultan.
Though some resistance did remain, it did not last long against Imperial Might, and in only a few months, all of Egypt had submitted to the victorious Emperor. It was done, the Empire was restored to the condition it was in before the emergence of Islam, something no Emperor could have even dreamed of reaching a century ago. However, the Emperor could not settle in for peace just yet. In the north, Crimea had launched an invasion of the independent nation of Imereti, overwhelming it and annexing it while the Empire was still tied down in Egypt. Muhammad I of Crimea had grown bold in thinking that the Empire would not respond to the annexation of one its most friendly Orthodox neighbors, a boldness that Ioannes would need to check quickly before it grew out of hand.
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Emperor Ioannes IX Polaiologos slowly walked down the steps of the Imperial Palace to greet his guest, the King of Imereti Bagrat III. He looked somewhat worse for ware, for a King, at least, but he still carried himself with noble pride. Kneeling before the Emperor, he spoke in a raspy voice, “Greetings mighty Emperor of the Romans, I come to you in disgrace, for I have lost my Kingdom to the rampaging hordes of the Mongols of Crimea. They invaded my realm with a barbaric savagery, without any justification at all.” The Kings fists clenched slightly, be he remained calm, “We had repelled their attacks many times in the past, but our armies were greatly devastated by our the constant wars for survival. We simply did not have the strength to raise a sufficient defense this time…” The King was obviously desperate for aid, one could tell by looking into his eyes that this was a prideful man, not use to requesting help from others.
The King swallowed his pride before finishing, “O Great Emperor…please, please free my Kingdom from these infidels, please restore proper Christian order to its halls, and return me to my throne so that I may rule my subjects as I was meant to.” The King remained kneeling before Ioannes who remained expressionless as the King spoke. “And what would the Roman Empire gain from helping you, O former King of Imereti.” Ioannes questioned the humble King, “Crimea rules the former Greek colonies of Kaffa and Kerch…perhaps now is the proper time to restore Imperial rule to these lands…?” The King asked, arching an eyebrow at the Emperor.
Ioannes looked at the man knelt before him for almost a solid minute before finally responding, “Very well, I shall grant you an army of 25,000 men to retake your Kingdom, after this is accomplished, you are to turn control of the army over to my Megas Domestikos Ibrahim, who will then proceed to defeat Crimea. Is that understood?” Ioannes questioned the smiling man before him, “Yes, yes of course Oh magnificent Emperor, thank you, I, and all of Imereti are in your debt.” With that, the King stood, bowing before the Emperor once more, before turning to leave. Though they only recently emerged from a war with Egypt, the war proved to be a simple one, as would the one that awaited them would surely be.
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Ibrahim was quickly called from Egypt which was put under the jurisdiction of Eufasius until a more permanent administrator could be found. Arriving in southern Armenia with an army 25,000 men on October 18th, 1518. Ibrahim served as an advisor to King Bagrat on the reconquest of Imereti. It did not take long, as the bulk of the Crimean Army was concentrated in the North against Asthakhan raiders. With one quick assault, the Kingdom of Imereti had been retaken within only a few days. This attack surprised the Mongols, who thought the Empire simply did not care for its neighbor and would allow them to have the region.
Once his Kingdom was secured, King Bagrat remained behind to help stabilize the situation enough so that he could properly free his people once the war had been won. Ibrahim meanwhile took charge of the army and marched onwards towards the province of Sochi. The region was still undefended when he arrived, but he soon found himself under assault from a Crimean army of 13,000 men. Why the Mongols chose to attack with such an inferior force, even when they must have known the Romans had a vast technological edge on them still baffles historians to this day, however, the attack proved to be a complete failure for the Mongols, who were encircled and captured by Ibrahim, and sent back to Constantinople as prisoners. Sochi was soon occupied by Ibrahim, who chose to march on Azov next. Supplies were hard to come by however, and Ibrahim soon found his 25,000 men shrunk down to 15,000. He sent a call for reinforcements from home, and continued on his way.
12,000 men were quickly assembled in Trabzod, and sent towards Kamluk while Ibrahim secured Azov. Ibrahim had been mindful of his limited forces in this war and avoided facing the bulk of the Crimean army stationed in Kouban. King Bagrat took command of the 12,000 men on the request of Ibrahim, and circled around the main enemy force to strike at Kamluk. Ibrahim had since secured Azov and moved onward to Crimea itself, planning to move down into Kaffa and meet with Bagrat’s army in Kerch. The taking of Crimea, as with the other regions, was swift, the poorly equipped garrisons of the cities being unable to hold out against the Imperial Army for very long. As Ibrahim had hoped, the capture of Crimea jarred the commanders in Kouban from their chairs and they marched quickly to retake the capital.
Bagrat waited for them to enter Azov, and then moved to capture Kouban, while Ibrahim moved into Kaffa. Meanwhile, in the Black Sea, the Imperial Navy was fighting against the small navy of Crimea. Many Crimean ships had already been sunk thus far, the Empire only losing one according to most sources, due to friendly fire. With the Crimean fleet in tatters, and the Empire on the verge of victory, diplomats were being sent to the Muhammad to negotiate peace settlements. Ibrahim quickly captured the province of Kaffa, while Bagrat captured Kouban and then quickly began his march on Kerch. By then it was late November of 1519, the war had been going on for over a year and Ioannes pressured Ibrahim to resolve the conflict quickly.
The bulk of the Crimean Army was now besieging the Capital, but were forced to attempt to starve them out, lacking the weaponry to directly assault the Imperial-friendly garrison. Taking advantage of his foes lack of speed, Ibrahim and Bagrat met in Kerch for a simultaneous assault on former Greek colony. All that remained was to capture Muhammad. He was protected by nearly 35,000 men, however, and it would not be an easy battle. Ibrahim and Bagrat combined their armies, reaching 18,000 men between them, while reinforcements were sent from Constantinople, giving them roughly 28,000. The two armies met on March 5th, 1520. Though the fighting was fierce on both sides, in the end, Ibrahim managed to isolate and surround Muhammad and his bodyguards, capturing the Khan of Crimea, and securing victory for the Empire.
Muhammad was brought to Constantinople, where he was forced to formally sign a peace agreement with the Emperor. The peace gave the Empire the territories of Kaffa and Kerch, as well as Imereti until it could be stabilized enough to be granted proper independence, and also made Crimea a vassal of Constantinople, ensuring that all hostilities between they and Imereti would cease. Another victory for the Empire, and another enemy crushed.
Roman Empire after the release of Imereti
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Ah, feels so good to have cradle of civilization back in my control. I'll try and get another update out before too long guys. Hope you enjoyed.
Even though old wounds had began to heal, the Empire found itself constantly caught in the politics of the smaller nations around it. Imereti was constantly threatened by its larger neighbor, Crimea, who had attempted to annex the small kingdom on several occasions. Finally, after the failed invasion of 1512, Imereti was in poor shape, and Crimea was already preparing for another assault. Imereti King Bagrat III sent a plea for aid to the Emperor, asking for support against the Mongols. Though Emperor Andreas II Palaiologos wanted to avoid a war with the Mongols to the north, he did guarantee their independence should Crimea attack.
The Mongols seemed to back down for a while, fearing their much larger and more powerful neighbor, much to Imereti’s relief. For a time, the Empire seemed as if it would be able to once again settle in for a period of peace and economic prosperity. With its strongest Neighbor Persia so friendly towards it, the Empire had no real external threats for the moment. Though the growing lands directly controlled by the Habsburg dynasty were becoming a concern, over all, the Empire was stronger than it ever had been in the past 800 years. Constantinople flourished with over 200,000 people calling the great city their home.
Though Andreas II was considered one of the more peace minded Emperors to rule over the revitalized Empire, his reign would be cut short when he suffered a violent heart attack on November 12th, 1516. Though only 32 years old, he lived an extravagant lifestyle, and was quite portly by the time of his death. His brother, Ioannes IX succeeded him, his coronation ceremony being held on December 2nd. In stark contrast of his overweight and fairly lazy brother, Ioannes was highly athletic, energetic and very conservative when it came to spending the Imperial Treasury on luxuries.
He was also an aggressive expansionist. The Empire had been keeping a close eye on Egypt after its defeat in the 3rd Mameluk war, observing the Sultan closely to insure no other hostile actions were being planned against the Empire. When al-Ashraf Tumanbay, the last Sultan of the Mameluk’s died on January 30th 1517, the former Sultanate was thrown into chaos, noble families warring over the vaunted turban, turning the once great oriental power into a land of petty clans. Ioannes saw this as a perfect opportunity to finish off the dieing Mameluk dynasty once and for all, he wasted no time ordering his greatest general, Hussen Adu Ibrahim, to draw up plans for an invasion. He was eager to bring Egypt back into the Imperial fold as soon as possible.
Ibrahim believed that a simultaneous attack from both land and sea would be the quickest way to defeat the crumbling Mameluk Sultanate. Egypt was the key, he stressed, and their Arabian territories were nonessential to force them into unconditional surrender. His plan was simple yet effective: They would land an army of 25,000 in the lightly defended province of Quattara, while 15,000 men would march on Egypt from Sinai. While 40,000 men might seem like a small army to conquer Egypt with, Ibrahim knew that the nobility of Egypt were so embroiled in their own petty wars and feuds, that they would never be able to properly unite, making the conquest of Egypt a relatively simple task in comparison to their previous wars.
The Mameluks could raise a force no larger than 31,000 at the most in their present state, and it was estimated that the war would be over in only a few months. War was declared on the fractured Mameluk Sultanate on March 10th, 1517, a desire to save Egypt from being devastated by civil war being used as the reason for the declaration. Ibrahim wasted no time launching his invasion, 25,000 soldiers directly under his command landing in Quattara, while 15,000 men under Eufasius marched directly on Al Qahirah from Sinai. The initial confrontations were resounding success, the small army in Quattara was easily crushed by Ibrahim, while Eufasius attacked Al Qahirah and with the aid of his superior arms breached its walls.
Following Ibrahim’s strategy, Eufasius marched on Delta after securing Al Qahirah, defeating a small army of less than 1,000 men upon arriving. Ibrahim, following his conquest of Quattara marched directly on the great city of Alexandria, once the breadbasket of the Empire. The Mameluks, unable to organize their leadership, sent the bulk of their forces into eastern Egypt to try and reclaim Al Qahirah even as Eufasius conquered the Delta. While this was happening, Ibrahim and his army of 22,000, including Veterans from the last war, launched an assault on the great city of Alexandria itself. Though in the past, the city had been guarded by strong walls and well armed garrisons, this was no longer the case. Ibrahim easily breeched the walls of Alexandria, and not long after paraded triumphantly through its streets in victory, the Coptic population cheered for their hero as he rode down the streets, followed by his loyal veterans.
With Al Qahirah, Dumyat, Alexandria and the provinces that surrounded them in Roman hands, the noble families of Egypt finally agreed to negotiate a surrender. Ibrahim had left the Mameluk’s Arabian territory unharmed for a reason, and when the various heads of the noble families of Egypt converged in Alexandria to talk of peace, Ibrahim promised them and their families safe passage into Arabia, as long as they surrendered all of Egypt to the Empire. After much deliberation, the families unanimously agreed to abandon Egypt in exchange for their lives, ordering all existing Mameluk armies to disband, while their families were granted safe passage into Arabia. Once there, they chose the holy city of Mekkah as the new Capital of the Hedjaz Sultanate, electing Barakat II as their new Sultan.
Though some resistance did remain, it did not last long against Imperial Might, and in only a few months, all of Egypt had submitted to the victorious Emperor. It was done, the Empire was restored to the condition it was in before the emergence of Islam, something no Emperor could have even dreamed of reaching a century ago. However, the Emperor could not settle in for peace just yet. In the north, Crimea had launched an invasion of the independent nation of Imereti, overwhelming it and annexing it while the Empire was still tied down in Egypt. Muhammad I of Crimea had grown bold in thinking that the Empire would not respond to the annexation of one its most friendly Orthodox neighbors, a boldness that Ioannes would need to check quickly before it grew out of hand.
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Emperor Ioannes IX Polaiologos slowly walked down the steps of the Imperial Palace to greet his guest, the King of Imereti Bagrat III. He looked somewhat worse for ware, for a King, at least, but he still carried himself with noble pride. Kneeling before the Emperor, he spoke in a raspy voice, “Greetings mighty Emperor of the Romans, I come to you in disgrace, for I have lost my Kingdom to the rampaging hordes of the Mongols of Crimea. They invaded my realm with a barbaric savagery, without any justification at all.” The Kings fists clenched slightly, be he remained calm, “We had repelled their attacks many times in the past, but our armies were greatly devastated by our the constant wars for survival. We simply did not have the strength to raise a sufficient defense this time…” The King was obviously desperate for aid, one could tell by looking into his eyes that this was a prideful man, not use to requesting help from others.
The King swallowed his pride before finishing, “O Great Emperor…please, please free my Kingdom from these infidels, please restore proper Christian order to its halls, and return me to my throne so that I may rule my subjects as I was meant to.” The King remained kneeling before Ioannes who remained expressionless as the King spoke. “And what would the Roman Empire gain from helping you, O former King of Imereti.” Ioannes questioned the humble King, “Crimea rules the former Greek colonies of Kaffa and Kerch…perhaps now is the proper time to restore Imperial rule to these lands…?” The King asked, arching an eyebrow at the Emperor.
Ioannes looked at the man knelt before him for almost a solid minute before finally responding, “Very well, I shall grant you an army of 25,000 men to retake your Kingdom, after this is accomplished, you are to turn control of the army over to my Megas Domestikos Ibrahim, who will then proceed to defeat Crimea. Is that understood?” Ioannes questioned the smiling man before him, “Yes, yes of course Oh magnificent Emperor, thank you, I, and all of Imereti are in your debt.” With that, the King stood, bowing before the Emperor once more, before turning to leave. Though they only recently emerged from a war with Egypt, the war proved to be a simple one, as would the one that awaited them would surely be.
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Ibrahim was quickly called from Egypt which was put under the jurisdiction of Eufasius until a more permanent administrator could be found. Arriving in southern Armenia with an army 25,000 men on October 18th, 1518. Ibrahim served as an advisor to King Bagrat on the reconquest of Imereti. It did not take long, as the bulk of the Crimean Army was concentrated in the North against Asthakhan raiders. With one quick assault, the Kingdom of Imereti had been retaken within only a few days. This attack surprised the Mongols, who thought the Empire simply did not care for its neighbor and would allow them to have the region.
Once his Kingdom was secured, King Bagrat remained behind to help stabilize the situation enough so that he could properly free his people once the war had been won. Ibrahim meanwhile took charge of the army and marched onwards towards the province of Sochi. The region was still undefended when he arrived, but he soon found himself under assault from a Crimean army of 13,000 men. Why the Mongols chose to attack with such an inferior force, even when they must have known the Romans had a vast technological edge on them still baffles historians to this day, however, the attack proved to be a complete failure for the Mongols, who were encircled and captured by Ibrahim, and sent back to Constantinople as prisoners. Sochi was soon occupied by Ibrahim, who chose to march on Azov next. Supplies were hard to come by however, and Ibrahim soon found his 25,000 men shrunk down to 15,000. He sent a call for reinforcements from home, and continued on his way.
12,000 men were quickly assembled in Trabzod, and sent towards Kamluk while Ibrahim secured Azov. Ibrahim had been mindful of his limited forces in this war and avoided facing the bulk of the Crimean army stationed in Kouban. King Bagrat took command of the 12,000 men on the request of Ibrahim, and circled around the main enemy force to strike at Kamluk. Ibrahim had since secured Azov and moved onward to Crimea itself, planning to move down into Kaffa and meet with Bagrat’s army in Kerch. The taking of Crimea, as with the other regions, was swift, the poorly equipped garrisons of the cities being unable to hold out against the Imperial Army for very long. As Ibrahim had hoped, the capture of Crimea jarred the commanders in Kouban from their chairs and they marched quickly to retake the capital.
Bagrat waited for them to enter Azov, and then moved to capture Kouban, while Ibrahim moved into Kaffa. Meanwhile, in the Black Sea, the Imperial Navy was fighting against the small navy of Crimea. Many Crimean ships had already been sunk thus far, the Empire only losing one according to most sources, due to friendly fire. With the Crimean fleet in tatters, and the Empire on the verge of victory, diplomats were being sent to the Muhammad to negotiate peace settlements. Ibrahim quickly captured the province of Kaffa, while Bagrat captured Kouban and then quickly began his march on Kerch. By then it was late November of 1519, the war had been going on for over a year and Ioannes pressured Ibrahim to resolve the conflict quickly.
The bulk of the Crimean Army was now besieging the Capital, but were forced to attempt to starve them out, lacking the weaponry to directly assault the Imperial-friendly garrison. Taking advantage of his foes lack of speed, Ibrahim and Bagrat met in Kerch for a simultaneous assault on former Greek colony. All that remained was to capture Muhammad. He was protected by nearly 35,000 men, however, and it would not be an easy battle. Ibrahim and Bagrat combined their armies, reaching 18,000 men between them, while reinforcements were sent from Constantinople, giving them roughly 28,000. The two armies met on March 5th, 1520. Though the fighting was fierce on both sides, in the end, Ibrahim managed to isolate and surround Muhammad and his bodyguards, capturing the Khan of Crimea, and securing victory for the Empire.
Muhammad was brought to Constantinople, where he was forced to formally sign a peace agreement with the Emperor. The peace gave the Empire the territories of Kaffa and Kerch, as well as Imereti until it could be stabilized enough to be granted proper independence, and also made Crimea a vassal of Constantinople, ensuring that all hostilities between they and Imereti would cease. Another victory for the Empire, and another enemy crushed.
Roman Empire after the release of Imereti
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Ah, feels so good to have cradle of civilization back in my control. I'll try and get another update out before too long guys. Hope you enjoyed.
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Now that you have restored the empire to it's pre-muslim borders, you must restore them to their largest extent ever. On to Rome!
Quite nice! So where will the Roman Empire be moving next? Italy perhaps? Take back Rome proper?
A Roman empire without Rome is a ridiculous idea! Insure the supremacy of the Empire AND the Orthodox Church by dispatching the Papacy and taking back the Eternal City. Looking very good SeanB.
Yes, the pope needs to be punished for removing his blessing of the mamelukian campaign!
Go Go Go Aytokratoria!!!
Always nice to see the AYTOKRATORIA return to life.
Always makes me wonder what if...
Then I remember both the real world, and the gratitude for a company and some gamers who made it all possible.
Thank you. Do keep going! Will it be Rome restored or will you create a Byzantine siberia or New world? Possibilities are endless at this point.
It was a good idea to respect Islam. The Byzantines did that too. There was no byzantine crusade or serious religious confrontation between the two religions once Byzantium was around, even if Byzantio did try to convert back to Christianity recaptured lands.
Always nice to see the AYTOKRATORIA return to life.
Always makes me wonder what if...
Then I remember both the real world, and the gratitude for a company and some gamers who made it all possible.
Thank you. Do keep going! Will it be Rome restored or will you create a Byzantine siberia or New world? Possibilities are endless at this point.
It was a good idea to respect Islam. The Byzantines did that too. There was no byzantine crusade or serious religious confrontation between the two religions once Byzantium was around, even if Byzantio did try to convert back to Christianity recaptured lands.
Don't bother taking back Western Europe. The heathen French don't deserve the wise and tolerable rule of Byzantium!
To the east is where Byzanium's future lies! The wealth of India and China belongs to Constantinople!
To the east is where Byzanium's future lies! The wealth of India and China belongs to Constantinople!
Great work, I think you should expand in both directions. Make the world tremble before you!
Great work so far!
How did you take Egypt (province) and make the Mamelukes move/leave?
I'm with most of the others, you should move on Rome...but I wouldn't necessarily stay. Just burn 'em to the ground. :X (Hmm, force-vassalize the Papal States? If that isn't poetic justice I don't know what is.)
How did you take Egypt (province) and make the Mamelukes move/leave?
I'm with most of the others, you should move on Rome...but I wouldn't necessarily stay. Just burn 'em to the ground. :X (Hmm, force-vassalize the Papal States? If that isn't poetic justice I don't know what is.)
You should be practically unstopable now you have Anatolia and Egypt. Here's hoping!