I was the Queen of Persia

Page 146

Unlike the Turkic-Turan settlements located in the grasslands, this is a unique Tatar city.

The city is surrounded by towering earthen and wooden walls, dotted with Rus'-style wooden barracks, while the towering Persian archways showcase the continued influence of Iranian culture. Overall, it presents a rich blend of Iranian, steppe Turkic, and Slavic cultural styles.

The city's residents were quite diverse in ethnicity, including native Bulgar Tatars, neighboring Finno-Ugric tribes, Iranian merchants from afar, Kiev-Moscow Rus' travelers in woolen hats and fur coats, Northern Rus'-Varyag mercenaries who were "as tall as mountains and as tall as palm trees, covered in tattoos," and nomadic Turkic soldiers who had fled to the city... a diverse and bustling community.

Of course, due to the frequent invasions by the Turan Khanate in recent years, Bulgarian trade has declined considerably. Although the bazaar market is quite large, the goods on the market are quite scarce. And even these were brought by the Samanid Empire caravan not long ago.

In fact, a single high-purity Samanid Dirhan coin could be exchanged for three fine sable pelts. Keep in mind that, based on normal market values, it would normally take at least two Dirhan coin to buy just one sable pelt!

This caused widespread distress among everyone from nobles to commoners.

Upon entering the Khan's palace, Ishtarkhli explained her purpose, presented tribute, and handed over the letter of state from Empress Shahzani.

Bulgar Khan had long harbored the desire to submit to the Samanid Empire, and now that reinforcements had arrived, he was naturally overjoyed, saying happily, "Thanks to the mercy of the merciful and noble God! If the Turan invasion is defeated, I am willing to follow Her Majesty the Empress's lead!"

Although the Bulgar Khanate was a medium-sized power, in the face of an unprecedented crisis, they chose to submit to the more powerful Samanid Empire in order to protect themselves.

Shahzani's "northward" and "integration" strategies were successful.

He then issued another imperial edict, ordering the dispatch of additional caravans to the Bulgar Khanate to transport more goods, thus slightly intensifying the "economic warfare" tactics.

Shahzani knew that there were many diverse ethnic groups, tribes, and tribal groups along the trade routes between Eastern Europe, the Central Asian steppes, and the Samanid Empire. If they could gradually weaken their warlike spirit through goods and trade, it would inevitably deal a further blow to the Turan Khanate.

At the same time, a decree was drafted and sent to Istakhli of Bulgar, instructing her: "While consolidating Bulgar military affairs, pay attention to coordinating relations between Bulgar and Kievan Rus'."

The implication is: My mind is made up; the authority of the Samanid Empire will sooner or later extend to the land of this Christian country.

Chapter 338 The Caspian Sea Turns into an Inland Lake

After establishing an alliance with the Bulgar Khanate, the Samanid Empire's power had become as deeply embedded as a sharp steel knife into the body of the Turan Khanate.

Shahzani immediately issued orders to continue consolidating and expanding the gains.

First, Istakhli, stationed in the Bulgar Khanate, integrated the military forces of Iran, Bulgars, and Rus', and moved south to the Ad River (Volga River) until the northern shore of the Khazars Sea (Caspian Sea).

Meanwhile, Little Sahini, stationed in the Kingdom of Alan, integrated the military forces of Iran and Alan, and marched north along the steppes of the Don and Kuban Rivers to join forces with Istahri.

The two generals joined forces to jointly attack the Qiliqi Chaglitzin, who was entrenched in the Adhe River basin, forcing him to retreat westward, cutting off the connection between the southern Russian-Black Sea steppe and the Central Asian steppe, and dividing the territory of the Turan Khanate.

By this point in the war, the Iranian cavalry's ability to raid across the steppes had greatly improved. With close coordination, effective command, and high morale, they were even comparable to the Turan cavalry and were fully capable of achieving this strategy.

……

Of course, Aknuar did not simply sit idly by and wait to die.

Seven Rivers region, Balasagun city.

The personal guard of Turan Khan is stationed on this grassland. The plains are dotted with yurts, and the brown and black banners flutter in the wind. The magnificent and huge Khan's golden tent is particularly beautiful and eye-catching.

"Immediately summon all units, assemble troops, and reclaim our lost territory!"

Aknuer angrily issued the order to attack; her mind was made up.

However, her main focus was not the Caspian-Black Sea steppes, but the cities along the Syr Darya River.

There are two considerations. First, the former is quite far away, and even if emergency reinforcements are sent, they may be stretched thin. Second, Princess Saman and her husband, who are stationed at the Syr Darya River, are relatively young and inexperienced in warfare.

Of course, this is also a common tactic of nomadic armies on the grasslands: to feint to the east while attacking in the west, quickly gaining a local advantage, and then launching a surprise attack.

In short, while the Samanid Empire was rapidly expanding its sphere of influence, the Turan Khanate was also accelerating its military buildup, determined to capture the Syr Darya cities.

A contest of patience and courage, strength and wisdom is about to begin.

……

Within the Bulgar Khanate, Samanid forces have already begun operations.

Istakhli first devised a plan to ambush and annihilate the small group of Turan troops gathered in Kazan, killing them along with the Turan prison guards assigned to the area. They were all wiped out, leaving no one alive to tip them off.

He then assembled the Bulgarian army and warriors from various vassal tribes, forming a multi-ethnic coalition, and launched a southward offensive.

The vanguard of the Bashkir cavalry was quite fierce, and along the way, they swiftly crushed the small groups of Turan troops that had not yet assembled, trampled their tents, and beheaded them.

However, they encountered setbacks when they reached the city of Samara.

The Turan army relied on its fortified villages and held their ground, stubbornly resisting the arrival of reinforcements.

After careful consideration, Istahri decided to deploy heavy infantry assault troops.

The heavy infantry, composed of Suzdal-Moscow mercenaries and Northern Rus'-Varyag mercenaries, was a force that struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. They wore Eastern European-style chainmail and wielded double-handed battle axes that could tear enemy soldiers apart at any moment.

Archers and warriors, recruited from various tribes of the Finno-Ugric, unleashed a barrage of arrows to cover the attack. These people, who lived in the cold pine forests and were accustomed to hunting fur-bearing animals with blunt arrows, were excellent hunters in peacetime and skilled archers in wartime.

After a series of fierce attacks, they finally captured Samara.

Continue south along the Kama River-Volga River.

As the pine forests thinned along the way, the grasslands became increasingly open. In this terrain, the heavily armored Bulgar heavy cavalry became the main striking force, while the fully equipped Samanic Holy Fire Brigade cavalry served as the backbone.

The Saman-Bulgar coalition launched a fierce attack, and the Turan soldiers scattered there were also lax in their defenses. Before they could organize an effective defense, they were defeated one by one, and one camp collapsed and disintegrated.

Soon their troops reached the city of Adela.

The Turan general defending the city felt he was outnumbered and immediately wrote to Kilich Chaglitgin for help. However, unbeknownst to him, Chaglitgin was also entangled with the young Sahini in the Don River basin and was retreating westward, unable to spare any troops to come to the rescue.

but.

Aknuar's second son, Musa Ogurchak, was then stationed in the grassland region on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea and the northern shore of the Aral Sea. After learning that Ader City was besieged, he was willing to send troops to reinforce it. He even withstood the pressure from the Khan's mother to concentrate the forces and sent a commander of ten thousand to provide support.

Ogurchak's reinforcements crossed the Turgai steppe and advanced rapidly westward, but encountered strong resistance when they reached the Yaik River (Ural River) basin.

The local refugee community—the Ushkuniks (a mixed society composed of Rus', Bulgars, and steppe Turans, similar to the Cossacks of later times)—had long been "united" by the Samanid Empire. Currently, they were using treacherous shoals, fortresses, and turbulent waters as natural defenses to tenaciously resist Ogurchak's forces.

Thanks to Istakhli's training, the Ushkunik people had become highly organized, with a stronger fighting spirit and more flexible tactics. After several battles, the Turan army was blocked on the riverbank and unable to cross the wide river for a long time.

Musa Ogurchak had no choice but to regretfully withdraw his troops.

With both military routes cut off by the Samanid army, Adair's Turan army completely lost its external support. The Turan commander in the city was in despair and decided to abandon the city and lead his troops to break out.

Despite the inevitable defeat, the lingering bravery in their bones still inspired these Turanian nomadic warriors to fight to the death, believing that as long as they fought bloodily, there was a chance to break through the encirclement.

However, the chances were slim and uncertain.

Seeing that Turan's army was fleeing, Istahri immediately divided her troops into two groups.

The Bulgar heavy cavalry surged forward from the right flank, while the Iranian Holy Fire Brigade cavalry launched a massive attack from the left. A fierce cavalry battle ensued on the plains outside Adal.

Despite the Turan cavalry's tenacious fighting spirit, with light and heavy cavalry working in coordination and horse archers unleashing a continuous barrage of arrows, they even managed to repel the enemy in one charge and kill Ishtarhli's standard-bearer.

However, this victory was nothing more than a brief resurgence in the face of the powerful offensive of the Iranian-Bulgarian coalition.

The Iranian Holy Fire Brigade cavalry, with their superior tactics and well-equipped armor, scattered Turan's heavy cavalry; the Bulgar heavy cavalry followed closely, cutting Turan's light cavalry into several sections; the Rus' heavy infantry quickly formed ranks and pressed forward, pulling all the Turan stragglers off their horses and killing them.

The city of Adair was already under the control of the Samanid Empire, which in a sense meant that the Caspian Sea had become an inland lake of the Samanid Empire.

Of course, Shahzani knew that this "control" was quite unstable before the war was fully decided, and it might have to go through many rounds of back-and-forth struggle.

Chapter 339 The Khan's Offensive

In the spring and summer of 1026 AD, in the month of Khordad in the Persian calendar.

Aknuar once again assembled a 20-strong army of the Turan Khanate and launched an offensive against the cities along the Syr Darya River under the control of the Samanid Empire, especially the strategically vital city of Otrar.

The Turan army, rallied by its bravery and the authority of the Khan, swept across the steppe like a storm, from the Ishim steppe to the Sareysu River basin and approached the Syr Darya.

Meanwhile, Princess Farukzad, Prince Consort Iraj, and General Bahmanyar were inspecting the defenses between Otrar and Sighnahei when they heard the news that the Turan army was approaching. They also quickly convened a military meeting.

"The Turan army's offensive this time is massive, and they are determined to take the cities along the Syr Darya River. Our army must be fully prepared!" Bahmanyar said.

“That’s right. God Hudah above! If our army were to fight head-on against such an offensive, we would inevitably suffer heavy losses. War requires the use of wisdom and strategy,” Farukzad said.

"The Queen Mother's decree was issued yesterday, instructing us not to concern ourselves with the gains or losses of a single city, and to temporarily abandon cities if necessary, with the aim of thwarting the enemy's plans." Iraj produced the decree bearing the monogram of Gagaishahezani.

The three quickly reached a tacit understanding and devised a strategy to defend against the enemy.

……

The Turan Khanate army swept across the Sareysu River like locusts and continued its advance towards the Syr Darya River. The army was vast and imposing, with thousands of horses like beasts, and its offensive was fierce.

The Samanid army stationed in the forward buffer zone, along with the local vassal forces, was quickly defeated. However, they had been ordered to "fight briefly and then retreat," so most of their troops only engaged the Turan army for a short while before retreating towards the Syr Darya River.

The soldiers were arrayed in formation, and camels and horses moved about.

Several Samanid armies that were retreating were advancing towards Otrar in an orderly manner. The shadow of defeat in the first battle was hanging over the hearts of many soldiers, and now that they had received orders to retreat, their morale was inevitably low.

In war, the most difficult part is often not charging forward, but retreating.

The retreating Samanese soldiers began to whisper among themselves.

"We suffered heavy losses in our first battle. By Almighty God, this offensive will be more intense than any before!"

"At this rate, Edar City is probably in grave danger!"

"No way! Isn't the brave Hanum (one of the honorific titles for high ladies) Falukzad stationed there?"

"The princess is too young; she is probably powerless against the Turan army, which is as powerful as a raging torrent!"

While they were whispering among themselves.

"No whispering during the march! Stay alert!"

A stern rebuke interrupted the soldiers.

It was the company commander who led the team.

The seasoned commander, Saman, surveyed the crowd and said solemnly, “This is only a temporary retreat, not out of fear of Turan. Almighty God is above! In the past, Bahram Ghur and Anushirwan the Great both used the tactic of retreating to advance to defeat Turan…”

Then came another round of resounding encouragement, with phrases like "Queen Shahzani's guidance" and "Rustam's courageous assistance."

Ultimately, they successfully stabilized the panicked morale of the troops.

This was a motivational mechanism for the Samanid army.

Shahzani had long stipulated that all officers in the army (down to the company commander) must be staunch and loyal followers of Shubiism and Khoramiism.

As the Samanid system became more complete, this tradition of selecting officers was also established.

By employing Iranian national ideology and Khorami doctrine, the army was governed, faith was inspired, morale was boosted, and cohesion was effectively strengthened.

……

Eda La City, city walls.

Fully armed, her four-mirror steel armor gleamed, and her helmet adorned with peacock feathers exuded awe-inspiring majesty. She patrolled back and forth on the city wall, directing the deployment of troops and supplies.

"Your Highness Shahdukht (Princess), the iron ingots, timber, felt, rockets, and other supplies you ordered to be gathered are ready," a Saman officer under her command reported.

“Yes, proceed with the arrangements as planned,” Farukzad instructed.

……

War clouds loomed, and Shahzani continued to provide reinforcements to Farukzad.

With the help of a well-developed post road system and well-distributed military camps and oasis outposts, supplies from Transoxiana and Khorasan provinces were continuously transported to the Syr Darya region.

Food, cloth, heavy armor, weapons, tools, medicine, building materials... all sorts of military supplies were arriving in droves.

It is worth mentioning that many newly reclaimed oasis outposts in the Kyzylkum Desert have begun exporting food and supplies.

Some military reclamation public villages and communes, inspired by the ideas of "Shubi" and the doctrines of Khoramiism, and drawing on some positive ideas from Khoramiism, Mazdaism, and Marxism-Leninism, implemented a simple communist principle of distribution according to work. The members worked together to plant trees, dig wells and canals, cultivate crops, and improve the environment.

With faith and unity, dedication and sacrifice, ample material support and a bright future, free from worries, this group of "Bassky" agricultural holy war reclamation farmers ultimately overcame the harsh natural environment and achieved unexpected success.

This was a crucial material foundation for establishing the war's trajectory.

……

Meanwhile, on the grasslands south of Saresu, Aknuer's Turan army was rapidly approaching.

The fearsome Turan raiders, moving with lightning speed, raided everywhere, plundering grain, livestock, and slaves, spreading the terror instilled by the Khan.

Unlike the Samanid Empire's officials and soldiers, whose salaries were stable, the Turan Khanate still relied on plundered spoils of war as one of its main sources of income, continuing the centuries-old tradition of "the harvest of the steppe peoples."

Although Aknuar had already attempted to implement a stable salary system, it was on a small scale and only benefited a small number of close officials and bureaucrats in the Khan's capital. The vast majority of nomadic military nobles and slave owners were not included.

“Punish any tribe that colludes with the Persians, and make them tremble under torture! Let the majesty of Afrasiab spread to every place the hooves of Turan’s warriors reach!”

Aknuar continued to coldly issue tyrannical military orders.

For the conquerors of the steppes, making an example of one to deter others seemed to be the most effective means of deterrence.

Shahzani always thought she was tyrannical enough. After all, she also liked to build pyramids of heads, hang extremists, rebels, and traitors on cranes and gallows, and subject the most heinous criminals to extreme punishments such as skinning, gouging out eyes, ripping out hearts, dismembering them alive, and pouring mercury on them... But after learning about Aknuar's actions, she often felt ashamed of herself.

For thousands of years, the brutal steppes of the Eurasian heartland have been the source of despotism, fear, atrocities, slaughter, plunder, and violence.