I was the Queen of Persia

Page 68

"Strive for excellence, for your achievements and accomplishments!"

"To earn people's heartfelt praise."

"If you work diligently, you will have a good reputation in the future."

"It will surely be remembered forever."

After reciting the poem, Shahzani showed an approving expression.

Then she said to Farrowsie, “Use what you have learned to compose a poem.”

Farossi also bowed respectfully, and then composed a poem in Persian to recommend himself, showcasing his exceptional literary talent:

"I came here from Sistan with a caravan from Sistan,"

"Wearing a brocade robe woven from the heart and life."

"Language is the warp and weft of this brocade garment,"

"Words and phrases are the patterns and markings on this brocade garment."

“Every thread of this brocade robe comes from the heart,”

“Every thread of this brocade robe comes from the heart.”

"..."

After reciting the poem, Shahzani once again showed an approving expression.

Then she said to Manuchehri, "Use what you have learned to compose a poem."

Manuchehri also bowed respectfully, and then composed a lyrical poem in Persian to express his deep longing for beautiful feelings:

"Your body burns with the light of your life every moment,"

"The light of your life consumes your body every moment."

"If you are not a star, why do you only appear at night?"

"If you're not lovers, why do your tears never stop?"

"You are a star, and your sky is paraffin."

"You are the lover, and your lover is the candle."

"..."

After reciting the poem, Shahzani once again showed an approving expression.

Indeed, like many Persianized Turkic dynasties, the Ghaznavid dynasty, although founded by the Turkic Ghulam slave army, highly valued the Persian language and literature and cultivated a large number of outstanding Persian poets. These factors greatly promoted the prosperity and progress of Persian culture.

"Praise be to Hu Da! Your poems are all wonderful, I accept your allegiance!"

Shahzani smiled broadly and then incorporated all the Ghazni court poets, including the three of them, into the Samanid state organization, granting them civil positions to utilize their talents in promoting the Persian language and culture.

Then I opened the system again.

"【Culture & Technology - King of Persian Poetry】: Cultural Prosperity +15%, Social Cohesion +15%, Religious Cohesion +15%".

Chapter 152 The End of Two Major Rivals

While Ghazni was resting, news of victory arrived from Bahramu: Balasagun had been captured, Ahmad Togan Khan had been taken prisoner, and the Karakhanid Khanate's "Western Khanate" had been completely destroyed. From Talas to Lake Issyk-Kul, the entire region was now under the control of the Samanid army.

What excited Shahzani even more was the news from Shahinian: the allied forces of the "Arch of Resistance" had captured Kucha and Khotan, the Ilik Naser Khan group had also fallen apart, Mansur had been defeated and fled to the Tibetan Plateau, and Aknuer had fled to the grasslands, leaving only Ilik Naser Khan's forces to hold out in Kashgar.

This can still be attributed to the laxity of power within the Karakhanid Dynasty. As a steppe khanate in Inner Asia, the Karakhanid Dynasty, despite establishing a rudimentary centralized system, still retained many remnants of nomadic tribal society, and its centralization of power often relied on the personal prestige of the Great Khan. Once the monarch suffered repeated defeats, the national strength was depleted, and the prestige declined, the nomadic leaders who held local power seized control of their own territories, and the entire khanate was prone to disintegration.

In 1002-1003 AD, Sahini, with his outstanding military command abilities, won over troops from various regions in the Western Regions and the Hexi Corridor. Using local indigenous people as guides, he launched continuous small-scale, low-intensity attacks on various Karakhanid strongholds, accumulating small victories into a major triumph.

The oases in the Western Regions had limited production capacity, which could only support a limited number of small and medium-sized garrisons. They could not support large-scale military operations like the oases in Transoxiana and Khorasan. The centralized system was also more unstable in comparison.

Therefore, under the successive blows of the Shahinian "Arc of Resistance", the Karakhanid regime collapsed city after city until the entire khanate was on the verge of disintegration.

……

In mid-July of 1003 AD, the month of Tyre in the Persian calendar.

The grasslands at the foot of the Altai Mountains.

Aknuar, leading a group of remnants of the Karakhanid tribes, had just escaped the pursuit of the "Arch of Resistance" coalition and was passing through here. Due to the exhaustion of the past few days, this Karakhanid female general also suffered from severe dysentery, but fortunately she was strong and healthy and did not die here.

Passing by a patch of camel thorn bushes, Aknuer seemed unable to hold it in any longer. He felt his stomach churning and hurriedly dismounted and ran into the bushes, where he defecated and urinated in large puddles, accompanied by a series of loud farts. The stench spread, causing many soldiers nearby to cover their noses and move away.

"Damn it! You filthy bastard! May this devil be condemned to hellfire!"

Aknuer felt a little better in her stomach, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and cursed under her breath. She had been suffering terribly from this illness these past few days. Because of the frequent urination and defecation, wearing trousers was really inconvenient, so this time she simply took them off so that she could relieve herself whenever she wanted during her escape.

The other soldiers rested in place for a while.

“It’s over… The great Khanate is finished… What should we do next?” A Karakhanid guard officer sighed during a break.

Aknuar walked over, his thighs bare, and sighed, “Let’s go seek refuge with the Khans of the Kipchak and Oghuz. Our distant relatives are there, and they will surely take us in.”

"Kipchaks? But many of their tribes are infidels!"

"Yes! We are brave Muslim warriors, how can we accept alms from infidels?"

"This is a disgrace to Muslims!"

Many of the more devout followers were astonished.

"Enough!" Aknuar retorted to the crowd's doubts, scoffing, "So what if they are heretics? We, they, and all the Turans (Turks) are all descendants of Afrasiab, and the same blood flows in our veins!"

These words silenced the dissenting followers.

Aknuer's expression softened slightly: "Besides, the steppe people have always spoken with force. As long as we repeatedly achieve meritorious service under their command and gain prestige, we will be able to take away their Khan's camp and its people sooner or later."

Just then, a scout reported: "Sahinnian's cavalry pursuit force is approaching this place!"

Upon hearing this, Aknuer dared not delay and immediately gathered his troops, fleeing westward toward the Turanstan steppe.

……

Late July, 1003 AD, the month of Mordade in the Persian calendar.

The final showdown between Shahzani and Mahmoud appears to have begun.

Upon learning of the loss of Kabul and Ghazni, Mahmoud was greatly alarmed and immediately ordered his generals, Eryaruq and Inar, to organize 50,000 troops, including the Ghulam, regular army, conscripted army, and religious Ghazi, to launch a counter-offensive at the end of July.

The Ghazni army advanced up the Lola River, initially making rapid advances and even repelling Rustam Zaman's vanguard. However, they soon found themselves caught in a pincer movement between Shahzani and Hoslu, while Rustam Zaman, who had previously been defeated, regrouped.

Especially in the battle near the village of Shahjay, the Ghazani army suffered a fierce attack from Shahjani.

In the Battle of Shahjoi, Shahzani constructed a trench and barricade defense line at the front, placed rocket tank attack groups behind them, and deployed heavily armored cavalry units behind the hills on both sides.

The Ghaznavid army struck first, with their light and heavy cavalry launching a massive offensive, but they failed to break through the Samanid army's formidable defenses. The Samanid chariots then unleashed a barrage of rockets, inflicting heavy casualties on the Ghaznavid cavalry.

Ghaznean horse archers attempted to flank and break through, but the Samanid army's flank defenses were equally impregnable. The Ghaznean horse archers attacked several times but failed to break through the lines. Instead, they were routed by the Samanid army's powerful long-range firepower.

Seeing that the Ghazni army was showing signs of weakness, Shahzani immediately ordered the heavy cavalry group deployed in concealed positions to launch a counterattack. The Saman armored heavy cavalry charged with the force of a raging fire, crushing the Ghazni army, whose morale was wavering, and forcing them into a series of retreats.

After driving the Ghazni army out of Shahjoi, Shahzani, Hoslu, and Rustam Zaman joined forces, their numbers greatly increased, and their counterattack proved too much for the Ghazni to withstand. Ultimately, the Ghazni army was forced to abandon its earlier gains and retreat steadily.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Mahmud ordered Asigtiq to lead 2 troops to reinforce the army. This Ghaznavid army initially advanced rapidly and clashed with Hoslu's Saman army. The two sides fought fiercely for several days and nights until Rustam Zaman arrived with Saman reinforcements. Together with Hoslu's army, they repelled the enemy.

Shahzani then ordered Rustam Zaman to lead an army westward, passing through the Khyber Pass and Peshawar, and occupying Punjab and Sindh in the Indus River Valley. These regions originally belonged to Hindustan and had only been conquered by the Ghaznavid dynasty in recent years, so they naturally had little loyalty to Mahmud.

While Mahmoud was frequently diverting troops to reinforce the capital, Saman's general Khorshid, deployed in the west, followed the tactics pre-arranged by Shahzani and launched a pincer attack on Ghazni's defenses. After five days and five nights of fierce fighting, they defeated Ghazni general Ayaz's Ghulam Guard and captured Bust and Zamin-Dawar.

The battle lasted for more than two months, only subsiding slightly on the eve of Mehergan Day.

During the battle, Mahmoud lost hundreds of towns and villages, as well as the Zabulstan defense line he had painstakingly built, and suffered countless casualties.

Ultimately, Mahmud was forced to withdraw his forces and retreat to Kandahar. The once vast Ghaznavid Empire was now reduced to a tiny corner of territory.

The Samanid army achieved brilliant victories, so Shahzani ordered several large armies to launch a full-scale attack, aiming to destroy the Ghaznavid dynasty before the arrival of the month of Aban.

Chapter 153 As long as Ayaz launches an attack...

Despite the Samanid army's overwhelming force, to be fair, the Ghaznavid dynasty still had a glimmer of hope.

Currently, Punjab has been attacked by Saman general Rustam Zaman, but the Sindh region in the lower Indus River is relatively safe for the time being, and there happens to be a road connecting Sindh and Zabulstan.

Sindh is not only rich in resources, but also borders the sea, allowing it to replenish its supplies via maritime trade routes and rely on its naval fleet for defense. Therefore, if Mahmoud had abandoned Kandahar and retreated here, he might have been able to hold out for a longer period of time.

However, Mahmoud chose a different path: he was determined to concentrate his main forces, hold Kandahar to the death, and look for an opportunity to fight Shahzani, hoping to turn the tide.

However, he did not completely abandon the strategic value of Sindh, so he sent his favorite general, Ayaz, to guard the important pass between Sindh and Zaburstan – Chaman.

He also assigned several of the most elite Ghulam Guard regiments to Ayaz.

After the reinforcements, Ayaz now has 5 troops, which is one-third of his total forces (Ghulam + standing army + local militia + religious Ghazi + town mercenaries + various conscripts and temporary cannon fodder).

Mahmoud's plan was shrewd: in the event of a decisive battle, he would lead the main force to tie down Shahzani, while Ayaz's elite troops could either defend the fortress or launch a surprise attack. In any case, they could at least gain some advantage.

The ambition of being a "world conqueror" has not been completely extinguished.

However, Shahzani still didn't play by the rules.

She adopted the strategy of her advisor Liu Wenyuan, abandoning a frontal attack and instead ordering Holshid and Hoslu to launch a feint attack on the Kandahar region.

She herself led her elite troops, taking the route through the Suleiman Mountains, and secretly outflanked Chaman. The geographers accompanying the army were familiar with the terrain, and the efficient engineering troops overcame the obstacles of marching through the mountains, and finally arrived at the gates of Chaman with lightning speed.

The Samanid army quickly completed its deployment and attacked the weak points in the Ghaznavid army's defenses. Caught off guard, the Ghaznavid army soon fell into chaos and its lines collapsed.

Seeing the situation was dire, Ayaz immediately ordered his entire army to retreat and defend the city.

Shahzani immediately organized an attack on the city. Various types of Chinese gunpowder, prepared by Qin artisans, proved incredibly effective in the siege. Gunpowder weapons destroyed the city walls and gates. The Samanid army stormed into the city and engaged in a bloody battle with the Ghazni defenders.

Ayaz led the Ghulam Guard in a fierce and valiant resistance, repelling several waves of attacks from the Saman forces, but ultimately they were no match for the Shaher Women's Guard. After several days and nights of intense fighting, the Ghazni army suffered heavy casualties and retreated in disarray.

Ayaz led his remaining troops in a desperate breakout attempt, intending to retreat towards Kandahar, only to find that the road had been cut off by Shahzani. With no other choice, he could only gather his scattered troops and retreat to the Zayjat fortress near Chaman.

It is worth mentioning that Mahmoud originally dispatched Eriyaruk and Inar Tegin to support Ayaz. When Ayaz was attacked, they also wanted to send troops to its aid, but the offensive of the various Saman legions was too fierce, and they were unable to spare any troops.

The Samanid armies advanced in unison, while the Ghazni forces suffered repeated defeats. Battles raged along the long front, with day and night shifting constantly, and numerous villages and strongholds changed hands.

Ultimately, the battlefront had advanced to the outskirts of Kandahar.

……

October 7, 1003 AD, the month of Mehr in the Persian calendar.

Kandahar.

The Samanid army set up siege camps and was about to attack the city. As far as the eye could see, the flat sand was covered with red armor and red flags, and the orderly military tents stretched as far as the eye could see. The vast amount of war arsenal covered the plains.

Mahmoud refused to surrender. He was unaware that Ayaz had been defeated and trapped, and still hoped for a "miracle." He summoned his officials to the palace in the city to discuss the current situation.

"Your Majesty the Sultan!"

Grand Vizier Ahmad Meymandi of Ghazni, gesturing on a military sand table, reported the gravity of the situation to Mahmoud:

"The Samanid army will break through the defenses with a much larger force..."

"In the west, they are closing in on Sharwan and Firuzkande..."

"In the east, they have already amassed a large force in the city of Bakrabard..."

"The Samanid army in the north is advancing south along the Helmand River, threatening the northern flank of Kandahar..."

After the report was finished, the entire room fell silent. Not a single Ghaznavid general dared to comment or express any opinion on such a dire battlefield situation.

Mahmoud stared solemnly at the sand table, entirely marked in red (the crimson battle flags of the Samanid army). After a moment, he let out a long sigh and slowly said, "As long as Ayaz launches an attack, everything will be alright. May God grant him victory!"

Upon hearing this, the Ghazni generals, who were well aware of the situation at the front, felt a sudden unease. Eryaruk tentatively looked at Inartegin, intending for him to speak first.

Finally, it was Viziermeymandi who broke the deadlock.

“My supreme Sultan, Ayaz, he…”

He barely got started when the rest of the words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't get them out.

“Ayaz could not muster enough troops to launch an attack…” Inar Special Service added.

These words struck the Sultan's head like a thunderclap.

Mahmoud, trembling, adjusted his jewel-encrusted crown, and uttered a terrible, hoarse voice: "Meimandi, Eryaruk, Inartegin, stay."

The other generals, trembling with fear, bowed and filed out of the tent.

“This is the will of God! It is the command of the King!” Mahmoud roared. “Ayaz has been loyal to me, how could he disobey my orders and commit such a shameful betrayal?!”

Everyone fell silent, trembling with fear. After a short while, Erjaruk cautiously reported to His Majesty the Sultan the details of Shahzani's surprise attack on Chaman and the defeat of Ayaz.