Chapter 122: Occupy Maharashtra
While Narasimha was busy conquering Odisha, Vijay wasn't idle either. Simultaneously, he focused on the conquest of Maharashtra, one of the wealthiest states in Bharat, even in the present time.
The region of Maharashtra has a long history of human habitation, with evidence of early settlements dating back to the Stone Age. During the Vedic period (1500–500 BCE), the region was inhabited by various tribes and clans as mentioned in Vedic literature. Later, the Maurya Empire followed by the Satavahana dynasty had a significant presence in Maharashtra, playing a crucial role in the region's history. The word "Maharashtra" or "Mahārā??ra" is a Sanskrit word, a combination of "Mahaa" and "Rashtra," with its literal meaning being "Great nation."
Maharashtra witnessed the rule of Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas during the period of the 6th to 10th century, marking the beginning of elaborate cave temples such as the famous Ellora and Ajanta caves constructed during the Rashtrakuta rule. However, subsequent years were bleak as this prosperous place caught the eyes of Islamic invaders. The Brahmani Sultanate attacked during the 14th to 15th century, aiming to expand their territories and influence in the Deccan, leading to frequent conflicts with the Vijayanagara Empire.
The stage was set for renewed conflict in 1565 A.D. when the Deccan Sultanates united against Vijay's great-grandfather, the reigning king of the Vijayanagar Empire at the time. In the original timeline, this conflict led to the collapse of the Vijayanagar Empire. However, in this altered timeline, Vijayanagara, recognizing the formidable alliance of the Deccan Sultanates, swiftly withdrew its forces, securing its continued existence into the present era.
As the 16th century progressed, the Deccan region faced another invader: Mughal Emperor Akbar. His campaigns aimed at occupying and establishing Mughal authority over Maharashtra added a new chapter to the region's history.
Yet, the region's trials did not conclude there. In the Earth's previous timeline, the year 1817 witnessed the British, under Mount Stewart Elphinstone, defeating the Marathas. This marked the commencement of British dominance over the region. Over the next year, conflicts unfolded between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire, culminating in British victory and the annexation of portions of Maratha territories. The Maratha Empire, once mighty, began its decline.
In 1848, internal conflicts within the princely state of Satara provided an opportunity for the British to unlawfully annex Satara under the Doctrine of Lapse, incorporating it into the Bombay Presidency. In the year 1857, the British ruthlessly suppressed the uprising, killing leaders and reinforcing their control over the Bombay, or Mumbai, area. These events, often undocumented, furthered the British agenda of imprinting their cultural influence by introducing British-style institutions and perpetuating a derogatory image of Indian civilization. The caste system, which even existed before the British, was not as rigid as the British made it out to be.
In essence, the caste system was a class system present in various societies, resembling the Western class structure of royalty, nobility, knights, citizens, serfs, and slaves. The Britishers, with the aim of better colonizing Bharat, singled out the highest caste, the Brahmin, and instigated conflicts among different groups. Originally, the Brahmin class was not intended to hold lucrative service jobs as per the texts. However, the British granted them more power, leading to discontent among other castes and causing friction between them.
Similarly, the British introduced their own European thinking which implemented a system where nobility was restricted to those with a specific bloodline. This logic was applied to the Hindus, further solidifying the caste system, which had already been extensively misused by the Islamic rulers. Before the British and Muslims arrived in Bharat, the caste system was primarily a reflection of the type of lifestyle one led, with no rigid boundaries separating the various castes.
Even in the modern 21st century, India grapples with the task of erasing the lingering shadows of its colonial past.
"But not this time," Vijay thought to himself, clenching his fists. It took a month and a half to completely build a road between Panhala Fort and Mumbai. He waited for reinforcements because he knew the Mughals would give it all to defend Maharashtra. The troops dispatched from Belgavi eventually reached New Mumbai, the newly occupied territory.
Upon learning about the death toll caused by Kiran Poojari, Vijay was furious and considered firing him on the spot. The casualties under his command were unprecedented. However, Logananda Senapati's letter persuaded him otherwise. Logananda explained that what Kiran Poojari achieved was nothing short of a miracle. He recounted an instance where both he and Amir Ali Khan fought in the battle, and despite having a larger army, Logananda won with only a small margin, And Kiran beat him with only half of the troops. Attacking the most heavily guarded city on the southern front of the Mughal Empire was nothing less than a miracle.
Hence, Vijay was persuaded, but he decided that Kiran's promotion would stop there until he could prove his worth to him. Anyway, after the reinforcements arrived, Vijay ordered a pincer attack on Pune. The plan was successful, with both Mumbai and Panhala attacking simultaneously from the northern and southern fronts. After a gruelling battle lasting for a month, Pune was successfully captured. It didn't end there as there were still some gaps in the defenses. In the next few months, Satara and Kolhapur were successfully captured, completing the defence line that could be expanded to more inland areas.
Due to the good marine transport infrastructure in Mumbai, most materials from Vijayanagara had been transported from the Arabian Sea. Mumbai port, which had looked a little desolate because of the war, was full of life again. Boats carrying the saffron flag came and went out of the port city. With the continuous input of weapons, personnel, and the confiscated wealth of Mughal nobles, the economy flourished, it was like using War to fuel war. With enough preparation, an attack was launched on the inland city of Nashik. After capturing the famous city Nashik, a united attack from three fronts was launched on Khadki, the administration, and military centre of the Mughal Empire in Maharashtra. In the previous timeline, this place also served the same purpose and was named after Aurangzeb, called the city of Aurangabad. With the attack launched from three different battle groups, the city could only persist for a short time even with the support provided by the Mughal Empire, it soon fell. With another strong citadel captured, Vijayanagara continued to move inland, capturing the famous cities of Amravati and Nagpur.
The whole battle for the capture of Maharashtra took 10 months. With the fall of the Mughal armies in the Maharashtra, Vijay quickly moved on to capture the last piece of the puzzle, Chhattisgarh.
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