December 27, 1723, Rajput (present-day Rajasthan, India), small town of Bikaner.

Historically, India has always been hit by powerful forces from the north. Due to the existence of the Khyber Pass, from 2000 BC to around 1500 BC, the Aryans of Central Asia continued to run over to go wild, gradually conquering the Dravidian people in the Indus Valley, and spreading to the Ganges River Valley, establishing many states, and also establishing the Vedic culture, which is famous for its caste system.

After the Aryans, along the Khyber Pass, Macedonians, Greeks, Romans, Turks, Afghans, and Mongols came in in groups to farm monsters, some got some loot and left, while others settled down and began to establish dynasties, promote religion, sow genes, and assimilate civilization.

To put it mildly, during the Tang Dynasty, Wang Xuance led thousands of soldiers and horses borrowed from Tibet and Nepal (that is, Nepal), and also brushed up on the experience of fighting monsters, defeating the most powerful Zhongtianzhu Kingdom in the Indian subcontinent at that time, and shocking the entire South Asian subcontinent.

When Timur's sixth grandson, Babur, the founding emperor of the Mughal Empire, led a group of Turks into India, the first thing he took control of was the Punjab, which was the best gateway between Central Asia and the South Asian subcontinent. Although there is a large forest water network in the territory, the agricultural output and natural environment are also relatively superior.

According to the experience of the previous people in India, any conqueror who passed through the Khyber Pass would use it as a base of advance or refuge. But because of this factor, it is difficult for any local power to occupy for a long time, and it is very easy to be swallowed up by the next wave of conquerors. The solution is to expand further, to extend the sphere of influence into the Ganges River basin, and to ensure that you have enough strategic space and antibodies. This made Punjab itself the birthplace of the North Indian Empires. The Mughals of the 16th century naturally could not break this rule.

In contrast, the situation in the western region, led by Rajput, is more complicated. Although the Indus River also flows through it, a large area of land within its territory is desert. This makes settlements relatively fragmented, which is not conducive to the generation of regional power based on agriculture. This, combined with its proximity to the Indian Ocean and mountains, creates a unique environment that is relatively closed and unattractive. Generations of conquerors throughout history have been given a respite and gradually merged into the famous Rajput people.

However, Northwest India could not be spared from the four wars, and because it controlled the middle road to the mouth of the Indus River, it was naturally conquered and brought under the rule of the powerful Mughals.

Merchants or travelers from both the East and the West, whether they choose the Ganges waterway or the Afghan mountain road, will inevitably set foot in the Indus Valley. Coupled with the fact that the Gulf of Cambay is farther south, the "barren land" of the Rajputs is of strategic importance.

In the Rajput region there is a vast desert consisting mainly of sand dunes, sandy plains and steep barren hills, with undulating terrain. The dunes are constantly moving, changing in shape and size. Older dunes are fixed or semi-fixed, some reaching heights of more than 100 metres. There are several salt lakes scattered throughout the desert.

Some highlands have seasonal streams after rains, and the people of the Rajput tribe scattered in the desert rely on pools to store rainwater for drinking and living. Although the water table is low, it is mostly salty water and cannot be directly consumed. Crops such as wheat, cotton, millet, sesame, beans and peppers are produced in the oasis valleys, where there is water for irrigation, but the yield is not high, and it is difficult to maintain the basic needs of the locals, which makes life difficult for the Rajput people.

Although the materials here are barren and there is little output, the people are fierce and have always been the main source of troops for the Mughal cavalry. However, during the Aurangzeb period, in order to force the Rajput Roto to convert to the true god religion, the local Hindus were forced to pay a poll tax, which led to a years-long Rajput War.

In this uninhabited land, the Mughal Empire, although it won a superficial victory, wasted huge sums of money and depleted national power. Moreover, Aurangzeb's strong behavior also aroused the hostility of the Rajputs, causing the imperial army to lose the loyalty and service of a group of brave and skilled cavalry, which can be said to be more than worth the loss.

When the Mughal Empire fell into decay and fragmentation after the Qi-India War, the Rajputs took advantage of the situation to expel Mughal officials and a small number of surveillance troops in the vast and inhospitable land of Rajput, and gained limited autonomy.

After a long journey of more than 10 days, more than 2,500 troops stationed in Xizhou of Qi arrived at this small town called Bikaner. The town and the surrounding oasis valley are home to four or five Rajput tribes, with a population of about 8,000 people, ruled by a self-proclaimed Maharaja of Jagdip.

After some military intimidation, the prince of Jugdeep was forced to sacrifice the small amount of precious grain and a number of cattle and sheep from the tribe to the garrison of Xizhou. Accordingly, the garrison promised the other side that they would not attack the town and the surrounding tribes, and that they would leave the area after a few days of rest.

"At present, the whole army has entered the hinterland of Rajput, and we have three choices for the next military operation." Jiang Chuntang summoned more than a dozen major officers and tactical staff officers together to discuss the follow-up plan of action of the troops, "First, to sweep the surrounding oases and river valleys with great fanfare, creating a posture for the Nawab Kingdom to plot to capture the entire Rajput region; second, to raise troops and continue to march eastward, making the appearance of attacking Delhi, forcing the Mughal Empire to withdraw its troops from the Punjab front; Third, the whole army went north and penetrated directly into the rear road of the Mughal Imperial Army, causing a suspicious situation, so that the Mughal Imperial Army stopped its offensive posture and withdrew to respond. Tell me, which option do you think is the safest? ”

"Sir, I suggest the first course of action." Chi Zhaorong, chief of the general staff of the garrison army and lieutenant (major) Xuanjie, opened his mouth and said: "After the officers and men of our garrison army stationed a battalion in Multan, the current number of troops is only more than 2,500. With this strength alone, whether it is driving directly to Delhi, threatening the capital of the Mughal Empire, and plundering the rear route of the Mughal Empire's army on the Punjab front, it is a little weak and cannot form a strategic deterrent. The Rajput region as a whole, with its small population and weak foundation of Mughal rule in the region, coupled with the fact that the local Rajputs are extremely disgusted with the Mughal Empire, can be our natural allies. Therefore, I propose that the troops sweep the oases and river valleys in the surrounding area, expel the few Mughal troops in the area, fight the pro-Mughal tribal forces, and disrupt the entire Rajput region. ”

"I'm also in favor of the first option." Dou Jingjie, deputy commander of the garrison army and commander of the first battalion, and captain (major) of Xuanjie, nodded and agreed: "More than 2,000 people of my garrison army have penetrated deep into the hinterland of Rajput, and they are like a lone army. If this is to the east or hundreds of kilometers north, not to mention the high probability of hitting the Mughal Empire's army, even the supply along the way is also a big problem. Therefore, it is better for us to raid the surrounding area, attack the foundation of the Mughal Empire's rule in the region, and organize those Rajputs who are interested in resisting the rule of the Mughal Empire, which will definitely shake the Mughal Empire, and then send a large army to calm the chaos. In this way, it can also ease the war situation in the northwest region. ”

"Well, in that case, after we rest for two days, we will divide our troops into two divisions and sweep the oases and river valleys in the surrounding area. All tribes and villages loyal to the Mughal Empire were ruthlessly attacked. Seeing that everyone nodded, Jiang Chuntang all agreed with the first plan, nodded slightly, and said: "In addition, the Rajput soldiers in the army will be drawn out and they will be agitated around......

"Woo woo woo ......"

Suddenly, there was a hurried horn sound outside, sharp and piercing.

Enemies are coming!

An officer on duty quickly rushed into the camp tent, with a bit of consternation on his face, and reported loudly: "Report to the chief, the cavalry sentry reports that about six kilometers northeast of the camp, thousands of Mughal imperial cavalry regiments have been found!" …… The enemy is rushing towards us! ”

"......" Jiang Chuntang Huo Ran got up and immediately ordered: "All the officers quickly return to the team and prepare for the battle!" ”

"Yes, sir!"

“……”

"Damn, this Mughal army actually thought of it with us, and they all wanted to plunder the other party's back road from here!"

(End of chapter)