Xunpadshahannama: Rajas of the Sandstorm
| Xunpadshahannama: Rajas of the Sandstorm | |
| |
| Original title | Xunpadshahannama |
| Language | Common Tongue |
| Author(s) | Gustaaf Vermeylen |
| Genre | Historical narratives |
| Location(s) | Çakaristan |
| (main) characters | list of characters |
| Timeframe | 1735 and onwards |
Xunpadshahannama: Rajas of the Sandstorm is the second part in the story series Xunpadshahannama. This Book of Xunpadshahan is the official chronicle of the reign of Xunpadshahan. It contains various stories surrounding the Shahanshah, the third ruler of Çakaristan. It is a sequel to Xunpadshahannama: Game of Crowns.
The story series was awarded at the FNORD Awards 2024. Fortunately, there was no disqualification for the number of a's in the name.
Loose grains of sand
In the middle of the Thul Marusthal lies a ruin. A ruin of a bygone city, once situated on the banks of a river. That river has dried up and sand has taken hold over the city. The ruin is called Apolloniae Genevae, the ancient capital of Madland at the time when that nation was located on Apollonia. First as part of Antica, later independently and before the nation moved north. The ruin was the meeting place of two men. The first man had arrived on a Jaap Pimpim. The second man arrived on a camel. Somewhat suspiciously, they approached each other and were actually unsure how to greet each other.
After the initial awkward moments had passed, the men started talking to each other. "Here we are, both with a desire to rule, but both do not rule". Hrithik looked strangely at these words from Aurangzeb. "Yes," Aurangzeb said, "it is true. My mother rules..." Hrithik responded and said, "Surely with one firman you deprive her of that position and you rule". "It is not that easy, she has her pawns in all sorts of places and they are going to oppose me," Aurangzeb sighed. Hrithik pondered and said, "It is time for you to play Tahmaseb chess and win, if not it will cost you your head". Aurangzeb nodded in agreement.
"And now you," Aurangzeb began, "You're hiding in caves, listening for sounds of planes, helicopters or drones so you can get out safely. You must have a terrible existence." Hrithik replied and said, "It's not like I'm hiding in a cave like a shivering reed, but it's still intense. Only my children have to grow up in that intense environment. That is something that bothers me". Aurangzeb said, "We can end that situation here and now." Hrithik replied in disbelief, "And then, are you going to put me on trial? Or lock me up in the Fangzhu Castle?"
As Aurangzeb tried to calm Hrithik, a sandstorm flared up. The men jumped up, Aurangzeb wanted to run to his Jaap. But Hrithik shouted, "You can't stay ahead of a sandstorm!" Aurangzeb looked back and saw that the sandstorm was fast approaching and realised that Hrithik was right. Then he saw the ruin and cried, "Come, let's take shelter in it!" Hrithik led his camel to the ruin, but the beast refused to go inside. The sandstorm descended on the men and Hrithik could no longer restrain his camel and the animal escaped. Then Aurangzeb grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside.
Passing of the first generation
At his bedside were his wife, Rani Champavati, and his daughter, Jodha Avchat. Rajesh Avchat was breathing with difficulty, but could still utter some words utter. He said, "As long as my grandson is out of favour, I don't want a state funeral. Let that be clear." The women nodded. Rajesh said further, "Let it be clear that the Alsalams are not living up to their family name." His wife appeased his agitation over this, he calmed down and continued saying: "Find a peaceful way in the tumult of this nation". Then Bharmal Amer entered and bowed to his Raja. Rajesh said, "Come closer". He did as Rajesh instructed him. "This Raja is going to die, you are the new Raja of Poorajangal. Lead this state into the future, carry it forward". Bharmal kissed Rajesh's hand and solemnly promised to do so. That same evening, Rajesh Avchat, Raja of Poorajangal, the first grand vizier of Çakaristan, died.
Zahra wanted to organise a state funeral, with the coffin was transferred to Agra so that people could pay their last respects there pay their last salute. Then with grand ceremonial the funeral at Keruliya. But Rani Champavati had told that Rajesh did not want this. Jodha had also told Zahra that a state funeral was not wanted. Zahra allowed herself to be convinced.
A few days later was the funeral. From the crowd and in disguise, Hrithik watched the funeral being conducted. It was not safe to participate openly. He watched as his grandmother, his mother and his sister followed the coffin towards the family tomb. Followed by Bharmal Amer, the new Raja of Poorajangal, and his father, Kahoda Amer. And then the rest of his brother and sisters with their children. Till the family tomb, the family followed by the Shahanshah, the Ataliq, Grand Vizier and other dignitaries. At the family grave, in a private circle Rajesh was buried.
Change of wind
Tarsica was clearly visible in the night sky. The serene calm of the night seemed to disguise the fact that in the palace of Mathura there was great sorrow. The old sultan, Dervish Çelebi, had breathed his last. His wife, Astir bint Alsalam, sat weeping by the bedside; she would not be comforted. After a while, Süleyman became impatient and said, "Mother, we must inform the people". Astir looked up and looked at him angrily: "Have respect for your father, his body is not cold yet". Süleyman ignited in anger and wanted to respond, but furiously left the room. He shouted some orders to the palace staff, who immediately listened and followed them. Astir fears seemed true. Her eldest son had been vying for the throne for some time; now his moment had arrived. She looked at her other children. To her faithful servant, she said, "Call Aurangzeb".
•••
Aurangzeb arrived at Apolloniae Genevae, but saw no one. He was a bit late, hoping Hrithik would wait. He walked around the ruins, but saw no one. "Hey!", it sounded from the ruins. Aurangzeb saw Hrithik standing in semi-darkness, and sighed. The men greeted each other amicably. "I thought about what you said," Aurangzeb said, "no, I don't want to lock you up in Fangzhu Castle nor do I want to banish you. It's just very difficult, on the one hand, not to treat you like the former king of Krasnocoria but, on the other, to grant you an acceptable position." "I have thought about that too," Hrithik countered, "I have also made my position impossible. But is it an idea that I want to be your representative in Hurmu?" Aurangzeb's face brightened, he nodded in agreement. Hrithik looked up startled, did he hear correctly? Aurangzeb started asking what's up, Hrithik immediately soothed him. Then Aurangzeb heard it too, the blades of a helicopter. Both men peered outside and saw three helicopter approaching them in the distance. They looked at each other, Hrithik said, "This can't mean much good". Aurangzeb started searching his clothes and said, "They must have been tracking me". The helicopters approached quickly.
Impatient calm
"Your highness, the Shah Begum, trade with The Hexarchy is stagnating due to unrest in the country. These are difficult times," explained Şahin Faris. "There are more countries falling apart these days," Zahra replied. "True, your highness, only The Hexarchy hits our trade the hardest," Şahin Faris responded. Only a few days ago, a new grand vizier had been appointed. Şahin Faris had hoped he would be appointed, but he was passed over in favour of Mazyar Behdad. Apparently, Zahra did not quite trust him yet. "Send to the Pschent of Karnak an offer for a temporary waiver of taxes," Zahra concluded.
"Now, another matter: Jaihabar," Zahra continued. The young sultan, Süleyman Çelebi, has been celebrating his ascension to the throne for three weeks. Large-scale meals every day, large quantities of wine and a different woman every night. "If the lad continues like this, we will have to put the princely state into receivership," Zahra said. Şahin Faris replied, "Though you are right, your highness, there is no regulation to put states under receivership." Zahra nodded and said, "That is why Congress is going to make such a regulation."
•••
Mathura was in party mood, but on a balcony a woman was crying. She had just been told that there had been no response yet. She was afraid, afraid for her children's lives. Astir prayed to the great Craitgod, hoping for a solution. Her eldest son celebrated, but posed a threat to her and her other children. Süleyman could not be trusted, she was sure. She had sent a message to the Shahanshah, but no response was forthcoming.
Behind her, the doors of her room opened. Masked women entered the room and immediately ordered everyone to be quiet. The leader of the women said, "We have come to take you to safety". Astir hesitated, but was handed a quiver with a letter. In it was a letter with the seal of the Shahanshah. She heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the great Craitgod. Along with her children, she went with the masked men, out of the palace. In a ready truck, out of the city. Hours later naked day, they were still driving across the countryside. They avoided the big roads, the towns and crowded places. At a small fishing town, they transferred to a fishing boat. As they carried out, they fell asleep in the captain's small cabin.
50 years of Çakaristan
The capital has been in turmoil for weeks. This year Çakaristan celebrates 50 years as a nation and Aurangzeb is 10 years Shahanshah. This double anniversary gives cause for extra big celebrations. All sorts of festivities across the country. Ten days were set as national holidays, on which everyone outside essential professions had been given time off to celebrate. In 50 different cities, a lineup of artists came to perform, including artists who had participated in Microvision.
A big parade was held in Agra, where Aurangzeb watched the troops approvingly:
In those 50 years, the nation went through a rapid development to become one of the largest and most populous nations in Micras. What began as a disentanglement from beneath the collapsing Krasnocoria turned into a National Awakening. The Çakar brothers led by their father set the principles of a new nation. One of them was crowned sultan: Akbar. Two years later, the nation was renamed Çakaristan. It threatened to come into conflict with another new nation, Nouvelle Alexandrie, which expanded rapidly on Lyrica. A gentleman's agreement helped prevent a claim race.
The annexation of Haritdesh, historic Aryasht or Aryadesh, provided a boost in population size. Still today, most of the population lives in Haritdesh and neighbouring states. Because the nation is a patchwork of different areas, each with its own history, this made for uneasy compromises. Such as that the direction of travel could vary from state to state, the level of development and political focus.
Several armed conflicts were fought. The rebellion in neighbouring Jingdao, which eventually led to the addition of that area to the Empire. The Sanpo War, fighting extreme forces within the Empire. Despite all this, the sun does not set on the Micras-wide Empire.
Three rulers have stood at the head of the nation. Akbar, who is seen as the Founding Father. Jaaguzan, who is seen as the Strong Rock of the nation. And Aurangzeb, who is yet to be typified when his reign is over. Days before the festivities began in the capital, a peace treaty was signed between Hrithik Çakar and Aurangzeb. This ended the rebellion of the former against the later. Pax Apollonia.
Pax Çakarica
"Behold, His Majesty, the Shahanshah," those present stood up and bowed their heads as Xunpadshahan entered. He entered a side door, in the middle of the hall was a pond surrounded by columns. Guests could sit on long benches, while on the main side was a rise topped by a golden throne. Engraved in the relief of the high backrest were three birds: the dove, eagle and hoopoe. The dove represents the House of Vinandy, the eagle represents the House of Alsalam and the hoopoe is the national bird of the Çakar Empire. Aurangzeb had the hall converted to this state, as since reconciling with Hrithik, he and his family had moved into the Cenfae Mahal.
The large doors opposite the throne opened. In the doorway, Zahra appeared. The announcer shouted, "Behold, the Shahmadar". Zahra was visibly displeased by the announcement. With her entourage, she started crossing and chose to walk right around the pond to the throne. She wanted to enter steps of the elevation, but the Shahanshah made a stop sign with hand. She stopped, but did not allow herself to be stopped a second time and began to speak. "My son, is this where you hold court these days? Already three times I have requested you to come to the capital." She wanted to speak further, but saw Hrithik sitting on the other side of the elevation. Aurangzeb noticed the abrupt stop and followed he line of sight. Grinned and looked at his mother again. "In this palace there is peace, as our family name should represent. Now there is peace between Hrithik and me. Pax Apollonia," Aurangzeb said. "There is no peace in the Empire, as you may know, there is no Pax Çakarica," Zahra responded. Aurangzeb roared, "And whose fault is that! Aren't you the ruling Ataliq? You make it worse by sending troops..."
Before Zahra could respond, it was announced that Lucy Myksos would enter. Aurangzeb muttered something about "is this country ruled by women or something". Hrithik heard that and laughed. Aurangzeb stood up and greeted his wife, indicating her place to the right of the throne. "Mother," Aurangzeb continued, "take a seat," pointing to a seat next to the elevation. Zahra counted to ten in her head and sat down in the designated seat. "Your majesty," she began, "your requests to expand the military budget have been rejected by the vizier council. We have a rising national debt due to the international recession, which is also affecting our country, the unrest on Corum and rising inflation. The renovation cost of this palace was already too high" The Shahanshah nodded and replied, "With the internationalisation of our economy, we have become susceptible to the trend of the Micras market. The unrest in Jaihabar could have been nipped in the bud by reminding the sultan of the state limit of tax burden and not stopping investments in that state. That state still needed some crucial investments to become economically stable. It now has no major port, not even a decent port for our navy except that of Madinat Al-Mariyah. And where is Astir, my aunt? Where are cousins?"
Zahra could not come up with answers so quickly. "My son, it is all not so simple. Things just happen beyond my control," she finally said. And again Aurangzeb got angry and said, "And this is precisely the problem! After ten years of regency, you have lost your relationship with reality. This is why I must now fire you as Ataliq". Zahra stood up and shouted, "You can't do that". Aurangzeb looked at her and gestured to the secretary. The latter came with the prepared decision. Aurangzeb said, "It's done like this", after which he put his signature.
Strength of a wooden sword
"My Banbishn, how will you proceed to carry out your plan now?", the grand vizier asked. "Certainly you must be careful, my son will punish you if he finds out you are meeting me," Zahra replied. She continued, "As in my late husband's time, we must operate from the shadows. We must accomplish our mission in this way". The grand vizier nodded nervously in agreement. Zahra looked at him sternly: "The dragon cub will rule this land, and my son will be caged. It is not the eagle of Alsalam, but the eagle of Osman that will rule over new Babkha." The grand vizier replied, "Babkhâ zindabad".
•••
The shahanshah and the shahbanu had arrived in Suqutra. The sultan of Suqutra, Khairi al-Baccus, had just died and was buried there. They came to offer their condolences to the family. In addition, the new sultan was inaugurated, Ahmed al-Baccus. After the official duties, Aurangzeb and Lucy toured the island with their children. They visited the Colossus of Lodis and the Temple of Sakat, two of the Seven Wonders of Kildare. Eventually, they also visited Jackabar Keep. Jaffar had a wooden sword and challenged his brother. Suleiman did not fancy this, but saw his father watching. He grabbed a wooden sword and got ready. Jaffar attacked him right away and overpowered Suleiman. The latter cried out as he was struck by Jaffar's wooden sword. With another blow, Jaffar knocked his brother's wooden sword out of his hand. "Jaffar!", cried Lucy. He turned and saw his mother coming running. Lucy took care of Suleiman, who was crying in pain. Aurangzeb came running, at which Jaffar stared guiltily at the ground, still holding his wooden sword. His mother bellowed at Jaffar: "You are going to get punishment for this". Aurangzeb fell in and said, "Ya takht ya tabut" (either the throne or the grave).
•••
The situation in Jaihabar was worsening by the day. There were large protests in all major cities and these increasingly turned into riots. Agra had sent military reinforcements to equip the Jaihabar Military District. News of this reached Çakari Corum faster than the ink of the decision on it, making the situation grimmer. There were also protests in Agra and Manbai, small-scale but widely reported in the media. There were heated debates in the Çakari Congress on the situation. Extreme statements were made, leading to even more extreme headlines.
On the square in front of the Red Fortress, the twenty-nine flags had been raised from the states. As the flags were lit, they flew day and night. At least, this was not true of the flag of Jaihabar, which was taken down by vandals one night. The police are still looking for the vandals. The shahanshah, who had mixed feelings about the situation, had let slip, "Let those vandals come forward, the secret services are always looking for good personnel".
Mathura, the capital of Jaihabar, was resting for several days after the city was swept clean by a large order force. This success made the sultan decide to send his order troops to other cities. But it happened that before the order troops could start, there were no protests. A cat-and-mouse game ensued, with a series of fake messages ensuring that the sultan no longer knew when and where there would be protests.
Çexit
After months of difficult consultations between the Shahanshah and the Sultan, there was no breakthrough in the situation. Süleyman Çelebi did not want to budge and Xunpadshahan wanted to avoid a full-scale war. This created a stalemate, which led to the State Troopers having a free hand as there were too few resources available for the Çakari Armed Forces' First Expeditionary Corps to intervene anywhere. The actions of the underground Braxian League did not lead to a joining of forces.
Aurangzeb had Hrithik come along as an advisor and together they looked at a large map of Jaihabar. "It is also an impossible area to control. Militarily speaking," Hrithik said. "Well, I want to get rid of this stuff, even this area if I have to. It's a cost, no resources we don't have elsewhere and rebellious prince," Aurangzeb sighed. "That changes the matter, Aurangzeb, if the strategy is conquer and control, that's a bit different from pack up and go," Hrithik responded. "But that High King of the Caverns is in the way anyway," Aurangzeb brought in. "Then we will talk to him, won't we?", Hrithik said shrugging his shoulders.
A few days later, Aurangzeb and Hrithik were standing on the deck of a Norton Flotilla ship on Lake Norton. Along side came a rowboat from which the High King of the Caverns transferred to the ship. "Greetings, High King of the Caverns," spoke Hrithik. "May I introduce you to, Xunpadshahan, the Shahanshah of Çakaristan". Tentative talks began, which eventually led to an agreement. Çakaristan is to leave Corum, get free passage to take everything that needs to be taken. Even before the end of 1739 AN, the Çakari flag was lowered. Only the island of Jazirat al-Borani is not abandoned, but handed over to the Imperial Federation. What remains of the sultan and his sultanate is entirely up to him.
Immediately after Aurangzeb and Hrithik returned to Jazirat Al-Borani, the military staff was assembled. Through a video link, Xunpadshahan announced to Süleyman Çelebi that an agreement had been reached with the High King of the Caverns. The sultan was furious and cursed the Shahanshah. Xunpadshahan was not impressed and reported, "If you get in the way of evacuation, I will bomb Mathura to dust." Even before Süleyman could respond, Aurangzeb disconnected.
Raising the level
"Honourable Members of Congress, Distinguished Members of the Cabinet, Honourable Qadi" This is how Xunpadshahan began his speech during the Solemn Opening of Congress. Accompanied by a military parade, the Shahanshah had been taken from the Red Fortress to the Raashtr ka Mahal, there he had been welcomed with great ceremony. Given the crowds along the route and that for the first time a big screen had been placed in the park near the national monument, it showed that the approval rating for the Shahanshah had increased.
"This year is not only marked by the upcoming elections, but also another step in promoting sports in the Empire. We have made a good bid towards organising the 2025 FMF World Cup, we have also made a start for the development of women's football. In the coming time, the Tea Cup will be organised with six friendly nations. Together with my wife, the Shahbanu, we are looking forward to the games. Let this be a reboot of women's football across Micras."
"Besides football, other sports are already being developed. To think of Cricket, for which the governing body and national teams have been established. The revival of the Tricycle Tour, this year its arrival here in Agra. The idea of an off-road rally in the Thul Marusthal is being worked on with the hope of it becoming an international event. Our empire has had a dormant Formula One team for years, for which plans are afoot to revive it, along with the creation of several teams and construction of several circuits."
"During my stay in Suryapur, I was introduced to the game Tug of war, later I understood that the game is popular in large parts of the Empire. Therefore, the initiative was taken to organise a competition at the national level. In Barikalus, cycling is very popular, work is being done there to organise the Tour of Barikalus."
"Dear Congress, protests I have heard from you. But make no mistake. Through sports, more integration and cohesion of the Empire is being worked on, investments are being made in infrastructure. Hasn't this Congress been working for decades to organise a national network of highways? Expanding railways? And maybe even a high-speed train? To make sporting events in our Empire accessible, yes even for international events, this is the moment of merging opportunity and necessity."
Highly against protocol, congressmen stood up and applauded. This was so massive that the Mutahadith was at a loss for words. He looked at the Shahanshah, who in turn accepted the applause. It took a while for the Shahanshah to continue. Matters on the economy and recovery from the Micras-wide recession followed. The next day, the Grand Vizier tabled the state budget, which requires congress assent. However, this included congressional approval to raise the debt ceiling. Although there was some criticism at the time, the Congress voted in large majority.
Bread and Games
The day after the Agra Sultans' win in the Çakari Football League, the team, couch and staff were invited to visit the Red Fortress. The Shahanshah received them and after a photo opportunity, there was a face-to-face meeting. It was the first time the Agra Sultans won the league, after the team had already come second twice. The Shahanshah's brother was also present, Rafi Hakimi bin Alsalam. He had earlier had a conversation with the club's largest shareholder, who had shown him a plan to build the club's own stadium. To date, the club shares the home stadium with the national team. The number of users of the Akbar Stadium has increased as the national under-21 and national women's team also use the stadium. Rafi could see that plan, but investment was needed.
After the induction, with the rightful congratulations, Xunpadshahan latched on to the plans for a new stadium. "My brother had left the plan to build a new stadium, a new home stadium for the Agra Sultans. The plan still lacked funding and a location for the stadium. The Red Fortress Foundation will provide the financial resources." This was followed by applause from those present.
"Southwest of Agra, a big expansion is currently being built. A new stadium is being built there, but it is meant for the Agra Sultans. A new football club, FC Green-Whites, a club meant for the Jaihabar community, is being set up. Therefore, the new city district also has ‘Mathura’, the name of the former capital of Jaihabar. For you, Agra Sultans, a new stadium will be built on the north side." Applause followed this too.
"Importantly, though, there is a condition attached to the financial support by the Red Fortress Foundation. Namely: the creation of a women's team, the Agra Sultanas. With this team, you will have to share the new stadium. Finally, the Akbar Stadium we will be renaming to Akbar National Stadium".
•••
Since her deposition as ataliq, Zahra had withdrawn from public life. For a while more, she had lived in the Red Fortress, but she did not last. Besides, she felt that the secret service was watching her. The Grand Vizier had informed her via a message that it would be better to temporarily suspend secret meetings. For herself, to create distance with politics, and to distract the secret service, the Shahmadar left Agra. She did not want to go to Al-Hamra, Suryapur and Maulikpur. She stayed in Jaaguzanbul for a while, but that oppressed her because of the so-called court school. Eventually, she had bought a villa in a small village on the Çakari Riviera called Bandar.
With horror, she had watched her son's speech at the Çakari Congress. The grand vizier managed to visit the villa secretly. When Zahra and he talked about the situation, the grand vizier said, "The Shahanshah provides bread and games, that is why the people adore him". Zahra ignited in anger and said, ‘This game must be over!" "We are still in control of the money system, with that we can frustrate the game," the grand vizier responded. "Good," Zahra concluded.
