Mission: Shuddh Butg Par
| Mission: Shuddh Butg Par | |
| |
| Original title | Mission: Shuddh Butg Par |
| Language | Common Tongue |
| Author(s) | Gustaaf Vermeylen |
| Genre | Historical narratives |
| Location(s) | Çakaristan |
| (main) characters | Hasan Çakar |
| Timeframe | 1689 - 1696 AN |
Mission: Shuddh Butg Par was a discovery expedition led by Hasan Çakar on behalf of the Sultan of Çakaristan.
Beyond the Green border
Somehow Hasan regretted that he had not been elected sultan. Not least because he thinks Jodha is very beautiful. He saw that the match between Abu and Jodha was a divine match. Nevertheless, he had some difficulty with his position as the elder brother of the sultan. When his brother sent him on a mission he was more than happy that he had a goal, but also got a share in the government of the sultanate in the form of building his own rajya (kingdom).
The father-in-law of the Sultan and Grand Vizier, Rajesh Avchat, had asked Hasan to first turn his attention to Poorajangal, which previously was called 'Phedodah'. Since the entire region was made up of dense forests, Hasan turned his attention to the strategic part: the coastal plain. This area was previously largely part of the Kingdom of Krasnocoria. To secure the Antican Sea, Hasan moved to Micobad, previously Micograd. He found very little life in the city. The city and its immediate surroundings belonged to the historic Antican region, called Platea. And at the request of the Sultan, the city and the surrounding area will again not belong to Poorajangal. The Micobad Sarkar (Aryasht: माइकोबाद सर्कार) is being set up.
Hasan had advised the Grand Vizier not to send the Arboric fleet. He would leave a small company of soldiers in the city, to resist a possible foreign invasion. The remaining population was provided with first aid and food. When he oversaw the operation from the gold building, he saw people going in and out of the house of prayer. They looked around skittishly before going in, and when they came out, they looked around first. What was going on? Hasan became curious. He called a few men together and had the house of prayer surrounded. Then Hasan himself went inside with some soldiers. The various rooms were skilfully searched, eventually he found some agitated people in the crypt. "Don't shoot!", they shouted in the Common Language. The people came out with their hands up. Behind the first people, Hasan saw an apparent family. Frightened, they stood together. Hasan recognized the man of the family, that was King Jovan I of Krasnocoria. Hasan said: "Do not be afraid, no harm will be done to you". It seemed to bring little relaxation, but Hasan organised transport for the former king and his family to Agra. The expedition unit departed south again to join the expedition unit that went west from Merku to the town of Keruliya, formerly called "Caerulea". Inland the country lived up to its name: a complete jungle, "Poora jangal" in Aryasht. The expedition unit struggled to make progress, due to the long period of unclaimed status the roads were overgrown. The local tribes made little use of motorised means of transport, but the centuries-old paths were their road network. Too narrow for Hasan's all-terrain vehicles, not to mention the bridges over rivers and streams.
Nevertheless, the expedition unit reached after their assembly point, where the other expedition unit had already set up camp. Together they left as one unit for Keruliya, the birthplace of the sultana. Hasan actually had quite high expectations of the city, but he was disappointed. There was a palace, but it needed to be refurbished. The city was vast and mostly spread out along the lake. The mystical lake that once had the name 'Lake Leve'. That name was derived from the then city of Levaprasth, which was also called Devaprasth. In Keruliya the lake was called "blue lake", because of the bright blue colour of the water and the name of the town. In short, there was no unambiguous name. Hasan got fed up with the bickering of the representatives of the communities around the lake and said: " We call the lake 'Lake Jodha', then no one has their name!" The representatives were silent about this eruption, but started to clear up after a few moments. They liked the name 'Lake Jodha'. "That's settled," Hasan concluded.
Terre d’Riches
Hasan was still fascinated by the beautiful blue lake, Lake Jodha. In fact, until his father sent him to the Green, Hasan had always thought that the lake did not really exist. He would like to go fishing to see what kind of fish were found here. But there was no time for that now. Instead he sailed across the lake to the city of Devaprasth. A small unit of soldiers went with him, while the rest of the expedition unit headed southeast towards the coast of Herrin Bay. Part of that route was already known when the remains of the Krasnocorian troops were hunted in the opposite direction. Hasan enjoyed the crossing, the majestic views, the wild nature and the cool breeze over the water. He was just disappointed when they reached the other side.
On the quay of Devaprasth dignitaries were already waiting for Hasan. The dignitaries had come together from very former Aryasht. There were also many other people, to catch a glimpse of the 'wanderer of the green'. The crowd was huge, and Hasan wondered how many people actually lived in the Green. On the harbour square there was a small elevation, from where Hasan could address the crowd. He stood up on that elevation and said: "Thank you for welcoming me so enthusiastically. It touches me." He stopped for a moment and after a moment he continued: "My brother the Sultan has the vision to bring you all under his sceptre. United under one flag and emblem, we can face a bright future. My mission is to make that vision of the Sultan a reality. But the Sultan's vision goes beyond just territorial expansion or just making you his loyal subjects, he wants to bring prosperity. A start has already been made on democratisation, which will be followed by a clear system of statehood, infrastructure and so on. May Craitgod assist the Sultan! The crowd began to applaud, cheer and sing!
Further east, the expedition unit was working its way through the rugged landscape. The landscape was less densely forested than in Poorajangal. Yet there were no paved roads and what had something of paving was so dilapidated that it made almost no difference to an unpaved road. From Svatantratadurg a convoy of ships came to supply ships in Praant Shahar. By seaplane Hasan flew from Devaprasth to Praant Shahar. Fascinated, he looked at the landscape shifting beneath him. The green hills, the alternation of forest and open grassland. He suddenly realised that this land had been entrusted to him by the Sultan. This beautiful country. He was simply moved by it. When he arrived, he had his men lined up and spoke to them: "My men, the Sultan, in his great wisdom, has decided to officially call this expedition unit the Expeditionary Corps. The First Expeditionary Corps of the Çakari Armed Forces". The men cheered: "Hurray, hurray!"
Island hopping
With haste Hasan boarded the seaplane. He said to the pilot: "To the eastern island!". The pilot nodded and let the plane take off. Hasan dozed off to sleep under the even sound of the engines. What he did not know, the pilot did not fly to the island of Aydin, where Hasan wanted to go, but flew to the island of Tuife. The sultan wanted to leave that island to The Bassarids, about which there had been diplomatic contact. Hasan was woken up just before landing. It took some time before Hasan knew that they had arrived on the wrong island. He immediately contacted Agra. The sultan was not amused.
Hasan was very nervous, because it took some time before there was a reaction from Agra. He became even more nervous when he received a phone call from the sultan's office and his brother's voice sounded. "We have been in contact with The Bassarids. It is of strategic importance that they or we claim the island. We don't want a foreign power on that island. The Bassarids agree that we claim the island. I will therefore classify the island as a separate subah, so that if The Bassarids want the island, then that is easy to transfer. So Hasan, plant that flag of ours there! Hasan was there relieved and had the Green Flag hoisted above the most important building of the city of Tuife.
The next day, after a good night's sleep, Hasan flew west. He finally arrived in the city of Aydin, where he thought he had arrived a day earlier. Like the island of Tuife, this island had been under Krasnocorian rule, previously under the Imperial Sun flag. Despite the good outcome, Hasan felt that he was back on the pure path of his mission in Aydin. This island became part of his domain. He liked the surroundings so much that he thought of building a palace there. He realised that he had not chosen a capital for his princely state. But he did not want to surrender this paradisiacal environment to the hustle and bustle of a capital city.
Then he flew on to the island formerly known as Rulak. The island of the bull. There he studied a map. His mission was not limited to the acquisition of his own state within the sultanate, but also the annexation of the former Aryasht. A part of that area is under the flag of Floria. But most of it has fallen into disrepair of the Green. He noticed a peninsula, not claimed by Floria. There once lay the city of Aryapur. He did not hesitate for a moment and ordered to fly to that peninsula. There he found a large city, but completely rudderless. He gave a speech in front of the crowd: "This city is the namesake of ancient Aryasht. Today the revival of Aryasht begins. There will be a new name, but the sultan will respect your culture and welcome you! Let this city be the beginning of victory!” When Hasan was carried around by the enthusiastic crowd, he thought: ‘Let's call this city Fatehpur, city of victory’.
Startup nation
His expeditionary corps had arrived in the former city of Aurelius. There they had found ruins of that former city, traces of human habitation. Hasan was still looking for a capital of his domain. A place where he could reside and rule. But he could not yet make a choice. His first priority was to consolidate the coastline between Floria and the sultanate. He boarded the seaplane and flew eastwards. At the same time, the first expeditionary corps went west.
Hasan arrived just off the coast of a small bay. There he found a refugee camp. There he found the people he did not find in other parts of Korhalistan. There he found stateless people, just like in Fatehpur. He thought, if we counted these people, how many loyal subjects my brother would get. In a short space of time, the demography of the sultanate will change. Hasan proclaimed in the refugee city the peaceful and hopeful message that they would come under the authority of the Sultan. There was a great deal of enthusiasm, which manifested itself in a heroic reception from the expeditionary corps. They were received as liberators.
To a seemingly dignitary of the city Hasan asked: "What is the name of this city? The man didn't really know, and finally answered: "We live on a good bay". "Manbai," Hasan said. The next few days Hasan worked on setting up a city administration, plans for infrastructure in the direction of Agra. "The sultanate needs a large port city to be supplied with goods. That is why Manbai must become the largest port city in the country", said Hasan in one of the meetings. "Will Manbai be your capital," asked one of those present. "No, we are building a new city, on the site of the former city of Aurelius. We call that city Çakarabad," replied Hasan.
Just outside the city Hasan had a tent camp set up. He and his men stayed there and held a meeting. "This place would be a good place for a palace," said his secretary. It was there that dignitaries came to discuss their ideas about the future of Korhalistan. One of them had taken his daughter with him. Hasan was impressed by her beauty. He had seen many women, including here in Green. But he noticed her appearance. For an afternoon he had been staring over the good bay. He had the background of her and her family picked out. He seemed like a heavenly gift, she would be the perfect match for him. But did she want to marry him? His brother, the sultan, had spoken of a character test. He had said: 'Even the handsomest woman gets older, grey and wrinkles. But character remains'.
Hasan decided to invite the dignitary with his family. The man was honoured and came with his wife and daughter. The spell turned out to be heavier than he thought and wanted to admit. The woman saw that Hasan did not really listen to her husband, because he was distracted by her daughter. She had to smile. Her husband tried so hard to get on a good footing with the Raja. Hasan had not listened to the man at all, so he said: "Excuse me, from what I have learned about you, I have decided to appoint you as mayor of Manbai". The man was surprised, because he had not dared to ask. "Thank you", he replied. After the meal, Hasan had the opportunity to walk with the daughter around the tent camp. She turned out to be named 'Manikarnika', she is pretty, intelligent and playful. While Hasan did not consider himself very handsome, not as intelligent as his youngest brother and serious.
A noble invitation
Hasan had almost forgotten his mission, that is how enchanted he is by Manikarnika. While he and his retinue in Çakarabad set up the principles of a government for Korhalistan, the expeditionary corps continued the mission to bring the last parts of Korhalistan under control. The island of Tuife was handed over to a subahdar appointed by the sultan. Plans for a railway line from Manbai via Çakarabad and Praant Shahar to Agra were prepared. Hasan realised the race for which city would become the port for the sultanate. Manbai or Tiegang. Despite the fact that Tiegang was not part of the sultanate, that city already has a harbour. The old railway line between Tiren and Tiegang only needs to be refurbished, while the port of Manbai and the railway line across the green border still have to be planned.
The expeditionary corps approached the town of Pyrrhion, which Hasan had renamed in Padaudah. The renaming was part of the Çakar revolution. Just as Devaprasth was renamed after Khodapatnam. There the expeditionary corps was received by a delegation from Haritdesh, green land, formerly known as Aryasht of Aryadesh. These names have their origins in the idea that the people see themselves as 'noble'. But now these people have all fallen into the disorder of Green for a long time. In the city the expeditionary corps was received as heroes, as liberators. A feast was held, with dance and music:
The dignitaries had a letter for the sultan, sealed with a wax seal. The commander took the letter with him, first to Hasan. In Çakarabad the commander was received by Hasan, who heard the whole story about the arrival in Padaudah. Together with Manikarnika, Hasan went to Agra. The news that Hasan had found a woman and was in love was earlier in Agra than the plane could take Hasan and Manikarnika. In the Red Fortress, the couple in love was also received in a courtyard garden. The sultan and sultana were expecting the visit, they had finished their tea. Hasan became very nervous when he saw his brother and sister-in-law welcoming them like this. But Manikarnika's spontaneity broke the tension. "Your Majesty, what an honour to meet you," said Manikarnika. "The honour is all mine," replied the sultan. "Welcome to Agra, how was your journey?", the sultana asked, gesturing, that the couple in love should sit down. Manikarnika replied: "Very well, thank you". "That we may experience the day when Hasan arrives with a woman," said Abu. Immediately Abu received a corrective tap from his wife. Manikarnika had to laugh, a typical tease between brothers. She knew, there is a strong family bond.
Hasan suddenly remembered the letter and said: “Oh, my sultan, I have received a letter addressed to you”. He took out the sealed letter and gave it to the sultan. The sultan took the letter and broke the seal. After the sultan had read the letter, he gave it to the sultana. "This is good news," said the sultana. Hasan looked questioningly. The sultan said: "We are invited to embark Haritdesh, the former Aryasht. I will read the letter to the Grand Assembly." After that, the discussion went on light-hearted matters and further acquaintance. As the brothers passed through one of the colonnades along the courtyard garden together, Hasan said to Akbar: "My brother, it may be time for you to leave the palace more often and show yourself around the country. You are very loved by the people and wherever you will go, you will be warmly welcomed". "The palace guard is already nervous when a foreign dignitary visits the palace. Let alone that I leave the palace," Akbar replied and went on to say: "They haven't forgotten the attempted assassination, for which the perpetrator still hasn't been punished". Akbar sighed. Hasan stayed still, so Akbar stopped walking as well. "Don't become a palace prince, stay true to yourself," Hasan concluded. Akbar nodded approvingly.
Back on track
Just before leaving Agra, Hasan had received a strange request from the sultan. Instead of returning to Korhalistan, he had to make a trip to Poora jangal. Hasan was sulking, but Manikarnika could see the humour in it. The couple in love travelled north. In Liburnia they were received by the Pradhan, who ran the Rajya on behalf of the Raja. In the palace of the Raja accommodations were prepared. Separated from each other, of course, because they were not yet married. As is customary, the meal was lavishly provided with all kinds of exotic fruits, such as those from The Hexarchy. The Pradhan entertained its guests with music and dance:
The next day Manikarnika was rather nervous. It is her first public appearance at Hasan's side. She did not have to speak or perform any other act, yet she was nervous about the reaction of the public. Hasan reassured her, she looked beautiful and will therefore distract attention from his still unprepared speech. He had found no inspiration, no words for a speech. Nevertheless, the open car drove ahead and the couple got in. Next to the driver the Pradhan took a seat. Accompanied by motorbike agents, the convoy left in a northerly direction. Along the road people were gathering to catch a glimpse of royalty. Outside the city, people were also gathered in various places, cheering as the convoy passed by.
The convoy slowed down as they left the main road and drove along an apparently temporary road towards a large tent. That big green tent was decorated with flags, waving merrily in the light breeze from the sea. A large group of people had gathered around the tent, waiting for Hasan to arrive. The people were surprised when Hasan not only appeared, but had Manikarnika at his side. The large green tent was set up about ten metres from a new railway line. It is the rebuilt railway line between Micobad and Merku, via Liburnia. The double track was built in Çakari wide gauge, equipped with new signals and electrified catenary. A little further on a new railway bridge was built over a narrow gorge, with a stream at the bottom. The place where the large green tent was set up was the same place Hasan had been a few years earlier. The place where he and his men had stopped a train and blown up the track. That was during the Battle of Merku, which prevented Krasnocorian reinforcements from Grandbay from arriving in Merku.
After the company was received, Hasan was given the stage to deliver his speech. But he had not prepared, so he just started saying: "Dear compatriots, my brother the sultan, may the sultan reign forever! The Sultan sent me here to open this railway line. He said to me: 'You have demolished this railway, now you may open the rebuilt railway'. The people present laughed. "Our country needs a good infrastructure. This railway line is the example that our country can recover in a short period of time from the damage caused by the National Awakening. In addition, the topography of our country is so much different from the earlier Krasnarus, so new railways and roads are needed to connect the entire sultanate. This railway line and this place are of special value. For it is here that the ultimate sacrifice has been made for the freedom of our nation. My friend Jawahar gave his life here. That is why we call this new bridge 'Jawahar Bridge'.”
After these words, Hasan unveiled a monument next to the new railway bridge. It says here: "Jawahar bridge - named after the man who gave his life to give freedom to the inhabitants of the sultanate". This is written in Arboric and Adarani. For a moment Hasan stood solemnly, in memory of his friend. Saluted and greeted with a Namaste. Afterwards Hasan left Manikarnika to board a ready train. He gestured to leave, under continuous honking, the train slowly drove over the Jawahar bridge. That was the end of the ceremony. The train accelerated and drove to Micobad. In the train, Hasan and Manikarnika were treated to tea and Petha. The couple stayed in Micobad for a few more days, before they left for Çakarabad.
Gateway to Çakaristan
Soon after Hasan took over the reigns of Korhalistan, plans were made to make the city of Manbai the main port of the sultanate. There was a rush to implement it, as cooperation with Tiegang would get in the way of that ambition. After all, if a treaty was concluded with the International Mandate, the rebuilding of the railway line between Tiegang and Tiren would be enough to get trade going. To make Manbai the most important port city, more had to be done. The port had to be rebuilt and the railway line through Çakarabad and Praant Shahar connected to the railway network in Sylfystan.
It was then that a treaty was indeed signed with Tiegang, while the railway line from Manbai was still under construction. Hasan wanted the construction to proceed faster, but maintained his patience to avoid compromising on quality. However, Hasan did give the go-ahead for the construction of the railway line between Manbai and Padaudah. This railway line could eventually be extended to Leylpur and Maulikpur. Thus, Manbai would certainly become the port city for Haritdesh. In Çakarabad, the construction work was progressing well, so that his palace, the main railway station and the airport would be available in a short time.
While he was working in his office, the green telephone suddenly rang. The old-fashioned looking phone was a special phone with a secure connection to Agra. If he wanted to contact his brother, he would use this phone. He answered and heard his brother's voice. The Sultan excused himself for skipping the usual social talk and going straight to giving an order. "Hasan, take the first expeditionary corps and occupy the St. André Islands, also known as the Dyre Islands. Do not let those islands fall to the Green so that a foreign claims them. May the great Craitgod prevent any hostile nation from standing on our doorstep." Hasan understood the situation and promised the Sultan to take immediate action.
Moments later, helicopters took off, ships sailed. The First Expeditionary Corps showed its readiness by actually responding to an order within a short time. One by one the islands were occupied, the whole sea was considered territorial waters. That is the sea roughly west of the line Salafuabad - Tuife - Aydin. No foreign ships were encountered, the action of the First Expeditionary Corps looked like an exercise. No resistance, no details. Within a few hours the Çakari flag flew on every island. At least the islands larger than 144 km2, for one would be short of flags to supply every rocky island.
The Subahdar of Tuife, Abu al-Kassem, flew to Çakarabad. There he met with Hasan. Together they made plans to add the islands, now under military rule, to the Subah of Tuife. Now that the islands have been claimed by the sultanate, the opportunity is being taken to expand the military installations in relation to the naval base in Svatantratadurg. And in Praant Shahar, a navigation control centre was planned. There, the coordination for the shipping traffic and the coast guard would be organised. A network of radar posts was needed for this purpose. The First expeditionary corps would scan the seabed with a few ships, while the whole area would be minutely mapped with aircraft.
While that was going on, Hasan flew to Manbai. His fiancée had also arrived there and the next day the Sultan and Sultana would also arrive. The sultanic couple landed on the island of Rulak and spent the night there. At the end of the morning, the sultanic couple sailed to Manbai by boat. In Manbai, the Raja of Korhalistan and his fiancée awaited them. An armada of larger and smaller ships surrounded the ship carrying the sultanic couple. The frenzied crowd welcomed the sultanic couple enthusiastically, as it was their first official visit to the city. Jodha said to Akbar, "I did not know that there were so many ships". Akbar responded, "There is always more water than ships." Jodha frowned and shook her head.
They approached the port of Manbai. The city was clearly still under construction, many cranes dominating the skyline. But where their ship was heading, construction was complete. Hasan had claimed that Manbai should become the gateway to Çakaristan. So he had an actual gatehouse built. The ship docked just in front of the gatehouse. The Sultan and Sultana walked across the gangway and were received on the quay by the Raja and his fiancée. A bunch of flowers was presented to the Sultana by a seven-year-old girl from the city. The Sultana lovingly thanked the girl, who became shy.
The four of them climbed the stairs until they were standing on the square a few metres from the gatehouse. The impressive structure is 26 metres high, built of yellow basalt. The central dome is 15 metres in diameter. Symmetrically on both sides of the arch is the sultanic seal with "Çakar" written in Arboric. While in the centre is the inscription "Founded in memory of the coronation of Akbar Çakar as sultan, who united Çakaristan" in Adarani. A separate stone in the facade reads "MDCXCII", the year of construction 1692 in Catologian numbers. Even during construction, no one was allowed to pass under the arch. A green ribbon still blocks the passage, with golden scissors the Sultan cut the ribbon. While doing so, the Sultana kept her hands on her husband's. Hasan had Manikarnika on his arm as they looked on approvingly. Akbar spoke, "As this ribbon is now cut in two, I thank the great Craitgod for uniting this nation. For a long time, land borders separated the people who now live under one flag. That separation is still noticeable and will never completely disappear. By uniting under one flag in one nation, that separation is transformed into unity in diversity. Therefore, let our united future be akbar, great!"
A big applause and cheering rose from the square. Then the Sultan extended his hand to his wife and together they walked under the arch. This was not only watched by the crowd present but had become a nationwide media moment. The Sultanic couple walked slowly across the square, while on both sides of the aisle, which was marked by fences, the crowd happily waved and cheered. About ten metres behind the sultanic couple followed Hasan and his fiancée. Proudly looking at his younger brother in front of him, this confirmed to him that Abu was the best choice for the position of Sultan. An open car was already waiting to take the Sultanic couple along the long straight road to the city hall. This long road was called "Akbar Avenue", something the Sultan had not been told. He saw it written on a sign and was surprised.
A reception was held in the city hall, where the dignitaries could meet the Sultan. Hasan had a model set up in one of the rooms. That model covered the city of Manbai, with the most important buildings in particular worked out in detail. The gatehouse, the city hall, the central railway station, the airport. Hasan had already had a palace built for himself, but had also reserved a place for the construction of a sultanic palace. He knew Akbar was reticent about, as he called it, "filling the country with palaces". Yet Hasan wanted to entice his younger brother to build a palace in Manbai. Akbar had already understood this and was therefore prepared. When Hasan somewhat nervously made the proposal, the Sultan smiled and had an architect step forward. "Thank you very much for this offer, this man is going to make a design," Akbar said. Hasan nodded in satisfaction.
A day from a fairy tale
The long-awaited day had arrived. Hasan had slept poorly, in the early morning he had ridden out and waited on a hill for sunrise. Satisfied, he watched the sun rise, as if he doubted it would happen. As if this long-awaited day would not come after all. That relieved him. He returned to the palace, where there was slight panic over his momentary departure. The newly built palace almost smelled of fresh paint, the gardens had yet to mature. Hasan himself had overseen the construction, because the palace had to be perfect for his future wife. She would be the mistress of this house, his wife.
The guests arrived one by one. Among them were his parents, who were so happy about this day. And the arrival of the Sultan, the Sultana and the Begum attracted great attention. Outside the palace, there was a crowd who wanted to catch a glimpse of the events. The Sultanic family received a grand cheer as they stepped out of the limousine. In the large courtyard, conversations ceased as the great cheers rolled over the palace walls. When the sultanic family had entered, Akbar said to his brother, "This day is for Manikarnika and you, do not be distracted by our presence." Hasan nodded and replied, "That will not be easy, you are unprecedentedly popular." Jodha responded, "No doubt Manikarnika will look enchanting." Hasan nodded in agreement.
Again, cheers sounded from outside. This announced the arrival of the bride. In the large courtyard, all the guests had been assigned their places. Hasan stood under the pavilion, surrounded by his family and future in-laws. The bride arrived at the palace and if it was possible, the crowd became even more frenzied. The ladies of the court were fixing the dress and the bride was taking a deep breath, when the large doors to the great courtyard opened. Music began to play and she was escorted by her father to the pavilion in the middle of the great courtyard. Everything was enchantingly colourful. Hasan became hypnotised by the beautiful woman coming towards him. She was even more beautiful than he had ever imagined.
When she arrived, her father transferred her hand to Hasan's hand. They looked at each other in love as they said their wedding vows by heart. Then followed the ceremony, during which they walked around a burning fire three times. The veil of Manikarnika connected the two of them as they walked behind each other. Then the marriage was proclaimed. Those present applauded, cheers sounded from outside. Proudly, Hasan's parents looked at each other.
A reception was held so that the guests could offer their congratulations. The Sultan and Sultana were among the first to congratulate them. The Sultanic court had wanted them to be first, but due to the intervention of the Sultan himself, the parents were left ahead. The bride made a Namaste to the Sultan and Sultana. "Welcome to the family," said the Sultan. The Sultana said quickly, "Don't be so stiff, she is family now. Then you don't have to be so formal." Akbar smiled as the Sultana hugged the bride. "We are sisters now, our husbands need us," Jodha said to Manikarnika. The brothers looked at each other, while Akbar nodded in agreement. Hasan still did not know what to think of this, but did not protest.
Later, there was a moment when the three brothers and their father stood talking together. The wine was brought and together they made a toast. From a distance, Jodha, the bride and Hamida looked on. "Yes, my daughters, there are the men. Only Amir needs a wife," Hamida said. The young women did not know what Hamida meant by the remark 'there are the men'. Aishwarya was brought and Hamida fulfilled her role as grandmother. Jodha and the bride looked on and for a moment all those official positions were gone, their being together was typical of a happy family. The bride had only one song in her head:
| Adarani | Transliteration | Translated in Common Tongue |
|
ओ राजाजी, महाराजाजी |
Oo rajaji, maharajaji |
O my dear king |
The final fall
"It's time for me to focus on my mission again," Hasan said to a group of soldiers. Some of them looked surprised. "Your highness, Korhalistan and Haritdesh are part of the sultanate, did you not achieve your mission with that?", said a general. Hasan replied and said, "My mission is called 'Shuddh Butg Par', which means 'on the way to the pure path'. By this the Sultan means that my mission is to make the Sultanate border the Empire of the Pure Path, the Jingdaoese Empire. In order not to disturb the fragile relationship with our western neighbour, Floria, we have to seek the connection to the Jingdaoese border more to the north. So we go north first.
The First Expeditionary Corps men and equipment were transferred by train to a location near Kalaghar. A smaller unit rode in column to Micabad, where Hassan also set up his command centre. A fleet was assembled on the Antican Sea. Reconnaissance planes had already gathered some information about the area, so Hasan could plot his strategy. He received the news that some of the inhabitants of the area had fled. That the sultanate would expand northwards was not surprising. But not before had the stateless inhabitants fled.
To avoid an international crisis, Hasan called Agra. The government contacted Vesüha. The future border between the two nations was agreed upon. Hasan himself wanted to annex the entire area of the former Krasnocoria, but Agra determined that the northern part would not become part of the sultanate after all. The former capital of Krasnocoria, Grandbay, did become part of the sultanate. That city was given the name 'Bhavybai', which is Adarani for Grandbay. Further, the area was to be named 'Bulqan', a reference to the mountain range of the same name in the area.
In addition, Hasan sent planes ahead, which released pamphlets. On the pamphlets was a message from Hasan. "Dear people, the Sultan welcomes you within the Sultanate. You will be given the same freedoms and rights as any other citizen of the Sultanate. Soon, the second parliamentary elections will be held, for which you, as citizens, will also have the right to vote. Whatever your religion, belief and origin, you are welcome!" The pamphlet was translated into Krasnocorian, Corian-Astaronian, Srbozemljan and Gradačak.
After these measures, Hasan set off with his men. Hasan followed the coastline, while the fleet sailed parallel to Grandbay. The First Expeditionary Corps advanced to Gradačak, which was renamed Suryapur. There the corps set up a headquarters. When Hasan entered the former Krasnocorian capital, he saw the damage to the military base caused during the Sylvanian National Awakening. Then Hasan continued into the city. The city was full of white flags, sheets and all things white. As if the city would be attacked. Hasan ordered to leave the tanks outside the city and to enter only with light vehicles. Immediately Hasan drove on to the Skupšteni, the former Krasnocorian parliament. Provocatively, the Krasnocorian flag flew there. Hasan entered the building and walked to the main hall. He knew the way because he had accompanied his father when he was still a member of the parliament. In the great hall, all the members of parliament were gathered, except those of the Hasani National Council. The Krasnocoria national anthem was played as Hasan walked to the chair.
Hasan waited until the anthem was over. He took the floor and said, "Dear Apollonians, we live on a beautiful continent. A continent of high mountains, paradise valleys, densely wooded hills and rolling meadows. The soil of this continent gives us all the beautiful fruits to make Rakija. Only we, humans, make lines in the ground. Lines that are supposed to represent borders, a line between you and me. Constantly those lines are moved, or disappear after a state falls into decay. Today, lines are defined again, but there is also an invitation. The Ultimate Çakar Sultanate was born out of the impending fall of the Kingdom of Krasnocoria and the dissatisfaction with the political policies in the latter days of that kingdom. It is not without reason that our Sultan has decided not to punish your king for high treason, but to send him and his family into exile. It is to make a gesture of mercy. We do not come to occupy your country, we wish to unite so that we can all live in freedom and peace."
Some MPs stood up and started shouting objections. The soldiers became nervous as more and more unrest arose in the room. And not without reason, because an MP took out his gun and shot at Hasan. One of the soldiers saw what was happening and wanted to take out the shooter. Only because of the chaos the soldier had no free line of fire. Other soldiers rushed to protect Hasan. But Hasan had already been hit and was lying on the ground. An officer ordered the closure of the building, a liaison officer communicated that order to the men still standing outside. Meanwhile, Hasan was surrounded by soldiers, who nervously looked around the room for a possible shooter. Other soldiers ran towards the place where the shooter would be. But because of the chaos, the screaming MPs and the question of how many gunmen there actually were, the commanding officer shot in the air. The MPs dived to the ground.
"Arrest all the MPs," the officer ordered. When he looked towards Hasan, he saw that one of the soldiers looked disappointed. The officer did not want to believe it, so he sent for the military doctors. But the conclusion was the same: Hasan had died. The officer ordered the flag on the parliament building to be changed to the Çakari flag, but to hang it at half mast. Then he had a message sent to Agra. Hoping to arrive before the message, Akbar himself flew to Çakarabad to tell Manikarnika that Hasan had died. The Sultan's sudden visit took Manikarnika by surprise. But the seriousness on Akbar's face immediately alarmed her. "Has something happened to Hasan?", she asked. "Please sit down," Akbar replied. Her eyes filled with tears, without Akbar saying it, she already knew. She sat down, but after Akbar told her, she started crying and collapsed on the floor. Akbar also cried and looked for a way to comfort his sister-in-law. But he did not know anything, he could not say anything.
Sulh-e-kul
Despite the fact that Hasan had died, the commander of the First Expeditionary Corps was determined to complete Hasan's mission. The Sultan had come to Suryapur for consultation. In the basements of the fort, the members of parliament were locked up. In the Babkhan hall, the military staff was meeting to discuss strategy. As the Sultan arrived at the inner courtyard, which was saluted by the soldiers on duty, a lieutenant escorted the Sultan to the Babkhan hall. The doors swung open, the Sultan was announced, only Akbar was already in the room before the announcer had spoken.
"Commander!", said Akbar, who immediately jumped to his feet. "May I interrupt your work for a moment? Please step forward." The commander stepped forward. "Adarsh Farrah, you are immediately promoted to general. You are hereby given the highest command after me of the First Expeditionary Corps". The Sultan saluted the general. "Thank you, Your Majesty" "Rest in peace", the Sultan replied. The other officers congratulated the general. "Very well, General", the Sultan began, "How are we going to capture Pathaardesh (formerly Platea)?" The general pointed out on the map what the troop movements would be. The Sultan nodded in agreement and said, "It is of utmost importance that this northern border is maintained. We have already agreed this border with Hurmu, soon Hurmu will expand along this border. That area in the north will be the subah Valesia, which has cultural ties with Leylpur and Tiegang. And finally about this border: the sultanate will not expand further north into the Green." The officers nodded understandingly.
"Your Majesty, will you stay here in Suryapur for the next few days?", the general asked. "That is the plan, you have captured members of parliament from the Krasnocorian Skupšteni. It is my noble duty to decide their fate," replied the Sultan. "May I wish you wisdom in this matter," said the general. "Thank you", concluded the Sultan. The orders were given and within the hour the advance began. The advance along the new northern border of the Sultanate. The advance that would end the mission to Hasan. The name of the mission is "Shuddh Butg Par", which in Adarani means 'on the way to the pure path'. This is a reference to the border with Jingdao, which is called the Empire of the Pure Path.
The next day, all the imprisoned MPs were brought before the court. They stood in the courtyard of the fort, after which the Sultan appeared. He sat down on the prepared chair, behind a long table. Next to him, the general and a clerk sat down. The Sultan began to speak: "Honourable members of the Krasnocorian Skupšteni, you are here as witnesses of the new era on this continent. There are three subjects that seem to divide us. The first is history. Of all the peoples who now live within the Sultanate, each has its own history. Some have their origin on this continent, some on another. This sultanate is the crossroads where the histories of those peoples meet. The second topic is culture. You have history with that. The culture of each people, is unique despite any amalgamation and elements of other cultures. That is why you cannot unify cultures into one form. Let each people have its own culture, each family and each person. The third topic is religion. I have heard that there are fears of the dominance of one religion over another. There is freedom of religion in this nation. Although we do not currently have a constitution or any other document that protects these and other freedoms, it is far more important that these freedoms are practised than merely proclaimed. In doing so, I declare 'Sulh-e-kul', the universal peace between religions."
"Now that you have heard this, I would instruct you to take this message with you. Except for the murderer, I will judge of you that I am deporting you to Hurmu. This is for your safety. I cannot vouch for the feelings of my countrymen who believe that you are to blame for the victims of the Sylvanian National Awakening. Only I know that there are always victims on both sides. The fact that your nation no longer exists means that you also mourn your victim and you must not become a victim of revenge. The murderer will be judged by a judge and so will receive a legitimate trial."
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