China's conquest of the Netherlands went very smoothly. In addition to the fortress offensive and defensive battles, a series of field battles were also conducted in the early stage.
The Chinese servant army from South India and Bangladesh faced the Dutch servant army on the island of Ceylon. The total strength of the two sides in several battles reached 50,000.
Before the official siege of the fortress, the total number of casualties on both sides was nearly 10,000. Among them, the Datong Army had 18 casualties (none of which were lost in combat), the Dutch soldiers had 15 casualties, and more than 60 were lightly or seriously wounded. The remaining casualties came from the servant armies of both sides.
The tragic failure in the field battle left the Dutch colonists without any fighting spirit.
In addition, the Dutch domestic economy was in depression and it was impossible to get any reinforcements. The governor actually directly ordered the surrender. Moreover, he only made one request, which was to ensure the safety of Dutch ships and personnel and allow them all to return to the country by ship.
In this regard, the Dutch East India Company's tentacles could only extend as far as Cape Town, a colony on the coast of East Africa, which would either be captured by Oman or invaded by Portugal.
The news of the victory spread back to India, and the prestige of King Jin in South India greatly increased. All the states sent envoys to send congratulatory gifts. Zheng Sen also became more assertive in Bengal. The princes of the princes were more obedient, and the nobles were proud of being able to speak Chinese.
"General, news came from the west that Aurangzeb won a great victory."
The speaker was Wu Liangfu, the eunuch who killed Dayu'er.
After this man was transferred back to Nanjing, he worked at Honglu Temple for several years. Now he serves as the Deputy Governor of Bengal, a genuine fourth-rank official of the imperial court.
Zheng Sen asked: "When did it happen?"
Wu Liangfu said: "Even when the imperial army was conquering Ceylon, the Mughals were also conquering Afghanistan. Emperor Aurangzeb personally led the expedition, and all the independent Afghan chiefs were suppressed by the Mughal army. I heard that the Mughals also
A famous general named Amir Khan emerged, and he was victorious in the conquest of Afghanistan. When Aurangzeb withdrew his troops, he appointed Amir Khan as the governor-general of Afghanistan."
Zheng Sen thought: "The rebellion in Afghanistan has been quelled, and Persia is running the country again. This means that the western border of the Mughals is completely stable. With Aurangzeb's militaristic temperament, there will definitely be another war next, or he will go south to attack the Deccan.
country, or come east to attack us, Bangladesh."
Wu Liangfu said: "There are many plateaus and mountains in the Deccan countries, and it is more difficult for the Mughals to march. If they come to attack us, they can just go down the river. Putting aside everything else, just from a military point of view, Aurangzeb is sure
We need to send troops to Bangladesh first."
"Do you think Aurangzeb really dares to touch the tiger's beard of the Celestial Empire?" Zheng Sen asked.
Wu Liangfu analyzed: "This man is cruel, cunning and self-willed. Now that he has pacified Afghanistan, he must be even more arrogant. Bangladesh is a large granary. The Mughals have suffered from continuous famines in recent years. I am afraid that Aurangzeb has already set his sights on Bengal's food."
Zheng Sen said: "If we don't ask for domestic troops to be sent, we can defend it by ourselves, but it is still a bit dangerous. We have to use a strategy!"
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had a simple yet complex character.
He has brains and can even be called cunning.
But he was also very reckless, never compromised, never reconciled, and lacked political wisdom. Especially after becoming emperor, everything was resolved by force and power, and he completely abandoned his ancestors' policies on marriage and religious freedom.
Not to mention that many tribes in Afghanistan were forced to rebel, the princes of the princes of Rajasthan were also eager to rebel. The reason is very simple. As the emperor, Aurangzeb actually forcibly interfered with the succession rights of the princes of Rajasthan. This
This approach frightened and angered the princes of the feudal states. They would rather be colonized by aliens than accept the emperor holding their lives.
To be honest, if Aurangzeb were the emperor of China, I'm afraid he would be liked by many history buffs. He was true-tempered, iron-blooded, uncompromising, strong-willed, and occasionally showed affection and righteousness.
The emperor's first love turned out to be a slave girl from his uncle's family.
With his noble status as a prince, he openly falls in love with a slave girl, which can be made into a costume romance drama.
When he was young, he refused to enter the palace for seven months because of his father's complaint. He was so stubborn that even if he wanted to take a gamble, even ten oxen would not be able to bring him back.
At this moment, Aurangzeb had completely pacified the west, and he faced four choices:
First, go south to conquer the rebel Sivaji;
Second, go south to conquer the disobedient Bijapur Kingdom;
Third, go south to conquer the stronghold of Golconda;
Fourth, go east to conquer the Bengal Governorate where Zheng Sen is located.
The ministers all suggested that they attack Shivaji first. This was because this was a force created by the rebels, with a shallow foundation, and the terrain was not very difficult to march.
Aurangzeb said: "If you want to attack, attack Bengal. It is the lost land of the empire. Moreover, there is endless food there, and there are countless merchants and craftsmen. The benefits of seizing Bengal are comparable to pacifying ten Shivas."
lucky!"
Kuli Khan, the junior minister and his best friend, advised: "Your Majesty, Bengal is occupied by China and it may not be easy to deal with. Even if we go well in the early stage and successfully drive away the Chinese governor, but anger the Chinese emperor, the Chinese army will come back.
At that time, it will be an endless war. But when we send troops south, no matter which target we attack, there will be no such consequences."
"What do you know?"
Aurangzeb sneered: "The Chinese emperor is extremely ambitious. Is he willing to occupy only Bangladesh? We must take advantage of China's unstable foothold in Bangladesh to mobilize the entire country's troops to conquer and drive the Chinese out completely. Otherwise, the land occupied by China will be
More and more. At that time, it will not be us conquering Bangladesh, but the Chinese army in Bangladesh will attack us!"
Kulihan asked: "How many troops does your Majesty plan to send?"
Aurangzeb said: "With Amir Khan as the governor of Afghanistan, I am very relieved. I only need to leave a small number of troops. When the envoy went to Persia, he said that I wanted to marry. The Mughal prince asked to marry a Persian princess. The Persians
If you are busy arranging your wedding, you will not come to invade the border."
"The next time the envoy contacts Shivaji, he will say that I recognize his founding of the country. Put forward more stringent conditions and talk for as long as possible. Shivaji dreams of being recognized. During the negotiation, he will not harass the border."
"If the envoy goes to Bijapur again, he will say that I promise to help him suppress Shivaji. Most of Shivaji's territories come from the country of Bijapur. Let Bijapur and Shivaji attack each other, and both will take the blame.
No troops will be sent to attack the empire's borders."
"If you send an envoy to Golconda again, tell them that I want to cease war with them. Secretly contact the princes of Golconda and promise to fund their rebellion. The bigger the rebellion, the better."
"In this way, there will be no danger at all borders. Only a small number of troops will be left for garrison, and the rest of the army will be mobilized to attack Bangladesh. China is very strong. I plan to send 200,000 troops to take back Bangladesh in one fell swoop!"
Kulihan swallowed: "Your Majesty, if we send 200,000 troops, I'm afraid the empire will not have enough food."
Aurangzeb said: "There will always be a way. No matter how hard it is for the nobles and common people everywhere, I will appoint you as the imperial envoy to be responsible for urging food throughout the country. In addition, it is time to prepare warships and sail along the Ganges.
past."
The changes in the Mughal Empire were quickly discovered by Zheng Sen and Wu Liangfu.
Wu Liangfu personally served as a diplomatic envoy and led people to lobby various major forces.
First go to Golconda to express your interests, that is, after the Mughals captured Bengal, the next target must be Golconda.
At this moment, the Golconda country was in a difficult situation. It was at war with the Mughals in the north and had territorial disputes with the emerging Jin State in the south. Faced with Wu Liangfu's "goodwill", the country's Sultan asked for 500 flintlock guns.
As long as Zheng Sen fulfills his promise, he promises to send troops to poke the Mughals in the chrysanthemum.
After bargaining, Wu Liangfu was willing to provide 200 flintlock guns, as well as fine silks and porcelain, in exchange for Golconda sending troops at a critical moment.
Wu Liangfu did not go to Bigapur country. This country was too timid to attack the Mughals.
Wu Liangfu went directly to contact Shivaji and told the insurgent: "Great insurgent Shivaji, even the Chinese emperor knows your bravery. The Mughal emperor regards you as the biggest threat. As long as you
He has captured Bengal, and your next target will definitely be you. Next year, or the year after, the Mughals will definitely attack Bengal. By then, the Mughals will have empty troops in their rear, and you can take the opportunity to expand your territory."
Shivaji smiled and said: "I just received Aurangzeb's envoys last month, and they are willing to recognize my independent establishment of a country."
"Your Excellency is a smart man and will not make the same mistake twice." Wu Liangfu said.
Shivaji was once under the orders of the Mughals. Not only was he almost killed, but he also lost more than 90% of his territory. He relied on strategy and courage to escape back to his hometown. Of course, he would never trust Aurangzeb again.
nonsense.
Shivaji said: "You can ask me to cooperate in sending troops, but what benefits can I get?"
Wu Liangfu said: "There are 1,000 pairs of armor and 300 muskets. Don't be too short, sir. The armor is the standard of the Chinese army, not the kind that Han merchants sold to you."
Shivaji was very generous: "Okay, as long as the armor and muskets are delivered, I can send troops at any time!"
Immediately afterwards, Wu Liangfu sent an Indian deputy disguised as a merchant to cross the Mughal territory to the Rajput.
The Rajputs lived a semi-nomadic life, which was the main production area of Marwari horses and the main source of troops for the Mughal cavalry.
Several successive Mughal emperors married Rajput princes, similar to the marriage between the Manchu royal family and Mongol princes, in order to gain support from the Rajputs and sources of cavalry.
But after Aurangzeb became emperor, he already fell out with the Rajputs.
The Rajput princes rebelled and remained in a semi-independent state. Aurangzeb was unable to suppress them at all. This is just like the entire Mongolian region was revolting against the Qing court. Not only could they not suppress it, but the imperial cavalry also became increasingly stretched.
across.
Wu Liangfu's deputy made a promise that as soon as the Rajputs captured Gujrat, the Datong Navy would immediately cooperate to occupy the port. At that time, the Rajput cavalry would roam across the land, and the Datong Navy would help them consolidate the coast and join forces to fight against the Mughal army.
counterattack.
As long as we gain a foothold, Chinese goods will continue to arrive and be sold to the Rajputs to improve their lives. And the Rajput war horses can also be sold to China at a good price.
The two sides hit it off immediately because life was so difficult for the Rajputs.
After their independence, their territory was surrounded by the Mughals. Although the Mughal army was unable to suppress them, they were able to impose economic sanctions on them and continuously lowered the price of war horses. War horses could not be sold at a good price, and the prices of daily necessities skyrocketed, which made half
The nomads were extremely uncomfortable.
Wu Liangfu's deputy continued to go north and contacted the leader of the Sikhs. The Sikhs wanted nothing and agreed to cooperate in the trouble.
The main reason is Aurangzeb's high-pressure religious policy, which has already aroused dissatisfaction among the Sikhs. Even if there were no Chinese envoys to connect with each other, the Sikhs would still make trouble and even dig up the ancestral graves of the Mughal royal family.
The deputy continued north to connect various tribes in Afghanistan.
Wu Liangfu himself took a boat directly to Persia and encouraged Persia to take the opportunity to send troops to the Makran area.
…
Two years later, the war broke out.
Counting civilians and craftsmen, the Mughals sent 250,000 troops, led by Emperor Aurangzeb.
On the Chinese side, there are only 2,000 Datong Army soldiers, 600 Datong Navy soldiers, and 1,000 temporarily recruited Han militiamen. In addition, there are 30,000 Bangladeshi servants and a number of civilians.
At the beginning of the war, the Mughal army was victorious and more than 8,000 Bengali servants surrendered.
Zheng Sen abandoned the cities along the Ganges River and retreated to Dhaka, clinging to the city where the Governor's Palace is located. In the Bodo River Basin in the lower reaches of the Ganges River, due to serious sedimentation, large ships are easily stranded, and the Datong Navy cannot enter at all. The navy can only be sent
Soldier, take a boat to Dhaka and help Zheng Sen defend the city.
During this series of actions, more than 10,000 servant troops surrendered.
The princes of the princely states who were previously loyal to Zheng Sen changed their tune and declared their allegiance to Aurangzeb.
At this time, Aurangzeb received news from the rear.
The rebel Shivaji took the lead and sent troops to attack the southwestern Mughal territory. Due to insufficient troops and the response of local nobles, Shivaji's army was invincible.
At this time, it was too late to return reinforcements. Aurangzeb sent an envoy to Bijapur. Not only did he formally recognize Bijapur's independent status, he also promised to marry Bijapur. The Sultan of Bijapur immediately sent troops to assassinate Shivaji.
The chrysanthemum of Shivaji's territory, most of which belonged to Bijapur's inherent territory, and the sultan wanted to take the opportunity to regain the lost territory.
Shivaji had no choice but to divide his troops and return for reinforcements. Some of the troops were stationed in the newly occupied territory, and the real elite went back to fight Bijapur.
As for the Sultan of Golconda, he accepted the gift from the Chinese envoy, but did not say anything at this time. Because there was a rebellion in his country, he was busy suppressing the rebels and had no energy to trouble the Mughals. Since the rebels were expelled, they went south.
He fled to Jin State and involved the King of Jin, turning South India into a pot of porridge.
One hair move affects the whole body.
Since Shivaji conquered a lot of territory to the north, the Rajputs took the opportunity to cause trouble. They were a full cavalry team and were unable to attack the city, but they went around the city and looted, hoping to go south to join forces with Shivaji.
The Datong Navy also cooperated, and even enlisted the Portuguese Navy to dispatch together to capture the coastal ports of Gujarat and set aside two port cities to provide rest and supplies for the Rajput cavalry.
The foolish king of Persia broke his promise and did not send troops to help China.
Those short-sighted Persian monarchs were actually busy marrying the Mughals and had no idea of taking advantage of the opportunity to expand.
On the other hand, the Sikhs, who were the weakest, launched a great Sikh uprising in the northwest of the Mughals. They even held high the banner of "Capture Delhi" along the way, attracting a large number of Hindus to join them (in another time and space, Hindus even broke out in an uprising in Delhi.
).
Farther north, China's Dawan Protectorate led the cavalry, led the troops of the Bukhara vassal state, and a small number of Kazakh cavalry, and headed straight for Afghanistan.
The various Afghan ministries that were suppressed after independence saw China leading troops to kill them, and they all cooperated and responded. The Mughal garrison in Afghanistan was forced to shrink to a few large cities, and the rest of the territory was controlled by the Chinese army and Afghan tribes.
Immediately afterwards, the Afghan assassin risked his life and stabbed Governor Amir Khan seriously.
The governor of Dayuan sent a small number of elites to cross the Khyber Pass and fight towards the core territory of the Mughal Empire, attacking the city together with the Sikhs. All the cities that were captured were handed over to the Sikhs to rule Datong.
The army only needs food and some gold and silver.
Over in Dhaka, Zheng Sen defended the city for half a year.
Except for the coastal ports and Dhaka, all other territories in Bangladesh were conquered by Aurangzeb. However, Aurangzeb, who had a large number of troops, could not capture Dhaka, let alone attack the coastal ports.
The war is at a stalemate and can only continue to drag out time.
Zheng Sen's food reserves can last for at least another year. But Aurangzeb's army is almost out of food and grass, with only two or three months of rations left.
Aurangzeb asked his ministers to continue collecting grain. Because he was too hasty, Hindu landlord uprisings broke out in several areas along the Ganges.
In desperation, Aurangzeb took the initiative to seek peace talks.
The previous peace talks all collapsed because the lion Zheng Sen opened his mouth and wanted Aurangzeb to cede territory and pay compensation.
In the end, Zheng Sen figured out Aurangzeb's bottom line: This Mughal emperor could talk about anything, but he just didn't want him to cede territory.
The results of the negotiations are as follows:
First, the Mughals recognized China's rule over Bengal, and the territories of both parties remained as they were before the war.
Second, the Mughals provoked the war without authorization and compensated China for all losses.
Third, if the Mughals were unable to pay compensation, they would hand over some commercial ports in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges to Chinese officials for management. In other words, Chinese officials would obtain part of the Mughals' tariff rights and deduct war compensation from the tariffs.
Fourth, Chinese merchants obtained commercial privileges in the Mughal Empire.
Fifth, Chinese troops must withdraw from the Mughals (including Afghanistan) and promise to no longer support Afghan tribal and Sikh rebellions.
Sixth, China must not interfere in the war between the Mughals and the rebel Shivaji, and must not provide port asylum to the Rajput rebels. However, Chinese merchants can trade with the Rajputs, and the Mughals along the way
Officials may not obstruct or impose additional taxes.
Apart from engaging in diplomatic ties, Zheng Sen hardly fought any major battles. He only defended the governor's city for more than half a year and forced Aurangzeb to sign an unequal treaty.
After the treaty was signed, Zheng Sen did two more things.
The first thing is to clean up the internal affairs and give preferential treatment and rewards to the most loyal princes of the feudal states. Each prince can choose a son to send to Nanjing to study abroad, and help these princes apply for the title of "baron" (colonial special
title).
At the same time, the liquidation of those princes of the feudal states who surrendered the earliest does not mean killing them all. Anyway, some local power in their hands must be handed over.
The second thing is to impose comprehensive economic sanctions on the Bigapur country that helped the Mughals fight the war and increase the tax rate on goods traded with this country.
At the end of this war, the Mughal emperor's prestige was greatly lost. For the next few years, he was busy quelling domestic rebellions.