Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 156

The One Who Sought India (2)

Yusuf picked up a brush and drew a curve.

The map, remaining in his memory, gained substance as lines were added.

‘Modern maps aren’t perfect.’

The nearly 500 years during which nature and humans exerted their influence was not a short period, and there were many parts that didn’t match the present.

In the Netherlands alone, 25% of the entire land consists of reclaimed land, leading to the joke that while God created the world, the Dutch created the Netherlands.

Due to reasons such as reclamation, climate change, coastal development, coastal erosion, and sea-level rise, there were many incorrect parts when looking at local areas, but it didn’t matter when drawing simply.

Yusuf began to speak as he drew the Indian peninsula beyond the Arabian Peninsula.

“India is too large a land to be called a peninsula.”

It’s not for nothing that India is called a subcontinent.

This is partly because the Himalayas make it culturally very different from the surrounding areas.

“Suleiman.”

“Yes, my Padishah.”

“What do you think will happen if we rashly try to occupy this vast land as we have done in the past?”

“It doesn’t seem desirable.”

“That’s right. If we do it wrong, we’ll be stepping into a quagmire.”

Yusuf, who was drawing the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago past the Ming Dynasty territory, took his hand off.

Considering the delicate touch of mapmakers of this era, there were many shortcomings, but it looked decent enough.

“It is a region that has never been unified as one country in history. As such, it shows tremendous diversity in language, script, culture, and religion.”

Even in modern times, there are over 100 major languages, and nearly 1,600 are classified as other languages, like dialects.

The figures fluctuate depending on the definition of language and dialect, but even considering this, it is a huge number.

“When incorporating this diversity to weave it into one nation, do you know what the most useful tool is?”

“It seems to be religion.”

Yusuf nodded at Suleiman’s answer.

Even the Ottomans were forming communities based on religion rather than ethnicity.

“Look closely. The central and southern regions that we need to pay attention to right now can be seen as divided into Islam and Hinduism. Goa, the occupied territory, belongs to Bijapur, a central Islamic state.”

“I heard that Shemsi Pasha, holding the Caliph position of the Padishah, pushed back the envoy from Bijapur.”

Yusuf raised the corner of his mouth.

“Do you think they really obeyed the Caliph’s position and stepped back? They stepped back because it was difficult to readily antagonize us.”

The Caliph [the supreme religious leader of Islam] is the Pope of Islam, but his authority was not great.

The position of Caliph was merely for adding another title with good cause.

“Anyway, the Vijayanagara Empire in the south, which has Hinduism as its state religion, has long been at war with the Bahmani Sultanate in the center.”

Suleiman, who was looking at the map, continued.

“Vijayanagara is the one that survived.”

“Yes, Bahmani declined, and the Sultan was reduced to a puppet of the Prime Minister, and the country was divided into five. These five are collectively called the Deccan Sultanates.”

The Deccan Sultanates was a collective term for the five sultanates, including Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Golconda, and Bijapur, which had lost Goa.

The first sultanate to become independent was younger than Yusuf, and Golconda, the last to become independent, was only 5 years old.

In the Deccan region, the five sultanates were bickering with each other, and in the south, there was the common enemy, the Vijayanagara Empire.

It was obvious how chaotic this area would be, and Yusuf raised the corner of his mouth.

“Do you think this chaos will be disadvantageous to the Empire?”

“Wouldn’t it depend on how it’s used?”

“That’s right. The task you were given before going to Ming is to lay the foundation for India. How should we move?”

Suleiman fell into deep thought at Yusuf’s question.

He sometimes asked tricky questions and evaluated them, so it was necessary to answer carefully.

Of course, not giving a satisfactory answer wouldn’t cause great harm.

‘But I don’t want to make him feel disappointed.’

Although he was buried in work and did many mischievous things, Suleiman clearly remembered the conversation between his father, Selim, and the Padishah [Ottoman Emperor].

Thinking of his father, who asserted that he was a smart child and there would be no reason to be disappointed, and the Padishah, who had shown mercy and saved him, he had no choice but to carefully choose his answer.

‘The safest option is to appease Bijapur, which lost Goa. After all, they are still the same Islam.’

The problem was that the Padishah in front of him never chose ordinary options.

From thinking of sending a letter full of praise to the Pope, who was calling for the overthrow of the Ottomans, to overturning the Papal States, he was beyond the normal category.

Suleiman, repeatedly pondering how the Padishah would move, noticed the Padishah’s thoughts.

“…You’re thinking of contacting the Vijayanagara Empire, which believes in Hinduism, first, rather than contacting the Deccan Sultanates.”

Yusuf smiled deeply at Suleiman’s answer.

“You are indeed clever. Ali Pasha sighed after hearing my thoughts.”

“How dare I do that? It’s because he’s old and his breathing is getting heavy.”

“Okay, let’s take it as that.”

Joking with Hadim Ali Pasha, who was standing next to him as a chamberlain, Yusuf pointed to the Goa area on the map.

“As you said, I am thinking of contacting the Vijayanagara Empire first. As you can see, Goa alone is located between Bijapur and the Empire.”

It’s not for nothing that Portugal occupied Goa.

“Appeasing Bijapur, which lost Goa, would be difficult to satisfy with mediocre compensation.”

“And Padishah doesn’t prefer to coax and appease either.”

“That’s not wrong.”

Even he himself didn’t have a good personality to listen to whining.

It suited his personality to slap them with cannons and threaten them to stay quiet if they didn’t want to die.

“Currently, there is a balance between the Deccan Sultanates and the Vijayanagara Empire. Neither side can readily overthrow the other.”

The sultanates, which had not been established for long, did not have the national power to occupy the empire, and the empire was wary of stirring things up and causing the Deccan Sultanates to unite.

In the original history, this structure lasted for over a hundred years.

“However, if our empire takes the side of one, the story is different. Even just providing weapons support would greatly tilt the balance.”

This means that the Ottomans can play the role of a game-changer in reversing the situation in India.

Watching his eyes drawing an arc, Suleiman smiled back.

“We don’t necessarily need to break this balance, do we?”

“That’s right. There’s no need to foster other countries. We can profit by walking a tightrope in the middle. To do that, we must first contact Vijayanagara.”

Vijayanagara would be more afraid of the Ottomans than the Portuguese, who approached them barbarically. Supporting the same Islamic country could be dangerous.

In this situation, first contact Vijayanagara to reassure them, and instill a sense of crisis in the Deccan Sultanates.

It means that the person who has to present the gift package is reversed.

“Your job is to maintain balance in the middle. Hassan will lay the foundation for that.”

Mainly in the direction of instilling a sense of crisis.

Herszekzade, who is researching surnames, is seriously considering whether to attach the surname Shaitan [Satan in Arabic], and Hassan is the tongue of Satan.

With him helping, he could at least have peace of mind.

“And you know that an exam to select officials was held recently. If there is a good person among them, take one with you.”

“Is that okay? The officials in the capital might not like it.”

If he took away a new recruit from the officials who said that one well-raised recruit is worth more than ten sons, a backlash was bound to come.

“If there is someone who says they don’t like it, tell them to go to Ming with you instead. Then they will quietly hand them over.”

Suleiman smiled in resignation as he recalled the officials in the capital avoiding his gaze recently.

***

Behind the standard-bearer waving the red Ottoman flag, a little over a hundred people moved with a sharp momentum, and the Vijayanagar Empire army, which faced them at the border, surrounded them with both vigilance and protection.

Receiving gazes mixed with curiosity and fear, Hassan distorted the scar on his face.

“It’s uncomfortable to be stared at by people like this.”

Hassan’s subordinate burst into laughter at his words.

“You’re not only an envoy but also hold the position of Sanjakbey [governor of a district] of Goa, so you’ll have to get used to it, won’t you?”

“It’s temporary. Temporary.”

Hassan answered firmly and stroked the head of the boy sitting in front of him.

He became connected with him as a pickpocket and a victim, and he was even more interested because they had the same name.

When he taught him directly, he was also smart, and he was adaptable enough to quickly get used to the changed environment.

It was when he pressed down on the head of the boy, who seemed unfamiliar with receiving affection, rolling his eyes and looking around.

“That’s Vijayanagara.”

At these words, Hassan raised his head.

The capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, Vijayanagara, was so prosperous that it was hard to see at a glance.

It was a huge city visited by countless people, including merchants from nearby Deccan and Goa, as well as those from faraway Persia.

‘If you only think about the prosperity of the capital, is it comparable to the Empire?’

Hassan swallowed his admiration as he looked at the largest medieval city after Beijing and the wealthiest city in India.

He could understand the Padishah’s order not to take the countries of India lightly.

Hassan, who confidently raised the Ottoman flag and set foot in the capital, quickly scanned the surroundings with his eyes.

“Gokhan.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“There seem to be many Deccan merchants. You know what you have to do, right?”

Just because the Deccan Sultanates, which occupied the Deccan region, continued to engage in local wars, it did not mean that the border was closed.

Merchants who moved in pursuit of profits traveled to and from the most economically prosperous city in India, and they were also the eyes and ears of the Deccan Sultanates.

Gokhan nodded at Hassan’s question.

“The preparations are already complete.”

“Good job.”

Merchants sensitive to the surrounding situation were bound to be busy trying to find out why the Ottoman envoy had appeared here.

They would hear rumors that relations with the Ottomans had soured due to the Deccan Sultanates’ unreasonable demands.

For now, it can be said that the first button has been properly fastened.

“How is it? The scenery of the Empire.”

The gatekeeper who guarded the city gates was not in a low position, and the general of the Vijayanagara Empire, who joined them upon entering the capital, asked through a Persian interpreter.

The general’s eyes shone to grasp the inner thoughts of the suddenly arrived envoy through his words full of pride, and Hassan lightly scanned the surroundings.

Just looking at the exotic scenery of Hindu temples, which were clearly different from mosques, the well-paved roads, and the well-maintained waterways, it was worth giving a good answer.

“I’ve only heard rumors about it, but coming here in person makes me admire it. I think it’s a truly wonderful city.”

“Hahaha, thank you for your evaluation. The Emperor, who heard the news of the envoy’s visit in advance, has allowed an audience at any time. Would you like to relieve your fatigue first?”

“I’ll postpone relieving my fatigue.”

At Hassan’s words, the general led the delegation to the palace.

Hassan, along with some unarmed personnel, passed through the palace corridors decorated with exotic and ornate decorations and was able to meet the Emperor.

As the door opened with the loud voice of the servant, Hassan, who entered inside, gave a light bow.

“I am Hassan Pasha, the envoy of the Ottoman Empire and the Sanjakbey of Goa. It is an honor to meet the owner of the Empire.”

“Thank you for your hard work in coming a long way. I have always been curious about what kind of place the Empire that defeated Portugal is.”

Hassan raised the corner of his mouth at the words of Krishna Deva Raya, who built the largest empire in India since the Delhi Sultanate and led the heyday of the Vijayanagara Empire.

“Such a small country is not comparable to the Empire. The guns that the Emperor received are inferior to those used by the Empire’s soldiers, and the knowledge of Portugal, which received help for water supply, is outdated technology in the Empire.”

It was not just a word to elevate the Ottoman Empire.

It meant that he knew the inside story of the Vijayanagara Empire that much, and it was a word to pressure him for having a close relationship with Portugal.

Krishna’s face hardened slightly, and Hassan continued.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to tell you that Portugal, which joined hands against the Deccan Sultanates, has already disappeared. All that remains is the Ottoman Empire.”

Hassan licked his lips with his tongue.

***

“What’s your name?”

Suleiman, who was looking at the new official to go with him, asked the man who was bothering him, and the man bowed his head.

“I am Ibrahim from Manisa, Pasha [high-ranking Ottoman official].”

The man, who gained the favor of Suleiman the Great in the original history and had equal power and authority with him, replied in a calm voice.