I was the Queen of Persia

Page 155

……

Rome, the Papacy.

Pope John XIX has been having a major headache lately.

Leaving aside the military threat posed by the Turan Khanate.

Even within the Christian world, bad things are happening constantly.

First, the Germanic emperor overstepped his bounds, unilaterally reducing Poland to a vassal state and expanding his territory without the permission of religious authorities. Now, the "Eastern heretics" of the Eastern Roman Empire are taking advantage of the situation, coveting Croatia, which has already submitted to Roman religious rule.

"These heretics from the East should have been excommunicated long ago!" the Pope said angrily.

“Holy Father, we now face a formidable enemy. The heretical Church in Constantinople is plotting expansion, while the usurping German emperor is feigning cooperation. In the name of God! We cannot offend both sides; we must win over one in order to strike at the other!” a clergyman advised.

"What do you think should be done?" the Pope asked.

"I believe that we should first acquiesce to the German emperor's gains and stabilize this vital political force; then we should send envoys to Constantinople to explain the stakes and demand that they follow the sacred doctrine and jointly resist the invasion of the Turanian Tatar infidels," the clergyman said.

John XIX considered this compromise to be a prudent solution, and thus dispatched two groups of envoys to act separately:

They traveled all the way to the German Emperor Conrad II, first acknowledging his established sphere of influence, and then discussing the grand plan of forming a united army to protect the faith.

They traveled to Constantinople to negotiate with the Eastern Church; if the Eastern Church remained obstinate, they took this opportunity to excommunicate it!

……

When news of the Roman Catholic Church's dispatch to Constantinople reached Jahanshahr, Shahzani smiled.

"The turning point of history has arrived, and this is the perfect opportunity for division and disintegration!"

As Shahzani looked at the contents of the secret report, a plan was already brewing in her mind—

The conflict between the Christian churches in the East and West has a long history.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the feudal states of Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire embarked on different paths of development, and the differences in systems, interests, languages ​​and cultures became increasingly apparent. This accumulated contradiction was only going to intensify further.

Shahzani took advantage of this contradiction.

Through the powerful Nassachusetts organization, she secretly ordered her spies, who were lurking in Constantinople, to use a "double agent" strategy to sow discord between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Constantinople.

Constantinople.

The spies under the control of the Samanid Empire—mostly Armenian priests who had been turned—received orders to immediately spread rumors in Constantinople, using vivid descriptions to fiercely attack the Roman Catholic Church for its "corruption," "blasphemy," and "misdeeds."

Furthermore, Roman clergy engaged in rampant resale of indulgences and extortion... Under Shahzani's "guidance" and "instruction," all content appearing in history textbooks was embellished and widely disseminated.

In an instant, it caused a great uproar throughout the city.

The churches of Constantinople and Rome already had numerous disputes and sharp conflicts over doctrine and liturgy. This instigation further deepened their mutual hostility.

Consequently, the arrival of the Roman Catholic mission was not met with a grand welcome from the Eastern Roman government. The powerful regent, Zoe, was particularly cold towards the members of the Roman Catholic Church.

With the protection of the regent queen, Patriarch Stodditas of Constantinople became even more emboldened. He not only turned away Roman priests, but also frequently used various rumors circulating in Constantinople to attack the moral depravity of the Roman Church.

The Roman Catholic mission, seeing themselves repeatedly met with indifference and their faith constantly attacked, stormed into the Hagia Sophia on a Sunday in a fit of rage. In full view of everyone, they placed a “precept” on the Holy Table that cursed the Eastern Church and demanded the removal of the Patriarch, and then stormed off.

The Eastern Church was equally enraged and reported the matter to Regent Zoe, exaggerating its details. Zoe was furious to hear that her faith and her Patriarch had been so humiliated.

"These damned blasphemers! Their holiness and glory are gone! Issue the order! Immediately assemble the Balkan Frontier Military District troops and attack Croatia!" Zoe roared as she gave the order.

At the same time, she supported the patriarch in retaliating by calling the Roman Catholic Church "blasphemous" and declaring the excommunication of the Pope and all bishops of the Papacy.

In 1027 AD, the Christian Church formally split between the East and West, approximately 27 years earlier than the orthodox timeline of 1054. From a historical perspective, by this time, the internal contradictions within Christianity had become deeply entrenched, and a split was only a matter of time.

The Samanid Empire's key spies, who were lurking there, immediately compiled the matter into a report and sent it back to Shahzani.

Chapter 358 A Starkly Contrasting Situation

Unlike the spread of panic in the Christian world, the Samanid Empire at this time, although also preparing for war, presented an overall orderly picture.

Shahzani was stationed in Jahanshahr, overseeing the overall situation. The central Diwan agency continuously compiled and reviewed the memorials submitted by various provinces, and then issued the Queen's decrees.

War, in the end, is about the struggle for productivity.

Thanks to the authority of the monarch and centralized power, the Samanid Empire's economy flourished.

The armory was bustling with activity, producing swords, axes, hammers, armor, and arrows in a steady stream; the farmland oasis was thriving, with wheat, barley, vegetables, and fruits displayed in abundance.

The developed agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts also laid a solid foundation for commercial development.

The Silk Road continued to prosper. The vast and well-developed postal and road system provided ample benefits to commercial activities, while the efficient imperial bureaucracy ensured political stability and unity and greatly reduced the frequency of banditry.

Despite the ongoing state of war, trade between Iran and Turan has already quietly resumed in secret.

This is also one of Shahzani's tactics in "economic warfare": the material level of the Turan Khanate is ultimately lower than that of the Iranian Empire, and with its richer material conditions, it can gradually undermine the cohesion and fighting spirit of the Turan regime.

This tactic has indeed been quite effective in winning people's hearts and minds.

More importantly, significant progress has been made in the land reclamation efforts in the Syr Darya region.

Under Farukzad's rule, cities such as Otrar, Sighnahe, Zand, and Yangjigan all took advantage of the Syr Darya's irrigation to cultivate large areas of fertile land outside the city, planting crops such as barley, wheat, cotton, and flax, which complemented the local nomadic and pastoral industries.

The Turkic-Iranian mixed population in the Syr Darya River basin became more settled, while Iranian merchants, dervishes, artisans, military farmers, and Dehgan landowners continued to flock to the Syr Darya.

Effective governance led to more frequent exchanges of people and goods, which boosted material production capacity and accelerated the "Persianization" and integration of "Turkic-Persian culture" in the region.

The herders sell their wool to buyers, who then sell it to textile workshops in the city. The textile workshops process the wool into various wool products, which are then wholesaled to dealers in different communities. Money makes money, and interest compoundes. The more people there are, the more professions there are, the larger the market is, and the more complex the division of labor is, the faster the money is converted into wealth.

Infrastructure development also made considerable progress. More bazaars were established in Otrar and Sighnahey, and city hospitals and bathhouses were built. Several public reservoirs were newly constructed in the city of Zan, and more border markets were opened.

All of the above factors objectively undermined the cohesion of the Turan Khanate.

Driven by a desire for a more stable and prosperous life, in 1026-1027 AD, several tribes from the Oghuz, Arghun, and Karluk Turkic groups, known as the "truce Turkic tribes," drove their herds of cattle and sheep across the border to the Samanid Empire, seeking protection from the Iranian garrison in the Syr Darya River basin.

They did not intend to plunder, but simply hoped to share in the prosperity of the Samanid Empire.

Farukzad gladly accepted the group of Turan Khanate exiles, providing them with shelter and pastures in exchange for their loyalty and military service.

The situation is very good.

The young princess also harbored greater ambitions. She hoped to achieve even greater glory on the battlefield, so she petitioned her mother, the queen, to gather an army and send troops to the Turanstani steppe in order to destroy the Turan Khanate as soon as possible.

Official documents and memorials were delivered by post along the fast road.

A few days later, Shahzani issued his order: "Hold the line and do not send troops."

Farukzad was quite disappointed.

Despite his eagerness to achieve merit, he could not disobey the Empress's orders and had to temporarily shelve the grand plan, continue training troops and cultivating land, and conserve his strength for future battles.

……

Meanwhile, the Christian world, led by the Roman Catholic Church, was filled with disappointment and pessimism.

News of the "Great Schism" in Constantinople had already reached the Roman Catholic Church.

"These Eastern heretics from Constantinople!"

Pope John XIX was furious: "In the name of God! They are the real blasphemers! Immediately order their excommunication! Sever all ties with them!"

All the Roman clergy strongly agreed with this, after all, centuries of doctrinal disputes had long made the two churches bitter enemies. However, once the initial fervor subsided, they realized that severing ties with the Eastern Roman Empire would result in enormous losses.

Despite the intense sectarian disputes, the Eastern Roman Empire was, after all, a powerful nation. Now, having completely broken ties with it meant losing a strong external ally in the face of the Turanian infidels' invasion.

“Holy Father, now, the only way we can unite with the German Emperor, whose army is the strongest, and ask him to take up the banner of resisting the invasion of the heretics, out of his devotion to Jesus!” the central bishop suggested.

“Very well! In the name of God!” John XIX said, pinching his nose. “Send another messenger to the German Emperor’s court and tell him that the formation of a coalition to defend the Faith must be discussed as soon as possible!”

Of course, it wasn't just the Holy Roman Empire; papal envoys also traveled to the Kingdom of France, the Italian princes, the Anglo-Saxon Christian kingdoms, the Norman princes, and the Iberian Christian states. They contacted the princes, local churches, and religious monastic communities in various places, requesting them to also send troops to form a coalition to protect Christianity.

……

Coincidentally, the Christian world in Europe was undergoing a tremendous transformation at this time.

This is a lengthy conclusion that Shahzani drew based on information compiled by caravan spies:

Thanks to the strength of the Iranian Samanid Empire, trade routes between Asia and Europe were unimpeded, and more and more caravans traveled to Europe, bringing with them abundant resources and advanced technologies from the East, which objectively promoted the development of productivity in Europe.

Between 1005 and 1025 AD, towns and markets sprang up like mushrooms after rain in various European countries, and the variety of goods became extremely rich. Various treasures from Asia—silk, carpets, spices, sugar, and exquisite handicrafts—were highly sought after by European nobles.

The religious and secular nobles and feudal lords quickly realized the advantages of towns—they could set up checkpoints to collect taxes, gather treasures, find skilled craftsmen, and expand their own power.

However, the development of a commodity-money economy also has its drawbacks—

The purchasing power of many feudal lords declined, and some were even on the verge of bankruptcy. The fixed feudal rents and taxes could no longer satisfy their expanding greed. It seemed that making a name for themselves and seizing the spoils of war through war was a good way out.

Under the feudal system that implemented primogeniture, there were bound to be a large number of landless and impoverished noble knights. These people lost their source of livelihood and lived in poverty and hardship, so they naturally yearned for war and plunder.

The gap between the rich and the poor widened, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, class divisions became more pronounced, and a large number of bankrupt farmers who lost their land gathered around towns and cities, living in poverty and hoping to seize wealth through war.

The feudal princes of Europe, lacking the social welfare system of the Samanid Empire's centralized system, were unable to cope with such a large impoverished population.

The only way to get them to the battlefield was to find a religious pretext.

……

Chapter 359 The Crusade

The European sky was overcast, as if shrouded in oppressive war clouds.

In castles, manors, and noble estates, missionary monks dressed in monastic robes and carrying crosses became increasingly active. They were acting on the orders of churches in various regions, calling upon Christian believers to bravely join the army and resist the "barbaric infidels."

Inspired by religious calls and the atmosphere of war, nobles and peasants in various regions became even more tense and busy.

A dilapidated stone hut, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimney.

"Ding—ding—clang—clang—"

The sounds of clattering and knocking rose and fell as the tattered linen bundles were unwrapped, revealing rusty blades that gleamed with a lingering cold light. But compared to the family's abject poverty, these were some of the few valuable possessions they owned.

"Charlie! Bring me my helmet! And my rations! Hurry! The lord's party is about to set off!" the middle-aged man with a thick beard shouted.

"Here you are, Father!" A boy ran from the stone house next door, handing over two large, equally tattered packages.

"Father, are you really going to join the Eastern Expedition?" The boy's eyes revealed reluctance.

“Yes…” The middle-aged man nodded heavily.

“These barbaric pagans are bullying our fellow believers. As a follower of Jesus Christ, the Savior, I cannot stand idly by! Our lord has answered the holy call, and I too will go with the army.”

"Father! I want to go too!" Suddenly, the boy raised his head, his attitude resolute.

“The merchants say that milk and honey flow in the East, but here there is only poverty and sorrow! Jesus above! I’ve had enough of this life, Father, please let me go too!” the boy pleaded.

"No way!!" The middle-aged man's face showed displeasure.

"You're an adult now. While I'm not around, you're the pillar of this family! Charlie, remember your responsibilities and stop daydreaming!" the middle-aged man shouted sternly.

After saying this, he put on a simple helmet, slung his rusty sword over his shoulder, and donned a chainmail vest. He then walked away along the country road without looking back.

Nobles, accompanied by knights, knights, and their retinues, along with self-sufficient farmers, serfs, and bankrupt peasants, poured out in droves, their various badges, costumes, and flags forming colorful streams of people, all converging on the holy site of the Roman Catholic Church.

Their reasons for participating in the Crusade varied: some wanted to defend their faith, some wanted to plunder money, some wanted to escape a heavy and arduous life, and some were simply obeying the orders of their lords and the papacy.

……

Shortly after.

The planned assembly point for the Christian coalition, Clermont, France.

It was March 1027, and the chill of early spring had not yet dissipated, but the cold did not dampen people's enthusiasm. Early in the morning, the bustling city square was packed with people. Christians, filled with excitement, awaited the Pope's arrival.

A magnificent procession arrived, flags fluttering, and a massive cross slowly drew near; Pope John XIX had officially arrived. The fully armed papal guard immediately formed ranks around the erected platform, with brightly dressed papal servants standing on either side, and the tall, imposing cross standing solemnly.

"Children of Jesus Christ, the Savior!..."

John XIX, in a loud and impassioned voice, delivered a rousing pre-war mobilization speech. His words were nothing more than “invasion by pagans,” “suffering of Christians,” “crisis of the civilized world,” and “defense of the sacred faith.” However, for the European Christians who were still in a state of ignorance, these words were enough to stir up their fighting spirit.

"God bless!"

"Defend the sacred doctrine!"

The allied forces erupted in a thunderous roar. Fueled by their renewed fighting spirit, the monarchs and bishops of the various nations immediately commanded their armies to march eastward.

……

The large tent of the Turan army on the steppe at the border of Austria and Pannonia.

News of the crusades formed by the Christian nations had reached Zagreb.

“A bunch of traitors, nothing but a rabble.” Chagli Special Agent looked at the battle report and smiled contemptuously.

"Khm, among the Christian coalition forces, the Alman (German) army is the strongest. If our army uses a little strategy to divide its alliance with other Christian armies, we can have a greater chance of victory," said his cousin, Qadir Tutush.