I was the Queen of Persia

Page 92

"Cardicesia! A national disgrace!"

"Cardicesia! A national disgrace!"

"Cardicesia! A national disgrace!"

The Samaran Iranian warriors, united in their hatred of the enemy, shouted slogans symbolizing national and personal grievances, formed a tight siege formation, and marched valiantly toward the city walls.

The Iraqi armed forces in the south also carried flags symbolizing Islamic forefathers and marched in formation to coordinate with the Iranian army's offensive.

In an instant, the sounds of fierce fighting echoed across the battlefield.

"Muslim warriors! Take courage! Your death will lead you to Allah's Paradise! To be served by seventy-two virgins! Take up arms! Kill them all! Kill them all!" Mustafa roared back defiantly.

Although destruction was inevitable, he still intended to fight on until he died in the capital of the empire, using his fanaticism and piety to open the path to God's paradise.

Although for him, this was just a pipe dream.

Mustafa's soldiers immediately drew their bows, set up crossbows and stone carts, and launched a counterattack against the attacking Saman forces. The stones and crossbow bolts flew rapidly, hitting many Saman soldiers.

However, Mustafa's firepower was ultimately inferior to that of the Samanid army.

After a day and a night of fierce fighting, including several rounds of heavy weaponry exchanges,

The Samanian siege soldiers, with their more skilled techniques and more accurate distance judgment, used the more incendiary Naftan bombs to destroy many of Mustafa's ballistae and stone carts, gradually suppressing their attack.

On the walls of Baghdad, clusters of flames burned and spread, and a large number of ballistae defending the city were scorched and turned into ashes.

Saman's siege troops filed up the city walls using ladders and engaged in close combat with Mustafa's soldiers.

"Damn it! Abandon the first wall! Retreat to the second wall!" Seeing that the situation was beyond saving, Mustafa brandished his sword and roared at his soldiers.

That's right.

Since Mustafa came to power, he has undertaken extensive construction projects in order to strengthen Baghdad's defenses. In addition to the existing city walls, a new high wall was built to reinforce the defenses.

This newly built city wall, equipped with a considerable number of watchtowers, meanders and twists according to the terrain. At the same time, it complements the outer city wall, forming a semi-enclosed, narrow space in the middle, somewhat like a barbican.

In this confined area, the attacking forces could not deploy their formations, large siege weapons could not be deployed, and attack methods were inconvenient to implement, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the siege.

These characteristics undoubtedly gave Mustafa's army a slight advantage.

After entering the "barbican," the Saman army was immediately subjected to a barrage of arrows. Due to the narrow terrain, it was difficult to maintain formation, and the entire attacking force was thrown into considerable chaos. Despite the protection of their sturdy and durable armor, many soldiers were still killed or wounded by arrows.

"Retreat! Reorganize!" General Saman, who was commanding at the front, saw that the situation was not good and immediately gave the order to his troops.

Soon, the new attacking force regrouped and launched another attack on the city walls. Unfortunately, the outcome was the same: under the enemy's dense barrage, the troops suffered heavy casualties and were unable to break through the enemy's defenses, and were eventually forced to retreat.

"Good! Good! That's it! Devout warriors! Keep up the good work!" Mustafa was overjoyed as he watched the Saman army's offensive falter.

The Samanid army was forced to make some tactical adjustments.

“This won’t do. We can’t let so much bloodshed and sacrifice go to waste.” Shahzani frowned as she watched the battlefield situation gradually turn around.

She rode her warhorse and surveyed the city once more.

Baghdad's "walled city" was indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack. The narrow area hindered the deployment of attack formations and siege weapons, while the dozen or so watchtowers attached to the high walls posed a significant threat to the attackers.

“We must find a way to destroy them in order to launch a better offensive,” Shahzani thought to herself.

But how to destroy them? Using catapults, rocket vehicles, and Naftan incendiary bombs is probably impractical, as terrain limitations and obstructed visibility would hinder their effectiveness. Gravity catapults are also out of the question, not to mention that redeploying them would take even more time.

"Ah, I've got it!" As she was pondering, a sudden inspiration struck Shahzani.

The Qin artillery camp once manufactured a flying machine called the "wooden kite." By attaching gunpowder to it, it could be made into a simple ancient version of a suicide drone. Moreover, this weapon was relatively flexible in deployment and was very suitable for siege warfare.

With this in mind, she immediately formulated a relevant plan.

For some time afterward.

Large caravans continuously transported timber supplies to the Samanid camp. The timber all came from the oasis forests around Baghdad, and was almost entirely composed of relatively tough date palm wood, which could also be used to manufacture reliable siege weapons.

Under Mo Yuxuan's command, the Chinese engineers were divided into two groups, working day and night in shifts to forge machinery and load gunpowder. Mo Yuxuan also improved the wooden kites to make them more adaptable to the climate of arid regions such as Iran.

Over the next few days, the battlefield calmed down, and apart from a few probing attacks and long-range strikes, the Saman army did not launch any large-scale offensives.

Gazing at the bustling scene at the Saman army camp from afar, Mustafa's soldiers couldn't help but murmur to themselves.

Sometimes, the silence of the battlefield is more terrifying than fierce fighting, especially when you don't know what tactics your opponent will use next.

"Damn it! Almighty God above! What are those Persians trying to do?!" Mustafa was also very upset. For several days in a row, he frequently came to the front of the city wall to patrol, looking at the Saman army camp in the distance. He lost his appetite and couldn't even sleep well at night.

However, the series of questions in his mind will soon be answered vividly and figuratively.

The Samanid army has manufactured hundreds of "suicide drones".

Shahzani even named it "Shahid," which means martyr, clearly paying homage to the name of a famous suicide drone from her previous life.

Many Saman soldiers were puzzled: why would Her Majesty the Queen use such a sacred title to name this ordinary weapon? Shahzani explained that it symbolized the selfless sacrifice of these weapons, just like the martyrs who gave their lives for their cause. This explanation convinced and impressed the Saman soldiers.

Outside Baghdad, a large number of drone launch devices have been set up. These devices are simple and flexible, unlike heavy catapults which are bulky and complex, so they are very easy to deploy.

But there's still a problem. Unlike modern drones, ancient "drones" don't have navigation and positioning systems, and their endurance is far inferior. Their hit rate depends not only on the launcher's experience and skills but also on factors such as wind direction.

As the most skilled craftsman, Mo Yuxuan decided to test himself.

"Stay calm, it's okay even if you don't succeed," Shahzani encouraged from the side.

Mo Yuxuan nodded slightly, then went to the launching device, held his breath, and concentrated. He aimed at a lookout tower on the high wall, and through analysis of the arc and distance, calculated the appropriate position and force, then manipulated the firing mechanism.

With a whoosh, the "Firebird" shot towards the arrow tower like an arrow released from a bow. Then, with a boom, flames roared up on the tower, and several Mustafa soldiers jumped down from it with cries of agony.

"Hit!" Saman's soldiers erupted in cheers.

"Good! That's it! Give them a good beating!" Shahzani was overjoyed and gave the order to the soldiers.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of "fire phoenixes," accompanied by shrill cries, streaked through the air in flames as they rushed towards Mustafa's defensive line. Although not always accurate, their ear-piercing cries and the raging flames still caused great panic and chaos among Mustafa's troops.

Flames were spreading across the walls of Baghdad, and Mustafa's soldiers were screaming and fleeing in all directions to escape the scorching heat. One defensive arrow tower after another was being destroyed, and the defense line was on the verge of collapse.

Mustafa stared at the fiery scene, as if he were seeing the terrifying demons described in the Quran. He was speechless and could not recover for a long time.

Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, Shahzani immediately dispatched more than ten engineering detachments to deploy explosives at various locations on the city gates and walls. With a violent explosion that shook the earth, the city gates were shattered and dozens of gaps appeared in the city walls.

"Charge!" Shahzani raised his mace and commanded the assembled Samanian attacking force.

Chapter 215 Crowned Empress

Saman's army stormed into Baghdad, advancing in multiple directions to encircle and sweep away the remaining Mustafa forces.

The citizens of Baghdad also rose up in rebellion. They had long been fed up with Mustafa's oppressive rule and preferred to accept the Khorami teachings of the Persians rather than uphold the "supreme" Caliph.

Mustafa stood on the high platform, watching the raging fire spread and seeing the fruits of his life's labor destroyed in an instant. A bitter and twisted smile appeared on his face, followed by a maniacal laugh.

Immediately afterwards, this pseudo-caliph, who had briefly seized power, jumped into the raging fire, struggled and ran frantically in the flames, and was eventually swallowed up by the endless sea of ​​fire.

This short-lived ruler ultimately ended his physical and political life in this way; after the Saman army extinguished the fire, all that was found was a pile of ashes.

"Dispose of it." Shahzani looked at Mustafa's remains and waved to the soldiers on either side.

To be fair, this usurper, this false caliph, did have some tricks up his sleeve.

The fact that he was able to break free from the rule of the Bai Yi forces, eliminate the powerful Turkic guards, rally a large number of fanatical Arab-Bedouin tribes, and reorganize the Caliphate's government proves that he has the strength to establish a regime and dominate the region.

However, his overly inflated ambitions led him to reverse the course of history before his regime was consolidated and stable, and he made enemies by waging "holy wars" everywhere, ultimately provoking the powerful opponent Shahzani.

At best, he was merely an ambitious politician who "took great things but was careful not to harm himself." After gaining power, he became rapidly corrupt and degenerate, causing disunity among his subordinates and leading to widespread uprisings, ultimately resulting in his downfall.

Shahzani ordered the accompanying court historians to record the historical lessons of the Mustafa regime's demise and to store them in the national historical archives for future generations to learn from.

Riding on armored warhorses, they arrived at the square in the center of Baghdad.

Officials and clerics, along with the citizens of Baghdad, were already waiting there for the army of justice.

"Long live the great King of Kings! May God bless you!" Upon Shahzani's arrival, the crowd knelt and kowtowed in submission.

"My subjects, rise!"

Shahzani's gaze swept across the crowd as she delivered her speech in Persian:

"Mustafa's tyranny and cruelty incurred God's wrath and punishment, ultimately leading to his shameful demise. Now, the brutal false Caliph has gone to Hell along with his regime. I hereby decree that all the oppressive policies and cruel punishments of the Mustafa era be abolished!"

The citizens of Baghdad raised their arms and cheered.

Shahzani nodded slightly and continued:

"The Iraqi region, formerly the capital of the Sasanian Empire of Iran, has, after four hundred years of evolution, returned to the hands of the Samanian Empire of Iran. All of this is due to the arrangement of God, an irresistible divine predestination! I hereby decree that all of you are from now on subjects of the Shah of Iran, and must abide by the order and laws of the Samanian Empire!"

"Furthermore, the Caliph, this noble and holy title of ruler of the believers, has completed the sacred mission entrusted to him by God. In accordance with the supreme will of God, I hereby decree its abolition. From this day forward, there will be no more Caliphs in the eastern Islamic world, only Shahshah (Persian: King of Kings, King of Kings)!"

"Long live our Lord! Long live the great King of Kings!" The vast sea of ​​people erupted in cheers once again.

……

September 26, 1005 AD, the 4th of Shahrivar in the Persian calendar.

Baghdad.

Shahzani chose this day to be crowned Shahsha (also known as Padisha), a more prestigious title than Shah, equivalent to emperor.

In fact, Shahzani would have preferred to hold the ceremony in her new capital, Jahan Shahr, but since she is currently in Iraq, she certainly cannot return to Khorasan in the short term, so she simply opted for a different approach.

Moreover, Iraq is the former Sassanid and Abbasid dynasty, and holding a ceremony here to symbolize the change of regime, in a sense, means taking over power from the former legitimate regime, which still has some sanctity and legitimacy in terms of legality.

Furthermore, holding a coronation ceremony on the territory of a former enemy is essentially a form of demonstration. The most prominent example is the Prussian declaration of the establishment of the German Empire at Versailles after the Franco-Prussian War.

Princess Selim and her entourage recently arrived in Baghdad to congratulate Shahzani on her victory and coronation. These Syrians were invited to the ceremony and were seated in important VIP seats.

Shahzani traveled in full regalia, accompanied by the formidable Shahri Guard, whose men and horses were clad in armor. The scarlet banners, crimson uniforms, and steel armor shone brightly, almost outshining the sun.

The grand scale and elaborate ceremony were no different in essence from the splendor of her coronation as queen in Bukhara.

Shahzani entered the Baghdad palace and walked toward the throne amidst the cheers of his courtiers.

The master of ceremonies began announcing the decrees, the content of which was not much different from that when he was enthroned in Bukhara. The only difference was that "King" was replaced with "Emperor" and "Shah" was replaced with "Shahsha".

Shahzani created a series of titles for himself to demonstrate the authority of the Iranian emperor—King of Kings, Center of the Universe, Shadow of God Hudda on Earth, Ruler of Iranians and Non-Iranians, Sovereign of Arabs and Ajams…

The courtiers shouted their praises.

Shahzani then issued another decree to reward the soldiers and officers who had distinguished themselves in the war. A large number of officers and soldiers who had made outstanding military achievements, as well as civil officials who had devoted themselves to the war, were all promoted and given crowns, ceremonial robes and gold belts by the Queen.

Next came the division and adjustment of the new empire's territory.

Currently, the empire's territory stretches from the Indus River in the east to the Euphrates River in the west, borders the Persian Gulf in the south, and extends north to the Khwarazm Sea (Aral Sea) – the Khazar Sea (Caspian Sea) – the Caucasus Mountains, essentially encompassing the traditional "Greater Iran" region, and also including Iraq, a non-Iranian territory.

The newly conquered Iraqi province, along with Khuzestan province, are two of the few provinces within the empire where Arabs are the majority.

Shahzani did not forcibly promote Persian language, culture, or Khorami doctrine in Iraq. First, this region has historically been Semitic land; second, it had only recently been conquered and its foundations were not yet secure. Forcibly imposing cultural and religious changes would likely provoke a backlash.

She granted Iraqis a degree of autonomy. Apart from major military and political affairs being controlled by the governors and viceroys of the Persian provinces, grassroots civil affairs were mediated by Iraqi-Arab city guilds, communities, tribes, and councils of elders, in accordance with Arab custom.

Meanwhile, pro-Iranian organizations formed during the war, such as the Badr militia in northern Iraq, various armed groups in southern Iraq, and the Rubina Merchant Guild, were temporarily retained to assist the Governor-General of Iraq in consolidating local affairs.

As for the provinces in the Iranian region, Shahzani, while adhering to the old Persian-Iranian traditions, also made partial adjustments to the boundaries and administrative divisions of individual provinces based on the actual military, political, financial, and tax needs, making them more adaptable to the new situation.

With the overall strategic layout established, the functions of the previously appointed five West Pahibed military commanders have been further refined, and they have been assigned to different military regions. Among them:

The Northeast Military Region, represented by Khorasan Province, was divided and led by Khorasid.

The Southeast Military District, represented by Sistan Province, was led by Rustam Zaman.

The Northwest Military District, represented by Azerbaijan Province, is led by Tahmina.

The Southwest Military District, represented by Fars Province, was led by Hosslu.

The Central Military District, represented by Yazd Province, is led by Nasida.

Iran's centralized system has been further consolidated.

Volume 5: The Leader of the Eastern Islamic World

Chapter 216 The Whereabouts of Mustafa's Remnants

Just as Shahzani led the Saman army, advancing triumphantly towards Baghdad, and ultimately conquering Baghdad and destroying Mustafa's regime.

The Jajila region, the camp of Mustafa's "jihadist" army.

The bright moon rises high, its silvery light spilling over the riverside oasis and date palm groves.

But Mustafa's demoralized soldiers had no heart to appreciate the beautiful scenery. For months, they had been ravaged and exhausted by Selim's mobile warfare, and now news of Baghdad's impending doom had arrived.

The morale of all the soldiers was extremely low. Many of the conscripted soldiers even secretly ran away from the camp with their weapons and surrendered to Selim's army. Many of the outer camps were already empty.