I was the Queen of Persia

Page 111

Based on this, Shahzani immediately formulated a strategic plan to win over the Kalmatians and jointly resist the Blackblade Cult, and selected and dispatched troops and supplies.

The core commander who carried out the plan was, of course, Sahinian, the female general of the Holy Flame Brigade, who was known for her boldness and decisiveness.

Chapter 258 Landing on Bahrain Island

The situation unfolded exactly as Shahzani had predicted.

After Muhaddaeb established a foothold in the south and subdued the surrounding tribes, he immediately used the center of Nejd as a base to attack the Kassa oasis where the Khalmat faction was located.

From late May to mid-May in Farwardin alone, Muhaddab's army invaded the Kazakh oasis to the east, burning 17 villages under the control of the Kalmatians, looting a large number of tribes, killing tens of thousands of people, and taking more than 3000 people as slaves.

And the fighting continues.

Muhaddaeb's reasons for sending troops were also subtle. He claimed it was in retaliation for the Kalmatians' invasion of the holy land more than seventy years earlier (in 930 AD). During the month of Hajj that year, the Kalmatians' army launched a major invasion of Mecca, killing more than 3 pilgrims, enslaving thousands, and also taking the Kaaba's Black Stone.

The Kalmarians were no longer as powerful as they once were. Although they were called a "republic" and put forward some advanced ideas, they were essentially a republic of a small number of tribal slave-owning nobles.

As its territory expanded and its doctrines became more rigid, it increasingly resembled an exploitative dynasty. Its upper class possessed vast amounts of property and slaves, implemented a strict hierarchical system, brutally oppressed slaves and ordinary people, and massacred followers of other sects. It had long since lost the cohesion and vigor it had at the beginning of the uprising.

The Fatimid dynasty, which is also Shia, tacitly supports Muhaddeb's army at this time.

Despite the affinity stemming from their shared faith, Karmat's various heretical acts and his indifference to the Fatimid dynasty's attempts to win him over ultimately angered the dominant Shia ruler in Egypt.

And the opposite.

Muhaddaeb, considered a fundamentalist heretic, secretly pledged his loyalty to Fatima and curryed favor with her. For months, he secretly sent messengers through the Emir of Mecca and the Red Sea, bypassing the Haqqavi's surveillance, to frequently contact the Fatima court.

There are no permanent enemies or friends, only permanent interests.

Fatima is still focusing its efforts on dealing with the arrogant Berber warlords in the west, and has no time to devote much energy to looking eastward. They need to continue supporting their "allies" in the east to counter the westward expansion of the Samanid Empire.

The Blackblade Cult has recently shown obvious cracks. Compared to the cold and cunning Haqqavi, Muhadeb is clearly a more suitable puppet and pawn.

Based on these considerations, the Fatimid dynasty temporarily acquiesced to Muhaddab's expansion of power, attempting to use the large number of cannon fodder he recruited to build a defensive line against the westward advance of the Persians.

The slave republic of the Kalmar faction thus became a victim of the power struggle.

Shahzani then seized the opportune moment to mobilize Iranian military forces to intervene in the struggle for control of the southern Persian Gulf, eastern Arabian Peninsula, and Hassa Oasis region.

Holdard in the middle of the month.

Sahini led 700 Holy Fire Brigade knights, 1000 Iraqi militiamen, and 1500 Basji volunteer militiamen from Basra by boat, heading towards Bahrain Island by sea.

By this time, the Qarmatists had dispersed a large number of their followers, their territory had shrunk dramatically, and they were finding it even more difficult to resist the invasion of Muhaddab's army.

Bahrain Island effectively became an isolated outpost. The tens of thousands of remaining Kalmatians and native Bedouin on the island lived day and night in fear of being slaughtered by Blackblade soldiers, yet they were also frustrated and desperate because they could not gather enough ships to evacuate.

Until, in their despair, the believers spotted the scarlet battle flag fluttering on the surface of the Persian Gulf.

"That's... a Persian?"

"Thank God! The Persians have come to our aid!"

The Kalmart followers on the island were naturally overjoyed at the arrival of external reinforcements, but after a brief period of jubilation, they fell into confusion about their faith.

"But most Persians are Khoramis, who are also heretics! How can we accept aid from heretics?"

"Yes...and..."

“There’s no more ‘and’! Now is not the time for hesitation and doubt!” Just then, a firm and decisive female voice came from the crowd.

Looking in the direction of the voice, one sees a woman with piercing eyes, her wavy black hair flowing in the wind (in the Kalmatian-controlled area, neither men nor women cover their heads), and an Iranian-style sword strapped to her waist, indicating that she is no ordinary person.

In fact, she was one of the spies and informants planted by the Samanid Empire.

Under the guise of merchants, pilgrims, mendicant monks, and wandering warriors, Empress Shahzani established numerous informants in the territories of surrounding powers. The primary task of these informants was to gather intelligence and coordinate with the Samanid Empire's national strategy in case of changing circumstances.

Saman's undercover agent stepped forward and looked at the crowd, saying:

"In the name of God, the Persian Horami and the Kalmatians now share a common enemy! We should unite against this enemy and not waste our strength on pointless conflict!"

"Queen Shahzani upholds religious tolerance, and with the arrival of the Persians, we can still live; but Muhaddab is bloodthirsty, and with his black-bladed henchmen landing on the island, we are doomed! I think everyone has already made the wise choice in their hearts!"

As the proverb goes, facts speak louder than words.

Most Kalmar followers are acutely aware of the atrocities committed by the Blackblade Cult's army, including persecuting heretics, burning, killing, looting, raping, and plundering.

After weighing the pros and cons, the Karmats, led by the Sheikh elders, decided to side with the Samanid Empire and welcome the arrival of the Sahinnian army.

The fleet of ships docked, their bright red flags fluttering in the sea breeze, the battle flags bearing the bold Persian script: Iran, Holy Fire Brigade.

The regular army and militia volunteers of the Samanid Empire lined up in an orderly fashion on the shore and set off in sequence according to their organization and order. All officers and soldiers strictly adhered to military discipline and never harassed the people along the way.

This orderly discipline stands in stark contrast to the brutality of the Blackblade Army.

“Ah, a new battlefield has been opened here.” Sahini jumped off the boat, looking at the yellow sand and gravel and the palm groves, and his ambition to serve the Saman Empire rose again in his heart.

"The Sheikh and the people of the Kalmar!..."

Standing at the highest point, he surveyed the crowd and delivered a generous speech in the local Arabic. Without expending much effort, he successfully won over the hearts of the people, gained their support, and acquired immense power.

However, the crisis was not over.

A spy reported that Muhaddab's army was building ships at great speed, and in a few weeks, the transport fleet would be completed. At that time, they would definitely land in Bahrain, and the island's defenses would be powerless to defend against them.

Not to be outdone, Sahiniam quickly mobilized the newly gathered populace to build fortifications along strategically important and easily defensible locations.

Going with the flow, she decided to first wage a methodical defensive battle to extinguish the Black Blade army's morale, and then seize the opportunity to turn the tide and completely defeat the Black Blade army.

Chapter 259 The Battle of Bahrain

Bahrain, on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf.

It was already the rather hot month of Tyre (June 22 - July 22), with gusts of scorching sea breeze blowing in.

Scouts lurking in the surrounding shallow reefs and islets swam back to the island fortress, reporting on the movements of the Black Blade army. Some of these men were local fishermen, while others were spies recruited from swampy Arab tribes and fishing villages along the coast of Iraq-Khuzestan province.

Based on the intelligence reports, Sahinián organized targeted defenses and made corresponding deployments and adjustments to its main combat forces.

There were scattered defensive fortresses on the island. Although the walls were low, the construction was rudimentary, and the fortresses were not very thick, they at least saved the trouble of starting from scratch. At the same time, the island had relatively abundant building resources such as clay, coral, reeds, and wood.

Before long, a large-scale defense system was roughly formed.

Of course, news of the Blackblade army's approach was also being sent back more and more frequently.

At night, the bright moonlight spills across the shimmering Persian Gulf and the golden sands.

"Splash—!" "Splash—!"

A lithe, graceful figure leaped silently from the water. Bathed in moonlight, she was clearly a fisherwoman from the swampy coastal region of southern Iraq Province. She was naked except for a cloth covering her loins. Her movements were agile and nimble, using the rocks and palm trees as cover to swiftly dart through the water. Upon reaching the Samanid military camp, she gave the coded password and was granted entry.

Not long after.

“Sadar.” An officer from the Holy Fire Brigade climbed the watchtower. “New information has arrived. According to the scouts, the Black Blade’s vanguard fleet, consisting of about 100 ships, has already left the Daman Oasis and will arrive in less than two days.”

“Then prepare for battle.” Sahimian looked at the distant sea, a slight smile playing on her lips. “This will be their burial ground.”

Therefore, they intensified their training and preparations for war. Not only did the main force train harder, but the local Kalmatians were also armed to assist in the battle.

Two more days passed.

The forward lookout post indeed spotted a dense array of black dots on the distant sea. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that these were rows of troop transport ships, with black battle flags fluttering in the wind at their bows.

Immediately, the battle horns sounded, and the Iranian-Kalmat coalition forces quickly entered combat readiness, ready for battle.

Before long, the vanguard of Muhadeb's army landed on the shallows along the coast, and after assembling to a certain extent, launched an attack on the Iranian-Kalmat coalition forces.

"fight back!"

Using the strategic terrain and fortified positions for cover, the Iranian-Kalmat coalition forces hid behind walls and bunkers, firing arrows and javelins to harass the Blackblade soldiers scattered along the coastline.

"Whoosh!—Whoosh—!"

The well-trained and heavily armored Iranian Sacred Flame Brigade soldiers unleashed a barrage of heavy arrows specifically designed to shoot down heavily armored enemies. This was more than enough to deal with the Black Blade vanguard, who were generally unarmored or lightly armored. Several volleys of intense fire caused considerable casualties among the enemy.

Although they did not bring horses for the sake of convenience when traveling by boat, it did not affect their powerful ability to fight on foot in the slightest. After a well-organized volley, they forced the Black Blade's vanguard to retreat back to the beach.

Sahimian consolidated the front lines and implemented a strategy of holding firm and not engaging in battle. Although she was known for her boldness, she was not willing to act recklessly. She understood that the fortress was her advantage at the moment, and if she abandoned her advantage and launched a rash attack, she might end up achieving less with more effort.

Climbing to the lookout tower, I observed the Black Blade troops regrouping in the distance through binoculars. On one hand, the terrain near the coast was complex and rugged, and on the other hand, a large number of reinforcements were continuously pouring in from the sea further away.

Taking a rash attack is clearly not a wise strategy; proceeding step by step is the best course of action at present.

The Blackblade army, now reinforced, launched another offensive against the fortress.

Compared to the scattered charge of the first wave of attacks, this wave of enemies had made some improvements in equipment and tactics: infantrymen wearing chainmail were placed in the front line as the spearhead of the attack, and a large number of arrows were placed in front of the lines to cover the archers and javelin throwers, thus enhancing both offense and defense.

"Order! The defensive forces will be divided into three groups, taking turns firing when the enemy attacks, and changing shifts!" Sahinnian observed the enemy's movements and immediately deployed his relatively limited forces.

The most elite torchbearer troops fired a volley first, using Turan composite bows and armor-piercing heavy arrows to kill the black-bladed chainmail infantrymen blocking the front.

A volley of arrows struck dozens of Black Blade soldiers, killing them instantly.

The Blackblade archers behind them also fired at the city walls, but their bows were much weaker, and the distance was too great, so their arrows could not penetrate the thick armor of the Iranian soldiers.

So despite the dense barrage of arrows, it did not cause much damage to the Torch Relay Brigade. Only five Torch Relay Brigade soldiers were unlucky enough to be grazed by stray arrows in their relatively vulnerable armpit areas.

The less armored Kalmarite followers suffered many casualties under the enemy's rain of arrows, but this did not affect their morale of fighting together against the common enemy.

After several rounds of offensive and defensive battles, the Iranian-Kalmat coalition suffered only minor overall losses and maintained firm control of the fortified defenses. Meanwhile, the Black Blade army suffered heavy casualties and was forced to halt its offensive.

The Blackblade army had no effective countermeasures for the time being: because their ships were small, they could not carry large siege weapons, and the resources on the shore had been largely exploited by the Iranian-Kalmat coalition, which was insufficient to support the local production of siege weapons.

Faced with the fortified stronghold of the Iranian-Kalmat coalition, the Black Blade army was temporarily at a loss and had no choice but to suspend its attack, set up camp, and besiege the fortress for a long time.

However, Bahrain's complex terrain made it impossible to form an impenetrable encirclement. Samanid supply ships from the Persian Gulf continuously delivered supplies to the Iranian-Kalmat coalition forces on the island through a gap in the north.

"Sadar, the supply convoy from Hormozgan Province has anchored on the northern shoal, bringing food, fresh water, arrows, iron weapons, and other supplies," the officer reported to Sahini.

"Yes. Resources will be allocated in fixed quantities. Anyone who dares to loot will be severely punished according to military law!" Sahini nodded slightly, her expression resolute and decisive.

Despite its powerful national strength, the Samanid Empire primarily developed its land-based combat capabilities and lacked large surface ships (due to a shortage of timber and the small size and shallow waters of the Persian Gulf). As a result, its supply fleet consisted mostly of small and medium-sized vessels, which could only transport a limited amount of supplies, requiring strict and rational allocation.

With strict military discipline, Sahini managed the limited resources rationally, ensuring that no one starved to death while maintaining the combat capability of the main force.

The offensive and defensive battles continue.

“I think we have an effective strategy to deal with the enemy.” Sahimian looked around through the telescope and a charming smile appeared on her lips.

Chapter 260 Counterattack on Kazakhstan

Sahimian adopted a three-pronged approach.

They dispatched skilled soldiers and sailors (mostly Arabs from coastal provinces) to secretly infiltrate the Black Blade army's ships and sink them, cutting off their retreat.

The militia and the Kalmat forces created a show of force on the front lines, drawing the attention of the Blackblade army by frequently scattering arrows and throwing spears.

The main force, composed of elite troops such as the Holy Flame Brigade, used the feint attack as cover to quietly outflank the Black Blade troops and launch a surprise attack when they were unprepared.

In an instant, the island of Bahrain was filled with the sounds of battle and the sparks of fire.

Despite lacking the support of armored cavalry, the Holy Flame Brigade, with its superior equipment (heavy armor and arrows), discipline, and tactical advantage, quickly routed the Black Blade Forces' flank, sending them scattering and fleeing.

Caught off guard, the Blackblade troops suffered heavy losses. Battalion after battalion collapsed and disintegrated, with soldiers trampling each other and scrambling to flee towards the shore where boats were moored.

However, what awaited them was a despair even more suffocating than hellfire.

The wooden boats and sailboats used for evacuation were all sunk to the bottom of the sea, and the escape route had been cut off.

The shouts of battle drew near as the Iranian-Kalmat coalition forces attacked from three sides, forming a defensive and offensive battle formation that trapped the group of black-armed "jihadists."

"attack!"

Accompanied by Sahiannian's resounding command, the Iranian-Kalmat coalition forces advanced in unison, annihilating the Black Blade troops who had nowhere to run. They killed over 700, captured over 1000, and drove over 3000 into the sea, completely wiping out the landing force.

The victory in the Battle of Bahrain greatly boosted the morale of the demoralized Kalmat forces, but its more crucial significance lay in allowing the Samanid Empire to establish a firm foothold there.

Through its strong war command capabilities, Sahini seized control of Bahrain Island.

Subsequently, this Iranian female general ordered the expansion of the Bahrain Fortress and, using the shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, brought in officials, merchants, priests, artisans, military settlers, and soldiers from the Samanid Empire in Iran to consolidate her rule.

Bahrain Island gradually became an outpost of the Samanid Empire.

After building ships and resting and replenishing them, when the time was right, Sahini decisively led his army across the sea to conquer the coast of the Kazakh oasis.

The Daman Oasis, located in the middle of the coast of the Hassa Oasis, is home to hundreds of Bedouin tribal villages. It is undefended and the Blackblade army stationed there is also lax in its defenses.

Sahini launched a sudden attack, with ships surging through the waves to land on the shallows. The valiant Iranian female warriors leaped from the bow and assembled in formation. The local Black Blade garrison, before they could even react, was subjected to a fierce assault by the Iranian-Karmat coalition. Caught off guard, they were unable to withstand the onslaught and were forced to retreat.

"God above! Our reinforcements have arrived!"

The local Kalmatians and Bedouin natives cheered upon seeing the arrival of the Iranian army, confirming that the differences in faith and doctrine were temporarily set aside in the face of a formidable enemy.