Chapter 193: Safavids arrival in Bengal
Bengal kingdom, Chittagong, dusk of 9th April 1557.
In the absence of Queen Raamya, Bengal was ruled by Regent Devendra Das, the most trusted general of Queen Sayantika during her regency. Before joining Hemu in the campaign for Delhi, Sayantika transferred the ruling rights to him, a position he maintained even after Raamya was crowned queen.
Under his leadership, significant changes swept across the kingdom. Devendra replaced many ruling nobles with Hindu leaders loyal solely to him, although some regions remained under the influence of supportive Pathans who pledged their ultimate loyalty to him.
Chittagong was one of the few ports where he faced rebellion. Hindu Commander Keshav Dutta, whom he had appointed, successfully quelled the unrest and was granted lordship of the port city.
However, due to his declining health, the lordship was being passed to his eldest son, Shraman Dutta. As dusk settled over the port, Shraman delegated the responsibility of welcoming the Safavid delegation from Persia to his younger brother, Anirudh Dutta. Anirudh stood at the dock, parchment in hand, while nearby, his Portuguese friend, Colonel Raul Mendes, waited attentively.
Anirudh felt unease as he gazed at the imposing Safavid armada anchored in the bay. Turning to Mendes, he spoke in Devanagari, "Bhai Mendes, are you sure it’s wise to let them set foot on our land? With the sheer scale of their fleet, I doubt they come here to wage war."
Mendes scanned the surroundings with a keen eye. The armada of cannon galleys appeared insignificant compared to their two formidable carrack warships. As one of the five colonels dispatched to Bengal to safeguard their interests at the port and protect against any sudden Dutch attacks, he felt confident. His long stay in India had made him comfortable with the Devanagari dialect, and he had become a good friend to Anirudh.
"Don’t worry, bhai," he replied reassuringly, his accent both peculiar and engaging. "We have two carracks deployed for safety. If anything goes wrong, you have my back."
Feeling a sense of relief from Mendes’ words, Anirudh straightened his posture as the main Safavid ship began to dock.
The first to disembark was the admiral Pasha himself, who arrived with written permission to dock after promising a hefty fee to the local authorities. His eyes widened at the sight of the two carracks, their devastating firepower fresh in his memory from before their journey. Still, with all clearances in hand, he felt no fear.
Chittagong’s port looked promising. Towering structures lined the shores, their cannons poised for defense. Numerous docks bustled with trade, dominated by Chinese junks and Arabian dhows. Aside from the Portuguese behemoths, the port appeared to be a welcoming hub for commerce, and he was eager to explore the markets.
According to protocol, the captain was to meet the local authorities. However, upon hearing that the ruling family’s representative would greet them, he decided it best to make a good impression and accompanied his soldiers as they descended from the ship.