Chapter 209: Easy path of conquest
With the fall of Machh town and the failed Baloch coalition assault to retake the Bolan Pass, the fate of the Baloch people was sealed. The defeat at the Bolan Pass proved catastrophic for the Western Baloch as a whole.
Following the battle, the flat terrain, though arid, enabled Mughal cavalry and artillery to swiftly advance. There was no strong force left to stop the mughal might.
This time, their goal was not annihilation, but subjugation. With a power vacuum in Eastern Balochistan, it took only four days for the local chieftains to submit and merge with the Pakistan Sultanate.
The city of Quetta was easily captured, and the royal family was executed for their defiance but none of the civilians were exploited like those of Sibi and Dhadar. To quell local unrest, the Mughals installed a puppet leader from the Baloch region which worked greatly in Mughal favour.
This change in approach boosted confidence among the local population, encouraging them to accept Mughal rule, while the ruling families were left trembling with the outcome.
As a result, the cities of Lasbela in the southeast and Makran in the southwest also merged with the Mughals, receiving autonomy under the Pakistan Sultanate.
However, the merger of Makran alarmed the rulers of Chagai, a western city governed by the Ghicki tribe, rivals of the Rind tribe of Makran. This rivalry played into the hands of Prince Ismail, who was stationed at the border with half of his forces.
Exploiting the fear of the Mughals and the animosity with the Makrans, he pressured the Ghicki tribe to merge with Safavid rule, marking the end of the Baloch conquest by two foreign powers within a week.
The outcome was significant. The Mughals had demonstrated their strength through the swift conquest of Balochistan, proving they were no longer passive and could be aggressive when needed.
To maintain diplomatic decorum, the Mughals halted further conquests and acknowledged Chagai’s merger with the Safavids. This move put pressure on the Safavids, who, in turn, had to diplomatically recognize Mughal authority in Balochistan to save face within the Muslim world. As a result, discussions is ongoing in fort of Isfahan now as how to address the growing Mughal power.
The emperor, Shah Tashmap trembled with rage as the news of the Mughal victory reached him. His fist slammed against the armrest of his throne, his voice thick with frustration.
"How have those Sunni bastards conquered Balochistan in just a week, when our own estimates were at least a month? Are they truly that superior in military strength?"