The Sun and the Lion

Marching and raising military supplies was a very time-consuming matter. It was September 1503 when Ibrahim received the news of the siege of Samarkand in Tabriz, but when he came again after more than two years, It was already November when we arrived in Herat.

During this period, the messenger in Bukhara successfully broke through the Uzbek blockade, and the pursuing troops followed them all the way to Merv before stopping. Merv's city defense chief did not dare to neglect. He knew that Ibrahim planned to gather troops in Herat, so he arranged for people to escort the messenger to Herat.

When the messenger arrived, nearly ten thousand red-headed and Ismail troops had been assembled in Herat. Abdul, who originally accompanied Mirza, took over Piri's position as the governor of Kabristan. Piri, who was demoted, was temporarily sent to supervise the fulfillment of military obligations by various tribes.

Ismail was very anxious when he heard the news that Bukhara was besieged. He immediately forcefully asked the troops that had been assembled in Herat to follow him north to drive out the invaders. The red heads had different attitudes towards Mirza's request. Most people thought that they should stay here until the King of Kings arrived.

But they failed to stop Ismail. With only a letter left behind, Mirza took the troops that had accompanied him to suppress the rebellion in the Hindu Kush mountains and a few red heads who were willing to follow him to earn military merit along the road. Running north.

Ismail once again showed outstanding talents on the battlefield. Suyunchi did not expect the Safavid reinforcements to arrive so soon and was completely unprepared. He defeated this Uzbek division in just one surprise attack. Nearly a thousand Uzbek soldiers were killed by matchlocks and sabers, and the rest basically scattered.

So, when Ibrahim arrived in Herat and was still wondering where his brother had gone, Ismail returned with the good news and dedicated hundreds of bloody intact heads and other trophies to the Shah.

He also said with a look of shame: "My brother, I failed to bring the enemy general's head to you, which is my biggest sin. I hope that my brother will forgive me."

The officers present were slightly shocked by these words that were quite Versailles. They led the temporarily deployed troops to run wildly for several days and defeated the unknown enemy forces at once. They would definitely not have the courage to make this decision.

Regarding Ismail's military adventure, Ibrahim was noncommittal, but expressed concern: "Launching a surprise attack without knowing the enemy's situation at all can easily put you and the army in danger."

In the end, his military rank did not rise or fall, and he just received a sum of cash that was of no use to him.

After this episode, the Safavid army set off again, and after two weeks of marching, they arrived at Merv. After another two weeks of marching, they would reach Bukhara by December.

Merv is not so safe going north. Although Bukhara is already under Safavid rule, because it is deeper into Central Asia and far away from the political center, the active looters have weakened the road guards in the surrounding areas of Bukhara. and town guards were so exhausted by banditry that the Transoxiana Governor needed to borrow troops from Khorasan Province and was very concerned about the settled nomads and militias.

Because of this, the local inn system is not as efficient as in the hinterland. The earthen exterior walls are full of mottled marks, which seem to tell the cruelty of the looters.

The spy who was previously sent to inquire about the situation happened to return at this time and reported to Ibrahim: "Your Majesty, the city of Samarkand is still holding on, but the Uzbeks are very patient. The long-term siege has plunged the city into starvation."

Hearing that Babur was still persisting, Ibrahim felt relieved and fortunate. In order to ensure the speed of the march, he did not carry heavy siege artillery. If Shaibani Khan were to capture Samarkand first, he could only use light artillery to slowly chip away at the city wall.

Ibrahim ordered the entire army to speed up to Bukhara, and appointed Ismail as the forward, leading an elite cavalry force to quickly march to Samarkand.

On the way to Bukhara, he wrote a letter to Shaibani Khan, intending to humiliate his opponent.

…………

In the large tent outside Samarkand, the arrival of the messenger broke Shaybani Khan's unchanging schedule during the siege. He first asked the messenger's identity, and was not surprised when he learned his identity. The previous news of Suyunchi's defeat had made him mentally prepared for Ibrahim's arrival.

The content of the letter sent by Ibrahim is very simple: "I immediately order you, the illegitimate son of the devil, to get out of the river and hand over Khwarezm to my rule. Only in this way can you avoid the fate of falling into the Hell of Fire. "

These offensive words made Shaibani Khan furious. He immediately wrote a reply: "It is only right for a son to inherit his father's inheritance. You are relying on your mother's power, which is contrary to common sense. No one in the world can compare to the son of man." Me? I am the son of the Sultan, so I can succeed the Sultan. Find the bookstore www.zhaoshuyuan.com. Uzun Hassan married his daughter to your father, but you are a despicable person who usurps power by clinging to your uncle's family. Rule. Only noble people know everything, so what qualifications do you, a Sufi beggar who has forgotten his ancestral heritage, have to talk nonsense here?"

Also attached to the letter were Derwig's long stick for walking and begging bowl: "Remember the job you should do, and don't let the words of gold and wisdom or the words of the elders be ignored!"

At this time, Shaibani Khan felt that he had enough confidence. Almost all the Uzbek army's strength was gathered here, more than 40,000 people, and they were well-equipped and well-trained. They were not comparable to ordinary tribal troops.

The messenger who returned to Bukhara with a reply and "gift" made Ibrahim feel what a contemptuous insult was. The King of Kings, who was not yet fragile enough to break his defenses, replied: "All mankind are the descendants of Adam. , then are all people in this world prophets? Your ancestor Genghis Khan was just a down-and-out noble. How did he build the foundation and achievements that make you proud? I advise you to think about it carefully, don’t be like a dog that only chews Dead corpses and carrion. I will leap at you in Bukhara and challenge you. If you dare to come to fight, you and I will fight in front of the battle in the presence of Huda. If you feel timid, Then you might as well give me your inheritance, and I can spare your life and let you live to herd sheep in the Kipchak grasslands."

After sending the letter, Ibrahim immediately set off with his army to Samarkand. During the military meeting, some senior officers proposed that they could divide their forces to attack Khwarezm, but Ibrahim insisted that Shabani Khan must be dealt with first. Only after defeating the main force of the Uzbek army could Hezhong and Khwarezm be taken. Gotta be steady.

At this time, Ismail's troops had arrived near Samarkand and were ready to attack the Uzbek troops who were scattered in the siege camps.