Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

He seized all the Brahmans who refused to convert, as well as the surviving non-Brahmins on the island, to build roads and water conservancy facilities.

He then reformed the military, legal and tax systems, strengthened central authority, and encouraged the development of agriculture and commerce.

During the reform period, another rebellion broke out.

After defeating two rebel forces in succession, Varakaramabhahu ordered local nobles to send troops to join him across the sea to fight the Chola Dynasty in South India in order to divert domestic conflicts.

The Chola Dynasty's fleet lost more than twenty ships in one battle, and three coastal port cities were looted.

Not only were the economic losses severe, but large numbers of civilians were also taken away.

These civilians from South India were captured and sent to Ceylon to mine, build roads, and construct dams. Those who survived for more than six months were considered to be blessed by Shiva.

Under the new king's rule and conquests, Sri Lanka achieved religious and ethnic unity, agriculture and commerce flourished, and the army possessed unprecedented fighting power.

……

At this time, the largest country in the Indian subcontinent was the Later Chalukya dynasty.

The previous king was called King Chola VI.

Under the rule of this King Chaori, the territory reached its peak.

If we include his vassal states, the Later Chalukya dynasty controlled almost half of India.

This king was named Samishvara III.

He was neither too incompetent nor exceptionally wise; as a king, he was quite conventional.

However, he was constantly at war with the Chola dynasty.

The fighting went on and on, with both sides winning and losing, but Samishvara III actually won more.

However, this severely depleted the nation's strength, leading to the independence of its vassal states and its decline along with its arch-rival, the Chola Dynasty.

Samitra III sat in the palace, toying with a lingam statue in his hand.

“Your Majesty, this is a letter of state from the Great Ming Dynasty,” said Chancellor Jayasengha. “They delivered the letter and left, saying they would return this winter.”

Samitra III asked, "Where is the Great Ming Kingdom?"

Jayasengha said, "The Great Ming Kingdom is Zhen Dan (China), which was formerly the Song Kingdom."

"The former Song Kingdom has been destroyed, and a new king has taken his place."

Samitra III then asked, "What did the King of Great Ming say in his letter?"

Jayasengha said, "The King of Great Ming sends his greetings to Your Majesty and presents you with silk as a gift."

"There is a kind of velvet silk that feels like a young girl's skin to the touch."

Samitra III became interested: "Quickly bring that kind of silk."

Soon, a piece of velvet was presented.

Samivara III became increasingly pleased as he touched the object: "The King of Great Ming is generous and friendly, so I cannot be too stingy."

"Prepare three beautiful virgins and select a high-ranking monk of the Linga school (Shakti school) as an envoy. When the Ming Dynasty's fleet returns, accompany them to visit the King of Ming."

"Also, prepare some gold and ivory, part of which will be given as state gifts and part of which will be used to purchase this velvet."

...

After the fleet passed the Zhelouqi Dynasty, the Solanqi Dynasty was ahead.

The territory of the Solanchi Kingdom roughly corresponds to the Indian state of Gujarat, plus a small part of Rajasthan.

This country is at its peak.

Maritime trade flourished, handicrafts were highly developed, and religious culture was inclusive and thriving.

Brahma, who was not well-regarded throughout India, had temples built for him in the Kingdom of Solanchi.

The Kingdom of Solanchi was willing to take in the Jains who had been driven out of their homes and forced into exile.

As a result, Jains migrated here in droves, creating a brilliant literature and art.

Even the Zoroastrian Church was able to establish itself in the Kingdom of Solanchi.

Some Solanchi silver coins feature the king's portrait on the obverse and a Zoroastrian altar on the reverse.

The Ming Dynasty officials spent several days exploring Solanchi's largest seaport and thoroughly enjoyed the place.

Chapter 3637 The Unconventional Third Brother

This country is quite different in India, but it seems normal in the eyes of Chinese people.

For example, the Jain white-robed sect, which can be seen everywhere, advocates that both men and women can be saved, and even advocates that all castes should be equal.

They were enthusiastic about handicrafts and commerce, valued wealth earned through labor, and allowed monks to marry and have children.

"This country should be able to prosper in India," Hu Quan commented.

Zhu Xiaozhong shook his head repeatedly: "Brahma is the creator, and Jainism also opposes violence."

"This country reveres these two things, just like a rich man who only knows how to make money, but is surrounded by countless robbers."

"I'm afraid that of all the Indian kingdoms we've encountered along the way, the first to perish will be this Solanchi Kingdom."

Yu Yunwen also said, "Yes, the Kingdom of Solanchi is too civilized."

"Civilization is a good thing, but it still needs swords to protect it."

"I heard from merchants that this country is becoming increasingly wealthy and its culture and education are flourishing."

"But in the last hundred years, we have lost about one-fifth of our territory."

The royal family of this country is a branch of the Rajputs.

Their bloodline is extremely complex, being a mix of Eastern and Western ethnic groups, including the Saka, Kushan, Huns, Parthians, Greeks, and Hephthalites (from the Mongolian steppe).

Hearing that a delegation from the Ming Dynasty had arrived at the port, the king dispatched his prime minister on horseback to meet them.

They gifted large quantities of gold, silver, ivory, and gemstones in exchange for Ming Dynasty silk, porcelain, lacquerware, and other goods.

They also requested that an envoy be sent to accompany them to the Ming Dynasty for cultural and artistic exchanges, hoping to acquire Ming Dynasty paintings, sculptures, poems, and so on.

The Ming Dynasty envoys were very pleased and enjoyed dealing with such cultured people.

The fleet set sail again, and Hu Quan made notes in the cabin.

He praised the Kingdom of Solanchi to the skies, considering it the most civilized, prosperous, and wealthy foreign land from Champa to India.

Continuing onward, we reach the Sindh Sultanate (Sindh Province, Pakistan).

This area is now partially green, and it is home to many high-caste nobles who are descendants of Arabs and Persians.

The maritime trade was largely controlled by Arabs and Persians, with the lower classes mostly consisting of Brahmins who valued agriculture.

Further ahead lies Makran (a coastal region bordering Iran and Pakistan), a poor area known for its fierce people.

Piracy is rampant!

Many pirates from the Persian Gulf region, after being driven out by their own forces, also fled to the Makran region.

However, the Ming fleet was clearly not to be trifled with, so the pirates all chose to avoid it.

……

Upon arriving at the Persian Gulf, the accompanying Seljuk and Arab merchants guided the Ming Dynasty's official and private fleets to conduct trade in various ports along the Persian Gulf.

Wherever they go, they inevitably cause a sensation.

The truly top-quality goods, however, were transported to Isfahan and sold to the Seljuk Sultan Sanjar.

The delegation was allowed to bring 300 soldiers with them, land at a port in the northern Persian Gulf, and travel north along the rugged valleys.

Officials accompanied him throughout the trip, but the accompanying translator was a businessman.

Since two hundred of the three hundred soldiers protecting the Ming envoy were cavalry, the local officials were very considerate and even conscripted laborers and fodder for them.

They also provided livestock for the Ming cavalry to help carry their armor, allowing the warhorses to get plenty of rest.

Yu Yunwen looked at the conscripted laborers, each one dressed in rags, pale and sickly, their expressions numb like walking corpses.

Yu Yunwen couldn't help but sigh, "The people of Seljuk are not even as good as the laborers of the former Song Dynasty."

Hu Quan said, "The people here are very poor, far worse off than those in the Kingdom of Solanchi in India."

After a day's journey, we arrived at a mountain village.

During a break and meal, Cheng Yu took a walk near the village, parted the weeds to take a look, and came back saying, "Some farmland has not yet been restored, and this village is also dilapidated."

"I have heard that the Seljuks have been waging war for years and have a very large territory. It seems that this was achieved through their militarism."

Yu Yunwen smiled and said, "Just like the Jin Kingdom, this is perfectly normal."

After traveling overland for several days, they came across a large city.

Cheng Yu asked, "The city walls here are tall and sturdy, and there are many merchants and travelers coming and going, so why are some of the houses abandoned?"

The merchant glanced at the Seljuk official accompanying him and explained in Chinese, "This place is called Shiraz, and it used to be the largest and richest city."

"Because of the war, this city was reduced to ruins and has only begun to recover in the last twenty years."

The merchant's answer was clearly somewhat reserved.

Shiraz, the largest city in the Persian region, was destroyed by the Seljuks!

Even Isfahan, the capital of the Seljuks, was razed to the ground a century ago.

Wherever the Seljuk army went, it left behind only ruins.

They deliberately destroyed cities, villages, and farmlands, sending warhorses to graze on farmers' crops, thus preventing their enemies from resuming production.

The entire Persian region was set back centuries by the Seljuks.

Cheng Yu then asked, "Is the Seljuk regime feudal, or is it based on the prefecture-county system like that of the Ming Dynasty?"

Chapter 3638 Nomadic Kingdom

The merchant replied, "The Seljuks were originally a nomadic Turkic tribe. After they arrived, they appointed noble lords."

“Initially, the lordship could not be inherited; it had to be changed every two or three years. Moreover, they were only allowed to collect taxes and could not arbitrarily conscript people.”

"That won't work now. The lordship is completely hereditary, and the people in the territory are like their slaves."

"Even merchants were arbitrarily extorted by the nobles."

“That’s feudalism,” Cheng Yu nodded.

After leaving Shiraz, the group continued their journey for a day when they suddenly heard the sound of horns.

The accompanying officials were alarmed. They rode their horses to the valley ahead and shouted at the approaching cavalry, "These are the Sultan's guests. You must leave immediately!"

"Cavalrymen, put on your armor! Cavalrymen, put on your armor!"

"Infantrymen, put off your armor and form ranks to buy time!"

Zhu Xiaozhong never expected that he would be attacked even with Seljuk officials accompanying him.

The cavalry that suddenly attacked numbered four or five hundred, but they were not even armored; their weapons were swords, spears, and bows and arrows.

Cheng Yu asked the merchant, "What about the enemy?"

The merchant exclaimed in alarm, "Seljuk herdsmen!"

"They used to be nomads in the north. After conquering the Persian Plateau, some Seljuks moved into cities, and some learned to farm."

"But many Seljuks were unwilling to change. They camped near the city and made a living by robbing merchants and farmers."

"They dared to rob a foreign delegation accompanied by officials?" Cheng Yu asked incredulously.

The merchant said, "We didn't expect these people to be so bold!"

The Seljuk official who went to shout the message had already been shot dead by several arrows.

The Seljuk herders who came to rob came from several nearby tribes.

They learned that the Ming Dynasty delegation was very wealthy, and they were willing to offend the Sultan to plunder it; they did this kind of thing often.

One hundred unarmored Ming infantrymen lined up, raising their swords, shields, and spears.

Four or five hundred Seljuk herders charged forward, slowing down to prepare to shoot arrows, seemingly intending to rout them before charging again.