Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 222: Battle of Kashmir Part -5

Kashmir , outskirts of Sri Nagar , night of April 25, 1557

As the partial moon reached its peak, darkness engulfed the entire city of Srinagar. The city lay to the west of Dal Lake , with Hari Parbat Fort standing guard to its south. The Silk Route ran through the city’s center, stretching from the southeastern entrance to the northwestern exit.

Dense forests bordered the city to the west, while mountain ranges rose imposingly in the north. Trapped in between the human settlement is the city that world knows as Srinagar.

Fortunately, the small outposts on the city’s western edge had already been sabotaged by spies disguised as Locals. They not only planted gunpowder for explosives but also marked key locations for later operations. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

According to Rudra’s strategic plan, the 10,000-strong force was divided into four groups.

Faujdar Harish Pal would lead 1,000 cavalry through the forest, entering the city at multiple points under the cover of darkness.

The remaining 2,000 infantry units, organized into squads of ten, were tasked with evacuating as many civilians as possible, supported jointly by Sardar-ranked veterans.

Faujdar Amrendar Singh was given the critical mission of blockading the only entrance to the city. He commanded 1,000 arquebusiers, 2,000 spearmen, and ten cannons strategically positioned near Shankaracharya temple at the southern edge.

While Rudra would seize the Hari Parbat Fort with his main remaining army.

The reason Rudra wanted to evacuate the villagers was because they were assets to the kingdom, as most of them were prominent traders. He had learned while staying with Aditya how civilians can be helpful or disastrous for the army, whether in favor or against them. So he wanted to evacuate them at all costs.

As the night deepened, a series of blasts echoed through the western region, signaling the destruction of the outposts.

The cavalry stormed into the dark alleys, charging down the pre-marked paths with a fierce determination. Ladakhi patrols were caught off guard as they struggled to react with the cavalry which unexpectedly appeared from alleys both right and left, and overwhelmed them with speed and ferocity.

But the chaos of battle was not without its challenges. Archers stationed at scattered outposts actually managed to inflict damages as their arrows whistling through the air, found their marks among the advancing cavalry.

Yet, they were soon silenced by the infantry marksmen, who followed as aftermath with their devastating expertise.

Meanwhile, the task of evacuating civilians was also filled with full of challenges.

Independent squads would often face ambushes from lurking patrol guards, primarily marksmen who proved difficult for the cavalry to engage.

The fighting was brutal as many militants broke into the houses and locals were taken as captive. Some were even dragged from their homes to be used as shields against the oncoming Bhargavian forces.

The air was thick with tension as mingling cries of the wounded and dying filled the streets.

Though their mission demanded restraint given by their superiors, many soldiers paid the ultimate price for their commitment to sparing innocent lives.

Yet, with each wave of sacrifice, trust began to blossom among the locals. As families witnessed the soldiers’ resolve to shield them from harm, they began to cooperate, moving towards safety under the cover of night.

The clean streets that were often compared to gateway of heavens now lay littered with corpses be it friends and foes alike. The ground was stained with the blood of Ladakhis, Bhargavians, and the locals trapped in between their tussle of conquest.

But the operation did not cease; with steely determination, the soldiers pressed on. Slowly but surely, the inner residents of the city were evacuated to the city outskirts

However, Rudra’s worst fears were realized when the cannons of Hari Parbat Fort began firing upon their own populace. This unexpected but desperate move by the Ladakhis aimed to bury the soldiers engaged in evacuating civilians under the rubble of houses, blocking their path and inflicting damage on the enemy cavalry, even at the expense of their own people fighting against the Bhargavian forces.

The cannons loaded in the fort were six pounder culverins brought up by the Mughals. Twenty cannons faced north, and when they roared to life together, every building within range was reduced to rubble. This bombardment halted the cavalry charge toward the southern side, but it came at the cost of local blood.

Even though the bombardment stopped but it broke its link to city. soon the cannons changed its location to other direction as it got siezed by other directions.

Meanwhile on the narrow entrance of the Srinagar,

As the chaos and bloodshed filled the city, the news of attack reached the nearest Fort at the outskirts near Shankaracharya temple. They received the urgent request of reinforcement. Chewang Wanchuk was stationed their as the commander.

Sensing the dire situation, he himself led the force of 1,000 cavalry and 2,000 infantry all clad in lamellar armors. Most of the soldiers were sleeping who forcefully scrambled to don their armor in preparation of march.

One the other hand Faujdar Amrendar from Bhargav samrajya, awaited their arrival through narrow pass, hiding in the cover of darkness on the small ridge. He was determined to make this pass full of grave.

Although the imperial musketeers were not as advanced as Prince Aditya’s mercenary army, they were veterans of countless skirmishes, capable of delivering a powerful blow when positioned strategically. Clad in leather armours they laid down on the ridge with arkbuses.

During the day time, their spies had discovered this low-height ridge that offered a perfect vantage point, and Amrendar had arranged his artillery alongside infantry hidden in the rear, creating a formidable defense.

The night was eerily silent until the distant sounds of hooves echoed in the darkness.

The Ladakhi forces, led by Commander Chewang, approached iin haste. When they were still 400 meters away, the Bhargavian cannons sprang to life.

’Boom!’ , ’Boom!’, ’Boom!’

With a thunderous roar, the projectiles tore through the ranks of cavalry and infantry, sending men and horses sprawling across the ground. Blood splattered among the soldiers making it a bloody mess.

"What is this? Where is this attacking coming from?"

"Maintain formation! Don’t break ranks!"

The Ladakhi’s got caught off-guard.

Screams filled the air, mingling with the deafening booms as the close ranks of the Ladakhi forces splintered into chaos. Horses broke through the formation going frenzy as some collapsed mid-gallop while others got halted and trapped with fallen riders beneath them. It was no less than a mayhem.

Panic surged through the Ladakhi ranks as they struggled to maintain formation. But it was only for few moments.

"Look over there, cannons", a rider noticed.

"Take those down, It must be taken down!" Commander Chewang shouted his voice over the chaos. "Charge with me."

As they spotted the artillery on the ridge they rushed forward, perceiving it as the only immediate threat that must be eliminated.

The slight slope of the terrain seemed to offer them an advantage, and they pressed on. But as they closed the distance, the Bhargavian infantry emerged from behind the artillery, shields raised and spears ready.

The clash that ensued was brutal. The screech of metal against metal filled the air as spears pierced flesh and shields absorbed blows. The cavalry collided with the infantry, the weight of numbers pushing against each other, a tide of chaos where blood mingled with dust.

The Ladakhi cavalry, was met with fierce resistance thanks to infantry position and double in size, and they quickly realized the cost of their charge.

Yet, the true carnage began when the musketeers, hidden on the ridge unleashed their torrent of gunfire.

’Bang!’ ’Bang!’ ’Bang!’ ’Bang!’

The sharp thunders of their muskets echoed through the night. Each shot proved a deadly ticket to afterlife.

The bullets pierced through their armor and flesh, splattering blood all over, creating true terror in their ranks as, with each shot of gunfire, a huge gap appeared among the soldiers struggling at the bottom. The cavalry that had initially surged forward began to falter, their numbers dwindling under the relentless fire.

The Ladakhi infantry arrived and also joined the fray. But they too faced the same fate. Despite adding numbers, they did little to change the tide of carnage .

They were blocked by their own positioning and became the sitting duck to be easily picked by the msuketeers at rear making a hole in their body.

Each advance was met with the torrent of fire, and with every step they took, casualties mounted. The battlefield was a grim tableau of chaos and despair, where once-proud warriors fell to the earth, lifeless.

Commander Chewang, watching the massacre unfold from his horse, felt infuriated and helpless.

The number of casualties on their side was mounting, and the cost of the assault was becoming unbearable. Reluctantly, he ordered," Fall back! Retreat! Retreat!" though he made this decision to save whatever he can but he promised internally to return later.

As the order was given, the Ladakhi soldiers hesitated. They were caught between the instinct to fight; to avenge for the loss of their brothers, or continue the fight.

The retreat began as a frantic withdrawal, fraught with danger as they turned their backs to the enemy. The remaining cavalry tried to regroup, but panic spread like wildfire through the ranks, and they try to escape as fast as possible.

The Bhargavians seized the opportunity of spilling more blood. They pressing forward as the Ladakhis fell back. The cannons once again started their barrage by sending heavy shots into the retreating forces like cracker bursting in group of trapped chickens. Also the musketeers kept the pressure with their relentless fire, shooting down retreating soldiers and claiming lives as trophies of battle.

The battlefield became a graveyard that was filled with Ladakhi corpses. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder, mingling with the raw stench of torn flesh and spilled blood.

"We won! Yes! We won!"

As the last remnants of the Ladakhi forces fled, the Bhargavians cheered in triumph.

However, the victory won was not concrete, and the scale of conquest hung in the air. Now they have to defend this position at all costs, expecting the main army to do its job.

More waves are expected to come, and they have to do their absolute best to keep them in check.

Now only time would tell if they would survive till the reinforcements arrived or leave in order to survive.