Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 823: Expansion of Pashtun Pradesh

Kandahar, Kabul, and Zabol, all major cities in the western region, newly conquered, have changed a lot since the Bharatiya Empire took control over them. The takeover of the region was very hostile, where almost half of the people in the city, who were mostly militants under the Ottoman Empire, had to be eliminated in order to maintain the rule of the Bharatiya Empire for a long time. Due to the takeover being hostile and violent, the chance of peaceful coexistence had become very bleak.

Even if the remaining people surrendered and gave a unified consensus to obey the command and rule of the Bharatiya Empire, it is still too risky for the Bharatiya Empire to take their word for it. As the saying goes, the human heart is the most fickle; who knows if those people who agree to follow the rule of the Bharatiya Empire might completely turn against it in a moment of weakness. So, most of the people in the three places were resettled in various parts of the empire and even spread across various frontiers to do compulsory manual labour.

For a long time, the cities of Kandahar and Kabul held very important values, both geographically and politically. Historically, Kandahar had been a vital link between South and Central Asia, as well as Persia and Central Asia. It is a gateway for all Middle Eastern nations and Central Asian nations to enter the subcontinent, and most invaders who came to the subcontinent came through this route, which alone shows how key the city is to the security of the Bharatiya Empire. Not to mention, its rocky terrain makes it naturally defensible, the Argandab River flowing through the city makes it very fertile, and it being a chokepoint made it a city of contention between the Safavid and Mughal Empires in the past.

As for Kabul, it held a central location for centuries, making it key for controlling strategic trade routes from various Middle Eastern countries. Also, due to the Kabul River Valley, it is a natural transportation corridor. Adding the high elevation on mountainous terrain, it is naturally very defensive. In Vijay's past life, Kabul had become the administrative capital of Afghanistan since 1776, and it has always been an economic hub and economic driver, becoming the largest urban centre in the region.

For centuries, the western border of the Bharatiya Empire had been its weakest border because this was where all the invasions of the subcontinent happened, and all the Central Asian invaders came to Bharat from this route. However, now that the Bharatiya Empire has taken control over the city of Kandahar and its surrounding regions, the Bharatiya Empire has become an iron barrel in a true sense of the word.

In the north, it is protected by the Himalayan mountain ranges, making it almost impossible for any foreign power to invade the Bharatiya Empire. Its east is protected by dense jungles and forests, which are almost impossible to traverse on a large scale. Its south is protected by a Maha Samudra on its three sides, and now finally, its west is protected by the Hindu Kush Mountain Range, along with several strategic military bases like Kabul, Kandahar, Lashkar Gha, Zabol, and Zahedan, forming a strong line of defence, taking the river of Helmand as the border.

Apart from all the strategic, geographical, and military benefits Bharatiya Empire gained by expanding the border in the West, there was also another benefit that showed up very unexpectedly.

The easternmost part of the Shamlu family and Ustajlu family territories, which the Bharatiya Empire conquered, turned out to have a large population of Pashtuns. The Pashtuns are an ethnic group who are present mainly in Pashtun Pradesh and Northern Baluchistan. So until now, unknowingly, the Pashtun people had been split between two nations that have been warring, making it very hard for them to interact and coexist with their fellow Pashtun brethren. But now, with the Bharatiya Empire taking over nearly 300,000 square kilometres of land from the Shamlu and Ustajlu family territories, the problem has been solved for good. Even the future troubles, like when in Vijay's last life, Afghanistan claimed a large part of the territory in Pakistan due to there being a huge density of Pashtun population in the region, should most likely not show up.

The 300,000 square kilometres of land has been merged with the state of Pashtun Pradesh, officially pushing Pashtun Pradesh from one of the smaller states to one of the largest states in the empire.

Additionally, since the border problem has been solved indefinitely and the Bharatiya Empire is unlikely to expand anytime soon, the cities of Kabul, Kandahar, Zabol, and Zahedan were designated as western border cities, and a lot of resources have been allocated from the central government to develop the cities into impenetrable fortresses. Also, a motion has been passed in the parliament to build a completely new city on the northern foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountain Range, on the western banks of the Panji River, making it the northernmost city of the Bharatiya Empire, as well as making it the gateway of the Bharatiya Empire to Central Asia, while solidifying the claim of the Bharatiya Empire in the region and deterring the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Bukhara, Khiva, and other khanates or tribes.

The war with the Ottomans was still ongoing, but with the borders being solidified and the troubles of the Pashtuns being solved, stability was found within the western region of the Bharatiya Empire, and despite the war still raging, no troubles or internal conflicts broke out in the area. This is an amazing feat because you have to know that the main theme of this area of the Middle East for a long time was constant turmoil.

Nobody knows when the conflict started or even why it started, but with the seeds of hatred being planted, the disputes continued to fester, and like a wound that never heals, the region was in a state of constant turmoil for centuries. Peace wouldn't last more than a month. However, now with the Bharatiya Empire taking full control of the region with an iron grip, all the troublesome people have been kicked out of the region to various parts of the empire and frontiers, while the Pashtuns were allowed to reunite with their fellow tribesmen. Furthermore, with the existence of several regiments in the major cities deterring the fish that slipped through the net and the bugs that are hard to find, there is stability and prosperity like never before.

Strategic cities like Kandahar and Kabul, whose prosperity was greatly held back due to instability, began to get on the fast lane of development.

Nearly five years have passed since Kabul and Kandahar were conquered by the Bharatiya Empire, and the cities have taken a completely new look.

In place of faeces of humans and animals alike, neat cement roads could be seen. In place of garbage thrown all over the place, exquisite red cobblestone footpaths had been installed. In place of small mud houses with holes all over the roof, residential houses and buildings constructed with brick and cement could be seen. The people, who were so malnourished and whose bones could be seen, are now walking around in shalwar kameez with smiles on their faces, with healthy and muscular bodies. The death rate of infants, which was nearly 50%, has now been reduced to only sub 10%.

The increase in population also drove Bharatiya companies to set up offices in the border city, providing services that only developed urban cities can get. New large-scale hospitals and professional schools opened up, and the military established a large police academy to train locals and reduce the resources consumed by the war by making it more cost-effective.

Gulzar Ram Khan is a middle-aged man with a fair complexion, with his beard and hair dyed maroon. Six years ago, he was a lowly farmer under a landlord in Kandahar. After the Bharatiya Empire took over the region, his fate took a completely different turn. With all the troublesome tribes being kicked out of the region, Gulzar Ram Khan took the opportunity to work for the Bharatiya military by supplying various local products to the army. Years later, due to his hard work, he legally became a member of the Bharatiya army, serving in the unified barracks of the alliance forces composed of the Bharatiya Empire, Lalistaan, Kingdom of Persia, Quzilbash State, and the Sultanate of Mara as a logistics staff, responsible for guiding the newly arrived military officers from the alliance nations and looking after their daily nutritional necessities.

Gulzar Ram Khan, looking at the city of Kandahar, which had almost become unrecognisable from a few years ago, couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration and moved forward with a few soldiers following him as an escort.

As Gulzar Ram Khan walked through the street, the people, who were mostly a mixture of Sikhs, Hindus, Pashtuns, New Testament Muslims, Yezidis, and Zoroastrians, all gave way with a hint of admiration on their faces.

"Hey, is that person from the Bharatiya military?"

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"Yes, look at the demeanour, they are so majestic. I wonder when I can join the Bharatiya Army?"

"True, unfortunately, I couldn't pass the entrance test for the military academy, I could only settle for joining the police academy."

"It looks like a few important people are arriving today."

The people began to gossip and looked at the passing soldiers with a hint of envy.