Moghul: Brothers at War

 My bedtime reading has been the second book in Alex Rutherford's series on the Moghul (Mughal) emperors. This one covers the second emperor, Humayun. He was born in 1508 and succeeded his father (Babur) in 1530.

Humayun succeeded Babur as emperor at about 22, when the newly conquered territories were still politically fragile. He faced opposition from his three brothers, particularly Kamran Mirza (just months younger, by a different mother), as well as powerful Afghan rulers. Much of the book is taken up with these struggles, balancing the dying pleas of his father not to kill off his brothers with their continuous disloyalty. 

His most formidable opponent was Sher Shah Suri, an exceptionally capable military and administrative leader. Humayun suffered major defeats against Sher Shah, especially at the Battle of Chausa (1539) and the Battle of Kannauj (1540). He was forced to flee India and spent roughly 15 years in exile. He eventually sought refuge at the court of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp I of Persia. Persian support, paid for by gifting the Koh-i-Nur diamond, helped him rebuild his military position, although, as with his father, this caused religious difficulties between the two strands of Islamic thought. The Safavid dynasty made Shia Islam the state religion of Persia in 1501. The Mughals were Sunni.

After Sher Shah Suri's death in 1545 and the subsequent weakening of the Sur dynasty through civil wars, Humayun gradually regained territory. He also finally resolved the struggles with his brothers. In 1555, he defeated the Sur rulers and re-established Mughal rule in Delhi and Agra. Humayun's restored reign was short. In January 1556, he fell down the stairs of his library at Purana Qila in Delhi and died from his injuries at the age of 47. The initial empire had been recovered, but it would be his son, Akbar, who would expand it.

I love this period and have a large 28mm army that I built for a series of display games. Rutherford writes really well, sticking closely to the historical timeline while inventing some people and events. This is historical fiction, and the fictional bits add to the tension. 

A couple of pictures from our game at the club a couple of weeks ago, using Scourge of Princes, which needs a few rule tweaks for wars in Asia.

Battle of Newburn Ford 1640

 Scourge of Princes by Sam Mustafa is our current favourite rule set. I was thinking about the next game when I saw a posting about the anniversary of this battle on 28 August. As it happens, I was staying nearby on Saturday night, so I decided to take a look first thing on Sunday morning, en route to the Sunderland v Fulham game.

The Battle of Newburn Ford took place on 28 August 1640 during the Second Bishops’ War, part of the wider conflict between King Charles I of England and his Scottish Covenanter opponents. Charles had attempted to impose religious changes on Scotland, provoking resistance from the Scottish Covenanters. After the failure of the First Bishops’ War, Charles raised another English army in 1640. The Scottish army, commanded by Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, supported by Montrose (who at this time was a Covenanter), crossed the River Tweed and invaded northern England. An English force under Lord Conway was sent to stop them at Newburn Ford, near Newcastle. Leslie and Montrose were seeking to bypass the stronger defences north of Newcastle.

The English position was strategically important because the River Tyne provided a natural defensive barrier. Conway placed his troops and artillery on the southern bank, expecting the river crossing to be difficult.

However, the Scottish army was substantially better organised and experienced. On 28 August, after a failed cavalry attack, the Scottish artillery bombarded the English positions while Scottish infantry crossed the Tyne at the ford. The English troops resisted initially, but pressure from Scottish artillery and infantry caused their position to collapse. Conway's army retreated in different directions, abandoning Newcastle to the Scots. George Monck (later a key player in the Restoration) was one of the English commanders, and he did at least keep some discipline.

While the battle itself was relatively small, its consequences were enormous. The Scots gained control of Newcastle, an important centre for England's coal trade. This worsened Charles's cash shortage and exposed his weak military position. So, Charles was forced to negotiate with the Covenanters, and the Treaty of Ripon required England to pay the Scottish army to occupy parts of northern England. To raise the necessary money, Charles was compelled to recall the English Parliament, which became the Long Parliament. A step on the road to the English Civil War of 1642–1651.

The River Tyne at Newburn today is obviously deeper than it was in 1640. I can't say I tried to ford it where the bridge is today, but I wouldn't recommend it!

This is the view from the English side south of the river. You can see the high ground behind, where the Scottish artillery would have been.

This is the Scottish side.

There is a battleboard on the English side. I'm not sure if the mud is wear and tear or an English nationalist!

We didn't need to tweak the rules to play this fairly unusual game. We did allow the Scottish artillery to fire overhead, with an 8" gap requirement. I understand why Sam decided against overhead fire from high ground, presumably because of the accuracy issue at the time. However, the Scots did it here. The movement rules are a bit unusual: there is no distance penalty for moving through difficult ground. Foot and cavalry moving at full pace over a ford didn't feel right. However, it does require two movement points, and you can't shoot from water, so it worked out fine. 

The Scots had a four-to-one advantage in the historical battle. We gave them two-to-one, for playability. It was a tough task getting across the river under fire, but the Scots managed it and eventually won through. 

So, an interesting, little-known clash with broader consequences. And an interesting game, with an excellent set of rules.