Malwa

Primary culture

Malvi (Western Aryan)

Capital province

Mandu (526)

Government

Iqta

State religion

Sunni

Technology group

Indian

Malvi ideas

Traditions:

−10% Infantry cost

+10% Infantry combat ability

Restore The Rajputs Malwa

+15% National manpower modifier

Malvi Art & Architecture

+0.5 Yearly prestige

+25% Religious unity

Protect the Delhi-Surat Trade Route

+10% Trade efficiency

Fortified Strongholds

+20% Fort defense

Black Soils

+10% Goods produced modifier

Jain Bankers

+0.10 Yearly inflation reduction

Malwa Opium

+10% Provincial trade power modifier

Ambition:

+1 Max promoted culture

Malwa is a Sunni Iqta located in central India. In 1444 it is a medium-sized country, with Gondwana and Bundelkhand as its vassals. At the 1444 start, Malwa has truces with Delhi (1448), Jaunpur (1448), Bundelkhand (1448), and Gondwana (1446).

Events[edit]

Ahilyabai Holkar

A year after her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar and thirteen years after her husband Khanderao Holkar was killed in battle, Ahilyabai has petitioned the Peshwa to become queen and ruler of $COUNTRY$. She is already trained in administrative and military matters by Malhar Rao who strongly believes her to become a capable ruler. The army is enthusiastic over her leadership, as Ahilyabai has led them in person on her favorite elephant armed with bows and quivers of arrows. We have seen what she has accomplished when her husband and father-in-law were alive, she has led armies into battle, is a patron of temples, has developed small villages into prosperous and beautiful cities, built forts and roads and made our capital into the scene of literary, musical, artistic and industrial enterprise.

Trigger conditions

The country:

is either Malwa or Marathas.
is a monarchy.
is not a Steppe nomads.
is in a regency or has at least 70 legitimacy.
is not the lesser partner in a personal union.

The year is between 1725 and 1800.
This event can only happen once in a campaign.

Mean time to happen

200 months

No, tell her we'll hire her as advisor instead.

This country:

gains 100 administrative power.
gains 100 diplomatic power.
gains 100 military power.
gets access to a female discounted commandant (skill 2) named ‘Ahilyabai Holkar’.

Her military prowess will make her an excellent general.

This country:

gains 100 administrative power.
gains 100 diplomatic power.
gains 100 military power.
gets a new female general named ‘Ahilyabai Holkar’ with:
- 3 fire, 4 shock, 1 maneuver, 3 siege.

She is truly a magnificent woman, and will be an able ruler and a great queen.

This country:

gets a new female ruler named ‘Ahilyabai Holkar’ with:
- 6 administrative skill,
- 4 diplomatic skill,
- 2 military skill.

id

Opposition to [Root.Monarch.GetName]

The sizeable Muslim community of [Root.GetName] has been raising objections to the coronation of [Root.Monarch.GetName]. As the old Muslim aristocrats and clergy remain very influential in our country and still hold many positions of power within our state this is not a small problem. It has been suggested that perhaps the situation might be defused by [Root.Monarch.GetName] abdicating in favor of a relative who would then convert to Islam. This would allow power to remain with the [Root.Dynasty.GetName] family while still placating the Ulema and leading aristocrats. Should [Root.Monarch.GetName] to continue to govern our country we may find that these elements within our state are likely to attempt to enthrone a candidate of their own with more favorable attitudes towards Islam.

Trigger conditions

The country:

is Hindu.
was not force-converted.
is not a subject nation other than a tributary state.
Is either: Bengal, Bijapur, Bahmanis, Delhi, Golkonda, Deccan, Mughals, Ahmednagar, Gujarat, Jaunpur, Malwa, Multan, Sind, Berar, Kashmir, Khandesh, Oudh or Habsan^[1].
did not had this event before.

Mean time to happen

6 month

[Root.Monarch.GetName] abdicates.

This country:

gains 2 stability.
gets new national ideas.

If this country:

is Bengal, Delhi, Deccan, Mughals, Ahmednagar, Jaunpur, Malwa, Multan, Sind, Berar or Khandesh
- then it becomes Sunni.
is Bijapur, Bahmanis, Golkonda, Gujarat, Kashmir, or Oudh
- then it becomes Shia.
has an heir:
- then the current ruler dies.
- else the country gets a new ruler of the current dynasty.
has the nobility estate:
- then the nobility gains 10 loyalty.

Every neighbouring country:

gets the event ‘Coup in [From.GetName]’.

We will never again bow to infidels!

This country:

loses 1 stability.
gets the modifier “Religious Tensions” for 5 years with the following effects:
- −1 tolerance of heathens,
- +3 national unrest.

If this country:

has the nobility estate:
- then the nobility loses 10 loyalty.
has the clergy estate:
- then the clergy gains 10 loyalty.
is Bengal, Delhi, Deccan, Mughals, Ahmednagar, Jaunpur, Malwa, Multan, Sind, Berar or Khandesh
- then if the country
  - owns at least 1 non-capital province with a castle
    - then Sunni rebels (size 2) rise up in revolt and occupy a random owned non-capital province with a castle
    - else Sunni rebels (size 2) rise up in revolt in a random non-capital province.
is Bijapur, Bahmanis, Golkonda, Gujarat, Kashmir, or Oudh
- then if the country
  - owns at least 1 non-capital province with a castle
    - then Shia rebels (size 2) rise up in revolt and occupy a random owned non-capital province with a castle
    - else Shia rebels (size 2) rise up in revolt in a random non-capital province.

Decisions[edit]

Malwa can form Hindustan as Western Aryan nation.

Form Hindustan (as Western Aryan)

Form the mighty Hindustan and bring all the lands of the Indian subcontinent under your rule.


Potential requirements Hindustan does not exist. The country: is not the Mughals has a culture of the Western Aryan culture group. is Muslim. has embraced Feudalism is not Steppe Nomads has not yet enacted this decision. If the country is AI-controlled, it must have at least 15 cities. it can not be a former colonial nation.	Allow The country: is not a subject nation other than a tributary state. is not a nomad nation. is not at war. has a stability of 3. has a culture of the Western Aryan culture group. owns its core provinces: Multan (506), Surat (517), Chittor (518), Central Doab (524), Madurai (536), Tondainadu (539), Daulatabad (545), Mahakoshal (550), Cuttack (552), Pataliputra (558), Bidar (1948), Halar (2052), Kandy (2099), Kumari (4410), Ujjain (4461), and Mansura (4503).

Effects The country: changes to Hindustan. gets Empire government rank. gains permanent claims on all provinces of the Indian subcontinent if not owned by the country. gains 10 prestige. removes all its provinces from the HRE if it is a member of the HRE and is not the emperor or an elector. gains new missions gets the event ‘New Traditions & Ambitions’ if it does not have custom ideas.

Strategy[edit]

Malwa starts off in a difficult position but with great potential to expand depending on player ability and geopolitical luck. The opening bonus of a good ruler with 5/5/6 stats sets Malwa up for a game that involves a tech rush that enables a tall plus wide gameplay.

Malwa is surrounded by Gujarat in the West, Mewar in the Northwest, minor Rajput kingdoms in the North with Delhi and Jaunpur further to the North and Northwest, Jharkhand, Garjat, and Orissa in the East, the Bahmani Sultanate in the South, and Rewa Kantha and Baglana in the Southwest. Of these, the Bahmanis and Jaunpur are the gravest threats, and the goal should be expand as quickly as possible so as to be in a position to withstand an attack by either of these nations.

Malwa also has two vassals to begin with—Bundelkhand and Gondwana. Both have negative relations with Malwa, and the first order of business will be to send a diplomat to Gondwana to increase their opinion of Malwa before the truce ends. Another way of decreasing your vassals' liberty desire is by building up your army to force limit, which should be your second priority. One of your merchants should be placed at the Doab trade node to transfer trade to Goa, while the other should be collecting at Goa.

At start, the Bahmanis, Bengal, and Mewar are likely to have rivalled you, and it will be useful to rival them back and embargo them. Also send diplomats to forge alliances with Gujarat and Delhi. You are going to need them to ward off attacks from stronger nations. While Sind is a much better ally geopolitically compared to Gujarat, they are very weak and are most likely going to collapse under pressure from Mewar or Multan. Gujarat is a much stronger and more capable ally. Delhi is likely to rival Jaunpur, which works quite well in your favor, but is also likely to ally with your rival Bengal. Keep increasing relations with Delhi though and snag a royal marriage, and pretty soon, Delhi will turn friendly towards you and your rivalry with Bengal will not matter as much in their calculations. In any case, Bengal is too far away for Malwa to reasonably engage with it, so that's a rivalry that you can safely ignore.

You should also begin fabricating claims on just about every smaller nation around you, but start with Mewar. Your first claim should be the province of Mewar itself because produces gold. Snagging this province will do wonders for your treasury balance, especially if you spend a few DIP points to increase the production of the gold mine. Keep in mind though that will increase inflation. Because of your ruler's 6 MIL stat, you should be able to reach Tech 4 before any other nation in the world. Take it ASAP, since keeping everything else constant, being a tech ahead can give you a massive advantage in war. Expect to spend almost all your MIL points in advancing technology. Use extra MIL points on increasing development in provinces owned by the Amir Estates.

Mewar is likely to start a war with Jaisalmer or Nagaur pretty early into the game. Note the web of alliances that get pulled into the war against Mewar, and if you see Sind or Multan in the war, wait for a couple of years and jump into the war. You will be able to snatch two provinces, force Mewar to give up its vassal Hadoti, and receive a big bag of ducats along with war reparations. Be warned though, Rajput traditions increase coring costs of all Rajput provinces by 50%. Be prepared to sink some ADM points on coring these provinces. In order to avoid spending too many ADM points on coring mostly worthless land, vassalize Mewar in the next war against it and feed it all the Rajput provinces that you conquer, after which you can diplo-annex them. Speaking of which, you should diplo-annex both your existing vassals as soon as you can.

Two things to keep in mind while playing this run—firstly, the Dhimmi Estate gives a -10% cost reduction to technology when their loyalty and influence are above 60%. You should lighten the Dhimmi tax burden and promote their minister to get that bonus and make tech cheaper. Be careful not to annoy the other estates too much though, especially the Ulema. You will want them on your good side in order to squeeze 100 ADM points from them at regular intervals. Secondly, push your nation towards Legalism as much as possible, which gives an addition -10% cost reduction to technology, in addition to other benefits. Taking the Scientific Revolution idea from the Innovativeness idea group gives another -10% cost reduction to technology.

While the -30% cost reduction can tide over the initial malus from behind on institutions, it is imperative that you spend your monarch points on developing Mandu till you get the Renaissance institution at your capital. Do the same with the Mandsaur province for Colonialism. That way, you can stay ahead in tech, especially in MIL tech. Mandu and Mandsaur also produce trade goods with a higher price, so the trade value of these provinces all improves. You should be rolling in enough money during this run, so don't hesitate to spend on level 3 ADM and MIL advisors. Once you reach ADM tech 7, take the Offensive idea group, followed by Quality. This will give your armies quite a bit of a punch, and combined with your MIL tech lead, you should be able to stomp down most armies in the subcontinent by the mid-1500s.

Once you've consolidated your position in Central India and have expanded into Rajputana, you should focus more carefully on the geopolitics of the region to plan your path of expansion. Sometimes, Gujarat loses against Kathiawar in its initial war of conquest. Kathiawar is usually easier to beat than Gujarat, and can be vassalized. If Orissa is caught in a war against the Bahmanis or Andhra, you can snatch a few provinces from it too. The prize, however, is the Bahmanis. Fight them when they are in a deep struggle against Vijayanagar, and you can walk away with at least three provinces in addition to forcing them to release nations. An alliance with Vijayanagar is really useful in this regard. However, if you expand too far South, Vijayanagar will rival you and break the alliance. It is best to dismember Vijayanagar before it starts to become a bigger threat. You should have enough money to spam mercenaries and win the war.

With the Bahmanis and Vijayanagar destroyed and Orissa under your heel, it is time to make a play for the rich provinces of North India. You will have formed Hindustan by then already, giving you claims on all the regions. An alternative is to conquer Afghanistan, make it your primary culture, and form the Mughals.