AWWA Part III-The Great War(IC)

[Luziyca]

Northern Crimea
Some forts were damaged and one was rendered useless. Seven Crimeans die, and the Crimeans returned fire.

Qazan Tip
11 more Crimeans were killed, and the Crimeans retaliated with suppressing fire.

[Bojikami]

Northern Crimea

The Ukrainians began to return fire and some came in for melee strikes. 12 were killed.

Shcholkine/Qazan Tip

The soldiers fired back and some charged the Crimeans with their bayonets out. The Ukrainians took 11 casualties.

[Luziyca]

Northern Crimea

The Ukrainians began to return fire and some came in for melee strikes. 12 were killed.

Shcholkine/Qazan Tip

The soldiers fired back and some charged the Crimeans with their bayonets out. The Ukrainians took 11 casualties.

Northern Crimea
4 were killed, and the Crimeans returned fire.

Qazan Tip
8 died, and the Crimeans began charging against the Ukrainians with their bayonets.

[Ruridova]

OoC: Some slight alternate history here with construction, but nobody complained earlier, so....

Lazaretto Point
Baltimore, Maryland
March 1, 1892

From Lazaretto Point you could survey the entrance to Baltimore Harbor with ease. Across the narrow strait was Fort McHenry, the location of the famous Defense of Baltimore, where a large British invasion force was repulsed by Union and Confederate soldiers in 1840. Baltimore was now one of the largest cities of the Confederacy, its main immigration point, one of its more industrialized cities. It was close to Washington and to the border, yet at present was largely unscathed by the war.

Today was a momentous occasion for the city. The statue had begun construction in 1886, but was only complete as of now. Bits and pieces had been shown in great exhibitions and world fairs, but now it stood completed, overlooking Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry. The statue, made by French architects to commemorate their times together as nations and their common revolutionary history, was a gigantic thing, nearly 151 feet tall, made of hammered sheets of glittering copper. It was the image of a the Roman goddess Libertas, standing over the harbor on a gigantic pedestal, over a broken chain. In her left hand, she carried a tabula ansata(Roman tablet of law) bearing two dates on it: APRIL XVII MDCCLXXIII, the date when the Martyred Fathers declared independence from Britain, and NOVEMBER XV MDCCCXXXIV, the date the Victorious Fathers did the same. In her right hand, she held a great torch, as if to beckon forth, lighting the way. The torch's flame was made of stained glass, and inside there was a means to light it so that the statue could be seen at night. On her head she wore a crown, with seven points for seven continents. The interior of the statue was hollow, laced with staircases that would lead guests to great viewing areas on the crown and the torch.

Her name was Liberty Enlightening the World. The Americaners would come to know her as the Statue of Liberty.

At the official opening of the statue, following a variety of patriotic songs like the Star-Spangled Banners and the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie Land, President Hendricks read a sonnet written by an immigrant to the Confederacy. Emma Lazarus, born a Sephardic Jew in Portugal, had moved with her family to Baltimore many years prior. She died in 1887, and never saw the statue, but had written a poem for its opening, to give the statue a purpose of her own, to show what seeing Baltimore had meant to her. The French architects wanted it to stand for republicanism, but Emma Lazarus was about to give the statue an entirely different meaning as Hendricks read her words to the crowd:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is imprisoned lighting, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows worldwide welcome, her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that this city frames
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me-
I lift my lamp besides the golden door!"

[Shrillland]

January 24, 1892
Feodosiya, Crimea

Kitchener's forces had arrive at their next target, and the first booms from British artillery were shattering to the silence.

Kimberley, Cape Colony

Rhodes now sent a small battalion of Cavalry to assist a force that was outside of Kimberley at Magersfontein, sitting on the river Modder just 12 miles away. Alas, the force was mostly cut down by Cronje's forces who at first sat on the foot of a hill to mitigate artillery damage, and then went onto its slopes to halt the British. They were now stuck just 12 miles away.

Ladysmith, Natal
Buller had arrived with a force of 7,000, but here as well the Boers proved themselves masters of Cavalry tactics by outflanking and encircling the British force, with casualties of over 800 on the British side.

[Ruridova]

With the battles raging across the world, war now opened between Caucasia and Russia. Caucasia was not doing well at the present, but Svanidze assured the Caucasian people that they would turn it around. Meanwhile, the Germans and Hungarians found themselves unable to reclaim Czechoslovakia and Galicia; Denmark, by contrast, was totally occupied by Germany. The Confederacy moved a large fleet towards the Meiji Islands; part of it would split off and head for Vietnam while the rest would attack the Meiji Islands.

[Bojikami]

Kiev, Ukraine-Romania

With the stretching of Ukraine-Romanian resources due to both invading and defending, Viktor was desperately looking for allies, and luckily for him to the north the nations of Galicia and Czechoslovakia had broken free of the Allied empires. He then composed letters to both leaders.

Official Message from Tsar Viktor Kostiuk of Ukraine-Romania

To: The government of Czechoslovakia
Cc: The government of Galicia

---

Hello friends. As you know, we share a common enemy. The German Empire and her allies wish to make us their subjects in this "war of righteous cause", to counter the power of these empires, I propose an alliance, that we we may put up more of a united front against these imperialist powers.

From,

Viktor Kostiuk, Tsar of Ukraine-Romania

Russo-Ukrainian Border

The Ukrainian soldiers continued to fire at the advancing Russians, determined to defend their motherland.

Northern Crimea

The Ukrainian soldiers fired back at the Crimeans, frustration grew over the stalemate on the peninsula.

Shcholkine/Qazan Tip

The Ukrainian soldiers down by the docks pushed forward at the Crimeans and fired as they advanced towards them. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians farther up began to open fire on the Crimeans engaging them.

[Shrillland]

January 26, 1892
Feodosiya, Crimea

The British moved their cavalry into the city, currently held by pro Ukrainian rebels. So far, 16 had been killed on the British side.

Victoria and Seattle, British Columbia

The Canadian Pacific Force returned to its home ports in shambles. Four days previously, the ANZAC Navy united with the Canadians, but as they set off to reclaim Hawaii for Japan a severe three-day gale began, the worst seen in decades. The Canadian flagship Columbia had capsized in heavy waves, the William Seward and the Henry Parkes collided, and other ships were heavily damaged and forced to return home. Canada was now without a Pacific Naval Commander for the time being.

Ladysmith, Natal

Buller's forces now broke their own siege and moved upon Boer positions outside the city commanded by Louis Botha, the Oranje Commander and future first PM of the very Dominion that Britain planned to create.

[Luziyca]

February 1, 1892
Lachen, Sikkim, India
Thekchen Yama was a 27 year old Tibetan man. He lived for the past six months in Lachen, after having moved from his hometown of Chomo/Yadong to work in the town of Lachen as a laborer. However, deep down, despite being a Tibetan Buddhist, he sought to make the Himalayas an "outer province" under the Chinese crown, but ideally, all of India as an outer province, or several.

He was at heart a Chinese nationalist, loyal to China first and his religion second, and none to all to India. He wanted to declare the Outer Province of India, to take over the entire Raj and/or send a telegram to the Emperor to request incorporation of India into the Chinese Empire. Thus, he began to draft a "Declaration of Separation from India" and convince the princes to void the treaties with London and ally with China as outer provinces...

[Shrillland]

February 4, 1892
Calcutta, British India

Today the local Governor of Bengal Presidency, Sir Charles Arthur Elliott, received the startling news that several leaders in the North-East Frontier province, better known as Assam to the locals, in the protectorate of Sikkim, and in parts of Bengal itself, were now considering breaking their agreements with the Raj and joining China as allies. He immediately sent a message to the Viceroy, the Marquess of Landsdowne, with a report of this development.

[Luziyca]

February 5, 1892
Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Thekchen Yama had convinced the princely states, especially in the northeast to ally with Beijing. Thus, he decided to head from Lachen to the capital of Sikkim to formally announce the "Declaration of Separation from Britannia."

The declaration read as follows (English translation seen here), and he wrote in Tibetan, and another person wrote it in Hindi and Nepali.

Whereas, we the people of the Indian subcontinent, having been divided for centuries and having only been united under imperial yoke,
Seeking to unite under an indigenous political system with Indians leading other Indians,
Do hereby declare the establishment of the Kingdom of India.

The Kingdom of India will be divided into princely states and existing princely states will keep their rights and privileges, and new princely states will have all the same privileges as those that exist in the present time.

When the Maharaja of India dies, all the leaders of the princely states shall choose any Indian, provided he be a royal, a Brahmin or a Khsatriya, or their equivalent in the religion that said Indian practices. The Maharaja shall be in charge of foreign affairs and internal affairs not assigned to the Rajas of the Kingdom of India. Each Raja shall decide how his state will be run; whether as an absolute monarchy like those of Europe in the days of yore, or a Republic like Athens.

Declares all the lands belonging to the subcontinent to be part of the Empire henceforth free from British domination, and requests the protection of the Chinese Empire against the British.

The declaration was hammered: the Hindi/Nepali version on a Hindu temple, and the Tibetan version at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery: both on the main doors.

[Unicario]

February 11, 1892

On National Day, celebrating Emperor Jimmu's foundation of Japan some 2552 years ago, Japan issued a firm condemnation of the "Seperation from Britannia" declaration and stated that the Japanese Empire would not tolerate China backing a rebellious India.

[Luziyca]

February 12, 1892
Beijing, China
News had come from India of Thekchen Yama who sought to unify India and have it all become part of the Chinese Empire. The Chinese Parliament had received a request from Thekchen Yama to have the Raj join the Chinese Empire as an outer province. The Parliament all voted against the Declaration and refused to give his "Kingdom" protection, and also declared Thekchen Yama a "hanjian," a traitor against the Empire for waging war against a friendly country without the permission of the Empire. His citizenship was to be declared null and void, and he would be wanted dead for one million yuan.

Thus, he won't know, but Yama will not receive any help from China.

[Shrillland]

February 13, 1892
Bombay, British India

The news of Yama's Declaration had spread like wildfire. The northeast and Bengal were now enthralled by him, and the British in Calcutta were now asking for forces to eliminate this troublemaker. So Landsdowne now dispatched 8,000 loyal Gurkhas from Nepal to march into Sikkim from the West.

[Luziyca]

February 14, 1892
Dhaka, Indian Empire

He had been on his way to Dhaka, mainly to convene all interested monarchs to elect him as Emperor of India. When he got news that China won't support him, he decided to declare the Indian Empire to comprise of all areas where Indian influence has spread: which he declared to be the Chinese Empire. He would essentially declare himself Emperor of a new Chinese Dynasty, but his main quest was to take India first, then China.

Thus, he sent an invitation to all interested Maharajas to Dhaka: at a Hindu temple to choose an Emperor of India and to adopt the Separation Declaration.

[Kargintina]

February 14, 1892,
Dakar,Senegal
After a long resting period in Dakar, the French forces move towards Gambia.
Paris,France
News of the revolts in Nice have reached the capital, and many people have begun rioting in the streets of France.

[Luziyca]

February 15, 1892
Tianjin, China

With the moderate success of the Effects of Leftism in China, Chodren Dawa set out to write a book: "朦朧" (Menglong, Obscurity) of an architect, Wei Nianqing (微年輕).

Set in 1888, Wei was just expelled from the Shanghai School of Architecture (建築學院上海) for refusing to adhere to the school's emphasis on traditional Chinese architecture. Despite some professors defending him and an offer to continue, provided he adheres to the policy on the traditional architecture, he refuses and finds work with a disgraced architect in Haishenwai (海參崴), Ping Shijiang (鮃石匠), who he admires for sharing his view on architecture: that it should not conform to historical tradition (i.e. traditional Chinese architecture and feng shui).

A popular but vacuous student, Se Jidu (瑟基督) who graduated with honors takes a job with a prestigious firm in Haishenwai, taking a job with a Tibetan migrant, Yangkey Lhakpa who operates said firm, and integrating himself with Yangkey Lhakpa.

Thus, Wei and Ping make inspired work but gain very little recognition, while Se's ability to flatter and woo potential clients bring him quick success. After Ping retires from his firm and closes it, Se and Yangkey hire Wei, but he quickly gets fired for insubordination.

Thus, Wei opens his own architectural firm but has no clients and prepares to shut it down when a prominent builder from Shanghai requested his services, but initially being rebuffed by Wei, the builder successfully persuades Wei Nianqing to hire him as an architect to design a new building for the Shanghai School of Architecture.

He drafts up an architectural plan which was very modern and futuristic (copying the CSA style at the time). The builder accepts and after the school approves of the design, news of his style starts spreading. Clients started to come to request his work and his business grows, hiring more and more people so he can focus on the major projects.

Meanwhile, Lhakpa's business down the road decreases as more and more people realize that they wanted Wei's architectural services instead of the Chinese architecture that served them well for centuries, as Se felt. Thus, Se begins to rise via manipulation and corruption, blackmailing higher-ups until he blackmails Lhakpa where he dies of heart attack. Once there, he hires "security personnel" to attempt to intimidate clients from going to his business.

In response, Wei secretly moves his business to Hangzhou (杭州), officially stating that he bought a smaller firm (which he did, merging the workforce of both firms). But after Wei puts the firm and his home on the market and formally moves to Hangzhou, Se Jidu becomes committed to murdering Wei Nianqing. Se Jidu buys up a local Hangzhou newspaper, the Hangzhou Press (杭州出版社), and turns it into a yellow-style press. He hires rightists to criticize Wei's architectural styles, and begins spreading rumors that he was a child abuser, and that he had sex with a prostitute named Ju Niequ and declaring how his architectural designs all incorporated elements of the number "four" which stood for death.

Wei however continues receiving a large number of clients, and many people stop reading the Hangzhou Press, with some founding their own newspaper that defended Wei and accused Se of the same things. Se Jidu's firm declines due to his reputation and he became disgraced for resorting to slander. Thus in 1890, Se Jidu digs two holes near his firm and takes a "vacation" to Hangzhou, bringing a few of his security personnel.

When Se arrives in Hangzhou, Wei Nianqing had a family: a wife, Ai Wugu (愛無辜), who was 26 and a son and a daughter, 微現代 (Wei Xiandai) and 微未來 (Wei Weilai), both being 2 and 1 respectively. He was wealthy, and lived in a mansion, but Wei never disclosed where he lived. However, when he was heading home from work, Se and his men shoved Wei aside and asked him if he was a child abuser and had sex with Ju Niequ

He replied, "I did not, and I know you are trying to get me out of my own firm that I made with my own hands."

As a result, Se and his men began beating him savagely. The book describes what they have done in gory detail, down to "making a eunuch out of Wei." Wei blacks out from all the effects, and when he wakes up from a coma after 11 days, the doctors explained the situation and he was shocked by how gruesome it was. He asked what happened to Se Jidu, and the doctors say that he was tried and had been executed yesterday. The assets of his firm would be transferred to Wei. His family had supported him, and so did most of Hangzhou. With the assets, he moves his firm to Shanghai and uses the train to commute from the main firm to the other firms in the Empire, as far west as Bukhara, and as far east as Haishenwai, as well as to his family.

The book then fast forwards to 1932: he retired at the age of 65 from his firm, and it shows modern architecture dominating the Chinese landscape: traditional architecture was completely discredited thanks to Se Jidu's manipulation and corruption. He had sixteen grandchildren from the 2 children, plus an adopted child with eight grandchildren. He looks upon his life's work and decides to seek forgiveness from Se's descendants. His son takes control of the firm, and continues its progress.

Thus, she releases it, and translates the book into Korean, Japanese, English, French, Tibetan, Mongolian, Uighur, Manchu, and Russian.

[Bojikami]

Off of the coast of Nigeria

The moon hung high above the dark waters of the ocean as the Venezuelan fleet sailed towards the coastal city of Oron, which was part of the Italian colony of Nigeria. Once the ships got close enough, the cannons raised and began to open fire on the buildings directly near the coast, and then farther back. Screams were heard from the streets as a thick cloud of smoke rose above the flames.

Shortly after, a few troopships began landing troops on the shores of the city and as a result of all of the alarm, the Colonial Militia was called out to fight the Venezuelans.

---

Feodosiya, Crimea

The Ukrainian rebels readied themselves for the coming cavalry charges by arranging into lines and holding out their bayonets.

[Shrillland]

February 17, 1892
Abbeville, France

Freezing rain was falling on the British trenches. As the news of the riots in the south and in Paris reached British ears, the British now moved up to try and assault the French fortifications in the hope that morale had fallen enough to make defence difficult.

Bathurst, The Gambia(Modern-day Banjul)

The southern force had finally arrived in the Gambia, and the British forces there prepared for the impending French assault on the river.

Feodosiya, Crimea

The British Cavalry assault went fairly well so far, with 28 men so far dead.

Georgetown, West Guyane

The Anglo-Guyanese forces were now considering their next move after the Venezuelan assault on Nigeria.

Dawa's book met with moderate success empire-wide, while Bombay was still considering what actions to take as several rajahs traveled to Dhaka.

[Unicario]

February 20, 1892
The Hague, Netherlands

Under edict from the Queen, her regent, and Parliament, the Act of Settlement was put into effect. Modeling the British settlement of Australia, the poor people and criminals of the Netherlands were offered passage to the colonies of Angola, Indonesia and Suriname, hoping to establish them as Dutch-ethnic places. Many non-violent or otherwise "acceptable" prisoners were forced to leave the country with their families to these lands. Many people living in abject poverty were also provided government-paid passage to these lands, where they were given arable land to farm, or do with as they please.

The Dutch East Indies colonial government was reformed with the Hosokawa Act. Ryoga Hosokawa was a Japanese politician who had been advocating that Japan take a hard-line stance against European colonialism in Asia, beginning with the "expulsion of Europe from East Asia, then South Asia, then West Asia". The new DEI government was chartered with Sebastiaan van Deinze becoming the first Voorzitter of the Dutch East Indies. The last of the "native" states in Indonesia were soon integrated into the DEI power structure.

Suriname and Angola were both admitted as individual provinces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the same level as North Holland, South Holland and Gelderland.

Settlement began to take hold as Dutch people in search of new opportunities flocked to the colonies.

[Unicario]

February 21

While the Dutch government reorganized it's colonies, colonial administrators took attention to the way things operated. The colony of Angola, formerly under Portuguese administration before the Portuguese War in the 1830s, was finally "Hollandized" in Dutch texts and books.

The capital city, São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda as named by the Portuguese, was given a Dutch name, formally renamed to Volhaven, which is Dutch for "full port". This new capital found investment from some Dutch capitalists looking to get to environmental resources, and to "civilize the negro". The Dutch government opened it's colony's borders to Boers, insisting that if they wished to rejoin the Dutch fatherland, they may as full citizens.

The colony proper, Angola, was renamed to Pretoria, after Andries Pretorius, leader of the Boers in their Great Trek. It was seen as a sign of respect for the Boer cause, being Dutchmen.

Education programs in Dutch and Afrikaans began in Volhaven and other villages under the National Integration Program. They were targeted primarily at Portuguese and Africans, as so to make them Dutch.

Flag of the Groothertogdom van Pretoria, part of the UKN.


Flag of the Koninkrijk van Indonesië


Flag of the Provincie van Suriname

[Ruridova]

Gavriil fon Likht, imprisoned in Siberia, continues writing. His first book released from prison is entitled the Life and Times of Edward Harper(Жизнь и времена Эдуарда Харпер). The book starts in 2012, in a hyperconnected world with mobile communications, handheld and laptop computers, the internet, touchscreens, and other futuristic technologies. Edward Harper, the protagonist, lives in the city of Vancouver and works in Seattle, parts of the Dominion of Canada. It is explained that, following several coordinated attacks by a group calling itself the New Sons of Liberty on Ottawa, Halifax, Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, the Royal Intelligence Agency of Canada(RIA) began using people's electronic devices to spy on them discreetly and illegally, keeping tabs on everything they do and reporting it to the National Security Committee of the United Kingdom(NSC). The programs used by the RIA and NSC are 'mass surveillance programs', meaning that they target everyone they can. And the programs are not only spying on the Canadian and British civilian populations, but civilian populations across the globe. Harper has collected thousands of documents and records implicating the guilt of the RIA, NSC, and their allies in Japan, Germany, Rum, and Australia. Storing the files on an encrypted computer, Harper flees Vancouver, landing in Houston a few hours later. There, he anonymously begins releasing the documents, starting with those detailing the spying on Canadian citizens. The documents spread like wildfire, and mass protests break out on social media and in real life. Shortly thereafter, he reveals himself to the world, interviewing some Canadian and Confederate journalists. Many Canadians hail him as a hero; however, the Canadian government declares him a traitor and demands that the CSA extradite him. The CSA, seeking to spite Canada, grants Harper five years minimum of asylum. Harper releases more and more documents as time passes, showing that Britain was spying on British civilians, and that Britain and Canada were spying on Japanese, Chinese, German, Russian, Italian, Ukrainian-Romanian, Crimean, Rumite, Czechoslovak, Yugoslav, Hungarian, Basque, Catalan, Portuguese Spanish, Danish, Brazilian, Venezuelan, Central American, Québécois, Confederate, Riograndese, Mayiquhan, Tehuantepecan, and Tawantisuyu civilians and officials. Canada- which has long attempted to appear as a freer and more trustworthy alternative to the CSA- is devastated globally, as mass protests and diplomatic repercussions echo. The book ends with Harper sitting in Houston, reading the statements made by the head of the RIA. The head estimates that Harper has only released 1% of his documents.

Fon Likht is able to get the manuscript out and have it published. The book isn't a hit in Russia or the German sphere- though it sells amazingly well in the CSA and it's sphere.

[Unicario]

Akikoshima, Meiji Islands

The Japanese army and navy detachment stationed on the island chain continued to build up their defenses. While the Confederacy had completely halted further advancements in the last weeks, they remained vigilant.

[Shrillland]

February 23, 1892
Ladysmith, Natal

The British forced Botha's armies to retreat to the northwest, back towards Bloemfontein. They had lost 800 men to the Boer Cavalry, but now they could invade Oranje itself.

Kimberley, Cape Colony

Rhodes and his "Long Cecil" gun had now broken a hole in Cronje's ring, and supplies were finally getting into Kimberley. The battle wasn't over, but the tide had turned in the Boer War. Some leaders considered moving to the new colony of Pretoria.

Albany, District of Carteria

The Life and Times of Edward Harper was certainly a controversial book in Canada, and there were many polarised views on it. Some said that Canada would never do such things to their own people, that Herr fon Likht had the nation mistaken for the Confederate savage. Others said it was a good warning that Canadian leaders should heed, lest they lead the country into a paranoid, oligarchic state.

In the meantime, the Royal Canadian Army now asked for nine zeppelins for something called the Sweeney raid, after it's inventor, General Frederick Sweeney. It was to be the Canadian response to the Confederate attack on Pearl Harbour.

Lancaster, Nebraska(OTL Lincoln)

This area was where Fifer decided to send the majority of his force, 85,000 men to push the Confederates out of Lancaster and thence move on to Omaha. The remaining forces were sent north to Dakota to create a stage for the invasion of Minnesota.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

In Winnipeg, Lieutenant-Colonel William Otter was given the rank of General by the Canadian Army on this day, and was made commander of the Prairie Army Group consisting of 25 divisions. He had recently been a commander in the Northwest Rebellion of the Metis under Frederick Middleton, who was now retired sue to a fur scandal before the war. Now, he was to serve as one of Canada's top commanders, preparing an assault on the CS positions in southeastern Manitoba and Western Ontario.

Dhaka, Bengal

Several Rajahs from across the Bengal region now appeared at the new proclamation of the Empire of India, and several militias of sepoys were now being established. Landsdowne decided to put them down at once, and sent 40,000 loyal Indians from Calcutta.

[Luziyca]

Dhaka, Bengal
Thekchen Yama had received the news of Britain deploying 40,000 Indians to Dhaka. As such, he got a Bengali scriptwriter to write a speech in Bengali in a way so he could understand it: basically, that person had to transcribe Bengali into Tibetan so he could read it.

He had adopted Bengali clothes, but wore a yellow robe to indicate his status as Maharaja of the Indian Empire, as well as a crown. But that scriptwriter manged to do it well. Yama was starting to learn Bengali (both scripts).

He headed to a crowded Dhaka market, then stood on a crate, feeling the anticipation.

Now, he began. "Dear children of Allah and Durga," he said in Bengali. "There is a threat to our culture, our way of life, and this nation. The British are making their way to this city, and threatening to destroy all we cherish. We must fight, not just for you, but for our children. We must fight to keep the British from making us speak their language, from adopting their barbaric customs, and to ensure that we will continue practicing our faiths, our cultures, and languages. We must all unite in a common sense of Indian-ness, and fight for total sovereignty for the Empire!"

It was short and to the point. Now, he hoped the speech would be received positively. To add to the cake, he gave some of his wealth to the poor.