Crown Jewel

As the Ottoman Empire thrived under the leadership of Mehmet, distant whispers of rebellion in India reached his ears. The Indian subcontinent, gripped by British colonial rule, simmered with discontent. The sepoys—Indian soldiers serving under the British crown—and Indian rulers who had lost their kingdoms were growing increasingly restless. Mehmet recognized an opportunity that not only aligned with his burgeoning rivalry with Britain, a significant player in the Great Game—the geopolitical struggle for influence in Central Asia—but also promised to reshape the landscape of power.

Supporting the Indian uprising could weaken the British Empire while extending the Ottoman's reach into the Indian Ocean and potentially beyond. To realize this ambition, however, the empire needed a swift and reliable means to transport arms and personnel to the rebels. The answer lay in a grand engineering project that had long captivated his mind: the Suez Canal.

With innovative ideas swirling in his mind, Mehmet expedited the construction of the Suez Canal at an unprecedented pace. Unlike the protracted projects undertaken by other nations, he utilized advanced techniques drawn from his foresight into future innovations. Engineers, supported by the newly empowered Ottoman military, carved through the desert with unparalleled precision. Thousands of workers from across the empire labored tirelessly, united by a vision of creating a vital lifeline to India. Remarkably, within less than three years, the canal was completed—a feat that astounded the world.

Now armed with a direct route through the Red Sea, the Ottoman Empire could bypass the lengthy navigation around Africa. This new waterway became a strategic artery, enabling the swift transportation of troops, weapons, and supplies to bolster the Indian revolutionaries.

Mehmet was no stranger to covert operations. His newly established secret service had already demonstrated its effectiveness, rooting out dissent within the empire and securing loyalty to his reign. Now, their expertise was needed on an international stage.

In Persia, covert agents reached out to Nasir al-Din Shah, the ruler of the Qajar Empire. Although Persia was nominally independent, it was increasingly influenced by both Britain and Russia. Capitalizing on their mutual distrust, Mehmet saw an opportunity to use Persia as a staging ground for support. Disguised as merchants and diplomats, his agents cultivated relationships with Persian officials sympathetic to the Indian cause, ensuring a steady flow of weapons, food, and supplies through Persia into Afghanistan, and from there into India.

This clandestine Persian route provided the rebels with another vital lifeline, enabling them to sustain their campaign despite potential British blockades of the Suez Canal. Mehmet's network spanned the Indian Ocean, linking with Afghan tribal leaders who had long resisted British domination and fostering direct communication lines with Indian revolutionary leaders.

As construction of the Suez Canal progressed, Mehmet secretly gathered volunteers from across the empire. His calls resonated with soldiers and civilians alike, many inspired by the prospect of liberating their Muslim brethren from British oppression. These volunteers, many trained in the modern Ottoman military, were eager to join the fight in India. Weapons and ammunition flowed from the rapidly expanding industrial complex spurred by Mehmet's sweeping reforms.

Harnessing the quantum knowledge he possessed, Mehmet designed innovative technologies, supplying the rebels with advanced bolt-action rifles, field artillery, and early prototypes of repeating guns. While Britain maintained a technological edge, he ensured that the Ottoman-backed Indian forces would not be outmatched.

At the Ottoman court, Mehmet articulated his intentions clearly. He framed the support for Indian rebels as both a solidarity move with fellow Muslims and a strategic maneuver against European colonialism. His advisors, including the Grand Vizier and key military leaders, backed this initiative, recognizing that a successful Indian revolt would significantly undermine British power in the region.

However, Mehmet also understood the risks of open confrontation with Britain, leading him to masquerade his support for the rebels as mere "diplomatic assistance." The Suez Canal was officially promoted as a commercial venture open to all nations, while Ottoman ships, laden with supplies, slipped through the waterway under the cover of trade.

As news of the Suez Canal's completion spread across Europe, alarms sounded within the British Empire. The canal drastically reduced travel time to India, exposing the uncomfortable reality of the Ottomans gaining direct access to their crown jewel. British intelligence agencies soon began receiving reports of Ottoman agents operating in Afghanistan and Persia, quickly realizing that the empire was backing the Indian rebels. Yet, by then, it was too late to halt the influx of weapons and fighters.

Mehmet's plan was now afoot. Ottoman ships, laden with armaments, traversed the canal, arriving in Indian coastal towns under the veil of night. Volunteers were clandestinely smuggled ashore, and a network of Ottoman supply lines sprang up throughout northern India, particularly in territories controlled by rebellious sepoys and Indian princes dispossessed by British annexation.

As British intelligence gathered evidence of Mehmet's extensive involvement, urgent messages were dispatched to London, calling for additional reinforcements and stricter controls over Indian provinces. The British Empire, already stretched thin by engagements with Russia in Central Asia, was now confronting a burgeoning rebellion in India—one that had transformed into a fully-fledged uprising, bolstered by a resurgent Ottoman Empire.

Back in Istanbul, Mehmet diligently laid the groundwork for a new economic order designed to sustain the Ottoman Empire's global ambitions. The stock exchange he established was not merely an economic institution; it was a mechanism to channel capital into pivotal industries that would foster self-sufficiency. Coal mines in Anatolia, oil fields in Mesopotamia, and a burgeoning steel industry now fueled the empire's war machine. Profits from these sectors were reinvested into the empire's coffers, poised to support Mehmet's vision of a revitalized global power.

With his secret service operating in the shadows and the Suez Canal facilitating arms and supplies to Indian rebels, Mehmet set his sights on eroding British control over South Asia. Every step of his plan was meticulously calculated, every action executed with precision. The Great Game, once dominated by Britain and Russia, had now welcomed an unexpected player—one that neither of the old empires had anticipated.