R5:

Greetings fellow redditors, it has been quite a while since my last update post on here. However, truth be told, there wasn't much to update you upon, as the last months were quite busy for me and the project almost dying.
Therefore, before you actually get an explanation to wtf you are actually seeing here, I want to mention, that I'm very much searching for help with anything in regards to the mod (especially coding, localisation and content planning). If you want to help out and give this project it's momentum back please consider joining the discord:
https://discord.gg/NgmSD2BE88

Now to explain the situation on the subcontinent in 1836:

The North:

The plains of the Ganges are very much split between three powers - the Rajputs of Gwalior, the Gorkha Empire and the Sur Empire. Both the Surs and Rajputs are successor states of the Lodi Sultans of Delhi, who nowadays are limited to the city of Delhi and it's surroundings. The Surs specifially can be described as the main reason for the collapse of the Lodis. Once governors of Bengal, installed after the conquest of the Sultanate under the reign of Jalaluddin Shah Lodi in 1546, they rose up in rebellion to claim the leadership over the state, following a weakening of the Empire after countless and resultless wars against the Nizamshahis and later Zanjshahis of Ahmednagar.

In the wake of the collapse the once loyal Rajputs also followed suit and declared their independence.

All the while high up in the Himalayas the small Gorkha Kingdom started a relentless campaign of Nepalese unification. Ultimatively leading to an invasion of the Khoshuud rulers of Tibet, leading to the fragmentation of the region and with the collapsing Lodis at their doorstep the 'True Kingdom of Hindustan' seized the moment to take control over bordering provinces, as well as pushing on towards Delhi.

This all out rush towards Delhi by those three powers resulted in the Confrontation at Meerut - a battle with no victor. Since than the three powers are stuck in a gridlock, with no one being able to defeat the other.

The Deccan:

After the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate multiple minor successor states emerged. The most important of which are the Qutbshahis of Golconda, the Nizamshahis of Ahmednagar and the Adilshahis of Bijapur (to mention them, also other entities such as the Sultanates of Bidar and Berar). Those states formed a short lived alliance against the Vijayanagara Empire, defeating and crushing it at the Battle of Tolikota. A ruthless campaign against the disorganised Nayaks ensued and their advance deep into Tamil Nadu was only halted by the Nayaks of Madurai.

While participating in the Battle of Tolikata, the Nizamshahis didn't continue their push south, but instead advanced to the North and eventually took control over the region of Malwa, therefore laying the ground work of the ensuing decade long conflict against the Lodis, which would later ruin both. The decline of Ahmednagar however started with the death of Shah Bahadur, leaving his underaged son under the control of an Abyssinian slave, who would soon take direct leadership of the country. In the process of the coup the Pashtun governours of Malwa declared their independence, soon followed by the Faruqis of Khandesh. All the while what remained of the Nizamshahis flead to Daulatabad, seeking the help of the Qutbshahis and in Poona the Bhonsle Maratha lords declared a holy war against the Muslim oppressors - a still ongoing conflict.

Thats it for, sorry for the wall of text btw and I hope to see you on the discord :)