Greco-Bactria:Plan: Difference between revisions

{{Greco-Bactria}}

* Bring lots of Homing Pigeons with me from Greece. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon

*I'm left behind, with 13k stationed troops, to manage day-to-day affairs.

*Spend 1-3 hours every day training with the troops. Reason: Need to build rapport with the troops.

**Garrisoned troops, but potentially not mercenaries, would spend 3 hours every morning training in hard physical exertion. ''//TODO: Provide source//''

*Issue an order to expand on the mining of Lapis Lazuli in the mountains. Reason: Wealth to fund efforts

**Nationalize the mines, but keep the same people in charge.

*Build more (or better) [[wikipedia:Caravanserai|caravanserai]] as well, in anticipation of more traffic. Reason: Encourage traders to pass through Bactra

*Experiment with planting Olive seeds and Papyrus seeds in different conditions. Bactria is dry, floods, and can reach extreme low temperatures of -20 C.

**Need to confirm that they can grow in this climate.

***[[wikipedia:Honey_locust|Gleditsia triocanthus | Honey locust]] (150 mm!) - maybe not: native to USA and lots of problems.

*Start a horse breeding program to create stronger warhorses. Reason: Needed for [[wikipedia:Cataphract|Cataphracts]] later.

**We'll be fighting other Hellenistic armies later, and we'll need both heavier cavalry and longer phalanxes.

**Equip these Macedonian Phalanxes with slightly longer spears, since they'll be fighting other phalanxes.

*Establish the Ministry of Water Use

**Start building hidden qanats (underground water supply tunnels) from the hills (or the southern river?) to the capital city of Bactra. Reason: Defense, better source of water, and keep Greeks happy

**All of these use a chimney or flue of some sort, and hence can serve as a way for the engineers/architects to develop and discover the principles of a chimney (narrow heated flue which pulls up smoke).

*Start learning the [[wikipedia:Bactrian_language|Bactrian language]]. Reason: Need to build empathy and community with the locals

*Have my scribe also learn the Bactrian language, and have him use the Greek script to create a written version of it. Reason: We'll need a way to communicate with the locals

**I also need to understand who the local movers and shakers are.

*Make sure city kids go to school at age of 6, like in Greece, if that isn't already the case. Reason: Need an educated populace and keep Greeks happy

*Promote the views of Aristotle (who was a mentor to Alexander) and in particular his thoughts on the [[wikipedia:Four_causes|four causes]]. Reason: Need the correct basis for scientific discovery.

**His purpose is to teach the future medical professionals and also to advance the science of medicine.

*Put in place a system similar to the [[wikipedia:Mail#Persia|Persian mail system]], or expand on it. Reason: Intelligence gathering and communication system

*Begin a census of all citizens in the towns, cities, and farmers. Reason: ???

By this point I should be fluent in the Bactrian language.

* In addition to a tour of the cities and towns, do a tour of all the pacified pastoral nomad tribes. Reason: Need to forge alliances and loyalty, and help pacify the insurgents to the South in the Hindu Kush mountains

**Bring gifts to them, especially things they cannot craft or easily trade for, and teach them different farming or other knowledge. Reason: Show benefits of alliance.

**Count tents (in order to establish a rough census). Reason: Need to know how many men can be called upon.

*Establish the Ministry of Dentistry. Reason: For myself (and citizens)

**In particular don't lose knowledge of teeth extraction (for wisdom teeth)

** Question: Should it be a sub-ministry of the Ministry of Health?

*Sponsor horse archery competitions. Reason: Encourage horse archery and build community.

*In the cliffside at Lat 36.546 Long 66.964 (see https://www.arcgis.com/) dig out a large opening that will hold ice (for me).