Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

3 months after the Vedic New Year 1655 (to align with the Western calendar for ease of understanding).

While scholarly discussions were ongoing in the royal capital of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, a danger was approaching them from the Middle East.

At the opening of the Bab al Mandab Strait, situated at the Red Sea’s juncture, a formidable Ottoman fleet, proudly bearing the red Ottoman flag, advanced towards the strategically positioned city of Djibouti, nestled at the Horn of Africa.

Djibouti is a decentralized city influenced by various tribal and regional authorities. The city’s population is predominantly composed of nomadic pastoralist tribes, including the Afar and Issa. Each tribe has its own social organization and leadership structure, typically led by tribal elders or chiefs.

These tribal authorities hold significant influence over their respective communities, managing internal affairs, resolving disputes, and organizing collective activities such as migration and grazing rights.

On a deeper level, within each tribe, smaller social units known as clans play a crucial role in governance and social cohesion. Clans are based on kinship ties and provide a sense of identity and belonging for their members. Clan leaders wield influence within their communities and participate in decision-making processes at the tribal level.

Its geography, consisting of rugged terrain and distinct ecological zones, contributed to the emergence of regional power centres. Coastal towns and trading posts, such as Tadjoura and Obock, serve as focal points for economic activities and cultural exchange. Local leaders and merchants in these urban centres exert influence over trade networks and maritime commerce.

The city’s strategic location at the crossroads of major trade routes attracted the interest of external powers, including Ottoman and Portuguese explorers and traders. While these external influences did not exert direct control over Djibouti’s governance, they contributed to the region’s interconnectedness with broader networks of trade and diplomacy.

As soon as the Ottoman fleet entered the vicinity of Djibouti, the inhabitants of the city and its power holders panicked as they did not know why such a large fleet was on their doorstep. They were not exactly informed of the arrival of the ships.

Normally, they would not mind one or two battleships as they do not pose much of a challenge to the city, which is the economic hub between Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, now that a whole fleet containing 10 top-of-the-line battleships manufactured by the Ottomans had been dispatched, they could not remain still.

But after a few moments, their hearts were let down, as the large Ottoman fleet did nothing but dock in the city for the replenishment of supplies and unloading of some goods. The goods were sealed tightly, and it could not be seen what they were.

Typically, authorities would scrutinize the contents of goods entering the city, mindful of potential safety hazards. However, following the recent scare they had endured, they refrained from questioning the cargo as long as the Ottomans’ cannons were not aimed in their direction.

The captain of the fleet, Akhtar Noman, stood on the deck, surveying the bustling landscape of the city below. Men and women donned long, loose clothing to shield themselves from the sun’s rays, while traders negotiated deals in the streets and businessmen proudly displayed their wares. Despite the prosperity evident in the city, Akhtar remained remarkably composed.

Having previously visited Istanbul, any other city paled in comparison in his eyes.

It would take half a day for the supplies to be replenished. Along the way, the travel had been relatively smooth as no pirate in the Red Sea would dare to approach the Ottoman fleet with greed, which was capable enough to challenge some small European nations. However, why did they arrive in Djibouti so late, which was not according to the schedule made in the Ottoman Empire?

Akhtar was the reason for that. Thinking about that very reason he slowed down the fleet, he couldn’t help but smile as it was about to make him filthy rich, and with that wealth, he could finally purchase the real estate he always wanted in Istanbul.

"Your Excellency Akhtar, the Portuguese are here," announced his deputy, Abbas Ali.

Akhtar was snapped out of his thoughts by Abbas Ali’s announcement. Realizing that his wish was about to come true, he hurried to meet the Portuguese.

Akhtar was originally from an affluent noble family in the Ottoman Empire; his family originally hailed from Anatolia, the very place where the Ottoman Empire was founded and was later turned into Turkey. With the help of his family, he was able to climb the ranks in the Navy pretty quickly.

Everything was looking good for him and his family, but unfortunately, Allah had other plans for them, As His father was suddenly targeted by other court nobles for his property in Anatolia, present-day Turkey. This was because their family originally owned a lot of land there, tracing back to their ancestors who hailed from the Ankara region and later converted to Islam.

Unlike other nobles who had diverse backgrounds, leading to a lack of heritage in Turkey, their family lineage was deeply rooted in Ankara Turkey the second capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Although there are nobles who own more land in Ankara than their family, they are the peak nobles who could be counted on one’s hands. Since their family was considered only a middle power among the top noble families, they were targeted by 4 to 5 top noble families for their property, which was no different from a gold mine with all the rent it collected throughout the year.

Due to the pressure from the nobles, his father had to sell most of their property in Ankara. After that incident, Akhtar also stopped being promoted and was stuck in his present rank for a few years.

Due to the same reason, he was sent on an unwanted mission to the Mughal Empire. He was initially very happy that he was finally given a chance to prove himself before knowing the details of the mission, but he was quickly disappointed after knowing the nature of the task: he was nothing but a glorified delivery man between nations.

Hence, due to all these circumstances, he made a decision that he would regret very soon.

"Your Excellency, we have confirmed that the goods you have brought are up to the standard and quantity agreed upon. Is the settlement the same as what our representative discussed in the Ottoman Empire?"

Akhtar quickly replied without hesitation, "Yes."

The Portuguese man in front of him laughed heartily as he took out a document from his bag, which appeared to be a land deed written in Turkish about a small property in Istanbul.

Clutching the document tightly, Akhtar was visibly overcome with emotion as he meticulously examined it multiple times, ensuring its authenticity. A smile gradually spread across his face as he realized his long-held ambition of acquiring property in Turkey. However, his thoughts delved deeper as he contemplated the future.

His ultimate goal was to exchange this small property in Istanbul, which he had earned, for a larger one in Ankara upon his return from the mission. This exchange would serve as a crucial step towards reclaiming his family’s ancestral lands.

He was about to turn around and leave when the Portuguese Merchant stopped him.

"Your Excellency, would you mind making another deal with me?"

Akhtar was taken aback by this proposal as he asked with some uncertainty and waryness, "What is it?"

"It’s nothing, Your Excellency. From various channels, I came to know the mission of your fleet; it is nothing but delivering these ships to the Mughal Empire."

Akhtar frowned, not because his mission was known to the Portuguese, as he knew that Europeans had a way to extract information from the empire, but because he heard the nature of his duty, which was a sore spot for him. However, he did not interrupt the Portuguese in front of him and let him continue.

"In my honest opinion, Your Excellency, you are overequipped with a lot of offensive and defensive weapons for this simple mission, especially the 20-kilogram calibre cannons. So, I wonder if you are willing to sell some of them for our exploration tasks."

Akhtar’s unease dissipated, initially concerned that the Portuguese might be considering backing out of their deal. However, as it became apparent that their intentions were solely focused on expanding their business relationship, his apprehension transformed into contemplation. He began to carefully consider the proposal laid before him.

Originally, when he was in the Ottoman Empire and distraught, he was contacted by a Portuguese merchant about the current deal that he had just conducted. He was very nervous when he agreed to the deal on a whim after feeling very disappointed with the task he was given by the naval headquarters. But his unease soon disappeared as he left the port and came into the Red Sea.

The deal was actually quite straightforward: he was required to deliver some military supplies to the Portuguese in Djibouti City. For this reason, he had the battleships only equipped with 70% of the personnel along with the supplies for them.

The rest of the capacity was taken over by cargo, which slowed the fleet down. Usually, this is not allowed, but fortunately for Akhtar, even though his situation is unfortunate, he is the highest-ranking noble for his rank in the Navy, which gives him special privileges like the current one where he sent off 30% of the personnel for reasons he made up.

Although what he did could pose security risks for the fleet as it would only be partially combat-capable due to the missing personnel, Akhtar felt like he was not about to encounter any resistance in this mission, so he took the chance.

Back to the present.

Having successfully completed the mission and secured a piece of property in Istanbul from the Portuguese, Akhtar felt a profound sense of satisfaction. Through this experience, he gained a deeper understanding of the shrewd tactics utilized by court nobles to exploit their privileges and accumulate wealth.

This newfound insight left him greedy and open to the possibility of embarking on another deal.

The convenience of travel had inadvertently led him to become somewhat lax in his approach.

Despite his intentions, Akhtar decided against revealing his hand right away. Instead, he fixed the Portuguese man with a penetrating gaze for a few moments, tactfully holding back his intentions to assess his reaction.

Drawing confidence from his past experience of quoting a high price for his service with the Portuguese merchant in the Ottoman Empire, he felt assured in his position of power during the negotiation.

The Portuguese man, upon seeing Akhtar staring at him, understood the intent. "Your Excellency, we are willing to exchange another small property in the outskirts of Istanbul," he offered.

"How many do you need?" Akhtar asked, already sold on the idea, as the property was his weak point and a mental obsession.

"Your excellency, we will be needing 25, 20-kilogram calibre cannons," the Portuguese man replied.

Akhtar nodded his head, accepting the number, but felt somewhat disappointed in his heart as he was expecting more. He could already infer that the size of this property should not be too large.

"Well, that makes it easy for me. Let’s conclude the deal," he said, although he had something else in his heart. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The deal was quickly concluded, with the cannons installed on the battleships packaged and delivered to the Portuguese.

The fleet dispatched after this private deal. They quickly moved on to the Gulf of Aden, where they encountered a few pirates who tried their luck, but they were scared away by the large fleet of Ottoman warships.

In a few days, they would reach the port in Gujarat.

P.S. DBMS lab exam was today, so the upload is late, the exam sucked as we had to take the blame for our teacher, But ill Pass.