Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, Lakshadweep Islands, Arabian Sea. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

|| 1655 Vedic Calendar, three months and one week after the New Year ||

Following Vijay’s inspirational speech, the Navy swiftly set sail from the Lakshadweep Islands. Admiral Gangadhar led the charge, with all three naval commanders of the Bhartiya Empire joining the battle.

Vijay knew that the current situation was dangerous, as concentrating all resources in one battle could leave potential openings for enemy countries to exploit. However, Vijay decided to take this chance. With the Empire’s Navy concentrated in the Arabian Sea, it was highly unlikely that the Mughal Empire would attack in this direction.

As for an attack through Bengal, it would have been possible if not for the Ahom Kingdom’s support.

Vijay had already dispatched a request for military aid from the Ahom Kingdom in accordance with their military alliance, and the Ahoms promptly contributed their naval strength to reinforce the eastern Naval base.

While the addition of an Ahom fleet didn’t dramatically enhance the combat effectiveness of the current eastern Naval base, Vijay remained assured that the Mughal Empire would hesitate before launching an assault on any coastal area in the east.

The increased number of ships introduced more variables into the potential battle between the two forces, and given the Mughals’ historical track record, Vijay was confident they wouldn’t risk such an attack.

Furthermore, another reason why the Mughal Empire was unlikely to attack through the Bengal Sea was the potential consequence of withdrawing their Navy stationed in that region. If the Mughals redirected their Navy to strike at the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, it would create an opportunity for the Ahom Kingdom to reclaim their lost territories.

The absence of the Mughal Navy would provide the Ahoms with a significant opening to recapture their land.

Additionally, given the destruction of shipbuilding capabilities in Bengal during the Ahom-Mughal war, the Mughals would face challenges in rapidly replenishing their warships, hence making the warships currently stationed in the port of Kolkata more valuable for the Mughals than they might appear.

Vijay also considered the possibility of an attack from any Western power. While it was a possibility, Vijay had a countermeasure in such a scenario. If the attack came from the southwestern side, then the Navy concentrated in the Arabian Sea should be enough to resist these Western forces. However, if the Europeans came from the southeast, then Vijay had very little defence.

Therefore, he informed the Portuguese and the Venetians beforehand to win their support.

But if in case the support was not provided or the provided support was not adequate enough, Vijay could only rely on the army to take on the invading enemies.

Considering all these possibilities, Vijay felt like he had more to lose if the Mughal Empire received those warships than he had to gain by not attacking them.

Arabian Sea, Seychelles Island, near the Gulf of Aden.

Nanda Kishore had been closely monitoring the fleet of Ottoman vessels ever since they came into view. Any information he gleaned from or about the ships was promptly relayed back to headquarters. Moments later, a shift in the Ottoman ships was observed as their sails were raised, and they began to move northward.

Recognizing the potential threat, Nanda Kishore swiftly withdrew from the area and dispatched the fastest boat to alert the military stations at Lakshadweep and Maldives.

Near the coast of Lakshadweep, Gautam and Sarvesh stood alongside Admiral Gangadhar aboard a Battleship. Adjacent to this Battleship was a small sloop modified for speed. It was this sloop that relayed the critical information to Gangadhar. As Gangadhar received news of the movement of the Ottoman vessels, he paused his discussion with the two commanders, raising his head with a grave expression.

He understood that this was the moment he had been preparing for, where he would finally put his theories to the test. Prepared for a formidable battle ahead, Gangadhar braced himself for the challenge.

"Get underway," Gangadhar ordered.

"Aye, Admiral."

The crew promptly charted their course towards the coast of Oman, aiming to intercept the Ottoman vessels based on their direction and speed. A fleet comprising 120 sloops, 2 Battleship, and 20 Vinayak-class frigates was dispatched for this mission.

Similarly, at the Maldives, Commander Akhil led a fleet consisting of 60 sloops and 15 Vinayak-class frigates, swiftly setting sail to fulfil their objective.

A Few Hours Later

Near the coast of Oman, Akhtar, the commander of the Ottoman fleet, once again examined the land deed documents. Since obtaining them, he couldn’t bring himself to part with these papers. They held profound significance for him, symbolizing the reclaiming of their ancestral heritage, even if it was just a fraction of it. Nonetheless, it was their legacy.

As he contemplated how to discreetly exchange these documents, he heard footsteps approaching, gradually intensifying into a sprint as his door was forcefully flung open. Akhtar instinctively drew his sword in readiness to confront the intruder, but as he poised to strike, he recognized the familiar face of the person who had barged into the room.

It was his deputy, Abbas Ali, wearing a grave expression. His face looked like someone who had seen a ghost. Akhtar knew that something must have gone wrong for Abbas to behave like this, so he sheathed his sword and began to ask, "Abbas, why are you in such a..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Abbas blurted out in panic, "Your Excellency, the commander, we are surrounded by hundreds of ships! Come and see!" Upon hearing this revelation, Akhtar was shocked. He couldn’t believe that they were being attacked on their way to the Mughal Empire. He quickly went on deck to see for himself.

Sure enough, about roughly 2000 meters away, they were surrounded by hundreds of ships. Observing the colour of the flags, and considering the closest empire to his vicinity with a similar flag colour, Akhtar confirmed that it was the Bhartiya Empire he had heard about. Surveying the strength of the opposing fleet, he felt a little relieved.

He could see only two battleships, with the rest being smaller vessels. He had a moment of panic, but now that he had calmed down, he found this situation manageable.

"Tighten the formation! All battle stations are ready! Prepare all ships for combat readiness!" he barked out multiple orders as the Ottoman ships quickly began to close ranks, with his battleship along with one more battleship remaining at the centre as the flagships.

Standing 1800 meters away, Admiral Gangadhar observed the tightening formation with a frown, sensing the impending challenge. He knew that each ship could carry up to 70 cannons, and with such a tight formation, he anticipated the concentrated firepower on the outer side, making it more lethal.

"Tch," he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Ready the frigates!" Gangadhar commanded. His orders echoed across the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire navy as the three naval commanders swiftly directed their fleets to prepare the frigates for action. Twenty frigates swiftly formed a circular formation around the Ottoman Battleships, strategically positioned 1000 meters away from the Ottoman ships.

*Boom boom boom boom boom boom*

Consecutive heavy cannon shots resounded, as the 30-kilogram caliber cannons roared into action. Each shot sent a small shockwave rippling through the sea as the warships recoiled from the force. The scene resembled a pack of wolves hunting a herd of elephants.

"Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! "

"Ahhhhhh!"

"My leg Ahhhhhh! "

The cannonballs brutally struck the Ottoman vessels, leaving holes the size of two adults’ heads. Although direct hits on the Ottoman cannons were prevented by them being protected, the first round of barrage still resulted in numerous casualties. Akhtar, aboard the Ottoman fleet, was taken aback by the sudden attack without any warning or dialogue.

Realizing that the enemy was targeting him directly, Akhtar swiftly ordered for their own retaliation.

After receiving orders from their commander, the battleships stationed at the outer edge of the formation swiftly loaded their own cannons to retaliate against the artillery fire from the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire Navy. Among the three ships, they possessed a combined total of 195 cannons of 20-kilogram calibre and 1950 rounds of ammunition, weighing a total of 39 tons.

While not as potent in range as the 30-kilogram calibre cannons of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, the difference was not big as these cannons were procured from a Dutch cannon maker. The Dutch had extended a discount for bulk purchases, with the stipulation that they be provided to the Mughal Empire.

"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!"

The Ottoman Empire’s own cannons thundered into action. Due to the battleship’s considerable weight compared to the frigates of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, the recoil of the cannons only caused a slight movement in the ship. Consequently, the recovery was swift, and recalibration posed minimal hassle. Reloading and firing were executed swiftly compared to the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire.

The frigates suddenly found themselves in a significant predicament. Despite their numerical superiority and slightly longer range, they suffered heavy damage from just one hit by the Ottoman cannons. The already lengthy reload time was further hindered by the recoil-induced movement.

This vulnerability stemmed from the frigates’ inability to withstand cannon shots due to their lack of weight and strength. Gangadhar observed the situation with growing concern. Initially, he had assumed that the Ottoman’s range would be inferior to their 30-kilogram calibre cannons, believing that their advantage in range would easily overcome any obstacles.

However, it was now apparent that the situation was not as simple as he had thought.

Adding to the unexpected turn of events was the Ottoman’s ability to launch multiple attacks simultaneously. Even though the frigates possessed larger calibre cannons, by the time they could recalibrate and retaliate, the Ottomans had already unleashed successive assaults.

Out of the 20 ships that took part in this action, 6 had already been damaged beyond use. If they could make it back to the military base, maybe repairs could be attempted, but they were too far away to make that trip possible. The sailors who could be rescued were brought aboard the remaining warships.

Goutham and Sarvesh clenched their fists, while Akhil fixed his gaze on the Ottomans with a menacing glare.

Meanwhile, Gangadhar remained composed as he noticed something peculiar about the formation and the battleships. Intrigued, he decided to put his hypothesis to the test. Ordering the frigates to attack once more, he directed them to advance rapidly and retreat at the same speed, akin to a drive-by manoeuvre.

The frigates, which were noticeably more swift than the battleships, quickly closed in on the battleship as the shots were fired at a nearer distance.

"Bang bang bang bang bang"

The damage taken by the battleships increased again but unfortunately couldn’t be brought down. On the contrary, five more ships were struck and sunk to the bottom of the sea.

All the commanders looked at Gangadhar with a concerned expression, but Gangadhar had a smile on his face as he figured something out.

P.S. Finally, I revised the Laplace and Fourier series modules. There are still three modules left, but to my surprise, the third module was on Fourier transforms. FUKKKKKKK.