Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, Cheranadu state (Kerala), special economic zone, Thiruvananthapuram.

|| 1655 Vedic Calendar, three months and four weeks after the New Year ||

While Hey Ram and Naveen Bhatt are working very hard along with the scientists of Bharatiya Academy of Civilian Sciences in order to develop the prototype of Raya printing as soon as possible, an important discussion is being held in the special economic zone of Thiruvananthapuram.

In the trade office of the Venetian Republic, two people are talking to each other, both of them being the Venetian representatives of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire.

"What do you think, Sir Bellini, should we initiate the trade that was agreed upon?" Francis Molin, a member of the Molin family who was dispatched as a replacement for Leonardo Bellini When he was back home , asked.

"Well, His Excellency the Doge Giovanni Morosini had indeed agreed to invest in this Empire by building various factories and providing technical support, in the context of our war with the Ottoman Empire," Leonardo replied.

"But upon my return to the Republic and conveying His Majesty Vijay Devaraya’s acceptance of the proposal, along with his stipulation for the Venetian industry to only partially own any company in the empire, His Excellency hesitated," Leonardo continued.

"Hearing His Majesty Vijay’s demand, His Excellency Giovanni was indeed a little hesitant. I overheard him deliberating with the parliamentarians about whether it is still worth it after not being able to own 100% of the company," Leonardo explained.

Listening to Leonardo’s words, Francis frowned as he asked, "So is the deal off?"

"It was almost like that, but something changed," Leonardo said with an intriguing expression.

"What is it?" Francis asked, Curious.

1 month ago in the parliament of the Republic of Venice.

Giovanni Morosini, sitting at the position of the Doge of the Republic of Venice, sat there deliberating about whether to accept a proposal from the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire. The parliamentarians were also deliberating about whether it was still worth it for them to invest in the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire since they were not allowed to own 100% of the company.

Even Giovanni, who was quite optimistic about investing in the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, became slightly hesitant the more he thought about the prospects.

But suddenly, he received an urgent message from the intelligence department of the Republic. Reading the intelligence report, he was taken aback because the message contained the exact time the Ottomans would make a move. Giovanni felt that he could take advantage of this situation.

Even though the Venetians knew that the Ottomans would make a move and participate in the struggle between the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire and the Mughal Empire, as far back as a few months ago, they still lacked definitive proof. Now that they had the proof that they needed, Giovanni had many more cards to play. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Respected parliamentarians, please take a look at this," Giovanni said as he passed the document to all the parliamentarians.

"As you have read in this document, the Ottoman Empire is making a move. They are sending 10 Man-of-War Battleships as early as in a few weeks. So, we can conclude that the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire will remain a stable ally for us, and there is no chance of them aligning with the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, I think we should still consider the way of investment proposed by Emperor Vijay Devaraya."

"But your excellency, the Doge, will this trade still be profitable? I have heard that the Spaniards are experiencing a lot of bloodshed in their war, both internal and external, against the Portuguese. The war is no longer sustainable for Spain.

So, I have heard some rumours that His Majesty Philip IV is planning to settle the external troubles and negotiate with the Portuguese in order to fully root out the internal strife."

"With the war ending soon, I am certain that the Portuguese army would not require so many arms. With the increased production capacity brought up by Alexio Fernandes and Andrea Sousa, maybe the price of the weapons will decrease with the end of the war," a parliamentarian remarked. Listening to this point, Giovanni fell into deep thought but still shook his head.

"It is still not secure enough. The iron reserves of the Portuguese are not too abundant, and after their iron reserves run out, they will have to procure it from an external source. When that happens, the prices of these weapons will rise again. We can consider procuring the weapons until then, but it is still better that we have a stable trading channel.

And most importantly, we do not know when the war between the Portuguese and Spain will end. We cannot rely on uncontrollable circumstances for the existence of our republic. I see that the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire is an optimum choice because the resources they possess are very abundant, and they do not have to rely on other countries for raw materials.

So, if we can invest in the South Indian Empire, maybe we can get not only good returns but also a favour from possibly one of the strongest empires in the upcoming world order."

The parliamentarians were shocked as they did not think the Doge had such a prediction about the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, but they also did not consider it an exaggeration. After all, that subcontinent is called the sink of the world’s gold for a reason.

Additionally, if this Dakshin Bharatiya Empire is successful in annexing the Mughal Empire, only the United Chinese Empire, the United Slavic Nations, and the United Christian Nations could be of any match to it.

However, a parliamentarian commented, "But your excellency, what if the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire loses the fight against the Ottoman Empire? It is no secret that His Majesty Vijay Devaraya has decided to intercept the Ottoman fleet, and it is looking very doubtful that they could defeat the Ottoman fleet.

Although I have read the Latin books in the library stating that they were once a very powerful naval Empire, currently that Navy has been disintegrated and has been rebuilt from scratch. So, if they are defeated, what should we do? Should we help them out?"

Giovanni shook his head and replied, "No, we don’t have to act. Let this be an opportunity for us to see what this Empire is capable of. If it indeed loses, we will cancel all our investment plans and maintain a normal trade relationship. Additionally, we can potentially try to infiltrate the Mughal Empire and acquire a stronghold.

If the Mughal Empire is not able to take on the Dakshin Bharat Empire, maybe it is not as strong as we thought. Maybe this could lead to a new start in our Republic."

The parliamentarians nodded as they thought this was an excellent way to gauge the strength of this Indian Empire, as the Doge suggested. Most of the parliamentarians were in favour of doing minimal work and getting results, so this decision was unanimously agreed upon.

Leonardo Bellini, who was at that time in the parliament, couldn’t help but ask, "Your Excellency, then what if they are successful in defeating the Ottoman threat?"

Giovanni laughed as he felt amused and said, "You have taken a liking to that Empire, haven’t you, Giovanni?"

Giovanni’s face flushed as his thoughts were seen through, but it is true that he had taken quite a liking to that Empire commanded by a young and capable monarch. He felt a kind of freedom in that Empire that he could not find here, affected by too many formalities in the Republic. But still, as a son of the Republic, he would lay down his life for its cause; there is no doubt about it in his mind.

"If the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire is indeed successful in repelling the Ottoman fleet or even destroying them, we can resume our investment plans. Also, their success in defeating the Ottomans goes to show that their military structure is quite modern.

A traditional naval power like the Ottomans would not be able to defeat a traditional naval power like the Spaniards if the strength of the Spaniard’s Navy was significant. So, only a modern and advanced tactical, military, and naval structure could defeat a very strong opponent while having weaker strength.

With this, along with the recent information I have heard about various reforms, including the patent reform, it could be concluded that the monarch of that Empire is quite forward-looking and intelligent. Therefore, I, representing the Republic of Venice, fully accept the investment plan proposed by His Majesty Vijay Devaraya."

The parliament fell silent for a few moments as His Excellency the Doge voiced his stance on the matter. Noting the lack of opposition to his statement, Giovanni then turned to Leonardo Bellini and instructed him,

"Now, you shall return to the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire. By the time you arrive, the war will probably have ended. Depending on its outcome, proceed accordingly. Also, deliver this letter to Francis Molin."

"Yes, Your Excellency, I will do as you wish," Leonardo said, relieved.

Back to the present...

Francis, who heard about all the details that went into making the decision, was honestly overwhelmed by the complexity of affairs between nations.

Leonardo, who remembered the letter given by His Excellency the Doge, quickly passed it on to Francis. After ensuring that the letter was not tampered with, Francis opened it and read its contents. It contained the decision made by His Excellency the Doge and also a letter from the Patriarch about his decision in case the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire had won the war against ottoman.

"Shall we proceed to meet with His Majesty Vijay Devaraya?" Leonardo Bellini inquired, to which Francis Molin replied, "Yes, Your Excellency, with pleasure."

With that said, the two representatives of the Venetian Republic, who had convened their meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, departed from the gate of the special economic zone, drawing curious glances from European merchants.

As they passed through unhindered by the Black guards, known for their strict control over the special economic zone, the merchants speculated that they were either the Portuguese or the Venetians who held favourable relations with the Bharatiya Empire.

Upon their arrival at the embassy in the royal capital of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, both Giovanni and Francis formally submitted their investment application to the government. The government’s reaction to the Venetians’ investment proposal was anything but subdued.

This sizable investment spanned across diverse sectors, ranging from military armaments to spices, and from warships to antiques, encompassing various industries. Soon, the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Rajesh, became involved in the matter. His Majesty, Emperor Vijay Devaraya, was promptly informed of the Venetians’ intentions.