Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

Bhartiya Institute of Technology - Bhubaneswar, Gangapuri State (Odisha), Dakshin Bharatiya Empire.

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

While Vijay was inspecting the martial artists from the Lakshadweep Islands, the academy in Bhubaneswar was buzzing with activity.

This sprawling campus currently hosts hundreds of students, who are bustling in and out, engaged in lively discussions. Inside BIT-Bhubaneswar, within one of the experimental labs, an intriguing experiment is underway.

In this lab, a figure resembling a professor is tinkering with a machine, while his students assist him diligently.

"Will this Frame suffice? What are your thoughts, everyone?"

The professor, whose name is Ratna Raj, asked his students.

Hearing the professor’s question, "It should be alright, professor," replied Balaraju, the top performer of the university who took the leading spot in this project as an assistant to the professor.

The project they’re currently immersed in is none other than the coin-pressing machine, generously funded by the Ministry of Finance. For the students who enrolled at the Bhubaneswar Academy just a year ago, life seemed to follow its usual course. However, a few months back, everything took a dramatic turn when the university rebranded itself as the Bhartiya Institute of Technology - Bhubaneswar.

Following this transformation, the curriculum underwent standardization, and the students found themselves equipped with more professional textbooks. Balaraju found immense satisfaction in this change; upon inquiring, he discovered that the syllabus across the Empire had been unified, ensuring that all students his age were studying the same material.

This realization ignited a fervent determination within him to excel and compete with his peers.

Currently, the project is in the initial stage. BIT Bhubaneswar is responsible for manufacturing the frame and mechanism of the coin-pressing machine, while BIT Jagdalpur is responsible for the hydraulics of the machine.

*Bang, bang, bang.*

The bellows began to blow, initiating the operation and shaping the metal components for the screw mechanism. Skilled craftsmen were then employed to meticulously handcraft precise parts using hammers, chisels, and files.

Metal sheets were rolled to specific thicknesses, and a hydraulic screw press was utilized to cut out circular blanks from the sheets, intended for holding the coins.

Meanwhile, over at the Bhartiya Academy of Sciences, progress was also evident. With the genius minds of Heyram and Naveen Bhatt, the Raya printing machine was advancing rapidly, now reaching a completion rate of 70%. Similarly, the enhanced Gutenberg press was nearing its final stages at the Raya Machinery Company, located at the Kavery River Industrial Zone.

While all this progress was made in the empire, Vijay set out from the capital to travel to Mangalore.

Vijay sat in the carriage, pondering the orders he had passed to Danior Boswell a few weeks ago.

"Danior, I know you have reached a bottleneck when it comes to the construction of the battleships. Maybe this problem will be solved after you work with some of the designers and technicians of the Republic of Venice. But until then, I have an important task for you to do," Vijay said.

"Please tell me, Your Majesty," Danior said wholeheartedly, grateful to his monarch for giving him some time to overcome his bottleneck. With this incident highlighting his inability to fulfil the task, he became even more certain of his decision to move from Europe to Bharat. He understood that no investor would accept excuses for their investment.

It was only Vijay who gave him a chance, so he would fulfill his requirement no matter the cost.

Vijay nodded his head as he replied, "After the experience with the Ottoman fleet, I realized something. We sorely lack a messenger vessel. The only thing we have is the altered version of the Hampi-class sloop, but that will not be enough. I need a dedicated ship for messenger operations. This is even more crucial now that we have territory very far into the ocean.

I need the ship to be proficient in speed and speed only."

"Yes, your majesty, I understand, I will get it done," Danior said, patting his chest.

"Good, I will be looking forward to it," Vijay said, pleased. He then secretly passed all his knowledge about the Baltimore Clipper of the 18th century, which was the ancestor of modern clippers of the 19th century to Danior.

Back in the present, Vijay arrived at the Raya shipyard, eager to inspect the prototype built by Danior.

With Vijay’s arrival, the manager of the Raya shipyard greeted him wholeheartedly.

"How is it going, Devendra? Is everything in the shipyard alright?" Vijay asked.

"It is progressing very smoothly, Your Majesty," Devendra replied. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Though Vijay knew all the information and ins and outs of the shipyard, he had to ask the man as a formality and to test his preparedness.

Next, Vijay met with Danior Boswell, as well as the young ship designer, Vishesh Neeladri. After talking with them for a bit, he headed to the dry dock where the ship was docked.

Vijay’s eyes sparkled with Amazement. While the ship wasn’t the largest he’d ever laid eyes on, being only the size of the Dana-class merchant ship, it was undeniably the most exquisite vessel to emerge from the empire’s shipbuilding industry. Unlike its counterparts, it boasted a sleek, dynamic frame with smooth, curved sides and a sharp bow line.

Its narrow build stood in stark contrast to the broad width of the Vinayak-class frigate.

Notably, Vijay observed a deviation in the design of the sails from the Baltimore-Class Clipper. Originally, the Baltimore-Class clipper didn’t employ such sails. However, upon contemplation, it made perfect sense; the turbulent monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean demanded a unique sail design.

Considering the distinct weather patterns between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it was only logical for the ship to be tailored to suit the conditions of the Indian Ocean.

Overall, if he had to make a comparison, if the Vinayak-class frigate is a rugged, reliable Hummer, then the clipper in front of him is a Formula 1 car built for speed and nothing else.

Seeing Vijay so engrossed while staring at the ship, Danior was very proud of his creation. He went on to explain the details about the ship with pride.

"Your Majesty, this ship is tailored for the fierce monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean. With its shallow draft and remarkable stability, it can navigate through the heaviest of winds with ease. Furthermore, its design ensures efficiency whether sailing with the wind or against it."

Vijay snapped out of his thoughts as soon as he heard Danior Boswell start to speak.

"Your Majesty, allow me to provide some specifications of this remarkable vessel," Danior proceeded as Vijay nodded in agreement.

"The ship boasts a length of 29.9 meters or 85 feet, with a beam of 6.7 meters or 22 feet. Its draft measures 3 meters or 10 feet, while the depth reaches 5.5 meters or 18 feet. Notably, it features two sturdy masts crafted from teak wood," Danior continued.

"Utilizing lateen sails for both masts, the ship enhances manoeuvrability, reduces weight, and maintains speed, boasting a total sail area of 465 square meters or 5,000 square feet."

"While not specifically designed for prolonged journeys, it can sustain a voyage of up to two weeks with ample supplies. Accommodating a crew of 60 individuals, it’s armed with six 5 kg calibre swivel guns, ensuring defence against pirate threats," Danior concluded.

"The hull of the ship is constructed from teak reinforced with iron nails and screws, while the fasteners are crafted from high-strength iron alloy materials."

Vijay nodded, absorbing the information with satisfaction, eagerly awaiting to know the crucial attribute of the ship.

"And now, for the most vital aspect of the ship, the speed, which is truly dazzling. This ship boasts a standard cruising speed ranging from 8 to 10 knots, with a remarkable top speed of up to 12 knots or 22 kilometres per hour. In extreme weather conditions, it can even surge to speeds of 14 knots, doubling that of a Dutch Battleship sailing at a standard pace."

"Excellent, marvellous," Vijay exclaimed, visibly impressed by the ship’s capabilities.

Vijay was surprised as it was faster than he imagined. Even the Baltimore class clipper, which was the inspiration for the ship, was not as fast as this ship. Perhaps the use of metal alloy and sturdier construction methods contributed to this. Overall, Vijay was very happy that with the success of the ship, the empire would have the fastest ship in the world.

"Let’s test it," Vijay said excitedly.

Danior nodded, equally eager to see how his new ship would perform. He couldn’t wait.

*Shhhhhhhhh*

Water poured into the dry dock, the water level rising steadily until eventually, the ship was floating on the water and no longer needed the support of the wooden frame that was propping it up.

The sailors quickly boarded the ship and took it out for a spin. The wind was raging today, and the sails of the ship were adjusted to meet the direction of the wind.

*Zoom*

The ship surged forward as the speed suddenly increased. The sailors on board held onto the bridge of the ship as they had never experienced this sort of acceleration before.

It zoomed past all the others in its vicinity. Vijay, from the shore, watched as the ship veered through the ocean like a sword, cutting through the waves with a sharp edge, feeling very excited to ride on it himself.

A few hours later...

’Ride on it’ was exactly what he did after the ship returned, once the sailors ensured there was no immediate structural danger.

Vijay ordered the ship to sail at full speed as he boarded it. Standing on the bow, feeling the wind hit his face, he felt like a character from a novel 😉. The sails were adjusted, and the ship jerked as the speed quickly picked up. The ship zoomed past every other vessel at 13 knots. He spotted a Hampi-class sloop patrolling in the water and felt cheeky, so he had the captain race the sloop.

The sloop, minding its own business, suddenly found itself beside a large, unfamiliar ship.

"Wha... WHAT!" the captain of the sloop exclaimed, startled by the sight. Before he could make any judgments, the ship, which he suspected was of the enemies, quickly pushed ahead. He panicked momentarily but quickly calmed down after seeing the shipyard flag on its back.

"Is that the new ship from the Raya shipyard?" the captain thought, feeling happy about the progress of his empire.

"I should tell this news to my buddies; maybe they will be jealous," he chuckled to himself.

Finally, Vijay was very satisfied with the ship and its speed. Due to there not being any cargo, the ship even almost reached a speed of 15 knots. However, the captain who was sailing the ship felt nervous and suggested they stop, panicking as he noticed the instability at such high speed. He was more afraid for the life of his majesty than his own.

In order to be safe and to put the poor captain at ease, Vijay promptly returned to Raya shipyard.

"Whew," the captain heaved a sigh of relief after the order was given. If not, he would have resolutely prepared himself to be court-martialed as he was planning to disobey his majesty.

"I am very satisfied with the ship. I have decided, that this breed of ships will be called clippers, designed for speed and nothing else. As for the ship class, let’s call it Lakshyam (aim)," Vijay announced.

The crowd erupted into applause.

"Although the ship is excellent, one downside is that if it gets into the wrong hands, it will be a nightmare to contain smuggling in the empire. Therefore, the technology for building these ships should not be leaked, and they will only be manufactured in the Raya shipyard," Vijay continued.

"Devendra, do you understand what I said?" Vijay asked.

"Yes, your majesty," Devendra replied.

"Good. Now get to work. I need 10 of such ships as soon as possible," Vijay commanded.

The machine of Raya Shipyard started again...

P.S. Check Out the Novel of a Friend, HOE38, Heir of an Empire: 1538 India.