Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, Vijayanagar State, Capital City: Hampi.

|| 1655 Vedic Calendar, Five months and Three weeks after the New Year ||

In the royal palace, Vijay is still discussing matters pertaining to the bank with Jagannath Mohan.

"Are the designs for the currency finalized?" Vijay asked.

Jagannath Mohan, upon hearing the question, excitedly took out a bundle of paper currencies. There were five different types of paper currencies in five different colours in total and two distinct coins. Vijay knew these currencies because he was the one who designed them.

The reason he handed them over to the Ministry of Finance was to finish the detailing in these notes, things like denominations, names to be added to the currency, anti-counterfeiting symbols, and everything else. These currencies were made with specialized paper, specially formulated for the manufacturing of paper money.

This paper is very hard to write on, but it is very durable and retains ink for a longer time. After the ink manages to seep into the paper material, although this paper is not waterproof, it is still resistant to water and can retain the ink inside it. The paper money, which is submerged in water, could be used again after it is dried out.

Vijay first picked up the brown note, which was the 10-varaha note he had designed. At the top, it bore the words "Reserve Bank of Bharat" and featured a majestic palace at its centre. On the reverse side, there was another palace, resembling more of a fort. Its size was similar to the 21st-century ₹10 note, and on its top corners, it displayed the Empire’s emblem, an Ashoka Chakra.

Moving on to the next denomination, Vijay examined the fifty Varaha notes. It sported a green hue and shared similar features with the 10 Varaha note, albeit with different images of buildings on both sides. Then, he turned his attention to the orange-coloured note, the 100 Varaha denomination.

This note stood out from the previous two, featuring an Ashoka Chakra at its centre, as opposed to its sides. The front face displayed images of Ganesha on both sides, while the back showcased a vague lion symbol on the right and the ruins of an ancient city at its centre.

Next, Vijay examined the note he anticipated would be the most commonly used: the 500 Varaha note. This blue-coloured note featured a magnificent elephant printed on both sides, with each elephant positioned at the centre.

The front side displayed the inscription "Reserve Bank of Bharat," while the back showcased the same along with a Garuda symbol on the left and a larger "500" (In Bharati language) on the right.

Turning to the last type of note, Vijay examined the 1000 Varaha Note, valued at a hundred gold Varaha of the old currency. This saffron-coloured note bore the inscription "Reserve Bank of Bharat" at the top, similar to the other currencies. Its front side featured a symbol of a tortoise carrying a mountain, while the back showcased an Ashoka Chakra at the centre.

Vijay drew inspiration from the mythology of the Bharatiya Civilization for this design, depicting the tortoise that served as a playground for gods and Rakshasas in their tug-of-war game to reach the Amruta (Ambrosia).

Vijay briefly considered putting his own face on these notes, but he dismissed the idea just as quickly. Firstly, he simply didn’t like the idea—it wasn’t his style to plaster his face everywhere. Plus, even if he had wanted to, he felt it was too soon, especially considering his youthful appearance.

Overall, the common thing within each and every note is that all had the writing of "Reserve Bank of Bharat" on the top or the bottom, and they featured the emblem of the Bharatiya Empire, which is the Ashoka Chakra. This emblem came in different sizes, some small and some large, but without any exception, this emblem was present in each and every note.

Additionally, the language and numbers used in these notes were of the Bharati language.

After examining the notes, Vijay turned his attention to the coins. There were two denominations: the 1 Varaha and 5 Varaha coins. The 5 Varaha coin was slightly thicker than the 1 Varaha coin, although the latter was a tad larger. Vijay carefully inspected their designs.

On the centre of the 1 Varaha coin, he found an Ashoka Chakra, the emblem of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, with "Reserve Bank of Bharat" etched on top. The sides were adorned with designs and patterns from Bharatiya mythology, while at the bottom, the number, 1 in Bharati script was inscribed.

Flipping it over, he saw a representation of a Trishule at the centre, with "Reserve Bank of Bharat" written on both sides. Beneath the small damaruga of the Trishule, the number, one was written in Bharati script.

Vijay was thoroughly impressed by how well the 1 Varaha coin turned out. Then, he picked up the 5 Varaha coin, which bore a similar symbol of the Ashoka Chakra on its front. However, unlike the 1 Varaha coin, the Ashoka Chakra on the 5 Varaha coin was larger, almost covering the entire face of the coin. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Nonetheless, there was still a small space left, where the name "Reserve Bank of Bharat" was written at the top, and "5 Varaha" in Bharati script below.

Examining the back of the coin, Vijay noticed the symbol of a lotus, above which "Reserve Bank of Bharat" was inscribed, and below, "5 Varaha" was written in numbers. The lotus symbol held significance as it had been a symbol of Bharathiya craftsmanship since ancient times. It was often seen in various architectural wonders both within and outside the empire.

Indian architects would etch this symbol onto their creations abroad to mark them as their own. Vijay chose the lotus as an embodiment of the Empire, echoing its rich history and craftsmanship.

Vijay carefully gauged the texture and feel of the coins. While not immediately noticeable to everyone, he discerned subtle differences between their textures and qualities, understanding that these variances arose from the materials used in their production. He had entrusted Heyram with the task of developing two distinct alloy materials for the coins, motivated by two key reasons.

Firstly, he aimed to deter counterfeiting by employing different materials for different coins. Secondly, he aimed to produce an alloy sturdy enough for coin production, guaranteeing their durability and longevity.

Heyram eventually devised a steel alloy that perfectly met Vijay’s requirements. This alloy predominantly comprised iron as the base metal, constituting 97.5% of the alloy. Carbon, employed to enhance hardness, ranged between 0.5% and 1.5%. Additionally, manganese was utilized at 1%, silicon at 0.5%, sulfur at 0.05%, and phosphorus at 0.05%.

These elements were carefully selected to elevate the complexity of smelting this alloy. While complexity might typically pose challenges in production, in the case of currency, it served as a significant advantage. The incorporation of multiple elements rendered the alloy more difficult to replicate, thus enhancing its resistance to counterfeiting.

The variance in texture and quality between the one-varaha coin and the five-varaha coin can be attributed to the difference in carbon content used in each. The one-varaha coin employs a carbon percentage of 0.5%, whereas the five-varaha coin utilizes 1.5% carbon. This decision was made for several reasons, with the primary goal being anti-counterfeiting measures.

Practically, using low-carbon steel for the one-varaha coin offers advantages such as increased ductility, reduced brittleness, and easier manufacturing processes. For coins subjected to frequent handling and wear, like the one-Varaha coin, low-carbon steel strikes a balance between hardness and workability, making it a suitable choice.

As for the five Varaha coins, which are manufactured with the use of high carbon steel with 1.5% carbon, it has better hardness than the one Varaha coin, sharper edges, and improved deformation resistance. Overall, the five Varaha coin is harder and lasts longer than the one Varaha coin, but the drawback is that it is harder to manufacture and could snap with enough force.

This is one of the reasons why the 5 Varaha coin is smaller. In order to reduce the chances of it snapping. As for the one Varaha coin, although it is not as strong as the 5 Varaha coin, it will not snap but it will bend, which can be repaired back to shape easily. After going through all these details, Vijay gave the go-ahead to manufacture both coins.

"These are good, proceed to the next step," Vijay said.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Jagannath Mohan said as he quickly left the palace, as he had a lot of tasks to fulfil.

Vijay promptly summoned the old man Ravichandra Rao and instructed him to deposit a total of 20 tonnes of gold in the empire’s Treasury. Though hesitant, the old man complied with Vijay’s orders. This deposit marked a significant shift in the wealth of the Raya family, as their liquid assets, accumulated through gold mining and shipyard sales, dwindled by a staggering 80%.

1 week later...

The currency, which will be newly issued in the empire, has begun mass production. Millions of Varaha have already been printed and stored in the treasury, waiting to be Circulated. Vijay, in a routine inspection, came to inspect the workshops in the wind station of Ramakkalmedu. As soon as he stepped into the region of this state, he noticed the high speed of winds in this area.

Upon reaching the place where the workshops were located, he could see hundreds of windmills turning at a fast speed. As for why there were hundreds of windmills, it was because the number of printing machines and coin-pressing machines had increased.

Vijay had ordered the Raya Machinery Company to drop the production of normal machine tools and produce these Raya printer and coin pressing machines as soon as possible to quickly ramp up the production of the currency.

Vijay could find no other workshops to cooperate as the manufacturing of both the printing press and coin pressing machine was a high-security job, so only his Raya Machinery was eligible to take over this duty.

Vijay inspected each and every workshop where machines were working at full speed. The power from the rotation of windmills quickly fed into the drive mechanism of the Raya printing machine and the coin press. Thousands of Varaha were produced in a minute, and the workers handled the machines with practised ease.

He noticed that whenever the wind speed became too high, the workers would press a lever, which would then disconnect the power from the windmill to the drive shaft. He was very satisfied with this design made by Naveen.

Also, an alteration had been made for the windmills, where if the wind speed is too much, there are some mechanisms in the rotating part at the top that are used to slow down in order to maintain the health of the rotor; high speeds are not good for machinery if it is not rated for that speed.

Upon inspecting the printing press, Vijay noticed that the machine was performing tasks that a traditional Raya-operating press wouldn’t typically do. However, he quickly realized that these actions were part of the anti-counterfeiting methods employed in currency production.

For printing the currency, the Raya-type printing method was utilized due to its superior capabilities in printing coloured text and intricate details, both essential for the notes.

Furthermore, the plates used in the machine were meticulously etched by the finest etching master in the empire, currently employed at the Bharathiya Academy of Sciences. This ensured the highest level of precision and quality in the printing process.

To Be Continued...

P.S. Exams are Almost over, Only 1 MCQ is left, Hopefully, I’ll pass all.