Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

2nd October 1655.

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

It was already approaching evening in the beautiful city of Hampi. Due to the increase in security measures in the empire, it is now considered safe to commute at night. Additionally, every street in the capital is lit with street lamps.

Although this service could not be provided to all the cities in the empire, it is available in all the capital cities of various states — including its financial, cultural, and educational capitals.

Due to the street lamps in these cities, the lifestyle of the people changed accordingly. People started to spend more money, and businesses like the catering industry, lodging industry, and other service-oriented industries saw increased profits as people started to travel more. Occasionally, townsfolk would visit the city as a tourist destination. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Vijay, who had just concluded his discussion with Aditya about the appointment of General Sargent & Rear Admiral Seaman, was going back to the place where he met with the intelligence and military personnel yesterday. On the way, unexpectedly, he saw Kavya walking towards him. She had a smile on her face as she carried two to three design papers.

Vijay’s face brightened upon seeing Kavya approaching, and he quickly went forward and hugged her. Kavya accepted the hug, but she denied the hand that was moving downward with a slap.

Vijay, Not caring about the small action of Kavya, expressing care and affection in his voice, inquired, "Is there anything my dear wife needs? I will ensure it’s taken care of, except for asking to travel outside the capital.

If so, I’m truly sorry, but you must refrain from leaving the capital city in your condition," he stated, assuming Kavya was inquiring about the possibility of travelling outside the capital for her company’s expansion.

Kavya put on a cute pouting expression for a while when she was rejected without even asking. Although she originally did not want to bring it up, Kavya felt slightly disappointed that she was confined to the royal capital

Unknown to Kavya, her pregnancy was not the only reason Vijay denied her permission to travel outside the capital city; it was also because of the Mughal Empire’s tactics used in the Nepal War. He is worried about the possibility of Kavya encountering a lunatic who has somehow slipped through the net.

Hence, Vijay made the security policy more stringent in the empire, especially in the capital. If he had no ambition, he would have already issued the Aadhaar card (Indian identification card) to deal with the security threat.

But now that he has an ambition for a United India, he wants to do it all at once so that he does not have to re-establish the Aadhaar system when the new United Empire takes shape.

Kavya, unaware of Vijay’s thought process, clarified her original purpose for seeking his audience, "I actually didn’t come to discuss the possibility of travelling anywhere, but rather something entirely different."

Hearing Kavya’s words, Vijay was fully invested now and put his attention on her.

Kavya continued, "Didn’t you set up three legions in the empire? I noticed that these legions did not have any names, so I took it upon myself to name these three legions and also thought of different emblems for these legions."

Vijay was surprised by this sudden change of demeanour in Kavya. Before, she did not use to convey her opinion when it came to the empire’s affairs. He had always thought that it was because Kavya was not interested in it, but now that he looks at it, it might be that she inadvertently might have had low self-esteem because of her inability to give birth.

Although he said that he was the one responsible, Kavya might have thought otherwise. He found it difficult to accept the extent to which women in this era relied on societal perceptions of them.

Anyway, Vijay could not change that view immediately, as it has taken many generations to build up all these norms about how a certain society views certain things.

It will at least take an industrialized society where men no longer need to be afraid for their lives and frequent wars, and for women to reach a level where they can participate in various strata of society for their equity in the hierarchy of decision-making concerning the human species to increase.

Overall, Vijay is now very happy that Kavya is actively participating in the affairs of the empire.

Kavya eagerly presented the three designs she came up with for the three legions of the empire. The first emblem of the legion was named Veer Bhoomi Legion, also referred to as the Land of the Brave Legion. This emblem featured what seemed to be a Sikh man as the centrepiece, carrying a shield, with a sword in a helmet design being cleverly embedded.

Besides this Sikh man, many soldiers were depicted carrying flintlocks and muskets. The words "Veer Bhumi" and "Legion" were outlined in bold Bharathi text.

The next emblem of the legion was called the Trishul Shakthi Legion, alternatively known as the Power of the Trident Legion. Its design depicted Shiva in his asana with tridents emerging from his back on both sides. The words "Trishul Shakthi Legion" were highlighted in bold Bharathi language below the depiction of Shiva.

The last emblem of the legion was called the Bharat Kesari Legion, or Lion of India Legion. This design featured a straightforward depiction of a lion as the centrepiece, wearing a crown on its head. Soldiers were depicted all around the lion. The words "Bharat Kesari" and "Legion" were written above and below the design, respectively.

Vijay was very satisfied with the names given to the legions, as well as the emblems by Kavya. The only problem was that these designs were too complex to be put on the uniforms of the soldiers. However, seeing Kavya’s expectant eyes, he did not want to disappoint her, so he said, "The names and designs are excellent, Kavya, but it’s just that the design is too complex."

Kavya’s excitement dropped a little as the light in her eyes dimmed, but before she could speak, Vijay Interjected.

"However as the technology of the empire increases, it shouldn’t be too long before this emblem could be seen on each and every soldier of the empire. Until then, this logo will be stitched only on the uniforms of the Commander, Lieutenant General, Major General, and Brigadier General as a show of rank. The legions will be renamed according to your ideas."

Kavya was overjoyed that she was not totally rejected. She gave Vijay a small kiss on his cheek as she quickly walked away with happiness.

Vijay smiled, touched his cheek with contentment, and finally made it to the meeting room. The map that was laid out yesterday was still in the same position, and all the military leaders and intelligence officers were present and still seated in the same positions.

Without any deviation, Vijay started outlining his strategy for the war.

"Good evening, gentlemen. I will not waste anyone’s time as time is precious, and even more so in the current moment. The plan that I have visualized is what I call the choking strategy."

The military leaders were intrigued and leaned forward in their seats, awaiting His Majesty’s plan.

Vijay continued with an angry tone, "You all have seen what the Mughal Empire did to Bhutan and the three kingdoms in Nepal. Such acts are unforgivable. Defeating the enemy is one thing, but blatantly massacring entire cities, towns, and villages is another. Without regard for anything, those barbarians have destroyed our temples and are building their mosques on top of them as a sign of victory.

Maybe they have forgotten the beating they took from us last time, but unfortunately for them, this time, I do not want to merely give them a beating."

Vijay clenched his fist, and the volcano he had once suppressed awakened again. His face turned grim.

"I want to send that empire, built on the bones of our Bharatiyas into oblivion. I don’t merely seek to conquer it; I want their foolish king to feel the slow, agonizing dismemberment of his empire. I want him to experience the creeping dread of his downfall, like millions of insects gnawing away at his very being.

I want him to witness the gradual erosion of his empire, limb by limb, until nothing remains but despair. I want him to experience the torment of help being so near yet so far, I want him to feel the torment of helplessness, as death looms ever closer, just out of reach. "

Vijay was practically roaring at this point.

"I WANT TO CHOKE HIM, TO STEAL HIS BREATH, TO DENY HIM THE RIGHT TO BREATHE. I WANT HIM TO EXPERIENCE HELL UNTIL HIS LAST GASP."

Vijay’s teeth were clenched as his blood pumped 100 miles an hour through his veins just thinking about the possibility. His hands were outstretched as if they held the heart of Mohammad, only waiting for a moment for Vijay to crush it.

The generals had also received a huge adrenaline boost from His Majesty’s declaration. Everyone in the room, including Kiran Poojari, was clenching their fists, and sounds of knuckles cracking could be heard. They now had the determination to fight the world, knowing that His Majesty possessed such an iron will.

Since their empire had the ability to execute His Majesty’s will, that is exactly what they would do, even if they had to climb over a hill of bones.

Vijay took a moment to calm down and explain his general strategy, "So according to my choking plan, the first objective is to cut off the supplies and communication channels of the Mughal Empire from the outside world. The Mughal Empire should not be able to receive any help or supplies from its allies, which currently include the Ottoman Empire and partially the Safavid Empire.

Hence, we will first attack the naval capabilities in Gujarat and completely destroy the Gujarat Navy. From there, we will capture the Gujarat region, then move on to the Sindh region, followed by the Punjab region, and lastly the Kashmir region. This is our first plan of attack."

Everyone nodded along.

"Simultaneously, the Bengal region should be occupied, and the naval capabilities of the Mughal Empire in the Bengal Sea should be completely destroyed. Then, we slowly take back Mughal-occupied Bhutan, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and finally form a full circle at Kashmir, completely encircling the Mughal Empire."

Kiran Poojari had a doubt as he raised his hand.

Vijay signalled for him to speak up.

"Your Majesty, do we seek help from the Ahom kingdom to attack the eastern end of the Mughal Empire?"

Hearing the question, Vijay did not hesitate as he quickly responded, "No. If we allow the Ahom kingdom to participate in this endeavour, they will also be entitled to its spoils. Honestly, I do not want that to happen. Instead, I want the Ahom kingdom to act as a logistic centre for our eastward operation. As compensation, we could pay in any sort of currency necessary."

"But Your Majesty, the troops will not be sufficient if we do such a thing," Kiran Poojari replied again.

"You don’t worry about that. I will come up with a plan by then," Vijay assured him.

Kiran quieted down.

"Are there any remaining questions?"

Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.

Vijay nodded his head in acceptance and stated, "Now that we know our initial approach and overall outline for this war, let’s discuss and come up with the specific battle plans."

For the next five to six hours, well into the middle of the night, the generals and intelligence personnel discussed various battle plans for the empire to win this war. Finally, at 2 a.m., the battle plans were finalized, and everyone was led to the guest rooms in the palace for a much-needed rest; they had a long day starting tomorrow.

Before retiring for the night, Vijay composed a letter intended for the Ahom kingdom. In it, he detailed the Empire’s impending attack on the Mughal Empire and the motivations driving this action. Additionally, he requested the Ahom kingdom to serve as a logistical centre for the Empire’s operations in the Northeast of the subcontinent.

As an afterthought, Vijay included a query regarding the possibility of employing Lachit Borphukan for the upcoming war. Though he doubted the feasibility of this request, he deemed it important to mention it just in case.