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Chapter 100: Musket Part :1
"Vijay, stop!" Kavya chided Vijay as he teased her.
"What's wrong?" Vijay asked, pretending innocence.
"You know what's wrong! You've been acting like a little boy ever since you got back from Lanka. It's not funny anymore," Kavya said, her cheeks flushed with annoyance.
"I'm just trying to have some fun," Vijay said with a shrug.
"Well, your 'fun' is getting old. And it's not very becoming of a king," Kavya said, crossing her arms.
Their playful moment was cut short by a Report Vijay received from Roshan. Sensing that it might not be good news again, Vijay left in haste. Kavya left alone, couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Roshan's visits had become synonymous with bad news, a pattern that hadn't escaped Kavya's notice since she married Vijay. The extra layer of worry on Roshan's face this time heightened her apprehension, and she braced herself for the potentially dire news that awaited Vijay. Left alone, she wondered about the challenges that might be looming over Vijayanagara and the toll it could take on their lives.
Vijay hurried to the office room in the palace to review the document Roshan had given him. It was marked with an S level of importance that conveyed its significance. As he opened the report, he was stunned to learn about the Mughal Empire's plans to wage war on Vijayanagara. While he had anticipated this, he didn't expect the day to come so soon. Nevertheless, he had been preparing for this day.
The armory had not ceased production since the Dutch war, continuously churning out cannons. Even during battles, the military economy had operated in overdrive, procuring raw materials for another war. Vijay felt more prepared now, especially with the inclusion of two flagship-level battleships, unbeknownst to the Mughals. Additionally, the introduction of flintlocks meant he had another hidden card against the Mughals.
Soon he summoned Yogananda to the palace to inquire.
Vijay inquired calmly, "Is the army's preparation complete?"
Yogananda, ever the loyal army marshal, stood at attention before Vijay and replied, "Your Highness, we currently have 100,000 well-trained and battle-tested soldiers ready for combat, including veterans who participated in the Dutch war. As for the reserve recruits, we can enlist them from the Military Academy whenever the need arises."
A hundred thousand soldiers had participated in the Dutch war; unfortunately, a fraction of them had passed away in combat, leaving only three-fourths of the soldiers. Before the Dutch war started, a division of soldiers stayed in Vijayanagara in case of any emergency threats from the Mughal Empire. This division was also included in the upcoming war, restoring Vijayanagara's standing army to a hundred thousand troops again.
"And how is the replication of the flintlocks going?" Vijay asked. After confiscating the flintlocks from the Dutch, they were quickly sent to the Military Sciences Academy for replication. Vijay had even shared his knowledge of flintlock technology with Hey Ram, the person in charge of this project.
Both Roshan and Yogananda felt embarrassed as they looked at each other in dismay and answered, "Your Highness, I am not entirely sure, but I believe Hey Ram is making quick progress."
Vijay nodded, not surprised by their isolation from such information, as he had ordered tight security on the Academy of Military Sciences, directly overseen by his own personal guards. He did not want to take any chances with information or technology leakage.
Subsequently, Vijay left for the Military Academy of Sciences to meet Hey Ram.
During Vijay's journey, his directives reached numerous military leaders within the empire, outlining the impending conflict with the Mughal Empire. The gravity of the newscast somber expressions on the faces of various generals, prompting them to intensify the training of their troops. Unlike the surgical operations against the Dutch, this was poised to be an all-out war. The unique geographical situation, with Vijayanagara sharing a sole border with the Mughal Empire, rendered the possibility of setting strategic ambushes impossible. The impending confrontation demanded a comprehensive and strategic approach from the Vijayanagara forces.
Vijay finally made his way to the Bhartiya Academy of Military Sciences, where Hey Ram was working on a peculiar gun, polishing some metal pieces. Looking at the gun, Vijay noticed it looked more like a bulkier musket than a flintlock. Hey Ram, seeing Vijay approach, quickly greeted him, "Long live Your Highness, long live." Vijay waved in greeting and asked in confusion, "Is this the gun? Why is it different from the flintlocks of the Dutch?"
Feeling guilty, Hey Ram knelt down and said, "Your Highness, it is all my fault. Please punish me." However, Vijay, sensing the sincerity and urgency, asked him to rise and inquired, "Get up first, tell me what the problem is."
HeyRam quickly replied, "Your Highness, after extensive effort and resources, we managed to decipher the working mechanism of the flintlock and understood every purpose of its parts, down to the minutest details. Regrettably, Your Highness, replicating some of the gun's smaller components in large quantities is proving impossible by manual means. While skilled craftsmen can duplicate the gun, the process is time-consuming. Furthermore, we lack a sufficient number of craftsmen capable of handcrafting these guns, even with round-the-clock work. Our current production capacity is insufficient for the army, not exceeding a hundred guns a day."
Vijay, who heard the reply, suddenly felt enlightened. Even though he had already standardized weights and measurements, he realized that humans are inherently not machines. This is not to say that humans are not precise; on the contrary, in the future, talented and experienced masters could even manufacture jet engines by hand, achieving accuracy down to a few millimeters, much less now where the craftsmen are everywhere. However, this requires extensive training, talent, and resources to cultivate such masters, which he lacks right now.
"Introduction of industrial tools should be put on the agenda," Vijay muttered to himself, realizing that such tools could propel Vijayanagara's industrial capabilities forward by a generation. His focus returned to the gun in Hey Ram's hands, and he inquired further.
"Then what is this?" Vijay asked curiously, his eyes fixated on the unusual firearm that Hey Ram had designed.
HeyRam's face lit up, a wide smile spreading across his features. It was evident that he had been eagerly anticipating this question. With a voice filled with pride, the big man explained, "Your Highness, after delving into the principles underlying the flintlock gun, I was struck by a sudden flash of inspiration. It dawned upon me, why not simplify the design of this weapon and make it more..., ah! how to put it, basic? Drawing upon the knowledge gained from our endeavors in cannon construction, I set out to create a smaller, handheld version. By integrating the flintlock technology we have been diligently researching, I have fashioned this gun. While it may not match the precision or rate of fire of the flintlock, it boasts superior power and is both easier to manufacture and maintain."
Vijay inspected the weapon with growing interest. It resembled a musket in appearance, its sturdy frame and large barrel exuding an air of formidable power. Eager to test its capabilities, he led the way to the testing grounds.
Upon arriving at the designated area, Vijay instructed an assistant, a young man who had oil stains all over his clothes, to put the weapon to the test.
The assistant, his movements practiced and methodical, proceeded to load the firearm. He skillfully poured a handful of gunpowder into the barrel, followed by a tightly packed iron ball. Using a ramrod, he firmly tamped the ball down, ensuring it was securely lodged in place. Finally, he raised the weapon and pulled the trigger.
A deafening explosion erupted, the recoil momentarily jolting the assistant's grip. The iron ball whizzed through the air, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake, and struck a large iron shield placed approximately fifty meters away with a resounding clang.
To be continued...