NOVEL NEXT Chapter 187 Nobility, Inheritance, Election Part :1
187 Nobility, Inheritance, Election Part :1
Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, satavahana state ( Maharashtra ) Amravati City.
Near the Ancient Shri Ambadevi Temple in Amravati, there is a monk dressed in white overalls adorned with a Mupatti, a white mask worn by Jain followers to prevent accidental harm to microbes in the air. This monk is named Kishore Balabhadra, standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall with a lean build reminiscent of a strong farmer. Originally born into a noble family, Kishore faced neglect due to being a bastard conceived from a lower-caste woman. Initially harbouring anger for being disregarded, his life took a turn when his mother noticed his unusual mood swings. Concerned, she took him to a Jain monk named Jagannath Varma. Under Varma's teachings and care, Kishore relinquished his obsession with revenge and embraced the path of a Jain monk. His disinterest in familial ties persisted, especially after the passing of his mother due to a strange illness and his master due to old age.
Since then, he has shed the baggage of typical human relationships, retaining only the name Balabhadra from his father's lineage. Not because he feels attached to the family anymore, but because the name Balabhadra resonates well with his journey. According to Jain teachings, Balabhadra is among the sixty-three illustrious beings called śalākāpuruṣas, who are said to grace every half cycle of time. Jain cosmology suggests that śalākāpuruṣas are born on this earth in every Dukhama-sukhamā ara. Legend has it that his father's family was once blessed by Lord Balabhadra, but unfortunately, the blessing seemed to run out as the Balabhadra noble family participated in the rebellion against the emperor and perished.
When he was aimless and traversing the Empire from one place to another, he halted in Amravati, where he discovered solace and purpose. Arriving in Amravati just after the Then Vijayanagar Empire conquered the Satavahana state, witnessing the aftermath of wars and oppression, he resolved to dedicate his life to the well-being of all.
Since then, he has applied his knowledge and succeeded in becoming a civil servant. Fortunately, with the blessings of Lord Adinath of Amravati (Jain God) and considering the scarcity of literate individuals at that time, he secured a position as a civil servant, rapidly ascending the ranks until he became the administrative head of Amravati. Despite receiving praise from the people for his effective leadership, which he initially disliked, attributing it to his noble family background and high-standard Gurukul training, he eventually accepted the praise for what it was. He realized that he couldn't change who he was or his past; all he could do was utilize the knowledge he gained for a good cause. However, it wasn't all praise, as he faced dislike from subordinates due to his stringent approach with zero tolerance for mistakes.
Kishore Balabhadra was doing his work as usual in Amravati City. Today was the day he would implement the hygiene regulations sent by the Ministry of Health. Surprisingly, he heard a knock on his door. Intrigued as to who it was, he told the guest to come in. To his surprise, the one who entered his room was a royal guard. The royal guard, upon seeing the white-clothed monk, bowed his head. He opened the bag he was carrying and, with two hands, handed over the letter written by His Majesty Vijay Devaraya. Intrigued, Kishore also took the letter and read it fully. He was shocked after reading the letter because it was written that His Majesty had instructed him to resign as the administrative head of Amravati and come to the capital as he had an important assignment for him.
Vijayanagara state, Hampi.
After a day of travel, Kishore Balabhadra finally made it to the capital. Swiftly, he was taken to the royal palace after some rest. Entering the royal palace, he was greeted by the old prime minister. Subsequently, the guards who were leading him disappeared. The old minister, Ravichandra Rao, led him to the room where His Majesty was waiting for him. Seeing the young man in the luxurious room, he respectfully bowed down and greeted, "Long live your majesty, long live, long live."
Vijay, looking at the white-clothed middle-aged monk, nodded his head as he was looking forward to meeting him, the person who would eventually have a high position in the empire.
"Respected monk, please sit down. I have some important responsibilities for you to handle."
Kishore Balabhadra quickly sat down at the edge of the chair and leaned forward, waiting for His Majesty to assign the task.
Vijay took out a file from the cupboard beside him and handed it to Kishore. As Kishore read the document, Vijay went on to explain,
"I am working on reforms for the empire, where the three main entities of the constitution—the government, imperial committee, and Election Nobility and Exams Commission (ENEC)—are used to govern the empire. Naturally, the reason I called you is that I deem you capable of leading the election Nobility and exams commission."
Kishore Balabhadra was taken aback by this revelation. From the details he was studying, he realized he would have a lot of power in the Empire for a short period. It could also be called near-emperor-level power for a duration. According to the document, the Election Nobility and Exams Commission or ENEC is an independent entity different from the legislative and executive branches. During the election of politicians, the assignment of nobility, and during the main civil, police, school, college, and university examinations, the ENEC has full control over 25% of the standing army of the Empire. Basically, the Election Nobility and Exams Commission is an entity that can declare a national holiday and bandh on three different occasions only. Reading all this, he could not understand why His Majesty the Emperor would choose a monk like him to wield such great power because he knew that with great power comes great responsibility.
Vijay, as if he understood the monk's thoughts, answered, "I have been searching for suitable talents for this position over the past two months. The head of this entity should be without a family and a dedicated social worker who puts duty above his own well-being. Out of many candidates, you were selected because you meet all these conditions, and you also passed the tests I have put in place."
"Tests?" Kishore asked with a doubtful expression, as he did not go through a trial as far as he could remember.
"You may not know this, but the constant pestering of that beautiful woman, the rich merchant, and the hoodlums you dealt with were arranged by me. Also, the rumour that there was a miracle happening in Amravati was spread to me in order to see if you could handle the influx of people. But to my surprise, even that test was passed by you with flying colours, as the incident was handled immaculately."
Kishore Balabhadra quickly understood and expressed his emotions with a wry smile. 'It looks like His Majesty has thoroughly investigated me,' he thought. But then, he was also relieved that His Majesty did not mind his origin.
Soon, he agreed to the arrangements made by His Majesty, as he could feel that his new position was of great importance. Although he could only stay in the position for 10 years, he is confident that with his work ethic and discipline, he would prove to the people his competence as the observer of the Empire.
Oh yes, the head of the Election Nobility and Exams Commission (ENEC) will be called the observer. The commission will have a special provision of military control of the Empire for a limited duration under the Election Nobility and Exams Act of the Constitution. The observer could only be a monk who has no family, and an observer can serve in office for only 10 years and could be reelected if the people find that the elections and exams have been implemented well.
Kishore soon left the palace.
Vijay was left alone as he finally decided to conclude the constitution. After going through the constitution he had written a few more times, he finally took up a blank leather strip and wrote a royal edict.
The next day.
2 months for Ugadi and 3 months for the completion of troops' combat effectiveness.
The Royal edict, which passed through the Empire, caused quite a stir. This time was different from the first few times in which His Majesty called for the commencement of government meetings because, this time, the elite of society were also included along with the ministers of the Empire. Intellectuals and Gurus also showed up as they were invited. Everyone gathered at the palace grounds where the seatings were arranged. Tukaram was also invited and sat in the front row. The ministers also arrived, and the security of the palace grounds was increased. Along with the royal guards, an additional 50 infantry squads were arranged for security. The hundreds of seats on the palace grounds quickly filled up. The weather conditions were also very good; although not too sunny, it was just right with a warm atmosphere all over the palace grounds.
"Dhum dhum dhum"
To Be Continued...
P.S. I did want to end this arc with this chap, but as I wrote It became 4500 words so I will split it into 3 chaps. I will release the rest of the 2 chaps shortly.
P.S. Edit, I changed the observer's military privilege to 25%.
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