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Chapter 93: Vijayanagara's Victory in Lanka
The early morning sun casts a serene glow over the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. The sea was awash with rolling waves crashing against the port walls, creating a misty and turbulent scene.
"Yarn," the guard stationed atop the primary lookout tower, felt drowsy. The misty weather combined with the early hour had put most of the lookouts in a similar state, as there had been no security threats for a long period of time. With the Dutch occupying the island, none dared provoke them. Though there were rebellions on land, no one possessed the naval might to confront the Dutch in their sea-bound colony. The lookout job was considered low-risk and high-paying due to the lack of danger, attracting many elites to assign their less capable children as guards, which unfortunately made the task easier for Vijay.
The leading personnel in the port, in the absence of their superiors, had a relatively lax atmosphere as most of them in the Colombo port were all still asleep, leaving the grunt work for the slaves.
Jivan, the person on the lookout tower, casually looked at the horizon of the sea. He was stunned awake by the vision he was seeing; he could barely see multiple ships approaching roughly a hundred meters ahead. But he did not ring the bell to alert the superiors as he vaguely saw that the ship resembled that of the Dutch.
Furthermore, as the ship arrived closer, it was draped with the Dutch Royal Navy flag, which confirmed his suspicion as he let go of the guard.
"So the expedition was over, huh?"
He thought to himself as he was aware of the expedition that left a week ago.
As the ship approached a close enough distance where he could see the personnel on the ship, he felt something was wrong as all the faces he saw on the ship had brown faces just like him, and there were no faces of the Dutch.
An actual shiver ran down his spine as he reached out his hand to ring the bell.
"Swish."
But it was too late as he was already shot in his head.
This interval was plenty, as it provided enough time for the arriving ships to dock at the port.
On board the ship, Vijay was elated with the successful infiltration into the port. He deliberately chose the early morning hours for maximum stealth. Despite their possession of larger calibre cannons on the battleships capable of breaching defences, he avoided brute force tactics. The artillery on the sentries of Colombo port could still inflict significant damage on the warships, which Vijay found unacceptable.
Though the potential damage from their bombardment wouldn't be extensive due to the lower calibre ammunition and the robust defence of the battleship, Vijayanagara's lack of experience in shipbuilding and maintenance, coupled with the yet to captured technicians from the Dutch, presented a hurdle Vijay preferred to sidestep.
Furthermore, the weather conditions on the eve of the operation were also highly favourable, reinforcing his decision to not take unnecessary risks.
"Hey..."
"ahhhh"
"Ring the bell"
As the ship docked, a swift massacre unfolded. Vijayanagara soldiers immediately split up, embarking on an extermination mission.
Before long, a significant commotion finally alerted the higher officials at the Colombo port. However, by the time they reacted, the soldiers had already been defeated, and the Vijayanagara soldiers were already at their doorstep.
They had no chance but to wave the white flag and surrender in shame.
Finally, in the shortest time, Vijay managed to conquer the Colombo port, freeing all the slaves that the Dutch had enslaved, including the natives of Lanka and a decent number of indigenous Africans. A hundred kilometres of the Colombo port were wiped clean of Dutch presence, and the white men found to have committed various atrocities were immediately hanged in public for all to see.
"Clap, clap, clap."
Amidst the jubilant cheers and applause resonating through the Colombo port, justice was finally served as the perpetrators of ruin, those who had enslaved and extinguished lives, faced the consequences. Tears welled in many eyes; the Africans, unfamiliar with the language, sensed a shift in the air, understanding that the once-oppressive hold over them was coming to an end. The sight of the oppressors being punished before their eyes triggered an outpouring of emotions, tears cascading down their faces as they swayed and danced to an unfamiliar yet captivating rhythm.
In the subsequent weeks, the Vijayanagara army, relentless in their conquest, encountered little respite as the Kotte fort swiftly succumbed to their might. Notably, the Kotte fort had suffered prior damage during the Kingdom of Kandy's conquest, thus significantly weakening its defences. This weakened state facilitated Vijay's conquest of Kotte, encountering minimal resistance. Evidently, the Dutch seemed overly assured that the hinterlands of their colony were impregnable, leading them to delay further fortification efforts.
Kotte, restructured as a temporary bastion, not only facilitated the logistical requirements of the Vijayanagara forces but also emerged as a strategic command centre, overseeing the impending assault on Sitawaka. The city had undergone a similar fate to Kotte, bearing the scars of prior conflicts that had weakened its defensive fortifications. This vulnerability played into the hands of the Vijayanagara forces, swiftly enabling them to assert control over Sitawaka within the span of a day.
Selvan's impact in this battle cannot be overstated. Adhering to Vijay's directives, he spearheaded an extensive propaganda campaign that reached throughout the land, targeting able-bodied soldiers who had previously served under the various kingdoms that had succumbed to the dominion of the Kandy Kingdom, The puppet power under the control of the Dutch, and had been lying low in wait. Selvan's persuasive strategies played a vital role in convincing these soldiers to align themselves with Vijayanagara, uniting them under the banner of the expanding empire. This strategic amalgamation substantially bolstered Vijayanagara's military prowess and regional influence.
Vijay, deeply impressed by Selvan's accomplishments in the battle, resolved to honour and reward Selvan once the conflict concluded.
With the backing of the rebel forces, the battle progressed even more seamlessly, and the fortunes of the Dutch quickly waned, leaving them with nowhere to seek refuge. Utilizing the assistance of the general populace, individuals within the Dutch ranks—both innocent and guilty—were identified and faced immediate retribution, in accordance with the nature of their offences.
The individuals within the Dutch payroll who were native Lankans were not exempt from the Scruteny of the general public and subsequently faced their reckoning. Confronted with the palpable resentment in the eyes of the public, they gradually acquiesced to their fate, ceasing their resistance in the face of the inevitable consequences.
Finally, Vijay set his sights on Kandy, the power centre of the current Lanka..
The large-calibre cannons were dismantled from the Dutch battleship and Quickly transported to the frontlines of Kandy Fort, the final obstacle impeding Vijay's conquest of Lanka.
Capturing the capital of Lanka from within was unfeasible due to the substantial presence of Dutch forces within the city, limiting the efficacy of undercover operations to a minimal level. However, the availability of higher-calibre artillery allowed them to engage from a distance beyond the reach of the city walls of Kandy, providing a tactical advantage.
With a continuous bombardment for an hour, a breach was finally opened within the Kandy fort, which seemed impenetrable just a few hours ago.
As the larger number of the Vijayanagara army rushed into the city, the defence had no chance for a counterattack as they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers alone.
In a matter of a few hours, the Kingdom of Kandy was fully captured by the might of Vijayanagara. Blood flowed through the walls of Kandy as the most corrupt and detestable white men and their lackeys found their place in hell. Vijay had no thoughts of capturing them and asking for ransom, as the evils they had committed far exceeded what he could overlook.
The same scene that occurred in Colombo port was repeated in Kandy; the detestable were judged for their wrongdoings.
Finally, Two independent Brigades with a battleship were dispatched to the northern part of the island, previously known as the Kingdom of Jaffna, for conquest. With higher firepower and more people, it did not prove to be a challenge as the final land of Lanka was also conquered, including the Wanni region in the northernmost part of the island. The Wanni region did not possess significant military capability but was under the control of a few scattered tribes who paid tribute to the Jaffna Kingdom.
In the royal castle of Kandy, a young man with black hair smeared with blood, holding a bloodied talwar that was still dripping with hot blood, stood there. There was a dead body in front of him with a slit-open throat. Vijay looked ahead with chilling calmness, having successfully removed the puppet king of Lanka.
With this, the island of Lanka came under the direct control of Vijayanagara, ending the month-long expedition far away from home.