12th October 1655
Gujarat region, Surendranagar city.
In the city of Surendranagar, panic gripped the common people, as fear mounted with each passing moment as they awaited the potential attack from the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire. While a few skirmishes had already taken place, the anticipated major battle had yet to be launched, at least not yet.
Many people fled the city to escape the impending war. Unfortunately, most of these refugees unwittingly found themselves back within the territory controlled by the Mughal Empire.
This wasn’t because they favoured the Mughal Empire or felt secure within its borders; rather, it was due to their lack of awareness about the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire and uncertainty about the treatment of refugees there. At least in the Mughal Empire, they knew what to expect, even if it wasn’t ideal.
The lack of awareness about the Bharatiya Empire was because, during the mass migration of people from the Mughal Empire to the Bharatiya Empire in the initial months of its establishment, hundreds of thousands of individuals moved to the Bharatiya Empire, drawn by the familiarity of the name "Bharat," which resonated with the people of the subcontinent.
However, to counteract this soft power, the Mughal Empire exploited its backward transportation and communication networks to block any information about the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire. They also spread negative rumours about the empire, tarnishing its reputation among the people.
While this strategy failed in major cities with robust connections, it succeeded in remote towns and villages with limited access to external information.
Although the Bharatiya External Pragya tried to reverse this trend by spreading information in the Mughal Empire, it became futile because the amount of information dispersed was nothing compared to the amount of misinformation made up by the Mughal Empire.
So, this is how Roshan came up with the plan and proposed it to Ramayya Senapati and Narasimha Nayak. He suggested bombarding the city of Surendra Nagar with propaganda about the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire.
Despite the unsuccessful attempts in the past, Roshan suggested that with a targeted approach and the ill-developed road network and communication network of the Mughal Empire, which could act as both a prison and a defensive fortress considering the kind of scenario it is used in, he felt like it could just work.
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Ramayya Senapati and Narasimha Nayak thought about it for a moment and they felt it was worth a try.
Back at Vijayanagar State, Dakshin Bhartiya Empire.
Vijay was informed of the decision reached by Ramayya Senapati, Narasimha Nayak, and Roshan. So, when he read up on the discussion, he suddenly came up with an idea.
He took up a pen and a piece of paper and wrote a pamphlet describing the atrocities of the Mughal Empire and also asking the refugees to move towards the Dakshin Bharathiya Empire, denying the rumours and allegations by the Mughal Empire.
Vijay would have loved to draw some animations or sketches on the pamphlet, but unfortunately, that would require the use of a raya printing machine, which is currently being used at full capacity to print the new currency of the empire. So, Vijay could only settle for the improved Gutenberg printing machine.
Vijay wrote this pamphlet in the languages of Sanskrit and Gujarati. That is because the language of Bharati is not spread in the Mughal Empire, and as the target for this pamphlet is in Gujarat, it only makes sense to include the Gujarati language. As for Sanskrit, it is a common language of the subcontinent, so its inclusion is natural.
After writing the pamphlet, "Uncle Ravi," Vijay called.
"What can I do for you, your Majesty?" Ravichandra Rao responded and asked.
"Contact the manager at Raya Printing Services and have him immediately print 5000 copies of this pamphlet. Also, remember to inform Minister Lokesh to meet me at the Bharatiya Academy of Sciences in two hours," Vijay said as he handed the pamphlet he had written to Ravichandra Rao.
Ravichandra quickly nodded, offering a small bow, before exiting the room with purpose. His next tasks were clear: to dispatch the pamphlet to Raya Printing Services and to reach out to the Minister of Health of the empire.
"Hehe," Vijay chuckled amusedly. "The printer is being used for spreading propaganda through pamphlets before it is even used for the production of newspapers. I guess history finds a way to repeat itself." he thought
After issuing the order for the production of the pamphlets, Vijay swiftly jotted down his instructions and dispatched them to Ahmedabad for Roshan, Ramayya Senapati, and Narasimha Nayak to implement.
Within that day, the production of the pamphlets had begun.
As for the next objective of the day, Vijay picked up some sort of mould and left for the Bharatiya Academy of Sciences.
Upon arriving at the Bharatiya Academy of Sciences, Vijay was once again welcomed by Raghuram Bhatt.
"Raghuram, arrange a biological experimental lab for me. Also, send the chief scientist of the Biology Department, Vinay, to the lab," Vijay instructed.
Raghuram nodded and replied, "Yes, your Majesty."
Vijay was led to the biology lab, where he found a sliding rod microscope, a simple spring microscope, various thermometers, and an array of alchemical and apothecary tools. Some of the microscopes and thermometers, along with a few alchemical tools, were imported from Europe, as the Bharatiya Empire had yet to establish local production of such instruments.
Within minutes, Vinay entered the lab and greeted Vijay respectfully, "Long live your majesty."
Vijay nodded in acknowledgement and gestured for Vinay to take a seat.
"Vinay," Vijay began, "have you compiled a catalogue of medicines and herbs that could prove useful in various battlefield situations?"
Vinay was taken aback by the abrupt question. While he hadn’t been specifically tasked with such a project, he had fortunately conducted research on herbs and their effects on the human body.
Though uncertain about the specific conditions soldiers might face on the battlefield, he replied, "Your majesty, while I may not be familiar with all the Different kind of traumas the soldiers may encounter, I can provide a list of several widely available and effective medicinal herbs."
Vijay nodded his head in acknowledgment, as it is indeed true that he had not assigned this task to Vinay, but still, he came to inquire about this detail because he knew Vinay was doing research in this field.
Seeing his majesty nod his head in agreement Vinay continued,
"Your Majesty, willow bark could be used for pain relief and fever reduction. Aloe vera could be used for wound healing and for the treatment of burns. Honey could be used for wound healing and sore throat. Garlic could be used for anti-infection purposes and to maintain optimal health. Turmeric could be used to prevent infection, as well as for general well-being.
White willow bark could be used for pain relief, fever relief, and to reduce the swelling of wounds. Opium poppy could be used for pain relief and to induce sleep," Vinay explained, listing a few more of the herbs widely used in the Empire.
Vijay nodded appreciatively. These medical herbs covered a wide range of traumas that could generally be caused in battle. He wasn’t surprised that Vinay didn’t mention the antibacterial or antiviral properties of these herbs, as microbes had not yet been discovered. There was still a decade or two for that to happen.
In the past Earth timeline, the concept of microbes was confirmed between the years 1665 and 1683, with Hooke publishing the first depiction of a microorganism, the microfungus Mucor, in his 1665 book Micrographia.
Vijay mused that the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire could potentially overtake the Europeans in this field, given the long-standing presence of the concept of microbes in the faith of Jainism. Discussions about microbes had been part of Jainism, based on Mahavira’s teachings about their existence, dating as far back as the 6th century BCE.
However, Vijay realized that he would have to wait until the technology of the microscope advanced to such a level that microbes could be observed, opening a new chapter in clinical studies, biology, and other related fields.
Vijay quickly outlined the treatment methods for various battlefield injuries, instructing Vinay to conduct research and set up clear regulations and instructions for medical staff as soon as possible.
"For gunshot wounds, it’s imperative to delicately remove any embedded shards from the skin using sanitized tools cleaned with alcohol. Yarrow is recommended for cleansing the wound, while turmeric is suggested for preventing infection," Vijay stated.
Vinay diligently recorded Vijay’s instructions in his small notebook.
"For stab wounds, the prescribed treatment mirrors that of gunshot wounds," Vijay continued.
"When dealing with blunt force trauma, ashwagandha is recommended, And for cases of amputation, the Ayurvedic combination of ashwagandha, turmeric, ginger, liquorice, Brahmi, guggul, and Shatavari is advised," Vijay concluded.
"Conduct the experiments as soon as possible and promptly provide the results," Vijay instructed.
"Yes, your Majesty," Vinay replied, affirming the task.
Vijay then presented the mould he had been carrying and placed it on the table in front of Vinay.
"This is a fungal mould that inhibits the growth of disease-causing small insects. I need you to determine if you can extract these properties from the mould and formulate it into an ingestible substance, whether a pill or a liquid," Vijay explained.
Vinay closely examined the mould, his eyes almost touching the fungus. He had never encountered anything like it before, so he inquired, "Where was this found, your Majesty?"
"It was discovered by the medical staff assigned to the battlefield of Gujarat. They excavated this mould and observed its unique properties," Vijay replied.
Vinay nodded, refraining from further questions as he needed to conduct additional research on this mould. "And what is its name, your Majesty?"
"The individual who found it named it Penicillium," Vijay answered.
Vinay found the name peculiar but didn’t dwell on it. Vijay then recalled another important point, "Also, Vinay, look into extracting substances from the opium poppy to enhance the effectiveness of pain relief. Extreme pain is one of the major causes of death during amputations, after all."
As Vinay pondered the possibility and nodded in acknowledgement, Vijay seized the opportunity to telepathically embed the seed of knowledge into Vinay’s mind. This subtle transmission would help Vinay understand the experimental methods more clearly and guide him in conducting the research effectively.
*Knock, knock*
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Vijay, who had heard the sound, could guess who it was, so he said, "Come in."
As Vijay expected, it was Lokesh, the Minister of Health of the empire. Lokesh was surprised to see Vinay also present along with his majesty.
"Long live, your Majesty," Lokesh greeted respectfully. "Hello, Vinay, long time no see," He further remarked with a smile.
Vinay was also Taken aback by Lokesh’s presence, so he replied, "Long time no see indeed, Lokesh. I haven’t seen you for what, two years? How are you?"
Vijay allowed the two people to socialize for a little while, and he could sense their mutual respect for each other. Both had been candidates for the Minister of Health of the empire and eventually, Lokesh won the seat. However, Vinay did not lose out because as soon as the Bharatiya Academy of Sciences was established, he was recruited as one of the chief scientists.
Currently, he is excelling both academically and scientifically.
Having allowed the two men to converse for long enough, Vijay interjected, "Alright, now let’s focus on the reason I called you."
Hearing his majesty’s words, Lokesh suddenly put on a serious expression on his face and sat up straight, carefully listening to the instructions given by His Majesty.
"Vinay and I have already discussed the herbs and medicines required in case of different traumas on the battlefield. We have come up with seven to nine sets of herbs for the treatments," Vijay explained.
"Within a week or two, Vinay should be able to come up with the different regulations for this treatment. But until then, I need you to draft a plan for the establishment of the life bank of Bharat."
"This life bank will be similar in structure and organization to the Food Bank of the Ministry of Agriculture. However, instead of grains and essential food, you will store essential herbs and medical supplies that can be preserved for longer times to be quickly dispatched to needed areas within the empire or to the battlefield.
Currently, all the medicines are being collected from different farms all over the empire. While this is not a problem for the fresh herbs as they cannot be preserved for long, it will become a problem for concoctions and the new drugs Vinay is about to research."
Lokesh nodded, casting a quick glance at Vinay from the corner of his eye, and was impressed by his capabilities.
"So, I need this plan as soon as possible. Don’t delay it," Vijay said, looking at Lokesh. Then, turning his head towards Vinay, he added, "You as well, Vinay, complete the research as soon as possible. The time is tight. Use as many resources as you require, but I need the results," Vijay instructed.
"Yes, your Majesty," both Vinay and Lokesh replied simultaneously, accepting their respective tasks.
After assigning the tasks, Vijay finally left the Academy of Sciences. In all honesty, Vijay did not want to develop Western drug-based medicines. Unfortunately, he had to face the reality that drug-based medicines were the most effective and the cheapest to produce.
Although he still believed that the human body should be strengthened to protect against diseases rather than relying on temporary immunity, he came to a conclusion.
The Dakshin Bharatiya Empire would do both. On one end, drugs that are very effective and can be widely circulated would be developed. On the other hand, research and experimentation for strengthening the body’s immunity would be studied, aiming for a balance between both practices.