October 25th, 1655
Mughal occupied Bhuj, Gujarat region.
Currently, in the city of Bhuj, it is a nice warm morning with temperatures below 30 degrees, perfect for an outing. However, unfortunately, this pleasant morning is ruined by different hordes of people breaking out in protests in various streets of the city. The people are wearing white-on-white clothes and walking on the streets carrying dolls made of hay.
These dolls resemble the appearance of the Mughal nobles with their Arabic dressing style. People simultaneously set fire to these dolls and loudly protested. Various different chants are also breaking out.
"Swaraj Mera Janmasiddh adhikar hai, aur main ise lekar rahunga"
"Swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright, and I will have it"
"Swaraj Mera Janmasiddh adhikar hai, aur main ise lekar rahunga"
"Swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright, and I will have it"
Vijay was responsible for the appearance of this chant, which was once a very famous battle cry during India’s freedom struggle in the past timeline. Due to the altered course of events in this world, another invasion seemed unlikely for India. Vijay felt it a pity to have such inspiring and morale-boosting chants go unheard by the people. Therefore, he resolved to revive these chants one by one.
The current chant, "Self-rule is my birthright," was spoken by Shree Bal Gangadhar Tilak during the freedom movement in India. Vijay wrote the chant on a piece of paper and sent instructions through the channels of Bharatiya External Pragya. Roshan, who received the instructions, quickly had one of his agents in Bhuj covertly spread the chant, which eventually became famous throughout the city.
As the protests grew increasingly out of hand, the city defence forces were ordered to suppress them. The Mughals would have loved to use force to completely eradicate the protesters, but their connection to the Mughal Empire was almost completely severed. In a city where the majority were not of their ethnicity, they dared not take the gamble.
As soon as the city guards were brought into this mess, they immediately rushed forward with their batons and started hitting people with the sticks. But what was peculiar was that not everyone among these city defence guards was giving their all to this order from their masters. Some of them looked like they were not really willing to hurt these people.
So, the power with which they hit the protesters was greatly reduced.
This incident and several others similar to this were made into a report by the spies in the city and quickly sent to Roshan who is currently stationed in the city of Surendra Nagar. Roshan, who first received the report, and Ramayya Senapati and Narasimha Naik, who received it soon after, were all really surprised by how effective this chant His Majesty came up with was.
This chant fully encompassed the people’s unwillingness to be ruled by a cruel invader and their desire for an independent Bhuj.
Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, Vijayanagar State, Capital City - Hampi.
Vijay is currently travelling to the Bharatiya Academy of Military Sciences, as all three crucial pieces needed to construct the new communication system have been arranged.
As soon as Vijay entered the academy, he was welcomed by Hey Ram, who appeared rosier and happier than before. Vijay, curious about Hey Ram’s demeanour, didn’t hesitate to inquire,
"Hey Hey Ram, what makes you so happy? You look like you’ve found a chest of gold."
Hey Ram’s smile widened even further as he replied, "Even a chest of gold cannot compare to what has happened to me, Your Majesty."
Now intrigued, Vijay wondered what could be more valuable than a chest of gold for a man. Then, his eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood what it could have been, as he had experienced a similar feeling just a few weeks ago.
"Don’t tell me, are you going to be a father and is Umashree pregnant?"
"Hehehe," the big man, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but giggle like a child as soon as he heard his majesty mention his upcoming child. He just found out about the matter yesterday, and he has been on cloud 9 ever since.
Vijay, looking at the guy who was one of his most important and loyal subjects acting like a child, couldn’t help but be happy too. "That’s very heartwarming, congratulations. I will attend the Seemantham if it is possible." Vijay said with a heartfelt smile on his face (A ritual that celebrates a pregnant woman’s fertility and the day her family will fulfil her desires)
Hey Ram was filled with joy upon hearing this promise from his majesty, even though there was still a possibility that his majesty might not attend. Understanding the pressures of war, even the slight chance of his majesty’s attendance would bring great happiness to Hey Ram and his family.
"Thank you, your majesty. Your words are a greater gift to me than anything else."
Vijay nodded in agreement, and they both proceeded into the laboratory. A group of scientists awaited them, ready to begin the construction process.
Inside, everything needed for the construction project had already been prepared. Vijay had instructed Ganapatra Pillai to deliver a dozen high-quality mirrors to the Bharatiya Academy of Military Sciences. Currently, Vijay’s focus is on completing the construction of the communication device.
His goal was to build a telegraph system based on sunlight, known as a heliograph, which utilized flashes of sunlight to transmit signals over a longer distance. This ingenious system was invented by a British engineer in Vijay’s past life. It involved attaching a mirror to surveying equipment to redirect a beam of light, enabling the transmission of light signals for communication purposes.
The principle of heliograph is very simple, which is one of the main reasons Vijay set out to implement this device.
Hey Ram, who was looking at the different parts lying around in the laboratory, couldn’t help but ask, "Your majesty, I have already seen these various parts, but I could not figure out what they could all be used for.
Would it be convenient to tell me?" But after asking the question, he couldn’t help but regret it because looking around, all the scientists were paying attention to their conversation.
Vijay, who saw the concern in Hey Ram’s eyes, did not think he did anything wrong. When he noticed the scientists who were about to leave the room in order to give them space, he waved his hand and had them all stay back. Vijay didn’t keep it under wraps anymore, as there was no need to.
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He explained, "All these parts can be assembled to create a device I’ve named Arkha Parvai, which translates to ’sight of the sun’—combining ’Arkha’ meaning ’sun’ in Sanskrit and ’Parvai’ meaning ’vision’ or ’sight’ in Tamil. This device enables the transfer of messages from one point to another, spanning a few kilometres."
"Gasp"
The scientists who were allowed to listen to the conversation couldn’t help but gasp as they found it unbelievable for such a thing to be built with such normal materials Like metal and glass. Hey Ram, on the other hand, although he did not think of it as impossible, he was still taken aback by this reply he got from his majesty. Could such a device exist? he thought to himself.
But thinking about all the new ideas and inventions coming out of his majesty’s mind, he felt like it would be feasible.
After understanding What had to be done, Hey Ram, Vijay, and the team of scientists that followed immediately got to work.
The lamp is the first component to be constructed, designed for use during nighttime when sunlight is unavailable. Whale oil is the preferred fuel due to its efficient burning properties and ability to produce high temperatures without smoke, resulting in brighter illumination.
However, whales are typically found in colder waters, whereas the oceans and seas surrounding Bharat consist mainly of warm waters. Consequently, the likelihood of whales inhabiting these waters is very low.
Another reason is that even if Vijay plans to import whale oil, the price is through the roof now. Some parts of the whale, especially the AMBERGRIS, could now go for a price much higher than a gram of gold. This alone could stop Vijay from trying to purchase whale oil from Europe.
The last reason is that Vijay wanted to have a stable supply of the oil in large quantities, and since whale oil providing this is impossible, he took it off his considerations.
The next option was olive oil, which had a very high burning factor leading to higher temperatures and more efficient combustion, resulting in brighter lights. Unfortunately, the olive tree can only be grown in some parts of India, and most of these parts are in North India.
While there are still some areas in South India where these trees could be grown, they are typically used to produce high-end cooking oils for the elite of society rather than to burn in lamps for military purposes.
Finally, sesame oil, which was widely available in the empire, was chosen because of its higher burning factor compared to all other options. Although it is a little expensive, it can be considered negligible when compared to olive oil or whale oil.
First, the base of the lamp is built.
Experienced craftsmen cut out a 40 by 40 cm piece of heat-resistant brass and hammered it continuously to create a shallow dish with a raised centre section approximately five centimetres high for the wick assembly. Another cylindrical metal container, previously moulded, fits snugly within the raised centre section of the base.
The cylinder has a capacity of approximately two litres of oil and is equipped with a filler cap with a small opening for refilling, along with a vent hole on the opposite side.
Coming to the wick system, three flat braided wicks made from cotton, approximately 3 cm wide, are used and arranged in a triangular formation within the raised centre section of the base.
In order for the gases to escape the lamp, a cylindrical glass chimney 30 cm tall and 15 centimetres in diameter is used. It is rested securely on a metal ring attached to the base that surrounds the wick assembly.
The stand in which both the mirror and the lamp, as well as the plants, are placed is a sturdy tripod stand 150 centimetres tall, used to safely mount the entire heliograph assembly.
A metal bracket attached to the top of the stand allows for adjusting the reflected beam. The bracket is designed to hold the lamp securely, accommodating its size and weight.
The Arunamalai Kannadi, 75 cm in diameter, is securely mounted on a separate adjustable bracket.
If Vijay had to describe it, he would describe the assembled heliograph as resembling a 21st-century satellite dish setup. However, instead of the curved dish, a mirror is mounted. In front of the mirror sits a lamp, followed by another bracket holding a wooden blind.
The entire assembly rests on a sturdy tripod-like base. It was already 7:00 p.m. when they completed the build.
Following a great scholar’s saying of "There is no tomorrow," they immediately took the newly built heliograph to the top of the building to test it out.
First, the wicks in the lamp were carefully installed. Two litres of clean sesame oil were poured into the lamp’s reservoir. Someone was positioned four to five kilometres away from their location, and the position of the lamp and mirror were adjusted to optimize light reflection and signal transmission.
After confirming that the recipient could see the light, they used the blinds to interrupt the light beam in a fixed pattern.
Five kilometres away, a man wearing a white coat sat restlessly on a chair, his gaze fixed on the horizon to the north with unwavering concentration. His expression conveyed a sense of urgency as if he feared missing something important. Suddenly, he spotted it: a faint, brilliant light piercing through the darkness of the night sky, traversing the five-kilometre distance to reach his eyes.
The sight of the tiny yet precious light moved the man to tears. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the signal abruptly vanished, causing the man to panic. However, relief washed over him as the light reappeared once again.
Immediately recalling that this was the signal used for communication, he retrieved the book he had been given and began deciphering the variations in the light signal he observed. Line by line, he traced his finger through the book until he found the matching combination. Piece by piece, he assembled the letters, words, and sentences until a complete name emerged.
With the final letter of the signal written down, he lifted his pen from the paper. "Hello Dakshin Bhartiya Empire," he exclaimed, the words having travelled five kilometres in mere seconds. Overwhelmed with joy, the man couldn’t help but burst into laughter, "hahaha."
The invention of the heliograph marked the initial stride on the long journey of communication technology. Its remarkable results left an enduring impact on the Bharatiya civilization, elevating the significance of communication technology to what could be deemed an obsession.
It wasn’t until the distant future, with the emergence of quantum bit communication technology, that this obsession was finally assuaged.
After the successful test, everyone involved in the project wore wide smiles on their faces. For Hey Ram, it was doubly joyful, celebrating both his fatherhood and the experimental success.
That night, Vijay arranged a banquet to celebrate the successful test of the Heliograph.
While the heliograph has yet to be tested on a naval vessel, today’s test sufficiently proves its feasibility as a communication channel.