Chapter 108: Mumbai Battle: One
At the break of dawn on the first day of battle, Vijay stood on the deck of the Vijayanagara Empire's flagship—the Man of War Battleship, acquired from the Dutch. Behind him, Ramayya Senapati stood ready for his commands. The sea breeze swept towards the north, propelling the warship forward. In its wake, hundreds of smaller merchant ships trailed, transporting the remaining forces of Vijayanagara.
For this expedition, a full ten brigades were dispatched to conquer the Mumbai port, constituting half of the existing Vijayanagara army. Vijay agreed to this arrangement because Mumbai was crucial to both Vijayanagar and the Mughal Empire. It was evident that the Mumbai port would be heavily defended as informed by the intelligence department, but he was confident that with the battleship he was standing on, it would not be too difficult to break through the stone wall of the Mumbai fort.
In terms of why he was so intent on conquering Mumbai, there were several reasons. Mumbai, a coastal marvel, is a pivotal trade hub with roots extending to a thousand years in the past and probably into the future. Its strategic location on Bharat's west coast facilitated maritime commerce, making it a beacon for international trade with ancient African and Arabic nations. Under the colonial rule in the past Earth timeline, the British shaped Mumbai into a major port and economic centre, and even in the present time, Mumbai stands as the Mughals' financial powerhouse.
Because of its rich commercial and diverse heritage, Mumbai has gained a lot of cultural diversity from trade with African and Arabic nations, introducing various new concepts and cultures.
In ancient times, Mumbai was at the forefront of the spice road connecting India, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asian countries. This spice road facilitated the exchange of spices, precious stones, and other goods for which India was renowned. Mumbai was one of the cities that had a significant impact on Indian civilization.
It is imperative that Vijayanagara is successful in regaining control of Mumbai. Even before he left for this expedition, Vijay knew that this would be an arduous task.
At the moment, the first battleship, consisting of Vijay and the army led by Ramaiah Senapathi, moved out of Mangalore Port. Simultaneously, the second battleship, stationed in the east of the empire at Visakhapatnam port, also set sail. This battle group carried a smaller number of soldiers, with only five brigades led by Narasimha Naik. While the force might be considered overkill for the Paradip port, which is not well-armed, this approach is intended to provide reinforcements to the inland battle group led by Yogendra Singh and Kiran Pujari.
Five hours later:
The coastline of Mumbai became visible on the horizon. Vijay, upon seeing this scene, was momentarily mesmerized. In the future, Mumbai will be one of the top metropolitan cities in the world and will be the commercial and cultural centre of India. It can compete with any top city in the world with its amazing architecture and unique commercial atmosphere. Despite the rise of Bangalore as the Silicon Valley of India, the name of the commercial centre of India did not waver from Mumbai.
Now, seeing this scene without the tall skylines throughout the coast made him feel somewhat emotional. Now, It was the time when the afternoon sun was at its highest point. Getting nearer to the coast, Vijay could identify that this is the Dadar area of Mumbai island.
Searching for an appropriate location to anchor the ships carrying the army, they discovered a natural harbour at a 40° port side angle, spacious enough to accommodate the merchant ships. Before them, a massive fort stood, obstructing the passage inside the wall. Atop the wall, soldiers adorned with green hats scurried about in a state of panic, a predictable response upon witnessing the monstrous battleship and a small fleet of hundreds of sailboats advancing toward them. The warning bell had already sounded by the time the battleship became visible on the horizon.
15 minutes ago, inside the Mumbai fort.
In a lavish residence, a middle-aged man adorned in opulent green Islamic attire, seemingly crafted from silk interwoven with golden threads, sat at a dining table. This distinguished figure was none other than Mustafa Ali, appointed by his royal highness Muhammad as the commander of the Mumbai South district defence force. Mustafa engaged in his meal, As he relished a luxurious dinner of beef curry paired with parotta, meticulously served by his maid. With each bite, he emitted satisfied moans, indicative of the exquisite flavour of the beef. He even indulged in sucking his fingers, heightening the visual appeal of the feast. Amidst this culinary delight, his servant hastily entered, clumsily disrupting the scene. Disturbed during his meal, Mustafa Ali shot a stern glare at the servant, conveying his displeasure.
Sensing the palpable threat in his master's demeanour, the servant cried out in sheer terror, "Your Highness, Vijayanagar is attacking us! A colossal ship appeared on the horizon, accompanied by hundreds of others. Rough estimates suggest there are more than 20,000 soldiers." Mustafa, initially poised to unleash his fury, found his words stifled by the alarming revelation. Mumbai, a pivotal port for the Mughal Empire, typically housed a year-round garrison of at least 30,000 soldiers. In the current heightened state of affairs, this number has already increased.
Mustafa had undeniably fallen into a state of complacency with the army's presence. Entrusted months ago with the task of installing cannons sent from the capital, he had succumbed to the allure of greed, secretly embezzling and selling them to various merchants at exorbitant prices. Residing in the less affluent part of Mumbai, he found himself not as prosperous as his fellow commanders, and this financial disparity fueled his covetous instincts. The news of Vijayanagara launching an assault struck him with paralyzing fear. It wasn't the fear of Vijayanagara conquering Mumbai that gripped him, but the dread that his misuse of power would be exposed to the capital. Dethronement and loss of power loomed as formidable consequences.
Mustafa rushed to the balcony of his house, situated on a small hill with a higher vantage point, overlooking the sea. As he spotted the large warship approaching, flying the Vijayanagara flag, fear gripped him. However, his expression quickly shifted from fear to Greed. "If I capture this ship, maybe I'll get a higher rank," he pondered, eyeing the largest ship he had ever seen. Though not well-versed in naval matters, he was certain this was an exceptional vessel.
With this notion in mind, he hollered to his subordinates, "Hurry up and fetch the cannons!" Contemplating the few cannons still in his possession, yet to be delivered to the buyer, he moved with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
The servants hastened, rushing to the fort wall as the imposing battleship drew closer, now a mere 100 meters away, looming in silence. Finally, only a moment later the servants reached the wall, heaving a dozen cannons into position, Mustafa, stationed on his balcony for safety, gave the nod, signalling the cannons to fire in unison.
"Booom, Boom, Boom ".
To his dismay, the cannons fell just short of reaching the distant target.
Observing the giant ship's response to the fired cannons, Mustafa felt a growing sense of foreboding, squinting his eyes in scrutiny , Trying to peek at the farther image. He discerned a large iron barrel-like structure on the ship, resembling a cannon, being loaded with a significantly larger iron ball than his own cannons. He comprehended the implications, but before he could react,
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion echoed as the top of the city wall cracked, and a deformed iron ball plummeted down. Although Mustafa couldn't witness it directly from his vantage point on the other side of the wall, the shockwave visibly shook him. Even at a distance, he could feel the reverberation in his gut, leaving him visibly shaken by the impact.
To be Continued...
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