Chapter 125: The Last Battle Part: 1
It is a clear sunny morning on the 12th month since the battle started. If it were any other time, it would have been perfect weather for an outing. Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a war between Vijayanagar and the Mughal Empire that is about to erupt at any moment.
For the past month, supplies from Vijayanagara had been pouring into the Ratanpur fort from the nearby stronghold Nagpur and even from the Paradip port towards the East. Tonnes of cement had been used to fortify the city wall made up of stone.
Before the complete occupation of the Ratanpur fort, the southern end of Chhattisgarh had been in chaos for a long time. Due to the tight defences of the newly captured Maharashtra and Odisha, the Mughal Empire did not have the chance to take advantage of any opportunities. Chhattisgarh was the only place that was not heavily fortified, and there were still many loopholes in the defences. General Yogendra Singh could only maintain his influence around the region of Ratanpur fort. Moreover, with the increase of Mughal personnel in the area, it became even more difficult to control the situation in Chhattisgarh.
Taking advantage of the situation where the strongholds of Vijayanagara were surrounding the southern end of Chhattisgarh, Vijay had the Rangers act in squads to eliminate the enemy soldiers south of Ratanpur fort. Chhattisgarh formed two polar opposite camps, with the south of Ratanpur fort occupied by the Vijayanagara Empire and the north occupied by the Mughal Empire.
Five hundred standard cannons, including a hundred newly manufactured 20 KG calibre cannons, poured into the Ratanpur fort. Among this artillery, there was even a larger piece – a cannon that almost equalled a modern-day car in length. It was none other than the 10 Culverin Cannon he had procured from the Portuguese.
Beforehand, Vijay had inspected this cannon, which left him very satisfied. The cannon had remarkable specifications, representing the pinnacle of this era's artillery technology. It was a 52-pound or a 24 kg calibre cannon, mainly used for siege battles or tower defence.
The barrel measured approximately 10 inches in size, and the length of the barrel, considered long even among its counterparts, stretched around 12 feet. Crafted from a cast iron alloy, it was reinforced to endure the tremendous pressure generated during firing. The cannon's weight stood at approximately 3500 kilograms or 3.8 tons, requiring a couple of medium-sized elephants to tow it.
The solid iron shot projectiles, each weighing approximately 23 kilograms, had an enormous range of 800 yards or 2400 feet. The cannon's built carriage facilitated mobility on the battlefield, and its reinforced design helped absorb the powerful recoil generated upon firing.
Vijay couldn't help but get excited thinking about the surprise this would bring to the Mughal Empire.
Vijay was not a devoted Hindu in his previous life, but for some reason, performing all the rituals brought him peace. Knowing that the battle was near, he had the Ashvamedha ritual done, he felt the experience was a novel one. On the horizon, scouts of the Vijayanagara Empire on the watchtower spotted a lion flag with a green background, indicating the Mughal Empire army's arrival. Moments later, an entire army formed of heavy and light infantry, siege weaponry, cannons, and archers could be seen marching in a neat formation. Vijay could tell that this was a well-trained army, and counting the number of people, he concluded that there were at least a hundred thousand soldiers in this army.
This was not good, as the Ratanpur fort only contained 50,000 soldiers. Among them, only 25,000 had guns, with 15,000 being muskets and 10,000 being flintlocks. Originally allocated with 15,000 soldiers, due to the need to capture the fort quickly, there were 4,000 casualties. The increasing death toll made Vijay numb, and even in the face of Kiran Pujari's mistake, he realized he couldn't have done any better.
The remaining 11,000 soldiers, along with experienced veterans from other strongholds, were transferred to the main battlefield. Their places were filled by new recruits from the Vijayanagara Empire. All veterans who had performed well in previous battles were transported to Ratanpur Fort, as this was the last battle against the Mughal Empire for now.
As Vijay observed the various weapons and artillery of the Mughals, he contemplated methods to defeat them with the least possible cost but couldn't come up with a solid plan. He decided to discuss it with Logananda, the oldest and most experienced commander in the Vijayanagara Empire, who oversaw the planning and battle strategy.
Standing on the city wall, Logananda observed the approaching Mughal army. Looking for the decorated carriage at the back of the formation, he felt disappointed not to see the old minister of war, whom he considered a useless buffoon. However, now that he saw Muhammad with a young man leading the army, he felt a sense of disappointment.
Slowly, a separate group arrived near the fourth wall of Ratnapur Fort. Vijay had guessed it was a messenger group, and his suspicions were confirmed as he observed the messenger carrying a white flag on his shoulder, symbolizing peace. The messenger took out a parchment and began to read.
"This is a final warning from the ruler of India and the Emperor of the Great Mughal Empire. Listen, O King of Vijaynagara. You have overstepped your bounds and launched an unholy and despicable war against the Great Mughal Empire. But my Lord is kind, so he gives you a final chance. Quickly evacuate the regions that you have captured unjustifiably and pay a compensation of 20 tons of gold, and 50 tonnes of silver, along with the two large battleships under your control. Then our great majesty will pardon your offence and end this battle right here and now."
After reading the letter, the messenger waited for Vijay's response. As he took in the absurd conditions, Vijay's eyes grew icy, radiating a bone-chilling intensity. Despite the provocation, he opted not to succumb to emotional outbursts and simply uttered two words, "Go Away !"
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