Chapter 32: Agricultural Reform
A few days later, the alliance agreement found its way to the tables of both the King of the Maratha Kingdom and Roshan, the Rebel leader.
In the Maratha Kingdom:
As soon as King Rajendra Bansal laid eyes on the alliance agreement, a sense of relief washed over him.
"Lord Vishnu, I thank you for your blessings,"
He expressed his thanks to the deity for the good news. Later, he went to meet his daughter to make arrangements for the upcoming marriage.
Somewhere within the Mughal Empire.
A group of people sat around a table, deeply focused on reading a document. These individuals are the Rebel leaders who bought the weapons from the Vijayanagara Empire. Now, they are discussing the feasibility of the document.
Roshan, by indirectly creating the opportunity, became a leader of the group.
"The Mughal Bridge Group, eh?"
He felt very satisfied with the agreement he had obtained from both monarchs. The fact that their opinions were not considered during the alliance discussions didn't bother him. This resulted from his personal choice to share information about the Vijayanagar Empire. The irony of not being able to name their organization did make him smile, but the relief of avoiding potential consequences was more important than such worries.
Over the next few months, a regular stream of weapons and supplies made its way from the Vijayanagar Empire to the Maratha Kingdom. This movement was made possible by the efforts of the Mughal Bridge Group. At the same time, shipments of goods moved through the Mughal Empire to help improve the resources of the Vijayanagara Empire, making them stronger.
Vijayanagar Empire, Shimoga.
After the recent ending of the Pongal festival, a harvest celebration caught Vijay's attention. With the festival over and the upcoming potash supply, he became interested in the experimental farm, that he had overlooked for a few months. So he quickly got on a carriage and left to meet the old man Narasimha.
When he arrived at the fields, a beautiful scene was presented before him. The landscape revealed new crops being planted in various places. Dedicated farm labourers were hard at work within the farms, carrying out their daily tasks as they always did. What stood out was the remarkable vitality of the lush crops – they were exceptionally healthy and their impressive density was unparalleled in this era.
While walking through the fields, Vijay encountered an elderly man he didn't immediately recognize. Eventually, he realized that the man was Narasimha, the head of the experimental farm. Narasimha seemed to blend in perfectly with the other workers who were deeply engaged in their farming chores. Despite appearing a bit dirty, he had a healthier and more vibrant appearance compared to before.
"Long live Your Highness. Welcome to the experimental farm, Your Highness," Narasimha greeted as he saw Vijay approaching him.
Vijay quickly inquired, "How was the harvest with the new method? Is it successful?"
Narasimha hearing the king's question, eagerly replied. His face lit up like that of a happy child as he said, "Your Highness, using better techniques, we're now getting about 1.3 tons of grain from one acre of land."
Vijay couldn't hide his happiness at these numbers. Even in modern times, farmers usually get around 2.3 tons of grain per acre. Considering that they were using basic methods without any special fertilizers, going from 600 kilograms to 1.3 tons was a really big improvement.
Expecting the upcoming supply of potash from the Maratha Empire, Vijay made a decision to extend the agricultural reforms across the nation. thinking about it like this, he decided to hold the imperial council.
Soon the day of the Imperial Council's meeting arrived, where the topic of implementing these reforms was scheduled for discussion.
Inside the council chamber, Vijay had gathered the heads of various departments, their arrival showing the importance of the upcoming discussion. Addressing the assembly, he began, "Today, we are here for this Imperial meeting to discuss the widespread implementation of agricultural reform."
With a clear goal, Vijay got everyone's attention with the papers he was holding., each containing a detailed plan of his progress of Agricultural results. "Several months ago, I started an experimental farm to test new agricultural methods. I'm pleased to say that the results have been quite promising," he continued, handing out the documents to those present.
The several heads of department who were present took a look at the information, focusing intently on the ideas of the experimental methods and the results they achieved. The documents provided a clear picture that the reform had led to impressive outcomes, reaching a remarkable accomplishment of producing 1.2 tons of grain per acre of land.
After several hours of in-depth discussion, a unanimous decision was reached, After carefully refining the initial proposal. Vijay formally announced the decision.
"Starting immediately, we will establish an Agricultural Department responsible for all the agriculture-related matters in the empire"
After a brief pause, he stated, "Recognizing his invaluable contributions and expertise, I'm delighted to appoint Shri Narasimha as the head of this department. His dedication and insights have been instrumental in making this transformative initiative a reality."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room stood up and warmly greeted the new colleague, as the elderly man Narasimha entered through the door with a sense of caution and timidity.
Thus the meeting ended with the establishment of Krishi Vibhag (Agriculture department)
Early the next morning, the rhythmic beat of drums echoed through every village and town, spreading an air of anticipation and excitement, as the voice of the Paraiyar reverberated.
"Dum dum dum Dum..."
"Listen, everyone, from near and far,
According to the new decree from the esteemed King Vijay Deva Raya:
* A fresh Krishi Vibhag will be established to share the latest agricultural advancements within the empire.
* The innovative 4-field planting method, designed to increase crop yields, will be put into practice.
* Instructors from the Krishi Vibhag will personally teach these new farming techniques in every village's panchayat, without any cost.
* The new potash fertilizer, which can further increase crop yield, will be sold to the merchants near you at affordable prises.
* Merchants caught overpricing goods will be imprisoned for 10 years or more, depending on the severity of the issue.
* The skill for crafting the new tongue ploughs will be freely shared with all the craftsmen.
* The Krishi Vibhag will also manage the purchase of surplus grain from the people.
* The collected grain will find its place in food banks built across the country.
* During times of drought or natural disasters, the stored grain will be sold at affordable prices."
Upon hearing this news, the common folk reacted with a mix of astonishment and hope:
"More food?"
"At no cost?"
"For disaster relief?"
Amidst the murmurs, the chants of "Long live the great king!" and "Long live Vijayanagar!" resounded throughout the kingdom, carrying gratitude and excitement for the promising changes ahead.
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