Chapter 50: Transformation Of The Empire
After the removal of the noble's obstruction, which had been a barrier to modernization, land reforms progressed swiftly throughout the empire. Numerous land audit departments were established across the kingdom to measure arable land and distribute ownership rights to hardworking farmers.
Within a few months, many landless peasants in the empire became landowners, working in their fields with newfound enthusiasm. Previously, they had toiled for their zamindars to make a living, which really exhausted their souls. However, now that they own their own land, they worked even more diligently, leading to significantly improved grain yields. The new fertilizers provided by the agricultural department were also a boon to the farmers, further boosting the crop yields.
Perhaps due to luck or by the grace of God, a landless peasant was allocated 20 acres of land. Previously, his whole family had suffered under a cruel zamindar before, but fate seemed to want to compensate for their past hardships. During the land survey, a few open-pit iron mines were discovered. The farmer and his family were taken aback by the news and were initially concerned that the land would be taken back by the government. However, to their relief, the mines were allotted to the farmer and his family, staying true to the king's promise. Without any government expropriation, the farmer and his family received the mines. Upon hearing the news from the person providing the land deed, he and his family knelt down, tears of gratitude in their eyes, and thanked the king for his grace. Thus, a loyal mine-owning big boss family was born, which goes on to support Vijay in his various policies in the future.
Public security also experienced substantial enhancements within the empire. A network of small circuit courts was established in major towns and cities, marking a significant departure from the primitive legal system. This introduced the concept of law and order to the citizens for the first time.
Police stations were set up across towns, cities, and larger villages, expanding the network that had been limited by the nobles' influence. Freshly graduated personnel from the police academy were deployed to these stations, thus enhancing public safety throughout the empire.
Before the civil war, Vijay had initiated educational and caste reforms, but they couldn't be fully realized due to the noble's obstructions. However, with the obstructions gone and with the current ample resources, schools were established in every town and major city of the country. The schools were filled with children from all castes, dressed in neat uniforms designed by Kavya.
Vijay was pleased to observe that a substantial number of children enrolling in these schools came from lower castes. The allocation of fixed seats for lower caste households played a significant role in this development. He firmly believed that as these children matured and took on various roles within the Empire, they would evolve into his loyal supporters.
Regarding agriculture, the introduction of new fertilizers resulted in satisfactory crop growth. In this era, Vijayanagara's cultivated land covered nearly 50,000 square kilometres, and it could be expanded further if necessary. The entirety of India in the 21st century consists of 1 million square kilometres of fertile arable land, along with varying climates in different regions. This diversity makes it possible to grow a wide variety of crops, which was one of the main reasons the British colonized India. While last year's grain yield per acre was around one and a half tons, this was expected to increase due to the implementation of new farming innovations.
Water conservation wasn't a major issue either. India's history as a farming nation led to the development of advanced water conservancy technologies in ancient times. Each village had a small water reservoir that was built to withstand the test of time. Remarkably, many of these reservoirs were still functional, even in the 21st century.
Hence all the resources allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture were directed towards repairing the faulty reservoirs and implementing crop rotation among various farmers through the panchayat system. Fertilizers were imported from the Maratha Empire, and a unified irrigation system was designed to be implemented throughout the villages.
Vijay, who was in his office, was determined to witness these changes firsthand rather than just reading about them on paper.
He embarked on a tour of the nation, accompanied by his wife, for the second time since his rebirth. Throughout his journey, he encountered towns, rural villages, and even bustling cities. What immediately caught his attention was the remarkable transformation. Crops flourished on both sides of the path, tended to by hardworking farmers who cared for them as their own children. In urban areas, an improved sense of public security was evident, with police patrolling busy streets. Vijay also observed the construction of new schools, courthouses, and land administration buildings in every town he visited.
As children in their neat blue uniforms walked to and from the schools, Kavya was particularly thrilled by the sight. She had designed the school uniform herself, a fact that surprised Vijay initially. When he had attempted to design the uniform, Kavya had come across his drawings and was intrigued. As he explained his ideas, she quickly grasped the concept and added her own creative touches.
Eventually, Kavya designed an elegant, easy-to-make, and durable school uniform. This success inspired Vijay to consider allowing his wife to launch her own clothing line. The experience also reminded Vijay to organize military and civil uniforms for government workers.
Continuing his journey, he arrived in Bengaluru City and noticed a lower-caste child attending school in neat attire alongside children of higher castes. Although the parents' expressions were somewhat disapproving, the children showed no distinction based on skin colour or birth caste. Vijay recognized that through the education these children received, many of them would grow up without discriminating against others based on their castes.
He felt a deep sense of satisfaction with the changes that had occurred, yet he knew there was more to be done. Presently, Vijayanagara is like a farming nation with modern management systems. A farming nation could only progress into a prosperous one. Similarly, a nation primarily focused on commerce, like the Venetians, could only achieve regional power status. However, a true global superpower required a balance of agriculture, commerce, and industry, with Heavy industry being the cornerstone.
Vijay's ultimate goal was for his empire to evolve into a world power akin to America or Britain, encompassing all three pillars of development – agriculture, commerce, and industry.
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