Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

157  The European Merchants Visit Part: 2 n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The merchants and representatives entered the city along with Nagappa Reddy. It was as if they had travelled into a different dimension. They had never seen such neatly paved roads; the roads were exceptionally large, even larger than most European roads found in capital cities. However, what they were in was not the capital of Vijayanagara, but just an ordinary port city.

They walked on a footpath specially designed for people, with a width similar to the normal European roads found in most towns, wide enough for a carriage to pass through. However, it was wholly designated for people to walk on. The main roads, where carriages were allowed to travel, accommodated three carriages side by side, with a gap left for one more carriage. The centre of the road had a barrier, preventing vehicles from one side from intersecting the other. When they were confused about how the carriage on one side could go to the other side, they found a few intersections inserted at intervals in the barrier. Plants were planted in the barrier, about the height of 2 meters. They also noticed the exceptional cleanliness of the road, as people were regularly cleaning it. It seemed peculiar that the carriages travelled only one way, and the opposite direction had a separate and dedicated road. Some merchants sneered, thinking all this was a waste of resources and questioning the usefulness of such a big road. However, a few intelligent ones caught on to the intent behind the roads. They noticed numerous signals planted beside the road, guiding the carriages. This mechanism could prevent accidents and eliminate congestion, making travel much easier. Unfortunately, the military importance of this point was not considered by the merchants.

Nagappa Reddy quickly brought them to the market centre in Kochi City. "Dear guests, you can inspect any product you want in this market. It contains everything that Vijayanagara is willing to trade. So please feel free to go around and select the products you would like to purchase. Unfortunately, as this is a small market run by private individuals, they are not capable of doing bulk business directly with you. Hence, the Vijayanagar government will directly purchase the materials you need from the people and put them up for trade, Making it convenient for you."

Understanding the details, they quickly went into the market. The market was not so busy, as the people had been informed of the guests' arrival already, leaving the market mostly without any customers and providing the Europeans with ample space and time. The merchants went from shop to shop, inspecting various goods. The spices, which they had only dreamt of, were being put in front of them in piles and piles, just like some cheap black bread found back home.

Upon looking at various materials, British representative Thomas Bartholonew had a greedy expression on his face. He never imagined the wealth of this country; the land here was like nowhere he had seen. Every inch of land was fertile, and no matter where he looked, there were farms with abundant grain. From the looks of it, the yield density was even more than what is found in the Ukrainian region, and on top of that There seems to be a large population of Talented Craftsmen Capable of producing a lot of Exquisite handicrafts.

"If I could monopolize the trade route, how many benefits would I gain? Wouldn't I be canonized as a higher noble and have my own fiefdom in that case?" he thought, but he quickly put away his greedy expression as he was being monitored.

Throughout the day, the merchants inspected various goods and wrote down the items they would need. Many of them were really excited by the quality of materials present in the market.

When negotiations fully began later, the person representing the Vijayanagar Empire was Laksh, who was proficient in Latin and Portuguese and was sent by the Ministry of Trade and Commerce to conclude the deal. Vijay's instruction was to offer a slight discount to the Europeans on the original price, and on top of that to further increase the discount after reaching a certain scale of purchases. This is because Vijayanagar aims to use these European countries to run the industrial chain of the Vijayanagara Empire. In the near future, Vijay will be pushing for tools that will allow for faster and more precise production. He wants to make Bharat an industrial country as soon as possible.

It took a whole day to finish the negotiations with the European countries as they were struggling to increase the scale of their purchases. Finally, the total volume of the goods they procured amounted to around 280,000 tons, with the incentive of discounts and a little cash back to the representatives as a bribe. The items the merchants bought included spices, weaponry, special grains unique to South Asia, textile products, luxury goods, antiques, handicrafts, and many other small items. Overall, both parties were happy with the deal being reached.

In exchange for the goods, Vijay asked for precious metals like gold, silver, copper, bronze, etc. However, there were special occasions when Vijay ordered the negotiator to exchange some specific products from Europe.

In a particular instance, Vijay instructed Laksh to engage in a special trade negotiation with the Venetian merchant, Leonardo Bellini. The proposal was to exchange the goods acquired by Leonardo in Vijayanagara for volcanic ash, with the goal of achieving a complete repayment through this unique commodity. Perplexed by the barter suggestion, Leonardo voiced his surprise, "Volcanic ash? Why would the Vijayanagar Empire need this?"

But the words of the negotiator left him speechless." It does not matter what we want or how we use volcanic ash, but, sir, all you have to know is Vijayanagara could support you with cheap materials and weaponry in your fight against the Ottoman Empire." This assurance sealed the deal. While Leonardo was already inclined towards the trade, given the significant profit potential of volcanic ash being abundant in the Italian region, his curiosity prompted him to inquire about potential unique uses that he might not be aware of.

But now that the Vijayanagar Empire put it like that, he forgot about whatever Vijayanagar wanted to do with the volcanic ash and asked the question, "How could you be of help to us, sir?"

"It is very simple, actually. We will not sell or trade with the Ottoman Empire at a preferential price as we did with the rest of the European countries, and your treatment will be the same as the Portuguese. We can sign a peace and trade alliance as our emperor sees huge interests to gain for both parties. This way, we can provide you with necessary war supplies whenever needed at a discounted price. Currently, we are able to produce a 20-kilogram calibre cannon, flintlocks, and muskets at a very cheap price. If you could provide us with a few talented and skilled craftsmen in this department, we could even produce more advanced weaponry at a lower cost. Moreover, we are not interested in conquest outside of our homeland, so you can rest assured."

Considering the conditions set forth by the Vijayanagar Empire, Leonardo entered a contemplative state. Eventually, he decided to transmit the message back home, gauging the reactions from the doge, and proceeding accordingly. At present, he finalized the trade deal at a preferential price, offering volcanic ash in return.

Vijay sought volcanic ash for the production of Roman cement, an essential material for temple construction. This resource, crucial for Roman cement production, wasn't abundantly available in the Indian subcontinent due to its low volcanic activity. Europe, on the other hand, had many active volcanoes, enabling the production of Roman cement by the ancient Romans.

Following the negotiations, the merchants departed with their ships, while their assistants awaited the procurement of goods to be transported to Europe at a later date. On the other hand, the representatives requested a location to establish an embassy.

Upon hearing this request, Vijay faced a dilemma regarding bringing these foreigners inland. After careful consideration, he permitted only the Republic of Venice to build its embassy in the capital, while other nations could establish embassies in Thiruvananthapuram. This specific location was chosen because Vijay directed the creation of a special economic zone in Thiruvananthapuram, accompanied by the construction of a large free port to facilitate business for the merchants.

With the establishment of this special economic zone, Vijay mandated that foreigners be confined to this area, effectively restricting their entry into the mainland. Additionally, Thiruvananthapuram's strategic location between the Western naval base in Mangaluru and the southern naval base in Colombo offered a compromised position in case of future troubles, albeit under worst-case scenarios. A special department was also established to manage economic zones like this one. This special economic zone would enjoy the privilege of creating its own regulations, distinct from the mainland, adapting to the situation and contributing to a more robust economic model.

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