Volume 1: Birth! Seven time travelers Chapter 185: The New King of Alawidu (Part 2)
"It has been detected that the host has reached the pinnacle of this era, and the system has been activated."
On March 26, 1612, in the city of Penugonda in the southwest of the Indian peninsula, Datar, the third monarch of the fourth dynasty of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, the Alavedu dynasty, officially assumed the position of king, succeeding his father Ranga.
Twelve years ago, when Datar was born, the three gods Shiva appeared in the sky. At that time, the king of this country, Ranga, wanted to abdicate. But considering the high infant mortality rate in that era, this idea was dispelled by the ministers. But twelve years later, when Ranga again proposed the idea of abdication, the ministers did not necessarily agree, but the people of this country supported it enthusiastically.
Because, over the past twelve years, the actions of this Datar have given this declining country hope for revival.
The Kingdom of Vijayanagar, or the Vijayanagar Empire, was the last pure empire with Hinduism as its state religion. At its peak, it ruled the entire central and southern parts of the Indian peninsula. However, when faced with northern invaders heading south, the empire was repeatedly defeated. While losing the entire central Indian region, the country's imperial title was forced to be revoked, and the head of the country became the king.
For hundreds of years, this country has experienced the rule of four families. In general, the country's territory has been declining day by day, and the country's power has been irreversibly declining. When facing various regimes , the Vijayanagar Kingdom, which adhered to the traditional teachings of Hinduism and was seriously hindered by the caste system, could not get the support of the lower-class people at all. On the contrary, the people supported the fair and reasonable Star and Crescent Religion. At least they would not publicly declare that birth determines everything, and the protection of ordinary people, especially women and children, was much better. Therefore, when the fourth dynasty of this kingdom, the Alavedu Dynasty, was established, its rule was only in the southeast corner of the Indian peninsula.
This last stronghold of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, called Andhra Pradesh in the 21st century, is the fifth largest state in modern India. Its main population is relatively simple, basically all of them are Telugu.
This is a good place.
In terms of agriculture and animal husbandry, the coastal plains of Andhra Pradesh have fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and an extremely warm climate. Three seasons of rice can be grown each year, and thanks to the best rice seeds in the world, the yield of each season is extremely high. When the rice fields in the south of the Ming Dynasty were still struggling to produce three stones per mu, and the wheat fields in the north were constantly reducing their yields due to the Little Ice Age climate, the rice yield per mu in this place had reached more than four stones in the 17th century - more than four stones per season!
Going from the coastal plains to the Indian peninsula, you will find the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau. The terrain is not very high, but on the one hand, it provides a military barrier for the coastal plains of this state, and on the other hand, it has developed a developed animal husbandry. In short, the unique natural conditions make agriculture here very developed. In the 21st century, India is the third largest grain producer in the world after China and the United States, and Andhra Pradesh is known as the "rice granary" of India.
The mineral resources here are also extremely rich, ranging from coal and iron ore, which are the most basic for industrial development, to precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, and some rare metals. Not only are the types complete, but the reserves are also extremely high.
Andhra means "darkness" in the local language. It got its name because the ancestors here came out of the dark primeval forest. Therefore, this is also a gathering place for animal resources. Almost all animal species in South Asia, except those living in high-altitude areas, can be found here.
The main residents here, the Telugu people, only account for 5% of the total population of India in the 21st century. However, they are the best farmers and fishermen in India, and one of the ethnic groups that are good at singing and dancing. They are also natural handicraft makers, producing the best saris in India. They are quiet, peaceful, and have great endurance. And unlike most ethnic groups on this continent who are extremely lazy, the diligence of the Telugu people is counted in the world - after all, the rice produced in Andhra Pradesh in the 21st century feeds one-third of Indians. Without the word "hardworking", no matter how good the natural conditions are, this cannot be achieved.
All these factors made this place naturally become the last base of the Alawidu Dynasty.
In short, if this place can be closed off and live a simple life, it would be too comfortable. If other travelers come to this place and have such a base, they will definitely be crazy with joy!
But such unique natural conditions and such hardworking people, when faced with all kinds of weird ideas... ahem... local religions.
"System? There is actually a system. Okay, system, how can you help me?"
"Not much, just three points. First, accurate positioning. Second, strictly prohibit self-exposure. Third, talent bonus."
"What does this talent bonus mean?"
"Datar, you were born in the Shudra caste before you traveled through time. Thanks to the state's policy that requires universities to give fixed admission quotas to students from lower castes, you were able to study at a polytechnic university. You are a well-known military equipment expert in the 21st century and one of the designers of India's domestically produced aircraft carriers... According to the agreement of the gods, when you traveled through time, your natal star was Tianquan, the fourth star of the Big Dipper. In ancient China, this star was called Wenquxing. Therefore, your talent bonus is that when you are the queen, your country will be well-developed in culture and education, and the IQ of the people will generally rise slightly, and their acceptance of knowledge will improve."
"Slightly increased? Improved? This doesn't sound very reliable. Moreover, since I was born, I have spent nearly twelve years reinterpreting the doctrine with modern ideas. While I have gained the support of the majority of low-caste people, I have also greatly offended those guys in the high-caste. Apart from other things, I have drunk poison at least five times in the past twelve years. Fortunately, this body was modified when we traveled through time, and poisons will not affect us except for physical damage, otherwise I would be the first traveler to be killed among the seven people... So, now that I am the king, it is time to form a new army and suppress the high-caste in the country with an iron fist. As a result, you said that my natal star is Wenquxingjun? Ah, I know all the seven stars in China, and it would be good if you gave me Kaiyang as my natal star! Huh? System? System?"
"Host, you've said too much. Finally, let me explain to you that your talents can be transferred... From now on, except for locating other travelers, this system will no longer accept any inquiries from the host."
The system stopped talking. Looking at his subjects who kept kneeling and worshipping him because of the reappearance of the miracle when he ascended the throne, Datar did not feel any comfort: he didn't know how much time the last appearance of this miracle could buy him.
During these twelve years, this time traveler, like other time travelers, had made some preparations in science and technology, military, economy, etc. However, the effect was much worse than that of other time travelers: the most typical comparison was that at this time, almost all other time travelers' armies had at least started to replace their rifled flintlock rifles, while the army of the Alawidu Dynasty had not even popularized the primitive smoothbore matchlock rifles.
The root cause, of course, is the caste system.
For the Kshatriyas, if muskets became popular, then the hard training of martial arts by the Kshatriyas would lose its meaning: muskets are easy to operate and do not require years of hard training like other weapons. They are powerful and can knock down anyone with just one shot, no matter how strong they are. Then, how can the Kshatriyas, who only account for 5% of the total population of the country, effectively suppress the vast number of Vaishyas and Shudras? Therefore, the innovation of weapons was actually opposed by the military first.
Moreover, the bonus of this Wenquxing is not very effective in the current situation of the Alavedu Dynasty: for the Brahmins, the maintenance of their supreme status itself relies on the monopoly of knowledge. You, the time traveler, want to promote knowledge and popularize culture? The Brahmins first describe you as a demon through the power of interpreting the classics. Do you believe it?
Therefore, after several consecutive setbacks in his childhood, Datar finally made up his mind: Let's put off climbing the technology tree and competing with other travelers for a while. At least judging from the current situation, the three travelers from East Asia and the three travelers from Europe and the Middle East will not come to India before they have decided the winner among themselves. Therefore, he still has some time.
During this period, the first thing to do was to use the advantage of the two miracles to strive for the highest right to interpret the Vedic scriptures. In India, if this thing is not obtained, all reforms will be out of the question.
Therefore, over the past decade, Datar mainly used modern ideas to reinterpret the teachings of Hinduism. After all, in the 21st century, India, at least at the national level, has also been struggling against many bad habits of Hinduism that are not suitable for the times. As a beneficiary of the struggle and transformation of Hinduism by the state at that time, he himself actively participated in this.
However, the explanation of doctrine is only a side issue. The most important thing is: benefit!
The benefits that the high castes have gained are too great. The benefits enjoyed by the aristocratic families and the bureaucratic class in ancient Chinese society are nothing compared to these guys. Such huge benefits will inevitably make these people desperately protect and defend them. Even if you, the new king, continue to perform miracles, so what? If the interests of the high castes are violated, even if Brahma appears in the world, these guys will still dare to kill the gods, believe it or not?
"Alas, the future is bleak. Not to mention other time travelers, even the Mughal Empire that is now pressing on my Alawidu Dynasty, let alone national strength, is much more advanced, civilized, and humane than us now ! As a time traveler, I actually envy the natives of this era for being more advanced and humane than me. This is really a shame for a time traveler.
Fortunately, India has an excellent geographical location, fortunately Akbar has passed away, and fortunately there are many independent kingdoms between the Mughal Empire and Alawidu. I still have a little time."
