Upon completion of the orders, the empire will possess 360 sloops and 104 frigates, bringing its total tonnage to a remarkable 89,000 tonnes, including the single man-of-war battleship. This represents an impressive 85.42% increase in tonnage from before the war and a substantial 214.29% increase post-war.
With these numbers, the naval strength of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire will marginally surpass even that of the Tsarist Russian Navy. As for how Vijay knew about the strength of the Russian Navy, it was because he requested this data from the Venetians.
Initially, when the Venetians heard about His Majesty Vijay Deva Raya’s request for intel about the total tonnage of naval vessels of different countries all over the world, there was confusion about his request because such a thing had never been done before. Still, as it was a request from one of the closest partners of the Republic and its monarch, they had to oblige.
However, after collecting and further analyzing the data, it beca clear that this thod of asuring a country’s naval strength was highly convenient. Consequently, the Republic of Venice also adopted this approach for evaluating the naval capabilities of countries. In return as a thanks, the Republic of Venice did not charge the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire anything for this information.
On top of that, a promise was made that this specific data would be sent to the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire every quarter of the year without any charge.
After obtaining the docunt, Vijay thoroughly read through its contents. According to the docunt, the Holy Roman Empire boasted an estimated tonnage of 25,000 tonnes, consisting of smaller vessels such as frigates, sloops, and clippers, alongside 10 battleships with tonnage 10,000 tons amounting to a total of 35,000 tonnes.
The Ottoman Empire’s fleet included smaller vessels weighing 110,000 tonnes and 25 battleships totalling 25,000 tonnes, resulting in a total estimated tonnage of 135,000 tonnes.
Spain’s navy consisted of 140,000 tonnes of smaller vessels and thirty battleships weighing 30,000 tonnes, making the total tonnage 170,000 tonnes.
France’s smaller ships had a total tonnage of 140,000 tonnes, while 23 battleships weighed 23,000 tonnes, resulting in a total tonnage of 163,000 tonnes.
Moving on to England, their smaller vessels amounted to 180,000 tonnes, and 30 battleships weighed 30,000 tonnes, bringing the total tonnage to 210,000 tonnes. In Vijay’s previous life, this number would have been considerably lower, but after defeating the Dutch, their fleet’s numbers had significantly increased.
As for the Dutch Republic, which should have had the sa number of vessels as England, was drastically reduced, now having only 110,000 tonnes of smaller vessels along with 20 battleships weighing 20,000 tonnes, bringing its naval capacity to 130,000 tonnes. Next was Sweden, which had a total naval tonnage of 50,000 tonnes, among which 15,000 tonnes were from battleships.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had a naval tonnage similar to that of Sweden, which was 50,000 tonnes, but it only had 10 battleships contributing 10,000 tonnes of that total. Russia, in this era, had a total tonnage of 75,000 tonnes, of which 15,000 were from battleships.
Prussia, still being a small country, only had 35,000 tonnes of naval tonnage, among which 5,000 were contributed by battleships.
Vijay was astonished by the data in the report regarding the Chinese Navy. He was well aware of the historical might of the Chinese naval forces, particularly during the zenith of the Ming Empire in the mid-15th to 16th centuries, when their treasure ships dominated the seas.
At its height, the Ming Navy boasted an impressive fleet of 3,500 warships, including nearly 70 battleships of 800 tons, establishing it as the undisputed naval superpower of its era. However, he also knew the unfortunate fate that befell these ships.
Plagued by political intrigue, overreaching Confucianist ideologies, a conservative emperor, and jealousy among civil officials, the Ming Court ordered their destruction. Convinced that they were an ill on for the empire, the mighty navy t its demise in the flas at the hands of its own creators.
After the downfall of the Ming Empire, Vijay had assud that the naval strength of China would diminish. However, he soon realized he was mistaken. Despite the political upheaval, the mariti legacy of the Ming Empire persisted through the Qing Dynasty. Although the Qing Emperor showed less interest in naval affairs, new ships continued to be constructed.
While these vessels were not as massive and imposing as those of the Ming Empire, they were lighter, more flexible, and cheaper to produce, making them better suited for coastal defence.
According to the data, the Qing Navy boasted a formidable total naval tonnage of 245,000 tonnes, with only 15 classified as battleships. The majority of their fleet consisted of smaller vessels like frigates or sloops. Notably, these 15 battleships were newly constructed, adhering to the specifications of Western ships.
Thus, despite the sheer size of their fleet, only a fraction—15,000 tonnes out of 245,000 tonnes—was dedicated to battleships.
Moving on, Venice, had significantly bolstered its shipbuilding capabilities, investing heavily in the naval industry. As a result, its naval tonnage reached 60,000 tonnes, with a surprising 25,000 tonnes dedicated to battleships. This gave Venice the distinction of being the second-largest major naval power in the world, with an impressive ratio of battleships to smaller ships.
Similarly, Portugal’s naval tonnage of 66,000 tonnes showcased its formidable mariti prowess. A significant portion of this total, totalling 26,000 tonnes, was dedicated to battleships, underlining its steadfast commitnt to naval strength and securing its position as the largest major naval power worldwide with the ratio of battleships to smaller ships.
The remaining 40,000 tonnes were allocated among various smaller warships, including frigates, clippers, galleons, and sloops.
The unique composition of the Portuguese and Venetian navies can be attributed to their strategic partnerships with the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire. By leveraging the affordable artillery and arms supplied by the empire, they could allocate a significant portion of their resources to naval developnt.
Battleships were the most crucial weapons for nations facing formidable naval adversaries such as Spain and the Ottoman Empire. As a result, they focused on enhancing their naval production capabilities, prioritizing the construction of man-of-war battleships to strengthen their mariti power.
After reviewing the report, Vijay is pleased with his nation’s current standing in the global hierarchy. He recognizes that the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire is already among the top 10 powerful countries globally, but with the impending unification of Bharat, he anticipates that it will elevate his nation to the top spot or at least the second most powerful.
Additionally, Vijay receives another report that brings him joy: the successful developnt of a coin-pressing machine powered by a water wheel achieved through the collaborative efforts of BIT Bhubaneswar and BIT Jagadalpur.
However, Vijay decides to make a modification to the machine, shifting it from hydraulic power to wind power. This modification serves two main purposes: enhancing the security of the coin printing factory and enabling the factory to be located inland, thus avoiding the vulnerability to attacks from major trade routes.
With these Important considerations in mind, Vijay aims to establish the coin-pressing base in Charanadu (Kerala) at the wind station of Bharat, Ramakkaldu, leveraging the abundant wind resources available in the region.
That wasn’t the only good news for the day, as Vijay received another positive update about the completion of planning for the establishnt of a national bank for the empire.
It had been two months since he assigned the task to the Minister of Trade and Comrce, Rajesh, the Minister of Finance, Jagannath Mohan, and the Minister of Judiciary, Bhuvan, to co up with a plan for the establishnt of a national bank.
During this period, Vijay had been increasing the liquidity of the royal family’s assets in preparation for establishing his own bank as the heart of his financial empire.
According to the instructions he gave to the ministries, the National Bank would be a regulatory agency responsible for issuing currency and printing money, but it would not directly engage in business with private individuals or governnt agencies. Its main role would be to regulate the banking and financial environnt in the empire.
Vijay decided to na this bank the Reserve Bank of Bharat, similar to the Reserve Bank of India in his previous life, and it would have similar functionalities.
Vijay also decided to place the Reserve Bank of Bharat under the Imperial Committee, as most of its duties fell under the executive branch of the empire. Any regulations and laws related to the banking system of the empire would be passed under the Legislative Branch of the governnt as a departnt in the Ministry of Finance.
Overall, Vijay couldn’t help but feel excited about the prospect of the bank and how it would change the economy of the empire.
P.S. Happy Rama Navami Everyone
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