Chapter 124: The Peace and Trade Agreement with the Portuguese.
The sudden increase in the quality of the Mughal cannons did not escape Vijay's eyes. He also received news about the manufacturing of a new cannon being done in Agra. Knowing this news, he grew restless. If the Mughals were also able to manufacture the giant cannon, the military difference between them would be largely covered up. With the more abundant resources of the Mughal Empire, it would take only a few months to manufacture dozens of them.
Realizing that he couldn't wait any longer, he even sent a few of his soldiers on an assassination mission to take out the new craftsman who had arrived from the West. However, this choice ended up costing him more than he wanted. Mohammed seemed to have caught on to his tricks and used Adam as leverage against him, luring his people to attack.
With Muhammad being prepared and Adam being very well protected, the people he sent couldn't even breach the door of Adam's Workshop. This was not all, as even the informants who were deep inside the Mughal rule also got caught.
"Damn it," he cursed loudly, annoyed by the turn of events. "Looks like the battle plan should be based around the guns," he thought to himself. The only thing right now Vijayanagara is capable of that the Mughal Empire is not is the muskets and flintlocks. So, he is contemplating how he could expand this advantage to win the final victory.
Since then, there has been no contact between the two countries. Now, the other party was asking for a peace agreement, which surprised Vijay. However, upon further thought, it made sense because, according to his knowledge, Portugal was now in a delicate state, and the wealth India possessed could bring significant assistance. Considering this, Vijay agreed to a peace agreement between the two countries for five years. He also negotiated a trade agreement with the Portuguese for the export of spices, silk, clothing, and some speciality products.
Anticipating the upcoming threat from the Mughal Empire, Vijay decisively requested artillery. Thomas was taken aback by the request, but having spent a significant amount of time in India, he was well-informed about the current war situation. After some consideration, he agreed, remembering how his Majesty Alphonso had instructed him to complete the deal, even if the price paid was slightly more than expected.
After the continuous war between the Mughal Empire and the Vijayanagara Empire, there were no moves made by both parties, as if they were preparing their final cards. Vijay ordered the production of more standard cannons, giant cannons, and muskets, and placed an order for ten 52-pound Culverin cannons from the Portuguese, which were promised to be delivered in just a month. He was surprised by such a fast delivery speed, but apparently, King Alphonso was also getting ready for something. Fortunately, after occupying Maharashtra, Vijay plundered all the Mughal nobles, making him a lot of money.
It is now the 11th month since the battle between the two empires started. Both empires went into full preparation mode. However, something unexpected happened in the Vijayanagar Empire. Goa, a place occupied by the Portuguese for a few decades until it was won back in battle, proved difficult to manage. The policies stipulated in the capital were challenging to implement in the region. Moreover, Vijay had discovered some suspicious organization pulling the strings in Goa. He planned to deal with this issue after ending the battle with the Mughal Empire.
To his surprise, the puppeteer who seemed to have been controlling the situation in Goa suddenly vanished, making it much easier for the influence of the Vijayanagara government to reach Goa. Additionally, many separatist forces were apprehended, improving public safety. Remembering the goodwill shown by the Portuguese towards Vijayanagara a few days ago, Vijay couldn't help but guess at the connection between these two events.
Now At the end of the 11th month, since the battles started, the whole of Chhattisgarh entered an eerie calm. Yogendra Singh, the only general in Chhattisgarh, also felt the weird atmosphere. Vijay quickly informed him to strengthen the defence line of Ratanpur, knowing that the decisive battle would take place there.