Unduh Aplikasi

Bab 19: Roads

It was a bright, sunny day devoid of any cool breeze. The cracked and parched earth stretched out toward the horizon. Faint buzzes of cicadas could be heard in the distance, adding to the atmosphere. A carriage trodded slowly through the barren landscape, accompanied by a sizeable entourage of soldier guards. Their armor gleamed under the harsh sunlight, and the clinking of their weapons gave an eerie harmony. 

Inside the carriage, Harsha sat, peering out at the unforgiving terrain. Despite the harsh conditions, his mind was focused on the task ahead. 

"Damn! It's so hot. There is no breeze either," Harsha complained, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he surveyed the dry landscape around him.

Prashant nodded in agreement, also feeling the heat. "It's pretty hot during this time of the year, Your Highness," he said, taking a deep breath and squinting at the horizon.

"The Matanga Hill," Prashant continued, pointing to a distant elevation, "would provide us with a good vantage point of the capital. From there, we can get a clear view of the surrounding terrain and better plan the roads, Your Highness."

Harsha followed Prashant's gaze, the silhouette of Matanga Hill barely visible through the shimmering heat waves rising from the ground. The hill stood as a solitary guardian over the landscape, promising a reprieve from the flat, featureless plains.

"From up here, we can see the natural contours of the land," Prashant said, joining Harsha at the edge. 

Harsha nodded. "This is exactly what we needed."

They spent the next few hours making detailed observations, marking important points on their maps, and discussing the best routes for the roads.

"What is the method used for road building in the Empire right now?" Harsha asked, his eyes scanning the uneven terrain below them.

Prashant responded pointing at the roads in the Capital from the peak, "As you can see from the paved roads of the capital, we use a similar method for the roads in most areas. It's similar to Yavana's method of road construction, Your Highness."

Harsha frowned. "Is that why the roads are so bad in most areas? Those roads are too expensive and labour intensive which makes it pretty hard to scale them for large distances."

Prashant sighed, nodding. "Yes, Your Highness. The method is labour-intensive and expensive. But we don't have any other method of making good roads,"

"We should create a new method," Harsha said with a determined look. "I have a plan in mind."

Prashant, intrigued, leaned in slightly. "What do you propose, Your Highness?"

Despite his extensive experience in the field, Prashant had long struggled to find a method that could effectively improve the empire's roads. His efforts had repeatedly fallen short, and he had been sceptical when the task was assigned to the youngest prince. However, observing Harsha's dedication and innovative approach firsthand had begun to change his perspective.

Prashant saw in Harsha a talented individual, genuinely interested in solutions rather than merely going through the motions like many other nobles.

"I need to test the method, so make some arrangements and report back to me at the palace quickly," Harsha ordered as he began walking back down the hill.

"What arrangements, Your Highness?" Prashant asked, eager to follow through.

"Stone, soil, and clay. Arrange them in a suitable place to test the road method and report back when it's ready. I expect it to be done quickly," Harsha replied, gesturing to the large stones beside him.

"Understood, Your Highness. I will arrange everything as quickly as possible," Prashant's face lit up with a smile, excitement welling inside him at the prospect of witnessing a potential revolution in the empire's road network.

As they descended the hill and surveyed other terrains near the capital, Prashant noted down the necessary items eagerly.

Halfway back to the palace, Prashant excused himself, "Your Highness, I will go ahead and start making the arrangements."

Harsha nodded, "Go ahead. Keep me informed of your progress."

Prashant swiftly departed, his heart pounding with anticipation. He would ensure that everything was prepared for Harsha's experiment. The possibility of contributing to a significant advancement in the empire's infrastructure filled him with a sense of purpose.

A few hours passed, and the intense heat had subsided, leaving an orange hue in the sky. Harsha sat in his study, absorbed in his work, when Prashant entered with a determined smile and a slight bow of respect.

"Your Highness, we have prepared the materials in the nearby field," Prashant reported.

"So fast? Hmm, I expected you to arrange it by tomorrow. Let's go see," Harsha replied, rising from his seat. He gestured for Prashant to guide him to the location.

As they walked through the palace grounds, the evening breeze provided a relief from the earlier heat. The palace walls glowed in the setting sun, casting long shadows on the path.

They arrived at the field where the materials had been arranged. Piles of stone, soil, and clay were neatly organized, and ready for the experiment. Harsha surveyed the setup, nodding in approval.

"Your Highness. I have also arranged for some workers to assist us," Prashant added, motioning to a group of men standing by, ready to follow Harsha's instructions.

"Oh! Great work!" Harsha responded, pleased with Prashant's efficiency.

He shifted his gaze to the group of men standing nervously, "Now Listen very carefully about the method!"

He began to elaborate on the method of how to create the foundation of the road by flattening the ground and ensuring it was even before starting the construction of the road. The foundation ensures its Load-bearing capacity as the earth can naturally bear loads.

The next step is to break big stones that are found almost anywhere in the Deccan plateau into Palm sized rocks to lay the foundation and then use crushed stones to fill the gaps to ensure better load dispersion, They must water it and flatten it again to ensure its load-bearing capacity and then use even smaller Stones and fill them with crushed stones and flatten them again.

Lastly, the surface has to be covered with a mixture of soil and clay and be flattened once again, Then just let it set and the Road is done without much need for different resources like stone tiles, etc. Water should be sprinkled around the road to ensure the road's inner cavities get filled and ensure it stays the way it does.

A worker who had been intently following Harsha's instructions spoke out almost involuntarily, "What about drainage?"

"For that, we'll raise the middle of the road to allow water to flow into parallel drains constructed alongside it," Harsha explained.

The workers quickly set to work, flattening the ground and breaking the stones as instructed. They dug parallel drains for the road. They efficiently laid the stones and completed the work of a small strip of the road within an hour and a half.

Finishing the work by topping the road with a mixture of soil and clay, Harsha stepped back to inspect the progress. "Good work," he praised the workers, turning to Prashant. "Make sure they are paid well for their efforts."

He knew efficiency deserves reward, and money is always a good motivator to keep them efficient.

Prashant nodded. "Understood, Your Highness."

"We'll let it set overnight. Tomorrow, we will conduct load and drainage tests. If the results are satisfactory, we'll proceed with this method," Harsha instructed.

"Also, ensure you document every detail of the process meticulously. This information needs to be circulated to the overseers during road construction to guarantee proper implementation."

"Understood, Your Highness," Prashant replied, already making notes to ensure no detail was missed.

The next day, the sun rose, casting a golden hue over the newly constructed road. The workers and Prashant were already gathered, eagerly anticipating the results of their efforts. Harsha arrived, his expression calm yet focused, ready to oversee the tests.

A series of carts pulled by oxen, each filled with heavy stones, were lined up at the edge of the road. The plan was to drive them across the newly constructed surface to assess how well they handled the weight and to ensure they didn't crumble under the load.

"Let's begin," Harsha commanded, signalling the first cart to move forward.

The first cart, creaking under the heavy load, rolled onto the road. The workers held their breath, watching intently. 

The cart moved slowly but steadily, the wheels sinking slightly into the soil and clay mixture but not causing any visible damage. The road held firm.

One by one, each cart made its way across the road, and the workers' confidence grew with each successful passage. The road held up remarkably well, demonstrating its strength.

"Now, let's test the drainage," Harsha said, moving to the side of the road where a makeshift water source had been prepared.

Water was poured onto the road's surface. The workers watched as the water pooled momentarily before following the slight camber designed to direct it toward the parallel drains. The water flowed smoothly into the drainage channels, preventing any pooling or erosion on the road itself.

Prashant, noting the successful drainage, smiled with satisfaction. "It works perfectly, Your Highness," he said.

Harsha smirked, pleased with the results. "Excellent. Send the results to the Emperor and get approval. We will begin implementing this across the Empire."

"Yes, Your Highness," The rugged Prashant scurried off smiling with the documented results and method used to make the road to seek approval from the Emperor.


PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
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Bab 20: Road Drafts

Yesterday was a successful day for Harsha. He had not only completed the test for the new road construction method but had also received approval to begin building the roads. However, his work was far from over. He still needed to draft a comprehensive plan to ensure the roads would be future-proof and sustainable.

Early the next morning, Harsha was in the Royal training hall, stretching his limbs and neck in preparation for sparring. He was becoming more accustomed to his body and steadily increasing his training workload.

Narayana, who had rejoined the training after recovering from his previous injuries, was on the ground, huffing and breathing heavily, his eyes dizzy from exhaustion. "What the hell is this training?! It's not normal," he thought, struggling to keep up with the intensity.

Narayana gazed at Varun, who was in the same boat as him, lying on the ground after a grueling training session. "Did you do this daily?" he whispered softly.

"Oh! This is the easiest part. Sparring with that monster is literally Hell on earth," Varun whispered back, his tone a mix of exhaustion.

"Hey, tone it down! Varun, you don't want to get executed!" Narayana warned in a hushed voice.

"You don't understand! I'll let you experience it first, then hope you have the same opinion about this," Varun retorted, shaking his head.

' I wonder What happened to Varun! ' Narayana thought.

Their conversation was interrupted by Harsha, who approached them with a calm yet commanding presence. "Enough resting, you two. We have sparring left,"

As they got to their feet, Harsha continued, "Since Narayana joined us today, you both can fight me together."

"What?" Both of them gasped in unison at Harsha's order.

"Don't sweat it. You guys are not even at the level to beat me yet," he smirked, resting his wooden sword on his shoulder.

Both fell silent at the statement. It was an undeniable fact that the prince was far stronger than them despite being the youngest. Narayana and Varun saw an insurmountable wall in Harsha, its top nowhere in sight. Narayana experienced this feeling for the first time in his life, having always been considered a talented individual. The realization that he was not the strongest hit him hard, but it also sparked a desire to overcome this new challenge.

Varun, on the other hand, felt a familiar thrill. A sense of challenge lit up within him, pushing him to try his best to climb this insurmountable wall. It had been a long time since he felt such a drive.

Harsha pointed the sword at both of them, "Get ready, Let's begin the session."

Narayana and Varun exchanged a glance, a silent agreement passing between them. They moved into position, circling Harsha, trying to anticipate his moves. Harsha stood relaxed

"Good decision," he said with a smirk as the fight began.

Varun made the first move, lunging forward with a quick thrust. Harsha deflected his thrust with ease, anticipating a lower kick from Narayana. He sidestepped, covering his blind spot and positioning himself to face both opponents.

Both Varun and Narayana split and attacked from opposite sides. Harsha blocked Varun's quick swipe at his torso and turned around to dodge Narayana's vertical cut. They continued their relentless attacks, but Harsha exploited the weaknesses in their teamwork to break their flow.

After a few minutes of back and forth between him and the duo, He went on a final offensive to end the spar.

Blocking a heavy blow from Narayana, Harsha anticipated a stab from Varun. He flicked his wrist to direct Narayana's blocked sword to the other side, moving out of the way for Varun's stab to land on Narayana's thigh.

"What are you doing? ARGH!" Narayana winced and screamed in pain, instructing Varun to stay focused.

Seeing an opportunity to end the battle, Harsha charged at disoriented Narayana, dodging his swing. He moved to the side of Narayana using him as a deterrent for Varun's swing, who was momentarily distracted by the unexpected move. Simultaneously, Harsha grabbed Narayana's arm, pulling it back and delivering a solid kick to his back, pushing him onto the distracted Varun.

The two guards fell to the ground in a heap, their breaths ragged from the intense sparring. Harsha stood over them, his breathing steady and his expression calm.

"Good effort, both of you," Harsha said, his voice steady. "But you need to work on your coordination and anticipate each other's moves better."

"That hit the spot," Harsha exclaimed, tossing the wooden sword onto the ground. He did some final stretches and shifted his gaze to the collapsed duo on the ground, panting heavily.

"Clean this up before you leave," he ordered, then left the training hall.

"What a monster!" Narayana exclaimed.

"Didn't I tell you the sparring would be the hardest? Thankfully, the Prince didn't do three rounds as usual today," Varun replied.

"Three rounds??? and we couldn't land a single hit on the Prince," Narayana said, hanging his head in shame. His ego had been shattered from the prior sparring, but he let go of it, resolving to learn more and become stronger.

"Don't sweat it! We should improve our coordination and teamwork along with our individual skills. This is a great opportunity to prove ourselves," Varun encouraged.

Narayana nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're right. We have to treat this as a chance to grow."

After the spar, Harsha took a bath and was with Prashant discussing the drafting of the road's construction guidelines.

"Your Highness, where do we start the road construction?" Prashant asked, setting down the documents of road building and the sealed approval for access to treasury funds.

"Since port cities and nearby cities already have some road infrastructure, it would be easy to start there, so I was thinking of that," Harsha replied.

"Oh, I see," Prashant nodded.

"But first, we have to deal with some things before drafting a final plan," Harsha continued.

"What may those things be, Your Highness?" Prashant inquired, curious.

"Future-proofing, maintenance, and efficiency," Harsha explained. "We need to ensure that the roads we build now can accommodate future growth and heavier traffic. Maintenance should be straightforward and not too resource-intensive. And of course, the construction process itself must be efficient to make the best use of our time and resources."

"We have ports in Goa, Kozhikode, Kochi, Machilipatnam, Pulicat, and Nagapattinam. Which ones are the most heavily trafficked and developed so far?" Harsha inquired.

"Currently, Kochi, Machilipatnam, and Nagapattinam handle the most traffic and are the most developed, Your Highness," Prashant replied.

Harsha nodded thoughtfully. "We need overseers to look over the road connections to these major ports. It's either the merchants or local nobility. What do you recommend?"

Prashant considered this for a moment. "Merchants have a vested interest in ensuring the roads are in good condition, as their businesses depend on it. They might push for faster and more efficient construction. However, they might also prioritize routes that benefit them directly, potentially neglecting less profitable areas. For places like Goa and Machilipatnam, the merchants would be better."

"Why though?" Harsha inquired

Prashant explained that the merchants' influence in these areas was quite high due to the increased trade with the Portuguese and other European nations. This makes them very influential, so it is a wise decision to include them.

"And what about the local nobility?" Harsha asked.

"Local nobility has the power and resources to oversee large projects and ensure that they are completed properly. They might have a broader view of the needs of their regions. However, there is a risk of them diverting resources for personal gain or getting bogged down in political rivalries," Prashant explained.

"So for places like Kochi, Kozhikode, and Nagapattinam, we should utilize the former royals of Kochi, the Nairs, and the Nayakas to oversee. This way, smaller local nobles wouldn't create much of a nuisance," Harsha concluded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I will include some agreements in the drafts, We also need inspectors to check road quality and ensure proper implementation of guidelines."

Prashant carefully considered the various noble factions within the Empire. The Nayaka's Patriarch had always stood out to him due to his unwavering commitment to fairness and justice. As one of the strongest neutral factions, the Nayakas had always pledged allegiance to the throne without aligning with any particular prince.

"So, the Nayakas, you say?" Harsha inquired.

"Yes, Your Highness. I strongly recommend meeting the Patriarch in person. He is a... unique individual," Prashant replied.

"I plan to call the representatives of the three noble families to present the plan," Harsha stated.

"Your Highness, meeting the Patriarch personally will have a greater impact," Prashant suggested earnestly.

After a moment of consideration, Harsha nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll arrange a meeting with the Patriarch."

After a few hours of intense work and route decisions, the final draft agreement for the road development was ready to move forward.

"Bidar-Gulbarga-Hampi road route, Your Highness?" Prashant inquired.

"Those are major cities. Although the route needs repairs, connecting them will significantly boost trade," Harsha replied thoughtfully.

"Very well," Prashant acknowledged. "I'll send a message to the representatives and arrange a meeting with the Nayaka Patriarch as soon as possible."

Contents of the Draft

Vijayanagar Empire Road Development Agreement

Objective: To construct, maintain, and manage a comprehensive network of roads across the Vijayanagar Empire, ensuring accessibility, efficiency, and safety for all users.

Major Road Provisions:

1. Lane Specifications:

- Major roads will consist of two lanes specifically designed for carts and wagons, each lane being 2 Dhanu (approximately 4 meters) in width.

-Additionally, there will be one pedestrian lane on each side of the road, each lane being 1 Dhanu (approximately 2 meters) in width

2. Parallel Drains:

-Parallel drainage systems will be constructed on both sides of the road to ensure proper water runoff and prevent waterlogging

3. Grasslands for Cavalry Passage:

-Every major road must have 20 Dhanu (approximately 40 meters) wide grasslands beside it to facilitate the passage of cavalry and military movements

4. Rest Areas:

-Rest areas equipped with Bhavi (draw wells for water) will be established at intervals of 1 Kos (approximately 3 kilometers) along major roads

5. Village Connectivity:

-Major roads must pass through the outskirts of major villages to ensure connectivity and accessibility for local communities

6. Horse Rests:

-Resting stations for horses will be provided every 2 Kos (approximately 6 kilometers) along major roads

7. Stone Tablets:

-Every 4 Kos (approximately 12 kilometers), stone tablets will be erected with directions to the nearest city and its distance from the tablet.

Minor Road Provisions:

1. Lane Specifications:

-Minor roads will consist of two lanes, each 1 Dhanu (approximately 2 meters) in width, with an additional pedestrian lane of 1/2 Dhanu (approximately 1 meter) on each side

2. Parallel Drains:

-Similar to major roads, minor roads will also include parallel drainage systems

3. Connectivity:

-Minor roads will primarily connect small villages and towns within the empire

4. Land Reservation:

-A 3 Dhanu (approximately 6 meters) wide land will be reserved alongside minor roads for future expansion and development.

-This provision for land reservation can be lowered and adapted depending on the local terrain and village locality

Provisions for Road Tax:

-Toll taxes will be levied on major roads for merchants and pedestrians.

-Merchants transporting goods will be subject to higher toll rates than pedestrians.

Provisions for Patrol:

-Local nobles are responsible for ensuring road safety by regularly deploying soldiers to patrol the roads.

-Patrols deployed by local nobles must promptly address distress calls along the roads.

Provisions for Inspections:

-Inspectors will conduct regular inspections to ensure strict adherence to the road construction guidelines.

-Inspectors have the authority to arrest and report any misappropriation of funds or deviation from the agreed guidelines.

Penalties for Misappropriations:

-Nobles found guilty of misappropriating funds will be judged by the Emperor himself.

-Merchants found guilty will face severe penalties including the confiscation of wealth and corporal punishment.

Implementation and Oversight:

-Overseers appointed for road development must strictly adhere to these guidelines upon signing the agreement, ensuring that roads are constructed and maintained to the highest standards.

Additional Provisions:

Confidentiality of Road Building Method:

-The specific method for road construction, as detailed in the attached document, is classified information vital to the security and development of the Vijayanagar Empire. Any disclosure or leakage of this method to neighboring countries or Europeans, whether intentionally or unintentionally, through word of mouth or any other means, shall be deemed a severe breach of trust. Offenders will be subject to corporal punishment as per the laws of the Empire.

Dispute Resolution:

-In the event of any disagreements or disputes arising during the implementation or interpretation of this agreement, the involved parties shall promptly report the matter to Prince Harsha Deva Raya and Road Development Supervisor Prashant. They will work together to mediate and resolve the dispute in a fair and just manner, ensuring the continued progress and success of the road development project.

Signatories:

Harsha Deva Raya

Prince, Vijayanagar Empire

Prashant

Road Development Supervisor

Overseer of [Specified Location]

[Name]

[Affiliation]

Date:

These provisions further safeguard the integrity of the road-building method and ensure efficient conflict resolution, promoting the successful implementation of the road development initiative across the Vijayanagar Empire.


PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
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