Land of the Lotus: An Indian TL.

Oh, right. I didn't think about that. So they wouldn't have been entirely welcome in Akbar's court? I added in that their efforts to get akbar to attack Vijayanagar were in vain.

basically, they'd be forced to bow to Akbar and acknowledge his superiority. Of course if they were then able to go back, win and secure themselves, as Burhan did, they could always rescind it from their capital, far away from the Mughal swords in Delhi.;)
 
basically, they'd be forced to bow to Akbar and acknowledge his superiority. Of course if they were then able to go back, win and secure themselves, as Burhan did, they could always rescind it from their capital, far away from the Mughal swords in Delhi.;)

Ahaha, okay ;)
Though I intend Vijayanagara to experience a sort of 'Golden Age' in a few years, so whether or not they'll be able to return to their Sultanates I don't know yet.
 
Thought I may as well post a map I made of the current situation, seeing as I haven't been able to do the update- I've been away without wifi. It's about half done though, and will be coming hopefully within the next few days.

Edit: Map seems to have been lost, and I deleted it off my computer. Will make a new one.
 
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Spices had long been a commodity sought after by Europeans, but up until the early 16th Century, they had been impossibly high in price. The African and Arabian merchants monopolised their trade, guarding like lions the secret source of the spices they sold, and selling them on for extortionate prices to the rich and powerful of Europe. In the 14th-16th Centuries, a pound of nutmeg was worth seven oxen, or more an it's weight in gold. It was with a yearning for wealth, and the belief that with wealth came power, that the Kings and Queens of the Renaissance Kingdoms eagerly sent out explorers searching for India, and, consequently, begun the Age of Discovery. However, it was not just spices that fueled trade with the East. From India there was sugar, linens, precious stones and cotton, and from China there was silk, drugs, perfume and porcelain.

Portugal's role in this was massive: by the mid-15th century, it was the richest nation in Europe, due to the many trade routes it held a tight grip on, its spirit of exploration, and its great navy. The Portuguese had outposts in Morocco, Brazil, Central Africa, Angola, Mozambique, all of these territories forming a safe and completely Portuguese-dominated passageway from Europe to Asia. By taking only the territories it saw necessary for expansion of the economy, it ensured that all foreign ships trying to get to India would have to land at one of its ports. Meanwhile, in Portuguese India, merchants and government officials were trying to petition Lisbon for increased privatisation of the Casa des Indias, the chartered company that run Portuguese operations in India. After the Battle of Talikota, the Viceroy agreed to ally itself with the Vijayanagar Empire, and so all possible territorial gains would be made, for the moment at least, in the north of the continent. The reason for the choice of the states over each other was this; Mughals were Muslims, and Lisbon wasn't going to ally with a Muslim nation any time soon, with the Catholic Church agreeing to let Portugal dominate Asian trade. The Council of Portuguese India agreed to further explore and hopefully set up a trading post on one of the Spice Islands within the near future, and an expedition was sent out. if the Portuguese controlled this tiny archipelago, with some islands the size of a town, then it would have all the world's nutmeg, mace and clove supplies, and therefore be the richest country in the world.

It was not just Portugal in the Indian Ocean, though; the Dutch, English and French were beginning to take interest in establishing colonies there. The Emperor in Vijayanagara, Venkaatapati Deva Raya agreed to the Dutch request of setting up a factory in Pulicat, and the English in Surat. These were, however, the only other European towns in India not Portuguese, and they were surrounded by a pro-Portuguese powerful Indian nation. It was very much the age of Portugal's mastery of the Indian Ocean. Worrying Lisbon much more than the Dutch and the English was Spain. Having reached the Pacific Ocean across the continent of America, they had started to sail westward through the Pacific. Landing on an island called Cebu, in what is now the Phillipines, the Spanish set up a factory, and found that they could raid the local islands, gain spices, and return, and Portugal wouldn't know, and wouldn't worry. Portugal did know, however, as the expedition it sent out had witnessed a raid, and chased the Spanish ship off. There were rumours in the capital that the Government would remind the Pope and the Spanish King that the Spanish colonisers were in violation of the Treaty of Torsidellas signed years before, but they did not want tensions to run high, so they left it for the moment.

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Economy: The economy of the Vijayanagar Era continued on from the examples of the other great Indian Empires to have agriculture as the largest sector in it, which employed the most people. It was the work of the people: they would farm and breed in the country, and come to the cities and market towns and trade their goods. Foreign trade was booming: although arguably the Portuguese were making more money out of it than the Vijayanagars themselves. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the empire was dependent on the Horse Trade, but in the next few years, it would become the richest city in the world, with the spice and gold trade passing through it. With the conquest of the Deccan in the 1560s, the large diamond mines were acquired in Golconda, and hundreds of more square miles was able to be farmed. By the turn of the 17th Century, Vijayanagar, or Bisnagar as it was then known to Europe, had achieved a level of prosperity hitherto unknown, and many travellers and merchants came investigating, speeding up the economy. It was around this time that the Government decided to copy the Europeans: Venkaatapati Deva Raya oversaw the creation of an actual navy, and he sent these ships on trading missions to the Malay Archipelago, to Arabia, and even as far as China and Madagascar. This period is called the Vijayanagar Golden Age.

Government: The Vijayanagars kept with Indian tradition in that the central Government did not care much for the day-to-day running of townships and small provinces, and instead delegated this duty to viceroys, as it were, usually nobles from a local dynasty. Some parts of the empire had more autonomy than others, however, such as the city of Vijayanagar, and the Malabar Coast, which was usually tow encourage economic growth or, in the case of the area of the former Deccan Sultanates, to prevent rebellion against the empire. The King, or Maharajah was at the centre of the governmental system, although his council usually assumed most of his actual roles.

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Culture: Art and Architecture flourished during the Golden Age. A new style of architecture was developed, which was influenced by the local existing style, Hindu styles, the style of the Muslim Deccan, and colonial architecture. There were many temples, palaces and even a Great Library built during this time, where nobles and wealthy people would gather to discuss politics and culture. Music was incredibly important, and it was mainly Hindu traditional, although growing influence from Europe led to a harp and piano being installed into the Grand Palace in Vijayanagar, and from East Africa and Malaysia led to more drums and percussion being used.

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A small update, because I'm desperate to get one in, since I will probably be unable to do anything over the next week. Comments, criticism, anything? :)
 
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