Chapter 24: Unification of Weights and Measurements
In the region of North Karnataka
A massive structure constructed from stones and wood is emitting smoke continuously from its chimney. The entire building resembles a colossal monster exhaling its venom. Within the edifice, individuals are hurrying about with bare chests.
In the centre of the building, there stands an enormous fire-breathing monster that ingests iron ore and expels molten iron. The entire machine looks like a fire-breathing dragon.
Near the furnace, a large and sturdy man is yelling at his servants.
"Hurry, hurry! Bring in the moulds quickly!"
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Fetch the water for quenching, quickly!"
"His Highness will be here for inspection anytime soon. Get the swords and shields Ready as soon as possible. I need everything to be prepared by the time he arrives," he instructed, while the elder blacksmiths took charge of the moulds and started hammering away at the red-hot metal to craft fine weapons.
This man is none other than the young blacksmith, Hey Ram. He was appointed as the head of Raya Iron Works. Currently, he is preparing for the arrival of Vijay Deva Raya with bated breath. When he first started his work, his more experienced colleagues, the seasoned blacksmiths, did not show respect for him and were reluctant to heed his commands. As time went on, they witnessed his capabilities, leading them to listen to his orders. Even the construction of the blast furnace was accelerated under his leadership, this gave him a somewhat dignified aura.
Vijay finally arrived at the Raya Iron Works factory, he was dying to see the furnace, realizing that the furnace could significantly enhance the kingdom's military prowess through this one factory. Upon entering the factory, he was welcomed by Hey Ram. He appeared somewhat leaner than before, yet not malnourished. If anything, he seemed slightly stronger than before, with a touch of added black tan to his skin.
"Long live Your Highness, long live Vijayanagar, long live," Hey Ram, along with his colleagues, exclaimed.
Vijay got straight to the point without any unnecessary small talk, "Take me to the blast furnace. I want to see it for myself."
Hey Ram swiftly guided the king to the blast furnace. As they neared the furnace, the heat became unbearable. Therefore, Hey Ram cautioned, "Be careful, Your Highness. It's hot in here," his words imbued with genuine concern.
However, Vijay seemed oblivious to the warning, as if it had fallen on deaf ears. His attention was fixated on the blast furnace, witnessing the molten metal being spewed out. This molten metal would soon be transformed into pig iron tools and weapons.
Then he selected another Talwar to inspect. However, this time his brow furrowed, not due to any lack of quality in the product, but because the Talwar he now held was slightly smaller than the one he had examined earlier.
This might not be noticeable to an ordinary person, but ever since his rebirth, he had been acutely aware of his heightened sensitivity. This awareness had only grown more pronounced following the enhancement of his 'GOLDFINGER.'
Vijay inquired quickly, "Hey Ram, why is this sword smaller than the other one?"
Hey Ram appeared puzzled by the question, but he still proceeded to answer.
"Your Highness, all the Talwars are like this because they are crafted by different blacksmiths. Each blacksmith has their own method and measurements, making it quite challenging to achieve uniformity," Hey Ram explained.
Vijay was struck by a sudden realization – that different parts of his kingdom were using various weights and measurements. He swiftly conveyed his thoughts to Hey Ram.
"Keep the furnace operational, but refrain from producing any weapons or tools from the iron. Store the iron in a dry place until you receive further instructions from me," Vijay directed urgently.
With that, Vijay quickly departed to devise a plan and establish uniform weights and measurements throughout his domain.
Vijay wanted to implement Indian weights and measurements for unification. However, he soon realized that there existed multiple units for weights and measurements across different regions of the subcontinent. Consequently, he took it upon himself to establish his own standardized system.
Drawing inspiration from the measurements of deities' steps in a Rama temple as '1 foot', he devised units such as millimetres, centimetres, kilometres, and others.
He also heard in a history class in his high school, stating that one Varaha weighed 3 and a half grams, which he used as a basis to derive the values for 1 gram, 1 kilogram, and 1 ton.
With his chosen standards in mind, he summoned the most skilled craftsman within his empire. He entrusted the craftsman with the task of creating a scale and standard weights that would serve as benchmarks for the new system.
"Finally," he thought, holding the meticulously designed scale and weights, "I will preserve this original set to be displayed in a museum, to be opened in the future."
Later that day, an imperial edict was proclaimed throughout the Vijayanagar Kingdom, outlining the unification of weights and measures. The edict declared that all royal establishments would exclusively employ the standardized weights and measures endorsed by the king. Additionally, a selection of authenticated copies was distributed to trusted merchants to ensure accurate reproduction of these standards.
The edict also stipulated severe consequences for any misuse of weights and measures. Offenders would face a punishment of 30 years of imprisonment and would forfeit their right to reside within the Vijayanagar Empire.