Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

178  Vijay's Change of The Hindutva Ideology: Finalizing the Frigate Design

Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, Hampi. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Vijay sat down in the study room and pondered about the Hindutva movement that Veer Savarkar proposed. The Hindutva movement he proposed was aimed at the total reform of Hindu society, attempting to correct all the wrongs in the culture. This loose concept was compiled into an ideology and politicized by Veer Savarkar.

The roots of this reform go back centuries, as Hinduism is not a typical religion but a way of life dictating how people live their day-to-day lives. So, it is challenging to change aspects of life considered wrong within the culture, even if people are aware of these issues. For example, child marriage is recognized as wrong, yet it remains accepted in the culture, persisting even in the 21st century. The silver lining is that child marriages are generally between children themselves, and the rate of such marriages has been declining year by year at a staggering rate, which is positive.

So, returning to the Hindutva Movement, the Hindutva movement found inspiration in several historical events. One significant influence was the Bhakti movement that flourished across Bharat from the 11th to the 16th century. During this transformative period, eminent poets and intellectuals such as Kabir, Ramananda, Ramanuja, Vallabhacharya, Eknath, Guru Nanak, Tukaram, Namdev, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and others emerged as proponents of the concept of devotion to God, transcending the barriers of caste and religion. This emphasis on spiritual devotion laid the foundation for future reforms within the societal framework. The Bhakti movement's use of vernacular languages also played a crucial role, making its teachings more accessible and influential, particularly among the lower classes of society.

Additionally, another historical event that significantly contributed to the Hindutva movement and the resurgence of the concept of a unified nation and civilization occurred in 1857. This event was none other than the First War of Independence against British rule. The rebellion not only symbolized resistance to colonial oppression but also ignited a wave of nationalist sentiments across the subcontinent. The echoes of this movement reverberated through time, leaving a lasting impact on the collective consciousness and fostering a sense of unity and shared identity among the people.

Finally, in the 19th to the early 20th Century, the Hindu revivalist movements emerged, influenced by Bhakti ideals and anti-colonial sentiments.

The ideology of Hindutva was then founded in 1923 as Savarkar published "Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?", outlining his vision for a Hindu nation, turning a cultural and religious identity into a political ideology of the Hindus. From the 20th Century onwards, the Hindutva movement evolved, facing criticism and evolving interpretations, finally becoming mainstream in 2024.

15:55

Although this ideology received a lot of criticism, it is actually highly misunderstood by a huge amount of propaganda, Because according to Veer Savarkar's Hindutva ideology.

1. Savarkar argued for a Hindu nation where Hindus, defined by shared nation, race, and culture, would be the dominant group.

According to Vijay, this perspective was not controversial. In his view, the people of this land and culture had played an integral role in its evolution and development since the early stages of human existence. Therefore, he believed that every dharmic follower had the rightful claim to consider Bharat as their exclusive home. This sentiment reflected a deep connection to the land, emphasizing the cultural and historical roots that had shaped the civilization over multiple millennia.

2. Savarkar also went beyond religious affiliations and included Indian-originating religions like Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism as part of the broader Hindu identity, whereas Muslims and Christians would be excluded due to their foreign religious origins.

Vijay did have some problems with this, but not with respect to Abrahamic Muslims and Christians; on that point, he totally agreed. His problem stemmed from forcing the people of other Indian religions to identify as Hindus.

3. Savarkar emphasized a unified Hindu culture and identifying oneself as a Hindu first above their caste affiliations. He also emphasized that all religions could be tolerated in Bharat as long as they did not pose a threat to Hindu culture and political dominance.

4. Savarkar's Hindutva was deeply intertwined with opposition to British rule, presenting Hinduism as a unifying force against foreign domination, which highly resonated with many Indians seeking independence.

Vijay could do away with this point, as India has not been colonized by the British yet, and never will be.

5. Savarkar emphasized the history to highlight a golden age of Hindu rule and portrayed the true nature of Muslim invaders, thereby justifying his vision of a Hindu nation.

Well, Vijay is currently living in that age of Muslim invasions; he does not need any justification.

The Hindutva movement, initiated by Veer Savarkar, strongly emphasized the aforementioned points. Despite its seemingly non-extreme nature, this ideology faced misunderstandings and vilification throughout its existence. Unfortunately, the period following British rule saw the rise of leaders with strong anti-Hindu sentiments. Some notable mistakes during this time included the destruction of Kolkata, one of the most robust industrial centres, due to the socialist direction the country took. Additionally, the first education minister, Maulana Azad, despite keeping religion out of schools and maintaining a very secular approach, failed the Hindus with the portrayal of many Islamic invaders in a favourable light. Also, Azad was a fervent believer in the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire. He mobilized Muslims in India to fight the British in Turkey, urging them to use whatever means necessary to kill British soldiers in the name of religion, regardless of nationality.

The first prime minister was also out of touch with the real soil of the nation, as he formed a university only for cultivating civil service talents who aligned with his ideology that Indians are lazy and Hinduism is backward (a recording came out recently). This move created far-left intellectuals who opposed Hindu liberation in every way possible and served the Muslim minority, as they were politically close to the government. Even when the Muslim leaders in the future wanted to accommodate Hindu sentiments, the intellectuals denied the opportunity and went to court on this issue.

Even Gandhi, the most prominent freedom fighter from India, supported the Khilafat movement, which included leaders proposing absurd clauses such as Hindus being forbidden to prevent Muslims from eating beef, refraining from performing rituals or worship in the presence of Muslims, and in case of disputes, Hindus were not to engage in communal violence but leave the resolution to the benevolence of Muslims. Despite the movement being portrayed as a unity of Hindu and Muslim movements, it included many controversial clauses. In the 21st century, during the Gyanvapi Mosque reclamation case in court, several Muslim community leaders were willing to hand over the Mosque, which was originally a temple. This could be seen with the naked eye, with clear evidence as the top part of the building being a mosque and the bottom support structure part being a Hindu temple dating far before the mosque was built on top of it. Despite this evidence, left intellectuals demanded proof, and even the idol in the footwash place in the Mosque that had been trampled upon and desecrated was turned into a fountain, leading to an infuriating situation.

Isn't the situation similar to asking an armless man for a disability certificate? How ridiculous is that?

Pushing all these annoying thoughts from his previous life away from his mind, Vijay corrected some of the points in the Hindutva Ideology he thought would not work in this era, and adjusted some points according to his opinion.

For example, instead of Hindi as the main language for the Hindutva movement, Vijay replaced it with the Bharathi language. Also, Vijay arranged for religions like Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism to be separate from Hinduism but more closely linked with the dharmic aspect of Sanathana Dharma, as he believed that Savarkar's idea had more drawbacks than benefits. Although all three religions originated from Hinduism, they became different schools of thought, essentially forming their own religious consciousness.

So, Vijay did not insist on bringing all the Dharmic religions under the same basket as Hindus. Instead, he made Sanatan Dharma the cinematic universe, serving as the connecting factor for all Indian religions, which is more acceptable. In the past timeline, Sanatan Dharma became no different from Hinduism, but it was not always like that. So, Vijay wrote down his ideology to de Hindu-fy Sanatan Dharma and made it more universal for all dharmic religions, which could potentially also include foreign ones like Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto.

After roughly noting down his ideology, he decided on the name for this new ideology as Sarvatra Dharmic Ideology (Universal Dharmic Ideology).

Vijay did not intend to publish this ideology in a book or present it directly to the public, as he anticipated significant resistance, even from the lower caste people. Instead, he planned to employ soft propaganda through literature, poems, stories, and general education in schools to influence children's thinking in this direction.

By doing so, subtle hints could go unnoticed by most adults, and the minds of the children could be gently guided. However, a major challenge lay in the need for a substantial number of books, which, in turn, required significant production and printing capabilities. So, Vijay decided to finally do something about it. His uncle had reminded him long ago about the shortage of paper, and he had been pushing it to a further date because of his larger plan. Now, it was the right time to implement the Super-scale upgrade of Bhartiya industries.

Vijay sent his ideology to Tukaram to polish it out. He also sent a message to keep it a secret. In the happy mood of completing something extraordinary, Vijay spent quite a bit of time with Kavya. Delightfully, his mood improved again as Ravichandra brought him some more good news.

"Your Majesty, this came from the Boswell Design Bureau." Ravichandra Handed Vijay a document.

"Took him long enough," Vijay murmured as he was waiting for this news.

Opening the document, it was the design plan for the 500-ton frigate.

Observing the designs, Vijay couldn't help but admire Danior in his heart. According to these specifications, the ship would be on par with any middle-level European shipbuilding power in the world. He was highly satisfied with the significant advancement of the Bhartiya Empire in terms of navy shipbuilding capabilities.

The empire had experienced a remarkable leap, progressing from having no warship building capabilities to producing a hundred-ton sloop that was only slightly outdated compared to European standards. Now, there was another substantial leap, moving from a 200-ton merchant ship to a frigate that matched the standards of any middle-level European power. Vijay eagerly anticipated the design and manufacture of the Empire's battleships in the near future.

Going over the specifications: the approximate length is 42 - 45 m, which is longer than average for maneuverability. The beam is 10 to 11 m, which is a narrow beam for faster speeds. The draft is a 4 - 5 m, shallow draft for navigating tight spaces and coastal waters. The primary wood used, oak, was a problem as it was not largely available in the empire, but he quickly got an idea of where he could import it from. Along with oak, iron reinforcements were also used to make the hull structure strong and durable, in addition to adding a feature of ramming capability. It is a two-mast square-sail warship with smaller sails like staysails for versatile and optimal wind control.

In the artillery department, it could carry 16 to 20, 30 kg heavy naval cannons, along with 8 to 12 swivel guns of 15 kg calibre.

The crew of the ship is 180 to 200 men, which is a larger crew than usual for faster sail handling and coordinated manoeuvring.

The cruising speed is between 8 and 9 knots, which is faster than average frigates, as this frigate was designed for swift travel and pursuit. In exceptional and ideal conditions, the ship can reach a maximum speed of 11 to 12 knots.

The displacement of the ship is approximately 450 to 500 tons.

Vijay was very satisfied with this design, so he quickly signed the document for a trial production of the 500-ton frigate. Vijay then named the frigate BNV Vinayaka class.

P.S. The Religious thing seems to be rubbing a lot of people the wrong way, so after this chapter, I will keep the religious thing to a minimum. Thanks.

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