Chapter 2: Present, history
It took a few months for Vir to finally understand and accept what had happened to him. First, he confirmed that the language he heard was indeed Persian, and almost everyone seemed to speak the same.
By virtue of his past work in studying history, he knew the Persian language but the dialect spoken here was different. It was an archaic form of Persian spoken centuries ago. It didn't take long for him to understand that he had traveled back in time from there.
Ancient architecture, clothes, and language along with a lack of any modern objects he was used to having around, quickly convinced him of the time travel. Once he accepted that he had turned into a baby, anything else including time travel seemed easy to accept.
He had initially theorized that this was some kind of dream he had been having in a coma due to the accident. And since his last thoughts were about going to the past as discussed with Anand, it seemed very plausible.
But when a few months passed, Vir began to accept the new life. His parents might have been sad in the original timeline after his death but he was alive now and he had to live.
'Even if this might be a hyper-realistic dream I am having in a coma, I can't afford to take a chance and die without doing anything. I'll just deal with it at the time if it happens.'
After the acceptance came the recognition of the need for information. Where was he, at what period in history, is it the same world that he knew, or is it a completely different world? There were many questions to be answered.
It took some time to get used to the old dialect and archaic words but when he got the hang of the language, he started to learn more about his surroundings. For starters, his name was the same as his past life. Vir Chand.
The other thing he learned was that his family is fairly wealthy. His father seems to be in trading and money lending business and doing quite well for himself. The house they lived in was a fairly large mansion with a large courtyard, with hints of Mughal architecture.
His parents looked very young with his mother looking to be in her late teens and his father in his early 20s. As was prevalent in the old days, his parents must have married young and from what he understood, his mother was his father's second wife. It was unusual to him but a common practice of the time.
From the conversations he heard around adults, he found out that his home was somewhere near Bombay as there were frequent talks about his father conducting trade there with the British.
When he could finally barely walk, he kept waddling around to his father's study all the time, and there he found a piece of very important information, the date. It was January of 1742 AD.
Vir started talking by the age of one and had already started to learn reading and writing by his father's side. He didn't try to deliberately act childlike either.
One day, as Vir was taking a walk in the garden with a maid who was assigned to take care of him, he saw three Westerners who were sitting there sipping on what Vir assumed was tea.
They were alarmed by Vir and the maid walking into the garden at first but when they saw that it was just a young servant and a child, they stopped paying attention and continued their conversation.
"The war is completely unnecessary. We are already struggling to gain ground here and they are starting a pointless war back home. I don't get the point of fighting in Europe when there is a neverending treasure right here." One of the English guys complained.
The other two looked around once again and continued the conversation, "That's royal politics for you. On the bright side, we get to earn more while they fight their wars."
"Right. Captain James Bolton bought another farm in Jamaica. He couldn't stop talking about it the last time I went back home. I want to buy a mansion on the outskirts of the capital too but I'll probably have to work a little longer."
The first guy spoke in annoyance, "You guys aren't getting it. The war back home is starting to spill over in the colonies. I heard from my commanding officer about the skirmishes with the French frogs starting down south. It's only a matter of time before we get involved too."
Although Vir was walking a little further from the group, he could listen in on the conversation easily. The British weren't deliberately trying to lower their voices either. Why would the arrogant Brits even think of a young Indian servant or a child understanding their language?
'The Austrian war for succession has already begun to affect the Indian subcontinent? They will fight among themselves, improve their technology and tactics, and then use those to rule over the Indians.'
There was a time when weapons like guns and artillery in the Eastern world were much superior than the West. The concept of gunpowder weapons itself was born in Asia so it wasn't something shocking.
However, the Asian cultures, including the Chinese and the Indian cultures of the times, were not very keen on developing their weapons and tactics. The honor of warriors facing the enemy in person, the traditions of using cold weapons, the religious beliefs, and such concepts held back the Asian progress of weapons and tactics.
The Europeans on the other hand, had been fighting for the limited land of Europe for a long time using any method they could get their hands on. They continued to improve on their war machine and began outclassing the original inventors themselves.
Of course, there were other factors involved in the process like the improvement of science and industry in the West but that too was in some part due to the wars.
While Vir was lost in thought, the conversation between the Brits continued. "How long is this Indian trader going to take? Isn't he just insulting us at this point?" One of them got angry.
"Hey, hey. Keep it down. This one is not the kind of random trader you can kick around. He has connections with both the Mughal and the Maratha courts. Why else do you think our superiors asked us to meet him unarmed and treat him with respect?" the others tried to shut him up.
They couldn't afford to create misunderstandings with a businessman that even their superiors had to be careful with while doing business.
The angry Brit clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Tch. How long do we have to be wary of these dirty, barbarian bastards? Just the three of us could take down all the guards and servants of this place if we had our guns."
"Haha. You are salty about the punishment you got for raping that girl, aren't you? It's your fault for doing it so openly and not even killing the bitch afterward. The captain had to pay off the Maratha officials to keep it quiet, you're lucky he didn't send you back home." The other two laughed at the angry Brit.
Vir who had been listening to their conversation suddenly stopped and started shaking in anger with a tiny clenched fist. When the maid saw him stop and tried asking if he was okay, Vir started walking again.
This was the reality of the times he was living in. The rulers cared only for more land and wealth while their people were living in hellish conditions. The people themselves were selling out each other to the outside invaders for small gains.
'It is a period when Indians are fighting each other on behalf of the western invaders. My modern idea of a nation and patriotism doesn't even exist here yet. Fuck, it's so frustrating.'
Vir was once again made aware of his helplessness and the dark period of history that his nation went through under British rule. Although he was just a child right now, he still had time to grow stronger and change that unfortunate history.
The oppression and atrocities will only continue to increase. And not just by the British and the other Europeans but even by the local rulers within the Indian subcontinent. The play for power and wealth will continue over the sacrifices of numerous innocent civilians.
'I have thought a lot about changing history and how India would change if the British did not get a foothold in Bengal. This must be the reason why I came to this period in history. Although we seem to be a collateral family of the Jagat Seths, I still have a connection with them. I will definitely change the fortune of my country and my family.'
Modern India had long forgotten the Jagat Seths and their hand in leading the British into India. The concept of India didn't even exist at the time so there wasn't a lot to blame on the banker family for selling out the country.
But ever since Vir learned of his ancestry and their unfortunate history, a sense of shame and guilt had grown in him. It was irrational and Vir was aware of the irrationality but he couldn't help feeling that way.
By some supernatural power, he had been sent back in time and put in a position where he could make a difference and shape history with his own hands in the form that he desired. It wouldn't be easy but at least he had a chance.
'I have to plan for the future without wasting too much time. Power, wealth, influence, and an army are all things I need to gather and they all require time to gather. My advantage of the wealth of future knowledge that I have will be crucial in this.'
Vir decided on the purpose of his life and how he would go on to achieve that. The first big milestone he set for himself was to change the outcome of the Battle of Plassey in 1757. It was the battle that became the beginning of direct British rule over Indian territories.
He couldn't hope to just change the situation in that one battle and hope for the best so he had to continue changing big and small events around him to lead up to that battle.
'There is much to do but it feels exciting. It should be fun.'
….
"You want me to buy you European books? Can you even read them? Do you want me to get you a tutor to learn their language?" Vir's father Manu Chand looked at his son with a frown. Vir had made a very unusual request out of the blue.
Manu was well aware of his young son's voracious reading habit. The child would read anything he could get his hands on, including the accounting ledger. But now he was asking for foreign books which troubled Manu a little.
Vir shook his head, "No. I just want the books. I will learn it myself slowly. And if I don't understand anything I can always ask my father or the interpreters at home."
As a businessman who dealt with the Europeans, Manu was able to converse in French fairly well and knew a little of English. He had also employed foreign language interpreters as it was necessary not to be scammed or make mistakes in documents.
"Well, if you are that excited then I suppose it wouldn't be too bad for you to read and learn more. What kinds of books do you want me to get for you?" Manu relented at the sight of his son's earnest eyes.
"Any latest book on science, crafting, engineering, and mathematics will do. All the books they use to teach their kids from school to college and if possible, journals and scientific papers written within the past decade as well." Vir began listing the requirements.
'I can't start inventing new things and suggesting changes out of the blue. I need to read those books to understand the current state of development as well as to create a smokescreen for the knowledge that I have.'
Manu was distressed at his son's demands. Normally, books were easy to get but the kind of books that his son wanted could raise suspicions among the Europeans. Some might be reluctant to get them for him too.
After some consideration, Manu Chand decided to trust in the greed of men and the ignorance and arrogance of the Europeans against the people of the Indian subcontinent. He could bribe some of the smaller traders who are strapped for business to get the books.
Even if they had some hesitation, Manu was sure that the Europeans would arrogantly believe that nobody other than themselves could understand their knowledge.
"Okay. I'll see what I can do but it might take a few months for them to arrive so you have to be patient in the meantime." Manu patted Vir's head with a satisfied smile on his face.
After months of observation, Vir had some understanding of his father's personality. Although he was a young businessman, he was thoughtful, diligent, and smart. Probably because of the education in the family, he was known as a scrupulous businessman and had a respectable standing among the businessmen around the area.
Vir had noticed that his father had a talent for handling people. Because of that, the house was filled with servants and guards who seemed genuinely respectful to his family. The people under his father seemed very loyal too.
There was a time when one of the accountants under Manu had come forward to report someone trying to bribe him during a deal. Vir was surprised by that scene but understood the situation later when he saw his father handing money to the accountant.
Vir had heard Manu explain, "Loyalty can either be earned over time, bought with a lot of money, or inspired through fear. Learning of people's tendencies, ambitions, and desires is key to figuring out how to keep them loyal."
The personnel management philosophy had impressed Vir. The proof of his father's competence was the business he was continuously growing in the region.
'I was too arrogant and prejudiced about the people and knowledge from this time. I have much to learn and grow. I should keep my mind open and try to soak in as much as I can.'
Vir being a person from the 21st century was understandably prejudiced about the 18th century at first but the wall of prejudice was breaking down rapidly as he acknowledged his limitations.
'I should slowly start to create my own group of loyal supporters who will help me in the future. I can't possibly accomplish all the things I dream of by myself. I would need a lot of people to work for me.'
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