It was no ordinary day for the people of Pataliputra. Samrat Hāla had demanded the presence of all of Pataliputra for the announcement he was going to make.
Samrat Hāla stood on the porch of the Palace of Pataliputra before thousands of Pataliputra's citizens, in his hands he carried a white pigeon. The moment he set it free, would begin the first day of a new age. "I Samrat Hāla, first of my name, and the fifth samrat of the Satavahana line, decree this day, the first day in the new age.
This shall be an age of peace, an age of prosperity, and a time of enlightenment, when Bharata shall reach to ever more glorious heights of power and prestige and assume her rightful place in the pantheon of nations, as vishwaguru.
On this day, we shall observe every year, the beginning of the new year of a new calendar. The Vikram Samvat now begins, named for my father, Samrat Pulovami Vikramaditya and in honor of all those who through their sacrifices have brought the empire of Magadh to this position of power before the world. And in honor of those who had fallen in the rebellion of Sudras, I decree that from this day forth till the end of a hundred years after me, no man shall be forced to work against his will, for any work of the state or for private interests. Let this decree be passed over all dominions of the empire of Magadh."
Thus began in the month of vasant, the first year of the Vikram Samvat calendar. For long, the rishis and acharyas of Bharata had studied the movements of planets and seasons to create an accurate calendar, much as what the Persians already used. However, the Persians were not willing to share their knowledge with the rest of the world, and what was known to the Persians dealt only with the seasons of Persia and was thus not considered useful for the people of Bharata. No other nation in the world knew of a calendar system, or so it was believed.
Everything changed when the nation of Goguryeo was discovered by the then Captain Kartikeya, now Amatya for foreign affairs. When it came to the knowledge of Samrat Hāla that the Goguryeo were willing to exchange their knowledge for our knowledge of metal casting, the samrat ordered a group of rishis, artisans and shipwrights who were skilled in the art of metal casting and ship building to travel to Goguryeo with scrolls of the lohshastra, the treatise on metal casting.
With the knowledge of seasons secured from the Goguryeo, the rishis of Bharata created the Vikram samvat calendar from the sixth year of Samrat Hāla's reign.
With knowledge of a calendar, came many benefits to the peasantry of Bharata who would now know when to sow their seeds, when the rains would come and go, when winter would pass onto summer and when spring would make the flowers blossom. The learned men of Bharata now yearned for a new direction for study, Samrat Hāla thus tasked them with uncovering the secrets of a new economic order. In his mind, he wished to unite all of Bharata not just under one political crown, but also under one economic rule, a single currency for all trade.
Many deemed this madness, some laughed it off, but a handful of acharyas in the gurukul of Pataliputra came forward to take up the samrat's challenge. They began to research all known works of arthashastra since Acharya Chanakya and of those who came before him. Samrat Hāla with advise from Amatya Niyogi, secured greater funding for their research and a place of privilege in the royal archives.
The years of peace passed on, and time healed the bitter wounds of the past. Half of Pataliputra which had once laid in ruin was now fully rebuilt and the city returned to some of its former grandeur. As peace returned to the realm, Samrat Hāla started to come to terms with his own tragedies. Samrat Hāla was a wounded man, just as Magadh was a wounded nation. Years of war and violence had left deep scars upon her. The other provinces of Bharata had suffered as well, for the ambitions of the Samrats who ruled from the throne of Magadh. "Enough" the emperor said, "Enough of the death, destruction and fighting. Now we must have peace."
But peace could only be secured by strength. On the frontiers of Bharata, North of the Kambojadesa, the tribes of Kushans and Turkushas resided. From there they raided East, West, North and South to all lands that came in their sight. The building of the Great wall of China pushed many other fierce tribes over the deserts West of Chin into bloody conflict. The lands of the Han empire was now impossible to attack, so the Turkushas turned their gaze South to the prosperous lands of Bharata. The raids to Herat became more frequent and the Kushans became bolder in their attacks. The Army of Magadh was once again needed on Bharata's frontiers. Senapati Vijayanand oversaw the rebasing of the Army of Magadh to Herat.
The presence of the Army of Magadh kept the raiders out of the North and secured the boundaries of Bharata. An unintended consequence of this move, was to stabilize the new regime in Persia. While Tiridates was well loved by his subjects, the treaty of subjugation with the empire of Magadh created resentment among many Persians. The Paradas too never forgave Magadh for the death of their king and remained hostile. The presence of the Army of Magadh on Persia's borders struck terror into Tiridates' enemies.
The horse lands of Kambojadesa were now open to the empire of Magadh. This meant that pastures could be developed in those lands. The Kambojas had sacrificed much for the cause of Magadh, their men fought beside the armies of Magadh and for the future of Magadh. They fought its wars in foreign lands unfailing in their loyalty to their king. It was thus only fitting that the long standing demand of the Kambojas to develop pastures in the horse lands be met. Samrat Hāla gave the Kambojas this gift. Four worker guilds were assigned the task of developing pastures in the horse lands.
Five more years passed and Samrat Hāla's reign passed on to its eleventh year. The precocious boy had grown up to be a wise man. In his life he had witnessed three great tragedies in his youth. The death of his father, the death of his mentor and thereafter, the death of his beloved mother.
The death of his mother, dowager empress Nayanika had hurt him the hardest. On the day of his mother's funeral, it is said that he was so overcome by grief and anger, he had set out to burn the throne of Magadh. It was the intervention of Senapati Vijayanand that stopped the emperor from descending to such madness. Hāla was a strong man, but even the strong can break, fortunately for Bharata, her samrat did not break.
To escape the doldrums of tragedy, he sought refuge in poetry. Over the years, the samrat wrote many short poems and compiled it into a large compilation of poetry, the Gatha Saptashati. The poems spoke of love and the beauty of the world. The Samrat's love for culture and of all the beauties of creation would be seen again in the last of the grand temples of Kashi.
Samrat Hāla oversaw the completion of his great ancestor's dream, the temple complex at Kashi would become the signature of the Satavahan dynasty, its eloquent imprint on the soil of Bharata. The last of the forty temples of Kashi built under Samrat Hāla's guidance was also its most beautiful.
The people of Kashi had come to know these temples as the Khajuraho, so named for the two large date trees which stood at the gates of the temple complex. Standing on the banks the Ganga, the temple presented an awe inspiring sight.
Kashi now stood tall and strong, its priestly class was never bolder. The building of these temple complex was welcomed by the brahmins of Kashi, yet the brahmins feared for the future. In Hāla they saw a man who would reason with Buddhists, there was even talk of building a gilded stupa. Pataliputra still dominated Bharata as its largest, richest and most cultured city. Varanasi would remain under its shadow and the brahmins knew of this.
When the brahmans of Kashi called for a chintan baithak of all brahmans across Bharata, thousands answered. They were all united under a common cause to uphold vedic culture and the supremacy of the brahman. It was decided then, that a representative shall be elected from among the most enlightened among them to represent the interests of all brahmans and guide him in the ways of the shastras.
Pandit Munindra, a wise priest in Pataliputra, was chosen for the task. Samrat Hāla was known to respect him and confided in him during his most difficult times after the death of Queen Nayanika. On his request, the samrat had rebuilt his gurukul which had been gutted during the sudra rebellion.
Pataliputra had been through many convolutions, but remained a beacon of culture and prosperity for the world. travelers came to Pataliputra from far corners of the world, some came for trade, others for spiritual enlightenment and blessings of the Buddha. It was a centre of knowledge and art, where wise men toiled to unravel the secrets of the world. Most of all, it was the key stone that held together the vast empire of Magadh straddling from the plateaus of Iran to the waters of the Eastern sea.
Among the thousands who came to Pataliputra, was the beautiful daughter of the king of Ceylon, Lilavati. The Kings of Ceylon had adopted the path of the Buddha since Samrat Ashok had sent missions to that island. Since then, their family has been visiting Pataliputra on an annual pilgrimage. Since the time of Ashoka, Ceylon had accepted the suzerainty of Magadh over all the lands of Bharatvarsha. This was Lilavati's first visit to Pataliputra, over here the young Samrat Hāla and the beautiful Ceylonese princess came face to face and it was love at first sight.
Hāla's youth had passed in tragedies and the burden of rule. When Lilavati came to his life, it was as though Hāla was reborn. When the samrat found love in Lilavati's arms, he could finally bury the ghosts of the past, at least he as at peace. On the twenty first year of his reign, Lilavati would bear him a son and the Satavahan dynasty would have an heir.
Samrat Hāla was never happier than he was now, he had secured the realm and the future of the dynasty. Bharata was prospering and progressing towards a future of peace, the future he envisaged. Thus, the twenty first year of the Vikram Samvat calendar was declared the year of peace and plenty.
But dark clouds were gathering from lands far and away and from lands not so distant. In the barren reaches of the Turkusha domains, a warrior had arisen, they called him Kujula Kadphises. Before their gods and before the Buddha, this new Kushan king had sworn to conquer all lands under heaven so that the Kushan may never know poverty. The riders had set out South, soon they shall ride beyond the Oxus under the crucible of conquest.
The same time that the Kushans were bestirred into conquest, a pirate lord emerged from Sindh. When the boundaries of Avanti had expanded to annex the Eastern lands of Sindh, the pirates had lost much men and resources. For over three decades, piracy was at a low ebb along the coasts of Avanti, but now the pirate Angulimaal sought to challenge the might of the second greatest empire on earth. On the coast of Sindh, within the waters of Avanti, Angulimal had begun his gathered his forces for raid and the fleet of triremes were nowhere near to being ready.
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Two letters came before Samrat Hāla from Amatya Martand. He was an unorthodox minister, for unlike most of his contemporaries who sought to rule from the administrative offices of Pataliputra, he believed in ruling his domains from within them. He travelled between Persepolis and Kanchipuram extensively, administering his duties from a mobile office in his caravan. A team of messengers were always at the ready to deliver news from the colonies and protectorates to the samrat's doorstep. Amatya Martand sent two separate letters from Persepolis and Kanchipuram.
From Persepolis :
Samrat Hāla ki Jai !
Your excellency, during my administration of our Persian protectorate, it has come to my notice that this land has two manner of forces. One faction which hates us and hates our ally King Tiridates, and the other which hates us but admires King Tiridates. Among these, it is in our best interest to do whatever we can within our power to ensure that King Tiridates remain seated on the throne of Persia. Of King Tiridates it should be said, that he and his court would not hesitate for a moment before breaking away from our suzerainty. It must be recalled, that the treaty signed with your esteemed predecessor Chakravartin Samrat Mahrajadhiraj Pulovami, was but conditional. If the Persian be allowed to grow their strength, then it would become difficult for us to keep our hold over them.
At present, our best allies within Persia, though not many in number, are those who have grown wealthy over trade between the East and West. Bharata controls the best of this trade. It is therefore, my recommendation, that no tribute be exacted from Persia and this regime be allowed to entrench itself. We may control this land by pitting both our enemies against one another.
The land is rich in resources, there is wine, fine wool, iron, sea food and ivory to be had from the lands of Persia. For now however, I would advice restraint on exploiting these resources if only to avoid provoking any negativity towards Bharata. We needst only secure our hold over Kambojadesa, for if we control that, then we control Persia.
In Service,
Amatya Martand
From Kanchipuram :
Samrat Hāla ki Jai,
Your excellency, the lands of Chola Nadu have prospered under your rule. Though Kanchipuram remains backwards in terms of civic improvements, the people of the outlying villages and settlements are content with the development of pasture lands has given many opportunities to the people of the province. The library of Kanchipuram is only a modest structure, but one which should be developed. However, I would recommend investment in the defense of the city. There should be two archer divisions and a wall built on this city.
The shipwrights of Chola Nadu continue building the fleet of triremes that had been ordered, while much work is done, the shipwrights say that if they be allowed to hire bonded labor and rush production, the fleet would be complete and ready for battle. I have ensured that no bonded labor be used in any kind of project within the colony, but the shipwrights are restless. Kanchipuram is weak and underdeveloped, and I would not put a strain on her by imposing the burden of forced labor. Let Chola Nadu grow and prosper.
In service,
Amatya Martand.
Samrat Hāla pondered over the letter from Perspolis. He recollected an earlier discussion with Amatya Kartikeya, he said to the emperor that day
Amatya Kartikeya spoke,"A land so rich in resources should not slip from our grasp. As we have suzerainty over the Persians they forfeit the right to their own resources. All the wealth of persia should justly belong to us".
"But they are the resources of Persia. Would it not provoke the Persians against us ?" the Samrat asked,
"That is true samrat, but as has been so clearly shown, our military might is many times greater than theirs, should they be so foolish as to challenge us again, Persia shall surely be crushed!"
"What you talk of is war. How can I keep the promise of peace if we take a policy that brings war?"
"Samrat, I speak only of diplomacy. We must not let the Persians feel equal to us or they would revolt, then war would come to our doorstep whether we will it or not."
Samrat Hāla pondered some more, 'If I take one path against another, it would bring Amatya Martand in conflict with Amatya Kartikeya, yet both speak the truth. Perhaps .. there is a middle path..'
That night the Samrat concluded his middle path. He sat in discussion with Amatya Kartikeya and sent a message to Amatya Martand on the policy towards Persia. Each year, they would pay in tribute to Bharata iron and elephants, thus depriving them from training armored divisions and elephant cavalry. Tiridates was not pleased, but all knew that opposition was futile.
The Samrat next turned his attention to matters closer to home.
Kanchipuram was safe and secure and bereft of any proximate danger, as a coastal city it has access to the waters of the Eastern sea and has a seafaring population, but lacks a harbor. Avanti has a harbor but lacks the resources to grow and build quickly. The prospect of rushing the trireme project and developing an attack fleet to fight the pirates of Sindh seemed hard to refuse, yet that would mean the Samrat would go against his own words, then what kind of ruler would he be ?
Samrat Hāla consulted with Amatya Niyogi and Senapati Vijayanand.
"Amatya, what is the position of our finances?"
"Samrat, our treasury is running a deficit of one mound of gold for every year. On every fifth year our reserves which currently amount to two hundred and twenty nine mounds of gold decline by ten mounds of gold."
"Senapati, are there any proximate threats that have been reported ?"
"Samrat, not for the last twenty years has there even been a raid conducted on the lands of our glorious empire. The only threat that truly exists, comes from the seas where we do not yet have the means to challenge the pirates of Sindh."
"Would you say we need any more troops than we have, Senapati?"
Vijayanand smiled, "No Samrat. Not at all."
"Amatya, what is your opinion on this?"
"Samrat, our deficit is not a problem as of now, but later on, we will be strained to sustain such a deficit for too long. A large army definitely contributes to greater expense. If the Senapati says there is no need for troops, then I would say that we must not allow any expansion of troops."
Thus it was decided, though to Amatya Martand's disappointment, that he would not be given more troops to command. The Samrat however, allowed for the building of walled defenses.
On the twenty sixth year of Samrat Hāla's reign, the heir of the Satavahan dynasty, was announced, it would be Prince Purindrasena, the first born son of Samrat Hāla. That very year, Queen Lilavati gave birth to another child, Prince Puttalaka. However, Purindrasen was born feeble, he did not survive long after his birth, within a year after the announcement of Purindrasen as heir, he perished. His death threw the Samrat into a state of paranoia and panic he often thought that the line after him was cursed, cursed with witnessing death at a young age. In his grief he wrote a poem of love, the poem which would be his last,
Mother
with the blink of an eye
his love vanished
A trinket gets
dangled
into your world
you reach out and it's gone
. Now as the usual drill, we prepare for the next one. But first, in light of the lower caste uprising, it has become pertinent to review a few of the earlier religious policies. For this I'm going to make a new non-ministerial position.
