Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

25th December 1657

Akhand Bhartiya Empire, Jharkhand

On a hot sunny day, a large armed group is moving through the forests of Jharkhand. Vijay is seated in the central carriage, holding a bunch of documents. He is currently finalizing the economic growth models for each state in the empire, including all the northern states that have not yet been integrated into the empire.

For Gujarat, Vijay chose the production of salt as the main economic model for the state. The reason for his choice was that, even in his past life, Gujarat alone produced 76% of the salt in India, especially due to its unique geographic conditions.

Key districts like Kharaghoda, Bhavnagar, Porbandar and The Rann of Kutch enable salt to be produced efficiently because it is a semi-desert arid area with year-round sunny and hot days, and they have access to one of the largest saltwater lakes in the empire, making it an excellent location for the natural sun-drying of salt.

Vijay also planned to make oil refining the main economic model of Gujarat, but this would have to wait until Fossil fuels became a demand. Vijay remembers that Jamnagar in Gujarat had the world’s largest refinery, refining 1.24 million barrels of oil per day. That amounted to one-third of India’s energy requirement, showing just how significant the oil refinery industry was in Jamnagar.

For Jharkhand, Vijay chose coal mining and coal processing as the main economic model. Naturally, The reason is unsurprisingly because it is the state with the largest coal reserves in the empire, with reserves of 122.84 billion tonnes.

Honestly speaking, if comparing it with India in his past life, Jharkhand would rank only third in coal reserves, with around 87.84 billion tonnes. However, in the current Bhartiya Empire, Jharkhand also includes the northern part of Chhattisgarh, especially regions north of Korba, which adds another 35 billion tonnes to the already existing 87.84 billion tonnes.

The coal production in Jharkhand could greatly aid iron production in Odisha, given that they are neighbouring states. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand together form a closed industrial chain for the Bhartiya Empire’s heavy industry.

For Bengal, without any surprises, Vijay chose the textile industry as the main economic growth model, as no other place in the world has as much history, culture, and geographical advantage in textile manufacturing as Bengal.

Even in his past life, where Bengali textiles’ potential was not fully tapped into due to bureaucracy and politics, the West Bengal state of India alone produced $1 billion worth of textiles, and textiles were the largest contributor to Bangladesh’s GDP, with the ready-made garment sector producing almost four million jobs and generating $46 billion in value.

At present, Bengal has not been separated and is even a little bigger, as it occupies parts of Bihar, Bhutan, and a small portion of Meghalaya, making its potential immeasurable.

Vijay also decided to make jute the main economic growth model of Bengal, as in his past life, the region of Bengal was known as the jute capital of the world, accounting for 80% of the jute produced in the world, with over 3.317 million tonnes per annum.

For Ahom, which now occupies most of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan, and Meghalaya, Vijay decided to make bamboo the main economic growth model, followed by tea, and then rubber.

Vijay had already ordered tea leaves from China through a Chinese merchant who had travelled to the Philippines, so he is looking forward to developing the tea industry in Assam, which had greatly contributed to the Assamese economy with over 672.14 thousand tonnes of tea produced annually.

As for bamboo, Vijay wanted to make Bharat the largest bamboo producer in the world. Before the British, bamboo was widely grown in all parts of India for its various uses in multiple sectors, but sadly, after the British decided that bamboo was not grass but a tree that should be taxed, farmers stopped growing it. With the taxation, they were incurring losses. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It wasn’t until 2014 that bamboo was considered a grass again, allowing farmers to grow it without the taxation imposed on trees, but sadly, the damage had been done, and the culture had been lost. Thankfully, it is not too late now, and with bamboo designated as the main economic growth model for the Northeast, bamboo should reach the tables of all Bharatiya citizens in this timeline.

Ahom has ideal conditions for rubber production as well. The uses of rubber are many, and Vijay was aware that European countries even fought a war over rubber during the Second World War.

Since synthetic rubber will not be produced until the early 20th century, and with the Second Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, rubber became essential for tires in many warring European countries, making rubber at one time more valuable than gold in its equivalent weight.

Thankfully, Vijay received news that rubber seedlings had been acquired by the Portuguese and were on their way to Bharat.

Coming to Nepal, Vijay, without hesitation, chose the timber industry as the main economic growth model because Nepal contains multiple strong timber variants like sal, khair, teak, cedar, fir, and pine. Even in Vijay’s last life, where things were not so structured, the annual timber production in Nepal was 5 million tonnes.

Then, for the states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Sindh, Vijay completely designated these states as the main agricultural states. He didn’t even consider making the main economic model for these states something else, as it would be a huge waste.

These states all fall within the range of the Great Bharat Gangetic Plains, or, in his past life, known as the Indo-Gangetic Plains, covering an area of 700,000 square kilometers—slightly larger than France— which has the most fertile alluvial soils in the world.

The Bharat Gangetic Plains contain fertile soil that is anywhere from 75% to 90% optimum for agricultural use. To put it into context, this type of soil can grow 3,000 kilograms of wheat per hectare or anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 kilograms of rice per hectare without the use of any additional additives, using natural means and proper knowledge.

The only change Vijay made was the type of crops that would be best for each state. For example, in Uttar Pradesh, it might be sugarcane, which accounted for 40% of India’s sugarcane production in his past life, or wheat, which accounted for 30%.

Another example is focusing on Basmati rice for Haryana and Uttarakhand, as they produced nearly 30% of India’s Basmati rice, with almost 1.5 million tonnes of rice per year.

In order to prevent the soil from becoming infertile and to maintain biodiversity by avoiding planting the same crops repeatedly, Vijay is planning to implement crop rotation, which best preserves the fertility of the soil and potentially increases it.

The only addition Vijay made for Uttar Pradesh, along with agriculture, was adding the perfume industry as one of the main economic growth models, especially after his trip to Kannauj city.

Coming over to Kashmir, which now includes Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, Vijay did not have much trouble determining its main economic growth model, as he directly designated the saffron industry as the main driver of the economy.

In his past life, Kashmir produced the most saffron and at the highest quality compared to anywhere else in the world, accounting for 80% of the world’s saffron production. Due to the value of saffron, 10% - 15% GDP of Kashmir was greatly dependent on it, and all this was only from the region of Kashmir alone, not including the parts controlled by Pakistan or Ladakh controlled by China.

In this life, Vijay is confident in making ten times more than in his past life.

Along with saffron, Vijay also designated apple production as the main growth engine, as Kashmir in his last life produced 2.6 million tonnes of apples, accounting for fifth place in the world And 78% of India’s Apple demand. Now, in this timeline, in a much larger Kashmir, Vijay is confident it can reach 10 or even 15 million tonnes.

For the border state of Pashtoon Pradesh, Vijay did not want to add any industry to the state, as it was a high-risk area until the Safavid empire is completely neutralized or under control. So, for now, Vijay decided to make fruit production its main economic growth model, as it accounted for 490,000 tonnes of fruits produced in Pakistan in his last life.

Baluchistan and Rajasthan are two special states where Vijay did not choose to have any real productive industries as their economic growth model. Instead, he designated the mining industry as the economic growth model, because it would be very irrational not to do so.

Baluchistan alone has coal deposits of about 217 million tons, ranking sixth in the empire; copper of 6.68 billion tons, ranking first in the empire; gold of nearly 1,291.9 tonnes, ranking second in the empire; natural gas of at least 20 trillion cubic feet, ranking third in the empire; limestone of up to 10 billion tonnes, ranking second in the empire; and iron ore of up to 1.5 billion tonnes, ranking in the top ten of the empire.

In a state with such rich resources, Vijay wants to completely convert it into a state that runs on mining. The conditions are even more favourable for him, as most of the population of Baluchistan is now slowly moving toward the coastal region for development. With little population in the interior, Vijay could set aside his concerns about the population impact caused by mining, at least for now.

The same goes for Rajasthan, which holds the empire’s number one deposits of mica, copper, lead, zinc, and potash, with many other resources ranked in the top ten.

Although mica has no large-scale uses currently, after the first Industrial Revolution it would become very useful, as mica is heavily used in the electronics industry.

In the meantime, huge strides have been made in the mass production of nitric acid and sodium hydroxide.

---

Research Team # 376, Anil Kumar and the Mass Production of Sodium Hydroxide

Researcher: Anil Kumar, Lead Chemist, Raya Research Institute

Researcher: Ravi Sharma, Chemist, Acadamy of Military Sciences

Interns from BIT universities: Priya Verma, Raj Singh, Neela Joshi

Objective: Develop a large-scale production method for sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

September 4, 1667

Anil Kumar stood in the lab, frowning at the iron vessel. "No sodium hydroxide, only calcium carbonate!" he was disappointed. "We misjudged the reaction." Looking at his team, he instructed, " Ravi, Modify the formula; Raj, check lime properties. We’ll adjust our approach and succeed next time."

September 22, 1667

Anil Kumar observed the open container with disappointment. "Only minimal sodium hydroxide and mostly sodium carbonate," he sighed. "The open system let gases escape, and lime didn’t react fully." He turned to his team. "Next time, we’ll use a closed system to retain gases and adjust our reactant ratios."

October 15, 1667

Anil Kumar inspected the cracked clay vessel, annoyed. "A low yield of sodium hydroxide again," he muttered. "The vessel couldn’t withstand the pressure." He questioned his team for ideas. "We need stronger, heat-resistant materials like stoneware for our reactions. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. Also, let’s prepare for the next attempt."

October 28, 1667

Anil Kumar frowned at the thick sludge in the stoneware vessel. "Instead of clear sodium hydroxide, we have this mess," he said, his anger rising. "Poor mixing and uneven heating." He looked at his team. "Next time, we must stir the mixture thoroughly and maintain consistent heat."

November 10, 1667

Anil Kumar examined the latest batch, disappointment visible on his face. "Low sodium hydroxide yield again, and impurities everywhere," he sighed. "Insufficient heat and poor-quality reactants hindered the reaction." Turning to his team, he instructed, "We must use higher-purity sodium chloride and adjust the heat more precisely next time."

November 19, 1667

Anil Kumar scrutinized the latest results, a mix of frustration and satisfaction in his eyes. "We produced some sodium hydroxide, but the contamination is significant," he noted. "Rapid heating caused uneven reactions and gas release." He addressed his team firmly, "We need gradual heating and better gas capture methods for our next experiment."

December 5, 1667

Anil Kumar assessed the results with cautious optimism. "The yield improved, but we still have a mix of sodium hydroxide and impurities," he reported. "Our gas trapping system failed to retain all gases." He turned to his team, determination in his voice. "We must redesign the gas capture apparatus for complete retention."

December 20, 1667

Anil Kumar beamed at the results before him. "We’ve finalized the Anil Process!" he announced, excitement palpable. "Pure, concentrated sodium hydroxide in sufficient quantities for mass production!" He glanced at his team, pride shining in his eyes. "Efficient reaction management and effective gas capture were key. We did it!"

"Yessss!!"

Assistant researcher Ravi Sharma, along with interns Priya Varma, Raj Singh, and Neela Joshi, all jumped up in joy. Their hard work over the past four months had finally paid off. The students, who had never expected their team, 376, to successfully research one of the hardest chemicals to mass produce, were elated, their futures were now set.

---

Research Team # 36, Siddarth Desai and the Mass Production of Nitric Acid

Researcher: Siddarth Desai, Chief Chemist, Bharatiya Academy of Civilian Sciences

Researcher: Arjun Mehta, Chemist, Bhartiya Academy of military sciences

Interns from BIT universities: Neelam Rao, Rajesh Gupta, Sunita Patil

Objective: Discover the most effective method for mass-producing nitric acid (HNO₃).

August 15, 1660

Siddarth Desai mixed potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid in an open iron container. "No nitric acid produced," he noted, frustrated. "The fumes escaped." He turned to Arjun. "Next time, we’ll use a closed system to trap the gases and improve our results."

August 27, 1660

Siddarth Desai carefully placed an iron lid over the reaction, excited about his closed system. Moments later, he grimaced as he inspected the results. "The iron has corroded, contaminating our product," he said to his team, frustration increasing. "We need non-reactive materials like glass or ceramic for the next attempt."

September 1, 1660

Siddarth Desai watched as the glass container filled with anticipation. Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the lab. "No!" he shouted, rushing to inspect the shattered glass. "Total gas loss!" Frustrated, he turned to Arjun. "The glass couldn’t withstand the heat. We need thicker glass or better heat control."

September 20, 1660

Siddarth carefully monitored the glass distillation setup, controlling the heat. Despite their efforts, the acid formed was weak. "Still not enough," Siddarth muttered, inspecting the apparatus. "The condenser is inefficient, and the seals are poor." He looked at Arjun. "We need to upgrade the condenser and improve the seals next time."

October 5, 1660

Siddarth adjusted the improved condenser, watching the collection vessel intently. After a moment, he frowned. "The nitric acid is diluted and impure," he noted, frustration creeping in. "Water must have leaked into the vessel." He turned to Arjun. "Next, we must ensure no water contamination in the condenser system."

October 25, 1660

Siddarth monitored the tightly sealed apparatus, hopeful for better results. However, disappointment washed over him as he observed the low acid yield. "It’s overheated again," he said, shaking his head. "Inconsistent heating caused gas loss." He looked at Arjun. "We must regulate the temperature better to prevent this."

November 15, 1660

Siddarth examined the collected nitric acid, frustration evident. "There are still impurities, and the yield is low," he noted, inspecting the glass apparatus. "Contamination from small cracks and uneven gas flow." He turned to Arjun, determination in his voice. "Next, we need higher-quality glass and a redesign for smoother gas flow."

December 5, 1660

Siddarth beamed as he inspected the latest results. "We’ve done it! Concentrated, pure nitric acid!" he exclaimed, pride shining in his eyes. Arjun grinned, excitement palpable. "Controlled heat and our improved condenser was the key."

"Let’s call this method the Desai-Mehta Distillation method ."

P.S. Hope someone needed this, also the data I used is the best I could find and is not the most accurate.