Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

In the heart of the annexed Qutb lands, seeds of integration were being sowed by the Empire. Integration was a main part of smoothly running a long-lasting empire. If it wasn't done properly, it would cost a lot for the Empire in the long run.

Harsha already planted the seeds before the annexure was completed. Charity was one of the main drivers of trust in the new population. The Qutbs left them starving and the Empire provided rations to the populace.

The Empire began to gain trust from the vast majority due to its charitable acts during the war and after the war. The execution of nobles and corrupt sarpanches also helped to clean their image up in the minds of the people. The people began to like the rule of the Emperor. The life was much better than living under the Sultan.

As Harsha drove agriculture and road-building schemes into the lands. People were starting to gain jobs and earn money to feed their families.

Hundreds of acres of arable land that were seized from the nobles and some corrupt members of the Sultanate were distributed to large farmers to manage. Many people were employed and the cultivation of crops began with the use of the Empire's new method to increase yield throughout the year.

The road-building efforts alone employed a lot of the people. A huge chunk of the population signed up for it and the roads were being built at record time with a relatively lower cost than the Empire's heartlands.

The labour cost and living costs were much cheaper than the Empire's lands. So the Empire had to spend a lot less than in the Sultanate to provide the same quality of roads.

Merchants were incentivized to utilize the abundance of this cheap labour to set up mills, workshops, and other things in the region to give employment and make products at a cheaper cost.

Numerous new merchants and small guilds began to form there. As a part of Charity, Harsha also sent funds to rebuild temples that were broken by the Sultanate. Despite being a Muslim state, the Qutb's majority was Hindu, as they refused to convert forcefully.

There were a few mosques in major cities and some settlements of fully Muslim populations. Friction between the communities happened here and there. They implemented guards and soldiers in the volatile regions with high Muslim populations to safeguard Hindu interests.

Soldiers were given strict orders to eliminate targets that provoke riots or protests from both communities. Harsha didn't want riots to throw the investment down the drain due to some man's religious ambitions.

The Vijayanagara Empire was a Hindu empire at its core and Harsha believed it must protect the interests of the Hindus.

There were also plans to build a military academy in the region.

The noble properties were seized by the Empire and the large quantities of hoarded wealth from the noble groups were invested right into the cottage industries and culturally significant crafts in the region. These were later shipped to Surat and Daman to trade with the European and Arab merchants

The standardized weight system was also adopted into the mercantile practices in the region. The merchants from the heartlands incentivized them to use the standard system of the Empire and Mithun's supply of scales. The transition from local weighting systems to standardized systems was relatively quick.

few new local noble classes were established by the Empire to rule over the region. They didn't include any of the previous noble ruling classes, as there would be dissent in the region.

Meanwhile, Raj, a local citizen from the region, was quite happy about the new rule of the Emperor.

"I can finally buy some food for the kids." He happily went to the stalls to buy some vegetables and rice to take back home. His life had drastically changed since the Empire took over the region. His family didn't have to starve and pay those extra taxes for following his own religion.

The Empire also provided a lot of jobs and opportunities for Raj.

He recently spoke to some people from the Empire's heartlands. Apparently there would be more changes in the future.

Raj saw the soldiers patrolling on his way back home. He waved at them with a smile and they also smiled in return.

After the soldiers started patrolling the cities, the crime rate was so low compared to the old times. Raj didn't need to worry about thieves or bandits breaking in at night and hurting his kids and wife.

He reached home with his wife and kids waiting for him. His kids came running to him as soon as he entered.

"Dada…I got this toy from the soldier brother." His eldest son raised a wooden toy and showed it to him.

"Me too. I got this doll from a merchant lady." His daughter showed her doll in her small hands.

"Is that so?" Raj patted his children on the head.

"We can play in a bit; let me talk to your mother."

"Really? Yeeee." They both raised their hands in joy.

Raj turned and went to his wife.

He gave his wife the grains and vegetables he bought from the market.

"Dear, you bought so much today! Where did you get the money?" His wife asked with a concerned expression.

Raj smiled. "I got paid today."

"This much? Are you doing something dangerous, dear?"

"No, the Empire pays well for the work." He smiled. "I didn't even have to buy lunch. They let me rest during the noon heat."

"It's good work." Raj assured. "They even pay on time."

"I see." His wife was still skeptical.

He leaned closer to his wife. "We can go shopping for some clothes after next week." He whispered. "We need to buy the children and you some good clothes, right?"

"But…the money?" The wife said. "We can't spend too much."

He patted her head and gave her a forehead kiss. "Don't worry, I talked to some soldiers."

"They said even more projects would start around our place soon. I will have jobs for a long time."

"Really?"

"Yes, my dear. Trust me, even if we don't need new clothes. At least the kids, they deserve everything." He smiled.

"You are right." She reluctantly agreed. "I will go to the temple and pray to the Lord Shiva and do pooja for giving us such a benevolent ruler."

"Thanks to the Emperor and his grace, we won't be starving anymore." He smiled.