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Chapter 137 Portuguese Merchants Visit Part :4
Soon after waking up, Alexio made his way to Laksh's residence, eager to engage in a discussion with him. Laksh, residing in a house nearby, had been assigned the responsibility of aiding Portuguese merchants by fulfilling their various requests. On this particular morning, while Laksh was still asleep, his rest time was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Alexio Fernandez.
"What can I do for you, Sir?" Laksh asked with a tired expression. Alexio seemed a bit embarrassed for waking up Landon, as it was still 6:00 in the morning, but he quickly got over it regarding the important information he wanted to discuss.
"As you see, Landon? It's like this. When we first arrived, it was when we didn't know much about the empire, so we ended up offending the Minister of Trade and Commerce. So, is there any way to apologize to him? I mean, is there like a cultural way to apologize to him?" he asked with a sincere expression. Laksh was surprised that the man would ask such a question. It looked like he was quite sincere, but he still replied, "There is no such formal gesture in our empire. But if you want to be authentic, you can just give him some gifts and apologize to him normally. However, there is a custom in our culture that whenever we are seeking a blessing or asking for forgiveness, we usually bend and touch the other person's feet. This could be considered as an apology. I do not know if Sir is willing to do it."
Alexio frowned as he did not know if what Laksh was saying was true or not. For some reason, he felt like the action Laksh suggested was more than what he asked for. But soon, he made up his mind as he thought of all the benefits he had to gain by having a good relationship with the Minister of Trade and Commerce of the Vijayanagar Empire. Touching the other person's feet did not seem like that big of a deal. So, finally, he decided, "Alright, what the hell, I will do it. It is not that big of a deal." He said as he left. But Laksh had a cheeky smile on his face. He did not think that these Portuguese would listen to his words. In all honesty, giving a namaskara and sincerely apologizing would be enough. But he wanted to take a little bit of revenge for being called by the wrong name for so long. Although it was petty, he felt very good about himself. "He. He." he giggled and went into the room to get prepared.
An hour later, the Portuguese Visiting Group reconvened and patiently awaited Laksh's arrival. As he joined them, Laksh took the lead, guiding the group towards the city centre for a visit to the local shops. While the initial plan had been a direct meeting with the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Alexio Fernandez proposed a detour for some light shopping. With unanimous agreement from the other merchants, a subtle shift occurred in the day's schedule. The group promptly set off for the bustling city centre.
The streets bustled with activity, teeming with people rushing from one shop to another. The Portuguese merchants found themselves taken aback by the sheer volume of the people. What astonished them even more was the impeccable attire of every person they encountered. Not a single individual seemed poorly dressed; even those at the lower rung of the societal ladder adorned themselves in cotton garments, while others showcased intricate silk fabrics embellished with diverse Hindu designs. The vibrant and well-dressed populace added a layer of richness to the bustling city streets.
Upon this observation, the Portuguese merchants noted that the people of Vijayanagara, particularly those in the capital, enjoyed relatively comfortable clothing and living. Andre, taken aback by the bustling scene, turned to Laksh and inquired, "Hey, Landon, is it normally this busy?" He hadn't anticipated such a constant hustle and bustle throughout the year.
In response to the question, Laksh explained, "No, Sir, you are fortunate. Your visit aligns with Yugadi, which is why so many people have gathered here." Andre, grasping the significance, remarked, "Oh, it's some sort of festival. That makes sense." He observed the saffron colour adorning the streets, realizing its cultural and religious significance among the local population. To Andre, it seemed akin to white for Christianity and green for Islam, serving as a distinctive identifier for the indigenous people. Though puzzled about their allegiance, especially considering his Christian perspective, Andre refrained from making any hasty moves. Considering King Alphonzo's interest in forming an alliance with the Vijayanagara Empire, he suppressed his uneasiness and continued with the trip.
Alphonso, curious about Yugadi, inquired, "If you don't mind me asking, Landon, what is this Yugadi you talk about?"
Laksh explained, "Oh, that. The word Yugadi comes from the Sanskrit words Yuga (age) and adi (start), which literally translates to the beginning of an age or, in simpler terms, the New Year that you Europeans celebrate."
Surprised, one of the merchants asked, "Oh! Do you have the same calendar as us?"
Laksh shook his head and replied, "No, Sir, our calendar is different from yours. Yours records the rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun, while ours accounts for the time of Earth's revolution with respect to both the Sun and the Moon. The only similarity between our calendars would be the number of months, which is 12, and the number of days in a month, ranging from approximately 28 to 31."
"Oh, aren't you guys also deceived by that guy Nicholas Copernicus? I don't believe in his nonsense about how the world revolves around the sun. Looks like you were also deceived by him. Obviously, it is the sun that revolves around the earth," voiced one skeptical merchant. Among the group, some nodded in agreement, others expressed disagreement, and the rest remained silent. These differences in opinions highlighted the prevailing skepticism within Europe as a whole regarding Nicholas Copernicus' radical theory that the Earth, along with other planets, rotates around the sun. The ongoing debate over this theory intrigued the Portuguese merchants, who were surprised to discover that this indigenous nation had embraced the same astronomical system.
Laksh, perplexed by the merchants' reference to someone named Nicholas Copernicus, sought further clarification on the connection between this figure and their calendar. After a more in-depth inquiry, he learned that these Westerners had only recently come to accept the established fact that the Earth revolves around the sun, a mere hundred years ago in 1543. The theory still faces backlash in some parts. With a touch of pride, Laksh responded, "No, Sir. This theory was not established by Copernicus. We had knowledge of the Earth's revolution around the sun, along with the rest of the planets, even a thousand years ago. Our Vedas and Jyotishya (Astrology) clearly point it out. Furthermore, our understanding of the Earth as a spherical shape dates back even further. In one of the depictions of Sree Vishnu, he holds the Earth, represented as a sphere on his tusks in one of his Avatars."
Hearing this, the merchants were confused by what Landon was saying. The ones who sailed across the world and finally confirmed that the Earth is round wondered how these indigenous people knew this. They were skeptical. But, seeing as how he said it was already present in the Vedas and other religious books, they did not want to question it directly to avoid coming off as offensive.
If Vijay knew what they were thinking, he would have encouraged them to ask questions because he knew why they were hesitating. It was because the only major religions the Europeans have to deal with now are the Muslims, who are in some way more radical than them, and the already backward and barely alive Nordic religion. So, they have never come into proximity to Dharmik religions, which do not depend on conversion to spread their faith but happen naturally, as each individual is given their own way to reach God on the platform of Dharmik Principles. All the religions in the Dharmik system have this feature in common.
As they continued to discuss the topic, the rest of the merchant group moved forward. They could see many shops, some selling clothes, some selling handicrafts, and some selling shoes or hats. Porcelain crafts and normal pottery crafts, All kinds of decoration for homes, flowers stitched in a mala. They couldn't comprehend how colourful the streets were. It looked like the whole street had become a decorated artistic masterpiece. People of many complexions gathered together in this shopping carnival before the arrival of Yugadi. Unimaginably expensive items like sugar, salt, and spices were sold at what the merchants considered to be relatively cheap prices. They made their way to an intersection. They could see a special shop. This shop was normal, like any other shop, but there were a few differences that made it unique. One was that there was no crowd going in and out of the shop like all the other shops on this main road. The second one was that the front of the shop was made of coloured glass, indicating that the shop owner was a wealthy person.
To Be Continued... P.S. I wanted to finish the Merchants Visit arc in this chapter only, but as I continued to write it became 3000 words, so I had to split the chapter. The next chapter is the last, I promise.