Mysorean Naval Expansion
Mysore is inherently a continental power, since its resources and wealth are drawn from the land. It is here that it lives or dies, as its armies face off against other states. But at the same time, the increasing European presence at sea, commercial contacts abroad, and the clear utility of warships in conflict, demonstrates that there is much advantage to be gained from having a maritime policy. It has thus been decided by the Mysorean councilors to the king to set up a naval board, for naval administration, and to draw up a strategy to be adopted to maximize the financial resources and military capacities available to the King in regards to the sea.
It is the East coast of India which is the principal zone for the export of commercial products, although there is also some material along the pepper coast in Southern India, held by Travancore. However, Mysore does possess production of pepper, cardamom, betel nut, tobacco and sandalwood, as well as some precious stones, silver, gold. There are also more conventional agricultural products like wheat and rice, mining of iron, salt production, and of course artisan industries, the most prominent of which is textiles. These provide for exports to other Indian states, and to more distant markets. Furthermore, Mysore is reliant upon certain imports, such as above all else saltpeter - production being extremely limited internally, and without imports of saltpeter from the biggest production region, Bengal, all the king's guns and all the king's cannons mean very little! Thus Mysore has a vested interest in encouraging the expansion of its exports, and in ensuring that it has recourse to such international supplies.
From such a principle, it has been decided that it is important to expand the navy and merchant marine and its supporting infrastructure.
The selected principal commercial port is intended to be Mangalore, which is already an important port. It is also part of the project of linking Mysore the city to Mangalore by road, which promises fast communication times between the navy and the promise that goods which are brought to Mangalore can be brought to the interior easily, and vice versa. Unfortunately while Mangalore is a decent commercial port, there is further effort which must be placed into upgrading it. Therefor the need is to build up a number of additional graving docks for constructing larger ships, warehouses,
There are also military improvements slated for Mangalore, with the installation of a large harbor chain to protect against enemy ships breaking in to the harbor during military actions, and the siting of batteries and forts equipped with heavy guns to defend against enemy vessels attacking. With sturdy masonry walls and surmounting earthworks, and trenches in front, they can be relied upon to withstand both enemy artillery assault and ground attack. Meanwhile their guns, equipped with heated shot, can burn enemy vessels, or fire canister against attacking enemy infantry. The inner harbor is to be dredged, to increase its depth and enabler larger ships to dock there. Through these measures, Mysorean merchant and naval ships will be invulnerable to enemy assault in wartime.
To support the shipbuilding industry here, the nearby forests will be placed under state monopoly, a necessary feature for providing for the timbers needed to build ships. Thankfully Southern India has very extensive forests of high quality timber, including all types of lumber needed for frigates (it is estimated that a larger European style ship of the line would need some other timber for futtocks and floor timbers) which should enable us to deal with this subject effectively. It is well suited to the tropics with Malabar teak which resists the better the heat and dampness of the Indian climate than other timbers. Meanwhile several arsenals and naval parts workshops are to be set up or expanded in Mangalore, with the intent of providing for an increased tempo of naval construction. After all, imagine how many cannons one needs for naval ships! There are a tremendous number which would have to be constructed. Similarly textile industries would be greatly bolstered by making sails and rope. At the current time, copper bolts and ironwork has to be imported, but there will be examination put into how to dealt with this alternatively so that the Kingdom's naval construction can be self sufficient internally. It is currently understood that sailors from the coastal regions will be impressed into the fleet.
This major construction at Mangalore which will expand it quite significantly in size will also be matched by other harbor improvements up and down the coast, including both civil and military expansions.
The government is to place orders at these naval shipyards for the construction of an increased number of merchant ships, and intends to set up direct trading relations with a number of foreign powers through commercial factories being positioned at Muscat, Kutch, Sind, Mahi, Raichur, Humnabard, Nandair, Ulture, Pagar Kotch, Maligoan, Werage, Nagore, Kurpah, Poonah, Pondicherry, Cheena, and Kurnool. An invigorated merchant marine with a large construction of ships, secure ports, eventually a navy to protect it, and products to export will form an important part of royal prosperity.
It is intended that 350,000 pagodas will be invested into this project for a period of 2 years.
It is the East coast of India which is the principal zone for the export of commercial products, although there is also some material along the pepper coast in Southern India, held by Travancore. However, Mysore does possess production of pepper, cardamom, betel nut, tobacco and sandalwood, as well as some precious stones, silver, gold. There are also more conventional agricultural products like wheat and rice, mining of iron, salt production, and of course artisan industries, the most prominent of which is textiles. These provide for exports to other Indian states, and to more distant markets. Furthermore, Mysore is reliant upon certain imports, such as above all else saltpeter - production being extremely limited internally, and without imports of saltpeter from the biggest production region, Bengal, all the king's guns and all the king's cannons mean very little! Thus Mysore has a vested interest in encouraging the expansion of its exports, and in ensuring that it has recourse to such international supplies.
From such a principle, it has been decided that it is important to expand the navy and merchant marine and its supporting infrastructure.
The selected principal commercial port is intended to be Mangalore, which is already an important port. It is also part of the project of linking Mysore the city to Mangalore by road, which promises fast communication times between the navy and the promise that goods which are brought to Mangalore can be brought to the interior easily, and vice versa. Unfortunately while Mangalore is a decent commercial port, there is further effort which must be placed into upgrading it. Therefor the need is to build up a number of additional graving docks for constructing larger ships, warehouses,
There are also military improvements slated for Mangalore, with the installation of a large harbor chain to protect against enemy ships breaking in to the harbor during military actions, and the siting of batteries and forts equipped with heavy guns to defend against enemy vessels attacking. With sturdy masonry walls and surmounting earthworks, and trenches in front, they can be relied upon to withstand both enemy artillery assault and ground attack. Meanwhile their guns, equipped with heated shot, can burn enemy vessels, or fire canister against attacking enemy infantry. The inner harbor is to be dredged, to increase its depth and enabler larger ships to dock there. Through these measures, Mysorean merchant and naval ships will be invulnerable to enemy assault in wartime.
To support the shipbuilding industry here, the nearby forests will be placed under state monopoly, a necessary feature for providing for the timbers needed to build ships. Thankfully Southern India has very extensive forests of high quality timber, including all types of lumber needed for frigates (it is estimated that a larger European style ship of the line would need some other timber for futtocks and floor timbers) which should enable us to deal with this subject effectively. It is well suited to the tropics with Malabar teak which resists the better the heat and dampness of the Indian climate than other timbers. Meanwhile several arsenals and naval parts workshops are to be set up or expanded in Mangalore, with the intent of providing for an increased tempo of naval construction. After all, imagine how many cannons one needs for naval ships! There are a tremendous number which would have to be constructed. Similarly textile industries would be greatly bolstered by making sails and rope. At the current time, copper bolts and ironwork has to be imported, but there will be examination put into how to dealt with this alternatively so that the Kingdom's naval construction can be self sufficient internally. It is currently understood that sailors from the coastal regions will be impressed into the fleet.
This major construction at Mangalore which will expand it quite significantly in size will also be matched by other harbor improvements up and down the coast, including both civil and military expansions.
The government is to place orders at these naval shipyards for the construction of an increased number of merchant ships, and intends to set up direct trading relations with a number of foreign powers through commercial factories being positioned at Muscat, Kutch, Sind, Mahi, Raichur, Humnabard, Nandair, Ulture, Pagar Kotch, Maligoan, Werage, Nagore, Kurpah, Poonah, Pondicherry, Cheena, and Kurnool. An invigorated merchant marine with a large construction of ships, secure ports, eventually a navy to protect it, and products to export will form an important part of royal prosperity.
It is intended that 350,000 pagodas will be invested into this project for a period of 2 years.
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