"You say my father conquered several small countries. Did he not try to conquer any large country?" asked King Ilavazhagan. He had ascended the throne only recently, after the demise of his father.
The Minister looked at the King, with surprise.
"Your Majesty! Conquering a large country is not easy. If we lose the war, we will lose our country too. That was why your father wisely focused on conquering small countries and expanding our empire. Some emperors, after conquering small countries, would allow the kings of those countries to continue to rule, with the condition that pay an annual tax to the emperor, by way of acknowledging that the emperor is the ultimate ruler of their countries. But your father didn't follow that practice. He merged the conquered countries with our country" said the Minister.
"So, if we conquer big countries and merge them with our country, we can make our country the largest in the world!" said the King, with excitement.
"Your Majesty! Fighting large countries is not easy. You have ascended the throne just now. It is not advisable for you to engage in a war, even at the beginning of your tenure as the king. I would suggest that you enjoy a leisurely life as the King for a couple of years, before considering the possibility of expanding our empire, by conquering other countries. This is my humble suggestion" said the Minister.
"Minister! I am not suggesting that we go to war with a big country immediately. If we have to fight big countries and conquer them, we need to devise an extensive plan. We should strengthen our forces. We should gather intelligence about the strengths and weaknesses of the countries we want to conquer. I am aware that planning and preparations will take a couple of years. But should we not start preparations for these steps, even now? I want you to think and make a plan for the steps we need to take. I am not interested in taking leisure. I am ready to actively involve myself in the preparatory activities, starting from today!" said Ilavazhagan.
"Your Majesty! In expanding our empire, you have outperformed your father. Within a short time, you have conquered four big countries and hoisted our country's flag in distant regions. Your achievement is unparalleled."
"The wisdom and experience of a person like you who had worked with my father, the strategies devised by our Army Chief and the support extended by our people to our efforts, by willingly foregoing some comforts and suffering some inconveniences are the factors that enabled this victory" said the King.
"Your Majesty! Like your commitment, dedication and perseverance, your humility is also laudable. Just as Vamana, an avatar of Lord Vishnu covered the entire world with his foot, you also conquered large landscapes. I have never ceased wondering how you got the stimulus for achieving this feat."
"You were the one, who provided the stimulus, Minister" said the King, smiling.
"Me? What did I do?" asked the Minister, perplexed.
During my carnation, you blessed me saying that just as King Rajendra Chola had attained a glory equivalent to that of his father Rajaraja Chola, I should also emulate my father and attain a glory matching his. Inspired by your words, I read the life history of Rajendra Chola. While Rajaraja Chola conquered Lanka, a country situated near to the Chola kingdom, Rajendra Chola conquered Kadaram, a country situated far from his country, beyond the seas. He also expanded his empire by conquering the countries situated on the banks of the river Ganga, in the northern part of our continent and earned the title, 'Conqueror of the Ganga.' Learning these facts gave me the impetus to expand our empire" said Ilavazhagan.
"I might have provided you the stimulus. But it was your relentless efforts that made this achievement possible" said the Minister.
Section 2
madiyilA mannavan eydhum adi aLandhAn
thAyadhu ellAm orungu.
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