Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 10 Contact
"I heard that the envoy came here three years ago?" Naserdin asked.

"Yes, this is also my first time in Persia, and I am completely captivated by the scenery here."

Naser al-Din knew this was just empty talk; apart from Tehran, no other city in Persia had a population exceeding 10. Even Isfahan, the former capital of the Safavid dynasty, had only 8 inhabitants, all thanks to them. The influx of industrial goods into Persia severely damaged local handicrafts and resulted in significant population losses.

After some pleasantries, Nasserdin got down to business. "Mr. Ambassador, I submitted a purchase agreement to your country a few days ago. I wonder when it will be approved?"

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, Great Britain will not reject any nation that desires progress, and your request will be granted shortly. However…"

Wallace then changed the subject, saying, "In my opinion, the Governor's order is still too small."

"Less?" Nasserdin became wary; the British man's sudden change of tone was definitely not a good sign.

"Governor, are you aware of what happened in the Ottoman Empire?"

Naser al-Din nodded. "A few years ago, the Ottomans said they wanted to change the whole country, covering all aspects. So, does the Minister want me to follow their example?"

"Your Excellency, the world is constantly changing. No country can stop the tide of progress. The Ottomans and Egypt are now entering the ranks of civilization, while I am saddened that Persia is still in a state of ignorance."

Why is it so unbelievable that such heartbreak comes from a British person? Americans are more trustworthy than the British.

"The Minister's attention to our country is beyond my expectations, but as you know, I am only a governor now. You should say this to the King."

Wallace understood the implication: once the other party became king, Persia would fall within Britain's sphere of influence. A steady stream of business and a buffer against Russia would then follow.

Wallace and Nasserdin agreed on the matter of the students going abroad. A total of 175 people would be sent, with 125 going to England to study and 50 going to France to study military affairs. The cost per person would be approximately £220, paid by the Governor's Office.

"I wonder if the Minister knows anyone in the education and business sectors? I am very interested in your country's business and education and would like to hire them as consultants."

Wallace said he could fulfill this request and that he would send someone to the Governor's House at a later date. He expressed his hope that the friendship between Britain and Poland would last forever.

More importantly, the seized funds are excessive; even with military expansion, there are still over 200 million thumans left. Naser al-Din plans to use these funds to build a factory complex in Tabriz, inspired by the Satsuma Domain's industrial project in Japan.

In fact, foreign merchants in Tabriz also saw the different situation in Azerbaijan. Local merchants were enthusiastic about setting up factories, some inquiring about the price of machinery and buying it to start production as soon as possible. Although they could also set up factories, the situation was better in the impoverished Persia, Ottoman, and Russian territories, so in Persia, the focus was still on exporting goods.

A large number of machines were pre-ordered, and to fulfill the orders, they began contacting merchants in Istanbul to arrange for the shipment. Such a good opportunity could not be missed.

News of Naser al-Din's purge of Azerbaijani tribes spread, and nearby tribes, upon learning of this, planned to leave the area, as they did not want to become victims of the governor.

However, some tribes submitted to the governor, but their wealth was inferior to that of the larger tribes. They had no choice but to obey his commands and transform from nomadic tribes into settled villages. Previously, they could bribe tax collectors to avoid or reduce their taxes, but now they had to scrape together the required amount and pay it.

In fertile areas, tribes began to grow crops like cotton and tobacco to sell for money, while tribes in poorer areas reluctantly joined the army to serve the governor.

Furthermore, the previous tribal conscription system has been abolished, and Naser al-Din plans to divide Azerbaijan into different regions, each with its own conscription office. This aims to enhance combat effectiveness through a complete overhaul of the existing military system.

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In Tehran, King Mohammed is receiving an envoy from the Ottoman Empire. The enmity between the two countries began after the establishment of the Safavid dynasty, and for hundreds of years it was a series of intermittent battles. Eventually, the Ottomans gained the upper hand and seized the Shia-majority Mesopotamia, including Baghdad and Qom (the holy city).

Among these issues, three remained of greatest concern to the Iranians: the unfair taxation of Shia pilgrims, the sanctions against Iranian religious scholars, and the confiscation of the property of deceased Iranian subjects. To address these problems, the Treaty of Kerman was signed in 1746, which affirmed the right of Iranian pilgrims to travel freely and limited the taxes that tax collectors could levy. However, the treaty did not end the mistreatment of Iranian Shia people by Ottoman officials, leading to continued tensions between the two countries.

Nadir Shah launched attacks on the Ottoman Empire during his reign, inflicting a major defeat on them at the Battle of Baghawad and recapturing Baghdad. However, after Nadir Shah's death, Baghdad was again taken by the Ottomans. With the mediation of Russia and Britain, the two countries signed the Treaty of Erzurum in 1823, which stipulated the borders and other issues between them.

However, Ottoman merchants soon discovered a problem: because the treaty stipulated that Persian merchants would pay taxes centrally in the capital instead of at the border, they exploited this loophole to conduct extensive business in Syria and the Balkans. In Trabzon, in particular, Persian merchants controlled half of the local market. Coupled with the border issue, the Ottoman Sultan once again sent envoys to Tehran to discuss the treaty with the Shah of Iran.

"Your Excellency Shah, the Ottoman Empire hopes to live in peace with your country. If the two countries can reach an agreement as soon as possible, it will be of great help to peace."

The envoy to Persia this time was Mustafa Reshid, a high-ranking official of the Ottoman Empire. He had a deep understanding of European politics and was familiar with domestic and foreign affairs. He was also the main architect of Tanzmet's reforms. Sending him to Persia was also to try to gain more benefits. If there were no opportunities in Europe, then they would try to obtain benefits from Persia.

"Peace is indeed needed between the two countries, but Persia will not give up its rightful interests. In particular, we will not cede the land in Sulaymaniyah."

Mustafa smiled and said, “The Sultan knows how much the Shah values ​​the land, but the Empire also provides security and lodging for the pilgrims. So we hope that the situation between the two countries can be resolved through negotiations. This is not only the Sultan’s wish, but also that Britain and Russia hope that the two countries can restore peace.”

(End of this chapter)