Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 13 Ulima

The bullets made by the craftsmen did indeed have a longer range and greater attack power, so they were mass-produced.

Of course, a series of supporting facilities will be completed as soon as possible. The new factory adopts an employment system, and everything is done according to Western standards, so the efficiency is very high.

At that moment, Amir arrived to see the governor with a man dressed in European clothing, wearing a top hat and a bow tie.

"Your Highness, this is Lawrence, a business talent recommended by Minister Wallace."

"I have met His Highness!"

Lawrence bowed to Nasserdin. As someone with connections in the business and financial world, he was chosen by Wallace to be Nasserdin's advisor. He had run a factory and worked in a bank, a resume that perfectly matched the person the other party was looking for.

"Hello Mr. Lawrence, I hope you can help Azerbaijan restore its prosperity."

Naserdin was unaware of the other party's background, but he did need such talent to help him make changes. Lawrence, on the other hand, came prepared, directly proposing to the governor the unification of the local currency.

“Your Highness, what Azerbaijan needs now is economic development. Although you have solved the problem of checkpoints in various places, the currency problem has not been solved, which will hinder trade.”

Lawrence knew he needed to demonstrate his abilities, so he pointed out that the local monetary system was in disarray and needed overhauling.

"Then, what should we do?" Naserdin asked Lawrence earnestly.

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry. I have come up with a very good solution. You can open a bank, which will not only solve the currency problem, but also raise funds for your business."

Amir understood Lawrence's advice, but he felt it was unlikely to succeed because Sharia stated that lending money was against the doctrine.

"Is this feasible? It feels like just lending money among ordinary people."

"Don't worry, I can guarantee that this will work to the maximum effect, and you won't have to worry about funding in the future."

Lawrence's words convinced Naserdin to make his final decision.

"In that case, let's hurry up, there's no time to waste now."

Since the governor had spoken, Amir naturally had no reason to object. He'd never heard of the new term "bank" before, but judging from its function, it seemed to be a loan sharking organization. He had no idea how it operated.

According to Lawrence's idea, the bank would issue a unified currency, attract funds from society, and then lend them to businesses, thus unifying finance and helping businesses develop.

However, a series of investigations are needed before it can be established. Lawrence also has his own selfish motives in wanting to set up a bank; he wants to control the local currency issuance. This is incredibly profitable; with just a small cost, one can reap huge profits—it's a worthwhile deal.

But what happened next was completely different from what he had expected. Naserdin offered him a very good salary, but he demanded that the bank obey the governor's orders. He could become a consultant for the bank and his salary would double, but he would need to train the staff.

"Sir, is this...?"

Naserdin knew what the other party was going to say. "I know, but you also know why I hired you. I hope you won't have any improper thoughts." "Furthermore, I feel sorry for your family."

Naserdin's words struck a chord with the other man. Amir had previously inquired and learned that Lawrence was from America, born into a well-known plantation owner family in Louisiana, but left America due to some unforeseen circumstances and came to Persia to become a merchant.

I don't know how he got in touch with Wallace, but after hearing that Nasser al-Din was hiring a consultant, he desperately wanted to get in. Now it seems he succeeded.

Lawrence wanted to say something more, but the noise outside the window grew louder and louder, and Naserdin guessed that they must be coming.

As Amir had predicted, upon learning that the governor intended to establish a bank, the Ulima followers mobilized their followers to protest in the streets. The governor could build factories and train troops, but establishing a bank meant competing with the people for profit—this violated their doctrine and was absolutely forbidden.

The streets were packed with demonstrators, with Ayatollah Mirza leading the religious scholars at the front. Their eyes were resolute, and they were ready to force the governor to withdraw the decree.

"We don't want to pressure our institutions, we want to withdraw!"

The deafening protests outside the window frightened Lawrence of the Governor's Palace. He had seen protests in America before, but never with so many people protesting together.

"Don't worry, they won't come in."

Although we don't know what happened to them in the United States, it was clearly not a good thing, and it caused quite a stir.

Amir had already arrived at the door to negotiate with them and then invited them inside.

"Your Excellency Ayatollah, what wind has blown you here?"

“You don’t need to say that. We’ve come here to stop the governor from pushing Azerbaijan into a territory of no return.”

Mirza immediately explained his actions: “We are aware of the Russian threat, so the governor’s training of the army and increasing revenue are in accordance with the doctrine, and we support them. But now, the governor wants to establish something called a bank and lend money to the people, which violates Sharia and must be stopped.”

Amir listened to the other party's words. After all, he was an Ayatollah, second only to the Grand Ayatollah in the hierarchy of religious scholars. Moreover, he was the leader of the Ulimah in Azerbaijan. If they didn't handle the situation well, a single decree from the other party could make their work difficult.

During the tobacco protests, it was Ulma's decree that led to a nationwide ban on smoking in protest, with even the king's retinue ceasing to provide him with tobacco. This demonstrates its significant influence.

“Your Excellency Ayatollah, you have misunderstood. The governor agreed to establish the bank for the sake of the local people. There are still people lending money at exorbitant interest rates. If you borrow money once, you have to repay two or even three times the amount next time. The governor is heartbroken by this, so he decided to personally establish the bank to help these people.”

This reasoning convinced some people, but Ayatollah clearly didn't. "The people's persecution by loan sharks certainly needs reform, but all we need to do is arrest these people; we don't need to establish a bank, do we?"

"Ayatollah, the governor is here to completely eradicate usury, because even if they are arrested, they will just resurface. The governor intends to solve this problem at its root."

Moreover, the gold and silver coins on the market are currently in a chaotic state, causing significant trouble for transactions. The governor has devoted himself wholeheartedly to Azerbaijan; he would never have resorted to this method if there were a better alternative.

(End of this chapter)