Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 14 Delegation

This explanation had already swayed Mirza. However, he insisted that any important matters must be discussed with them, to which Amir readily agreed.

Regarding the banking issue, Ayatollah neither approved nor disapproved, seemingly tacitly agreeing. They also hoped to strengthen their nation, but the sudden emergence of new ideas still made them wary. Some argued that blindly adopting European practices would lead to the loss of their own culture, thus advocating for preserving their own traditions while learning new things. While the Ottomans neighboring Persia had become powerful, they had lost their own culture by blindly adopting European practices—something Persia could not emulate. If they were to forge a path, they would forge one that belonged to their own culture.

They left, and Naser al-Din received their joint proposal. They hoped the governor would maintain Persian culture, and they would continue to support him; however, if he listened to everything the Europeans said, they shouldn't blame them for turning against him.

The indigenous culture of Persia—the Afshar, Safavids, Timurids, and further back, the Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sassanids—was far richer than that of the Ottomans. Like the East, this is something to be proud of, but sometimes it is also the biggest obstacle to change. Why is the United States so easily changed? Because they lack cultural depth and history. Reform is very easy for them.

In any case, the matter was over. Lawrence proposed a series of plans for establishing a bank, which included not only redesigning the currency but also importing machinery to mint gold and silver coins. A lot of money would be needed.

Tabriz returned to calm, but subtle changes were taking place in some areas. Russian merchants found their textiles increasingly difficult to sell, and they were forced to buy large quantities of Persian carpets. Meanwhile, leaflets began appearing throughout the city, urging people to invest in factories and learn new skills.

"If everyone contributes their share for the country and for their families, Iran will regain respect."

"The West has used machines to produce the results we have achieved in a few years. We should also use machines to resist foreign goods and strengthen our commerce."

These measures were effective, as evidenced by the British businessmen's orders, which reached 50 tomans. This included businessmen, government officials, and local compradors. Although they relied on foreign profits, they had long harbored resentment towards the domineering Russians and wished for their departure from Iran.

----------

A steamship slowly entered the London docks, and more than a hundred people disembarked. They were wearing headscarves and looked like they were from the Ottoman side, but they didn't seem to be.

Sadig looked around, the scenery so different from Persia piquing his curiosity. A strong industrial smell filled the air; this was where they would be living for the next few years.

From Persia to England, they boarded the ship in Antioch, stopping briefly in Naples and Gibraltar along the way. Then some of them parted ways, some going to France to study military affairs, while others studied economics, finance, and law.

The British government also valued these people, believing they were crucial to bringing the Persians into their camp in the future. Therefore, they arranged for them to enter the University of London, and some of them went to Oxford and Cambridge.

Before starting their university studies, they can explore the city of London, but they must be careful not to do anything illegal or they will be arrested by the police.

But actually, they are diligently studying English at their lodgings. Going out now without speaking the language would be a laughing stock, so let them study properly before going out.

Of the 125 students going to study in the UK, besides finance and diplomacy, there are several other disciplines including agriculture, mining, literature, and law, with study periods ranging from four to six years. It is hoped they will return after completing their studies. Unlike them, Abdullah hasn't gone to the UK yet; he went to Austria first because it's the closest.

The delegation traveled by boat to Venice, a water city that was not as polluted as it would become in later years, and its beautiful scenery captivated the delegation.

Welcome to Austria!

Prince Metternich, the Austrian Empire's Foreign Minister and concurrently Chancellor, personally visited Venice and met with Abdullah.

The reason why the architect of the Vienna System was sent in person was to counter the Ottomans. Bosnia, controlled by the Ottomans, and the vassal Danube Duchy were territories that Austria coveted. If an alliance could be formed with Persia, Austria could attack from both the east and the west, forcing the Ottomans to cede territory.

Moreover, the alliance between the Habsburgs and Persia has a long history. During the Safavid dynasty, Ismail corresponded with Charles V. Persia invaded the Ottoman Empire five times during the Ottoman-Persian Wars, each time weakening the Ottoman Empire to some extent. Furthermore, Persia was able to open a second front to support the Habsburgs when the Ottomans were preoccupied with European campaigns. This relieved the pressure on the Habsburgs, clearly a strategic element of this alliance.

"Thank you for coming in person, Your Highness. The rest of the journey is now in your care."

Honestly, being received personally by the Austrian Chancellor was already a tremendous honor for them. After all, they were just a delegation sent by a local government, but who could blame them when they were sent by the Crown Prince? Cultivating good relations with the future King of Persia would surely bring many benefits.

Although Austria had not yet completed its industrial revolution, the pace was noticeably faster, with numerous factories using machinery appearing in cities like Venice, Vienna, and Prague. Abdullah and his entourage visited local textile and glass factories in Venice, and also toured a local school, finding these things quite fascinating.

"How much fabric can a factory like this produce in a month?" Hussein asked a factory owner.

"To put it simply, it would take 30,000 people weaving day and night for a year to equal one year's output."

Good heavens, this was a complete shock to them. It was equivalent to the entire population of Tabriz weaving cloth for a year to produce the same amount as a single factory in a year. Such a massive production capacity absolutely had to be introduced.

They then went to the schools, where the local teaching methods differed greatly from theirs. Their schools mostly taught theology, while the schools here taught science, grammar, and the like; religion had taken a backseat. Hariri, seeing the schools so different from theirs, almost declared them heretical and unbelievable.

The subsequent court proceedings further depressed Hariri, because in Persia, Shia clerics controlled the schools and the legal system, whereas in Europe these were now directly handed over to secular governments. In Persia, who knows what kind of storm this would cause.

(End of this chapter)