Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 22 Changes in Central Government

The governor left at the end of October, and December will arrive soon. Amir has managed the area very well, with everything focused on encouraging industry.

The daily messages from Gilan and Mazanderlan told him that the governor was targeting corrupt officials. In Gilan alone, the local mayor's corruption case had implicated more than 40 people, and over 150 million dollars had been seized.

Such swift and decisive measures did indeed deter the local situation. Of course, Ulima doesn't interfere in secular matters, but they have a say in matters of law and education.

Overall, the inspection has been effective. At least officials are no longer obstructing progress, and Azerbaijan should take the lead in driving the flow of people and resources in these areas.

"With Your Highness's growth, it seems there is hope for the revival of Persia."

Amir looked forward to Nasser al-Din leading Persia to new prosperity. But then, an uninvited guest arrived at Amir's residence.

"Lord Said, what brings you here?"

Amir was surprised that Sayyid, who was by Shah's side, had come to Tabriz in person. He wondered what business it was of.

"Are you looking for His Highness, sir? His Highness has already gone to Mazanderland and will probably be back in about a month."

"No, I'm here to find you."

Amir paused for a moment, and Sayyid continued, "The Shah is very satisfied with the situation in Azerbaijan. You have done a great job assisting His Highness. The Shah wants to reward you."

"This is just what I should do. The pressure from Russia is increasing. This place is adjacent to Russia, and only by becoming strong can we protect the Shah's subjects."

Amir knew this was not the time to boast; before His Highness became the Shah, everything had to be done with caution.

"Shah hopes you will do your best to assist His Highness. Iran has just gone through negotiations with the Ottomans, which is a disgrace to us."

Said was somewhat angry, and Amir also learned a bit about the situation. The Ottomans issued the Edict of the Hall of Flowers to begin more extensive reforms, which so far have yielded considerable results. This has led them to believe that they have returned to the strength of Suleiman the Magnificent, and naturally, they are not being polite to their neighboring countries.

"Please rest assured, Shah, I will do my best to assist Your Highness."

Saeed looked at the other man and nodded in satisfaction. The Shah's judgment was correct; since appointing him as Nasser al-Din's tutor, he had performed his duties excellently. Now that His Highness had the ambition to revitalize Iran, this assistant was quite useful.

Although Mohammed was somewhat powerless against the various major powers, he seized the opportunity before they had infiltrated too deeply to maximize his diplomatic space. He sought to gain favor with Britain by changing his diplomatic stance and, in turn, coordinate negotiations with Oman. "Sir, what is the situation in Tehran?" Amir asked.

“It’s a long story,” Sayyid shook his head. “The Shah’s health is deteriorating. With all these internal and external troubles, only the good news coming from here can make the Shah feel a little better. You know, things have been going badly for the past few years, and it’s only thanks to Allah’s blessing that he’s managed to hold on until now.”

The most important thing now is to help His Highness grow up. Russia could use the news of the Shah's death as an excuse to invade southward again at any time. If that happens, we'll be in real trouble.

Amir was also aware of the difficult situation in Iran, and the recent purging of a group of ministers and officials, coupled with the successive actions taken by both local and central authorities, had instilled a sense of crisis in them. They didn't know what the other side was planning, so they could only take precautions in advance.

"Rest assured, my lord, I will protect Your Highness's safety with my life."

Seeing Amir say this, Saeed was relieved. Muhammad's judgment was correct; Amir was indeed capable of fulfilling his duties and securing his future position.

----------

Mohammed began efforts to change the country's situation, having previously pledged to purchase 200 million Tomans worth of British goods. He then turned them all into machines, prompting Tehran merchants to protest against the oppression they faced from British and Russian merchants, demanding self-reliance and the reclaiming of their interests.

Persian merchants and artisans clearly felt oppressed by foreigners, coupled with the oppression by the English and French churches in the region, resulting in a very strong xenophobic mentality among them.

Of course, some people saw the West's powerful productivity and hoped their government could learn from the West and increase its own industrial strength. Muhammad also tried to alleviate their burdens, but the results were far less effective than in Azerbaijan.

At the beginning of the Qajar dynasty, Iran's main trading partners were its neighboring Asian countries. In 1800, Afghanistan and Central Asia accounted for 34% of Iran's total foreign trade, the Ottoman Empire for 26%, India for 20%, Russia for only 15%, and Britain for only 3%. The unequal treaties forced upon the Qajar dynasty by the Russian and British governments opened the door for goods from the Western world and British India to flood into Iran. Subsequently, trade between Europe and Iran expanded rapidly, eventually replacing Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Ottoman Empire, and India as Iran's primary trading partners. Iran's imports of Western goods and British Indian goods mainly consisted of textiles, metal products, glassware, sugar, and spices. During the same period, Iran's exports to the West primarily included cotton, raw silk, wheat, rice, tobacco, leather, and carpets.

The dramatic changes in trade led to transformations in traditional agriculture, industry, and commerce. Department stores selling imported general merchandise emerged as a new industry during this period. These stores arose primarily through two channels: first, retail businesses that expanded from existing general merchandise stores to include imported goods; and second, wholesale businesses that developed from newly established general merchandise shops. They were prevalent in cities such as Bushehr, Tehran, and Isfahan, and their products included pigments, medicines, and imported cotton fabrics.

Besides the commercial sectors that arose from the development of import trade, there were also sectors that developed due to the growth of export trade. These were mainly leather merchants and silk merchants who exported leather and raw silk. Like the imported cloth industry, these two sectors were emerging industries that further developed during this period. Their main export destinations were Britain and the Ottoman Empire.

In agriculture, farmers remain the majority of Iran's population, and agriculture continues to constitute the country's primary economic sector. Nevertheless, significant changes are emerging in Iran's crop structure. The planting area of ​​typical food crops, typical products of a natural economy, is gradually decreasing, while the planting area of ​​cash crops closely related to the market is rapidly expanding. These changes in crop structure and the marketization of agricultural production are leading to corresponding changes in Iran's land ownership patterns and tenancy relationships.

Many merchants invested in rural areas and purchased land, thus becoming an important source of the emerging landlord class. This emerging landlord class not only possessed a large amount of real estate but also wielded extensive power in the countryside.

　I'm so sorry everyone, I've been quite busy these past few days and haven't had time to update. I assure you again and again, the book will absolutely not be abandoned. Really.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)