Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 30 Fighting
Grand Vizier wanted to say something more, but was stopped by the Shah.

"I don't want to hear anything now, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Hassan was thus forced to leave the Gulestan Palace. The Shah said there would be a meeting tomorrow, and he really couldn't imagine what might happen.

Muhammad read Amir's letter several times, and its contents deeply affected him. He was particularly concerned about the enactment of economic regulations and the promotion of education; he feared that wresting power from Ulima in both of these areas would be unsuccessful.

However, the demand to reform the government is still acceptable. What Iran lacks right now is talent to save the country, and by selecting from the common people without being bound by convention, there will surely be a few capable individuals.

"In that case, write the edict and send it out quickly. I am the ruler of Iran, why should I be lectured by the Ayatollah?"

Mohammed found these suggestions feasible, although he didn't know the meaning of the new terms, but they all seemed capable of making Iran prosperous and strong. He was determined to give it a try and see if he could revitalize the country.

Muhammad sent word to everyone to attend a meeting the next day, while he himself wrote a decree to announce it.

That night, Muhammad was somewhat excited; he hadn't felt this way in a long time. Maybe this time it really would work.

Everyone in the cabinet was summoned, but they didn't know what had happened to the Shah, so they could only rush to the palace at daybreak the next day.

"Grand Vizier, what's wrong with the Shah?" someone began to ask Hassan.

"Don't worry about it, we'll find out in time."

Grand Vizier's words made everyone nervous, but Ayatollah was not flustered at all. He wanted to see what tricks the Shah had up his sleeve.

All the ministers have arrived, and Muhammad has been waiting for a long time.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin. This is a memorial that the Crown Prince's tutor has submitted to me; please take a look."

Saeed showed Amir's memorial to everyone. Shah watched their expressions, some puzzled, some angry, but the expression of the Great Ayatollah was priceless; he looked like he was about to explode.

"Shah, what are you trying to do?"

The Grand Ayatollah was already unhappy with Muhammad's shift to Sufism, and now this happens—many of the suggestions are aimed at him and the entire clergy. This is threatening their livelihoods.

“What do you mean, what do you mean? This is a suggestion Amir made based on the situation in Iran. I’m showing you whether it works or not, not for you to question me.”

"Shah, forgive my bluntness, but most of the suggestions here are unacceptable. It mentions enacting new laws, but the current laws are functioning perfectly well; subjects are fulfilling their duties, and no crimes are occurring. It also mentions establishing new schools—isn't the current situation good enough?"
Moreover, it says here that we should change our clothing style and learn from the West. Doesn't this mean abandoning all the virtues of the Quran to learn things we've never seen before? This...this is absolutely heresy, Shah! Amir should be arrested immediately and investigated to see if he's colluding with the enemy.

It's no wonder the Great Ayatollah reacted so strongly. However, this was the first time the ministers had seen the Great Ayatollah angry; he usually maintained a haughty demeanor, so it seemed he had also become tainted by worldly affairs.

“I’ve read this memorial. Many of the suggestions are feasible. For example, the railway could shorten a month’s journey to two or three days—what a tremendous improvement that would be.” “Shah, do you really believe such a thing exists? Perhaps the Crown Prince is being misled by it. The current situation is the best-case scenario: social stability and prosperity. No country can compare to Iran.”

Ayatollah's incessant chatter annoyed Muhammad, while the other ministers watched the spectacle with amusement. However, there was always someone who wanted to escalate the atmosphere to an even higher level.

“Shah, I believe the contents of this document are feasible. Iran is now at a dangerous moment and a major change is necessary to save the country.”

Everyone turned to look, and saw it was Foreign Minister Pezeshkyan, a man who had served as envoy to Britain. He was also Armenian, which made him unpopular with the other Shia Muslims.

"The world is constantly changing. If a nation remains stagnant, it will eventually perish. Darius of Achaemenidz, Khosrow of the Sassanids, and Abbas the Great of the Safavids all actively sought change. This led to their later prosperity. Now, we also need a major change..."

"shut up!!!"

Before Pezeshkian could finish speaking, another minister, Karibaf, stopped him, saying, "Most of this violates the Quran. Instead of asking us to do this, we'd rather sacrifice ourselves for Allah."

“Hahahahaha,” Pezeshkian laughed a few times. “Kalibaf, if I remember correctly, you participated in the war between Russia and Iran, right? I remember what you said, ah, you were captured by the Russian army for 35 days and then ran back. Iran failed back then because it didn’t have advanced weapons. Or do you not want revenge and want to be the Russians’ dog?”

"You...you...I'll fight you to the death!!!"

After saying that, Karibaf punched Pezeshkian in the face. The ministers next to him quickly pulled them apart, but Pezeshkian did not stop in the slightest.

"Hahaha, what's wrong? Has our Lord Kalibav been hit where it hurts? Are you willing to be ruled by the Russians? If so, then you should immigrate to Moscow as soon as possible. There are countless riches and honors waiting for you there."

"Shut up, you Armenian! You and your people are a burden on Iran. You only want to destroy Iran; you are a traitor to the country!"

The argument between the two became increasingly heated, and in the end, Shah stopped them and told them to go outside and calm down.

"Alright, let's continue. But before that, I've already written an edict and sent it out. It hits the nail on the head regarding the government's problems and must be addressed immediately."

What? The Shah issued a decree without their consent? Isn't that tantamount to issuing a decree without authorization? Ayatollah sensed that the Shah was different today than usual. He was somewhat surprised.

Fortunately, he only mentioned rectifying official corruption; he didn't say much else. It seems the Shah didn't cross the line. Thank goodness.

"Shah, the suggestions here still need to be reviewed. Iran and Europe have different national conditions, and more suitable policies must be implemented to be effective."

Hassan stepped in as a peacemaker, neither directly rejecting the proposal nor abandoning it entirely, while also stating that the review process would continue. This provided a way out for both sides. Currently, Iran cannot afford major upheavals, but it can withstand smaller ones.

(End of this chapter)