Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 38 National Central Asia Policy

"Now that the east is stable, we still need to be wary of the Russians. They are inciting Greeks and Serbs to revolt in Sofia, so we have to be on guard."

It wasn't just those two; Romanians and Bulgarians were also incited by Russia. Orthodox Christianity held absolute dominance in the Balkans, and Russia, sharing the same religion, intended to make the Balkans a bastion for its advance.

In 1812, Greece gained independence; in 1817, the Principality of Serbia was established; and in 1829, an agreement was reached with Russia allowing Wallachia and Moldova to freely elect their grand princes. These events all weakened the Ottomans' control over the Balkans.

Therefore, the Ottoman Empire needed to strengthen itself, and successive sultans sought to revitalize the empire. Mahmud II eliminated the most unstable element—the Janissaries—through the Lucky Incident, thus enabling Abdullah to further his reforms.

"Russian troops are massing in Crimea, and they could attack the Danube at any time. Our current forces cannot stop them; we need French support."

This is true, because the Ottoman Empire alone could not possibly defeat Russia. However, it's unclear whether France would be willing to help. After all, France was soundly defeated by Russia in 1812, with less than a tenth of its 60 troops returning. Such a powerful nation would be much easier to deal with if Britain were on its side.

While Ottoman was still considering how to get British assistance, the Iranian Shah had already received the Crown Prince's reform proposal. Regarding the diplomatic situation, Nasser al-Din's suggestion caught Mohammed's eye.

While Iran cannot compare to the Ottoman Empire and Russia, it is still a behemoth among the smaller Central Asian states. A significant portion of Iran's trade originates in Central Asia, and maintaining control of this region would not only allow it to expand its territory but also create a buffer zone with Russia.

"Hahaha, as expected of my son, how come I didn't think of that?"

Muhammad showed Saeed Nasser al-Din's foreign policy, and Saeed nodded in approval.

“Our trade in the Turan region needs protection, and Russia has not yet occupied these countries; this is our opportunity.” (Turan: the ancient Iranian name for the Transoxiana region, originating from the Annals of the Kings of Iran)

Central Asia is now divided into three countries: Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand. They currently pay tribute to Iran, but Russia is putting increasing pressure on them. If they are not protected, these countries may become Russian territory.

“Shah, I am willing to travel to the three countries to sign treaties and bring them under your rule.”

Said volunteered to go to Central Asia, and Muhammad also wanted to. With the Ottomans, Russia, and Britain all unsuitable, they had no choice but to head towards Central Asia.

"That's fine. I'll allocate a portion of the army to accompany you. Also, you need to appease those tribes; if they rebel, it will cause a lot of trouble."

Muhammad was referring to the Turkmen tribes, who were distributed across the Khorasan and Turan regions, which is present-day Turkmenistan. After the establishment of the Qajar dynasty, tribal politics was somewhat curbed. The Shah also gradually restricted the rights of the Turkmen tribes, but they were still able to rise up in rebellion. Therefore, Said not only had to travel to the three countries to sign treaties, but also had to appease these restless tribes along the way. "Yes, Shah, apart from Mashhad, there isn't a single decent city in the northeast. Why not take this opportunity to build a fortress to facilitate border control?"

Muhammad agreed, but the specifics would need to be discussed with the Grand Vizier. However, the government was truly busy lately, as a new department had been suddenly added, giving various nobles the opportunity to increase their family's power. Many petitioned to become the department's leader.

But Muhammad knew perfectly well what they were thinking. These people had no real skills or abilities, and even if they did, they weren't qualified for the job. They just wanted a piece of the pie in the government.

Fortunately, there were a few people who were very knowledgeable about agriculture and trade, so they were temporarily put in charge of the industry and commerce department. As for the minister, the position will remain vacant for now.

"Sigh, Turan is easy to deal with, but what about the eastern region?"

The eastern part of Afghanistan is divided into three parts by the three important cities of Herat, Kandahar, and Kabul. Herat was originally under the control of Iran, but Britain, wanting to control the region, forced the Kingdom of Afghanistan, whose capital was Kabul, to attack Herat and overthrow the Durrani dynasty that had previously ruled the area.

Afghanistan holds a strategic geographical position, with the Hindu Kush Mountains situated in its center, surrounded by rivers and oases. Rivers to the north connect to the vast steppes of Central Asia, while those to the west link to the Khorasan region. The Kabul River to the southeast serves as a shortcut to India. It was through this region that Nader Shah initially entered India.

How could Britain and Russia not know such a crucial geographical location? Although the British had already firmly controlled India, they began to worry that Russia would invade India through the Khyber Pass and Bologna Pass and expand its empire. Britain sent envoys to Kabul, hoping to form an alliance with the Emir to counter Russia.

At the time, the newly rising Sikh Empire had just captured Peshawar, a key city in Afghanistan. Dost Muhammad hoped to gain British support to retake the city, but the British refused. Russia subsequently sent envoys to Kabul and expressed its support for the king's recapture of Peshawar.

To justify its invasion of Afghanistan, Lord Auckland, the Viceroy of India, issued the Simla Declaration in October 1838, outlining four reasons for the British invasion. The declaration stated that Britain needed a reliable ally in western India to ensure its security. The British invasion of Afghanistan was merely to help another family regain the throne. Britain did not deny its invasion of Afghanistan, but stated that it was solely to help them establish a legitimate government and combat foreign interference and domestic insurgency.

Subsequently, an army of over 20000 men entered Afghanistan and occupied Kabul. However, the local population waged a guerrilla war against the British army, utilizing the terrain. By 1842, the British were forced to retreat, and the Earl of Auckland relinquished his position as Governor-General of India due to a stroke. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended. Although the losses were heavy, it served as an exploration of the region and even contributed a character to a future detective novel.

Mohammed didn't know how to deal with Afghanistan, Iran's backyard, and he wanted to conquer it like previous dynasties. But now it wouldn't work; Britain and Russia were watching closely, and a hasty annexation would trigger another conflict, and if war broke out, they would have to give it up.

The Shah is out of the question here; he'll focus on winning over the three Central Asian states first. Persia has been dormant for so long; they've probably thought about it too—how can their religious brothers be ruled by infidels?

(End of this chapter)