Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 45 Intensifying
"Don't build railways!"

"Don't seize our land!"

30000 followers in Qom were mobilized to head to Tehran, and some citizens and farmers also joined them.

They didn't know what they were opposing, but as long as Ulima said it was bad, then they were bad.

Conservative ministers also kept urging the Shah to abandon the railway, warning of serious problems if he didn't. But Mohammed wasn't easily swayed, especially by such coercion.

"Shah, for the sake of Iran, please abandon the construction of the railway."

Muhammad was already angry when a dozen officials jointly petitioned to withdraw discussions on railway construction.

Is this a threat?

"No, we are thinking of the country. Shah, Britain and Russia have ill intentions. Do you think they would push down the railway for no reason? They are planning to use this to penetrate the country and then annex it."

It sounds nice, but in reality, it still prevents the monarch from gaining more power. Otherwise, Shah Aq would know what these officials were doing. Would he still have a good life then?

Muhammad stood up angrily, but suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. He leaned on the table for a while to catch his breath before he could open his eyes.

"You really think about the country. If everyone were like this, we shouldn't have ceded territory to Russia, but instead launched a direct attack."

I remember many of you participated in treaty negotiations with Russia. What's wrong with you all now? Are you planning to go to Russia to enjoy your retirement?

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned very ugly, and they almost said that the Shah could not have falsely accused someone of being innocent.

“Shah, there’s no use saying all this now. The treaty with Russia has been signed and cannot be changed, but we are also contributing our strength. The country is in a time of crisis, and one policy could lead to its utter destruction.”

One minister was crying and talking, sobbing as if he were willing to sacrifice himself for the country, but Muhammad could only feel disgusted by it.

"That's great. With you guys around, Iran might have been annexed by Russia or the Ottomans much earlier."

Muhammad spoke harshly, then threw the memorials he was holding on the ground and walked away. The controversy was so great that religious scholars seemed determined to fight to the bitter end.

"Shah, the memorial submitted by the Governor-General of Azerbaijan has arrived."

Muhammad quickly took it; inside was Nasser al-Din's request for the Shah to make a final ruling on the Báb's case. Perhaps to annoy Ulima, Muhammad replied directly that since the other party had only interpreted the Quran differently and had not shown any disrespect to the Imam or Allah, he should simply grant a pardon. After all, his relationship with Ulima was already quite poor.

Meanwhile, Mohammed issued a secret order to Nasser al-Din, instructing him to lead troops into Tehran to quell the rebellion if necessary. However, the exact timing of this "necessary time" was up to the governor to decide.

The chaos in Tehran also affected the British and Russian embassies, with both British Ambassador Wallace and Russian Ambassador Antonov noticing the tense atmosphere in Persia.

Recently, the Persian Shah suddenly decided to rise again, and the entire country is showing signs of prosperity. This situation is very similar to the Ottoman Empire's Tanzimat reforms. Russia is feeling the pressure, but this country probably doesn't have the power to overturn things, after all, they defeated the most powerful figure in Europe, Napoleon, and marched directly into Paris.

Nicholas I also felt that Persia was not a significant threat; what was needed now was to secure access to the Black Sea. The Ottoman Empire's Istanbul held the only outlet to the sea, which greatly frustrated Russia. To escape this situation, Nicholas I proposed to Britain the partition of the Ottoman Empire. He was very confident that Britain would accept this, as at the time, Russian trade accounted for 41% of British trade, and British trade accounted for 73% of Russian trade. Such economic ties, coupled with an alliance, would surely lead Britain to agree.

Unexpectedly, London rejected the proposal. In their view, Russia had become the savior of Europe, and taking Istanbul would give them unobstructed access to the Mediterranean, which directly threatened Britain's India.

As a result, relations between Britain and Russia began to deteriorate, and Russia decided to open a passage to the Indian Ocean. Naturally, every move by Persia would affect his strategic plans.

Britain, following the same logic as Russia, naturally did not want Russia to enter the Indian Ocean, and therefore Downing Street supported certain reforms in Persia.

This confrontation sparked by the railway will determine who will rule Persia in the future. Neither the supporters nor the opponents are willing to concede to the other, but it has also attracted some people who are very dissatisfied with Ulma, among whom is Yervand.

Yervand was an official born in Isfahan who later gained a job in the Tehran municipal government through flattery. However, he had a falling out with the local Ulima over land issues in his hometown and felt that these people were all parasites who should be killed.

He didn't usually go to the mosque for prayers; he preferred to spend his time working rather than wasting it. After the railway dispute began, he sided with the Shah and personally wrote leaflets to post at the city hall, denouncing Ulama and listing ten of their crimes.

“These parasites in these countries, relying on their right to interpret the Quran, have distorted its meaning and turned it into a tool for them to amass wealth. The Ayatollahs of Isfahan own hundreds of shops and vast amounts of land, and even the worst clerics have ten times the wealth of an ordinary family.”

Not only that, they persecuted and arrested anyone who disobeyed their orders, establishing an air of absolute power. The religious courts were utterly unjust, and schools became tools for brainwashing children. How can a country prosper when surrounded by them?

Since there was no surveillance, it was impossible to know who posted it. However, the Grand Ayatollah still declared the person guilty of a capital offense and publicly appealed for information to apprehend them.

Secular forces are relatively weak in Iran, but they are not nonexistent. Mosques and clerics occupy a large amount of land and population, but religious forces are currently the most powerful, and the government has no way to control them and can only gradually weaken them. However, this conflict has directly accelerated the situation.

Holy cities like Mashhad began building their own defenses, but in southern cities like Shiraz and Yazd, things hadn't gotten too bad. Ulima remained committed to peaceful coexistence with the local population, unwilling to let the central government's affairs ruin local friendships.

Soon, 40000 people took to the streets of Tehran, demanding that the Shah withdraw the railway construction plan. Meanwhile, petitions continued to be submitted in support of the railway project, and Mohammed was conducting a crackdown on the Imperial Guard, ordering them to guard the Quresta Palace and other entrances to Tehran. The atmosphere was growing increasingly tense; any further provocation could ignite a widespread unrest.

(End of this chapter)