Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 70 Marriage
Amir wanted to discuss the currency plan with the Crown Prince, but then he saw Nasser al-Din chatting happily with a woman, so he decided not to interrupt. After all, it wasn't his place to pry into matters of marriage within the royal family.

In a small room next to the banquet hall, Malik and the other noblewomen chatted and laughed. When she heard Naser al-Din and Fatima talking, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"It seems that a princess will soon be arriving here."

The woman Malik chose for his son came from the Muhammadra tribe, the most important tribe in the Abadan region. She was of noble birth; her father was a government army commander in the defense of Ray, giving her a certain status. The tribe was also loyal to the government, making their marriage a perfect match.

As the banquet drew to a close, the two seemed like a couple who had known each other for a long time. Seeing that it was almost time, Fatima said, "Your Highness, it has been a pleasure chatting with you."

"Me too, my only regret is that I haven't known you for long enough," Naserdin said sweetly.

“It’s getting late, and I look forward to our next meeting,” Fatima said.

"Me too"

After parting ways with Fatima, Nasser al-Din also left the banquet hall. A servant waiting at the door approached and asked his crown prince, "How was the banquet, Your Highness?"

He recalled his time with Fatima and replied, "Very good, this is a good start."

In the days following the dinner, Nasser al-Din and Fatima had several more chance encounters. They were drawn to each other, and their feelings for one another quickly blossomed.

Seeing that things had come to this point, marriage should be on the agenda. Naserdin had just finished his date with Fatima when his anxious parents called him over. Like any parents, they were concerned about their child's spouse.

"How is she, child? How is the girl?" The anxious mother asked Naserdin as soon as he sat down.

"Alright, alright, you're too impatient. Let him tell you himself," Muhammad, the father, advised his wife, his tone revealing his concern for his son's marriage prospects.

As Naserdin recalled Fatima's behavior when they were together, he organized his thoughts and began to speak to his parents.

"She is very quiet, loves reading, and can make some really nice little things..."

Before Naserdin could finish speaking, Malik made the decision, "That's good, you two can get married right away."

Naserdin had no objections this time. Although he was still too young, his mother agreed that the process wouldn't be done immediately, but would take some time, though not too long.

While his mother was busy arranging her own wedding, his father, Muhammad, called his son into his room.

"Naser al-Din, what do you think of the paper money proposal?" Muhammad asked the Crown Prince about the currency reforms.

This was also a major concern for the Crown Prince. With some staff squeezed out from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the personnel urgently trained by Lawrence, the Iranian Savings Bank finally opened. Bank accounts here are free to open, and people quickly began making deposits.

To alleviate the burden, Amir also cut a portion of the budget. Meanwhile, amidst much anticipation, the National Bank of Iran was officially established.

The National Bank of Iran is the central bank, responsible for issuing currency and adjusting interest rates. It mandates that banks hold gold and silver as reserves, with the reserve amount equivalent to 40% of the principal. Furthermore, banks must always maintain reserves exceeding two-thirds of the actual amount of banknotes issued, ensuring readily available gold and silver for exchange. Given the weakness of domestic banks in Iran, bank establishment can only be carried out by the government, and banks must deposit 15% of their assets with the central bank as a guarantee. Foreign banks are required to deposit an additional 10% guarantee.

Subsequently, Amir allocated 400 million riyals from the budget to stabilize the currency, while encouraging and subsidizing key export industries and introducing taxes on fruit juices such as grape juice to increase revenue.

Following the publication of the banking regulations, the value of the riyal was stabilized. Meanwhile, in Tabriz, more than 30 people were found to be involved in speculative activities; these individuals will be transferred to Tehran for trial.

The assets acquired from religious real estates have stabilized the riyals, and now all that remains is to await the year-end fiscal revenue summary, hoping for a large influx of funds to further increase gold and silver reserves.

After thinking for a moment, Naserdin said, "We need to stabilize the value of the rial now. The inconsistency in the design of gold and silver coins is hindering trade. Only the rial can accomplish this task."

Muhammad nodded. He didn't understand money either, but he felt this was the right way.

"The British minister made a request to me, hoping that our country would sign an alliance treaty with the Ottomans."

Mohammed recounted Wallace's visit to him. After speaking with Nasser al-Din, he went to the Shah and began persuading Iran to form an alliance with the Ottoman Empire.

“Father, the Ottomans and Iran are enemies, but now Russia poses a greater threat. They have designs on annexing Iran. Rather than being annexed by Russia, it is better to cooperate for the time being.”

"You mean, an alliance?" Muhammad asked doubtfully.

"It's not an alliance, it's cooperation. An alliance requires a formal treaty document, but cooperation doesn't; it can be a trade agreement or some other treaty."

Iran needs to maintain peace now, at least until the war that will change Europe arrives. In that war, Russia was fighting alone, and it was the perfect opportunity to reclaim lost territory.

Beyond the Ottoman Empire, the vast Arab region has drawn even more attention. Many within these tribes are Shia Muslims, and the Ayatollahs' decision to make fruit juice has challenged their thinking. Most find it acceptable, as they also juice dates.

Even the Sunnis didn't think there was a problem. Fresh water is scarce in the Arab region, and people can only drink date juice or other beverages. You can't expect them to drink seawater, can you?

However, some still believe this violates the Quran; these people are the Wahhabi. The Wahhabi movement arose in Nejd, a barren and largely wasteland. Unlike the prosperous trade of Hejaz, caravans rarely passed through this region, contributing to its isolation. They advocate that the Quran be the law and code of conduct for all actions, which no one can violate. They also seek to eliminate other heresies (including Shia) and wage jihad to conquer the world.

Such doctrines are very popular in the Najd region, but not in the coastal areas, especially along the Persian Gulf, where the majority of the population is Shia. Therefore, the Saudi tribes who adhere to the Wahhabi faith are mortal enemies with the local coastal tribes.

“Father, I would like to invite Prince Shamari to come to Tehran for a visit.”

Ahmed Hussein al-Shamari, the future heir to the al-Shamari tribe, is from the Dhahran region on the Persian Gulf coast and is one of the few Shia-majority Arab tribes. Currently, they are forced to submit to the oppressive rule of the Saudi family.

"Haha, I'm getting old, Nasser al-Din. The future is yours. If you think this is good for Iran, then go ahead and do it. I will support you."

Mohammed has always supported his son's ideas; as crown prince, he has a responsibility to the country. He wants to try any policy that benefits Iran, and even the British are reluctant to venture into Nejh—it's too desolate. Let's see if Iran can penetrate that area.

(End of this chapter)