Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 91 The Death of the Shah

By late summer, revolution still lingered across Europe. The war between Sardinia and Austria had reached its climax, while the German Congress for Unification was being held in Frankfurt.

This parliament was a diverse mix of figures, ranging from the far right to the far left, each with their own distinct demands. The right wing supported conservative federalism, advocating for a confederation and a system of monarchical rule. The left wing supported a republic, advocating for a centralized republic. This large number of parties made the work of parliament extremely difficult.

Some representatives supported the formation of a Greater Germany ruled by the Austrian Empire, incorporating Austria and Bohemia into Germany; others supported a Lesser Germany ruled by Prussia, excluding any Austrian territory. Ultimately, the parliamentary participants agreed that the "Lesser Germany" plan should be adopted for unification, and that the German throne should be awarded to Frederick William IV, King of Prussia.

However, Frederick William IV rejected the suggestion, fearing Austrian opposition and strongly opposing the new constitution's provision that the king had no veto power over bills. He even described accepting the throne granted by Parliament as "picking up a crown from a ditch." Representatives from Austria and the southern German states withdrew after Parliament passed the "Little Germany" proposal. Consequently, representatives from Prussia and Austria left the meeting, the Parliament's plan failed, and the only option was to dissolve Parliament.

Another issue discussed in parliament was the Schleswig question. The Danes living in Schleswig wanted to be ruled by Denmark, not Germany. They hoped to use this opportunity, given Denmark's impending adoption of a constitution. King Frederick VII of Denmark insisted on annexing the territory. The Germans resisted, and Prussia, representing the German Confederation, intervened militarily, fighting against the Danish army. In August, Prussia and Denmark signed a ceasefire, temporarily agreeing to Denmark's demands and ceasing intervention. The National Assembly then demonstrated a significant weakness: it had no real power or army. It could only accept the ceasefire voluntarily.

Parliamentary delegates remained actively planning reforms, but several major divisions emerged and hindered their progress. These included supporters of Catholicism versus Protestantism, and supporters of Prussia versus Austria. However, the primary conflict that led to the disintegration of parliament stemmed from the objectives of moderates and liberals. Moderates advocated for a democratic constitution, while liberals sought to negotiate with the reactionary monarch to facilitate reforms. Different interest groups began to secretly converge to determine their strategies.

The revolutionary wave swept across almost all of Europe. Uprisings and revolutions of varying degrees occurred in the Danube Principality, Belgium, and Ireland. Even in the Americas, large-scale demonstrations took place in countries like New Granada and Brazil, and the United States and Canada were also affected.

The Kingdom of Portugal, the Congressional Kingdom of Poland (controlled by the Russian Empire), and Lithuania had all previously experienced revolutions or civil wars. Liberals and revolutionary organizations within Russia failed to establish effective connections and thus failed to launch a revolution. The Ottoman Empire was relatively peaceful, but protests and demonstrations of varying degrees erupted in many of its vassal states. Britain and the Netherlands were among the few countries that were able to implement effective reforms and prevent the situation from escalating.

In London, the Chartist movement reached its peak. In April, the National Charter Society planned a large rally in Kennington, south London, to prepare for another petition. The government, overly concerned, deployed a large amount of force as a precaution. However, the movement proceeded peacefully in London, while clashes broke out in Manchester. The petition was carried to the House of Commons in four ornate carriages, but was again rejected. Shortly afterward, the National Charter Society was ordered to dissolve, and the Chartist movement came to an end.

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"Things in Europe have become increasingly serious recently. There have been protests in Britain, and apart from Russia and the Ottoman Empire, there have been some forms of confrontation in other countries."

Pezeshkian briefed Nasser al-Din on the situation, stating that the turmoil in Europe was affecting trade between Iran and them. Although Iran still needed their help, it needed to achieve independence as quickly as possible.

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will continue to follow up."

At that moment, a eunuch rushed in and reported a major event to the crown prince: the king was dying.

The Crown Prince hurried to the King's bedroom, where a large group of people were already surrounding his father, Mohammed Shah. His father had always been frail and sickly, even during his reign. Recently, he had become unable to walk due to gout.

The crown prince looked at his father, who was lying listlessly in his sleep, and turned to Said, asking, "What happened to my father?"

The palace steward, his eyes red, spoke with a tone of self-reproach: “Just now, the Shah wanted to read a book, and I was going to get it for him. But the Shah insisted on getting it himself, so I helped him over. Who knew that His Majesty would slip at the door and I couldn’t hold on, and that’s how this happened.”

Now he is terminally ill, and when he saw the crown prince arrive, he quickly brought him to his side.

"Father!"

Seeing Nasser al-Din, Muhammad felt somewhat relieved. His 14-year reign, while not particularly good, wasn't bad either, because he had eliminated all potential obstacles to the crown prince, even leaving no one alive if a brother harbored disloyalty. His only worry was his son's age; he was too young, and he feared he wouldn't be able to control the ministers.

“Naser al-Din, I am not worried about your abilities as a Shah at all now. Your performance is much better than mine.”

My dear son, remember, you are the King of Iran, and no one can threaten your position. You must strive, and Allah will protect you.

"I understand, Father."

After giving his instructions to his son, the vizier, former vizier, high-ranking military officials, and religious leaders entered the Shah's room, along with members of the royal family. The arrival of over a dozen people immediately filled the previously empty space. Muhammad greeted each of them and chatted briefly. Everyone knew the purpose of their visit, so they kept their conversation brief and efficient.

After greeting them, Mohammed summoned Nasser al-Din to his side, sat up, and addressed the assembled ministers and generals: "As the heir to Iran, Nasser al-Din is undoubtedly a qualified monarch. After my death, he will succeed the Shah of Iran. You will all pledge to the Crown Prince to uphold your oaths."

Government and military officials and nobles present all knelt on one knee, placed their hands on their chests, and bowed their heads, saying, "In the name of Allah, we swear to keep our oath."

With his last breath, Muhammad collapsed into the arms of the crown prince. The third king of the Qajar dynasty thus exited the stage of history at the age of 40.

(End of this chapter)