Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 92 On the Conquest of Oman
The death of Mohammad Shah plunged all of Iran into mourning. Nasser al-Din succeeded him at his bedside, becoming the fourth ruler of the Qajar dynasty.

The entire palace was filled with sorrow. Although the Shah had a harem, he had the fewest offspring of any Iranian monarch, with only three sons and two daughters, of whom only Nasser al-Din was of legal age.

Although Mohammed's reign lasted only 14 years, the last two years of his rule were a period of dramatic change in Iran. The Edict of Gulestan marked the beginning of reforms in Iran, and can be considered his final gift to the country.

To avoid overwhelming the public with grief, Nasser al-Din immediately announced that the wedding would be held during Nowruz. It was hoped that Shah's marriage would alleviate the somber mood.

Naser al-Din sat on the Sun Throne, flanked by his ministers. He was deeply saddened by his father's death, but he also had the opportunity to implement more policies.

"The Shah's death is a loss for Iran, but we cannot always be sad. Where does that leave the country?"

Amir reiterated the need to stay strong and not forget the bold statements made at the expert meeting. Therefore, previous policies should be implemented systematically.

"Grand Vizier is right. Now everything must be running smoothly. Anyone who commits a crime during the funeral should be thrown into prison. Since they committed crimes during the funeral, they must not be ordinary people. We must be on high alert."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They then needed to discuss national policy, as a new king naturally needed a fresh approach. Besides the urgent need to establish railways and telegraph lines, and the requirement for government support for factories, there was also the matter of foreign policy towards Russia and Central Asia.

"Russia's aggressive stance has put pressure on Khiva and the other two countries. If they are annexed by Russia, Iran will be surrounded by Russia from the east and west. We must control them, and if necessary, annex them."

The ministers were well aware of the importance of the three kingdoms; each of the cities they controlled was a vital transportation hub. Samarkand, Andijan, and Bukhara were all important transportation cities, and they had to win them over to prevent Russia from taking control.

“We have already built a fortress in Ashgabat, and our merchants are already trading in Khiva and Bukhara. They praise our goods highly. I think we can use economic benefits to make them submit.”

The most important thing between nations is their interests. Whoever controls the upper class controls the entire country. Moreover, Iran has frequent trade relations with Central Asia, and can be brought under control more gently than Russia.

"Then, the railway and telegraph lines need to be extended there. Now, they also need to be laid domestically, which is a major challenge for the government. Moreover, Ashgabat is quite far from the nearest city, Khiva, so the cost of laying them will definitely not be low."

Railway Director Aikber spoke from his own perspective about the railway problems, saying that the railway network, from Tabriz to Tehran to the southern railway lines, was exhausting the railway bureau's resources. Moreover, their annual budget was limited, and other expenditures were financed through bank loans.

The situation with the telegraph is similar. It's estimated that setting up a nationwide telegraph line would cost 1000 million riyals. Furthermore, training a large number of telegraph operators would be necessary, and these ongoing costs would also strain the government's finances. Naserdin, observing their discussion, began, "Ultimately, the country isn't wealthy yet. But there are still many areas where money needs to be spent, so we must actively explore new sources of revenue."

He then produced a report, saying, "This is the result of discussions between our ambassador to the UK and the British Foreign Secretary. Currently, the only undefined region between the two countries is Afghanistan, but they have agreed to recognize the coastal areas of Oman as belonging to our country."

As you know, Oman made a considerable amount of money from the slave trade, although it was abolished under British pressure. However, due to their location, many ships still dock in Zanzibar, collecting substantial annual tolls… receiving goods from all over the world through their ports and distributing them throughout the African coast via traditional shipping methods. This trade brought them immense wealth.”

Amir immediately said, "Does the Shah want Oman?"

"Oh, how can you say 'yes'? I just feel that the whole world needs to be integrated into one country. Only in this way can a country become prosperous and strong."

History teaches us that nations must be integrated into a unified whole in order for the government to exert its full power.

They knew exactly what the Shah was thinking. Oman relied on Britain for its power, and their previous negotiations with him had already demonstrated this arrogance. Now that Britain was adopting a more flexible diplomatic approach towards Iran, it no longer valued Oman as much.

Moreover, Iranian royalty and businessmen have begun buying land and building houses in Muscat. Land prices in Muscat are one-third cheaper than in Iran, and its geographical location has instantly attracted many people to buy there. In addition to houses, they have also turned it into plantations and factories. Since Omani nobles are all going to Zanzibar, let the Iranians settle here.

Furthermore, Oman can serve as another avenue for Iranian expansion; the vast East African region may hold some surprises for them. Moreover, since thirty years ago, Omani Arab merchants have introduced cloves from Réunion Island to Zanzibar and established plantations specifically for clove production. This crop is in high demand and fetches high prices, bringing considerable revenue to the Sultanate of Oman.

After cabinet discussions, they unanimously agreed that sparsely populated Oman and Somalia are important development directions for Iran. Therefore, the next step is to develop shipbuilding and shipping industries and enhance port capacity. Simultaneously, the government and the royal family jointly contributed 120 million rials to establish the Iranian Ocean Shipping Company, with the government holding 60% of the shares and the royal family holding 40%. The ocean shipping company will cooperate with the Iranian Trading Company to jointly develop trade in the Indian Ocean.

After the first cabinet meeting, the government operated according to its usual policies. The most important thing now was to arrange the funeral of the former Shah. When a monarch dies, ambassadors from all over the world come to pay their respects. The rulers of the British, French, Prussian, and Ottoman, as well as the rulers of the Bahrain and Shamari tribes, the princes of Khiva and Bukhara, and the special envoys of Herat, Kokand and Kandahar also came.

A guard of several thousand escorted the hearse, which was about six meters long and covered with flowers. As the vehicle slowly passed, the coffin, draped in the Iranian flag of the Rising Sun, could be seen from the side. People on both sides of the road wept, their faces buried in their hands. A thick human wall formed on both sides of the road, silently mourning their Shah, and a gray atmosphere pervaded the streets.

Groups of different religions offered prayers and chanted blessings. People gently wiped the corners of their eyes with handkerchiefs to express their sorrow.

(End of this chapter)