sultan's crescent

Chapter 137 The Sultan's Family Affair Is a State Affair (Two in One)

"So, Isaac, you should know better how much influence the British have here."

"Your Majesty, since you asked about this, before that, let me explain to you the situation in the Arab region.

This is actually a common topic.

The empire has invested some energy in this area, but not much.

Even in the days of your ancestors, the Sultans the Grim and the Lawgiver, the Empire would not have put in much force had it not been to save the old shipping lanes.

In the planning of the empire from the fifteenth century to the seventeenth century, not only the occupation of inland areas was not included in the planning, but even the occupation of the east coast of the peninsula was not part of the established planning of the empire, because of the harsh conditions of these coastal areas Actually not much better than the inland areas.

Even during the period of great expansion of the empire, Gaomen's strategic focus on the Arabian Peninsula was mainly to ensure the safety of the pilgrimage route to Mecca.

Therefore, ensuring control of the western part of the peninsula from Suez to the Two Holy Cities and then to Yemen is Gaomen's basic plan for the Arabian Peninsula.

This is why Gaomen took a resolute attitude towards the imam rebellion in southern Yemen.

In contrast, the empire's attitude towards the other side is completely different.

If the Portuguese had not controlled Hormuz and Oman, which posed a threat to Basra's trade, Gaomen would not even have set his sights on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. (This is today the southern coast of the Persian Gulf consisting of eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the southwestern United Arab Emirates.)
In the era of Suleiman the Great, the Portuguese had almost completely banned the old shipping routes and destroyed the trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Considering the issue of profit, Emperor Suleiman specifically asked Gaomen to establish the province of Hassa on this coast.

However, this province only serves as a pure defense center to guard the Port of Basra and does not actively participate in any external military operations. It even requires the governor of the province to pay attention to "maintaining good relations" with the Portuguese in Hormuz.

Harsh logistical conditions, the dual threat of Bedouin tribes inland and pagan warships at sea forced Gaomen to make such a choice.In order to avoid the attacks of the inland tribes, the empire's transport fleet had to take sea transportation and sail south from the port of Basra directly to the Gulf. "

Isaac picked up a document and replied.

"So, how did my ancestral legislators treat the Bedouins?"

Emperor Se the Great was a little surprised at this time, and he didn't want to make an expedition to the Arabian Peninsula on a whim.

However, he did not know enough about this area. At this time, the many questions raised by the ministers made it difficult for him to deal with it. However, he still had to face the collapse of Mount Tai without changing his face. As a sultan, he had to maintain his demeanor at all times.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I’m afraid this will disappoint you.

Even Suleiman the Magnificent could not completely solve these Bedouins.

In order to deal with the Bedouin nomadic tribes active from Najd to the eastern coast of the peninsula, Gaomen had to appoint Bedouin leaders as the local governors of Hasa Province, pay them generous salaries, and use them as agents To indirectly control the Bedouin tribes in the inland areas and ensure the safety of the imperial fortress. "

Selim couldn't help asking.

“If that’s the case, then why does the Diriyah Emirate still appear on this land?

Even if it is indirect control, it will not lead to the birth of a nomadic regime in this area, right?

He even threatened the Hashemites, descendants of the great Prophet, the most prominent holy family in Arabia.

You know, the patriarch of the Hashemite family has complained to me many times. "

Yusuf Pasha, who was listening to the conversation, explained with a wry smile.

“Your Majesty, sometimes, it may not be us who pull one against one.

Among these Bedouin tribes, some people have always regarded themselves as the legitimate rulers of this area.

From time to time, they seized every opportunity to rebel and launch attacks on the under-strength imperial garrison. However, once reinforcements from Basra arrived, they immediately led their men to escape into the desert of Najd, and then asked someone to send a message to the imperial officials to express their obedience.

The magistrates of the empire could do nothing about this rebellion of the Bedouin, for only by their assistance could we thwart other plots to subvert the empire's local rule.

There was a rebellion in 1578. Muhammad bin Osman, the leader from the Najd desert region, launched a rebellion and gathered two large Bedouin tribes operating in the northern part of Najd to march towards the Al-Hasa province.

This time the previously rebellious Bedouin tribes sided with the empire, and they gathered their allies to defeat Muhammad and pursue him deep into the desert.

This is the dilemma we encountered in the Arabian Peninsula. We can't do it by forming gangs, and we can't do it directly by sending troops. "

The Grand Mufti, who had come in at some point, continued.

“As for the Emirate of Diriyah that your Majesty said, there is a reason for this.

In 1744, Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab and Muhammad bin Saud formed an alliance to jointly establish a theocratic state in Najd. After the establishment of the state, it received the support of the Wahhabis, and This country is the Emirate of Drayiya.

You should also know a lot about the situation of the empire at that time. The Russians were screaming at the border like mad dogs, the Austrians also put a lot of pressure on us, Nadir Shah of Persia also attracted our attention, and the rebellious Mamelu gram.

At that time, the empire no longer had much energy to control the interior of Arabia, and the value of this area was not great.

As for why the local governor didn't care, the last time Basra Port was used was in the seventeenth century, and the layout of the empire had long since been abandoned. "

Selim didn't know what to say at this time. Although he was a time traveler, he was not omniscient after all. He thought it would be easy to deal with the savages, but it is so difficult to deal with this place.

However, the next moment Isaac Pasha's words hit him again.

"Your Majesty, the next thing is the issue of British influence that you mentioned.

After the fall of the Yariba dynasty (an Omani dynasty), the Sayyid dynasty took its place.

They have the support of the British behind them. If we march into the Arabian interior, whether Oman will react, how big the reaction will be, and whether the British will intervene are all unpredictable. "

Selim couldn't help thinking at this moment. Looking at the situation, it seemed that sending troops was a wrong act.

But is it so?Emperor Se the Great really didn't know much about the Arab region. On the one hand, it was because European affairs involved too much energy, and on the other hand, it was because he didn't pay much attention to it before crossing.

But if you don't understand the Arab region, it doesn't mean that Se the Great doesn't understand that I took the British to attack India.

This period is actually a critical period for Britain in India. The third Mysore War has begun, and the British and Spain have reached a consensus on the Nukat Gulf crisis.

In other words, will Dai Ying really hard-top for Oman and the Ottoman Empire?

In Selim's view, as long as the Ottoman Empire does not substantively annex Oman, there is a high probability that the British will not go to war over it.

That being the case, the specific policies for the Arabs may have to be adjusted, and this still needs to be discussed.

Dang, Dang, Dang, the bells of Belém Palace rang, and it was time for the dinner.

Selim walked out with a group of ministers, they had to go to a banquet.

Walking into the hall, the two sides were almost full of people. On the women's side, under Anna's call, many female Muslims had already arrived.

Seeing the appearance of the Sultan and a group of imperial figures, Paul immediately spoke to the guests in the hall.

"Everyone, please follow the waiter on the left and go to the backyard for the banquet.

Look for the notice on the spot by yourself, men and women sit on two sides.

If you have any requests, please ring the seat bell and a waiter will come to help.

Finally, I wish all guests have fun. "

People got up from their chairs and followed the court eunuchs to the backyard. The food prepared by the imperial chef had already been served.

Walking into the backyard, the crowd immediately divided into men on the left and women on the right. The division was quite clear. There seemed to be nothing wrong with Muslim women in robes standing together with Orthodox Christians.

I just don't know why, but Emperor Sai always tended to hear some faint voices.

"Wow, her dress is so beautiful. I've only seen Anna Sultana wear it."

"Yes, yes, no wonder Anna Sultana was able to marry His Majesty, how can we compare?"

"Okay, keep your voice down, they are both Orthodox Christians.

They don't believe in Allah, and the clothes of a group of infidels are nothing to look at. "

After many guests took their seats, Paul spoke.

"Considering the vast territory of the empire, all the guests have different tastes, so we also prepared local dishes in addition to the staple food.

There are four main dishes.

The first is the salad, which is a classic dish. Yuchu uses fresh vegetables, olive oil, cheese, olives and herbs for seasoning. The overall taste is relatively light, which is why we make it the first dish.

Regional flavors that go well with this dish.It's sai qie qie, a kind of charcoal-grilled meatballs, made from mutton and beef by the imperial chef.

Mr. Stefan of the Karajci family, how is the taste? "

Paul stood on the stage and asked towards the southeast of the yard.

"Very good, it tastes better than what I eat at home.

I have to say that His Majesty is simply the wisest monarch in the world, and he is considerate of his subjects. "

Stefan stood up and said with a smile, still holding grape juice in his hand.

Paul nodded.

"That's good, next is the second main course.

Royal stew, a stew of mutton and beef, vegetables and spices made by royal chefs

The side dish is slow-cooked lamb, a tender and juicy lamb stew, usually seasoned with spices and olive oil.

The third main course is atanti, a layered dish made by the royal chef using eggplant, minced meat, and potatoes as ingredients and seasoned with white sauce.

The side dish is sarma, a meatloaf with minced meat and rice wrapped in rolled grape leaves.

The fourth dish is said to be the main dish, but it is actually the staple food, that is, couscous, traditional millet-like coarse grains, there is nothing to say, just mix it with the previous ones.

In terms of sauces, we have prepared some, but the main one is Harlem sauce, made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic, hope you like it.

That’s it for introducing the dishes here, I hope you all like them. "

Paul bowed.

Immediately, everyone began to feast on it, especially some Constantinier citizens and provincials who came to the wedding banquet. Although the former had heard of it, they seldom ate it, and the latter had never heard of it. city.

The whole dinner was going on slowly. The place where Selim and a group of imperial bosses were sitting was not in the courtyard below. This was not suitable for the Sultan's status, so Paul specially arranged the Sultan in the attic, and there was a terrace nearby. .

Looking out, you can clearly see Muslims and Orthodox Christians sitting together, chatting from time to time, although these are basically the upper echelons of the empire, and religion does not restrict them very strongly.

But there are also some low-level Muslims and Orthodox Christians who are communicating, which makes Se the Great feel a lot more comfortable.

After a while, in silence, the sultan and his ministers finished their meal.

In the yard, Paul also appeared again at this time.

"Dear guests, how do you feel about this dinner?"

"very good."

"His Majesty's hospitality is simply too considerate."

As soon as Paul finished speaking, the guests in the audience immediately replied.

"Hmm, since everyone is full, let's do some activities.

But before that, let our waiter bring up dessert. "

Paul said as he took a ball-shaped snack from the waiter beside him.

"Brown ball, a traditional wrap, can be filled with cheese, spinach, minced meat, etc.

You can try it, the taste is quite good.”

“Eggplant with yogurt, grilled eggplant with yogurt, garlic and herbs.

Compared with the previous grilled eggplant, it has another flavor.

Mutton rice bowl, small mutton dumplings mixed with yogurt, oil and spices. Guests who have lived in Constantiniya for a long time should have eaten it, so I won’t introduce it.

The rest of the dim sum will also be served slowly, including the dim sum given out when we meet the relatives. You can try more. "

Paul continued.

"Considering that the dinner is too monotonous just for meals, His Majesty specially arranged activities for all the guests."

Before Paul could finish his sentence, a small cheer erupted from an obvious gathering area of ​​Orthodox Christians, obviously suffocated by the serious atmosphere before.

Although they seemed to realize that their voices were a little too loud and quickly lowered their voices, they still attracted the attention of others.

The Grand Mufti said immediately.

"Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, I don't think it is appropriate to place Muslims and Orthodox Christians together.

These infidels will only pollute the environment.

I think today's performance should also be cancelled, it will only bring some bad effects. "

Sai Dadi smiled, waved his hand and said.

“No problem, dear Grand Mufti, a truly steadfast Muslim will not be affected in any way.

If your belief in God is shaken because of such a trivial matter, then I can only say that we do not need such believers at all. "

The Grand Mufti didn't say anything anymore. It was just a few casual words. It would be best if he could fool the Sultan. If he didn't, there would be no loss.

After all, Paul had already spoken out, and taking it back would be to slap Sudan in the face.

Paul on the stage paused for a while, then continued.

"Today's opening performance is the court dance, and you can appreciate the exquisite and complex dancing skills of the dancers who are famous.

Then there will be a concert, His Majesty's Court Orchestra will open with "Sultanm" (My Sultan: This is a tribute song to the Sultan, expressing respect and loyalty to the Sultan's rule)

Of course "Hicaz Mandras" (Hicaz Mandras: This is a famous Ottoman piece of music, often used in court music and dance performances) is also necessary.

After that, we will invite other guests who are willing to perform on the stage, and hope that everyone will actively participate.

Finally, there is the circus performance and fire dance performance. I hope everyone has a good time. "

Paul bowed and then left the stage. The Sultan's royal dance troupe was about to appear.

　Thanks to book friends for their monthly tickets and Henry_Li’s reward.

　　These chapters are all about state affairs with the help of weddings. It can only be said that the political attributes of the monarch are too strong

　　
　
(End of this chapter)