Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 117 Inspection
The arms factory on the outskirts of Tehran welcomed distinguished guests today, with Shah personally coming to inspect it.

While not comparable to the Tabriz Arms Factory, this modern weapons manufacturing plant is developing rapidly. Also, due to its location in the capital, the factory earns extra income by repairing some machinery.

"Welcome, Shah. Your arrival has made the workers here feel warm."

Factory manager Farzad greeted Nasserdin at the factory gate; if it weren't for the instruction not to disrupt production, all the workers would have come to greet him.

"Lead the way, factory manager. I want to see the real situation here."

"Yes"

The entire arsenal has multiple workshops producing firearms, bullets, shells, and spare parts. Looking at the firearms workshop, he asked the question he was most interested in, "What is the current production volume?"

"Currently, because the workers are mostly elderly, 200 rifles a month is the limit."

After listening to the explanation, Naserdin said, "Now you need to train more workers so they can quickly master their jobs. By the way, what about artillery production?"

"The artillery workshop is still undergoing testing. The requirements for workers are quite high, and the training is not yet complete. It is still the Europeans who are doing the work. We workers can only assist them. At present, the output is only two or three cannons per month."

Upon hearing Farzad's reply, Naserdin felt that production was still insufficient. In addition to encouraging him to train workers as soon as possible, Farzad also raised a question for him: the price of raw materials was somewhat high.

The weapons produced in the factory required pig iron and steel from Tabriz, and bullets from copper produced in Fars. However, there was no faster means of transportation between them, so the transportation costs were high.

The railway currently under construction is precisely to solve this problem, and the steel mill has also ordered blast furnaces from Britain to expand production because its products are being purchased in large quantities.

"Shah, the factories here are not only producing weapons, but also starting to copy British steam engines. I believe they will be in mass production soon."

Since the topic of machinery came up, Nasser al-Din inquired about the situation at the Abbas shipyard and was told that everything was fine and it would soon be ready for construction and production.

"Speaking of which, aren't those people who went abroad to study back then coming back soon?"

"It'll be soon; they say it's already on its way."

These students are the first batch they have sponsored, and their return will surely add more strength to Iran. Nasser al-Din also sighed, "Four years have passed; time really flies."

"Shah, news has come from Zahran."

Pezeshkian approached Naser al-Din and handed him the message.

"The Saudi and Shamari tribes fought a major battle in Hufuf, and the Shamari won the victory. The Saudi tribe fled back to Riyadh."

Naserdin looked at the intelligence report. Although he didn't know much about the details of the battle, he realized that a batch of muskets they had purchased from Iran had played a crucial role.

Moreover, the goods they traded with Iran were also a source of strength that allowed them to continue their fight. Saudi Arabia, being landlocked, could only rely on settled agriculture for food and supplies, which made the Sammae tribes more resilient than the Saudis.

"This is fantastic news! These tribes looked down on us, and now they're finally reaping what they sowed." Nasser al-Din was delighted, because this meant Iran could indirectly rule the desert through the tribes. The tribes were naturally the local leaders, but as long as the distribution of benefits was fair, Tehran could also govern the region.

"I don't think the British would find this place useful, as long as we can stay here."

Pezeshkian was puzzled by the Shah's interest in the desert. Following Bahrain, Iran and Britain were negotiating with several neighboring emirates. Britain's occupation of the region was also aimed at maintaining trade in the Persian Gulf. Now that Iran claimed it could maintain stability, many in Britain felt this would allow more goods to flow elsewhere. However, this would mean Iran would monopolize the Persian Gulf, making negotiations a protracted process for both countries.

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At the Port of London, Iranian students who had received their diplomas began boarding a ship to return home. They had gained a great deal of knowledge over the past four years and believed they should use that knowledge to serve their country.

They also saw in the newspapers that Iran and the Ottoman Empire had formed an alliance, and that Russia harbored ambitions to annex Iran. All of this was stimulating them; they hated Russia to the core and longed to return immediately and make Iran strong.

As Sadiq looked out over London from the deck, he felt his trip had been worthwhile. He had mastered English, French, and Ottoman languages ​​at university and had gained a basic understanding of the world.

"What are you thinking about?" Suleiman suddenly spoke from behind him, startling him. "Nothing, just thinking about the future of Iran."

"Oh, have you thought of anything?"

“It’s not easy,” Sadiq said. “Iran borders Russia to the north, India to the east, and the Ottoman Empire to the west, which is not good for Iran. The only thing to be thankful for right now is that Britain will not cooperate with Russia, so we don’t have to worry about being attacked from both sides for the time being. The situation in Poland will not be repeated in Iran.”

When Sadiq learned that a country called Poland had been partitioned, he thought Iran was somewhat similar to Poland. But after careful consideration, he realized they were different. Poland's three neighboring countries were all very powerful, while Iran, apart from Russia, was not under British influence throughout India, and the Ottoman Empire was also problematic, as it had trouble with both Russia and Iran.

Therefore, Iran's situation still has some room for maneuver compared to Poland, and it can even expand its sphere of influence.

"That's great! I heard you're going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Now it's time for you to put your expertise to good use."

This made Sadiq feel embarrassed, and he quickly changed the subject. "I heard you're going back to build a factory? Really?"

The other person nodded. "Indeed, during my years in Britain, I've come to understand one thing: only a nation with a strong economy can guarantee its security. Britain has many factories, which is the foundation of their expansion. Even a small country like Belgium trades all over the world because of its abundant coal and iron ore reserves."

Now, under the Shah's leadership, Iran has begun encouraging the construction of factories, and I think I can join in.

Suleiman was confident, and his joining the wave of factory establishment was perfectly in line with the times.

"I've heard that Tabriz is developing very rapidly recently. Why don't you go back to your hometown and give it a try?"

"Of course, since Russia is our main threat, we must contribute to the country in the region. Now, Iran is at a critical juncture, and it needs us."

Suleiman gazed into the distance, talking to himself, unsure of what awaited them. But things would get better.

(End of this chapter)