Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 179 Reach out
With funding from Crédit Agricole, the Ministry of Finance finally agreed to allocate funds. The government would send 1.2 men to Saigon to expand their sphere of influence there.

Compared to the war against Russia, which mobilized hundreds of thousands of people, this one was much smaller in scale, but because it was being fought overseas, it still cost a lot.

Soldiers who had not yet received honors or ranks now had their chance and eagerly signed up for the expedition. They wanted to earn their own honors in another war.

Naser al-Din was preparing to visit Europe, and he received invitations from Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, King Frederick William IV of Prussia, Emperor Napoleon III of France, and Queen Victoria of Great Britain. It was a pity that he did not receive invitations from the Ottoman Sultan or the Russian Tsar.

Naser al-Din will first make a pilgrimage to Najaf, and then travel by ship to Europe. This trip will not be a simple journey, but rather a negotiation with various countries; therefore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Commerce and Industry will accompany him.

“Shah, we will first go to Vienna to meet with the Austrian Emperor, and then travel through Prague to Berlin…”

Nasser al-Din had heard the itinerary many times and could recite it by heart. Moreover, it wasn't just these four countries; the Netherlands and Belgium also invited the Shah to visit.

"I hope this will improve Europe's understanding of Iran. In the past, they just thought of us as Persia, and that name should be changed."

After the war, Iran was referred to as Iran on maps and in foreign documents. Of course, Nasser al-Din allowed the name Persia to be retained in historical narratives, but the name Iran had to be used in formal occasions.

For Britain and France, this was the demand of the victors, a sign that Persia had quickly escaped its status as the weaker power. Although they still privately referred to themselves as Persia, the Foreign Ministry's official announcements referred to them as Iran.

"Gentlemen, the work ahead will mainly be done by you. The Grand Vizier will make the final decisions on political matters, while General Rouhani will make the decisions on military matters."

Nasserdin outlined his plan, which involves delegating power to the government. He expressed his trust in Amir and Rouhani, believing they would govern Iran well during his overseas trip.

Before leaving, Nasser al-Din went to see his son, who was only a few months old. Ibrahim, nestled in his mother's arms, looked at his father, sometimes smiling. Nasser al-Din, now a new father, felt it was time to secure a large territory for his son and future generations. He believed that if he could survive two devastating wars, his territory would be largely preserved.

Before leaving, Naser al-Din looked at the Gulestan Palace, which was under expansion, and thought to himself, "They must be rich. Otherwise, the expansion would have to wait for several more years."

While India's wealth provided a much-needed respite for the royal treasury, a mere 3000 million riyals was insufficient. Therefore, Nasser al-Din sought to convert this wealth into even more money through overseas investment.

The Central Asian caravan and Far East trading company established earlier were manifestations of the royal family's investment. To make money, they had to go abroad. They couldn't make money in Iran. Apart from land rent and some factory income, there wasn't much else.

Naser al-Din invested in coffee plantations in the Dutch East Indies and Saigon, as well as a shipping company. Although it only had fifteen ships, it accumulated capital by transporting government goods due to its connections. Moreover, the Saipa Trading Company had more business activities in the area than in Shanghai. It not only monopolized the trade in spices and sulfur, but also acquired land from farmers in southern Vietnam at low prices under the pretext of expanding production. All of this became Shah's private property.

Besides the Far East, the Shah also favored another direction: the New World.

Aside from the British territories in the north, a number of New World countries, including Mexico and the United States, need to develop their economies, making them particularly receptive to foreign investment. The abundant resources and fertile land in these regions make Nasser al-Din see potential for profitable investment. Currently, Iran is discussing establishing diplomatic relations with Brazil and the United States, and it is believed that plans will be implemented soon.

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"Sir, your letter."

Said received another letter from Mexico, where Lawrence Davis and his brother Alvarez Davis, now prominent Mexican tycoons, were influential figures in northern Mexico.

Last year, the two brothers welcomed their distant relative, Jefferson Davis, who is currently the U.S. Secretary of War.

After taking office as Secretary of State, Jefferson dedicated himself to building a transcontinental railroad across the United States. He also met with his relatives, who had funded 21 Southern congressional candidates in the midterm elections the previous year.

Although it was just a brief look, it undoubtedly greatly enhanced their status in Mexico. Especially among the local plantation owners, they believed that cultivating good relations with them could garner support from the American political establishment.

Most importantly, there was support from the Shah. At this time, the company had built more than 400 kilometers of railway, and its assets had increased significantly. He sent a letter to Said because the situation in Mexico had changed and civil war was on the horizon.

Following the end of the Mexican War of Independence, and amidst a difficult period of recovery, Mexico experienced a severe political divide. From 1821 to 1857, a total of 50 different governments ruled the country. Their political systems ranged from absolute authoritarianism to constitutional republics and even empires. They were also divided into conservatives and liberals.

In 1854, President Benito Juárez issued a decree. The main purpose of this decree was to limit the judicial privileges of the military and the church by restricting the scope of the religious courts' trials to civil cases, particularly the authority of the religious courts. Clergy instigated a rebellion in Puebla. Following this decree, a growing number of reform decrees were enacted.

In addition, there was a significant reform decree, the Nationalization of the Church, which would have made almost all monasteries used for secular affairs. Legislators hoped this would weaken the Church's influence and help collect enough tax revenue to pay off debts borrowed from the United States. The law set limits on fees priests could charge the poor and prohibited priests from charging for baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

As these laws were passed one by one, Congress was also debating a new constitution. Delegates debated whether to continue down the path paved by previous reform laws and the question of Mexico's political system: a centralized government or a federal republic. Many knew that once the constitution was finalized, it would immediately detonate the bomb of civil war, and a reshuffling of political forces might present an opportunity for the brothers.

(End of this chapter)