Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 254 Post-War Meeting
The war is over, and with the end of the major conflict, Iran has time to clear up its backlog of affairs. However, nothing compares to this post-war debriefing meeting.

The military will naturally be the biggest beneficiary; both the soldiers who participated in the war and the civilians who transported supplies from the rear will be rewarded. It's estimated that this round of promotions will involve a large number of people.

“We have now started planning the railway from Tehran to Baghdad, which will require a lot of money and time to build, as it will cross the mountains.”

Ismail, the president of Iran Railways, was also invited here to connect Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau, highlighting the significant role of railways.

"Don't worry, the government will support the construction of railways and highways."

The Transport Minister reassured him that the government would raise the funds, and all they had to do now was to build the railway across the Zagros Mountains.

The guards opened the gate, and Nasser al-Din came to the conference table. Everyone bowed to the Shah in respect.

"Alright everyone, please sit down. This victory wouldn't have been possible without your help; Iran has finally reclaimed this place. Now, the focus should be on building Baghdad into a new capital."

It seems the previous rumors were true; the Shah is preparing to move the capital to Baghdad.

If we're only considering Iran's mainland, Tehran is suitable. However, if the goal is to control a large portion of the Middle East in the future, Baghdad is the only viable option. This is not only due to its central location in the Middle East, but also because the Mesopotamian plain it's situated on is a vital agricultural region and a major source of water resources. Establishing Baghdad as the capital would allow for better control of the Middle East.

"Relocating the capital is necessary at present, but it doesn't mean abandoning Tehran. The two cities will share the functions of the capital."

This means that Iran will have two capitals. Baghdad and Tehran, one in the east and one in the west, will serve as regional centers to stabilize the local situation.

“Shah, if Baghdad becomes the capital, then everything will need to be built. In that case, funding will be a huge problem.”

Furthermore, Baghdad's summer temperatures get extremely high, so I'll have to return to Tehran to work. The traffic flow also needs to be maintained.

Nasser al-Din accepted all of these suggestions, and they were indeed true. Summer temperatures in Baghdad can easily exceed 45 degrees Celsius, while Tehran is relatively mild. Therefore, he needed to work in Tehran during the summer and return in the winter.

However, this shouldn't be a problem, and historically, many countries have had more than one capital. For example, Nanjing and Beijing during the Ming Dynasty, Beijing and Shengjing during the Qing Dynasty, and during the Roman Empire, the capital was wherever the emperor resided.

Iran's dual-capital system avoids the situation where most resources are concentrated in one city, like London or Paris. This at least helps to distribute the pressure.

Besides the new capital, Amir spoke up. "Shah, our government has made detailed plans. I wonder if you would be interested in hearing them?"

"Please speak!" After receiving permission, the Grand Vizier revealed the government's plan.

"Given that arable land accounts for the majority of the vast territories our country has acquired, we can engage in agricultural reclamation to increase the yield of grain and other crops. Furthermore, the mineral resources near Van and Erzurum are relatively abundant. Therefore, the government has decided to build a railway to connect the various cities. Please let Ismail explain the specifics."

Upon hearing this, Ismail immediately explained to the Shah. "Shah, we currently have three main routes planned. The first route starts from Tbilisi, passes through Trabzon, and reaches Erzurum;
The second route starts from Tabriz, passes through Van, and connects El-Zulum and Mosul.

The third route starts from Abadan, passes through Basra and Baghdad, and arrives at Mosul.

In addition to these three lines, the Abadan-Dahlan railway, currently under construction, is also a vital transportation artery. However, due to its construction, our funds are already very tight.

Ismail told Shah that the company currently needs substantial government funding to ensure the project can proceed. Not to mention the ongoing railway project in the Transoxiana region.

"The government will allocate funds to support railway construction, and the first indemnity from the Ottomans will also be invested immediately. This will not only involve construction within the country, but also overseas, all the way to the Ottoman capital."

Iran has received the same treatment as Britain and France in the Ottoman Empire; as long as the "discussions are completed," the construction of railways in the Ottoman Empire can begin immediately.

However, besides government funding, public investment has also been substantial. In recent years, Iran has cultivated a wealthy business class that invests in the stock market and numerous factories, and is also very enthusiastic about Iranian government bonds and company stocks. The future economy will need their support.

Besides the issue of new territories, the conference also had important implications for the vast number of Shia Muslims abroad. At this time, there were still large numbers of Shia Muslims in Ottoman territory and other regions. These people were supporters of Iran; the defeat of the Sunni Ottoman Empire by Shia-majority Iran boosted their morale and made them realize whose voice to listen to.

"The people of Syria, Jerusalem, and Cyprus want our country to rule their regions. An imam in Yemen also wrote a letter of congratulations."

A single war brought about a great unity among the Shia Muslims in the Middle East. Led by Iran, they prepared to seize Mecca and storm Jerusalem in one fell swoop.

Even with these results, some were not entirely satisfied, as many Shia Muslims remained unliberated. However, Nasser al-Din gave them a new place to stay, allowing them to go to Patagonia to preach.

At this time, Patagonia was arguably the last pristine area in South America, with vast deserts offering little incentive for European colonization. In the late 16th century, the Spanish attempted to colonize the Patagonian coast to quell English piracy, but their plan to establish a Jesuit colony in the Gulf of San Matthias failed. In 1778, the British attempted to colonize the Gulf, to which the Spanish responded by establishing two cities in Patagonia: San José and Viedema. In 1780, the Spanish established a colony in Puerto de Céado, but three years later, the area was devoid of Europeans.

There are therefore many more indigenous people here, including in the unconquered areas of southern Chile. To satisfy the demands of the clergy, Nasser al-Din granted them permission to go and preach in the region, providing them with ample protection. They were told they could return at any time if they wished to abandon their mission. But since they were acting for Allah, why would they return? Everything they did was for Allah's benefit.

(End of this chapter)