Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 372 The Holy City (Part Two)

A Bedouin chieftain, who had remained silent until now, slowly rose, his bronze face appearing particularly resolute in the candlelight. “My camel caravan just returned from Damascus last month,” he said, his voice hoarse but powerful, “where the Ottomans are executing anyone who questions the Caliph. And the Persians…” He chuckled coldly, pulling a silver coin from his robes and tossing it onto the table, “this is their newly minted currency in Basra—engraved with the names of the Twelve Imams.”

Abdullah Pasha stared at the silver coin, then suddenly reached out and pressed it down. "Gentlemen," his voice suddenly became incredibly clear, "perhaps we've all overlooked a more important question—why must we choose someone else?"

He strode to the center of the hall, his black cloak billowing behind him. "Six hundred years ago, when our ancestors guarded this sacred land, there were neither Ottoman flags nor Persian silver coins. The dignity of the Hejaz has never needed the charity of outsiders!"

Pasha decided to seek independence by relying on British support and breaking free from Ottoman control. His ancestor, Muhammad, had started his power base in Medina, conquering territory and eventually spreading his religion to every corner of the world.

Now, the descendants of Muhammad must raise the banner anew to fulfill the ideals of their forefathers.

"Long live!" everyone cheered. This would be the first step in their rise to power in the Hejaz region, and no one could replace them.

After the meeting, a chief returned home to find a guest waiting for him.

“Mr. Sadiq, you were right after all. They want Mecca to be independent and not controlled by anyone.”

Sadiq nodded. "You see, this group is trying to push Mecca into the abyss. Once it becomes independent, Britain will definitely take advantage of the situation. At that time, this place will no longer be under their control."

After facilitating connections with various organizations in the Balkans, Sadiq was then dispatched by the government to Hejaz and Jerusalem on liaison missions. Located at the crossroads of three continents, and with Jerusalem, a holy religious city, in its vicinity, Sadiq's geographical position is extremely important.

The governor of Jerusalem is an extremely greedy man. When Nasser al-Din returned from a trip to Europe, he discussed the matter at length with the governor, ultimately resulting in the purchase of the wasteland outside the city and most of the city itself. Over the years, the governor has continued to receive funding, leading to the emergence of Shia-run hospitals, schools, mosques, and other public institutions in Jerusalem. Of course, other religious groups can also use these facilities, resulting in increased goodwill towards Iran among local residents.

Iran has tried to be inclusive towards the local Jews, Orthodox Christians, Armenians, and other Christians, letting them know that there is another country besides the Ottoman Empire that can do the same.

For Sunni Muslims, the Iranian government doesn't use this approach, but instead promotes a different ideology: the revival of the Abbasid Caliphate. This leaves the Sunnis with no reason to oppose it.

The situation in Jerusalem was relatively simple, but things became more complicated in Mecca. The area was predominantly tribal, and the high-ranking officials appointed by the Ottomans couldn't hold their positions for long without their support. Moreover, they were all Sunni, and the Shia tribes had little say in the region. Of course, continuing south, they also targeted the Shia communities in the mountainous areas for recruitment; Sadiq had already sent people to do so while he remained in Mecca to find potential partners.

Sadiq finally managed to locate a Shia tribe in the area, the very chief he had spoken with. Learning that these sheikhs were planning to establish an independent state was a complete surprise. Between seeking Ottoman assistance and submitting to Iran, they had chosen the most unstable option.

“It seems they really need to seek help from the British. The Prophet will punish them if he sees his descendants so depraved,” Sadig said.

"This is not the time to talk about this. I wonder if what Mr. Sadiq said before still counts?"

The other party laughed and said, "Don't worry, Shah won't go back on his word. Since you've pledged allegiance to our country, we certainly won't treat you unfairly."

Sadiq produced a map. "From Durba to Yanbu, our country plans to establish a province in this area, where the chief will be a high-ranking official. But you will need to pledge allegiance to the Shah." As long as they received land and wealth, allegiance to whomever they chose was irrelevant. The chief and Sadiq then discussed other matters and finally reached an agreement.

Abdullah Pasha also began his campaign. His first step was to find the officers of the Ottoman garrisons and persuade them to pledge allegiance to him using both religious doctrine and money. Next, he sought the assistance of the British; once the British were won over, independence would be virtually assured.

Pasha was now envisioning himself as King of Hejaz, conquering territories, first unifying the Arabian Peninsula, then Persia, Egypt, and the Ottomans, finally following in the footsteps of his ancestors. He imagined his empire would endure for millennia, his name shining brightly in history books.

"Ah, Abdul Rapasha, how can I help you?"

After welcoming Abdullah, British business representative Harrison inquired that Pasha's arrival was no small matter and might indicate something important.

“Mr. Harrison,” Pasha picked up his rose-scented tea but didn’t drink it, letting the steam rise between them, “how are you doing here?”

"It's wonderful; the scenery here is unlike anything you've seen anywhere else. Thank you so much for your concern."

“That’s good,” Pasha said, taking a sip of tea. “You know, I’m not only in charge of managing Mecca, but also trading with other countries to obtain necessities. But the Ottomans are preventing us from doing so, trying to make us completely dependent on them.”

"Sir Consul, I wonder if your country would be willing to support a nation's war of independence?"

Harrison was shocked; he never expected the other person to discuss this with him. It just goes to show that the world had become something he couldn't have imagined.

"It seems that Your Excellency truly intends to break away from the Ottoman Empire."

“That’s right!” Abdullah put down his teacup, spilling tea all over the table in his haste.

“They are binding everything we have. The place where the prophet was born is being suppressed by another city. This is absolutely unacceptable. Only the prophet belongs to everything here.”

Seeing the other party's almost obsessive state, Harrison felt that his opportunity to acquire a piece of land for the British Empire had arrived. Bringing Hejaz into the empire would greatly protect the port of Aden. The future economic potential was immeasurable.

"Well, I need confirmation from Downing Street, but I can write to the Governor-General of India and request that 3000 soldiers be sent over."

"Then, thank you for your help."

(End of this chapter)