Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 379 Journey to Mecca
The train slowly pulled into the station, and the Shah of Iran arrived in his loyal Dhahran.

By this time, Dhahran had become a large city, attracting people from surrounding areas to work and study. This led to the city's continued growth and it eventually became the largest city on the peninsula.

Iran opened a train line to the city and installed telegraph lines. The modern buildings standing there gave the Arabs a small industrial shock.

"Shah!"

Chiefs of local tribes in Bahrain and Doha, along with the mayor of Dhahran, welcomed Nasser al-Din at the train station. Since Iran regained control of the area, their lives have improved considerably. Aside from not being able to issue orders, things are generally going well.

Bahrain and Doha were the first Arab tribes that Iran began to rule, and Iran devoted the most effort to them. A series of reforms followed.

As for those chiefs, do they have a choice? They might as well go to Tehran for a better life. Even most of their people go to the city to work instead of herding livestock.

Nasser al-Din's stay here was very short, only one day. He had to travel to Riyadh to discuss matters with various tribal chiefs, so he could only visit on his return journey.

The railway from Dhahran to Khufuf is now open, and Iran spends a significant amount of money annually maintaining it. From a distance, it appears as a long, green dragon, thanks to the sand-fixing forests planted along both sides of the railway.

The situation was urgent, and Nasser al-Din didn't know the details of Mecca. He decided to go there as soon as possible, hoping to avoid any accidents.

The train moved at top speed, adding water several times along the way to prevent the locomotive from overheating and breaking down. This shows that the situation in Mecca was indeed urgent.

Since there was no railway between Hufuf and Riyadh, they had to travel by camel. After seven days, they finally arrived at this city in the middle of the desert.

Riyadh's population rapidly grew to 10,000 thanks to agriculture in the surrounding oases. Meanwhile, Iran used a lethal weapon to deal with the ongoing disputes among the various tribes on the peninsula: money.

With money, these tribal chiefs can spend and settle in places like Tehran. They'll be less enthusiastic about their original territories, allowing Iran to further improve the local ecosystem.

Greening efforts have begun along the coastal areas of the peninsula. Irrigation systems have been improved using camel manure and date palm leaves as compost, maximizing water utilization. Pioneer plants such as Artemisia arenaria are being planted to create a biome. Currently, 5 hectares of oasis have been added in Dhahran and Bahrain, and the planting of date palms, acacia trees, and olive trees is expected to increase economic value.

The situation is similar in Riyadh, where groundwater is being drawn to irrigate saplings, and facilities such as reservoirs are being built to maximize forest coverage. This is a good approach for the future.

"Shah!"

Ahmed went to meet Nasser al-Din and embraced him.

"Long time no see, how have you been lately?"

“Everything is fine. We have made all the preparations and are just waiting for your orders.” Ahmed explained the current situation to Nasser al-Din in detail: Mecca was basically under his control, Abdullah would not be able to return for the time being, and the Hashim family was also preparing to submit to Iran.

"Unexpectedly, in just a few days, they all changed their faith."

"No matter how good the faith is, it can't fill an empty stomach. As long as it can make the people's lives better, they don't care who is in charge."

Nasser al-Din strongly agreed with this, but still needed to win the support of local leaders, especially in the Arab region.

"Without further ado, let's rest for a while and then set off immediately."

The surrounding tribes provided a total of 1.2 troops, of whom 2000 had already gone to Mecca as the vanguard. However, obtaining Mecca from Riyadh would still take 28 days, and that was the fastest they could manage. Even if the Ottoman were slow to react, he would eventually learn of the situation in Mecca.

After ascending to the throne, Sultan Abdulaziz launched a sweeping reform campaign, establishing universities and enacting a legal code in domestic affairs. However, as the Tanzmet reforms gradually took shape, their structural deficiencies became increasingly apparent. While the Tanzmet reforms aimed to protect the rights and interests of the Sultan's people, they failed to find an organization capable of functioning as a responsible governmental body at the intermediate level, unlike the former Ulimah and various local authorities.

Although the Tanzmet reforms had a consultation mechanism and often made some ambitious long-term promises, their implementation relied entirely on the authority of the Sultan's decrees. Moreover, the Sultan's decrees were frequently hampered by irresponsible ministers.

Sultan Abdulaziz brought unchecked autocracy to its zenith. Unbound by any principles of freedom, he governed the country through a strong, centralized government and a tightly organized bureaucracy subservient to his powerful will, thus becoming an absolute monarch with absolute power.

In response to the shortcomings of his father and brother's reforms, Abdul decided to intensify his efforts. To deepen these reforms, he first needed to visit Europe, which meant conducting research.

Abdulaziz first made an official visit to Paris, and then went to London. This was the first time an Ottoman monarch had left his empire without an army. He met with Napoleon III in France and then dined with Queen Victoria in London.

However, the French emperor showed little interest in the Ottoman reforms, focusing instead on the affairs of the Egyptian governor, who was plotting to break away from the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, in England, the Sultan, unaccustomed to Western tableware, brought his own Turkish chef, but still felt uncomfortable with British etiquette.

He did indeed live well in Europe, spending up to £150 million. This was because borrowing money from Western bankers was too easy. European investors only saw the Ottoman Empire's abundant natural resources, failing to see that the Ottoman Empire lacked both the capacity to develop these resources and the expertise to manage its finances.

The Ottoman government borrowed at twice the interest rates earned on most British investments. Furthermore, the fact that the interest paid by the Turks came not from increased national revenue, but from new overseas loans and bond issuances, seemed to have little to worry investors. As a result, the Ottoman debt snowballed, and the interest payments became increasingly exorbitant.

However, none of this changed their determination to reform; they could simply borrow money to make up the shortfall. The conflict with Iran forced them to reflect deeply and decide to increase investment in railways, but their own coffers were empty, so they had to borrow from other countries.

The first railway line from Constantinople to Edirne is under construction and will extend to Skopje and Plovdiv upon completion. As for the Asian region, let's wait and see.

(End of this chapter)