Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 381 Entering the Lord
A procession appeared outside Mecca, but the local citizens were not alarmed. They knew that the great and invincible Shah had arrived.

Naserdin's first pilgrimage was quite challenging. He had to traverse a vast desert, experiencing daytime highs and nighttime lows that he had never encountered before. It seemed he needed to explore this area further.

Finally, he saw Mecca, the city that all the Crescent Moon believers had longed for.

Nasser al-Din rode a pure white Arabian warhorse, the blazing sun gilding his silhouette. The walls of Mecca trembled slightly in the heat, and the outline of the minaret gradually came into focus.

“Your Majesty, we welcome your arrival.” Sadiq rode forward and bowed to Naserdin.

The Shah nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowds on both sides of the road. Among them were merchants, farmers, Bedouin nomads, and even a few retired soldiers in old Ottoman uniforms—all with their heads bowed, but their eyes held no fear, only curiosity and awe.

The gates of Mecca slowly opened. There was no war, no resistance, only the long chanting of prayers echoing in the air.

Nasser al-Din gently spurred his horse, and the pure white Arabian warhorse trotted gracefully through the city gate. The crisp sound of horseshoes striking the stone slabs was particularly clear in the quiet street.

“Allahu Akbar!”

The soldiers standing at the entrance to the Grand Mosque were no longer Ottoman Red Hat soldiers, but soldiers dressed in Persian guard uniforms, with verses from the Shahnameh inscribed on the scabbards of their scimitars.

At noon, the Shah ascended the pulpit on Mount Safa. Behind him, the gilded amplification device, recently installed by twelve Persian craftsmen, gleamed in the sunlight.

The elders of Mecca presented three sacred objects symbolizing dominion: the golden key of the Kaaba, an ancient sword from the time of the Prophet, and the land register of the Hejaz region. But the Shah did not touch any of them; instead, he removed his own dagger and handed it to the Imam—a gesture that caused a stir. The scabbard was engraved with Quranic verses in diamond powder: "Obey Allah, and the Messenger, and the Ruler," and the inlay of the words "Ruler" was noticeably newer than the others.

While the official ceremony was underway, a more authentic transfer of power was unfolding in the Mecca bazaar: Iranian merchants were buying up old Ottoman coins with pure silver dinars, and former Ottoman tax collectors were lining up to receive loyalty allowances from Iran.

That night, the Shah summoned a special guest to his temporary palace—Ali ibn Hussein, the last direct descendant of the Hashim family. When the pale-faced young man was brought in, he had a jade-inlaid dagger that the Shah had just given him.

“The bloodline of the Prophet should continue.” The Shah pushed a cup of Persian rose tea toward him. “I plan to build a Prophet’s Mosque in Tehran that is even more magnificent than the one in Medina, and it will be run by your family for generations.”

The young man's trembling fingers knocked over the teacup. He knew that if he wanted to save his family, he had to agree to the Shah's demands.

"Thank you for your kindness, Shah. The family will always support you."

When news of the Hashim family's submission spread throughout the Hejaz, goldsmiths in Mecca worked through the night to create new coin molds—the reverse of the silver coin featured the Persian lion and sun emblem for the first time, while the obverse Kaaba was surrounded by small Persian inscriptions reading "Naser al-Din Shah, Protector of the Two Holy Lands."

The Hashim family's submission meant that all families in the Hejaz region submitted to Iran. Nasser al-Din declared that Hejaz would be divided into three provinces: North Hejaz, Mecca, and South Hejaz. Simultaneously, the Zayd faction in southern Yemen also surrendered to Iran, and the Shah signed a decree allowing local tribes to maintain autonomy. These tribes could retain their armed forces, but were required to purchase Persian weaponry. Everything continued to function, but further changes were unfolding. For example, the Shah planned to invest in a Baghdad-Mecca railway, which would attract more pilgrims to Mecca, thus increasing local income.

Furthermore, the Hejaz region is located in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, with its terrain dominated by the Hejaz Mountains. The climate is hot and dry with little rainfall. This geographical environment limited agricultural development but also promoted trade, as the Hejaz region served as a vital passage connecting the inland and highland areas. Therefore, focusing on trade and pilgrimage to develop the economy was the right approach.

Nasser al-Din issued more than twenty orders, including increasing pilgrimage routes, promoting land buyout policies, and encouraging local residents to travel to Tehran and other places. Generally speaking, these policies are not wrong, but the extent to which they can be implemented remains to be seen.

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The news of the Ottoman and Iranian occupation of Mecca had shaken the entire country. Some devout Sunni Muslims called for a holy war to reclaim the holy city from heretics. However, many more remained hesitant, unsure of their ability to defeat Iran, especially the people in the border regions, many of whom had relatives working in Iran. They would be the first to suffer if war broke out, and therefore strongly opposed it.

"We must fight, head to the border, and give the Iranians a good thrashing."

Kemal rolled his eyes at the scene in the café. That's a good point, but the question is, who will come? As far as he knew, the Ottoman army was completely unprepared. Meanwhile, the Iranian army was already sharpening its swords; if another war broke out, they would likely both suffer heavy losses.

Furthermore, the Ottoman Empire's reaction time was terrible. The Shah only began preparing a counterattack after entering Mecca; the Ottomans were likely already well-prepared. Even Russia, the common enemy of both Iran and the Ottoman Empire, was preoccupied with suppressing uprisings in Poland and unable to act. The Shah's timing was impeccable; Kemal silently gave Nasser al-Din another thumbs-up.

"What are you thinking about?" Hina asked.

"It's nothing. You said Iran chose a good time. Britain and France were busy in the Americas, Russia was busy in Poland, and Sudan was traveling. It was just the right time to take over Mecca."

Honestly, if we were in Iran, we would likely have much greater opportunities for advancement.

Although these words were somewhat inappropriate, Sinas nodded. They now needed to face reality: Iran had surpassed the Ottoman Empire to become the leading power in West Asia. What to do next became their next thought.

“I don’t know what to do next, because no matter what we do, it seems like a dead end. The Sultan doesn’t seem determined to stick to his principles. Although he has made some changes, they are only in the law and the university. Nothing else has changed.”

Kemal knew what Sinas was talking about; Tanzimat's pronouncements were grand, but their actual effect was minimal. The Ottoman Empire's chances of salvation were less than 50%. Even with a different Sultan, it would only hold out for a while, unless…

Kemal dared not think about it anymore; if he did, he feared he would actually have to take action.

(End of this chapter)