Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 401 The Deal with Britain
Even British merchants were in a difficult situation within the Ottoman Empire, but they dared not speak out against it.

“The Ottomans usually don’t work on anything except when they have something to say about territory.”

It's a consensus that the Ottoman Empire has lost its voice in the political landscape of Europe and the world. The Sultan lacks both the resolve and the power to resolve anything. They simply need to patiently await the final outcome.

"Prime Minister, a telegram from Vienna."

Palmerston quickly grabbed it, and nearly fainted when he saw it. "The Dutch have reached an agreement with Iran."

"what?"

The Duke of Newcastle quickly grabbed the telegram, furious, and wanted to confront the Dutch in person to find out what they were doing.

"They sold Sumatra for just over two million pounds, and for such a low price. Are they desperate for money?"

They couldn't understand why Sumatra, a business they'd run for over a century, would be sold off for such a small sum. They might have faced difficulties, but surely it didn't warrant this?
"Perhaps the situation in the Far East has exceeded our expectations. Even if we send our navy to the Persian Gulf, will Iran tolerate it?"

Gladstone expressed his concerns, noting that Iran officially began reforms in 1846. The current Shah continued this push, accelerating it to the point of clashing with Iranian conservatives.

"We underestimated Iran. They accomplished what the Ottomans could not."

For the first time, Prime Minister Palmerston was at a loss regarding Iran. If he went to war, it would take years with both the navy and army involved; if he didn't, what would happen to Britain's reputation? What would the world think of him?

"It's ridiculous that we conquered India, defeated the Far East, and sent Napoleon to a deserted island to live out his days, yet we have no way to deal with this country."

"It's not that there's no way, but that our policy toward him has failed. Our foreign policy has remained unchanged for the past hundred years."

Prime Minister Palmerston immediately added, "Yes, yes, that's why we supported the Habsburgs during the War of the Spanish Succession, formed an alliance during Napoleon's time, and supported the Ottomans together with France during the Russian War against the Ottomans."

Now, we support Prussia against Austria and secretly support Poland against Russia. This is to prevent Europe from uniting, which would cost us a lot of room for maneuver. But how do we create an adversary for Iran?

This...is indeed a difficult problem. Iran's geographical location is too important, bordering Russia, India, and the Ottoman Empire. Supporting Russia risks them overextending themselves and breaching Iran's defenses; supporting the Ottoman Empire is less desirable than letting them suppress the Balkans; and if Iran takes the lead, it might not even know how it died. The tragedy of Afghanistan is still fresh in our minds.

“Prime Minister, the current conflict between our country and Iran is in Malaya, which is mainly for the protection of India. Iran borders India, and if we cannot appease Iran, then we will have no choice but to eliminate it.”

The Duke of Newcastle's estimate of the success rate was practically zero. If they could actually overthrow the Shah, it would be simple. But all the capable men had perished in that civil war, and the people were fanatically supporting the Shah because of the recent Hejaz conflict. According to a report by the British ambassador to Iran, he had never seen such a fervent populace, even more so than the Crusaders a thousand years ago.

"Prime Minister, the Iranian ambassador requests to see you."

The Iranian ambassador had discussed the matter with Lord Russell several times before, but all the discussions ended inconclusively. This time, Palmerston was prepared to come on his own, wanting to see what kind of nonsense the other party could come up with.

Palmerston personally went to the Downing Street reception room, where Ambassador Hoslaw had been waiting for some time.

“Your Excellency the Prime Minister!” “Ambassador, I don’t know what’s going on today, but given the current situation between our two countries, it’s best not to meet too frequently.”

Hoslough knew the Prime Minister was angry, but that was exactly what he was there to resolve.

“The Shah and the Grand Vizier understand your feelings. Please believe me, this situation was by no means the Shah’s intention.”

"Then I don't know what your country's true intentions are?"

Hoslaw replied to Prime Minister Palmerston: "Your Excellency, you are aware that our country's commercial interests in the Far East need to be protected, not to mention the trade with Japan and Ryukyu."

The local tribes of Malaya elected Prince Muhammad as Sultan, a popular choice. His Highness did not wish to become Sultan, but the people's enthusiasm forced him to reluctantly accept the position.

Palmerston sneered, "What a convenient excuse! As far as I know, your country has already occupied quite a bit of land in Southeast Asia. Do you intend to attack our country?"

"Please don't misunderstand, Shah didn't mean that. Our country also doesn't want to start a war, because that would attract the attention of St. Petersburg. You should know that our country and Russia are sworn enemies."

This reminded Palmerston that the Russian threat had always been present. After France abandoned its ambition to unify Europe, Russia inherited Napoleon's vision—or rather, the vision that began with Catherine the Great—to unify Europe, declaring a plan for six capitals: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, and Constantinople. Their ambitions were even greater than Napoleon's.

“I believe that after seeing this, the Prime Minister might change his mind about the Shah,” Khosrow said, handing over a copy of Iran’s diplomatic treaty.

“Oh?” Palmerston took the book and read it. Hosrow explained the situation. “The Shah believes that the vast Far East, especially Japan and Korea, has not yet emerged from barbarism. Your country has the ability to lead these two countries to civilization, while also resisting Russia.”

Palmerston looked at the Far East proposals offered by Iran, which included forcing North Korea to open its borders and ceding islands; granting Japan's northern islands "autonomy"; and eliminating destabilizing factors in the southwest.

"Isn't your country oversimplifying things with just this one treaty?"

The file was thrown on the table, and the sound was particularly loud in the quiet room.

"Think about it, Prime Minister. What will your country gain? Better ports, more secure bases, from the Cape of Good Hope to Calcutta, from Malacca to Nagasaki, and finally across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. All the world's seas will be yours. Isn't this what your country has always been pursuing?"

Palmerston looked at him meaningfully. “You’re right, Ambassador Hoslaw. But I think we should resolve the Malayan issue first.”

The other party nodded, "If your country is willing to recognize Prince Muhammad's status as the Sultan of Perak, Shah can guarantee that he will not continue to expand and will recognize Singapore and Johor as your country's permanent territories."

Palmerston thought for a moment, then asked again, "Can Her Majesty the Queen trust the Shah?"

“Shah can guarantee with his reputation that this is feasible and only requires one transaction.”

The Prime Minister walked into Hoslough and said, "Then, the two countries can reach an agreement smoothly."

(End of this chapter)