Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 405

One ship after another from Trabison and Sukhumi sailed toward Constantinople and Constanta, carrying with them what all the nations now desired—kerosene.

People across Europe began to realize the advantages of kerosene lamps over candles. While candles were still used by the nobility and the church, a wave of kerosene lamp adoption swept through cities. Since kerosene lamps require kerosene as fuel, Iran naturally became a major kerosene exporter.

Baku's crude oil, after being refined into kerosene, is exported to all parts of the world via railway. The strong export demand has also attracted a large workforce, and Baku has continued to expand, now a metropolis with a population of 17.

Baku's mornings are awakened by the roar of steam engines. Towering chimneys of oil refineries belch black smoke, turning the Caspian Sea sky leaden gray. Workers push carts loaded with kerosene barrels back and forth between the docks and trains.

The Iranian Oil Company has become the most profitable state-owned enterprise, with its profits and exports making it a mainstay of Iran's economy. The Shah and the government inquire about the company's situation monthly, demonstrating the importance they place on it.

"The UK has cancelled a lot of orders, so growth this year is expected to be smaller."

The company's general manager, Ashtiani, explained the situation to the chairman, Ansari. He said that the crisis had reduced their exports to Britain, but their profits remained largely unchanged because Britain had switched to ordering large quantities of kerosene from Westminster Company. It was simply a matter of money changing hands, and the money was still in their hands.

"If it weren't for controlling U.S. oil production, we would have suffered significant losses. According to a telegram from the U.S., the Ohio governor they supported won the election. The company is safe for now."

It's not that they're overly worried, because foreign companies are usually suppressed by the government. To establish themselves smoothly, they have to spend huge sums of money bribing the government—and their behavior is just... appalling. Calling it the greatest republic is a joke; it's just a case of kings rotating for eight years at a time.

"All we need to do is win over those politicians; we can use money to make them listen. The so-called elections are just a means for them to pursue; it's just a formality."

The two smiled. At this point, America was no longer the behemoth it once was, and they, the chosen ones, had finally returned to their own path.

"Our mission is to safeguard the company and protect the Shah's money. The world is watching us now, and the demand for oil is increasing every day. We must maintain our position in the industry."

According to Nasser al-Din, Britain held an advantage in coal, while Iran monopolized oil. At that time, understanding of oil was limited, giving Iran a head start. Currently, Iran controls Baku, the largest oil field in Eurasia, and the oil-producing regions of the Persian Gulf are also Iranian territory. No one can shake Iran's oil dominance; although large-scale development is not yet underway, the future trend is undoubtedly oil.

The company's main business is kerosene, along with lubricants and other products. Last year, its annual turnover reached 1.9 million riyals, a growth rate unparalleled globally. This is thanks to the political turmoil in the United States; otherwise, they wouldn't have had this opportunity. ——————————

The uprising in Poland was losing momentum, and Tsar Alexander II personally went to the front lines, which greatly boosted the morale of the local Russian troops. They then worked even harder to suppress the rebels and subsequently captured Vilnius in one fell swoop.

The smoke of battle had not yet cleared on the outskirts of Vilnius when Tsar Alexander II rode a pure white Don horse slowly through the streets ravaged by artillery fire. His boots crunched over the tattered Polish flag, and behind him stood the orderly ranks of the Imperial Guard, their bayonets still bearing traces of dried blood.

“The Poles must understand,” the Tsar’s voice was cold and authoritative, “that the price of resisting the Empire is destruction.”

Cossack cavalry were searching house to house for insurgents, and corpses on the gallows swayed in the cold wind. The entire region was plunged into a harsh winter of reckoning.

Most European countries sympathized with the Polish uprising and criticized Tsarist Russia's bloody methods of suppressing nationalism. Major powers sympathizing with Poland, represented by Britain, France, and Austria, sent three notes to Russia demanding that Tsarist Russia respect the autonomy of the Polish parliamentary kingdom and abandon its repressive methods of "bloody retaliation."

Other countries, such as Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Ottoman Empire, also joined this appeal. Only Prussia, under Bismarck, supported Russia.

Iran also joined the condemnation of Russia, with the Georgian and Armenian Orthodox churches condemning the Russian Orthodox Church as an accomplice and demanding that the Church of Constantinople also condemn Russia. The Shia Ayatollahs also declared Russia an enemy of Iran and that they must be involved in the war against the Russian Tsar until the latter is completely destroyed.

These religious leaders are now all under the Shah's pressure, including Shiites, Zoroastrians, Orthodox Christians, Armenians, Jews, and even Catholics. All these sects, large and small, must obey the Iranian government's orders or be declared illegal.

Unlike the millet system of the Ottoman Empire, Iran's religious system is more deeply entrenched. For example, the appointment of Zoroastrian priests, Armenian patriarchs, and Orthodox patriarchs all require the approval of a religious council headed by the Shah. This system was modeled after Russia's, and in addition to the Shah, the Grand Vizier, and their successors automatically becoming members, there are 17 members: 7 Shiites, 2 Armenians, 2 Zoroastrians, 2 Orthodox Christians, and 1 Catholic and 1 Jewish.

Unlike the Shia clerics' council, this religious council discusses religious affairs within Iran, with a more specific objective. Promotions in various religious positions require the council's approval. Even Jewish individuals require approval, demonstrating the council's influence.

(End of this chapter)