Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 406 Meeting
The new religious council was chaired by the Grand Vizier, with Shia members seated on the left and others on the right. The Shah sat in the middle, with Murad following behind.

“Shah, this is the list of recommendations from the Saigon priests. Please take a look.”

The Zoroastrian high priest requested the Shah's approval for the personnel appointments, and the selected individuals were all carefully chosen and loyal to the Shah.

"Is everything alright in Saigon?"

"Even without the Shah, the local population has been actively converting to Christianity, with the number exceeding 10. In addition, many local nobles and officials have also converted."

It must be said that the Far East is more accepting of Zoroastrianism than Shia Islam. And most importantly, they followed advice and sent flour and eggs to every family that converted, resulting in a surge in conversions. The East is truly a magical place.

Nasser al-Din approved the appointment, saying, "Regardless of religion, one must be loyal to the country. If one betrays the country, one should think about the consequences."

Everyone, especially the religious minorities, felt a chill. They must have envied the Ottoman religious leaders who could achieve autonomy simply by paying money, but unfortunately, they were in Iran. And their own situation was already much better; at least they could speak face-to-face with the Shah.

"Iran has enjoyed social stability over the years, thanks to everyone's hard work. Although there has been bloodshed in the past, I hope that everyone can unite now to address the country's problems together."

Ostensibly, they talk about unity, but in reality, they just want them to stay and not betray Shah. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.

The country's development over the years has made them realize that they can no longer live as they used to. A large group of so-called new intellectuals advocated that religion should be subordinate to the government, with some radicals even calling for a complete separation of church and state. Had they not compromised and joined the religious council, they would likely have faced even greater pressure.

The leaders all declared their eternal loyalty to the Shah, and even the Shiites had disarmed. Even if they wanted to cause trouble, how could they possibly contend with the Shah who defeated the Ottoman Empire, reclaimed Najaf and Mecca, and was revered as a savior by the people? They simply didn't have the power.

Everyone obediently followed the Shah's orders, managing their own affairs while remaining vigilant against foreign infiltration, knowing that the last person to secretly collude with foreign powers had already been hanged at the gates of Tehran.

The religious conference was uneventful and ended quickly. After all, it was only part of domestic affairs; the main issues were international relations and industrial development.

"Alexander II has gone to Vilnius, and the Polish uprising looks like it is about to be quelled."

Amir offered his speculation: although the rebels are currently very powerful, they have not received assistance from any country and are internally divided. It is already difficult for them to hold out for half a year. Now that the Russian army is launching a major offensive, they will probably be wiped out soon.

"It's really tough on them. Russia won't fall for that again after suffering a loss in Crimea. They will definitely resolve the situation with Poland. We can't, and can't, interfere."

Even without the Shah's intervention, Iran is unlikely to intervene. Relations with Russia are currently strained, and Iran won't risk helping Poland. Moreover, even if successful, it would only gain an ally whose demise is uncertain—not a worthwhile investment.

"Forget about them. We've invested enough in them. How long they can hold out depends on how long their God will let them." They'd already done everything they could; whether Poland could survive was up to fate, however slim it seemed.

Back in the cabinet meeting room, the new cabinet is discussing next year's national development plans, including industrial zones, ports, and railways in Hejaz, as well as ports and administrative offices in Sumatra.

Musharraf handed over the report, “Shah, according to our calculations, we will need to invest 1200 million riyals next year in Sumatra, Cinican and East Africa, and another 300 million riyals in the Hejaz for railway construction.”

Musharraf proposed that fiscal investment should account for one-eighth of the country's income, because Qinistan planned to build a railway to Hue, Hanoi and Vientiane in the north. The arduous journey would require a large amount of money and manpower, but it would also have a significant impact on economic development.

Besides railways, there are also highways and ports, the establishment of plantations, and the formation of administrative organs—all of which require money. This year, Qinistan's revenue is approximately 800 million riyals, while its expenditures are 680 million riyals. This is only possible through extreme exploitation; otherwise, even this surplus would be impossible.

"Last year we just occupied the entire territory of Vietnam, but there are still many people in the north who have formed an army. They are calling for the king's support and intend to rescue the Vietnamese king. This has now spread to the northern region."

This is Governor Mustafa's report; please review it, Shah.

Naser al-Din observed that the new governor had begun focusing on making money from the outset, including controlling rice exports, raising the poll tax, and imposing monopolies on products such as salt and sugar. Most importantly, he aimed to control the three smaller courts of Vientiane, Phnom Penh, and Hue. The first two had already submitted, but Hue remained defiant, necessitating the dispatch of troops to bring it under control.

However, even after the treaty was signed, many people remained hostile towards Iran, and in their attempt to expel Iran, they launched a movement to support the monarchy. The leading figure was Zunshi, from a collateral branch of the family, who was now the military advisor for Shanxi Province and had gradually accumulated capital through suppressing bandits.

Their guerrilla warfare caused considerable trouble for the Iranian army, and some intellectuals, farmers, and merchants joined in. Buddhists, disgusted by Zoroastrian expansion, also strongly supported them. Apart from the relatively stable south, there was some unrest in the central and northern regions.

"It seems we'll have to send more troops to suppress them. We also need to divide them and see if we can win some over to work for us."

"The governor is already working on this, but many ministers are not willing to cooperate with us. However, Vientiane and Phnom Penh are very cooperative."

Nasser al-Din would naturally reward these two countries, given their obedience. However, the problem with Vietnam still needs to be resolved, otherwise the investment there will be wasted.

“Shah, I believe that we can appoint those Vientiane people and Cambodians to low-ranking official positions. They are very familiar with the local area, and they hate Vietnam to the core. Once they gain power, they will definitely be loyal to our country and do their best to promote our policies. This way, we can save a lot of money and manpower.”

Amir's suggestion was acceptable, and Nasser al-Din nodded, urging the government to act quickly. Cinnican was currently its most important colony; its large population was crucial for the local raw material production and market formation, and Iran needed them, so they couldn't afford to give others a chance.

(End of this chapter)