Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 410 The End of 1863
The Malayan crisis was arguably the biggest news of the year, with many believing that Britain was about to launch another war against the East. However, it ended with the Vienna Agreement, which surprised many.

However, the situation in the Far East was completely changed after the agreement. Iran continued to expand, Britain joined forcefully, and the Netherlands tenaciously maintained its existing power base. Other countries had no chance to intervene.

This crisis transformed the Far East, but the great powers' attention remained focused on Europe. Russia's suppression of the Polish uprising, the struggle for leadership between Austria and Prussia, and the division and unification of Italy became the three most pressing issues in Europe.

The Polish uprising was already in decline, with no major power supporting it and destined to fail. Their control was limited to the small territory of the Congress of Poland. Russia sent nearly 400,000 troops to crush these rebels.

As for the situation between Austria and Prussia, that's an old problem. But it must be considered in conjunction with the Italian peninsula; they are all interconnected.

The Italian peninsula is currently divided into four parts: the Kingdom of Italy, with its capital in Florence, controls the north; the Kingdom of Sicily, with its capital in Naples, controls the south; the Papal States, with its capital in Rome, are in the middle; and Austria also controls the Venetian region.

After Garibaldi's two defeats in wars, King Emmanuel was forced to abandon his plan to unify the country and instead proposed to Naples the partition of the Papal States, but this was rejected. The Habsburgs, who considered themselves the protectors of Catholicism, believed they would never do such a thing; the lessons of the Roman Sack were still fresh in their minds, and they would absolutely not do it.

The current Pope Pius IX is considered a free pope, but he was overthrown in the 1848 revolutions. After his opponents established the Roman Republic, they needed the help of France and Austria to return to Rome. After this, the Pope changed his tune and began to oppose the forces for Italian unification.

Many remained enthusiastic about occupying Rome, as it was the historic capital of the Apennine Peninsula. However, France had 4000 troops stationed in Rome at the time, leaving Italy feeling helpless. Meanwhile, Pius IX seized the opportunity to court Sicily and Austria, attempting to form an anti-Italian alliance. Prussia, on the other hand, approached Italy, offering Venice and the Roman region in exchange for a future war against Austria, and the two sides signed a secret pact.

These issues could ignite another war in Europe over the next decade, but Iran will not be involved. The Shah is only concerned with whether their investments in Europe will be affected. They have invested so much in Austria; they cannot afford to lose it.

Iran's latest fiscal report has also been released, showing 9463 million rials, a significant increase from last year. The largest portion of this came from revenue remitted by oil companies, amounting to 5021 million rials. Thanks to Iran's relentless propaganda efforts, kerosene sales are steadily rising, thus benefiting government finances.

The suddenly affluent Iranian government did not squander the money; the oil revenue was used for railways, telegraphs, industry, education, and the military. Military spending alone accounted for one-fifth to one-quarter of the annual budget, and Iran's standing army successfully increased to 22, while a reserve system capable of mobilizing 60 people in a short period was established.

The quality of Iranian weapons is also constantly improving. The Prussian Dreseer needle-fire rifle, a copy produced by the military factory, is currently the most advanced firearm, with a rate of fire of 6-8 rounds per minute, far exceeding the current mainstream rate of fire of 2-3 rounds per minute for muzzle-loading rifles. It uses paper-cased cartridges and a firing pin, and its 600-meter range can effectively engage the enemy.

In terms of artillery, Iran collaborated with Prussia's Krupp factory to develop a steel breech-loading cannon. Utilizing a steel barrel, rifling, and breech-loading mechanism, its range and accuracy far surpass those of bronze muzzle-loading cannons. These weapons have been widely deployed in the Iranian army, significantly enhancing its combat capabilities. The upgrading and expansion of the military's weaponry has spurred the development of the military industry and other sectors, including steel, mining, textiles, and transportation. The government has also provided policies to protect private industry. While the exact industrial output value is not precisely calculated, many economists estimate that Iran's industry has surpassed that of Russia, Austria, and Belgium, ranking fifth in the world, after Britain, France, the United States, and Prussia.

I don't know if this statement is accurate, but judging from the development momentum, it certainly seems promising. Its development momentum surpasses that of many countries, and it might even surpass Prussia.

While the income looks encouraging, the expenditures this year are even more alarming. Reaching 1.1 million riyals, this is also a record high. Of this, 5600 million were for war mobilization and the suppression of the Vietnam War; these are considered temporary expenditures and are expected to decrease significantly next year.

Although Iranian industry has recovered, agricultural products still account for a large portion of Iran's export earnings. So, which agricultural product contributes the most to this?
It's wine—many might not expect it, but wine exports are actually the mainstay of Iran's foreign exchange earnings from agricultural products. Its export volume increased from 15 tons in 1858 to 83 tons. However, although wine exports have increased significantly, it's primarily a volume-driven market, with products mainly concentrated in the low-to-mid-range segment, and fewer high-end brands. Nevertheless, the value of wine exports is higher than that of other agricultural exports.

Of course, besides wine, another major export product of Iranian agriculture is citrus.

That's right, it's citrus fruits. Iran exports various varieties of citrus fruits, thanks to its climate, which allows it to produce large quantities for export. Other important agricultural exports include pistachios, dates, melons, and pomegranates.

Iran's exports reached 3.6 million rials this year, a 7.1% increase over last year. Imports, on the other hand, reached 2.8 million rials, a 10.2% increase.

The growth in imports and exports naturally led to an increase in customs revenue, which reached 1890 million riyals this year, making it the government's second-largest tax revenue.

Iranian merchants have been importing large quantities of goods from the Far East and reselling them to Europe at inflated prices. This has prompted protests from some European merchants, particularly the British, who have a history of exploiting others. But what good are Iranian protests? Let the Far East designate its buyers.

Iran's success is undoubtedly due to the excellent credit of Iranian merchants in the Far East, making them more willing to sell goods to locals. This is because Iranian merchants never default on payments, never try to drive down prices, and never make unreasonable demands. Compared to the British, they are practically benevolent officials. Furthermore, many Chinese have joined their ranks as compradors, and from Guangzhou to Shanghai and then to Nagasaki, Iranian merchants have built a vast and deep network in the Far East, a network that even the British had to admire.

And so Iran spent 1863 in the joy of the signing of the agreement.

(End of this chapter)