Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 445 Synergistic Reaction
The Khalazar uprising was like a spark that ignited rebellions across Afghanistan. Uprisings broke out in Kandahar and other areas, and even Kabul experienced riots. It seemed as if the various tribes had agreed to rise up together.

Iran has sent three letters to Kabul demanding equal status for the Shia people. Iran has stated its willingness to help quell the uprising if this is granted.

But the other side refused. Sunni Islam was the foundation of their state, and they certainly couldn't afford to offend the clergy. However, they proposed an alternative: the rebels would be based in a 1000-kilometer radius around Farah. They would only need to contribute some economic benefits.

However, Iran and the insurgents rejected these conditions. What they wanted was for Shiites and Sunnis to be on equal footing, and then, with Iran's help, to gradually push the Sunnis out of the country.

However, Afghanistan also realized Iran's intentions and firmly rejected this condition. Seeing that this sole condition had been rejected, Iran has mobilized some of its troops in Herat.

Shahbaz received information about the insurgents in Herat on several occasions. Since the start of the uprising, Iran has provided weapons worth 240 million rials, and 4800 trained Khalazars have entered Afghanistan to fight for the insurgents.

“Governor, it is Shah’s order.”

Shahbaz received the telegram: Nasser al-Din had decided to change the strategy for Afghanistan, shifting from religious equality to the subjugation of vassal states. This dynasty was somewhat corrupt; it would be best to let Iran renovate it.

"It seems the British do not agree to our peace talks."

Britain has consistently stated its desire for a peaceful resolution, but to no avail. India, on the other hand, has taken some action, with some troops departing from Calcutta for Punjab, but the movement is too slow; arriving in a month and a half would be considered a stroke of luck.

"How many tribes can we win over?" Shabaz asked his deputy.

"There should be more than thirty of them. There are also a few who originally supported the king but later contacted us. We should be able to win them over. Now that the rebels are so powerful, they don't listen to the king much anymore."

Afghanistan is less a country and more a tribal confederation. The king is the leader of the confederation. Now that the leader's power has declined, other tribes have begun to harbor their own ambitions and are carving out their own territories.

Moreover, compared to Britain, Iran, which shares the same religion, appears to be more tolerant. Although they belong to different sects, Iran has put considerable effort into winning them over. All tribal leaders can retain their property and even receive titles.

As for religion, Shia and Sunni are not just empty words. Only money is real. Afghanistan is mountainous, and to avoid following in Britain's footsteps, it will require a great deal of effort to assimilate its population.

On March 16, the British government sent a message to the Iranian government, proposing that the two countries find a solution to the Afghan crisis. The Iranian government responded by detailing its repeated discussions with Afghanistan on the peace process, which had been repeatedly rejected. It argued that Afghanistan's current predicament is of its own making.

Russell, while abhorring the atrocities committed in Afghanistan, also felt compelled to protect Iran; Britain had already suffered a setback once and couldn't afford to repeat it. He spoke at length with the Russian ambassador, discussing the possibility of pressuring Iran. However, before they could reach a conclusion, Italy intervened. The Italian Prime Minister criticized Iran's actions that undermined peace in Afghanistan and even announced plans to form an army to quell the unrest.

No one took his words seriously. Italy was only saying this in retaliation for Iran's support of Austria's war against them and the capture of Milan. Austria's unprecedented purge of Italians had forced millions to flee their homes. Therefore, Italy's claim was not without merit.

Of course, Italy had other motives; its actions were meant to send a message to Britain. Lagging behind the major European powers in both economic and military strength, Italy set its sights on Iran, hoping to seize several Iranian colonial strongholds while Britain prepared to attack Iran. Not only Italy coveted the colonies in East Africa, but Britain and France were also eager to acquire them. The output of Iran and East Africa even surpassed that of South Africa.

In addition to crops and food, Iran has built 1860 kilometers of railways and 3400 kilometers of highways, as well as over 2000 kilometers of telegraph lines in the region. These have facilitated transportation and connectivity in the interior.

With the development of agriculture, manufacturing began to take root locally. Textile mills, furniture factories, tool workshops, and other businesses were established in the port city, filling some of the local market. The locals were able to have more arable land and a better life, while people from other colonies had to look for other opportunities, either fighting with barbarians or emigrating elsewhere.

Italy wanted to seize Iran's colonies in East Africa, but of course, it couldn't do it alone. Therefore, it wanted to bring Britain into the fold. It only needed a few scraps; the rest could be taken by the British.

Britain had finally found a scapegoat, so how could they let it go? They agreed to Italy's request. After all, if they won, they'd give it to them; if they lost, they wouldn't be angry with them. That was fine.

Britain and Italy had a verbal agreement: if Italy sent troops, Britain would bear 30% of the financial burden and some of the weapons. If successful, Italy would receive 20% of Iran's East African colonies, with the remainder going to Britain.

Having found a sucker, finding others isn't easy. Belgium could be considered, but only marginally, because the current King Leopold I of Belgium disagrees, though his heir, Prince Leopold, is very interested. The old king is terminally ill and doesn't seem to have much longer to live. Perhaps the prince will agree once he ascends the throne.

In contrast to Italy and Belgium, which cheered for the British, France, Prussia, and Austria reacted differently. All three countries claimed that they were preoccupied with domestic affairs and that their governments lacked the energy and financial resources to support a large-scale expedition. They also expressed deep sympathy for the plight of Argentine President Pablo.

Of course, there was also something that troubled Lord Russell. The US government suddenly announced that it would help the Argentine government to avoid an Iranian attack.

The US president at this time had changed to Ulysses S. Grant, who had made great contributions in the previous war. He was obsessed with national unity, and in the 1864 election, he campaigned on the slogan of unity, not division, and was elected with an overwhelming majority.

After being sworn in, President Grant began to implement his plan. His aim was not only to reunite the United States but also to revitalize its status, with the Monroe Doctrine being an indispensable part of this.

Then, his plan was thwarted by Congress. The House of Representatives, controlled by the opposition party, opposed the president's proposal, declaring that domestic affairs should be the focus now and hoping the president would understand. The plan for American entry into the war was thus shelved.

(End of this chapter)