Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 449 The Development of the Island

Mirza Shah Abbas lived in the stone palace in Aceh. This Mughal prince, who had been exiled to Burma with his father, Bahadur Shah, finally left Yangon with the help of the Iranian royal family.

His father, Bahadur Shah, had died three years earlier, and when the Iranian royal family helped him escape, he never imagined he would one day leave Yangon. Although he was still far from home, he was quite happy to be free from British control.

As for the British thoughts, he neither knew nor wanted to know. Moreover, he had some former officials of the Mughal Empire around him; their assets had been confiscated by the British, and they naturally resented them. With Iran's protection, they still had a chance to restore their kingdom.

The Iranian royal family was probably one of the most active noble groups. Compared to the inactivity of the Egyptians and the wariness of the Ottomans, the Iranian royal family showed higher loyalty. Those who weren't loyal had already been sent away during the civil war or under surveillance.

In the past, these nobles might have had some influence and could contend for territory. But things are different now. Even Ulima has been subdued, so what trouble can these people cause?

Furthermore, the Shahs weren't too ruthless in their actions, and they enjoyed considerable economic advantages. As long as things didn't go too far, they were willing to do whatever they wanted. This is also why the royal family acquired vast tracts of land in East Africa.

Besides the estate, they also invested in workshops for processing raw materials. They also bought stocks on the stock exchange to make a profit, though they didn't do this themselves but delegated it to others.

Mirza lived in the palace, with little hope of restoring his kingdom. The British had made India virtually impenetrable, and Iran wouldn't take advantage of this situation to reinstate him as emperor.

Moreover, he himself will no longer be emperor. He is now merely an excuse for Iran to intervene in India; all Iran wants is his claim to India, and they can change it at any time if they are not satisfied.

At the southern tip of Sumatra, the old port city has been transformed. Numerous construction sites are now operational, and once completed, they will be transformed into shops, restaurants, hotels, and other buildings.

Sadiq made Sumatra profitable in its first year, earning him praise from the government. But this was only the first step; through his personal connections, he secured substantial investment. The plan for the island's ring railway has also been submitted and is awaiting government approval.

The largest private investment is in two textile factories owned by the Hodney Company in the area, and a restaurant is also under construction. The Old Port has enormous potential and will certainly attract a large number of businesspeople and tourists, leading to the development of the service industry.

"We are building a guesthouse here, a place with beautiful city views. There will also be shuttle buses."

Sadiq looked at the city plan and listened to the designer. If he could build this city like Paris, he could at least get a government position. Or perhaps the Shah would grant him a title. Whether he continued as an official or went into business, he had many avenues to explore.

"By the way, do you have any thoughts on what I mentioned before?"

The designer produced the blueprints and said, “Based on your requirements, we will erect a statue of the Shah in the city center. It will be 12 meters tall and carved from marble.”

Sumatra is too far from mainland Iran, so in order to quickly bring Sumatra under the rule of the Shah, Sadiq decided to build a statue of Nasser al-Din. In this way, the local people would see the statue of the Shah, and their admiration for the Shah would gradually accumulate, eventually turning them into his most loyal subjects.

“This project is quite expensive. Are you sure you can afford it?” Suleiman asked from the side.

"Of course, we have plenty of money in the coffers right now. We can afford this expenditure. And we will also be erecting statues in Aceh and other cities later."

Furthermore, Sadiq plans to open a university in Old Port, with a bust of the Shah erected at its entrance. This, he believes, will increase public support for Iran in Sumatra. "If the Shah knew about this, wouldn't he…?"

Suleiman felt the Shah wouldn't support such a project, as he was very strict about suppressing his own cult of personality. The victories against Russia and Austria, and the acquisition of the two holy cities, had propelled the Shah's prestige to its zenith. At the time, some proposed erecting statues of the Shah throughout the country, but the Shah personally replied, praising the man's loyalty but politely declining the request. Ultimately, only one statue each was erected in Tehran and Baghdad.

"There's no other way. It's too far from Tehran. It's surrounded by Britain and the Netherlands. If we can't quickly build up the loyalty of the local citizens to the Shah, it will be troublesome if internal problems arise in the event of war."

There was no other way; Sumatra's geographical location dictated this. They needed to quickly cultivate loyalty to Iran to prevent a pincer attack from Britain and the Netherlands. Establishing a wonder was the fastest way to do so.

Sadiq plans to build a grand mosque in the Old Port, one that will surpass all other mosques in the area. In addition, a series of other buildings await his approval.

Seeing his friend's ambitious plans, what could Suleiman say? He had nothing to say.

"By the way, when do you think the parliament will start?"

"Oh, didn't we already have that?"

Suleiman nearly rolled his eyes. The expert panel, though now comprised of 101 members, wasn't a true parliament. He was referring to the British-style parliament. Had Sadiq been assimilated by the bureaucracy?
“In the past few years, the Liberal Party has frequently mobilized citizens to petition for the immediate convening of Parliament. Shah has suppressed it all. It is estimated that we will have to wait for several more years.”

If he were the Shah, he would also delay. Once parliament is in session, all policies must be discussed with members of parliament; delays will affect policy implementation.

"No, there's another plan."

Upon hearing Suleiman's words, Sadiq inquired, "What have you heard?"

The other party said, "They are preparing to mobilize all their resources to hold marches and rallies throughout the country. I heard that there will be a march of 10 people in Tabriz. There will be millions of people taking to the streets across the country, just like in Europe."

This news surprised Sadiq. If it really happened, the impact on the country would be unpredictable, because it was simply too significant.

The events of 1848 seem like yesterday; a direct confrontation would not end well for either side. The only hope is that the Shah can resolve the issue peacefully.

"It's too early to say anything now. We should follow the Shah's orders."

As bureaucrats, they were obligated to be loyal to the Shah. However, they weren't rigidly conservative; they naturally needed to learn about the rapidly changing world. As for the parliament, Sadiq couldn't say much; he had to listen to what the Shah had to say.

(End of this chapter)