Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 454 Conversation
The atmosphere in St. Petersburg had been gloomy for the past few days, and Alexander II's face was naturally grim as well. He never expected Iran to react this way.

Although they sent a wave of spies to Iran, it was only to have them gather intelligence; after all, they were the ones who did such a big thing.

"His Majesty……"

"roll!"

The Tsar was already in a state of agitation. In April, his eldest son, Crown Prince Nicholas, died of tuberculosis, and now this had happened.

"Your Majesty, Iran has recalled its ambassador. We must now prepare accordingly."

"What preparations are we making? Are they going to wage war against us?!"

The Foreign Minister nodded with difficulty. "I'm afraid that's the case."

To guard against Iran, Russia has deployed 240,000 troops along its southern border and nearly 60,000 in Transoxiana. This is a significant reduction from previous numbers, partly due to financial constraints. Russia needs funds everywhere, and coupled with its need to suppress Poland, the number of border troops has decreased.

"Instruct the troops on the border to pay attention to Iran's movements. If they take any action, retaliate immediately without hesitation."

If he were the Shah of Iran, his first reaction would undoubtedly be to make this matter as big as possible. Having finally gained the power to sanction an enemy, he would certainly want to stir up public opinion first. However, he is now the Tsar of Russia, and he would definitely want the domestic media to not report on this matter, implementing direct news censorship. He would only say that Iran intends to attack Russia, without explaining the reasons.

Ah, since the reasons have been stated, let's just call it fake news. We'll say Iran fabricated the story, and as long as we stubbornly deny it, what can they do to us?

Nasser al-Din was using the wave of protests to push for a new round of changes; he had previously considered press control. But this was Iran, not Europe. If they raided newspaper offices today, they could be printing newspapers in mosques tomorrow.

The separation of religion and state has only been in place for a few years. If you dare to arrest someone at a mosque, they'll immediately accuse you of disrespect. And then, what Nasserdin least wants to see is the resurgence of religious forces.

Although the Shia Muslims were forced to obey the Shah's arrangements under his continued suppression, this system was only effective while he was in power. Once he died, they would try every means to regain power. He could not guarantee that his descendants would all be divine rulers; the backlash from religion is astonishing—either you control him, or he controls you. Especially in West Asia, no monarch could do without a religious title, otherwise they would have no support.

Moreover, in its years of external expansion, religion and culture have always been the two pillars of control. It uses Shia Islam for expansion, Persian culture for assimilation, and the grand narrative of empire to suppress nationalism. Only by making the greatest effort to weaken nationalistic sentiment can Iran maintain its long-term dominance.

Naser al-Din traveled to Tabriz to attend Khaf's funeral and to commemorate the civilians and soldiers who died in the incident.

This was an unexpected turn of events. As the monarch of a nation, the Shah personally traveled to the site of the conflict to commemorate the fallen civilians. This was unprecedented in history, and Nasser al-Din's actions further fueled the local population's anger and hatred towards Russia.

Looking at the renovated government building, Naserdin felt as if he had returned to 20 years ago. He and his teacher had worked together to implement new policies in Tabriz, and so many years had passed in the blink of an eye.

"Shah, everyone has arrived."

"Um"

Nasserdin's visit was also to resolve the fundamental issues behind this protest. Since they want it so badly, then let them have it. They can protest anywhere, so why not do it legally?

The Freedom Party, the Progressive Party, the Ba'ath Party, and the Freedom and Democracy Association are currently the four largest political groups in Iran. They had previously been active in cafes throughout Iran, and the Shah had not suppressed them. Now, the most crucial moment has arrived.

“Shah!” Everyone stood up and waited for Shah to sit down before they sat down themselves.

"It is quite clear that Russia was involved in this incident. Its influence is considerable."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tahmasp, the leader of the Ba'ath Party in Tabriz, immediately retorted.

"The Russians have always resented our recapture of the Caucasus and are eyeing Transoxiana. They will never be satisfied with our current territory, and we still need to be prepared."

As the group closest to the Shah, the Ba'ath Party has always considered upholding the monarchy its mission. Because many of its members belong to the nobility and royalty, the Ba'ath Party is among the first to learn of the Shah's thoughts. Therefore, it is extremely compliant with the Shah's wishes.

“Your loyalty is commendable, but that’s not why I brought you here today.” Nasser al-Din changed the subject, picking up a stack of letters from beside him. “These are your petitions, starting in 1852, about 30 a year, and then increasing every year. They all simply ask me to convene parliament as soon as possible.”

Snapped!
The letter was thrown on the table. "How much do you know about parliament? Given the current situation in our country, is it really possible for parliament to convene?"

This time it was Akbar's turn to speak. "Shah, please believe in our loyalty. Looking at the world, whether it's European countries like Britain and France, or American countries, they all have parliaments. Russia has no parliament... They still retain a cruel system, which is why they were defeated by Britain, France, and our country."

That was close; the Shah almost thought Iran's role in the Crimean War was insignificant. I should think carefully before I speak.

"I see. With a parliament, all problems can be solved."

"Yes, Shah."

Seeing that Shah still didn't believe it, Callum, the vice president of the Freedom and Democracy Association, replied.

“Shah, the world is not the same as it used to be. People are increasingly concerned about national affairs. Parliament is a good place to focus on these issues, where everyone can offer ideas and policies to the government. This is very good for the country.”

They weren't trying to force him to resign; they just wanted the Shah to realize this. The Grand Vizier had resigned, and they felt they couldn't pressure him any further, lest it backfire.

"It would be great to be a member of the British Parliament, but I would have to think about it if it were France."

That's all for now.

Nasserdin left the meeting room, leaving a few people looking at each other in bewilderment. They didn't know what the Shah meant, but they all sensed that the Shah's attitude was softening.

Has what I ordered arrived?

"We've arrived, and we're in your office."

Nasser al-Din ordered the ambassadors of England, France, Prussia, Austria, and Belgium to each investigate their local parliaments and submit reports to him. Since this was to be done, the situation needed to be assessed, and the most advantageous option for himself and the royal family should be chosen for implementation. After all, what later generations knew was merely theory; practice could only begin now.

(End of this chapter)