Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 482

Universities have always been hotbeds of political discussion, and students were abuzz with the election, even though they didn't have the right to vote. Such discussions took place at universities such as the University of Tehran, the University of Isfahan, and the University of Tabriz.

"Jamaluddin, who do you think will win this time?"

Inside the Diplomatic Faculty of the University of Tehran, a student asks his roommate a question.

"It should be the Progressive Party; they have deep roots and should be the biggest winner. But, well, it's still hard to say. There were quite a few unexpected events the first time around."

Jamaluddin Afghani offered a seemingly professional analysis, but he didn't have much actual knowledge; he was merely going with the flow.

"Even you think so."

Afghani nodded; it was already an open secret. There were quite a few people in the school who supported the Progressive Party, and that was how the victory was supposed to happen.

The student got bored and went elsewhere, leaving Afghani alone to think.

He was originally an ordinary man from Hamadan who, at the age of ten, experienced one of the most turbulent periods in Iranian history. Nasser al-Din then ascended to the throne, ushering in an era of great change for Iran.

Hamadan has also changed. Many textile factories have sprung up there, and with the clergy losing their army, they have once again become vassals of the Shah. Even primary schools have been abolished.

Afghani was also forced to drop out of the religious school, first helping his father set up a stall, and then entering a newly established secular school. Here, he was first exposed to concepts such as geography and science. He subsequently ranked eleventh in his university entrance exams and was admitted to the University of Tehran.

Afghani's family was only of average means and theoretically couldn't afford the tuition fees. However, the scholarship system implemented by the Ministry of Education gave him hope, and he won a scholarship of 520 riyals by ranking first in the university entrance exam.

University students, as the fastest-growing demographic, possess an unimaginable enthusiasm for current events and trends. Furthermore, the emergence of newspapers and books about foreign countries has broadened their horizons. They are aware of the many countries in the world and the local customs and traditions they wish to learn from.

Afghani borrowed two books from the library: one was a history of Britain, and the other was a biography of Napoleon in France. In the British history, Afghani saw no courage, freedom, or loyalty, only greed, deception, and arrogance.

The slave trade, the massacre of the American inhabitants, and the seizure of land are acts of greed; relying on a powerful navy to launch attacks everywhere is arrogance; repeatedly breaking peace agreements and going back on one's word is deception. Britain possesses none of the virtues of the Prophet, not even in its religion, yet it shamelessly claims to be acting in the name of civilization.

But there's no way around it; whoever is stronger is right. Otherwise, why were the Ottomans and Egypt forced to listen to the British?

In his biography of Napoleon, Afghani believed it was merely a story of a man who, after enjoying power, sought to maintain it long-term, thus constantly waging wars, only to be ultimately defeated. Although he did some good deeds, the constantly changing political systems and the endless foreign wars inevitably led to collapse; Leipzig was a prime example. But both Britain and France shared a common goal: to control the region. The trade agreements between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, and France's construction of the Suez Canal, exemplify this. And with Iran's victory over Russia, Britain and France couldn't find a breakthrough.

From this perspective, Iran appears safe. However, it's uncertain how long this safety will last, as the British will undoubtedly try every means to gain more benefits. Moreover, besides Britain, other countries will also step in to tear Iran apart.

Afghani was writing something in his notebook; he had also learned about Napoleon III's rise from president to emperor in France. He concluded that in a nationwide general election, whoever has the biggest reputation will be elected. Because ordinary people lack the ability to discern, they will only vote based on who they have heard of.

Four-fifths of Napoleon III's votes came from rural France. This was because the peasants knew that Napoleon would lead France to glory, while the other candidates had only heard rumors.

Secondly, French peasants received immense benefits during the reign of Napoleon I. Napoleon not only legally granted land to many people but also enriched many peasants through his foreign conquests. Although Napoleon later fell from power, these benefits persisted and continued to influence French peasants. Therefore, French peasants held deep gratitude towards Napoleon, a sentiment that carried over to Napoleon III, making him, as Napoleon's successor, favored by French peasants.

Most importantly, with the decline of the Napoleonic Empire, although the smoke of war had cleared, the diplomatic weakness and incompetence of the Bourbon and July Monarchies, along with the political instability, deeply disappointed French peasants. They missed Napoleon, who had led them to conquer half of Europe, and therefore hoped that Napoleon III could revitalize the nation. This is why they cast a large number of votes for him.

“A universal electoral system is a source of instability in a country, as it allows some people who shouldn’t have power to gain it. In order to keep their positions, members of parliament will also give them benefits, and in the long run, the country will become corrupt, and the parliament will lose its function.”

Afghani was not particularly interested in electoral systems; in his view, Iran under the Shah's leadership had become the savior of the world. He viewed the Tabriz unrest as a coup, and the Shah, faced with overwhelming public opinion, chose to compromise. This demonstrates that the power of the people is growing, and how to control and utilize it has become the government's responsibility.

Furthermore, since Britain and France both claim to be contributing to the advancement of world civilization, Iran should also put forward its own theory to counter this. In terms of civilization, its own culture is far more profound than Britain's. A cultural movement is necessary.

………………

December 31st arrived quickly, and those who had obtained the right to vote went to the polling stations to cast their ballots. Under the guidance of the staff, they completed the procedure and deposited their ballots into the ballot box.

The Shah also cast his vote, though he did so from the Gulestan Palace. Whom he voted for will only be known after the votes are counted.

"We will soon know the voting results in Shah, Tehran and other places, but it will take a little longer in Mashhad and eastern Tashkent."

"It's alright, just make sure nothing goes wrong. This is a groundbreaking undertaking, we must do it well."

Naserdin awaited news at the palace; with the voting concluded, the results for the city would soon be in. The Progressive Party and the Liberal Party were neck and neck, essentially one seat for him and one for the opposing party.

(End of this chapter)