Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 495 Accelerating African Colonization
Stone City in Zanzibar was originally the royal palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar, and is now the base of the Iranian East African Fleet.

The Sultan of Zanzibar was now an ordinary nobleman in Baghdad, Iran. He wanted to break away from Iranian control and make contact with Britain and France. However, Iran discovered this and its army stormed into Stone City, captured the Sultan of Zanzibar, and took control of the entire country.

The Governor-General's Office reorganized Iranian East Africa into fourteen districts, each with an administrative governor to stabilize the local situation. At the same time, orders were issued to severely punish those who resisted; disobedient free blacks were to be expelled. Iranian immigrants were also introduced. At this time, the population of East Africa was nearly 700,000, of which Iranians comprised 85%, blacks 10%, and Chinese 5%.

In the colonial governor's mansion in Fahta, fourteen administrators are receiving assignments from the governor. Some are tasked with expelling black people, others with developing trade, and still others with defending the frontier—a variety of tasks.

The governor from the Great Lakes region was primarily responsible for maintaining good relations with the Black kingdoms on the opposite shore. These kingdoms had begun waging war against each other because they had absorbed large numbers of exiled Black people, greatly increasing their power. However, with the arrival of Iranian merchants, further conflicts arose.

The main kingdoms in the northern lake region are Buganda and Banyoro, two states with a long history of close ties, marked by both violent conflict and friendly exchanges. The Kingdom of Buganda is arming its army with rifles smuggled by Iranian merchants, while the Nyamvizi tribal confederation further south has traded ivory for two cannons from Zanzibar. Many other examples exist, all seeking Iranian support.

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the governor's mansion window. A squad of gendarmes wearing white turbans was escorting dozens of black prisoners to the dock. These men were to be exiled to the salt fields on Socotra Island—where the newly built labor camps had a mortality rate as high as 40%, yet supplied Iran with 50% of East Africa's salt production.

The governor of Fahta began to speak: “The King of Buganda secretly received the British explorer Spike last month. Letters we intercepted show that they exchanged twenty rifles for the right to pass through the ivory trade.” He unfolded a charcoal drawing of merchants in Arab robes instructing black soldiers to load ammunition. “These so-called ‘Zanzibar merchants’ are actually Indian mercenaries hired by the British.”

While it's unclear where the British came from, this is not good news for Iran. Once a country achieves local unification, it will be difficult for Iran to eliminate them.

"Remember this, everyone—what we want is not territory, but order and profit," the governor reiterated, emphasizing that there should be no mercy and that the national interest must be the top priority.

In the fierce trade competition that sweeps the world like a hurricane, losing a market is an irreparable loss; gaining a market is an excellent reward for a nation's strength. Technological advancements and the completion of explorations in Africa provided the objective conditions for colonization, and Iran, under the impetus of its government, continued its colonization efforts, particularly in the easily colonizable East Africa, demonstrating the importance of location selection.

Buganda's main characteristic was its highly commercial foreign policy, seeking to control the region's economic resources, driven by an advanced military culture. War was seen as a political means to gain commercial, economic, and territorial dominance. This explains the frequent nature of its wars.

Interactions between the states of the Great Lakes region involve both war and trade. For example, Buganda's relations with its neighbors are pragmatic: sometimes trade and economic influence, sometimes force, as it seeks to establish an empire that is both territorial and "informal." For Iran to conquer the region, direct conflict would be too costly; therefore, if alternative methods exist, Iran could minimize unnecessary expenditures.

As the meeting progressed into the afternoon, the newly appointed commander from the most remote inland region reported nervously: "The immigrant mortality rate in our region is as high as 40%, mainly due to malaria and poisoning by black people." The governor interrupted him impatiently: "Two ships of Kipchak doctors will arrive next week, carrying quinine pills specially made by the Tehran Medical College. As for poisoning—" He turned to the military commander, "Hang the recently captured Nyamvizi wizard from a tree on the border, and remember to stuff his stomach full of broken glass."

All the chief executives received their orders and left to attend to their own affairs. For the governor, however, securing more funds remained the top priority.

Farmers were encouraged to produce cash crops for export, primarily coffee, tea, sisal, and pyrethrum—high-value crops—in the central highlands. Iron and coal mines were also discovered, and laborers were hired for extraction and transportation. It could be said that Iran's African economy is among the most dynamic.

At this time, European countries made little progress in the actual occupation of inland African territories, but their missionary and exploration activities were actively underway. Under the guise of opposing the slave trade or protecting free trade, they established numerous trading posts and colonial outposts along the coast and attempted to penetrate into inland countries near the coast, sometimes even resorting to force. They then signed a series of treaties with local African leaders. These treaties generally included the following: prohibition or restriction of the slave trade; permission for free missionary work or trade; abolition of traditional practices such as human sacrifice; and acceptance of protection or lease terms from European countries.

With the abolition of the slave trade, "legal trade" became a new mode of trade for European merchants in Africa, particularly along the coast. This trade had existed for a long time on the African continent and took many forms, including the aforementioned long-distance Sahara trade. A direct consequence of the abolition of the slave trade was the expansion of "legal trade."

Palm oil from the Gulf of Guinea, gold resources from the Volta River region, rubber and peanuts from Senegal, diamonds from South Africa, tin mines from the Bauchi Plateau, along with precious timber, pepper, cocoa, and other valuable resources, all became prized possessions of various countries. Even Prussia, seeing Austria's colonization efforts, was eager to follow suit.

Bismarck consistently claimed he had no interest in overseas colonies. However, for the sake of votes, he still spoke of vying for territory. At this time, the Prussian capitalist class was making strong demands regarding colonies, which was closely related to the rapid development of Prussian industry and its transition to monopoly capitalism. Bismarck's foreign policy was backed by this economic strength.

Bismarck inquired with the Chambers of Commerce in Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck about the state of German trade and effective ways to protect and encourage German trade in Africa. They unanimously suggested: annexation. The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce specifically recommended: annexing independent coastal regions; seizing the port of Fernandezvous; and signing treaties with indigenous chiefs. It is evident that even Bismarck had to consider colonization to appease the Prussian capitalist class.

(End of this chapter)