Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 501 Eastern Policy
The order from the Shah was quickly transmitted to the governor of Herat via telegram. The governor was none other than Prince Murad's uncle, Shabaz.

As the governor of Herat, Shahbaz was also the first to learn of the changes in Afghanistan. Knowing the urgency of the situation, he sent a message to Tehran and discussed with General Anwar in Kabul the possibility of sending troops to stabilize the local government.

"After Abdul's assassination, the governors in various regions all had their own agendas. Kandahar was already stirring, while Peshawar remained relatively quiet. In addition, the tribes scattered throughout Afghanistan began to take action."

During Abdul's reign as ruler of Afghanistan, the country was in a state of intense upheaval. Religiously, the Shia, with the ruler's power, relentlessly suppressed the Sunnis, triggering religious feuds and refugee migrations. Economically, the Halazars and other Shia tribes began to use their power to seize land from other tribes, while the free trade agreement signed with Iran destroyed the already limited handicraft industry, forcing artisans to migrate to Iran for work.

Under such circumstances, Abdul's rule was already in crisis. Therefore, his death was not unexpected.

"Shah ordered us to take the Fifth and Seventh Corps to Kabul and stabilize the area no matter what."

They had to obey the orders given by the government. After determining the basic objectives, Anwar ordered the troops to enter Afghanistan. To avoid repeating the mistakes of Britain, all Iranian soldiers received a set of guidelines: everyone must obey the orders of their superiors and must not act on their own.

They first entered Farah, the stronghold of the Harazar people, where the Iranian army received considerable support. They then split into two groups, advancing towards Kandahar and Kabul respectively. Along the way, Shahbaz negotiated with each local tribe individually, agreeing to their demands to appease them before making further plans.

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Nasser al-Din was discussing with his steward the upcoming Mirza Palace in Baghdad. They needed to send people to prepare furniture and other miscellaneous matters, and they couldn't afford to discover any other problems.

The mother, Malik, and his wives were doing crafts together, while their two older daughters listened intently as their teacher told them ancient Greek myths. The eldest daughter, Fatima, and the younger daughter, Soraya, were completely absorbed.

His wife kept discussing their daughters' marriages with him. But she felt it was inappropriate to marry their eldest daughter to the last Mughal prince. Although princesses were usually married into political alliances, the gap between them and this exiled Indian prince seemed too large.

Naser al-Din also acknowledged that the gap was enormous, but it was also an incredibly high-risk investment. As long as he retained the Mughal title, supporting an exiled prince was dangerous, but if successful, the returns would be unparalleled. There were precedents in Far Eastern history, and the same approach could be applied today, albeit with difficulties.

Anyway, let him come to Baghdad first. He just needs to be a figurehead. We can let my uncle handle the rest. Didn't we say we wanted to turn India into Iran's backyard? We need to start preparing.

At this moment, a group of people carrying gift boxes walked up to Shah.

"Shah, this is our heartfelt gift, please don't find it offensive."

Looking at the pure gold staff handed over by the Parsi leader, Naser al-Din felt that they should also return to their homeland.

India progressed amidst hunger and prosperity, with famine in places like Odisha claiming over six million lives. British goods continued to be dumped, and raw materials were exported incessantly. Railways and telegraphs were arranged to expedite the suppression of the riots. On one hand, there was a steady stream of profits; on the other, a massive death toll. Yet, Britain felt it hadn't exploited enough and needed to be even more ruthless.

The policy of suppressing the Crescent Moon significantly reduced the space for resistance, including that of the Parsis, who held an important position in commerce and trade. The British directly labeled them as opponents and suppressed them, while supporting others to replace them.

At this time, the Parsi community also split. The wealthiest families pursued pro-British policies, their wealth accumulation dependent on the British colonial system. Meanwhile, the middle and lower-class Parsi suffered losses due to the massive dumping of British goods, and the exploitation by the princely states and the government drove them to bankruptcy. Especially in the Bombay and Gujarat regions, British merchants had effectively squeezed them out. To resist, the Parsi were forced to leave their local areas and migrate to the northwest. Although they still engaged in commerce, life in the northwest was more comfortable than in the British-controlled coastal regions.

The Parsis also began making pilgrimages to Yazd, Iran, where Zoroastrian temples are protected by the government and hold annual events to attract devotees. As merchants, the Parsis sensed the delicate relationship between Britain and Iran, and Iran's large-scale expansion into Central Asia. They wondered if securing Iranian protection would ensure their safety, hence this meeting.

"Thank you for the gifts. It must have been a long journey from Mumbai to here."

"Everything went well, the voyage from Mumbai was relatively smooth," he deliberately avoided mentioning the difficulties caused by the British Navy, "except that our classic texts were detained for three days at the Shiraz customs."

"Ah, it might be because the different scripts have raised suspicion. Tell customs that all Zoroastrian scriptures must be released immediately if there are no problems."

“Shah is merciful, I have a second gift.” The other party opened a scroll. “This is our business route map. If Shah is interested, we can assist in the transportation of certain special goods.”

The Parsis know they must allow Iran to penetrate deep into India, ideally by inciting war, so that they can profit from it. Regardless of who wins, both sides can see their own value, and at worst, they can emigrate to other countries in the future.

“I never expected your gift to be so important,” Naser al-Din said, gesturing for the map to be closed. “However, I have a question: if the Mughal Empire were to be restored, would you be willing to support it?”

This question stumped everyone on the other side. The Mughals—weren't they already dead? If we're talking about restoring a state, that would indeed be ideal. Although there was religious oppression, it was precisely they who facilitated the Parsi's transformation from farmers to merchants. The entire community became more united until the arrival of the British.

"The British have been exploiting us to the fullest extent, even deploying troops. It would be best if we could drive them away."

The other party did not give a direct answer, but this satisfied Nasserdin. Whatever it was, getting rid of the British was the right thing to do.

"Haha, let's stay in Tehran for a while. A distinguished guest will be coming then."

　Five hundred chapters! Let's celebrate.

　　On behalf of the entire cabinet, Shah expresses his gratitude to all readers who have followed the novel from the beginning.

　　In the following chapters, the Shah will continue to safeguard Iran's interests around the world and bring true and complete peace to the Middle East.

　　Regarding the marriage alliance with the Indian prince, Shah believed it was not a condescension but an investment with extremely high risks, but if the marriage succeeded, the person would definitely have everything.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)