Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 514

Sadiq saw many things at the exhibition, most of which were the latest developments in Iran. The wide variety of machinery on display greatly impressed him.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, a transfer order directly assigned him to the diplomatic corps in the Far East. Sadiq didn't know much about this mysterious country, only that their immigrants were very hardworking. They could do what others dared not do, and they endured hardships others couldn't bear, which is why they accumulated so much wealth.

However, given their diligence, why was their country so weak and vulnerable? This was something he couldn't understand.

His trip abroad as an official of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce was also to investigate the local situation and see if further cooperation could be achieved. Of course, this didn't mean changing everything, but simply preserving the existing order and at least ensuring the ability to resist Russia.

Besides the Far East, they will also visit Naha and Edo, and on their way back, they will visit Hue, Saigon, Malacca, and other places. The reason for visiting so many places is not only to inspect their spheres of influence, but also because Prince Murad will travel there to broaden his horizons.

As the prince grows up, he will have more and more responsibilities to handle. Therefore, he needs to understand more things. He has previously visited Malaya, so it should be fine this time as well.

Southeast Asia has become increasingly crowded, with Britain, Iran, the Netherlands, and numerous indigenous groups all present. As these spheres of influence converge, border clashes have emerged. For example, the border conflict between Qinistan and Siam, in which Siam ultimately yielded, revealed British support behind the scenes. This is because the Siamese army was equipped with British-made weapons.

Following the cession of territory, calls for revenge against Iran persisted within Siam. To restore their borders, they needed to reclaim the lost lands. Therefore, cooperation with Britain was inevitable.

One can imagine the expressions on people's faces when this survey reached the government. But the world isn't entirely under Britain's control. If you can support Siam, why can't I help Burma?
By this time, Britain had acquired Lower Burma, and Burma had lost all its access to the sea. The British court also began a movement to introduce Western industrial technology, suggesting that it might be better to have Iran assist them, thus inflicting some losses on Britain.

Everyone predicted that Burma would eventually be annexed by Britain, so why not let the British suffer even greater losses?

The Ministry of Finance also received a request from Paraguay to borrow 5000 million rials, but Shahriari questioned whether this amount was too large. Even Argentina before its collapse only had a debt of over 5000 million rials; why would Paraguay borrow so much at once? What are they planning to do with it?
Out of caution, Shahriari agreed to a maximum loan of 1500 million rials, with the Ministry of Finance only covering 400 million rials. The remainder would be covered by banks.

"We don't have much more; most of the money has already been invested in domestic construction projects. That's all we have. Do you want it?"

His almost shameless words made those below feel ashamed; they never expected that the usually serious finance minister would say such a thing.

"Sir, how about a little more, even 2000 million?"

"No, you must not understand. 1500 million, that's all. Let them go to the banks." Everyone knows that inter-state bank loans require approval from the Ministry of Finance. The Finance Minister's statement was simply to show that Iran isn't an ATM, asking for so much money without considering whether they can handle it.

However, Paraguay was quite sincere, relinquishing all of its mineral and oil extraction rights. They agreed to let Iran profit for the first twenty years, after which revenue sharing could be discussed.

In addition to loans, there are a series of commercial orders, including railways, telegraphs, urban construction, and the purchase of various goods, totaling 1000 million riyals. This is the first time such an order has been placed, and given the current situation in Paraguay, many more orders are expected to come from Iran.

"Hmph, looks like they're exhausted from fighting. They took so much at once, let them recover before coming back."

Shahriari didn't rule out any possibility, but he felt Paraguay was asking for too much. He suggested giving them what they could get first, and then asking for more once they had developed.

However, compared to Paraguay, Al-Jan is more appealing to the finance minister. The land quality there is simply too good; it's just a shame there isn't such good land in Iran.

Black soil is the most fertile soil in the world, often described as "an ounce of soil equals two ounces of oil." It is characterized by its pure black color and is formed in the cold temperate mixed forest region, where summers are warm and humid and winters are cold and dry. Therefore, it is also known as cold-region black soil. Because its formation requires leaching, it is also known as leached black soil.

There are only three major black soil regions and one reddened black soil region in the world: the Ukrainian Plain in Ukraine, the Mississippi Plain in the United States, the Northeast Plain in the Far East, and the Pampas grasslands in South America, which stretch from Argentina to Uruguay. The Pampas grasslands are subtropical reddened black soil.

Because Argentina is located in the subtropical region of the Southern Hemisphere, it lacks a harsh and long winter. After plants die, they cannot accumulate debris year after year in cold conditions. The hot and humid climate results in soil with a high iron oxide content, giving the soil a distinctive red color. The land is fertile and rich in resources, especially livestock. It also possesses abundant iron ore deposits and forests, as well as numerous excellent ports. With proper management, it could certainly generate substantial wealth.

The Shah also attaches great importance to this region; otherwise, he wouldn't have transferred Amir there to be the Grand Vizier. It's said that too much land has been confiscated locally, and they plan to establish an agricultural company for export. Furthermore, they are giving the green light to investment in Iran, as the region currently lacks investment, so this is the only option.

Besides these two locations, Bolivia is also a significant investment destination for Iran. Although the terrain increases costs, while Britain and France were engrossed in Brazilian coffee and Chilean copper, Iran quietly made its move into Bolivia, rapidly pushing the country closer to Iran.

The current president of Bolivia is Caudillo José of La Paz, who has promoted more liberal policies and attracted significant Iranian capital investment to Bolivia. Large quantities of silver and tin have been mined for export, with the proceeds used for the military and other purposes.

These three countries have become Iran's main sphere of influence in South America. They only want to make money, but to maintain this in the long run, they must ensure stability. Therefore, there will still be some arms trade. As long as they can consistently transfer profits, they don't care who the president or king is, although the Shah's son must remain firmly in the Sultan's position.

(End of this chapter)