Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 525 New Trade and Technology

“Shah, this is a trade agreement signed between the Far East and our country. They also opened Ili as a trading city. Our merchants can use this port to penetrate deep into the interior and head north into Mongolia.”

Rabbani presented Nasser al-Din with a trade agreement with the Far East, to which Nasser al-Din gave a wry smile. The border dispute with Russia now extends from Constantinople to Mongolia. Is it really necessary for Iran to bear the brunt of this entire thousand-kilometer border conflict?

"That's settled then. Now we must guard against Russia not only in the Ottomans, but also against its actions in the Far East."

There's nothing we can do about it; Russia is just too long. Completely containing it is still quite difficult.

“Shah, some people now say that you are the little father of the Far East and East Asia, and that you are more concerned than the Russians.”

Naserdin stared at him until Rabbani fell silent before speaking.

"What can I do? Look at these countries in the Far East, which one of them can withstand a Russian attack? I have to think about helping them out. Haven't you seen how the Far Eastern empires, intimidated by Russia, gave up half the size of Iran? If we can't strengthen them, can you imagine the consequences?"

Rabbani thought the Shah was overthinking things, because Britain wouldn't just stand by and watch Russia annex it. They had only taken advantage of the situation before, and now they certainly wouldn't let Russia succeed.

But he couldn't say that, as the Minister of Commerce and Industry, he naturally had to deal with matters related to the economy.

With the opening of trading ports in Central Asia to the Far East, it was possible to bypass the Strait of Malacca and trade directly with the Far East. Further inland, southwards, one could reach Shaanxi, and northwards, one could enter Mongolia. This also helped to counter Russian influence.

"Speaking of which, didn't France say they were going to find Timbuktu? Any news?"

Rabbani wore a gloating expression when this was mentioned. "Shah, you don't know, the French went to Timbuktu because they felt they hadn't died fast enough, and not many of them had died yet."

France sent a 1500-man team from Libya to search for Timbuktu. Even if they failed, they should have returned within a month and a half, but two months had passed and they still hadn't returned. Napoleon III was forced to send another 2500 men, but they too disappeared without a trace.

Four thousand people were missing. Everyone realized something was wrong, and ultimately 3000 people were sent, along with large sums of money bribed to local tribes to act as guides. Eventually, the missing persons were found scattered throughout the desert.

This failed expedition cost nearly 7000 million francs. Parliament was already questioning why so much money had been spent, and Napoleon III was seen smashing things at the Tuileries Palace. His already precarious position was becoming even more unstable.

It's unbelievable that even Emperor Napoleon, who once enjoyed the support of three-quarters of the French people, has fallen to this state. Although he developed the economy, improved the status of the French, and protected the peasants, under this system, politicians benefited, capitalists benefited, peasants benefited, and soldiers benefited, while the workers became the sole casualty.

Industrialization brought urbanization and large-scale factory production, but it also caused widespread unemployment among farmers and artisans. Workers who lost their land and traditional crafts were often forced to migrate to cities in search of new employment opportunities. Slums were one of the most common forms of housing for the lower classes in Paris. They typically consisted of dilapidated, overcrowded dwellings lacking basic sanitation and infrastructure. Slum dwellers frequently faced overcrowding, dampness, and unsanitary conditions, posing numerous health risks.

Wages in Paris's lower classes are low, while the cost of living is extremely high. Workers and artisans often receive meager wages, barely enough to cover basic necessities. The poor are even more destitute. Wages generally cannot cover household expenses. Workers are often forced to work long hours in manual labor just to survive. While artisans have relatively more freedom, they constantly face fierce competition and fluctuating prices.

The largest working class was in Paris, the capital, and they became the main force resisting the French government. Napoleon III faced a difficult dilemma. He had hoped to avoid compromising on freedom of speech by granting freedom of the press and assembly, and to maintain the opportunity to reclaim these freedoms, but ultimately his own policies backfired.

"France is already in a precarious situation, just one pretext away from war between the two countries."

Naserdin also held some admiration for Napoleon III, after all, he rose from a commoner to president and then to emperor. His self-coup offers many a lesson, and his policies were a major driving force behind rapid industrialization. But no matter how well things were maintained, those who had lived through the French Revolution still yearned for a republic.

"Forget about France. We can use that Siemens generator from the expo to fill the palaces and libraries in Baghdad with light bulbs and generate electricity."

It's worth noting that in the past, large-scale lighting with light bulbs didn't happen until Edison improved the bulb in the 80s. Now, we're using them twenty years ahead of schedule. Isn't that a sign of technological progress?
Nasserdin knew that one day electricity would replace steam power, but before that, the internal combustion engine had to be improved. Otherwise, with oil prices plummeting, he didn't know what would happen.

“Yes, Shah. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will arrange for the installation of light bulbs and generators.”

"In addition, let those electrical engineering students at the University of Tehran take a look at Siemens generators and see if they can be improved for large-scale power generation."

"Yes"

While Siemens generators are good, their power output is somewhat small. They can only power small-scale applications; for large-scale deployment, AC generators and power plants are needed.

Research funding has doubled again, and even more projects await Iran's exploration. At this expo, Iran's achievements in the chemical industry surprised countries around the world.

The variety of previously unseen dyes shattered their worldview. While Britain was still basking in the glory of aniline purple, Iran already possessed numerous dyes such as Shah Red, Aniline Black, and Persian Purple. Even those they invented, Iran improved the processes, significantly reducing costs. This led to massive orders from textile and dye manufacturers worldwide, with dye orders exceeding 3800 million rials in just one month.

The owner of Parcy Chemicals was overjoyed. His employee, Fazi, had produced a considerable amount of dyes, directly bringing him at least 1000 million riyals in revenue. He was right to have hired him at such a high price.

Now I have to do everything I can to complete the orders. Since I have the money, I might as well let the workers experience my joy too. Oh, and I also need to add more production lines, otherwise I'll have to pay penalties for not completing the orders.

(End of this chapter)