Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 575 Iran's Influence on the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Credit Bank was established only three years ago, but it has grown rapidly due to the large amount of funds it obtained from the stock market. It now has 33 branches in Ottoman and total assets of over 6500 million francs.

In an effort to expand its business, the bank made a big move. It directly invested a large amount of money in the Paris stock market, and then, as you all know, happened.

France suffered heavy losses in the war. The bank manager is in a terrible state; if things continue like this, the bank is likely to collapse.

That's why Murad chose Crédit Agricole as the breakthrough point, because it was a bank solely invested in by France, without British involvement, making it much easier to penetrate.

There is no problem with insufficient funds. After twenty years of investment and development, overseas funds have become quite abundant and can be allocated at any time. Consider it an investment.

The cafes in Constantinople have been bustling these days, as Prince Murad's approachable image has won over many. He's so much more vibrant than the two previous sultans.

"You know, the Iranian princes are really something. My relative works at the Saipa Trading Company and they gave him a huge bonus. It's two months' salary!"

"There are so many, I wish I could get a job too."

“Who can argue with that? Iranians pay more. Although it’s hard work, a year’s work is enough to support your family. Many people have already gone to Iran to work. In the best-case scenario, you can earn 2000 rials, which is three years’ income for an average family.”

Hearing their words, Kemal felt deeply distressed. They were proud to be citizens of the Ottoman Empire, so why were they now forced to work in other countries just to survive?

This has become a trend, with people from inland areas flocking to Iran to work. Men go to construction sites and steel mills where physical labor is required, while women go to textile factories where manual labor is needed. Even children can do odd jobs selling things; it's better than staying here.

"It seems that the Sultan is indeed incapable of handling important matters."

The consensus among many intellectuals was that the Sultan was ineffective. From Mahmud II onwards, the Ottoman Empire implemented new policies every year, only to fail year after year. If it had truly become a powerful nation, how could it have been bullied by Russia?

All of this is the result of the Ottoman Sultan and royal family's extravagant spending and lack of ambition, and they remain so. Russia has begun retraining its army; it's uncertain what fate awaits the country next.

These people had to rethink their methods, but they also had to admit that the quickest and most effective solution was to replace the leader. And that leader would have to be the monarch of another country—who could you guess? But this would never be discussed unless absolutely necessary.

But if they didn't discuss it, others would. In the Ottoman Empire's translation bureau, dozens of translators discussed the possibility of a change of dynasty. As reforms progressed, a modern bureaucratic class emerged in the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the establishment of the Ottoman translation bureau in 1833 and its increasing size and importance allowed this modern bureaucratic class to begin to wield considerable power within the institutional framework, becoming a major force driving future reforms. With this new bureaucratic class at its core, modern government departments and corresponding administrative agencies developed.

These new social forces shared a common characteristic: they all desired to protect the state apparatus from threats both internally and externally. However, the situation in the Ottoman Empire was deeply disappointing. Local separatism was on the rise, and while they aspired to a strong, centralized government, internal inefficiency and superficial reforms, along with an emphasis on equality with other religions while neglecting their own Sunni supporters, resulted in discontent among all. They all longed to leave the Ottoman Empire and rebuild their own preferred states.

"Perhaps we should make Naser al-Din Shah of Iran the Sultan of the Ottomans, so that we can get rid of the situation of being bullied by Russia." Senior translator Rejep said, explaining the situation. They started reforming earlier than Iran, but the results were not as good as Iran's. How could they explain this?
"That sounds nice, but if we do that, Russia will definitely launch another war against us. What if we lose that war again?"

"It's better than this lifeless atmosphere. Two thousand years ago, we were one family with Iran. What does it matter now?"

As he spoke, he pulled out a piece of paper. "Look!" Rejep's fingernails scratched across the paper so hard they almost pierced it. "The Sultan Abdul Sultan's London loan is still outstanding, and his nephew is going to sell Egypt to the French again!" Just then, the ferries on the Bosphorus sounded their horns outside the window, their mournful whistles sounding like the dying groans of an empire.

“Two thousand years ago, Cyrus the Great’s army traversed this land,” he said, his voice trembling, “but now? Even Bulgarian bandits dare to attack our customs!”

Hassan, the old translator who had been silent in the corner, suddenly coughed and lit his hookah, the embers in the bowl flickering: "Do you know that the Iranians who build railways in eastern Anatolia are paid three times the wages here?" The smoke he exhaled formed strange circles in the air.

The argument continued until dawn, when the call to morning prayers echoed from the minaret. Hassan pulled a bronze box from some corner. When opened, the yellowed parchment emitted the smell of camphor.

"This is a copy of the secret treaty signed in 1453 between Mehmed II and the Aq Qoyunlu dynasty of Persia after the conquest of Constantinople, which clearly stipulates that 'the guardianship of the two holy sites shall be jointly held by the Ottomans and Persia.' Why can't the legacy of the Fatih Sultan be inherited by a more powerful Iran?"

That being said, they were also Ottoman bureaucrats, and such treasonous words could provoke attacks from others. Furthermore, they lacked military support. Therefore, it was merely talk, but even so, it was quite courageous.

A week later, Iranian Minister of Industry and Commerce Rabbani and Ottoman Minister of Finance Kamil signed a trade treaty in Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire would continue to grant Iran trade preferences, and the Ottoman Empire would provide tax breaks for Iranian investments in factories and shops.

Following this, Iranian goods could freely enter the Ottoman Empire, and the central government consequently lost many commercial privileges, such as monopolies, taxes, and customs duties—rights that could have prevented further deterioration of the empire's finances. To sell its goods, the Ottoman Empire was forced to continue granting preferential treatment to Iran. Only in this way could it escape the impending economic crisis, but this further stifled investment within the Ottoman Empire, leading to a clear trend of colonization.

Aziz also introduced Murad to several of his nieces, but Murad wasn't very interested. He was still young, and marriage was too early for him. He'd wait a few years.

(End of this chapter)