Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 601 The Turmoil of the Ottoman Empire
Just as Iran is struggling to find direction for its national economy, its neighbor, the Ottoman Empire, remains mired in turmoil—or perhaps "remains mired in turmoil" is not entirely accurate; it is more accurately described as being even more turbulent.

In its efforts to reform and promote industrialization, the Ottoman Empire borrowed heavily from Western banks. In 1870 alone, it borrowed approximately £2000 million in new debt. Annual payments for principal and interest on this debt accounted for half or more of the government's revenue. Public finances had lost their basic function.

The Ottoman government racked its brains to revive the economy. In recent years, rising raw material prices have allowed the Ottoman Empire to gradually recover, and the lives of its people have slowly improved.

Who could have predicted that a global financial crisis would suddenly erupt, rendering all previous efforts futile? The government's reliance on exports was also severely impacted by the economic crisis.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. The Ottoman Empire's most valuable exports were tobacco, wool, and olive oil. These were products that only people with disposable income would buy. Under the current circumstances, who would buy them?

The only commodity that saw a price increase was grain. Ottoman grain exports rose by 48% within a year, as Ottoman landowners began exporting large quantities of grain worldwide. Little was left domestically, resulting in a 65% increase in the price of flatbread within the Ottoman Empire. The government was unable to lower the price, as it also relied on revenue from grain exports.

Wahid squatted on the edge of his tobacco field, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the edges of the yellowing tobacco leaves. This tobacco field, stretching along the gentle slope of the Anatolian Plateau, was the lifeblood of the thirty families in Kahraman village. From the black soil mixed with sheep manure when sown in March to the golden brown leaves drying on wooden racks in July, every tobacco leaf was soaked with the sweat of the men and the prayers of the women.

“This year’s tobacco leaves are the best they’ve been in the last five years.” His wife’s voice came from behind him, holding their one-year-old son in her arms. “Yesterday I went to the well at the village entrance to fetch water and heard Hassan say that the merchants who came last year gave him 30 lira a load, and this year it might go up to 35.”

Wahid didn't reply, but simply looked up at the dusty dirt road in the distance. Every year at this time, merchants wearing top hats and impeccably pressed suits would come along this road. They carried gleaming brass tobacco pouches, spoke Turkish interspersed with French words, measured the length of the tobacco leaves with tape measures, then pinched the thickness of the leaves with their fingertips, and finally counted out stacks of lira from their suitcases, loading the hopes of the entire village onto their carts.

But the businessmen who came today were a bit different.

Just after midday sun had set, the carriage arrived. The leading merchant alighted from the carriage, speaking in broken Turkish, followed by two attendants carrying briefcases. "I am a representative of the Eastern Trading Company. Our company has bought up all the tobacco leaves from the entire village this year."

The villagers gathered around, their whispers like the rustling of tobacco leaves in the wind. Village chief Hassan leaned forward, clutching last year's tobacco purchase receipt written by the merchant: "Sir, last year it was thirty li of a load, this year..."

"Fifteen lira." The other person interrupted him, pulling a piece of paper covered in dense text from his briefcase. "The whole world is in an economic crisis right now, and European tobacco merchants can't sell their goods at all. Offering this price is already a sign of our company's generosity."

"Fifteen?" Wahid stood up abruptly, his knuckles turning white from the effort. "Since the beginning of spring, we've been working in the fields before dawn every day, watering, weeding, and drying tobacco. We're counting on this little bit of money to pay for our children's school fees and get medicine for the elderly! Fifteen isn't even enough to buy seeds!"

"Not enough?" The merchant looked down at the surrounding villagers. "Right now, all the tobacco merchants in Anatolia are waiting to sell their tobacco. If you don't sell, there are plenty of people eager to do so." His entourage opened his briefcase at the opportune moment, revealing a thin stack of lira. "Either sign and collect the money, or wait for the tobacco leaves to rot in the ground. The choice is yours."

Wahid's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was about to speak when his wife, clutching their child, pushed her way to the front, her voice trembling with tears: "Sir, even a smaller increase would be fine, twenty-five lira, just twenty-five, enough for us to buy coal and flour for the winter." The merchant sneered, bent down, and picked up a tobacco leaf from the pile of tobacco at his feet. With a flick of his fingers, the leaf crumbled into dust: "Tobacco of this quality wouldn't even fetch a glance at the auction houses in Constantinople. If it weren't for the company's pity for you farmers, they wouldn't even give you fifteen lira." He tossed the broken tobacco leaf on the ground, dusted his hands, and said, "You have half an hour to consider. Either sign, or we're leaving now."

"Moreover, this price wasn't set by me. It's the same price everywhere else. There won't be a higher price or a lower price."

"As for whether you sell or not, that's your decision. Anyway, exports have plummeted this year, and the line of people looking for work in the city is practically overflowing."

These words caused another stir in the crowd, and some people with bad tempers wanted to push their way to the front and beat up this unscrupulous merchant.

Unfazed, he waved his hand, and several burly men stepped in front of him. Full of confidence, he continued, "Listen up, all of you. The price won't change this year. Don't be afraid to tell me; this price applies not only to Anatolia but throughout the entire Ottoman Empire. If you don't want to sell, take it abroad yourselves. You can sell it for a higher price elsewhere, but can you afford the travel expenses?"

The farmers present, witnessing this scene, felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment with nowhere to vent their frustration. The harsh realities of life led many to give up, slowly leaving the crowd to go home and bring their produce back first.

However, at this moment, a commotion broke out at the scene. Someone, unable to bear the exploitation by this unscrupulous merchant, couldn't help but punch him when he wasn't paying attention.

The businessman, clutching his face, immediately shouted in a shrill voice, "Beat this guy up! Kill this troublemaker!" At the boss's command, the thugs surrounded a young man and began to brutally beat the troublemaker.

The village chief, seeing this, immediately stepped forward to stop them. "Stop! I told you to stop!"

The thugs looked back at their boss and, after receiving instructions, let go of the young man who had been beaten black and blue.

"I'll let this go this time for your sake, this time I won't bother with this lawless young man. But the purchase price won't change, you can decide for yourselves." After saying this, the businessman swaggered away with his men.

Wahid, who witnessed all of this, could only curse inwardly. "What kind of world is this? The government doesn't do anything about it. Sultan, what are you doing?"

(End of this chapter)