Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 604 Southeast Asian Colonies
Saigon, the capital of Qinistan, had by this time transformed into a city with streetlights, cobblestone roads, and various modern amenities. With a permanent population of 26, besides Iranians, Cambodians, and Vietnamese, the Chinese had become the fastest-growing group during this period.

The hardworking and resilient nature of the Chinese is appreciated by many countries. Throughout Southeast Asia, only the Chinese are willing to venture deep into rainforests or other areas to sell their goods; they can also endure harsh working conditions, working in plantations or mines. Moreover, they are capable of serving the local government, making them excellent businesspeople and officials.

There is a certain degree of conflict between local forces and the Iranian ruling class. Some local tribal chiefs and nobles, while outwardly submitting to Iranian rule, secretly yearn to regain their former autonomy, secretly accumulating power and waiting for an opportunity. Meanwhile, to strengthen its control over Chinestan, Iran continuously sends officials there. These officials, when implementing policies, sometimes provoke public discontent due to cultural differences and a lack of understanding of local conditions. In such situations, the compliant Chinese are naturally Iran's first choice.

Therefore, from the establishment of the colonial government, it continuously attracted Chinese immigrants. At the same time, it vigorously promoted Zoroastrianism and the veneration of the Mạc family of Ha Tien. The descendants of the Mạc family were also found by Iran and appointed as officials of Ha Tien province.

Governor Ghani glanced at the officials sitting around him, his gaze finally settling on the Finance Minister. "Let's talk about the highway project first. Why did the production capacity of the quarries along the Mekong River suddenly decline last month?"

"Your Excellency, the problem lies with the laborers. Many Cambodian workers in the mines have been absent lately, supposedly because the miasma in the rainforest has become more severe after the rainy season, and they prefer to stay in the villages to grow rice. On the other hand, the Chinese laborers are not only all on duty, but they have also voluntarily offered to extend their working hours, on the condition that they can bring their families from Guangdong to settle in Saigon."

“It’s the Chinese again.” Colonel Hidayat, commander of the Undying Legion, put down his coffee cup, his tone tinged with complexity. “Last week, during the mopping-up operation against bandits on the upper Mekong River, the Chinese guides led the soldiers through swamps that even locals dared not tread. These people are like weeds; they can take root anywhere. However…” He changed the subject, “Recently, there are more and more Chinese shops in Saigon. They operate in groups, and local merchants have already submitted three petitions to the Governor’s Palace, saying that the Chinese’s low-price strategy is squeezing out their businesses.”

Ghani pondered for a moment and said, "The merchants' complaints are understandable, but we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The diligence and business acumen of the Chinese are the resources we need most to build Qinistan."

As large quantities of Iranian-made industrial products, such as textiles and metalware, flooded into Qinistan, these products, with their price advantage, quickly captured the local market, causing a huge blow to Qinistan's original handicrafts. Many local artisans lost their livelihoods, traditional family workshops closed down, and the economic structure was forced to shift from being primarily based on handicrafts to being primarily based on agriculture and commerce. There was considerable resentment among the people.

The governor's gaze swept over the map of Qinistan hanging on the wall. The Mekong River stretched across it like a silver ribbon, with red dots marking the inns to be built along its banks and blue dotted lines representing the planned road network. He turned his gaze to Hassan, the Director of Public Works: "Now that we have a direction on the labor issue, the road construction cannot be delayed any longer. The three months after the rainy season is the prime construction period. Report your budget directly to the Finance Minister."

Hassan said directly, “Your Excellency, the biggest obstacle right now is not the budget, but the bridges. The Mekong River has many tributaries, and seven stone bridges need to be built for the Tonle Sap River alone. Local craftsmen can only build bamboo bridges and are completely incapable of handling stone processing. I have already sent the Public Works Bureau to Guangdong to recruit stonemasons, but it will take at least two months for them to come and go.”

“No need to wait,” Ghani suddenly said. “The Mo family has been operating here for a century; they must have locals familiar with the waterways. Have the Ha Tien official send fifty boatmen to build a temporary pontoon bridge. We can rebuild it into a stone bridge once the Chinese stonemasons arrive. Also, tell him that if he can guarantee the pontoon bridge will be passable, the salt tax for Ha Tien province can be reduced or exempted next year.” Finance Minister Arif frowned upon hearing this: “Governor, the salt tax is a vital source of revenue for the colony. Last year, the salt tax for Ha Tien province accounted for 12% of total tax revenue. Reducing or exempting it would affect funding for railway surveys. We originally planned to send a survey team to Laos next month to survey the railway line.”

“The railway can be postponed, but the highway must go first,” Ghani said firmly. “Have you forgotten the letter from Luang Prabang last month? They complained that the horse caravans transporting rubber would take half a month to traverse the rainforest, and if we wait any longer, those chieftains will stop cooperating with us.” He picked up an enamel cup from the table and took a sip of water.

"It seems we still need to rely on the Chinese; we need to send people to Hong Kong."

"Won't this cause discontent among other ethnic groups?" The judge asked, holding a stack of lawsuits. "Last week, some villagers sued Chinese merchants for passing off inferior tea as Pu'er, and some farmers said that Chinese workers were taking away their farm work. If we give them special treatment again, it might trigger riots."

Colonel Hidayat chimed in, “You’re overthinking it. The merchants’ disputes aren’t ethnic issues, they’re regulatory issues. You should have the tax officials inspect the goods in the shops, instead of worrying about riots here.”

The governor nodded, agreeing with Hidayat's statement: "Management regulations should be introduced as soon as possible, stipulating that all shops must clearly mark their prices and prohibit the sale of inferior goods as superior ones. In addition, a trade association should be set up in Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane. In case of disputes, the association should mediate first, and if mediation fails, the matter should be taken to court."

As darkness fell outside the window, the streetlights in Saigon came on one by one. In the dim light, one could vaguely see Chinese merchants pushing carts along the cobblestone streets, local villagers carrying rice back from the outskirts of the city, and Iranian soldiers patrolling the streets on horseback. These three figures intertwined in the twilight to create a peculiar scene.

Looking at the scene, Ghani slowly spoke: "Gentlemen, Qinistan is like a pontoon bridge on the Mekong River. The Chinese are the planks of the bridge deck, the local ethnic groups are the supporting piles, and we are the connecting ropes. If any one of them is missing, the pontoon bridge will collapse. Starting tomorrow, the road construction must be accelerated. The three months after the end of the rainy season will not only be the golden period for construction, but also the key period for stabilizing Qinistan."

He picked up the pen on the table and signed his name on the map. The moment the pen touched the paper, it seemed as if he were drawing a clear and heavy mark on the future of this land. The officials in the hall rose one after another, their hesitation and worry long gone, leaving only an almost fanatical determination. They knew that a wave of construction concerning the fate of colonialism was about to sweep across the banks of the Mekong River.

(End of this chapter)