Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 605 East African Colonies

Iran's Ministry of Colonial Affairs has been quite busy lately, as the situation in the colonies directly impacts the ministry's position. During this economic crisis, aggressively expanding colonies and protectorates, while maintaining relations with allies, are also crucial tasks for the ministry.

Iran's colonies comprised two main parts: East Africa and Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia primarily consisted of the large colony of Qinistan, along with its allies Brunei and Kelantan. Iran used these locations to expand its influence in Southeast Asia.

In 1866, the Sultan of Brunei, Abbas, launched an eastern expedition targeting the Sultanate of Burongan. Iran provided 4000 troops and 40 cannons, and the navy also transported soldiers. The expedition ultimately ended with the surrender of the Sultan of Burongan.

At that time, Brunei had a population of several hundred thousand, and its basic economy relied on agriculture and forestry. It wasn't until Abbas arrived that ports and other modern facilities were developed in various places to increase trade revenue.

Kelantan is in a much better situation because it has tin as a major export commodity. Both countries have opened their ports to the Iranian navy, and Iran provides them with considerable support, as it relies on them for its expansion.

In East Africa, the situation becomes more complicated. In addition to its existing colonies, Iran has begun to militarily intervene in a series of small kingdoms across Lake Nasser al-Din.

In 1865, King Suna II of Buganda died, and a civil war broke out among the princes. The Iranian governor in Mombasa decisively supported one of the princes, Mutesa I, providing him with 500 muzzle-loading flintlock muskets and several light field guns, and sending military advisors to train his army.

Mutesa's army, under the command of Iranian advisors, engaged in a decisive battle with the enemy forces on the Kasungu Plain.

Mutesa's coalition forces numbered approximately 8000. Their core strength consisted of a musketeer battalion of about 800 men, rigorously trained by Iranian advisors and capable of executing simple volley fire tactics. Supporting them were 7000 traditional warriors, equipped with spears, shields, and bows and arrows. They also possessed two 6-pounder cannons, directly operated by Iranian advisors.

The Kabakam army had a total strength of about 12000 men. Although the opposing army had a numerical advantage, it was routed by the Iranian artillery barrage and volley fire.

Kabakam's army suffered over 3000 casualties, while Mutesa's coalition suffered minimal losses. This battle definitively determined the outcome of the War of the Succession. Mutesa ascended the throne smoothly and formed an alliance with Iran, allowing Iran to maintain a permanent military presence in its capital. This battle established Iran's military dominance in the Great Lakes region.

Iran followed suit, continuing its infiltration of the region. In the last two years, however, Iran has shifted to direct conquest, most notably the conquest of the Kingdom of Ankolai.
This kingdom, known for its longhorn cattle and fierce herdsmen warriors, offered the fiercest resistance to Iranian infiltration. They refused to sign a protection treaty and repeatedly attacked Iranian caravans and outposts.

In 1868, the Iranian governor-general of East Africa decided to launch a "punitive expedition" to completely crush Ankolai's resistance and deter other observing kingdoms. A special task force commanded by Gulkin Khan set out from its base along Lake Victoria and marched towards the Ankolai Highlands. Gulkin Khan's troops advanced along narrow canyon roads and eventually encountered the main Ankolai force at the Kabala Pass. The Ankolai army occupied the high ground on both sides, attempting to use the terrain to ambush the Iranian army. Gulkin Khan immediately ordered his troops to halt their advance, form a defensive circle, and set up artillery and rockets at the core of their positions.

King Ankolai ordered a general offensive. Thousands of warriors pounded their shields and roared as they surged down the hillside like a tidal wave. Just as they came within range, Gulkin Khan ordered the launch of the Congreve rockets. These rockets, trailing fiery tails, whistled and exploded amidst Ankolai's dense charging formation. The warhorses, never having seen such weapons before, bolted in terror, and the charge instantly descended into chaos. The psychological impact of the rockets far outweighed their actual lethality, and the Ankolai's momentum faltered.

Taking advantage of the enemy's disarray, the Iranian infantry divided into three ranks, firing in succession. The high rate of fire and long range of the Dreyse rifles, once loaded, demonstrated terrifying power. Despite their bravery, the Ankolai warriors' leather shields could not stop the metal bullets, and they fell in droves along the charge. A few elite noble cavalrymen reached the front lines, only to be slaughtered by the Iranian bayonet charge and the scimitars of the Somali mercenaries.

After suffering heavy casualties, the morale of the Ankolai army collapsed completely, and they began to flee. Gurkin Khan dispatched Somali mercenaries to flank and pursue them. The rout turned into a massacre, and the valley was littered with the corpses of Ankolai warriors and abandoned shields and spears.

Iranian forces annihilated the main force of Ankolai's army with only a few dozen casualties, causing over two thousand enemy deaths. Following the battle, Ankolai signed a humiliating protection treaty, accepting Iranian suzerainty, opening its territory to Iranian caravans, and promising to provide cattle and labor.

After their military victory, the Iranians did not directly annex all the land, but instead forced the kingdoms to sign "protectorate treaties," thus ruling indirectly. This was something they had learned from the British.

Instead of directly deposing local kings, Iran reinforces their traditional authority, allowing them to continue managing internal affairs. However, through protection treaties, Iran gains the right to station troops, provide diplomatic guidance, and have final arbitration power. Any major decision, especially those involving war, peace, or contact with other foreign powers, must be approved by the Governor-General of Iran. Local kings effectively become high-ranking civil servants within Iran, and pro-Iranian factions are carefully cultivated within the royal family and nobility. For example, in Buganda, Iran strongly supports Mutesa I, providing him with weapons and funds to consolidate his power, making him a proxy dependent on Iran.

At the same time, the sons of nobles were sent to Iranian schools in Zanzibar for education, cultivating a group of future elites who identified with Iranian culture and were loyal to the empire. Iran exploited the conflicts between different tribes and clans within the kingdom. While posing as a "mediator," Iran's real aim was to prevent them from uniting against Iran and to use this opportunity to extract more privileges.

Economically, regulations stipulated that all valuable goods, such as ivory, hides, and gold, could only be sold to the Royal Iranian Trading Company or its licensed merchants. A poll tax was implemented, forcing local residents to earn Iranian currency to pay taxes by working for Iranians or selling agricultural products. Furthermore, under the guise of "building military outposts" or "establishing demonstration farms," ​​the most fertile lands and key lakes, rivers, and ports were seized. Residents of these lands were often reduced to tenant farmers or laborers.

These situations are common all over the world, and they're even more extreme versions of them. If the British came, they would only exploit people even more.

(End of this chapter)