Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 616 Before the Storm
In Constantinople, protests against high food prices were growing, and Mahmud II's Ottoman Ever Victorious Army became an accomplice in the Sultan's repression. Prisons were overflowing, but this did nothing to dampen the decadent lifestyle of the city center.

Abdul Aziz had just come from the zoo, where he went to see his pet lions, bears, and other small animals. He showed absolutely no interest in politics.

"Sultan, there have been increasing rebellions in various places recently, and the riots in places like Rumilia have reached a point where they are out of control."

Grand Vizier Mahmoud Nedim Pasha reported what he knew to the Sultan: the drought in Anatolia was worsening, and even wealthy Egypt was seeing refugees. If no action was taken soon, the situation would likely escalate and affect the central government.

"Grand Vizier, I have sent troops to various places to suppress the riots, and I believe we will hear good news soon."

Abdul Aziz leaned back in his golden chair. "Those refugees are just causing trouble because they're starving. Once the Ever Victorious Army's muskets fire, they'll naturally disperse."

More interesting than any of that are the new clocks the French envoys will be bringing next week. I've heard they can chime the time and play the Marseillaise; I'd love to see how much more exquisite they are than my old English grandfather clock.

Mahmoud Nedim Pasha broke out in a cold sweat. “Sultan, the rebels in Rumilia have seized the weapons of three companies of the Ever Victorious Army, and the Anatolian grain merchants are still hoarding grain. The price of a sack of wheat has increased fivefold in three months. If we can't supply enough grain, I'm afraid…”

"Transfer grain?" Abdul Aziz suddenly laughed. "Are the empire's granaries meant for refugees? First, satisfy the needs of the court and the army, and let the common people figure out what to do with the rest. Besides, isn't Anatolian wool selling very well? Have the governor collect more taxes, and we can surely raise enough for the army's pay."

"Sultan, the wool merchants in Anatolia have already united to resist the taxation. They say that last year's tax revenue has not been used to repair the canals, and this year they want to increase it again. They would rather let the wool rot in the warehouse than give the governor a single penny. As for the granaries... when I went to check last month, I found that 30% of the wheat had been secretly sold to Greek merchants by the stewards, and most of the rest had gone moldy."

"Useless!" Abdul Aziz sat bolt upright, the armrest of his golden chair slamming against him with a dull thud. "A bunch of traitors! Issue my order: drag all the granary managers into the sea to feed the fish, and have the newly appointed manager thoroughly dry the remaining grain. Even a single grain missing will cost him his head!" He paused, his gaze sweeping over Pasha's pale face, his tone softening again. "As for the wool merchants, have the Ever Victorious Army 'persuade' them. With the musketeers positioned at the trading posts, I don't believe they'll dare to argue. By the way, the French envoy's ship should arrive tomorrow, right? Go keep an eye on the docks; if there's even the slightest problem with that new clock, you're fired as Grand Vizier."

"Yes"

Nedim Pasha left Topkapi Palace, utterly bewildered as to why the Sultan, who had so diligently governed at the beginning of his reign, had become like this. Aziz had initially declared his intention to implement reforms like his two predecessors, taking measures to control court spending and being extremely frugal with state resources. However, he quickly changed his ways: within the palace, he first spent money to dismiss his deceased brother's countless concubines, then built himself a vast harem, employing as many as 3000 eunuchs alone—a level of extravagance surpassing even his brother's.

In terms of policy, he obstructed all reform proposals, satisfying the reactionary forces. Due to Napoleon III's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, France's international standing declined, and the Sultan was no longer influenced by French liberalism. Ultimately, the Tanzmeat reforms and the subsequent Charter reforms became mere empty words.

But don't assume Nedim was a good person. After becoming Grand Vizier, he quickly exacerbated the administrative chaos: he banished former ministers and made officials "rotate constantly," always dismissing them quickly or frequently changing their positions to prevent anyone from gaining influence that could rival his and to prevent them from weakening the Sultan's absolute power.

After Ali Pasha's death in 1871, he encouraged the Sultan to establish a dictatorship, but due to the lack of effective political forces to help the Sultan control the situation, this move led to widespread administrative and political chaos.

Although the Tanzmet reforms had a consultation mechanism and often made some ambitious long-term promises, their implementation relied entirely on the authority of the Sultan's decrees. Moreover, the Sultan's decrees were frequently hampered by irresponsible ministers.

Following his brother, Sultan Aziz pushed unchecked autocratic rule to its zenith. Reactionary in his thinking and unrestrained by any principles of freedom, he governed the country through a strong, centralized government and a tightly organized bureaucracy subservient to his powerful will, thus becoming an absolute monarch with absolute power! Ultimately, due to domestic food problems and the gathering of opposition forces, he gradually began to adopt a more repressive rule starting in 1870.

Back at his residence, Nedim Pasha had barely sat down when his steward brought in a secret letter: "Lord Pasha, the Governor of Rumelia has sent an urgent report that the rebels, in alliance with Serbian guerrillas, have captured Sofia and cut off the trade route from Constantinople to the Danube."

He clenched the letter tightly. Just then, the roar of gunfire erupted outside the window, followed by screams from the crowd. Nedim Pasha rushed to the window and saw the Ever Victorious Army firing on a wool trading post in the south of the city. The wooden door of the post had been blasted open, and several wool merchants, holding white cloths in surrender, were dragged away by soldiers and thrown into prison carts. Meanwhile, in the distant square, the number of protesting citizens grew, some holding signs that read "Give us back our food," others setting fire to portraits of the Sultan, thick smoke billowing and almost obscuring half the sky.

The next day, dozens of corpses appeared in the square, all executed for rioting. The Sultan also left them in the square as a warning to others.

Growing discontent with the Sultan led to demands for assistance from the Ottoman government. Meanwhile, in Bosnia and Bulgaria, local populations rose in rebellion, capturing much of the countryside and towns. The Ottomans responded by sending a new army to suppress the uprising, even diverting some troops from the capital to expedite the process, significantly weakening local defenses. To compensate, Nedim Pasha ordered the transfer of some troops from Edirne to the capital. Little did he know that this move would hasten the downfall of the Sultan and himself.

(End of this chapter)