Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 220

Before leaving Tehran, Nasser al-Din visited the newly built textile factory. The new factory, owned by the Tehran Textile Company, will employ 1500 people and is expected to generate an annual output of 200 million riyals.

"As the industry closest to the people, the textile industry is driven by its huge market. This prompts us to continuously expand and upgrade."

This is the new production workshop. The cotton is transported here and becomes individual threads, which are then woven into cloth for sale.

Naserdin is aware of the specific procedures. Currently, the textile industry is Iran's leading industry and requires government support and protection. Its strong export-oriented nature is also an important means for Iran to create wealth through exports.

"Besides supplying the domestic market, where are the fabrics produced exported?" Shah asked.

“A considerable amount of cloth and cotton yarn is exported to Bukhara and Kokand, as well as to the tribes on the other side. In addition, Qinistan is also an important export destination.”

It can be said that Iran has largely broken free from the encroachment of European textiles and has begun exporting to other surrounding countries. The rapid expansion of cotton cultivation in Central Asia and East Africa has provided raw materials for Iran's textile industry.

How many goods did we export to the Ottomans?

The Minister of Commerce and Industry standing beside him immediately said, "Shah, last year we exported 150 million riyals worth of goods to the Ottomans."

This amount was too small, and seeing that it couldn't afford to offend Europe, the Ottomans could only try to undermine Iran. They made things difficult for Iranian merchants in every way, so the amount of goods exported to the Ottomans was less than that exported to Arab tribes.

"The Ottomans were still jealous, and their incompetent sultan turned his anger on Iran."

The arrogant Ottomans will eventually be punished, and all forces that hinder Iran's progress will be destroyed. Nasser al-Din could certainly include this in his famous sayings. The current situation is in Iran's favor, and war with the Ottomans must be swift.

Wherever Nasser al-Din went, he was greeted by cheering crowds. Citizens and merchants were grateful to the Shah for protecting their property; farmers were grateful to the Shah for helping them gain land and freedom; soldiers pledged allegiance to the Shah; and religious figures acknowledged the prosperity of Iran under the Shah's rule. It all felt wonderful.

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Meanwhile, in India bordering Iran, the massive uprising was drawing to a close. They had recaptured Delhi. Emperor Bahadur Shah II was captured and subsequently exiled to Burma by the British. The Mughal Empire, whose rule had long existed in name only, had thus officially come to an end.

The most direct result of this uprising was the British government's abolition of the East India Company's management system, placing direct British rule over India. A Secretary of State for India was also appointed to the London Cabinet. However, the consequences of this uprising were enormous; it cost London £4800 million to suppress it, further jeopardizing the already strained government finances. To recoup their losses, they began to exploit India extensively.

To maximize land tax extraction, Britain adopted a short-term tax farming system with terms of five years, three years, or even one year. Some land was contracted to the original owners, while others were contracted out through open bidding, regardless of the original ownership relationship, resulting in a sharp increase in tax rates. Few of the original Chamingdals were able to complete their tax payment tasks on time. As a result, the tax farming rights quickly fell into the hands of those with more ruthless methods of extortion, mostly merchants, former Chamingdal stewards, and former company employees.

To recoup their losses, they used every possible method to extort money. They implemented a system of collective punishment, stipulating that rent owed by fleeing households would be borne by those who did not flee, and those who could not pay taxes would have their oxen and farm tools confiscated and their property seized. Beatings were also a frequent tactic; some were deliberately whipped in front of their fathers, or in front of their sons, while others were tied up and left to bake in the midday sun.

Even so, it wasn't enough; collecting taxes from India would still take time. This meant more investment opportunities and markets. The Qing Dynasty had already further opened its ports, leaving only the Dark Continent of Africa and the New World as remaining options.

Just when things seemed to be going well, the London government received a letter from the Mexican National Army government, from Lawrence Davis, who claimed to be the only legitimate president of Mexico, requesting British support.

Palmerston convened another cabinet meeting to discuss the situation. The Mexican National Government now controls large swathes of land in the north and is advancing towards Mexico City. The conservative government is helpless; everything seems to be settled.

This is done in order to gain international support, and as the most powerful country in the world, Britain naturally became the first to request support.

"We need to create a pro-British government in Mexico, and we need the local silver mines and farmland."

More importantly, Mexico could also serve as a powerful weapon against the United States.

The last point is true: Britain needed to contain American growth. It harbored resentment towards the United States for its role in excluding British influence in the Americas during the Founding War and the Second Anglo-American War. Therefore, supporting countries hostile to the United States was crucial, and Mexico was an ideal target.

The Second War broke out in 1812. The Americans appeared aggressive, but their actual fighting strength was only average. They initially gained some advantages, inflicting repeated defeats on the British navy and the Anglo-Canadian land forces. However, the American military's stamina was lacking; their initial offensive was impressive, but ultimately they were outmatched. The war dragged on intermittently until August 1814. Seeing that Napoleon's power was waning, Britain turned its attention to the United States, intensifying its military campaign and severely damaging Washington, D.C., and burning the White House.

But the growing power of the United States made Britain uneasy; if things continued this way, they would have no presence in the New World.

“That’s right, we must support Mexico. For the glory of the British Empire, the United States must be weakened.”

With the policy in place, Britain officially announced its recognition of the Mexican National Government. France, Spain, and Austria followed suit, as Mexico owed these three countries a large sum of money. And it seemed the other side intended to lend more, which would give them an opportunity to control the Mexican economy.
Under these circumstances, a change of government in Mexico is only a matter of time; it just depends on when the conservatives will surrender.

(End of this chapter)