Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 224 Going to the Countryside

Naser al-Din was oblivious to the roars from Istanbul; he simply proceeded with his planned inspection of important factories, schools, and government buildings in Tabriz. The Shah was warmly welcomed wherever he went.

With Shah's encouragement, Tabriz's development has progressed more smoothly. Some problems have been addressed or resolved immediately with Shah's assistance. Reporters accompanied him, taking photos, and Shah interacted with the public—what an interesting topic!

"Shah, you should go back and rest. You can head to Yerevan the day after tomorrow."

Naserdin was reading the newspaper in the carriage; it was full of news about him in various places. But he felt something was missing.

Which is the nearest village?

Although I don't know why the Shah asked this, I still gave an answer.

“Shah, it’s Hawami.”

"Then let's go there tomorrow."

There's no problem with that; Shah can go wherever he wants, and the government won't interfere. But it's quite unusual for Shah, who has always lived in the city, to go to the countryside.

Naser al-Din's trip wasn't just about visiting; he also brought some things for the farmers. Nothing expensive was needed, just some basic necessities.

The next day, Naser al-Din arrived at Hawami village with a group of officials. The village chief and villagers welcomed him at the village entrance; given that they only had one day, this was already the best they could do.

"Shah!"

Everyone knelt down; in traditional monarchical politics, commoners were required to kneel before the monarch. Furthermore, influenced by Tabriz's industrialization, the locals were thriving by selling agricultural products.

"How have you been these past few years?"

"Everything is fine. If it weren't for your wisdom, we would definitely be forced to leave our homes now."

The village chief's words were partly intended to make the Shah pay more attention to their village, and partly a genuine expression of his feelings. Every family in their village owned their own land, although they had received it from the priests.

With land available, their enthusiasm increased. They also planted some of the various crops needed in the city. The village not only built roads but also a farmers' market where several surrounding villages would sell their produce.

Led by the village chief, Naser al-Din arrived at the farmers' market. Shah's arrival caused the locals who were trading to stop, and they applauded to welcome him.

Naserdin came to a stall with various vegetables, asked about the prices, and then went to the next stall.

"It's quite lively here."

"Yes, during our rest periods, people from even farther places come here to trade."

Everything was delivered to the villagers' homes, bearing the Shah's personal signature. In conversations with the villagers, Nasser al-Din witnessed the adaptability of the working class. After the land reform, farmers were responsible for all aspects of production. They needed to ensure not only income but also survival. Some farmers became wealthy, becoming rich peasants, while others remained poor due to insufficient economic resources. This situation couldn't continue, so some poor farmers began to unite. They produced and sold together, and by the second year, they had accumulated considerable wealth, began purchasing farm tools, and built shops specifically for selling agricultural products.

Seeing the success of this model, the surrounding villagers united to strengthen their ability to withstand risks. Between the limited risk-resistance of small farmers and the land grabbing by landlords, they found a third path that suited them.

"Your current situation proves the enormous advantages of Iranian agriculture, and hopefully this can be promoted throughout the country."

The rural visit was very successful, demonstrating that Shah values ​​both industry and agriculture. Local governments are also beginning to focus on agricultural development, as land and agriculture are the most stable industries before industry.

“Shah, this is a message from Istanbul.”

Naserdin opened it and almost burst out laughing. "Is this all the Ottoman Sultan is capable of? He's incompetent himself but still forces his ministers to come up with solutions."

He was pessimistic about the future of the Ottoman Empire. Although the culture created by the Ottomans was brilliant, it was a thing of the past. And what was even more regrettable was that he was the Shah of Iran.

"A rotting body cannot bloom new flowers, and Ottoman will not have a final burst of glory."

Naserdin continued reading; something seemed amiss with the Ottomans lately. A large number of troops had appeared in Istanbul, supposedly from the Balkans and heading towards Anatolia.

And so they began to take action against them. The Sultan was neither capable nor magnanimous.

"They're just jealous. They can't beat Russia, they can't beat Egypt, they can't even beat Greece. Do they really think they can win by overwhelming the country with their army?"

Now it all comes down to the results of the reforms in both countries: one is an established empire with thirty years of history, the other a new nation with ten years of reforms and less than a century of existence. A war between the two nations is inevitable.

While trade between Iran and the Ottoman Empire has faced some difficulties, it's not entirely nonexistent. Nasser al-Din's real estate investment projects are quite successful. The thieves outside Jerusalem have been eliminated, and the first group of 120 Shia families have settled there, with supporting facilities including a hospital, mosque, and school. Security has also been purchased. Inside the city, he has bought up every available property, including the tombs of the kings.

However, because Jerusalem's value lay primarily in its religious significance, and its economy was even less developed than Gaza's, the Shah did not hesitate when the governor offered an exorbitant price of £80,000, immediately paying a deposit of £30,000. He even said he would give an additional £120,000 if it could restrict Jewish settlement and sell him the land.

Some people think this kind of deal is not worth it, since farming in these places isn't guaranteed to break even. But the Shah doesn't think so. He believes this promised land will one day be overrun by flies, mosquitoes, and rats, and with the support of the big rats, they will enslave the Middle East for decades or even centuries. He's simply eliminating the pests in advance.

However, the local Shia Muslims were overjoyed by the Shah's substantial investments in Jerusalem. The Crescent Diocese was renovated and equipped with schools and hospitals, all provided by the Shah.

In commemoration of the Shah's great kindness, many local Sunni believers converted to Shia Islam. They even took to the streets to celebrate the Shah's birthday with his portrait, but the governor suppressed these actions, as the Ottoman Empire was short of funds and could only make money by allowing him to develop tertiary industries.

In contrast, the Shah was very willing to spend money. He not only maintained the loyalty of the Crescent Moon believers, but he was also relatively tolerant of the Christians and Jews in the city, as long as they maintained their current size. If any group grew larger, then the Shah shouldn't blame them for spending money to reduce the population.

In fact, it's not just Iran; countries like Britain, France, and Russia are also infiltrating Jerusalem. However, their progress is not as good as Iran's because they are genuinely spending money. Such spending is rare even globally, and compared to Jerusalem, other places are their main focus, so their efforts are naturally slower.

(End of this chapter)