Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 253 Treaty of Baghdad

This peace talk was between Iran and the Ottoman Empire in Baghdad. Europe preferred to resolve the Balkan issues and planned to discuss them with the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. They had little interest in Iran and the Ottoman Empire.

A massive construction boom was underway in Baghdad, and some wealthy merchants and nobles, having learned that the Shah intended to make Baghdad the new capital of Iran, sent their construction companies to the area to develop projects and profit from the construction.

In fact, it's not just Baghdad; Basra, Mosul, and other places are also preparing for construction. It is expected that railway and highway construction plans will be announced, which will definitely involve huge investments – that's a lot of money!

Reshid was filled with mixed emotions as he saw construction taking place throughout Baghdad. These places had originally been theirs, and now, it seemed they would have to hand them over to others.

The surrounding Iranians, watching the carriage bearing the Ottoman flag, hurled insults at the Ottoman envoys and clamored for a march into Istanbul to capture the Ottoman Sultan alive. At that moment, the Ottoman delegation realized that Iran was a far more formidable adversary than Egypt.

The governor's residence in Baghdad was chosen as the venue for the negotiations. A meeting room had been cleared out, with a table and chairs on either side. Reshid still hoped to turn the tide through negotiations, but his opponent was Amir, who had been in power for ten years.

"Lord Raythed!"

"Grand Vizier!"

The two shook hands in a gesture of goodwill, because this atmosphere would disappear once negotiations began.

"I never expected that the two countries would negotiate again in this form."

Amir smiled and said, "Don't worry, you are welcome to travel to Iran anytime you wish, just to change your mood."

The banter ended there, and everyone went into the meeting room to begin the peace talks that would change the Middle East.

Amir made numerous demands of Reshid, which can be summarized as follows.

First, the Ottoman Empire needed to cede all territory east of the Euphrates River and Tonjeli, including cities such as Trabisun and Baghdad. The Ottoman Empire had to withdraw all military and religious personnel from the designated area; local officials could withdraw after receiving their state mandates.

Secondly, taking into account factors such as ethnicity and religion, the people in the aforementioned regions have one month of freedom of choice. They are free to choose the country they want to go to, and the new government of the region must not use threats or intimidation to prevent them.

Third, the Ottoman Empire needs to compensate Iran with 7000 million rials as compensation for its losses.

Fourth, the Ottoman Empire must open Ankara and Damascus as treaty ports. Import and export tariffs on Iranian goods must not exceed 5%.

Fifth, allow Iran to set up factories within Ottoman territory.

Of course, there were also treaties concerning the exchange of prisoners of war and the taking of losses. These sixteen articles in total constituted the outcome of this peace negotiation.

Reshid Pasha read very slowly, and frequently asked questions when he didn't understand something. Amir just waited quietly.

"Regarding the compensation, could you reduce it a bit?" "No."

"Is there still room for negotiation?"

Reshid Pasha had by this time abandoned wrangling with Iran over territorial issues and was now focused on securing reparations.

"Forgive my bluntness, but if it were our country that had failed today, your situation would likely be far more dire."

Amir points out the key issue: in this situation, it is extremely difficult for the defeated nation to fight for its interests. Unless it has the support of other countries or experiences a sudden and dramatic reversal on the battlefield, they have no choice but to accept it.

“Sign it; at least it’s acceptable for now. If you can’t make the decision, then the Shah will personally take the treaty to your capital and negotiate with your Sultan.”

This carried a direct threat, forcing Reshid Pasha to act quickly. Before leaving the capital, he received the Sultan's message: the land was lost, and efforts should be made to prevent further damage to the Ottoman Empire elsewhere.

"Then, regarding the Balkan issue, we hope your country will not interfere."

A sudden remark shifted the negotiations to the western issue. Reshid Pasha knew perfectly well that the situation in the Balkans was inseparable from Iran's instigation, so he could only ask Iran not to interfere in the western issue after getting what it wanted.

"What are you talking about? Our country hasn't even finished dealing with things here, how can we have the spare capacity to go to other places?"

Amir wasn't particularly interested in the Balkans, and the possibility of Bulgaria becoming semi-independent seemed slim. The Ottomans could still defeat them, and Iran's current focus was on developing new territories, so it wanted to avoid the Balkan issue if possible.

"Since that's the case, then for the sake of peace, I have no choice but to sacrifice myself."

Reshid Pasha signed his name on the treaty. The negotiations lasted only five hours, and the final result was a settlement of 5 million riyals in kind as reparations. This was still a significant step forward.

On October 30, 1858, Iran and the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of Baghdad in Baghdad. The treaty formally ceded the territory east of the Euphrates-Tunjeli line to Iran, along with an indemnity of 65 million rials, to be paid in eight installments over seven years. After the first installment was paid, the remaining amount would accrue interest at 5% per annum.

Furthermore, numerous facilitations for trade and personnel exchanges were stipulated in the treaty. From February 27th to the present, this war has lasted a total of eight months and three days. Its impact on the Middle East has been extremely significant.

Iran has gained a decisive advantage in the tripartite power struggle, achieving what neither Egypt nor the Ottoman Empire could. Moreover, it did so without European intervention, through promises of benefits or mutual exploitation, ensuring its own security while pressuring the other side to sign a peace treaty as quickly as possible.

After the peace treaty was signed, Reshid left Baghdad. He also needed the Sultan to ratify the treaty. Meanwhile, Amir relayed the news of the treaty to the Shah in Tabriz. Iran had finally defeated the Ottomans after a century. And it was a complete victory.

Although it didn't reach the Mediterranean, the treaty stipulated that Iran had special interests in Syria, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Mecca, and Yemen. Iranian merchants could move freely in these places, and Shia clerics could preach and build mosques, which was a paradise for Shia clerics.

For both countries, this war marked the success of the Iranian model and the failure of the Ottoman model. Faced with Iran's emphasis on industry and military strength, the Ottoman Empire, neglecting industrial development and focusing solely on the legal system, was naturally no match. The industrial power of both nations also determined that Iran could only emerge victorious. This would likely allow Ottoman scholars to stir up more trouble and destabilize the country, something Iran was happy to see.

(End of this chapter)