Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 268 Club Activities (Part 1)

As 1859 dawned, the world was welcoming the new year. The two wars of the previous year had altered the landscape of Europe and the Middle East, and had also had a significant impact on the countries involved.

In a house in southern Tehran, a dozen or so people were discussing something. Most of them were young people in their twenties, and they were talking about something important.

"Iran cannot continue like this. The country is ruled by its people. Power must be returned to the people."

"That's right!"

The crowd discussed the issue at length, and the consensus was the same: they wanted to establish a parliament and demand freedom of speech.

The war brought considerable benefits to Iran, but it also revealed its other side. Prices rose and taxes increased, but the lives of ordinary people did not improve with the gains from the war; only factory owners and nobles benefited.

Under such circumstances, only by reducing the burden on the people and establishing a parliament can Iran return to its golden age.

To achieve this goal, they joined the Progressive Association and participated in a petition to the Shah, but both efforts failed. This led them to believe that more radical measures were needed to achieve their objective, so they withdrew from the Progressive Association and discussed the situation in this small house.

"Although the country defeated the Ottomans under the wise leadership of the Shah, the domestic problems could not be solved by war. The number of poor people in Tabriz and Tehran was increasing, and deception was rampant, all of which was caused by the lack of a national parliament to oversee the situation."

Akbar, a journalist for the Tehran Daily, outlined his vision: Britain's strength stemmed from its parliament and civilian government, while Russia's decline was due to its authoritarianism. Iran is currently in the process of transitioning from authoritarianism to a constitutional monarchy, but some are unwilling to do so, and their mission is to push this process forward.

“That’s right, what we want now is to make Iran great again, and the prerequisite for doing so is to open a parliament,” another person, Badner, said.

The discussion below was lively, but Akbar waved for quiet and continued speaking.

"To achieve this goal, we formed the Liberal Party here. We are not against Shah; we are simply trying to make this country a better place."

These words were met with thunderous applause from the audience. They had come together for this very goal, and in this era of frequent association formation, it took considerable courage to establish a club.

Akbar announced the operating rules of the Freedom Party, an association dedicated to achieving a national constitution, supporting freedom of speech and free trade, and demanding relief for farmers. They also support Iran's external expansion and its position in the Middle East.

While the majority of Iran's economic development in recent years has benefited the upper classes, it has also brought advantages to the lower classes. Especially with the government and media's promotion of nationalism, it has penetrated deeply into all parts of Iran.

Unlike European nationalism, Iranian nationalism advocates that all ethnic groups in the Middle East are one family, including those in the Arabian Peninsula, Transoxiana, Iran, Syria, Jerusalem, and Afghanistan. These regions were all once under the rule of the Iranian Empire, and naturally, all of them are Iranian, only separated due to historical factors.

These people weren't necessarily against the war, but they believed the government was using it to divert public attention. They also supported Iran's expansionist policies. "Alright, folks," they said, "the nation cannot remain under European oppression for long. We created a glorious civilization and established the world's first nation spanning three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—while Europe was then considered barbaric. Now they've risen above us. As Iranians, we cannot tolerate this."

Moreover, my country's population increases significantly every year. No matter how vast the territory, there will always be people who emigrate. As true patriots, we cannot ignore this. Therefore, I believe that my country's territory is still insufficient.

As he spoke, Badner produced a map he had drawn. A vast area, stretching from the Balkans in the west to the Indus River in the east, was depicted as belonging to Iran.

"The Ottomans were just a small tribe that gained their current status by fawning over the former Roman Empire and then betraying it. But the world is fair, and their demise is not far off."

……

Furthermore, Russia in the north also rose to power using the same methods as the Ottomans, seizing vast territories through sheer luck. This even included Azerbaijan and Transoxiana within our borders, which, fortunately, were reclaimed under the Shah's leadership. We must never let them leave again.”

The Ottoman Empire and Russia, Iran's two arch-enemies, have now suffered their just deserts. But this is not enough; only their complete annihilation can bring Iran true security.

After the cheers subsided, Akbar continued.

"Of course, our future is bright, but the road is destined to be tortuous. There are still some regions under the rule of other countries, so we need to create favorable conditions for the country to seize these regions at a lower cost. In these regions, we also need to deal with them flexibly according to the situation. Although we want these regions to return, we cannot make enemies on all sides, so the choice is very important."

Of course, all of this requires us to influence the government through our political power. I urge all like-minded friends here that we must unite. We need to make our voices heard and attract the people with our lofty goals. For this, we need our own newspapers and our own organizations. We should let the world see the strength of Iran.”

These words brought the conference to a climax. Those present expressed their views on forming a political force. Generally, everyone was happy to see it, as it would allow more people to hear their voices.

On January 22, 1859, the Liberal Party, composed mainly of journalists and intellectuals, was founded. Akbar became its first leader.

At this time, with the rise of the newspaper industry, the Liberal Party also established the Liberal Press as its official newspaper. Its platform was to expand civil rights, establish a constitutional monarchy, and support national expansion.

In its first issue, the Freedom Party voiced its opinion, arguing that the current Council of Experts was not elected by the entire nation and therefore did not represent the will of the Iranian people. It advocated for establishing a fully constitutional monarchy, modeled after the British system.

At the same time, they also put forward one of their most radical claims for territorial expansion: to overlap the territories of the Achaemenid and Abbasid dynasties to form a super-large state. Iran is inclusive; regardless of language or religion, as long as someone lives on Iranian territory, they are Iranian.

(End of this chapter)