Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 303 Accelerating East African Colonization
From his palace in Stone City, Majid bin Saeed gazed at the bustling port, a sight he owed nothing to; it was all built by the Arab Zanzibar nobles and Iranian merchants.

He knew all too well that he was merely a pawn in this power game. Arab princes, with Iranian support, controlled Zanzibar's economic lifeline, while Iranian merchants, through trade and immigration, gradually infiltrated every corner of society. His palace, though resplendent in gold, seemed to mock his incompetence in every single brick. Whenever he attempted to issue decrees or implement policies, the Arab nobles would always use the excuse that "His Majesty the Sultan should focus on religious affairs" to sideline him from power.

Zanzibar's slave trade declined, replaced by clove and entrepot trade. However, these trades remained largely controlled by Iranian merchants. Furthermore, 100% of Zanzibar's kerosene, 35% of its grain, and 66% of its sugar were imported from Iran. As international prices rose, Zanzibar's finances gradually deteriorated.

At this point, Iran intervened. Iranian businessmen gradually gained control of Zanzibar's financial system by providing loans and financial support, making the local economy more dependent on Iranian capital. They also invested in and built handicraft workshops in Zanzibar, such as textiles, ceramics, and metal processing, thereby controlling local industrial production.

Arab nobles controlled Zanzibar's main trade routes, particularly the clove, ivory, and slave trade. Through cooperation with Iranian merchants, they monopolized the port's import and export operations, reaping enormous profits. They also possessed private armed forces that dominated Zanzibar's military system. The Sultan's army was effectively controlled by the Arab princes and unable to act independently.

Zanzibar has effectively become a puppet state of Iran and will soon follow in Oman's footsteps. Meanwhile, Iran's influence in Africa continues.

As the southernmost point of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope has always been a highly valued British colony in Africa. Its importance grew daily due to its control of the only passage between Europe and Asia, and a significant number of British people settled there.

But with a growing population, the desire for expansion arose, and they began encroaching on land to the north. Among them were not only the indigenous people, but also another group of white settlers from elsewhere—the Boers. This word originates from Dutch and means peasant. They were mostly plantation owners who enslaved Black people to work for them.

After Britain abolished slavery in 1834, the Boers began to relocate their families. They knew that revolting would be futile, but to the north lay a vast, uninhabited land. They decided to migrate north.

When they conquered all the land between the Orange River and Limpopo, it marked the final victory of the Great Migration. Now, the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State were established on this land.

Although they have gained independence, their economy relies solely on agricultural exports. Domestic industry is extremely limited, and they are embroiled in conflict with the Zulu Kingdom to the east. The country is essentially stagnant, and it seems only a matter of time before it is annexed by Britain.

Iran's influence in southern Africa is primarily based on trade, with Iranian carpets, textiles, and other goods finding markets there. After numerous discussions with Portugal, the latter finally agreed to allow the free movement of Iranian goods in Mozambique. This liberalization allowed Iranian and Arab merchants to penetrate deeper into the southern region and establish connections with the two Boer states.

"Your Excellency, we have established relations with Transvaal and Orange. What should we do next?"

The civil governor consulted Governor Mahathir on countermeasures. The governor stood on the terrace of the Mogadishu Governor's Palace, overlooking the bustling port. The setting sun cast its golden rays on the sails of Persian merchant ships, their decks piled high with carpets from Isfahan, silks from Shiraz, and copperware from Kerman. These goods were flowing steadily into the inland regions of southern Africa with the tacit approval of the Portuguese. Mahathir walked to a long table covered with maps, his finger lightly tracing the route from Mozambique to Transvaal. "The Boers need our goods, but they need weapons and funds even more. The British are closing in; the Boers won't stand idly by."

Britain must not expand its influence northward. Why should they monopolize all the good things? Besides, they already have India; let's forget about Africa.

“Send someone to tell President Transvaal,” Mahathir told the civil administration official, “that we are willing to provide more funds and technology to help them build a railway to Mozambique. But on the condition that they allow our businessmen to move freely inland.”

The Chief Administrator nodded and took notes, then asked, "How should we respond if the British exert further pressure?"

Mahathir smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on the surging Indian Ocean outside the window. "The British think they control the seas, but they've forgotten that the deserts and grasslands are our true domain. Let the Boers be our shield; that's how we can maximize their effectiveness."

Although the vast African interior remains to be explored, Iran's pace has caught up with that of Britain and France. The discovery of Lake Naser al-Din also shocked the world, and after years of exploration, European countries unanimously agree that Lake Naser al-Din is currently the largest lake in Africa.

Following this, the Iranian expedition ventured further inland and discovered Lake Darius (Lake Tanganyika). The surrounding flora and fauna were incredibly rich, but the climate was simply too hot. By the time they reached Lake Darius, more than half of the team had contracted malaria, and venturing any deeper would likely have been fatal. Therefore, they had to halt their exploration.

But their journey couldn't stop there; the expedition team was searching for ways to overcome malaria. They finally learned of a drug called quinine, originally from South America, which could treat malaria.

Therefore, the governor decided to build a quinine production factory in Mombasa and try to introduce cinchona trees. If successful, this would be a great step forward for Iran.

At this time, the immigrant population in East Africa, combined with the local population, had reached over a million. Most of them were producing raw materials for Iran in Somalia, and sometimes, due to excessive exploitation, tax resistance incidents occurred. However, these were all suppressed. But the previous governor requested the establishment of a symbolic parliament in the area, but was subsequently recalled to Iran, and Mahathir became the governor.

Establishing a parliament in Africa is highly impractical, unless it's in a very remote area. Why would someone so close establish a parliament before their homeland? Besides, India doesn't have a parliament, yet it still provides funding to Britain. Iran has provided so much infrastructure and shown compassion to the local people; how can they not be grateful?

(End of this chapter)