Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 318 Small Conflict

Beneath the walls of Tashkent, tens of thousands of Iranian soldiers are preparing for battle. They are looking westward, their target being Kokand, the capital of the Kokand Khanate.

"The corruption of Kokand has plunged the local people into misery. They have colluded with Russia to sabotage and attempt to permanently occupy this beautiful land. We cannot let their scheme succeed."

Yahya was mobilizing the army for war, and the major case in Herat also implicated Transoxiana. The arrest of nine officials made the Shah realize that Russia was about to intervene, and he could not wait for the Transoxiana remediation to show results. He directly ordered Yahya to send troops to take down Kokand.

The departure of 1.8 people in a grand procession caused concern among the Russian governor. His brow was furrowed, and he nearly crushed the pipe in his hand.

“1.8 men… He’s serious.” The governor murmured to himself, then ordered the defenses of Kokand to be strengthened and urgently requested aid from St. Petersburg.

Upon learning of the approaching Iranian army, the ruler of Kokand, Mara Beg, panicked. His court was deeply divided, with many nobles secretly colluding with Russia. The pro-Russian nobles, led by Chancellor Mohammad Bey, had already secretly reached an agreement with the Russian governor to surrender to Russia when the Iranian army drew near, in order to preserve their status and wealth.

However, because Iran is closer, local merchants and people tend to align themselves with Iran. Moreover, Iran's promise to protect commercial interests is more advantageous than Russian rule.

Furthermore, the merchants and ordinary people of Kokand were already dissatisfied with the monarch's corrupt rule. The arrival of the Iranian army gave them hope for a change in the status quo.

On June 8, Yahya's army departed from Tashkent. On the 11th, they breached the first line of defense in Kokand, and on the 15th, another army entered Andijan, where the local people welcomed the arrival of the Iranian troops.

Within Kokand, the monarch's rule was crumbling. Merchants and commoners were secretly organizing an uprising, preparing to open the city gates when the Iranian army arrived. His confidants attempted to suppress the rebellion, but their actions only exacerbated the conflict. Many soldiers also defected and joined the rebels.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Beg sent a special envoy to Yahya's camp to request peace talks. Yahya only offered them one condition: surrender the city and they would all go to Tehran to live a life of luxury.

Berg was at a loss; he sought support from Russia, but they refused to come. He also lacked control over his ministers within the government.

I'll just vote; at least I can save my life.

On June 28, Kokand was opened to the world, and Yahya led his army to occupy it. With this, all the khanates in Central Asia were destroyed, and their territory was divided between Iran and Russia.

Many Kokand nobles chose to pledge allegiance to Iran, while others opted to leave Kokand and seek refuge in Russia or elsewhere. Merchants and farmers welcomed the arrival of the Iranian army, believing that their lives would improve under Iranian rule.

Yahya did not linger in Kokand. Leaving 6000 troops behind, he quickly led the rest of his army north to the Syr Darya River, where Russian troops were waiting for them.

At this time, on the banks of the Syr Darya, Iranian troops once again crossed the river to conduct reconnaissance. The garrison stationed in Kyzylorda directly drove them away, euphemistically calling it a martial arts exchange between soldiers of the two countries on the border.

Look, a burly Iranian soldier calmly dodged a hook punch from a tall Russian soldier. He then delivered a swift backhand punch, kissing his opponent's cheek. The Russian soldier, unable to withstand the blow, immediately collapsed to the ground, unable to get up. Due to the lack of a referee, the match was filled with all sorts of actions: grabbing waists, gouging eyes, pulling ears, spitting—you name it. Ultimately, however, the Iranian soldier won the match.

But judging from the defiant look in the Russian team's eyes, they may have a second match to play.

Some Russian soldiers, unwilling to accept defeat, took up arms. The victorious side, naturally, wouldn't allow their opponents to be so arrogant and immediately followed suit. It's unclear who fired the first shot, or if it was an accidental discharge, but the hand-to-hand combat quickly escalated into a full-blown war.

The soldiers, who had been fighting hand-to-hand, immediately went into battle mode. Iranian soldiers quickly took up advantageous positions and used the riverbank for cover to retaliate.

Although the Russian defenders had a numerical advantage, they were caught off guard and their formation was chaotic. Their commanders attempted to organize a counterattack, but were suppressed by the Iranian soldiers' firepower and unable to raise their heads.

A single misfire could escalate into a war, and Iran is not afraid; they are prepared to fight to the death. But Russia needs to consider that its finances and social recovery may return it to bankruptcy.

The conflict between Iran and Russia is insignificant to the rest of Europe. While some newspapers worry that it could disrupt the current peaceful environment, this is merely public opinion and should not be taken seriously.

Although Russia possesses a powerful military presence in Central Asia, its financial situation is far from optimistic. Prolonged wars and internal reforms have emptied the treasury, and social contradictions are increasingly acute. Alexander II convened an emergency meeting in St. Petersburg to discuss whether to continue sending troops. Many ministers believed that a conflict with Iran could plunge Russia into a financial crisis.

The pro-war faction, led by Army Minister Dmitry, insisted that Russia could not afford to appear weak in Central Asia. They advocated for an immediate troop reinforcement to completely defeat the Iranian army in order to maintain Russia's hegemony in Central Asia.

The Finance Minister strongly opposed further troop increases. He pointed out that Russia's finances were already on the verge of collapse, and another large-scale war could lead to the complete collapse of the domestic economy.

Alexander II was caught in a dilemma. He ultimately decided on a compromise: to temporarily halt the troop buildup, but strengthen border defenses, while simultaneously putting pressure on Iran through diplomatic means.

The Russian government immediately contacted the British and French ambassadors to Russia, requesting their mediation. At the same time, it sent a note to Iran demanding the withdrawal of Iranian troops from the Syr Darya region, or face full-scale Russian retaliation.

Britain and France responded coldly to Russia's request for mediation. They preferred to see Russia and Iran wear each other down in Central Asia, thereby weakening both countries' influence. Britain, in particular, while feeling apologetic to Russia, genuinely needed to weaken Iran at this time.

In contrast, Austria immediately offered its support to Iran. Since they had already broken ties with Russia, they figured they might as well make a bigger splash. Furthermore, to demonstrate its support, the Austrian government also provided Iran with a batch of arms, although Iran couldn't use these weapons due to their different calibers, it was still clear that it was a gesture of goodwill.

As for Prussia, another major power, it merely offered a brief appeal for peace. They had no interest in Central Asia; their primary concern was the unification of Germany.

(End of this chapter)