Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 39 Visit to Britain
The Persian delegation finally arrived in London, England, after nearly a year.

After leaving Prussia, the delegation visited Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. They met with King William II of the Netherlands, King Leopold I of Belgium, and King Louis Philippe I of France.

Abdullah met with the three monarchs and inspected the local urban system. From France, they observed the developed financial industry, with various banks and insurance companies appearing in Paris. The daily flow of funds exceeded Iran's annual flow, factories were booming, and there was bustling activity everywhere, but there were also many unemployed people in the area.

This phenomenon was indeed quite peculiar, but they hadn't considered anything particularly noteworthy. However, they gleaned an important piece of information from Paris: the most powerful banks on the European continent were owned by Jews. This was impossible in Iran. Although there were Jews in Iran, no Jewish family had become a financial powerhouse. There was one family in Baghdad that might have, but they had fled to India over a decade ago due to a case.

After completing their visits to the three countries, the delegation arrived at their final stop: Britain. As the steamship entered the Thames, Abdullah went up on deck and took a breath of air. He almost vomited; it was too disgusting.

The Industrial Revolution increased productivity, but it also increased pollution. Various types of wastewater were discharged into the Thames River without treatment, and all kinds of household garbage were dumped directly into the river. This led to increasingly serious river pollution, and the subsequent cholera outbreak centered on the Thames claimed many lives, but the government still failed to recognize the pollution problem.

“Is this the allure of industry?” Abdullah murmured to himself.

Unable to breathe any longer, Abdullah quickly went into the cabin to rest. They soon reached the shore, where they were greeted by the Foreign Minister, Earl Aberdeen.

"Welcome to London."

"Hello, Your Excellency"

Nearby, students from Iran also arrived, waving British and Iranian flags to welcome the delegation.

"Look, this is our delegation."

Sadiq waved his flag vigorously. He was studying political economy at Cambridge University and could now communicate in English. The British students at Cambridge were naturally curious about the foreigner wearing a turban, but more than that, they felt an inherent arrogance.

Sadiq and the other Persian students had sensed this situation and could only unite to protect themselves. To better integrate into the local community, they removed their headscarves, still wearing suits, top hats, and bow ties. They looked exactly like Europeans.

Not only Cambridge, but also Oxford and the University of London. During their holidays, they would travel to other places, witnessing the abundance of local knowledge, the advancement of science, and the prosperity of industry, but also the people of slums, polluted rivers and land, and the arrogance and prejudice of the British. Although their attitudes were not pleasant, their navy and industry were indeed among the most advanced in the world.

“Yes, if we can make our country welcome in Europe, then our mission will be accomplished,” Suleiman said from the side.

Abdullah and his delegation departed in a carriage, while the Iranian students went elsewhere; they were going to visit Westminster Abbey in London that day.

Abdullah looked out the window at the scenery; everywhere he looked were people dressed in suits and elegant clothes. Some even carried canes and wore pince-nez glasses. They exuded an air of high society. "Is this what they call civilization?" he wondered.

The Thames and the surrounding scenery complemented each other so much that for a moment he couldn't distinguish what truly represented Britain. But he hadn't forgotten his mission: to secure a place for Iran in British commerce.

Nasserdin understood that only by giving Iran more influence within Britain could he persuade the government to remain neutral or support them. Gaining a foothold in the most important British commercial trade would make things much easier.

A textile exhibition was previously held in Paris, France, and it seemed to be very successful, with many nobles and wealthy people wanting to buy exquisite Persian carpets and silks. Even the gifts given to Queen Victoria this time included these items, as well as saffron from Mazandaran and turquoise from Isfahan. His nephew has certainly gone to great lengths.

The carriage slowly entered the marble arches of Buckingham Palace, the official palace of the British Royal Family. With Queen Victoria's accession to the throne, the Royal Family moved from St. James's Palace to Buckingham Palace, making Victoria the first monarch to reside there.

While the banquet halls retained their opulent, gold-colored interiors, the new facilities introduced to the palace were less lavish in design. According to reports at the time, Buckingham Palace's chimneys frequently emitted large amounts of black smoke, necessitating a reduction in the heat output, resulting in often frigid interiors. Furthermore, the palace's poor ventilation led to a persistent unpleasant odor, and concerns arose that gaslighting would accumulate on lower floors. Some also suggested that the palace staff's laziness and negligence contributed to the palace's unsanitary condition.

After the Queen married in 1840, her husband, Prince Albert, became particularly concerned with the daily lives of his family and staff residing in the palace. He began planning renovations to address the palace's shortcomings. By the end of the year, all the problems had been resolved.

In the banquet hall, Queen Victoria, seven months pregnant, sat on her throne awaiting the Persian envoy, her husband Prince Albert watching over her. This was their fifth child, and the closer she got to her due date, the more careful they needed to be.

Abdullah led the other members of the delegation into the banquet hall, carrying gifts in his hands.

"The Persian envoy, Abdullah, has come to pay his highest respects to Her Majesty Queen Victoria of Great Britain!"

Victoria nodded and had the gifts accepted. However, due to her pregnancy, she left other reception arrangements to Prince Albert, with Prime Minister Peel assisting.

“Your Highness, I have traveled all the way from the Thames and witnessed a scene of great prosperity everywhere I went. Your country has brought about such tremendous changes to the world; you truly deserve to be a leader of the world.”

"You flatter me. The British Empire has gone to great lengths to bring the world into a civilized world. Some countries are stubborn and refuse to accept civilization. But fortunately, they eventually followed in our footsteps."

Prime Minister Peel spoke to Abdullah about the achievements of the British Empire, highlighting that the world's peace was a direct result of their efforts. He argued that only the British Empire could help the world and other nations, and that even in a Europe teeming with powerful nations, Britain was essential for maintaining peace.

(End of this chapter)