Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 40 Deep Water Zone

"Our country appreciates your country's mediation in the disputes with Oman and the Ottoman Empire, and values ​​your country's interests in India. Our two countries can cooperate on the peace in India."

Abdullah knew that to get Britain to take Iran seriously, they had to target their most important territory: India.

As the jewel in the crown, India provides Britain with substantial profits and markets every year. Textile production in places like Manchester severely impacted India's textile industry, while locally produced cotton, indigo, and other raw materials flowed continuously into Britain, making it a vital raw material market for the country.

"Your country is indeed a friend of the British Empire. Her Majesty the Queen will certainly support your actions. I hope that our two countries can coexist peacefully and build a better future together."

The group chatted amiably, with Abdullah lavishly praising Britain's greatness and extolling the threat posed by Russia. Britain would never allow anything to happen to India, therefore, Persia, bordering both India and Russia, was an entity Britain needed to support.

Today, Abdullah will stay at Buckingham Palace, while the other members of the delegation will go to other places to see what they can learn from the world's most advanced countries.

News of the Persian delegation's arrival in Britain spread throughout London's upper class. They had met the Ottoman delegation once before and wanted to see what the Persians were like this time.

Abdullah met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Mayor of London, and others, and also visited Westminster Abbey and other places. The scene on the Thames was now completely forgotten; the world here was so advanced, even more so than France.

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At the Tabriz training grounds, a group of soldiers are conducting their daily training.

"Please take a look, Your Excellency. This is our country's new army. What do you think?"

Moltke looked at the new Persian army and compared them to the new Ottoman army. According to Amir's introduction, the new Persian army and the new Ottoman army were not much different in terms of salary and equipment, but the training level was still inferior, because this army started training more than ten years later than the Ottoman army.

"In my opinion, your country's army is still insufficient; it needs more training and more soldiers. What we have now is not enough."

"This is also the reason why the governor invited you here. He hopes that you can train a powerful army."

Moltke knew this would happen when he received the orders from the General Staff in Rome. Several years earlier, he had served as a military advisor to the Ottomans, assisting the Sultan in training his army. He had spent two years in Constantinople, learning Turkish and surveying the city, the Bosphorus, and the Dardanelles. He had traversed Wallachia, Bulgaria, and Rumilia, and made numerous other journeys along both sides of the straits.

He also personally led troops to fight against Muhammad Ali, conducting extensive reconnaissance and surveys, traveling thousands of miles on horseback. He sailed the turbulent Euphrates River and visited and mapped many regions of the Ottoman Empire. In 1839, the army marched south to fight the Egyptians, but as the enemy approached, the general refused to heed Moltke's advice, resulting in defeat. He was later awarded the Order of the Ottomans, but his patron, Sultan Mahmud II, had died, so he returned to Berlin.

Unlike other generals, Moltke was fascinated by railways and was one of the first directors of the Hamburg-Berlin Railway. In 1843, he published an article entitled "What Should Be Considered When Deciding on the Choice of Railway Routes?" Even before Germany began building its first railways, he had noted their military potential and urged the General Staff to support their construction for mobilization and logistical reasons. Now he had arrived in Persia to begin serving his new nation.

Now, Amir and the governor behind him are willing to give him more power to reform. There are currently weapons factories here, and equipment is plentiful. According to the governor's orders, the force will be expanded to 35,000 men in the future; this is Moltke's next task.

"Please tell the Governor that since he specifically asked me to hire him, I will certainly not let him down."

But he couldn't let his employer down; the governor was paying him double the salary the Ottomans paid him. It was definitely worth it. Amir nodded and left the training ground, leaving Moltke to continue studying the army and devising a suitable expansion plan.

Amir returned to the governor's residence, where Nasser al-Din was having lunch. It was potato dumplings made from cultivated potatoes, a dish that originated in the German region in the 17th century and was introduced to Iran along with potatoes.

"The teacher is here. Come and try this potato dumpling. It goes very well with the sauce."

The servant placed a plate of potato dumplings in front of Amir. He took a small bite and found them quite delicious.

"Your Highness, General Moltke has already begun his work."

"Yes, with him around, our army can train even better."

Naserdin had no doubts about Molch; his genuine talent and ability could help the Iranian army conduct further training.

"These things cost a lot of money, so they must be effective. Also, how's the preparation for the tutoring center going?"

"The final steps are complete. The first batch of 50 people will study at the tutoring center for six months, then take an exam, and those who pass will enter government jobs."

Government-run tutoring centers were established to cultivate new talent. With the increasing number of institutions, a constant supply of new personnel is essential for their smooth operation. These tutoring centers are specifically designed to train such individuals. They are divided into four disciplines: politics, finance, business, and transportation, offering various specialized knowledge education. The first batch of students studies for six months to assess progress, followed by a two-year program.

Naser al-Din has also been working to reform the bureaucracy in the past two years. He has repeatedly issued orders to prohibit extortion of the people and dismissed a number of officials, while increasing their salaries to improve their motivation.

"Everything should still be aimed at making the country rich and powerful. If the army is not strong and the country is not wealthy, it will be bullied by foreign countries."

Naser al-Din spoke to Amir, who listened attentively. Making the nation strong had always been the primary goal, so the reforms of recent years had been driven by the government. To raise awareness of the power of modern industry, the governor approved the decision to hold a trade fair in Tabriz.

The expo is jointly organized by the government and the Confederation of Industries, with a budget of 10 riyals. Extensive promotion has begun, and it is expected to be a grand event on opening day.

"Your Highness is right. Also, what are Your Highness's thoughts on Prince Shahjan's return to Tehran?"

Nasser al-Din knew that returning to Tehran was to support his father, who was under even more pressure than he was, so he needed the army to come back with him.

"I'll go back in a few months, which will take at least two months. By then, I'll leave the matter of Tabriz to the teacher."

Amir agreed, and now the reforms must continue. Nasser al-Din is going to Tehran, and Tabriz needs him to maintain it; it cannot be abandoned halfway.

(End of this chapter)