Tehran was the capital of the Qajar dynasty in Persia.
More than sixty years had passed since Agha Mohammad Khan established the dynasty.
More than a decade had passed since the last devastating war with Russia.
Yet, inside the capital, everything seemed completely unchanged.
Tabriz was the grand capital of western Azerbaijan.
It was once the legendary capital of all Persia.
Positioned right on the front lines against the Ottomans and the Russian Empire, it saw constant military action.
Because of these frequent physical exchanges with its neighbors, Tabriz became one of the most progressive cities in Iran.
In the military camp outside the city walls, soldiers were undergoing intense training.
Unlike the main Qajar army, the troops here used modern muskets, artillery cannons, and swords.
“Ready…
release…” Snap…
Snap…
Snap!
The trained musketeers hit the bullseye and cheered loudly.
Watching them from the sidelines, a young man clapped his hands in high satisfaction.
The young man was dressed in a sharp European-style military uniform.
He wore a traditional Qajar noble hat decorated with fine feathers.
A vibrant cat’s-eye ring glittered on his hand.
He radiated aristocratic elegance from head to toe.
“Not bad at all,” the young man said with a smile.
“As expected of the drillmaster you recruited, Lala.” (TN: Lala or Lala-Bashi is a title for prince tutor / teacher) “The training is going exceptionally well.” “Your Highness is far too kind,” his tutor replied smoothly.
“I am simply doing my duty.” Looking out over the rising army, Naser al-Din almost wept.
These were genuine tears of relief after years of struggle.
Bruce had never expected to time travel.
After a sudden accident, he crossed over to 19th-century Persia.
He woke up inside the body of Naser al-Din Mirza, the eldest son of the Shah.
History books often painted a complicated picture of this future king.
Many historians lazily described him as weak and indecisive.
Yet his royal father had appointed him Governor-General of Azerbaijan when he was only ten years old.
To assist the young prince, his trusted tutor Amir Kabir traveled with him to Tabriz.
When Naser al-Din first arrived in Tabriz, the region was severely underdeveloped.
Greedy local officials and conservative nobles blocked every attempt at progress.
It gave the young prince one massive headache after another.
Fortunately, he had an remarkably capable mentor by his side.
Amir Kabir took charge of all external communications and administrative politics.
He helped the prince push through crucial regional reforms.
Naser al-Din still remembered his humble beginnings in the province.
All he had were 1,000 soldiers and 10 tomans—about 5 British pounds—given to him by his father.
With just that meager starting budget, Naser al-Din began his grand journey.
“Based on our current training pace, the troops will be fully ready soon,” Amir reported.
“The only remaining issue is funding…” Naser al-Din nodded, fully aware of the financial reality.
Building a modern army required serious cash.
So did the factories producing muskets and artillery cannons.
Unfortunately, Persia was desperately short of funds.
Peasants were forced to surrender four-fifths of their income to local landlords.
Meanwhile, the wealthy gentry flatly refused to pay their taxes.
This presented a huge obstacle for the young governor.
He was far too young, so none of the entrenched elites took him seriously.
“Let’s head back to the official residence,” Naser al-Din said.
They needed to find a way to raise capital immediately.
Otherwise, the modern army they worked so hard to build would be disbanded.
Back at the governor’s residence, Naser al-Din and Amir sat in their private office.
They racked their brains searching for a financial solution.
Their European military instructor had previously suggested taking out foreign loans for training.
That way, they could at least establish a proper military infrastructure.
“That’s a solid idea,” Naser al-Din admitted.
“But what can we possibly offer as collateral?” “We don’t have any valuable assets to mortgage right now.” As a provincial governor, Naser al-Din owned very little personal property.
However, the growing tax revenue from Azerbaijan offered a glimmer of hope.
When Naser al-Din first became governor, Tabriz was a complete mess.
Crooked tax collectors, decadent nobles, and struggling commoners created an explosive situation.
Fortunately, Amir Kabir had the confidence and skill to handle the crisis.
The young governor was not afraid to take drastic action either.
Upon arriving, Naser al-Din executed a prominent local tax collector.
He officially charged the man with extreme disrespect toward the Shah.
In reality, the man was executed for corruption.
He had been embezzling more than four-fifths of the local tax revenue, handing over only a tiny fraction to the state.
Using corruption as a weapon, Naser al-Din targeted 26 corrupt officials.
He seized a staggering 3 million tomans from their private estates.
(TN: About 1.5 million British Pounds according to the author, idk if this true or not, i’m just a translator not a finance guy) He sent 2 million tomans straight to the royal court in Tehran to keep his father happy.
He quietly kept the remaining 1 million tomans for his own local treasury.
He reported to Tehran that the officials had embezzled the full amount.
This money served as Naser al-Din’s seed capital for military expansion.
Being far away from the emperor’s reach in Tehran gave him immense local authority.
The local gentry, however, were deeply displeased by his ruthless methods.
The economic system of the Qajar dynasty was completely chaotic.
It lacked a unified national market entirely.
Different regions used vastly different currencies and exchange rates.
Coins minted in Tehran held completely different values down in Khuzestan.
Copper coins were routinely traded far below their actual face value.
Silver and gold coins were usually valued at double their intrinsic weight.
To make matters worse, foreign money flooded the local markets.
European, Indian, and Ottoman coins circulated freely, creating massive financial confusion.
Naser al-Din placed his tutor in complete control of the tax system.
Amir Kabir immediately set to work redefining local tax rates.
His goal was to lighten the heavy burden placed on peasant farmers.
The local gentry tried to organize a fierce opposition to these reforms.
However, the crown secured powerful theological support.
The local Shia Ulema publicly declared that Naser al-Din’s actions perfectly matched religious doctrine.
They warned that anyone opposing the prince would be branded a traitor.
It was unclear what secret deal Naser al-Din struck with the Shia clergy to secure their backing.
(TN: Shia is kinda like a Branch of Islam, kinda like Protestan in Christianity) In 19th-century Persia, the clergy functioned as an elite social class.
They were very similar to the Confucian scholars of East Asia.
They managed public education, oversaw local legal matters, and mediated between social classes.
With the powerful backing of the Ulema, Amir’s regional reforms moved forward smoothly.
(TN: Ulema is kinda like religious scholar of islam, kinda like Clergy in Christianity) He first cut local agricultural tax rates to give common farmers relief.
Then he converted several tax categories from crop payments into standardized monetary payments.
This move significantly eased the administrative burden on everyone.
In just one year, Azerbaijan’s total state income increased by fifty percent.
This financial success greatly boosted the enthusiasm of local farmers.
With a stable source of revenue finally secured, the expansion of the new army continued.
“Lala, how much more money do we need to complete the entire plan?” Naser al-Din asked.
The moment the prince raised the question, Amir pulled out his financial ledger.
He immediately presented the exact numbers to the prince.
“Your Highness, according to our master plan, we still need 400,000 tomans.” “That amount will cover the construction of the new artillery foundry and ammunition factory.” “Furthermore, we are preparing to recruit 8,000 new soldiers.” “We will need 16,000 tomans per month just to cover their basic salaries.” “If we include food, lodging, and supplies, operational costs will reach 25,000 tomans per month.” These figures fell entirely within Naser al-Din’s original expectations.
Generating 25,000 tomans a month was manageable with their updated tax revenues.
The real challenge was finding a way to secure the 400,000 tomans needed for factory construction.
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