Mohammad Shah Qajar could sense the host’s ill intentions, but he bit his tongue and held his ground.
“As neighboring powers, Britain and Russia naturally hope our two states coexist peacefully,” the Shah stated firmly.
“However, if the Sublime Porte continues pushing us around, Persia will defend its sovereign rights, even if it means total war.” Mustafa Reşid Pasha hadn’t anticipated such backbone from the sickly monarch, but fortunately, he came prepared with a backup plan.
He glanced over at Grand Vizier Haji Mirza Aghasi sitting nearby.
Before the official audience, Mustafa Reşid Pasha had met privately with Aghasi and slipped him a bribe of twenty tumans.
Knowing it was his moment to earn his keep, Aghasi leaned in to advise his master.
“Your Majesty, we ought to wrap up these negotiations quickly.
If we drag this out, Britain and Russia will step in to meddle.” Mohammad Shah stared at his Grand Vizier in stony silence.
Instead of answering, he dismissed Mustafa Reşid Pasha back to his quarters, then whipped around and blew his top at Aghasi.
“Is Persia expected to bow to every Ottoman demand and hand over land carved out by our ancestors, just to avoid a fight?” “Your Majesty, have you forgotten the disaster at Herat?” Aghasi pleaded back.
The Shah had launched two failed military campaigns to capture Herat, even sending envoys to King Louis-Philippe I of France to seek an alliance.
Both sieges collapsed in embarrassing defeat, severely damaging relations with Great Britain—a breach the court had only recently managed to patch up.
The argument triggered a vicious flare-up of Mohammad Shah’s chronic gout, leaving him coughing so hard he lost his voice completely.
With the king incapacitated, the Grand Vizier took full charge of the treaty negotiations.
Seeing Persia in an even weaker state than Egypt, the Ottoman envoy pressed his advantage with newfound swagger.
Still, Mustafa Reşid Pasha knew better than to push the court to a complete breaking point, lest foreign powers intervene.
The next morning, Mustafa Reşid Pasha offered a compromise: the Sublime Porte would put territorial claims over Sulaymaniyah and the Shatt al-Arab waterway on hold, provided Persia reined in its merchants for disrupting Ottoman markets.
In return, the Ottoman Empire promised to guarantee safety and lodgings for Shia pilgrims traveling to Mecca for the Hajj.
Aghasi worked overtime to sell the deal to the Shah, mostly because signing the treaty meant another sixty tumans in his personal pocket.
He needed this treaty signed, sealed, and delivered to secure his payout.
After weeks of diplomatic posturing, Naser al-Din’s loan request and Minister Justin Sheil’s official dispatch finally reached London, landing right on a desk in 10 Downing Street.
Prime Minister Robert Peel carefully reviewed the detailed report submitted by Sheil.
In his dispatch, Sheil urged Her Majesty’s government to ramp up financial and military backing for Persia.
The Ottoman Empire alone couldn’t hold off Russia’s push toward warm-water ports; Britain had already bailed out the Porte against Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt, and constantly deploying troops to save Istanbul was unsustainable.
Persia held a crucial geopolitical position right on India’s doorstep.
If Russia gobbled up Persia, British India would face a direct military threat.
Therefore, Sheil recommended encouraging an Ottoman-style Tanzimat reform movement in Persia, supporting the local administration to build a defensive buffer against Tsar Nicholas I.
“This is a well-crafted dispatch,” Peel remarked to his assembled cabinet.
“Safeguarding India remains our top national priority, especially given Russia’s aggressive moves in the region.” Foreign Secretary George Hamilton-Gordon, the 4th Earl of Aberdeen, took the floor to analyze the diplomatic landscape.
Colleagues often described Lord Aberdeen as cultured, deeply religious, cautious, and impeccably mannered, if a bit rigid in his ways.
During his previous stint as Foreign Secretary, he had overseen Greek independence and settled tricky border disputes between British North America and the United States.
“Gentlemen, we must recognize the deep-seated rivalries between Persia, the Ottomans, and Russia,” Lord Aberdeen explained.
“The Ottomans and Persians are locked in friction over Baghdad, while Russia has carved away massive chunks of Persian territory.” “Blocking Russian expansion into the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean is our core policy, but we must balance regional powers carefully,” Aberdeen added.
“The goal is to make Persia work in our favor without driving them into an open conflict.” Aberdeen noted that while Anglo-Persian relations had taken a hit after the Herat siege, Britain shouldn’t miss a chance to put a wrench in Russia’s plans.
“What are your thoughts, Lord Stanley?” Peel turned to the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, Edward Smith-Stanley.
Lord Stanley leaned forward.
“Gentlemen, Persia’s strategic location is undeniable.
However, if war erupts between Persia and the Ottomans down the road, we must consider whether Britain wants to get dragged into saving Istanbul all over again.” The cabinet agreed that future clashes between the Ottomans and Persia were almost inevitable.
Maintaining a delicate balance of power while earning the respect of both courts was a tough diplomatic tightrope, yet they reached a consensus: helping Persia modernize was a smart move to block Russian expansion.
“Gentlemen, history proves our balance-of-power strategy works,” Peel declared smoothly.
“We backed Prussia in the Seven Years’ War, supported Russia against Napoleon, and recently backed the Ottomans against Egypt.” “It’s through this leadership that global peace holds, and Great Britain is destined to guide nations into the modern era—not just the Ottomans, Persians, and Egyptians, but desert tribes and the Qing Dynasty alike.” The mention of Qing China brought smiles around the room.
Thanks to Her Majesty’s firm stance in the Opium War, Britain had secured massive commercial concessions in the Far East, proving the future belonged to the British Empire.
As for Naser al-Din’s machinery order, the Chancellor of the Exchequer approved the purchasing agreement on the spot, authorizing the shipment of industrial goods.
Back in Tabriz, Justin Sheil moved fast to execute the plan.
The selected Persian students were scheduled to depart Tabriz, cross Ottoman territory, and board ships in Istanbul bound for Paris and London, with all expenses footed by the Governor-General’s Office.
Amir Kabir gathered the young scholars before their departure, offering a few words of encouragement.
“Remember, every one of you carries the future of our nation on your shoulders,” Amir Kabir told them.
“Work hard, master your crafts, and make your country proud.” “We won’t let you down, sir!” Sadiq replied enthusiastically.
His friend Suleiman stood beside him, ready for the long journey abroad; Suleiman planned to study international diplomacy in London, while Sadiq focused on modern economics.
With British logistics cleared, 175 ambitious young Persians set off for Europe.
Amir Kabir watched their carriages disappear down the dusty road before turning back toward the governor’s mansion, where a mountain of administrative paperwork was waiting on his desk.
Tabriz was buzzing with new energy, packed with ambitious locals eager to make their mark.
Young men lined up to enlist in the expanding army, while local merchants pooled capital to build modern factories.
Step by step, Azerbaijan was moving forward.