The Governor of Gilan was the first to relinquish power, handing over his post so quickly that it caught Nasser al-Din completely off guard.
Though a good-natured man, the former governor was also Nasser al-Din’s cousin, a hopelessly weak administrator who had spent his entire tenure being manipulated by local landowning gentry.
“Did he really just hand over the whole province without putting up a fight?” Nasser al-Din asked, still skeptical.
“It’s true, Your Highness; he packed his bags and handed over the keys directly,” his subordinate confirmed.
Nasser al-Din scratched his head in confusion, wondering what was so horribly wrong with Gilan that his cousin couldn’t abandon it fast enough, but he pushed his doubts aside and pressed forward with his administrative takeover anyway.
Although the ambitious railway project had been shelved due to council infighting, the reform momentum proved impossible to stop once it gained traction.
Afghani and his fellow progressives toured the country giving passionate speeches to raise private capital, but most locals had no idea what a steam train was and preferred to sit on their hands.
Raising millions of tumans from scratch seemed like a pipe dream, until an unexpected group of wealthy investors suddenly rode into Tabriz wanting to fund both the railway and new industrial factories.
These investors were expatriate Persian merchants who had spent years trading across the Ottoman Empire, building fortunes in commercial hubs like Trabzon and Istanbul.
Unlike British and French traders, however, these Persians lacked foreign diplomatic protections, leaving them exposed to exorbitant Ottoman taxes, arbitrary fees, and constant hostility from local rivals.
Word reached Trabzon that Tabriz was experiencing a business boom, prompting over a hundred expatriate merchants—specializing in silk, textiles, food products, and freight transport—to pack their bags and head home.
They brought back advanced European machinery along with massive financial reserves previously held in British and Swiss banks across the Levant.
Gathered inside a Tabriz guild hall, the returning traders mapped out their next move over warm tea.
“Tabriz has changed dramatically over the last few years,” remarked Mahmoud, a veteran silk merchant, after inspecting the city.
“The business environment here is actually better than Trabzon right now, and while Russian influence remains an issue, we can definitely build real enterprises here.” “I completely agree,” added Gemar, a prominent textile merchant who had expanded his trade network across Istanbul and the Caucasus.
“If the Crown Prince gives us his official backing, we can turn this province into a commercial powerhouse.” “Then let us draft a formal petition to the Governor’s Office immediately,” suggested Ahmed, a wealthy grain merchant.
“We are caught between Ottoman extortion and foreign monopolies, so our only hope is to unite all Persian merchants and build our own domestic industry.” Ahmed’s call for a unified commercial front drew enthusiastic nods from every corner of the hall.
The group quickly drafted a detailed proposal asking Nasser al-Din to support domestic manufacturing, offering practical market strategies tailored specifically to northern Persia.
They also announced the creation of a modern Chamber of Commerce to foster industrial ventures, pooling 200.000 tumans to build technical training institutes and publish trade newsletters to help local entrepreneurs launch factories.
Traditional trade guilds across the Qajar Dynasty served as the foundation of urban economic life, structured under a strict hierarchy of master artisans (Ustads), senior journeymen (Khalifas), and young apprentices (Shagirds).
Most workshops were tightly guarded family operations, relying entirely on relatives to fill every role from master to apprentice.
By contrast, this newly formed Chamber of Commerce broke away from centuries of medieval guild tradition, marking a massive leap toward free-market capitalism.
Since the newly minted Tabriz Bank was the only modern financial institution in northern Persia, the returning merchants deposited their wealth directly into its vaults.
The sudden deposit influx of nearly a million tumans shocked Lawrence, giving the American banker a mountain of liquid capital to issue fresh commercial loans.
The bank’s expansion dealt a crushing blow to local loan sharks across the city, driving angry mobsters to try to intimidate bank staff until Nasser al-Din sent in his regular army units to wipe out the extortion rings entirely.
With street gangs cleared out, public order improved dramatically, and had the bank offered agricultural loans as well, traditional rural money lenders would have gone completely bankrupt.
Meanwhile, the new gold and silver coins issued by the state bank gradually won over skeptical local shoppers.
Though ordinary citizens still referred to the physical money as “Tumans,” the bank formally stamped the new currency as the Rial.
Supported by the central bank, the Rial steadily replaced debased provincial coins, standardizing regional exchange rates and creating ideal conditions for industrial growth.
Far away in Tehran, after endless diplomatic wrangling, Mohammad Shah and Ottoman Envoy Mustafa Reşid Pasha finally signed a revised peace treaty.
The terms forced Persian merchants in Ottoman lands to obey local laws, while requiring Istanbul to protect Persian Shia pilgrims, though traders were now forced to pay heavy customs tariffs upfront before conducting business.
Signing the humiliating document sent Mohammad Shah into a rage, which promptly triggered another agonizing gout attack.
Damn those Ottomans, the Shah cursed inwardly, clutching his swollen foot.
One day they will pay for squeezing us like this.
“Your Majesty, how should we proceed now?” asked Grand Vizier Haji Mirza Aghasi, standing nervously by the royal bed.
“We can no longer pretend to be blind and deaf to our weakness,” the exhausted Shah wheezed, taking a shallow breath.
“I no longer have the strength or health to restore Persia’s glory, so everything now rests on Nasser al-Din’s shoulders.” The Shah realized his final duty was to protect his heir’s position at all costs, even if it meant ruthlessly purging ambitious royal brothers and uncles who eyed the throne.
“Your Imperial Majesty, British Minister Justin Sheil has arrived for his audience,” an attendant announced softly.
Mohammad Shah smoothed his royal robes, composed his face, and ordered the envoy brought inside.
“Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty,” Sheil bowed politely.
“I trust my visit causes no inconvenience?” “Not at all, Minister,” Mohammad Shah replied smoothly.
“Diplomatic ties between Persia and the British Crown stretch back over two centuries to the reign of Shah Abbas, and we fully intend to maintain peaceful relations and deepen our mutual understanding.” The Shah had summoned the British diplomat because he knew London held the key to securing his son’s succession.
Sheil’s previous trip to Tabriz had signaled clear British interest in backing Nasser al-Din, if only to ensure Tsarist Russia didn’t gobble up northern Persia entirely.
“Your Excellency, our long-standing border dispute with the Sultanate of Oman over the port of Bandar Abbas remains unresolved,” Mohammad Shah noted, getting down to business.
“We would deeply appreciate Great Britain acting as a neutral mediator in the matter.” Knowing London never granted diplomatic favors for free, the Shah quickly sweetened the pot.
“Naturally, my court is prepared to expand commercial agreements with Britain and place 200 million tumans in industrial import orders.” “Furthermore, we are eager to cooperate on stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, as I deeply regret our past conflict there—it was a tragic mistake that should never have happened.” Watching the frail monarch wipe away a tear over the Anglo-Persian War, Sheil offered quick diplomatic comfort.
“Your Majesty, there is no need for sorrow.
While that conflict strained our relations, it is in the past, and both our nations must look toward a cooperative future.” “Since Your Majesty demonstrates such a strong commitment to peace, I shall gladly do everything in my power to assist you.” “In that case,” Mohammad Shah smiled weakly, “I place our future in your capable hands.” ————————————– If you enjoy this story consider support me on P Site/OrbisTranslate,