The Crescent of the Sultan

"So, Isaac, you should know better how much influence the British have here."

"Your Majesty, since you asked about this, before that, let me explain to you the situation in the Arab region.

This is actually a commonplace topic.

The empire has invested some energy in this area, but not much.

Even in the days of your ancestors, the Sultans the Grim and the Lawgiver, the Empire would not have put in much force had it not been to save the old shipping lanes.

In the empire's plans from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century, in fact, not only the occupation of inland areas was not part of the plan, but also the occupation of the east coast of the peninsula was not part of the empire's established plan because of the harsh conditions in these coastal areas. It's actually not much better than the outback.

Even during the period of great expansion of the empire, Gaomen's strategic focus on the Arabian Peninsula was mainly to ensure the safety of the Hajj Road to Mecca.

Therefore, ensuring control of the western part of the peninsula from Suez to the Two Holy Cities to Yemen is Gaomen's basic plan for the Arabian Peninsula.

This is why Gaomen adopted a resolute attitude towards sending troops to the Imam rebellion in southern Yemen.

In contrast, the empire's attitude towards the other side is completely different.

If the Portuguese had not controlled Homuz and Oman and posed a threat to Basra's trade, Gaomen would not even have set his sights on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. (This is today’s southern coast of the Persian Gulf consisting of eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and southwestern United Arab Emirates.)

In the era of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Portuguese had almost completely eliminated the old shipping routes and destroyed trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Considering the issue of profit, Emperor Suleiman specifically asked Gaomen to establish the province of Hassa on this coast.

However, this province only serves as a pure defense center to protect the Port of Basra and does not actively participate in any external military operations. It even requires the governor of the province to pay attention to "maintaining good relations" with the Portuguese in Homuz.

Harsh logistical conditions and the dual threats from inland Bedouin tribes and pagan warships at sea forced Gaomen to make such a choice. In order to avoid attacks from inland tribes, the empire's transport fleet had to take sea transportation, sailing south from the port of Basra directly to the Gulf. "

Isaac answered as he picked up a document.

“So, how did my ancestors, the legislators, treat the Bedouins?”

Emperor Sai was already a little surprised at this time. He did not want to expedition to the Arabian Peninsula on a whim.

But he really didn't know enough about this area. At this time, he was a little overwhelmed by the many questions raised by the ministers. However, he still had to keep his face calm even if the mountain collapsed. As a sultan, he had to maintain his demeanor at all times.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I’m afraid this will disappoint you.

Even Suleiman the Magnificent could not completely eliminate these Bedouins.

In order to deal with the Bedouin nomadic tribes active from Najd to the eastern coast of the peninsula, the Gaomen had to appoint Bedouin chiefs as local governors of the Al-Hasa province, pay them generous salaries, and use them as agents to indirectly control the Bedouin tribes operating in the inland areas and ensure the security of the imperial fortress.

Selim couldn't help but ask.

“If that’s the case, then why does the Diriyah Emirate still appear on this land?

Even if it is indirect control, it will not give birth to a nomadic regime in this area, right?

He even threatened the Hashemite family, the descendants of the great prophet and the most prominent holy family in Arabia.

You know, the Hashemite patriarch has complained to me many times. "

Yusuf Pasha, who was listening to the conversation, explained with a wry smile.

“Your Majesty, sometimes, it may not be us who pull one against one.

Among these Bedouin tribes, some people have always regarded themselves as the legitimate rulers of this area.

From time to time, they seized various opportunities to rebel and launch attacks on the under-strength imperial garrison. However, once the reinforcements from Basra arrived, they immediately led their men to escape into the desert of Najd, and then asked someone to send a message to the imperial officials. obey.

The imperial magistrates had nothing to do with this Bedouin rebellion, for only with their assistance could we thwart other plots to overthrow the imperial rule in the region.

There was a rebellion in 1578. Muhammad bin Osman, the leader from the Najd desert region, launched a rebellion and gathered two large Bedouin tribes operating in the northern part of Najd to march towards the Al-Hasa province.

This time the previously rebellious Bedouin tribes sided with the empire, gathering allies and leading an army to defeat Muhammad and pursue him deep into the desert.

This is the dilemma we encounter within the Arabian Peninsula. We cannot form cliques, nor can we directly send troops. "

The Grand Mufti, who had come in at some point, continued.

“As for the Emirate of Diriyah that your Majesty said, there is a reason for this.

In 1744, Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab and Muhammad bin Saud formed an alliance to jointly establish a theocratic state in Najd. After the establishment of the state, it received the support of the Wahhabis, and This country is the Emirate of Diriyah.

You should also know a lot about the situation of the empire at that time. The Russians were barking at the border like a mad dog. The Austrians also put a lot of pressure on us. Nader Shah of Persia also attracted our attention, plus the unruly Mamuru gram.

At that time, the empire no longer had much energy to control the interior of Arabia, and the value of this area was not great.

As for why the local governor didn't care, the last time Basra Port was used was in the seventeenth century, and the imperial layout had long been abandoned. "

Selim didn't know what to say at this time. Although he was a time traveler, he was not omniscient and omnipotent after all. He originally thought that it would be easy to deal with the savages, but it was so difficult to clean up this place.

However, the next moment Isaac Pasha's words hit him again.

“Your Majesty, next is the issue of British influence you mentioned.

After the fall of the Ariba dynasty (an Omani dynasty), the Sayyid dynasty took its place.

They have the support of the British behind them. If we march into the interior of Arabia, it is difficult to predict whether Oman will react, how big the reaction will be, and whether the British will intervene. "

Selim couldn't help but think deeply at this time. Looking at this situation, it seemed that sending troops was a wrong move.

But is it really so? Emperor Sai did not know much about the Arab region. On the one hand, this was because European affairs involved too much energy, and on the other hand, because he did not pay much attention to it before crossing over.

But not understanding the Arab region does not mean that Emperor Sai did not understand that I led the British to conquer India.

This period was actually a critical period for Britain in India. The Third Mysore War had begun, and it was only then that the British and Spain reached a consensus on the Nucat Gulf crisis.

In other words, will Daiying really support Oman and the Ottoman Empire?

In Selim's view, as long as the Ottoman Empire does not substantively annex Oman, there is a high probability that the British will not go to war over it.

In this case, specific Arab policies may have to be adjusted, and this still needs to be discussed.

Dang, Dang, Dang, the bells of Belém Palace rang, and it was time for the dinner.

Selim walked out with a group of ministers, they had to attend the banquet.

When we walked to the hall, both sides were almost full of people. On the women's side, many female Muslims had already arrived at Anna's call.

When Paul saw the Sultan and a group of imperial bosses appearing, he immediately spoke to the guests in the hall.

"Everyone, please follow the waiter on the left and go to the backyard for the banquet.

Look for the signs on your own when you arrive, and men and women will be seated on separate sides.

If you have any requests, please ring the seat bell and a waiter will come to help.

Finally, I wish all guests a happy time. "

People stood up from their chairs and followed the palace eunuchs towards the backyard. The delicacies prepared by the imperial chef had been served.

Walking into the backyard, the crowd immediately divided into men on the left and women on the right. The division was quite clear. There seemed to be nothing wrong with Muslim women in robes standing together with Orthodox Christians.

I just don't know why, but Emperor Sai always hears some vague sounds easily.

"Wow, her dress is so beautiful. I've only seen Anna Sultana wear it."

"Yes, yes, no wonder Anna Sultana can marry His Majesty, how can we compare?"

"Okay, keep your voice down, they are both Orthodox Christians.

They don't believe in God, and the clothes of a group of pagans are nothing to look at. "

After many guests took their seats, Paul spoke.

“Considering the vast territory of the empire, each guest has their own different tastes, so we have also prepared local dishes in addition to the staple food.

There are four main courses.

The first is the salad, which is a classic dish. Yuchu uses fresh vegetables, olive oil, cheese, olives and herbs for seasoning. The overall taste is relatively light, which is why we make it the first dish.

A regional dish to go with this dish. It's sai qie qie, a kind of charcoal-grilled meatballs, made from mutton and beef by the imperial chef.

Mr. Stefan from the Karadzej family, how does it taste? "

Paul stood on the stage and asked towards the southeast of the yard.

“It’s pretty good, it tastes better than what I had at home.

I have to say that His Majesty is simply the wisest monarch in the world, and he is considerate of his subjects. "

Stefan stood up and said with a smile, still holding grape juice in his hand.

Paul nodded.

“Okay then, here’s the second main course.

Royal stew, a stew of mutton and beef, vegetables and spices made by royal chefs

The side dish is slow-cooked lamb, a tender and juicy lamb stew often seasoned with spices and olive oil.

The third main course is atanti, a layered dish made by the royal chef using eggplant, minced meat, and potatoes, seasoned with white sauce.

The side dish is SARMA, a kind of meat roll wrapped in rolled grape leaves with minced meat and rice.

The fourth course is said to be the main course, but it is actually the staple food, namely couscous, a traditional millet-type coarse grain. There is nothing much to say, just mix it with the previous one.

In terms of sauces, we have also prepared some, but the main one is Hallam sauce, which is made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. I hope you like it.

That’s it for introducing the dishes here, I hope you all like them. "

Paul bowed.

Everyone immediately began to feast, especially some Constantiniya citizens and provincials who came to the wedding banquet. Although the former had heard of it, they rarely ate it, and the latter had never heard of it. Really, country people came in. city.

The whole dinner was going on slowly. The place where Selim and a group of imperial bosses were sitting was not in the courtyard below. This was not suitable for the Sultan's status, so Paul specially arranged the Sultan in the attic, and there was a terrace nearby. .

Looking outside, you can clearly see Muslims and Orthodox Christians sitting together, chatting from time to time. Although these are basically the upper class of the empire, the constraints of religion on them are not strong.

But there are also some lower-level Muslims and Orthodox Christians who are communicating, which makes Emperor Sai feel a lot more comfortable.

After a while, the Sultan and his ministers finished their meal in silence.

In the yard, Paul also appeared again at this time.

"Dear guests, how do you feel about this dinner?"

"very good."

"Your Majesty's hospitality is so considerate."

As soon as Paul finished speaking, the guests in the audience immediately replied.

"Hmm, now that everyone is full, let's do some activities.

But before that, let's ask our waiter to bring the dessert after the meal. "

Paul said as he took a ball-shaped snack from the waiter beside him.

"Brown ball, a traditional wrap, can be filled with cheese, spinach, minced meat, etc.

You can try it, it tastes pretty good.”

“Eggplant with yogurt, grilled eggplant with yogurt, garlic and herbs.

It has a different flavor compared to the previous barbecued eggplant.

Mutton rice bowl, small mutton dumplings mixed with yogurt, oil and spices. Guests who have lived in Constantiniya for a long time should have eaten it, so I won’t introduce it.

The rest of the snacks will be served slowly, including the snacks given when you receive the bride. You can try more. "

Paul continued.

"Considering that the dinner would be too monotonous just for dining, His Majesty specially arranged activities for all the guests."

Before Paul could finish speaking, a small cheer erupted from an obvious gathering area of ​​Orthodox Christians, obviously stifled by the serious atmosphere before.

Although they seemed to realize that their voices were a little too loud and quickly lowered their voices, they still attracted the attention of others.

The Grand Mufti said immediately.

“Your Majesty, given the current situation, I think it is no longer appropriate to house Muslims and Orthodox Christians together.

These infidels will only pollute the environment.

I think today's performance should also be cancelled. This will only bring some bad effects. "

Emperor Sai smiled, waved his hand and said.

“No problem, dear Grand Mufti, a truly steadfast Muslim will not be affected in any way.

If your belief in God is shaken because of such a trivial matter, then I can only say that we do not need such believers at all. "

The Grand Mufti didn't say anything anymore. It was just a few casual words. It would be best if he could fool the Sultan. If he didn't, there would be no loss.

After all, Paul had already said everything, and taking it back would be a slap in the face to the Sultan.

Paul on the stage paused for a while and then said.

“Today’s opening performance is the court dance, and you can appreciate the dancers’ famous for their exquisite and complex dance skills.

Then comes the concert, which will begin with "Sultanm" (My Sultan: a song in homage to the Sultan, expressing respect and loyalty to the Sultan's rule) by His Majesty's Court Orchestra.

Of course "Hicaz Mandras" (Hicaz Mandras: this is a famous Ottoman piece of music often used in court music and dance performances) is also necessary.

After this, we will invite other guests who are willing to perform on stage and hope that everyone will participate enthusiastically.

Finally, there is the circus performance and fire dance performance. I hope everyone has a good time. "

Paul bowed and then left the stage. The Sultan's royal dance troupe was about to appear.

Thanks to book friends for their monthly tickets and Henry_Li’s reward.

These chapters are all discussing state affairs through weddings. It can only be said that the political nature of the monarch is too strong.