The Sun and the Lion

Tabriz has been the capital of the Safavid dynasty for almost two years. Under the peace under Ibrahim's rule, a large number of bandits caused by the war were thrown into the mines, and the neglected roads became safe. Originally the central city of Azerbaijan, it has gradually returned to its former prosperity.

The guards guarding the city gate stopped the caravans entering the city one by one. The tax collectors came forward to count the value of the goods according to the prices in the local bazaar, and then performed simple four arithmetic calculations.

Under Ibrahim's order, commercial taxes levied in Safavid territory were mainly divided into two categories. One was tariffs, which were divided into inland tariffs and international tariffs. Inland tariffs were not levied when leaving the city, but only when entering the city. It is levied according to the quantity of goods and the price in the local market.

The Iranian merchants in Azerbaijan have become accustomed to Safavid rule, and the caravan leaders paid the taxes they had prepared in advance. They were not allowed to enter the city until the tax collectors counted the numbers.

The caravan members looked at the city of Tabriz. Compared with the last time they came, many abandoned buildings on the streets have either been demolished and built new ones, or have been reused. There are also many fewer beggars and homeless people on the streets. With the help of the poor (relief meals cannot be eaten for free), they have gloriously become sanitation workers, responsible for cleaning the streets, transporting concentrated excrement and garbage out of the city, Maintenance of sewers and other tasks.

Clean streets have improved the quality of life of residents, and coupled with well-maintained water supply and drainage systems and hospitals, the risk of plague outbreaks in Tabriz has been greatly reduced.

Like other incoming caravans, they found caravanserai to store their goods, carts, and livestock, and to provide food and lodging for the caravan members. Most caravanserais are run by the Crown Property Department, while others are owned by powerful people.

The merchant first arranged for his caravan to settle down in the hotel, and then went to learn about the new situation of the silk industry.

After the Imperial Property Department monopolized the supply of raw silk, Iranian businessmen found that they could no longer directly purchase raw silk at relatively low prices.

The supply of raw silk is concentrated in the Royal Products Department and stored in Tehran and Tabriz. Armenians serving Ibrahim pack the raw silk from Tabaristan into uniform bundles in the warehouse of the Imperial Products Department, and then Accept contracts from everywhere.

Some of the goods will flow into local silk weaving workshops, be processed into silk fabrics for consumption by the domestic elite, and a small amount will be exported abroad. Iranian businessmen engaged in international trade prefer raw silk. They are almost the only source of supply for the silk weaving industry in Bursa and Aleppo, and they make a fortune by monopolizing the market.

But in addition to them, the Royal Property Department also plans to form a caravan for international trade, relying on Armenian Christians to deal with European merchants.

In the Raw Silk Exchange of Bazaar, Bagour, who is in charge of business in the area, received businessmen who came one after another.

"Hello." Seeing another distinguished guest, he hurriedly put on a professional smile: "Are you here to buy raw silk too?"

"Yes," the merchant said, and the two began to discuss the quantity and price.

"Your price is nearly three times higher than what we bought from the mulberry farmers!" The businessman secretly cursed the evil intentions of the Imperial Property Department. However, in order to maximize profits, the royal merchants had already purchased all the raw silk from the mulberry farmers, even if they still had it. There is surplus stock, and the high raw silk transaction tax is higher than the purchase price. The raw silk production area of ​​Iran is the villages along the Caspian Sea. The power of the Safavid Order is deeply rooted, and there is no possibility for businessmen to evade taxes.

After some negotiations, the two parties finalized the weight and price and signed a contract in duplicate. The merchant's entourage kept it carefully. Goods purchased from the Royal Property Department can be exempted from taxes, especially the silk trade. As long as you can prove that you bought the goods from the royal merchant, the tax collectors will not dare levy tax on this shipment. Taxes in industries monopolized by the Royal Property Department are basically punitive in nature, punishing merchants for trying to break the royal family's monopoly.

However, signing the contract does not mean that the shipment can be arranged. The merchant asked his entourage to go back and get the money. While waiting, the two of them drank wine and ate free snacks in the reception room.

"Mr. Bagour, your performance at the negotiating table is enough to amaze any businessman." The businessman took a sip of coffee and put the cup back on the plate.

Facing the adulation, Bagour became a little numb. Ever since he became a royal merchant, many people wanted to get to know him and expand their network of relationships. Businessmen who are combined with political power are invincible in the market, especially if the political power comes to their rescue. How much market share other businessmen can take, or even survive, can only depend on them.

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But even so, he politely accepted the businessman's words, interacted with him cordially and friendly, and avoided any topics involving actual interests.

After a while, the entourage came with other caravan members. The merchant paid three-quarters of the payment in silver coins and silver bullion, and the remaining quarter was in kind such as woolen textiles. After confirming that the payment amount was correct, Bagour began to arrange the shipment. The bundles of raw silk were packed in boxes and transported to the warehouse of the caravanserai. The delivery of the goods was completed quickly.

In addition to trading, the Imperial Property Department is also involved in the transportation industry. If there is no caravan, foreign or domestic merchants can pay more and hire local caravans through the Imperial Property Department to transport them to designated ports or border checkpoints.

If the customer does not have enough cash, they can also pay for the goods through the loan service of the Royal Property Department, and then find a royal financier at any trading place to pay off the principal and moderate interest within a limited time. However, there may be some concerns, as there are no such customers at this stage.

After completing the purchase of raw silk, the merchant learned about the local market conditions at the caravanserai.

Because the war is not over yet, the demand for military supplies is visibly high, not just weapons and equipment, but also tents, quilts, boots and other supplies. In addition to these manufactured goods, it is also good to transport raw materials from the countryside and mines to workshops in the city.

The businessman thought for a while, maybe the physical items used for payment next time can be replaced by these? But it takes several months for the caravan to come back. When they come back, the situation may have changed.

After a quick rest, the merchant ordered the caravan to leave the city and follow the road to Bursa in Ottoman territory. In the opposite direction, a larger team set off for Tehran.