The Sun and the Lion

Mahmoud personally presented Abdul with the key to the city gate of Zaranj. All Sistan guards put down their weapons and took off their armor to eliminate the threat to the red heads.

With the cooperation of Mahmoud, the streets and alleys of Zaranj City were filled with anti-Sunni leaflets. The red heads successfully captured and imprisoned most Sunni jurists and bureaucrats who refused to convert. and massacred citizens who dared to dissatisfy anti-Sunni propaganda.

In order to ensure that the Sistan region would not lose control due to sectarian conflicts, Abdul appointed a deputy general to temporarily command the army to quell the chaos. He took Mahmoud, escorted by the two personal soldiers, back to Tabriz to report to Ibrahim. Debrief.

Before leaving, Mahmoud looked back at Zaranj City, which had just calmed down from the chaos, and then continued to move forward with the team.

They first left the Helmand Basin along poorly maintained roads, and then crossed the Lut Desert to reach Kerman Province. The two large cities they passed through, Bam and Kerman, left a deep impression on everyone.

The city of Bam was originally famous for its strong fortifications and exquisite cotton fabrics. During the Mongol rule, a large-scale sericulture and silk weaving industry also formed here. A large part of the textiles produced locally will be sent by caravans to the Hormuz market in the south to contribute to the local economy.

The city of Kerman is an important copper processing center, where a large number of coppersmiths gather, and in addition to local carpets, they also export a large number of copper products.

In fact, the mining and related metal processing industries in Kerman Province are very developed. Copper, iron, coal, lead, zinc, gold and other mines are distributed all over the country. In addition, Kerman has become the most tax-paying region in southeastern Iran due to its business road connections. .

When the Safavid army took over the Kerman area, they did not cause too much killing and looting except for extorting food and extorting city redemption fees. The local population, buildings and economic activities were not greatly damaged, and the social situation was not destabilized by the war.

At the same time, due to its developed economy, Kerman's public infrastructure is in a better state of maintenance. Streets in the city, regardless of size, are paved with stone bricks and asphalt is used to fill the gaps. Even the roads outside the city are properly maintained. The complete water supply and drainage system provides sufficient water sources for production and life in the city and surrounding villages. The caravanserai and inns are in good condition and provide high-quality services to merchants. However, some foreign businessmen complain about why there are no maids in the hotels.

This is also a place where many ethnic groups live together. Although the dominant language is Persian, in addition to Persians, there are also Lurs, Turks, Balochs, and even Mughals. It can be said that the local ethnic composition has changed beyond recognition due to the migration of various tribes. The blending of various ethnic groups has turned this place into a cultural melting pot.

However, the large number of nomadic tribes has also brought security incidents. Merchants have repeatedly complained to the road guards stationed at various inns that herdsmen are stealing or even robbing caravans. For the herdsmen, the caravans that come and go are meat and potatoes, and they profit from them either by stealing and looting, or by escorting the caravans.

Under the control of the central government, which still has authority and force, looting caravans is extremely risky. Most of the leaders actively restrain their tribesmen, and their dealings with the settled residents are mainly peaceful. Even if someone is determined to make a living by looting, the road guards can hire compliant tribesmen to hunt down the unruly people, then let them break up the silver coins and divide the spoils.

Therefore, the road guards who receive the report can quickly investigate the case with the cooperation of the leader, find out these bad apples, return the unsold goods or pay compensation.

Mahmoud marveled at the obedience of the local tribes and their efficiency in investigating cases. Protecting trade routes means protecting money bags. Most rulers know that businessmen are also the key protection targets of nobles, but it is not easy to do things well without the ability. Some will simply give up, or even go to the other extreme, such as Hus Lao - he directly sends troops to rob the people, and even ridicules, "Such a simple job requires civil servants and accounting?"

Although Guregani's troops had no time to attack Sistan in a large scale, they could still disgust him, and he was powerless against these foreign forces. We can only improve their preparedness as much as possible to increase their cross-border costs.

Adjacent to Kerman Province is Isfahan Province. Yazd, the only remaining Zoroastrian city in Iran, is in a dilapidated state. Even the guards under Mahmoud expressed disdain for the locals and complained that there was no A decent mosque can meet everyone's religious needs. Find Shuyuan www. zhaoshuyuan． ｃcom is contrary to the cautious behavior in other cities.

These discriminated Zoroastrians have always endured injustice from all sides. Even if they moved to other cities, they would be ostracized by the local guilds and could only work in hard and menial jobs - such as grooms, gardeners, fullers, etc. .

Looking at these Zoroastrians who were systematically discriminated against by society, Mahmoud felt no sympathy for this group as a whole. Even if he could impress individuals, he would only persuade them to convert.

The large construction site in Isfahan allowed Mahmoud to see the financial resources of the King of Kings. In addition to the allocation from Tabriz, the Jewish community in the old city controlled the local financial industry and brewing industry, and also had a place in the local commerce and handicraft industries. They were allocated a large amount of temporary taxes for the construction of the new city.

To the north of Isfahan is Persian Iraq, where many cities are also connected by trade routes, including the capital Qazwin and the rising Tehran.

Qazvin, which connects Tabriz, Tehran and the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, is an important transportation hub. It is very important for maintaining trade routes and dispatching troops. But the city has been plagued by water shortages. For a long time, Qazvin has only been able to obtain water from four creeks and karez, and its development limit is lower than that of Tehran, which is located at the southern foot of the Alborz Mountains.

However, Tehran was only a small city with a population of less than 10,000 at this time, and nothing major happened to Qazvin after the collapse of the Ilkhanate, and he escaped from Timur's clutches.

After a brief period of sightseeing, the team finally arrived in Azerbaijan, ending a journey that covered more than 2,000 kilometers and took nearly one and a half months. Before the two formally enter the palace, the messenger will first report the matter to Ibrahim.