What was the Persian expedition like?

When the Cossacks crossed Siberia and carried out rapid attacks, some European explorers and traders also used their indomitable spirit to open up the Persian Kingdom in Southwest Asia, surrounded by the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The gate to today's Iran.

This is a barren land composed of dangerous mountains, steep and narrow canyons, high plateaus and scorching deserts. Like Siberia, Persia is also an uninhabited secret land.

Between 1500 and 1600, Persia had an irresistible charm for European travelers because it was located right at the crossroads of the East and West oceans. European businessmen feel excited just thinking about the possible trade prosperity in the future. Moreover, this country is a completely unknown world, full of mysterious temptations.

Before 1500, Persia was just a blank in the minds of Europeans. In the following hundreds of years, Muslims monopolized Eastern trade and blocked the caravan route from Persia to the Mediterranean, preventing other countries from entering.

The land and sea routes along which Muslims transported gems and spices from India and the East to the Mediterranean market all had Persia as the center point.

Persia produces silk, pigments, wine, and spices. It is also the origin of various luxury goods such as delicate and beautiful pictures and silk fabrics embroidered with roses, tulips, and lilies. Therefore, Persia has always been a mysterious golden house of the East in the eyes of Europeans.

However, due to the power of Muslims and the fear of the unknown, Europeans did not dare to venture and travel to the East easily.

Since 1500, the Portuguese gradually opened the door to Persia. The Portuguese entered the Persian Gulf through the newly discovered sea route at the southern tip of Africa. In 1515, the port of Hormuz was captured as a strategic base.

For the Portuguese, obtaining port rights to control access to the Persian Gulf was tantamount to opening a treasure trove of wealth and spices, and was also the starting point for entering Eastern countries.

The Portuguese's actions increased the confidence and courage of European merchants to enter Persia. They thought that since the Portuguese could avoid Muslim attacks from the south, they could also use the same roundabout way to take the northern route, and it should have the same effect.

The first to imitate the Portuguese were British businessmen. In 1561, the directors of the Moscow Company believed that the commercial foundation in Russia was quite solid, so they sent a group of personnel to Persia to find new markets. The pioneers sent to Persia were the fleet led by Anthony Jenkinson.

In 1558, Antony Jenkensen first searched for China along the Volga River, and then from Moscow to Prague. His mission this time was to confirm the rumor that "just like Russia is rich in flax, Persia is rich in raw silk" and to stimulate the Persians' desire to develop trade.

Due to the kindness of the Russian emperor, Jenkenssen traveled from Moscow to Astrakhan by land and took a boat to the south coast of the Caspian Sea. However, the fleet was hit by a storm at sea and ran aground on the rocks. Seven days later, the captain decided not to move forward and landed on the west coast. Jenkensheng had no choice but to hire another caravan to advance southward by land.

Jenkensheng first arrived at Sirubang, the capital of the small Persian country of Shamaha. The lord was Abdullah Kahn. The lord lived in a gorgeous tent, with carpets embroidered with gold and silver threads covering the floor, and surrounded by courtiers. From here, you can see the wealth of the East.

When the lord learned that Jenkensheng had arrived in his country, he enthusiastically summoned him. Jenkenson described the lord's appearance as "wearing a silk robe woven with gold threads, many beautiful ornaments, gold earrings, and a crown set with two beautiful rubies."

The lord regarded him as a distinguished guest and hosted him for several weeks. He prepared a mountain of delicious dishes for every meal, sometimes as many as 290 kinds of dishes. The lord liked to drink coffee, which was an expensive and fine drink in Europe.

Jenkensheng felt that although this luxurious life was comfortable, it was too luxurious. Especially the numerous concubines in the harem, all owned by Abdullah Kahn. And this kind of polygamy is very dangerous to the palace, because too many wives and concubines will lead to too many children.

Jenken also realized that because brothers and sisters were not born from the same mother, it is difficult for them to have feelings for each other, and sometimes it is easy for them to breed hatred and murder. In fact, this kind of thing is common in the Persian palace. The only solution is to keep the boy who will inherit the throne in the harem and let him learn how to command the army and govern the country alone.

After his visit to Shamaha, Jenkensheng then set off for Guishwen, the capital of Persia in the south. It took 480 kilometers to reach the destination. Along the way he met many nomadic peoples who lived in the mountains all year round and moved their herds in the river valleys. Their only assets were livestock herds and dilapidated tents. Compared with the lords who lived a luxurious life, they really seemed like two different worlds. people.

Guishin's palace life was more luxurious than Abdullah's, and the attitude of the Persian king Tafmasb was not friendly. At first he was unwilling to accept the letter of appointment that Queen Elizabeth asked Jenkensen to hand over to him. Later, he reluctantly accepted it but asked Jenkenson in a doubtful tone: "What religion do you believe in?"

Jenkensheng replied: "I am a Christian." The Muslim king immediately said very angry:

"You don't believe in Islam. I have never interacted with a pagan."

"Then he ordered Jen Kensheng to leave the palace immediately, and ordered the ministers to cover the place where he walked with new sand."

Although it was rumored that the king was going to cut off Jen Kensheng's head and give it to Turkey. The king took the gift as a gift, but Zhan Kensheng was determined not to leave Gui Shiwen. It was Abdullah who finally came forward to reconcile and made the Persian king change his mind and allow the British to conduct trade activities in the country. Therefore, at the end of 1562, Jenkensheng bought a lot of silk cloth, cotton weaving, beautiful pigments, precious gems and other high-end commodities, and returned to Moscow happily.

In the next 20 years, the Moscow Company sent envoys to Persia six times, but no one performed more outstandingly than Jenkensheng. Instead, many people died in foreign lands. On the way to Persia, there were strong storms in the Caspian Sea, pirates, and infectious diseases prevalent in the south, which was a difficult test for European travelers. Therefore, in 1581, the British opened up another new route through the Middle East.

At the end of 1581, the British merchant John Newberry first crossed the Iraqi desert in what is now Syria to reach the Euphrates River, then went south along the river to the Persian Gulf, and then walked down the east coast of the Persian Gulf to Homer. port. He lived in this place for 6 weeks, studying local trading habits and traveling nearby to collect relevant information. Then he returned to England and made a report describing the special products and trading conditions in various parts of Persia.

However, since this route had to cross the desert, no one wanted to take it again. It was only after 1598 that Persia became the target of British exploration again. The people who organized the expedition to Persia this time were not businessmen, but British nobles known as "gentlemen", mainly the Sherry family, led by two brothers, Sir Anthony and Sir Robert, with a total of 28 members. Their purpose of participating in this event is not to explore trade, but purely to pursue excitement and romance. These British gentlemen first arrived in Baghdad, then crossed the Zagros Mountains, preparing to go to the Persian capital of Guishin to meet the emperor.

When their group arrived at Guishwen, it was the time when the new ruler of Persia, Apas I, returned triumphantly from an expedition against the warlike peoples living in the north. The emperor held a grand and spectacular triumphal ceremony. Team member John Bonwell once described the situation at that time:

“The vanguard of the triumphal army had more than 1,200 cavalry, each holding a spear hanging on the tip. The heads were hung with ropes through their ears. The king held a gun and led the commander and more than 20,000 subordinates in a semicircle. Although he was not tall, he was strong and had dark skin."

After the ceremony, the Sherry brothers visited the emperor on behalf of the expedition and explained that they were British knights and hoped to serve the emperor. Then they presented tributes such as gems and wine glasses. The emperor was so happy that he also sent back 40 horses to them, two of which had many rubies and turquoise on their saddles, and the other 38 horses were also equipped with complete costumes.

Most of the members of the British expedition only stayed for a few months before returning to Europe. Only the Sherry brothers stayed to continue their exploration. In 1599, Apas I ordered Anthony Shirley to visit Europe as an ambassador, hoping to form an alliance between Persia and Britain to fight against Turkey and its enemy Turkey. Unfortunately, this plan failed completely. Antony refused to return to Persia, and his brother Robert, who remained as a hostage in Persia, was in a very disadvantaged position. He wrote a letter to Antony, saying that he had no hope of escaping from Persia. However, the actual situation was not as bad as imagined, because Robert met the Persian princess Teresa, and soon the two got married. From then on, the emperor paid attention to Robert's suggestions and even used his military battle plan to reorganize the army and use European-style weapons. The tactics greatly improved the soldiers' combat capabilities.

In order to thank Robert Shirley for his assistance, the Persian emperor sent him as an ambassador. From 1609 to 1627, Robert and his wife kept visiting the palaces of various European countries and expressed their hope to establish military alliances. Unfortunately, the task was not completed. So Robert returned to Persia and continued to be loyal to Apas I. Slowly, Persia became Robert's second hometown, and he became a close friend of the emperor. However, the loyal Robert did not get a good ending.

In 1628, the already old Robert Shirley was publicly expelled from the country by King Parth I on the grounds that he was old and weak and had no use value. In this way, Robert Shirley, who had devoted his loyalty to the Kingdom of Persia, was exiled from abroad. Angry and sad, he passed away in less than a month due to excessive sadness.

Apas I was cruel by nature and often committed many horrifying behaviors. His treatment of Robert Shirley was kind compared with his cruelty to his own children. When he saw that his eldest son was very popular among the people, he became jealous and ordered his death and his head was taken back as evidence. His second son died of illness, and his third and fourth sons were unfortunately executed because they offended their father.

Although Apas is a very cruel father, he is an extremely shrewd and progressive monarch. As long as it is beneficial to politics, he will not be careless. After becoming emperor, he immediately carried out projects such as building bridges and building roads to connect remote and isolated areas. The most famous one is the "stone carpet" road in northern Persia.

However, the only inheritance that Apas I left to his descendants was the city of Isfahan.

This city is located on a rare river in Persia and is at the center of the kingdom. In 1760 AD, it became the capital of Persia. The city was completely rebuilt in accordance with the emperor's orders and became one of the most beautiful cities in the East. The Persians were proud of their new capital and boasted that "Isfahan accounts for half of the world."

There is a beautiful boulevard in the center of Isfahan. There are not only lush green trees along the road, but also many small gardens. The fountain sprays crystal clear water in the sunshine. In addition, there are hundreds of stalls opened by Persians in the city. These stalls sell spices, Indian diamonds and exquisite metal processing products made in Arabia. In addition, there are also various high-quality products originating from Persia, which are full of strong exotic flavor. . The flower and fruit stalls made the central square look like a garden, and the air around it was filled with the fragrant scent of peaches, apricots, lemons, roses, lilacs, hyacinths and jasmine.

Next to the central square "Salme", ??there are two majestic buildings. One is the Rudolf Zira Temple, the largest Islamic temple in Isfahan. It has a huge vaulted roof made of blue and green stones, and little bits of gold embedded in the walls. Directly opposite is the majestic palace built entirely with expensive marble materials. The walls are decorated with snow-white plaster, ivory and ebony. Every room is hung with beautiful paintings, and the floor is covered with soft Persian carpets. The furniture was all plated with gold, and the whole building looked golden in the sunlight.

In 1627, Sir Thomas Hubbard, a young Englishman traveling in Persia, visited the Royal Palace of Isfahan. He was so shocked by the stunning beauty that he didn’t even know how to praise it. This young man had driven the Portuguese away from Hormuz five years ago and established a British stronghold on the shores of the Persian Gulf. So when Thomas visited Persia, he took a boat and landed at Abesh, north of the port of Hormuz. Thomas was also a "gentleman and adventurer" who came to Persia with beautiful dreams and enthusiasm, and went to the Caspian Sea specifically to have more opportunities to observe the Persian lifestyle and customs.

What impressed Thomas most deeply was the elegant life content and polite attitude of the Persian aristocracy. These nobles only lived in their own world and did not care at all about things outside Persia. Occasionally, they would talk to Thomas about Europe, but they just wanted to know which European countries had beautiful women, good wine, horses, famous swords, etc. Thomas believes that they were completely addicted to Persian wine and opium. In addition, poetry became their most important solace, and they were full of joy in poetry.

However, not everyone who traveled to Persia shared Thomas’s favorable opinion of it. In the mid-1600s, French businessman John Chardin wrote about his bad impression of Persia: "Not only are they extravagant, indulgent, and lustful, but they are also self-righteous and do not pursue the truth. In addition, they are obsessed with literature, which makes the Persians degenerate."

After visiting Persia in the mid-1600s, another Englishman, John Foley, believed that the harsh climate in Persia was the main cause of rheumatism, paralysis and periodic fevers. He also believed that the Persians actually It is absurd to believe that bathing in a public bathroom can wash away the sins committed. Foley was particularly unimpressed with King Feather who "hid like a tyrant deep in a cave". In fact, King Feser just followed the habits of every emperor after Apas I and had no ambition at all. He took pleasure in bullying his concubines in the harem, capturing those he disliked and gouging out their eyes. He was a very cruel and unjust emperor. Despite the debauchery and cruelty of the Persian king, most Europeans who visited Persia in 1600 had a rosy and soft impression of the country.

At the end of the 17th century, merchants from many countries settled in Persia. Some of them, centered in Persia, traveled to India regularly. They were deeply impressed by the living habits of the Persians and praised Persia in unison. This country is considered to be the best country in the East and the country with the earliest development of civilization.

European interest in Persia began to wane at the end of 1600. The Portuguese power in the East shrank rapidly, while British, French and Dutch merchants gradually turned their attention to India and the Far East.

In the early 1700s, there were constant turmoils in Persia. It was impossible for foreigners to enter Persia, and Europeans no longer cared about Persia. In 1722, the Afghans from the east suddenly invaded Persia. After 14 years of resolute resistance, King Nater drove away the Afghans and ended the turmoil. Then there was another rebellion in the country. The traitor Kagar tribe wanted to overthrow King Nater, which led to a fierce battle.

The Moscow Company chose this extraordinary period to send a British merchant, Jonas Hanway, to Persia, hoping that he could reopen the old northern route to Persia. Unfortunately, he was robbed by bandits on the way to Hanwei, and all his belongings were looted. Later, he was captured by the Kajar tribe and imprisoned in the harem, where he spent a terrible period of pain and despair. Although he was later released and returned to the UK, he paid a heavy price for this.

At the end of 1700, when it became clear that peace in Persia was hopeless, the Qajars killed Emperor Nater and established a new ruling power. At this time, the Persian silk trade, which was once extremely busy, could no longer restore its old appearance, and European merchants looking for Eastern spices and treasures no longer looked to Persia.

The British merchants who had worked hard to open up routes to Persia no longer cared about Persia. Only the military diplomacy in 1800 brought the British attention to the "Eastern Gateway".