Chapter 657: Territory Management
"I am truly loyal to His Majesty the Kaiser." Sheffield, holding the telegram, began to mock himself. For the Germans, the initiative to help with the Baghdad railway project was undoubtedly like having someone give you a pillow when you sleep.
But once the plan begins, it seems that Sheffield will also face the risks that come with it. After all, the British Empire may not be able to do anything to the German Empire, but it is not a problem to disgust a businessman.
Some people have expressed doubts about this. In the early 20th century, there were so many bootlickers in the British Empire, even in the United States. It was normal for them to be nervous when they saw the British.
But the slave owner still felt that there was no need to fear the British. The reason was that he was a citizen of the United States. If Britain went to war with Germany, the British colonies would probably do their utmost. There was no doubt that blood was thicker than water. But if Britain educated the United States, it would not be said that the British colonies would not support it, but places like Canada and Australia might show some degree of resentment, and Britain would be less likely to mobilize the power of the colonies.
Isn't it said that heretics are more hateful than pagans? Pagans are simple enemies, while heretics are enemies who understand you. Knowing you makes them fearless and thinks they can ignore you within appropriate boundaries.
Sheffield now has this mentality. It will not do anything beyond the British's tolerance. Within this range, it is bolder than the Germans.
Wearing the Middle Eastern Arab robe, the slave owner went to Kuwait City to hang out. With the infusion of strong capital, Kuwait City became more and more prosperous. Although it was not as prosperous as Basra, a major city in the Mesopotamian region, it had already shown a trend of catching up. There were many street vendors. Sheffield did not speak and looked like an ordinary Arab youth.
Seeing his boss being so casual with details, even the bodyguards around him had nothing to say. They could only change into Arab robes and hang out with him, giving up modern attire.
"Don't look so sad. There must be a reason why different environments have different attire. The locals have lived here for thousands of years and know how to dress best for their bodies." Sheffield began to educate the bodyguards. He didn't say anything, but a group of workers were still unhappy.
This season in the Middle East is on the edge of the world's heat level. If you still want to walk around in a black suit, you might as well sleep in the oven.
After entering a community, Sheffield clearly felt that the environment here had changed. He saw a man with a head wrapped and bracelets was stunned, and immediately withdrew and went home, not forgetting to complain, "Go back directly. When did the Sikh community in Kuwait City appear? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Boss, when we were recruiting mercenaries, we recruited these people. We also saw them serving the British before and they were very obedient. What's wrong with that?" Brown was a little surprised. What's wrong with that?
"The problem is that we shouldn't wear Arab robes and come to the Sikh community." After returning to the palace, Sheffield took off his robe. Hearing his voice, Natalia came out from the side door and helped her man change his clothes in a few seconds. She asked, "You're back so soon?"
After hearing Sheffield's words, Natalia couldn't help but smile, "Are you scared by a group of Indians? Don't you frown whenever you mention India?" The slave owner's big mouth never closed, causing Natalia to passively accept some knowledge about the caste system.
"Sikhs are different from ordinary Indians. They live in a society where everyone is equal and there is no caste system." Sheffield snatched the fan from Natalia's hand and fanned himself.
Sikhs wear turbans and, because they are the main force in the army, they have represented the image of India for a long time.
The Hindu caste system is not without opposition from Indians. The most recent large-scale opposition led to the birth of Sikhism, which later evolved into a military group that included all Sikhs. All male names were added with Singh and all female names were called Kaur. The caste system name played a big role. Sikhism changed all believers to one name.
"So the Sikhs should be easy to get along with. No wonder the British like to use them." Natalia didn't expect that there was a religion in India that advocated equality for all. She couldn't help but admire it and said, "Why did you come back?"
"The teachings of this religion are half the opposite of Hinduism and half the opposite of Christians. I go out in my Arab robe, so of course I have to be careful if I meet them, in case some bastard gets carried away. Besides, don't think that all Sikhs are equal. As long as they want to maintain a backward state, there are plenty of ways to do it." Sheffield, feeling much cooler, returned the fan to Maomei.
The emergence of Sikhism saved many Indians who opposed the caste system, but the Indians, who were the absolute majority, still had ways to deal with the small Sikh population. The slave owners knew that in later generations of India, all Sikhs were assumed to be Kshatriyas. It happened that the Sikhs had a tradition of joining the army, so the Sikhs who opposed the caste system were bought and became a privileged class.
This price is very high. You should know that the population of Sikhs is more than 20 million. A superior ethnic group of more than 20 million people has appeared in India out of thin air. The total population of Brahmins in India is about 20 million. The original intention of Sikhism, that everyone is equal, was eventually dissolved by Hinduism. After being tacitly regarded as the Kshatriya class, Sikhism no longer vigorously recruits believers. Those who want to join Sikhism must start as Kshatriyas.
"Brown, Sikhs are no longer allowed to enter my territory. Of course, we will not drive them away from the communities that have been formed. These various religions are really annoying." Sheffield immediately told his subordinates who usually operate here not to make the already complicated religious issues in the Middle East even more complicated.
"I would rather the people in my territory believe in materialism. At least I have never heard of materialists fighting with people of any religion over what to eat or not to eat."
Sheffield's main purpose in cutting off the Sikh origins in Kuwait was to show that he did not trust this ethnic group. Sikhs held an important position in the British colonial army. If a conflict broke out in Kuwait one day, the Sikh community would not become the guide.
Although he is rich, he thinks he cannot compare with Britain's shining brand of world hegemony, so he has to be cautious.
The slave owner was completely obedient and gave up the idea of understanding his territory, but he still did not give up the preparations for defense against the British and officially entered the implementation stage. "With the arrival of Greeks and Armenians, we need to build houses for them and provide them with necessary education. We also expect these residents of Eastern sects to constitute the population of the territory. Teach them well from the children, and learning must start from childhood."
"Meeting the Sikhs reminded me that we can set up a militia organization similar to the ones in the southern states. All Christians must receive military training without exception." Sheffield was holding a map of Kuwait and Basra, and even a map of the coastal areas on the left bank of the Persian Gulf, which had the logos of nearby tribal forces and British naval bases.
"Fortunately, I have a gun factory at home, so weapons are not a problem for me. There are two imaginary enemies. At least there are not many British troops in the Middle East now. We need to expand the scope a little bit and deter the Arab armed forces. Don't be like the Hejaz Railway, which is always attacked by Arabs." Sheffield frowned and said, "We need to know the Arab tribes near Kuwait. In fact, there is no need to worry too much. The British forces are mainly concentrated in the line from Syria to Egypt, which is the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Of course, I don't say this to let you down. The area near the Persian Gulf is still unstable."
"The British will definitely try to win over these exiled Armenians and Greeks, but I'm not worried because I have money. I can use the power of the entire joint company to support this territory. The British can't do that. The whole world is important to the British. It's impossible for the British to invest more energy in a single place than I do."
Being a businessman also has its advantages. No matter how the slave owners jumped up and down, they could not have a stronger presence than the Germans. Even if the Baghdad Railway project was finally started and the British found out about it, they would not think of making trouble for a businessman first, but would think that they were cheated by the Germans.
It’s not that he, the richest man in the United States, has a low presence, but that the Germans have too high a presence. They are the protagonists of the era and are destined to perform a big drama.
"After I return home, I will take a look at how many items are piled up in the United Company's industries, such as steel, cement, tractors, and food. Anyway, they are not needed in China, so I will pack them all up and bring them over."
Under capitalism, it is inevitable that goods will be overstocked, just like under the Soviet Union, there will be austerity from time to time. These are problems that cannot be changed for the time being, so capitalist countries will always have economic crises. Countries under the Soviet system will not be able to buy things with money from time to time.
Although this place is the hottest in the world, it is at least in the Mesopotamian Basin, so we can still try some small tricks to revolutionize agriculture. Brown frowned and said, "Boss, tractors are very dependent on fuel. Are they also shipped from China?"
"Let's buy from the British. Aren't there oil wells near the Persian border?" Sheffield looked at Brown and said, "Whether there is oil in my territory or not, I will not explore for it at the moment. Paying money to buy oil is like paying protection money to the British. And don't think we are at a disadvantage. In John's oil kingdom, there is a company called Anglo-American Petroleum."
"The Kuwait Territory will try to be self-sufficient. If there are any difficulties, I will help from home."
(End of this chapter)
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