Iron Dynasty Chapter 1063

As the night deepened, the palace lights shone with increased brilliance.

The official roll-out of the wired telephone was undeniably a momentous occasion for the Empire. Coupled with the blossoming of talent within its borders, the Empire's technological advancement was poised for an exponential surge.

Consequently, for Xiao Ming, this was merely an anticipated outcome, the fruition of over a decade of diligent effort.

This certainty allowed him to set aside concerns regarding technological progress. His primary focus now was the strategic planning for the Empire's future expansion.

“Since the telephone has brought us all together today, let us also seize this moment to discuss the Empire's forward-looking strategy. Mortars have already been dispatched to Southeast Asia, and conflict is imminent. Should the war unfold favorably, we may potentially annex a territory with a population comparable to our own. Your Cabinet must be prepared for this possibility.”

Regarding India, the cabinet ministers now possessed a foundational understanding of the region. Fei Ji articulated, “Your Majesty, I propose we emulate Britain's approach to India: govern rather than rule directly. The Empire need only focus on extracting wealth from India, without squandering resources on its internal administration.”

On this matter, Pang Yukun's viewpoint mirrored Fei Ji's with surprising alignment. He stated, “I concur with Elder Fei's suggestion. My belief is that overseas colonies should be managed based on their unique circumstances. For colonies like Australia, characterized by a sparse indigenous population and vast territories, we should deploy officials and facilitate relocation to govern them under the Empire's policies, thereby achieving genuine occupation.”

He continued after a brief pause, “For colonies with substantial native populations, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, a policy of high pressure is advisable. We must compel the local chieftains to acknowledge the Empire's dominion through military might, forcing their cooperation with the Empire's colonial economy. This method allows us to maximize profits with minimal resource expenditure.”

Following Pang Yukun's address, Zhan Xingchang presented an alternative perspective. “I believe the Empire’s current social welfare policies will inevitably lead to a significant population boom. Our current population approaches one hundred million, and within a decade, an increase of thirty million is highly probable. Extending this timeframe further will only yield a linear population growth. Consequently, the Empire's domestic land resources will soon prove insufficient. Therefore, we must proactively secure territories rich in arable land before this demographic pressure intensifies.”

Zhan Xingchang affirmed with a nod. “Esteemed colleagues,” he declared, “as the Empire's technological prowess advances, our civilization and ideals will inevitably spread across the globe. Experience has proven the fallacy of Western notions of racial superiority. Any race, given proper education, can master advanced scientific knowledge. Once enlightened, these populations will no longer accept subjugation. They will inevitably seek independence, casting the Empire, their former ruler and oppressor, as their primary adversary.”

Xiao Ming nodded slowly upon hearing this, recognizing that as the Empire's strength grew, many were already contemplating its long-term future.

“Elder Zhan’s perspective may be somewhat narrow,” Fei Ji countered. “Governing the Empire effectively is a monumental task in itself. Currently, the Empire lacks the sufficient bureaucracy to administer the entire world. Furthermore, massacring native populations would inevitably sow chaos in the colonies and escalate conflicts, compelling the Empire to expend substantial military funds on maintaining order. While manageable for one colony, how would the Empire finance the pacification of two, three, or even more? Such expenditure would be ruinous.”

“More crucially,” Fei Ji added, “if the native populations are eliminated, who will purchase the Empire’s manufactured goods? Therefore, such a policy would result in mutual loss. Western nations would likely welcome seeing the Empire embroiled in protracted conflicts with indigenous peoples.”

Zhan Xingchang offered a slight smile. “My proposal is thus limited to occupying fertile lands. For territories of lesser value, Elder Fei’s approach is suitable. My current focus is on Australia, North America, and India. The former two possess sparse native populations, and Western colonists have largely eradicated the indigenous inhabitants; we need only displace the Westerners to secure these regions. India, however, presents a challenge due to its immense population…”

Zhan Xingchang then turned his gaze to Xiao Ming. “India, a naturally fertile land, functions as a vast plantation. Such a plantation necessitates a substantial labor force. Consequently, a wholesale slaughter of its populace would yield no benefit to the Empire. Nevertheless, this region presents a potential future threat to our Empire. To mitigate this, we require the presence of numerous nations here, not merely one,” Xiao Ming stated with calm composure. While India's mineral wealth might not be particularly abundant, its expansive, flat terrain is exceptionally well-suited for agriculture. It is precisely this characteristic that enables India to sustain such a dense population within its borders.

The very issue under current discussion is one that he had already thoroughly considered. Just as Zhan Xingchang articulated, the expansion of the Empire's civilization is an inevitable force that reshapes the world, a natural law in motion. When a more primitive civilization encroaches upon an advanced one, it often leads to the decline of the latter. Conversely, when an advanced civilization invades a less developed one, it brings its own superior culture. Consider, for instance, modern human endeavors in space exploration, which have been hampered by technological constraints; however, the arrival of an extraterrestrial civilization could spur rapid technological advancement on Earth. Of course, there also exists the possibility of humanity facing annihilation, much like the Indigenous peoples of North America.

The rationale behind the Western colonists' extensive industrial development within their colonies is straightforward: firstly, to serve as markets for their manufactured goods, and secondly, to inflate the consumption capacity of these colonies, thereby facilitating greater sales of their products.

Therefore, historically, colonial powers maintained strict control over weaponry and advanced technology, yet they were quite willing to disseminate rudimentary industrial technologies. Similar proposals are currently circulating within the Empire. Numerous officials have already put forth the idea of the Empire extending the availability of low-level technologies to its colonial territories.

This approach would enable the Empire to reap considerable profits, while simultaneously boosting the consumption power of the colonial nations, which in turn would stimulate the sales of the Empire's sophisticated industrial products in those same colonies.

“From my understanding, India is currently a collection of independent regional rulers, rather than a unified nation,” Pang Yukun remarked. “That is accurate, but its future state may differ. We must account for this possibility to avert potential complications,” Xiao Ming responded.

Despite its modern portrayal as a land where a hundred million people oversee a billion cattle, India still possesses the potential to become a considerable nuisance. He had no intention of granting them such an opportunity.