North of Dizful, the mountains stretched endlessly, scarred by countless gullies and layered ridge upon ridge. Yellowish-brown peaks, lean as bare bones, filled the horizon. The route selected for the Persian Gulf-Caspian Sea Railway passed through precisely this kind of extremely complex terrain.
East African railway engineer Thrain gazed out at the mountain ranges before him and said, "For Persia to have maintained national unity over such a long period amid terrain this complicated is a miracle."
"The entire Zagros Mountains are under its control. The terrain and ethnic groups are complex, and it borders foreign lands, yet no major problems arise as a whole. That can only mean Persia has something uniquely effective in its culture and institutions."
"Take the Khuzestan Plain and Persia's capital, Tehran. Such a vast mountain range lies between them, yet Persia can still govern the region quite effectively. That speaks for itself."
Khuzestan was the plain region in southwestern Persia, bordering Iraq and connected to the Mesopotamian Plain. Its population was primarily Arab.
Although this was the cradle of Persia's First Empire, the Achaemenid Empire, Persians had instead become a minority there today.
Ismail, the Persian foreman beside Thrain, said, "Persia has long overcome the transportation disadvantages imposed by complex terrain, maintained the stability of a multiethnic nation, and forged enduring national identification. Those are all strengths of our Persian culture."
"Throughout history, no matter which people ruled Persia, they eventually merged into the local civilization and preserved Persia's independence."
What Ismail said was indeed true. In terms of the assimilating power and inclusiveness displayed by Persian culture, perhaps only the Far East Empire could stand shoulder to shoulder with it.
This was no exaggeration. Historically, this land had been ruled by Macedonia, Arab powers, Mongols, Turks, and others, yet Persia had maintained its