CHAPTER XX THE MAZINDARAN UPHEAVAL (Continued) |
|
1 | THE forces under the command of Prince Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá meanwhile had recovered from the state of utter demoralisation into which they had sunk, and were now diligently preparing to renew their attack upon the occupants of the fort of Tabarsí. The latter found themselves again encompassed by a numerous host, at the head of which marched Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Laríjaní and Sulaymán Khan-i-Afshar-i-Shahriyari, who, together with several regiments of infantry and cavalry, had hastened to reinforce the company of the prince's soldiers. [1] Their combined forces encamped in the neighbourhood of the fort, [2] and proceeded to erect a series of seven barricades around it. With the utmost arrogance, they sought at first to display the extent of the forces at their command, and indulged with increasing zest in the daily exercise of their arms. |
2 |
The scarcity of water had, in the meantime, compelled
those who were besieged to dig a well within the enclosure
of the fort. On the day the work was to be completed, the
eighth day of the month of Rabí'u'l-Avval,
[3]
Mullá |
3 |
That same afternoon, Mullá |
4 |
Mullá |
5 |
I have heard the following account from Mullá Sádiq and
Mullá Mírzá |
6 |
"A long time elapsed before Quddús bade Mírzá |
7 |
No less than ninety of the companions were wounded that
night, most of whom succumbed. From the day of their
arrival at Barfurúsh to the day they were first attacked,
which fell on the twelfth of Dhi'l-Qádih in the year 1264 A.H.,
[7]
to the day of the death of Mullá |
8 |
From the time when Mullá |
9 |
So complete and humiliating a rout paralysed for a time
the efforts of the enemy. Five and forty days passed before
they could again reassemble their forces and renew their
attack. During these intervening days, which ended with
the day of Naw-Rúz, the intense cold which prevailed induced
them to defer their venture against an opponent that
had covered them with so much reproach and shame. Though
their attacks had been suspended, the officers in charge of the
remnants of the imperial army had given strict orders prohibiting
the arrival of all manner of reinforcements at the
fort. When the supply of their provisions was nearly exhausted,
Quddús instructed Mírzá |
10 |
The very night Quddús had given this warning, a siyyid
from Qum, Mírzá Husayn-i-Mutavalli, was moved to betray
his companions. "Why is it," he wrote to Abbás-Qulí
Khán-i-Laríjaní, "that you have left unfinished the work
which you have begun? You have already disposed of a
formidable opponent. By the removal of Mullá |
11 |
He had just risen from his bed when, at the hour of sunrise,
the siyyid brought him the letter. The news of the
death of Mullá |
12 |
The day had just broken when he hoisted his standard
[14]
and, marching at the head of two regiments of infantry and
cavalry, encompassed the fort and ordered his men to open
fire upon the sentinels who were guarding the turrets.
"The betrayer," Quddús informed Mírzá |
13 |
No sooner had Mírzá |
14 | So complete a rout immediately brought relief to the hard-pressed companions. It cemented their unity and reminded them afresh of the efficacy of that power with which their Faith had endowed them. Their food, alas, was by this time reduced to the flesh of horses, which they had brought away with them from the deserted camp of the enemy. With steadfast fortitude they endured the afflictions which beset them from every side. Their hearts were set on the wishes of Quddús; all else mattered but little. Neither the severity of their distress nor the continual threats of the enemy could cause them to deviate a hairbreadth from the path which their departed companions had so heroically trodden. A few were found who subsequently faltered in the darkest hour of adversity. The faint-heartedness which this negligible element was compelled to betray paled, however, into insignificance before the radiance which the mass of their stouthearted companions shed in the hour of realised doom. |
15 | Prince Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá, who was stationed in Sarí, welcomed with keen delight the news of the defeat that had overtaken the forces under the immediate command of his colleague Abbás-Qulí Khán. Though himself desirous of extirpating the band that had sought shelter behind the walls of the fort, he rejoiced at the knowledge that his rival had failed to secure the victory which he coveted. [16] He wrote immediately to Tihrán and demanded that reinforcements in the form of bomb-shells and camel-artillery, with all the necessary equipments, be despatched without delay to the neighbourhood of the fort, he being determined, this time, to effect the complete subjugation of its obstinate occupants. |
16 | Whilst their enemies were preparing for yet another and still fiercer attack upon their stronghold, the companions of Quddús, utterly indifferent to the gnawing distress that afflicted them, acclaimed with joy and gratitude the approach of Naw-Rúz. In the course of that festival, they gave free vent to their feelings of thanksgiving and praise in return for the manifold blessings which the Almighty had bestowed upon them. Though oppressed with hunger, they indulged in songs and merriment, utterly disdaining the danger with which they were beset. The fort resounded with the ascriptions of glory and praise which, both in the daytime and in the night-season, ascended from the hearts of that joyous band. The verse, "Holy, holy, the Lord our God, the Lord of the angels and the spirit," issued unceasingly from their lips, heightened their enthusiasm, and reanimated their courage. |
17 |
All that remained of the cattle they had brought with
them to the fort was a cow which |
18 |
I have heard Mullá Mírzá |
19 |
On the day of Naw-Rúz, which fell on the twenty-fourth
of Rabí'u'th-Thání in the year 1265 A.H.,
[17]
Quddús alluded,
in a written message to his companions, to the approach of
such trials as would bring in their wake the martyrdom of
a considerable number of his friends. A few days later,
an innumerable host,
[18]
commanded by Prince Mihdí-Qulí
Mírzá
[19]
and seconded by the joint forces of Sulaymán Khan-i-Afshar,
of Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Laríjaní, and of Ja'far-Qulí Khán,
assisted by about forty other officers, encamped in the
neighbourhood of the fort, and set about constructing a series
of trenches and barricades in its immediate vicinity.
[20]
On the
ninth day of the month of Bahá,
[21]
the commanding officer
gave orders to those in charge of his artillery to open fire in
the direction of the besieged. While the bombardment was
in progress, Quddús emerged from his room and walked to
the centre of the fort. His face was wreathed in smiles, and
his demeanour breathed forth the utmost tranquillity. As
he was pacing the floor, a cannon-ball fell suddenly before
him. "How utterly unaware," he calmly remarked, as he
rolled it with his foot, "are these boastful aggressors of the
power of God's avenging wrath! Have they forgotten that
a creature as insignificant as the gnat was capable of extinguishing
the life of the all-powerful Nimrod? Have they not
heard that the roaring of the tempest was sufficient to destroy
the people of `Ád and Thámúd and to annihilate their forces?
Seek they to intimidate the heroes of God, in whose sight
the pomp of royalty is but an empty shadow, with such
contemptible evidences of their cruelty?" "You are," he
added, as he turned to his friends, "those same companions
of whom |
20 | So powerful an appeal could not fail to breathe confidence into the hearts of those who heard it. A few, however, whose countenances betrayed vacillation and fear, were seen huddled together in a sheltered corner of the fort, viewing with envy and surprise the zeal that animated their companions. [22] |
21 | The army of Prince Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá continued for a few days to fire in the direction of the fort. His men were surprised to find that the booming of their guns had failed to silence the voice of prayer and the acclamations of joy which the besieged raised in answer to their threats. Instead of the unconditional surrender which they expected, the call of the muadhdhín, [23] the chanting of the verses of the Qur'án, and the chorus of gladsome voices intoning hymns of thanksgiving and praise reached their ears without ceasing. |
22 |
Exasperated by these evidences of unquenchable fervour
and impelled by a burning desire to extinguish the enthusiasm
which swelled within the breasts of his opponents, Ja'far-quli
Khán erected a tower, upon which he stationed his
cannon,
[24]
and from that eminence directed his fire into the
heart of the fort. Quddús immediately summoned Mírzá
|
23 |
Mírzá |
24 | Triumphant and unhurt, they repaired to the fort, carrying back with them a number of the stoutest and best-fed stallions which had been left behind. A few days elapsed during which there was no sign of a counter-attack. [25] A sudden explosion in one of the ammunition stores of the enemy, which had caused the death of several artillery officers and a number of their fellow-combatants, forced them for one whole month to suspend their attacks upon the garrison. [26] This lull enabled a number of the companions to emerge occasionally from their stronghold and gather such grass as they could find in the field as the only means wherewith to allay their hunger. The flesh of horses, even the leather of their saddles, had been consumed by these hard-pressed companions. They boiled the grass and devoured it with piteous avidity. [27] As their strength declined, as they languished exhausted within the walls of their fort, Quddús multiplied his visits to them, and endeavoured by his words of cheer and of hope to lighten the load of their agony. |
25 |
The month of Jamádiyu'th-Thání
[28]
had just begun when
the artillery of the enemy was heard again discharging its
showers of balls upon the fort. Simultaneously with the
booming of the cannons, a detachment of the army, headed
by a number of officers and consisting of several regiments of
infantry and cavalry, rushed to storm it. The sound of their
approach impelled Quddús to summon promptly his valiant
lieutenant, Mírzá |
26 |
Mírzá |
27 | Prince Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá, astounded by this further evidence of the inexhaustible vitality of his opponents, took counsel with the chiefs of his staff, urging them to devise such means as would enable him to bring that costly enterprise to a speedy end. For three days he deliberated with them, and finally came to the conclusion that the most advisable course to take would be to suspend all manner of hostilities for a few days in the hope that the besieged, exhausted with hunger and goaded by despair, would decide to emerge from their retreat and submit to an unconditional surrender. |
28 | As the prince was waiting for the consummation of the plan he had conceived, there arrived from Tihrán a messenger bearing to him the farmán [29] of his sovereign. This man was a resident of the village of Kand, a place not far from the capital. He succeeded in obtaining leave from the prince to enter the fort and attempt to induce two of its occupants, Mullá Mihdí and his brother Mullá Baqir-i-Kandi, to escape from the imminent danger to which their lives were exposed. As he approached its walls, he called the sentinels and asked them to inform Mullá Mihdiy-Kandi that an acquaintance of his desired to see him. Mullá Mihdí reported the matter to Quddús, who permitted him to meet his friend. |
29 |
I have heard Aqáy-i-Kalím give the following account, as
related to him by that same messenger whom he met in
Tihrán: "`I saw,' the messenger informed me, `Mullá Mihdí
appear above the wall of the fort, his countenance revealing
an expression of stern resolve that baffled description. He
looked as fierce as a lion, his sword was girded on over a long
white shirt after the manner of the Arabs, and he had a white
kerchief around his head. "What is it that you seek?" he
impatiently enquired. "Say it quickly, for I fear that my
master will summon me and find me absent." The determination
that glowed in his eyes confused me. I was
dumbfounded at his looks and manner. The thought suddenly
flashed through my mind that I would awaken a dormant
sentiment in his heart. I reminded him of his infant
child, Rahman, whom he had left behind in the village, in
his eagerness to enlist under the standard of Mullá |
30 | As soon as he had joined his companions, Mullá Mihdí conveyed the prince's message to them. On the afternoon of that same day, Siyyid Mírzá Husayn-i-Mutavalli, accompanied by his servant, left the fort and went directly to join the prince in his camp. The next day, Rasul-i-Bahnimiri and a few other of his companions, unable to resist the ravages of famine, and encouraged by the explicit assurances or the prince, sadly and reluctantly separated themselves from their friends. No sooner had they stepped out of the fort than they were all instantly slain at the order of Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Laríjaní. |
31 | During the few days that elapsed after that incident, the enemy, still encamped in the neighbourhood of the fort, refrained from any act of hostility towards Quddús and his companions. On Wednesday morning, the sixteenth of Jamádiyu'th-Thání, [31] an emissary of the prince arrived at the fort and requested that two representatives be delegated by the besieged to conduct confidential negotiations with them in the hope of arriving at a peaceful settlement of the issues outstanding between them. [32] |
32 |
Accordingly, Quddús instructed Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí
and Siyyid Riday-i-Khurasani to act as his representatives,
and bade them inform the prince of his readiness to accede
to his wish. Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá courteously received them,
and invited them to partake of the tea which he had prepared.
"We should," they said, as they declined his offer, "feel it
to be an act of disloyalty on our part were we to partake of
either meat or drink whilst our beloved leader languishes
worn and famished in the fort." "The hostilities between
us," the prince remarked, "have been unduly prolonged.
We, on both sides, have fought long and suffered grievously.
It is my fervent wish to achieve an amicable settlement of
our differences." He took hold of a copy of the Qur'án that
lay beside him, and wrote, with his own hand, in confirmation
of his statement, the following words on the margin of the
opening Súrih: "I swear by this most holy Book, by the
righteousness of God who has revealed it, and the Mission
of Him who was inspired with its verses, that I cherish no
other purpose than to promote peace and friendliness between
us. Come forth from your stronghold and rest assured that
no hand will be stretched forth against you. You yourself
and your companions, I solemnly declare, are under the
sheltering protection of the Almighty, of |
33 | He affixed his seal to his statement and, delivering the Qur'án into the hands of Mullá Yúsúf, asked him to convey his greetings to his leader and to present him this formal and written assurance. "I will," he added, "in pursuance of my declaration, despatch to the gate of the fort, this very afternoon, a number of horses, which I trust he and his leading companions will accept and mount, in order to ride to the neighbourhood of this camp, where a special tent will have been pitched for their reception. I would request them to be our guests until such time as I shall be able to arrange for their return, at my expense, to their homes." |
34 | Quddús received the Qur'án from the hand of his messenger, kissed it reverently, and said: "O our Lord, decide between us and between our people with truth; for the best to decide art Thou." [33] Immediately after, he bade the rest of his companions prepare themselves to leave the fort. "By our response to their invitation," he told them, "we shall enable them to demonstrate the sincerity of their intentions." |
35 |
As the hour of their departure approached, Quddús attired
his head with the green turban which the Báb had sent to him
at the time He sent the one that Mullá |
36 | Soon after their arrival, Quddús emerged from his tent and, gathering together his companions, addressed them in these words: "You should show forth exemplary renunciation, for such behaviour on your part will exalt our Cause and redound to its glory. Anything short of complete detachment will but serve to tarnish the purity of its name and to obscure its splendour. Pray the Almighty to grant that even to your last hour He may graciously assist you to contribute your share to the exaltation of His Faith." |
37 |
A few hours after sunset, they were served with dinner
brought from the camp of the prince. The food that was
offered them in separate trays, each of which was assigned
to a group of thirty companions, was poor and scanty. "Nine
of us," those who were with Quddús subsequently related,
"were summoned by our leader to partake of the dinner which
had been served in his tent. As he refused to taste it, we too,
following his example, refrained from eating. The attendants
who waited upon us were delighted to partake of the dishes
which we had refused to touch, and devoured their contents
with appreciation and avidity." A few of the companions
who were dining outside the tent were heard remonstrating
with the attendants, pleading that they were willing to buy
from them, at however exorbitant a price, the bread which
they needed. Quddús strongly disapproved of their conduct
and rebuked them for the request they had made. But for
the intercession of Mírzá |
38 |
At daybreak a messenger arrived, summoning Mírzá
|
39 | The prince failed to redeem his promise. Instead of joining Quddús in his tent, he called him, with several of his companions, to his headquarters, and informed him, as soon as they reached the tent of the Farrash-Bashi, [34] that he himself would summon him at noon to his presence. Shortly after, a number of the prince's attendants went and told the rest of the companions that Quddús permitted them to join him at the army's headquarters. Several of them were deceived by this report, were made captives, and were eventually sold as slaves. These unfortunate victims constitute the remnant of the companions of the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí, who survived that heroic struggle and were spared to transmit to their countrymen the woeful tale of their sufferings and trials. |
40 | Soon after, the prince's attendants brought pressure to bear upon Mullá Yúsúf to inform the remainder of his companions of the desire of Quddús that they immediately disarm. "What is it that you will tell them exactly?" they asked him, as he was being conducted to a place at some distance from the army's headquarters. "I will," was the bold reply, "warn them that whatever be henceforth the nature of the message you choose to deliver to them on behalf of their leader, that message is naught but downright falsehood." These words had hardly escaped his lips when he was mercilessly put to death. |
41 | From this savage act they turned their attention to the fort, plundered it of its contents, and proceeded to bombard and demolish it completely. [35] They then immediately encompassed the remaining companions and opened fire upon them. Any who escaped the bullets were killed by the swords of the officers and the spears of their men. [36] In the very throes of death, these unconquerable heroes were still heard to utter the words, "Holy, holy, O Lord our God, Lord of the angels and the spirit," words which in moments of exultation had fallen from their lips, and which they now repeated with undiminished fervour at this crowning hour of their lives. |
42 |
As soon as these atrocities hath been perpetrated, the prince
ordered those who had been retained as captives to be ushered,
one after another, into his presence. Those among them
who were men of recognised standing, such as the father of
Badí,
[37]
Mullá Mírzá |
43 |
This terrible butchery had hardly been concluded when
three of the companions of Quddús, who were residents of Sang-Sar,
were ushered into the presence of the prince. One of them
was Siyyid |
44 |
In Sang-Sar two other persons, Kárbilá'í `Alí and Kárbilá'í
|
45 |
These two sons of Kárbilá'í |
46 |
Meanwhile Mírzá |
47 |
No sooner had Mírzá |
48 | As soon as his work was completed, the prince, accompanied by Quddús, returned to Barfurúsh. They arrived on Friday afternoon, the eighteenth of Jamádiyu'th-Thání. [42] The Sa'idu'l-'Ulama', together with all the `ulamás of the town, came out to welcome the prince and to extend their congratulations on his triumphal return. The whole town was beflagged to celebrate the victory, and the bonfires which blazed at night witnessed to the joy with which a grateful population greeted the return of the prince. Three days of festivities elapsed during which he gave no indication as to his intention regarding the fate of Quddús. He vacillated in his policy, and was extremely reluctant to ill-treat his captive. He at first refused to allow the people to gratify their feelings of unrelenting hatred, and was able to restrain their fury. He had originally intended to conduct him to Tihrán and, by delivering him into the hands of his sovereign, to relieve himself of the responsibility which weighed upon him. |
49 |
The Sa'idu'l-'Ulama''s unquenchable hostility, however,
interfered with the execution of this plan. The hatred with
which Quddús and his Cause inspired him blazed into furious
rage as he witnessed the increasing evidences of the prince's
inclination to allow so formidable an opponent to slip from
his grasp. Day and night he remonstrated with him and,
with every cunning that his resourceful brain could devise,
sought to dissuade him from pursuing a policy which he
thought to be at once disastrous and cowardly. In the fury
of his despair, he appealed to the mob and sought, by inflaming
their passions, to awaken the basest sentiments of
revenge in their hearts. The whole of Barfurúsh had been
aroused by the persistency of his call. His diabolical skill
soon won him the sympathy and support of the masses. "I
have vowed," he imperiously protested, "to deny myself
both food and sleep until such time as I am able to end the
life of |
50 |
No sooner had the `ulamás assembled than the prince
gave orders for Quddús to be brought into their presence.
Since the day of his abandoning the fort, Quddús, who had
been delivered into the custody of the Farrash-Bashi, had
not been summoned to his presence. As soon as he arrived,
the prince arose and invited him to be seated by his side.
Turning to the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama', he urged that his conversations
with him be dispassionately and conscientiously conducted.
"Your discussions," he asserted, "must revolve
around, and be based upon, the verses of the Qur'án and the
traditions of |
51 | No one dared to contradict him. The Sa'idu'l-'Ulama' burst forth into a fit of indignation and despair. Angrily he flung his turban to the ground and arose to leave the meeting. "This man," he thundered, ere he departed, "has succeeded in proving to you that he is a descendent of the Imám Hasan. He will, ere long, justify his claim to be the mouthpiece of God and the revealer of His will!" The prince was moved to make this declaration: "I wash my hands of all responsibility for any harm that may befall this man. You are free to do what you like with him. You will yourselves be answerable to God on the Day of Judgment." Immediately after he had spoken these words, he called for his horse and, accompanied by his attendants, departed for Sarí. Intimidated by the imprecations of the `ulamás and forgetful of his oath, he abjectly surrendered Quddús to the hands of an unrelenting foe, those ravening wolves who panted for the moment when they could pounce, with uncontrolled violence, upon their prey, and let loose on him the fiercest passions of revenge and hate. |
52 | No sooner had the prince freed them from the restraints which he had exercised than the `ulamás and the people of Barfurúsh, acting under orders from the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama', [43] arose to perpetrate upon the body of their victim acts of such atrocious cruelty as no pen can describe. By the testimony of Bahá'u'lláh, that heroic youth, who was still on the threshold of his life, was subjected to such tortures and suffered such a death as even Jesus had not faced in the hour of His greatest agony. The absence of any restraint on the part of the government authorities, the ingenious barbarity which the torture-mongers of Barfurúsh so ably displayed, the fierce fanaticism which glowed in the breasts of its shí'ah inhabitants, the moral support accorded to them by the dignitaries of Church and State in the capital--above all, the acts of heroism which their victim and his companions had accomplished and which had served to heighten their exasperation, all combined to nerve the hand of the assailants and to add to the diabolical ferocity which characterised his martyrdom. |
53 | Such were its circumstances that the Báb, who was then confined in the castle of Chihríq, was unable for a period of six months either to write or to dictate. The deep grief which he felt had stilled the voice of revelation and silenced His pen. How deeply He mourned His loss! What cries of anguish He must have uttered as the tale of the siege, the untold sufferings, the shameless betrayal, and the wholesale massacre of the companions of Shaykh Tabarsí reached His ears and was unfolded before His eyes! What pangs of sorrow He must have felt when He learned of the shameful treatment which His beloved Quddús had undergone in his hour of martyrdom at the hands of the people of Barfurúsh; how he was stripped of his clothes; how the turban which He had bestowed upon him had been befouled; how, barefooted, bareheaded, and loaded with chains, he was paraded through the streets, followed and scorned by the entire population of the town; how he was execrated and spat upon by the howling mob; how he was assailed with the knives and axes of the scum of its female inhabitants; how his body was pierced and mutilated, and how eventually it was delivered to the flames! |
54 | Amidst his torments, Quddús was heard whispering forgiveness to his foes. "Forgive, O my God," he cried, "the trespasses of this people. Deal with them in Thy mercy, for they know not what we already have discovered and cherish. I have striven to show them the path that leads to their salvation; behold how they have risen to overwhelm and kill me! Show them, O God, the way of Truth, and turn their ignorance into faith." In his hour of agony, the Siyyid-i-Qumi, who had so treacherously deserted the fort, was seen passing by his side. Observing his helplessness, he smote him in the face. "You claimed," he cried in haughty scorn, "that your voice was the voice of God. If you speak the truth, burst your bonds asunder and free yourself from the hands of your enemies." Quddús looked steadfastly into his face, sighed deeply, and said: "May God requite you for your deed, inasmuch as you have helped to add to the measure of my afflictions." Approaching the Sabzih-Maydán, he raised his voice and said: "Would that my mother were with me, and could see with her own eyes the splendour of my nuptials!" He had scarcely spoken these words when the enraged multitude fell upon him and, tearing his body to pieces, threw the scattered members into the fire which they had kindled far that purpose. In the middle of the night, what still remained of the fragments of that burned and mutilated body was gathered by the hand of a devoted friend [44] and interred in a place not far distant from the scene of his martyrdom. [45] |
55 | It would be appropriate at this juncture to place on record the names of those martyrs who participated in the defence of the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí, in the hope that generations yet to come may recall with pride and gratitude the names, no less than the deeds, of those pioneers who, by their life and death, have so greatly enriched the annals of God's immortal Faith. Such names as I have been able to collect from various sources, and for which I am particularly indebted to Ismu'llahu'l-Mim, Ismu'llahu'l-Javad, and Ismu'llahu'l-Asad, I now proceed to enumerate, trusting that even as in the world beyond their souls have been invested with the light of unfading glory, their names may likewise linger for ever on the tongues of men; that their mention may continue to evoke a like spirit of enthusiasm and devotion in the hearts of those to whom this priceless heritage has been transmitted. From my informants I not only have been able to gather the names of most of those who fell in the course of that memorable siege, but have also succeeded in obtaining a representative, though incomplete, list of all those martyrs who, from the year '60 [46] until the present day, the latter part of the month of Rabí'u'l-Avval in the year 1306 A.H., [47] have laid down their lives in the path of the Cause of God. It is my intention to make mention of each of these names in connection with the particular event with which it is chiefly connected. As to those who quaffed the cup of martyrdom while defending the fort of Tabarsí, their names are as follows: |
56 | 1. First and foremost among them stands Quddús, upon whom the Báb bestowed the name of Ismu'llahu'l-Akhar. [48] He, the Last Letter of the Living and the Báb's chosen companion on His pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, was, together with Mullá Sádiq and Mullá Ali-Akbar-i-Ardistani, the first to suffer persecution on Persian soil for the sake of the Cause of God. He was only eighteen years of age when he left his native town of Barfurúsh for Kárbilá. For about four years he sat at the feet of Siyyid Kázim, and at the age of twenty-two met and recognised his Beloved in Shíráz. Five years later, on the twenty-third day of Jamádiyu'th-Thání in the year 1265 A.H., [49] he was destined to fall, in the Sabzih-Maydán of Barfurúsh, a victim of the most refined and wanton barbarity at the hands of the enemy. The Báb and, at a later time, Bahá'u'lláh have mourned in unnumbered Tablets and prayers his loss, and have lavished on him their eulogies. Such was the honour accorded to him by Bahá'u'lláh that in His commentary on the verse of Kullu't-Tá'am, [50] which He revealed while in Baghdád, He conferred upon him the unrivalled station of the Nuqtiy-i-Ukhrá, [51] a station second to none except that of the Báb Himself. [52] |
57 |
2. Mullá |
58 |
3. Mírzá |
59 |
5. The brother-in-law of Mullá |
60 |
6. The son of Mullá |
61 |
7. Mírzá |
62 |
8. Mírzá |
63 |
9. Qambar-'Ali, the fearless and faithful servant of Mullá
|
64 |
|
65 |
|
66 | 13. Siyyid Ridá, who, with Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí, was commissioned by Quddús to meet the prince, and who brought back with him the sealed copy of the Qur'án bearing the oath which the prince had written. He was one of the well-known siyyids of Khurásán, and was recognised for his learning as well as for the integrity of his character. |
67 |
14. Mullá Mardan-'Ali, one of the noted companions from
Khurásán, a resident of the village of Miyamay, the site of
a well-fortified fortress situated between Sabzihvar and
Shah-Rud. He, together with thirty-three companions, enlisted
under the banner of Mullá |
68 |
15. Mullá |
69 |
16. Mullá |
70 | 18. Mullá Rahim, 19. Mullá Muhammad-Rida, |
71 |
20. Mullá |
72 | 22. Mullá Yúsúf, 23. Mullá Ya'qub, |
73 | 24. Mullá `Alí, 25. Mullá Zaynu'l-Ábidín, |
74 |
26. Mullá |
75 |
28. Mullá |
76 | 29. Mullá Abu'l-Hasan, 30. Mullá Ismá'íl, |
77 | 31. Mullá Abdu'l-'Ali, 32. Mullá Aqa-Baba, |
78 |
33. Mullá Abdu'l-Javad,
34. Mullá |
79 |
35. Mullá |
80 |
37. |
81 | 39. Mullá Kárbilá'í `Alí, 40. Kárbilá'í Nur-Muhammad, |
82 |
41. |
83 |
43. |
84 | Of the companions of the village of Sang-Sar, which forms part of the district of Simnan, eighteen were martyred. Their names are as follows: |
85 |
46. Siyyid |
86 |
47. Mír Abu'l-Qásim, Siyyid |
87 |
48. Mír Mihdí, the paternal uncle of Siyyid |
88 |
49. Mír Ibráhím, the brother-in-law of Siyyid |
89 |
51. |
90 |
52. Abu'l-Qásim, the brother of |
91 | 55. Mullá `Alí-Akbar, |
92 |
56. Mullá |
93 |
58. |
94 | 60. Kárbilá'í Ismá'íl, 61. `Alí Khán, |
95 |
62. |
96 | From the village of Shah-Mirzad, two fell in defending the fort: |
97 | 64. Mullá Abu-Rahim and 65. Kárbilá'í Kázim. |
98 | As to the adherents of the Faith in Mazindarán, twenty-seven martyrs have thus far been recorded: |
99 | 66. Mullá Riday-i-Shah, |
100 |
67. Azím,
68. Kárbilá'í |
101 |
69. Siyyid |
102 | 71. Siyyid Razzaq, 72. Ustád Ibráhím, |
103 | 73. Mullá Sa'id-i-Zirih-Kinari, 74. Riday-i-'Arab, |
104 |
75. Rasul-i-Bahnimiri,
76. |
105 | 77. Tahir, 78. Shafí, |
106 | 79. Qásim, 80. Mullá Muhammad-Jan, |
107 | 81. Masíh, the brother of Mullá Muhammad-Jan, 82. Ita-Baba, |
108 | 83. Yúsúf, 84. Fadlu'llah, |
109 | 85. Bábá, 86. Safi-Quli, |
110 | 87. Nizam, 88. Rúhu'lláh, 89. `Alí-Qulí, |
111 |
90. |
112 | 91. Ja'far, 92. Khalíl. |
113 | Of the believers of Savad-Kuh, the five following names have thus far been ascertained: |
114 | 93. Kárbilá'í Qambar-Kalish, |
115 | 94. Mullá Nad-'Aliy-i-Mutavalli, 95. Abdu'l-Haqq, |
116 | 96. Itabaki-Chupan, 97. Son of Itabaki-Chupan. |
117 | From the town of Ardistán, the following have suffered martyrdom: |
118 |
98. Mírzá |
119 |
99. Mírzá Abdu'-Vasi', son of |
120 |
From the city of |
121 |
|
122 |
|
123 |
|
124 |
|
125 | 116. Mullá Husayn-i-Miskar, |
126 | 117. Ahmad-i-Payvandi, 118. Hasan-i-Sha'r-Baf-i-Yazdi, |
127 |
119. |
128 |
122. |
129 |
123. Abu'l-Qásim, brother of |
130 |
125. Mullá Haydar, brother of Mírzá |
131 |
127. |
132 | 130. Muhammad-Husayn-i-'Attar, |
133 |
131. Ustád |
134 |
133. Siyyid Muhammad-Riday-i-Pa-Qal'iyi, a distinguished
siyyid and a highly esteemed divine, whose declared purpose
to enlist under the banner of Mullá |
135 | Among the believers of Shíráz, the following attained the station of martyrdom: |
136 |
134. Mullá `Abdu'lláh, known also by the name of Mírzá
|
137 |
135. Mullá Zaynu'l-Ábidín,
136. Mírzá |
138 | Of the adherents of the Faith in Yazd, only four have thus far been recorded: |
139 | 137. The siyyid who walked on foot all the way from Khurásán to Barfurúsh, where he fell a victim to the bullet of the enemy. |
140 |
138. Siyyid |
141 |
139. Mírzá |
142 |
140. Shaykh `Alí, son of Shaykh `Abdu'l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí,
a resident of Mashhad, a youth whose enthusiasm and untiring
energy were greatly praised by Mullá |
143 |
Of the believers of Qazvín, the following were martyred:
141. Mírzá |
144 |
142. |
145 |
143. Siyyid |
146 | 144. Mírzá Abdu'l-Jalil, a noted divine, 145. Mírzá Mihdí. |
147 |
146. From the village of Lahard, a man named |
148 | Of the believers of Khúy, the following have suffered martyrdom: |
149 | 147. Mullá Mihdí, a distinguished divine, who had been one of the esteemed disciples of Siyyid Kázim. He was noted for his learning, his eloquence, and his staunchness of faith. |
150 | 148. Mullá Mahmud-i-Khu'i, brother of Mullá Mihdí, one of the Letters of the Living and a distinguished divine. |
151 |
149. Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí, one of the Letters of the
Living, noted for his learning, his enthusiasm and eloquence.
It was he who had aroused the apprehensions of |
152 | 150. Mullá Jalil-i-Urumi, one of the Letters of the Living, noted for his learning, his eloquence, and tenacity of faith. |
153 |
151. Mullá |
154 | 152. Mullá Mihdíy-i-Kandí, a close companion of Bahá'u'lláh, and a tutor to the children of His household. |
155 | 153. Mullá Báqir, brother of Mullá Mihdí, both of whom were men of considerable learning, to whose great attainments Bahá'u'lláh testifies in the "Kitáb-i-Íqán." |
156 |
154. Siyyid Kázim, a resident of Zanján, and one of its
noted merchants. He attained the presence of the Báb in
Shíráz, and accompanied Him to |
157 |
155. Iskandar, also a resident of Zanján, who, together
with Hasan and Qulí, bore the body of Mullá |
158 | 156. Ismá'íl, 157. Kárbilá'í Abdu'l-'Ali, |
159 |
158. |
160 |
159. |
161 | 162. Mullá Hasan-i-Rashti, |
162 | 163. Mullá Hasan-i-Bayajmandi, 164. Mullá Ni'matu'llah-i-Barfurushi, |
163 | 165. Mullá Muhammad-Taqiy-i-Qarakhili, 166. Ustád Zaynu'l-Ábidín, |
164 | 167. Ustád Qásim, son of Ustád Zaynu'l-Ábidín, 168. Ustád `Alí-Akbar, brother of Ustád Zaynu'l-Ábidín. |
165 | The last three were masons by profession, were natives of Kirmán, and resided in Qayin in the province of Khurásán. |
166 |
|
167 |
|
168 |
172. |
169 | 173. Sa'id-i-Jabbavi, a native of Baghdád, who displayed extraordinary courage during the siege. He was shot in the abdomen, and, though severely wounded, managed to walk until he reached the presence of Quddús. He joyously threw himself at his feet and expired. |
170 |
The circumstances of the martyrdom of these last two
companions were related by Siyyid Abu-Talib-i-Sang-Sari,
one of those who survived that memorable siege, in a communication
he addressed to Bahá'u'lláh. In it he relates, in
addition, his own story, as well as that of his two brothers,
Siyyid |
171 | The names of some of the officers who distinguished themselves among the opponents of the companions of Quddús are as follows: |
172 |
1. Prince Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá, brother of the late |
173 | 2. Sulaymán Khan-i-Afshar, |
174 |
3. |
175 |
5. Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Laríjaní, who shot Mullá |
176 | 7. Habíbu'lláh Khan-i-Afghan, 8. Dhu'l-Faqar Khan-i-Karavuli, |
177 |
9. |
178 | 14. Zakariyyay-i-Qadi-Kala'i, a cousin of Khusraw, and his successor. |
179 | As to those believers who participated in that memorable siege and survived its tragic end, I have been thus far unable to ascertain in full either their names or their number. I have contented myself with a representative, though incomplete, list of the names of its martyrs, trusting that in the days to come the valiant promoters of the Faith will arise to fill this gap, and will, by their research and industry, be able to remedy the imperfections of this altogether inadequate description of what must ever remain as one of the most moving episodes of modern times. |
1. ["Thus perplexed and not knowing which way to turn, Shahzadih, poor man, gave orders to gather together new soldiers and raise another army. The population was not eager to serve under a chief whose worth and intrepidity had not brilliantly stood the test. Nevertheless, by the help of money and through promises, the Mullás particularly, who did not lose sight of their interests, and who had the most at stake, displayed such zeal that in the end a fair number of tufang-chis were assembled. As for the mounted soldiers of the various tribes, from the moment their chiefs mount their horses, they do likewise without even asking why. "Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Laríjaní obeyed without hesitation the order to send new recruits. This time however, either through distrust of a Prince whose ineptitude might endanger the lives of his relatives and subjects, or because ambitious to distinguish himself, he no longer gave anyone the command of his forces. He led them himself by a daring move and, instead of rejoining the royal army, he went straight on to attack the Bábís in their refuge. Then he gave notice to the Prince that he had arrived at the fortress of Shaykh Tabarsí and that he was besieging it. Besides, he notified him that he had no need of assistance nor of support, that his forces were more than adequate and that, if his royal highness would see for himself how he, Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Laríjaní was about to treat the rebels, he would be both honored and gratified." (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," pp. 170-171.)]
2. ["Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá could not pass for a bold warrior, as we have just seen, but he substituted for an excessive intrepidity another quality very useful to a general, he did not take literally the boastings of his lieutenants. Therefore, fearing that ill might befall this impudent nomad, he sent him reinforcements immediately. Thus departed in great haste Muhsin Khan-i-Ashrafi with his cavalry, a troop of Afgháns,
5. ["Although seriously wounded, the Bábí chief continued, nevertheless, to give orders and to lead and stimulate his men until, seeing that little more could be gained, he gave the signal to retreat, remaining himself with the rear guard." (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," p. 174.)]
6. ["His [Mullá
12. ["Among them was Mullá
13. [See Glossary.]
14. ["This time the terror knew no bounds; throughout the province the people, deeply aroused by the repeated defeats of Islám, were beginning to lean toward the new religion. The military leaders felt their authority tottering, the religious chiefs saw their power over souls waning; the situation was extremely critical and the least incident might place the province completely under the influence of the Reformer." (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
15. ["The reverend divines, who with their pupils, had come to take part in the holy war, were scarce able to sleep at night for fear (though their quarters were in a place distant two farsangs from the castle), and continually in their conversation would they roundly abuse the prince and Abbás-Qulí Khán and curse the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama'; `for,' said they, `these have, without sufficient reason, taken us away from our studies, our discussions, and the earning of our livelihood, besides bringing us into dire peril; since to fight with men like these, who have renounced the world and carry their lives in their hands, is to incur great risk.' So the holy verse, `Cast not yourselves into peril with your own hands,' became their daily utterance. One said: `Certain circumstances exonerate me from the duty of taking part in this war at present.' Another (adducing thirty different pretexts) said: I am lawfully excused and am compelled to turn back.' A third said: `I have little children dependant on me; what can I do?' A fourth said: `I have made no provision for my wife, so I must go, but, should it be necessary, I will return again.' A fifth said: `My accounts with certain persons are not yet settled; should I fall a martyr my wealth will be wasted and an injustice will be done to my wife and children; and both waste and injustice are condemned as repugnant to our holy religion and displeasing to God.' A sixth said: `I owe money to certain persons and have none to acquit me of my debt. Should I fall my debt will not allow me to cross the Bridge of
17. [1849 A.D.]
18. ["The Prince assigned to each one his post during the siege; he entrusted
19. ["Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá, however, wished to combine recent strategy with old military technique and ordered to be brought from Tihrán two cannon and two mortars with the necessary ammunition. He also enlisted the assistance of a man from Hirát who had discovered an explosive substance which could project flames to a distance of seven hundred meters and set fire to anything combustible within that radius. A trial test was made and it proved satisfactory; the burning material was shot out into the fort, a conflagration started immediately and all the dwellings or shelters whether of wood, of reeds or of straw, which the Bábís had erected, either within the enclosure or upon the walls, were reduced to ashes. "While this destruction went on, the bombs and bullets shot from the mortars seriously damaged a building hastily erected by men who were neither architects nor engineers and had never anticipated an artillery attack. In a very short time, the outer defences of the fortress were dismantled; nothing was left of them but fallen girders, smoked and burning timbers, scattered stones." (Ibid., pp. 181-182.)]
20. ["After taking these precautions, they dug holes and trenches for the use of the tufang-chis who were ordered to shoot down any Bábís who might appear. They built large towers as high as the various levels of the fortress or even higher and, through a continuous plunging fire, they rendered the circulation of the Bábís within their fort extremely dangerous. It was a decided advantage for the besiegers, but, in a few days, the Bábí chiefs, taking advantage of the long nights, raised their fortifications so that their height exceeded that of the attacking towers of the enemy." (Ibid., p. 181.)]
21. [The ninth day after Naw-Rúz.]
22. ["Once indeed, some few of them did go out to try to obtain a little tea and sugar for Jináb-i-Quddús. The most notable of these was Mullá Sa'íd of Zarkanad. Now he was a man so accomplished in science that when certain learned men of the kindred of Mullá
23. [See Glossary.]
25. ["This state of affairs had lasted four months. The Sháh began to grow impatient. The success of the Bábís aroused his anger which according to the Persian historian he expressed thus: `We thought that our army would go without hesitation through fire and water, that, fearless, it would fight a lion or a whale, but we have sent it to fight a handful of weak and defenseless men and it has achieved nothing! Do the notables of Mazindarán think that we approve of this delay? Is it their policy to allow this conflagration to spread in order to magnify their importance in case they later put an end to it? Very well, let them know that I shall act as though Alláh had never created Mazindarán and I shall exterminate its inhabitants to the last man!" (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
26. ["The siege had been going on for four months and had made no visible progress. The old fortifications had been destroyed but, with indomitable energy, the Bábís had built new ones and, night and day, they restored and enlarged them. It was impossible to foresee the outcome of this situation, the more so because, as I have already said, Mazindarán was not the only region in Persia where the devotees of the new Faith were giving evidence of their zeal and their daring. The King and the prime minister, in their anxiety, burst forth into abuse against their lieutenants. Not only did they charge them with incompetence, in the most bitter terms, but they threatened to extend to them the same treatment planned for the Bábís, if a final settlement were not reached without delay. Thereupon, the command was taken from Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá and given to the Afshar Sulaymán Khán, a man of acknowledged firmness and of great influence, not only in his own tribe, one of the noblest in Persia, but throughout the military circles who knew him and held him in high esteem. He was given the most rigorous orders." (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," pp. 183-184.) ..."Those who remained firm had already consumed not only all their food supply, but such grass as they could find in the enclosure and the bark of all the trees. There remained only the leather of their belts and the scabbards of their swords. They had to resort to the expedient recommended by the Spanish ambassador to the soldiers of the league besieged in Paris; they ground the bones of the dead and made flour with the dust thereof. At last, desperate, they were reduced to perpetrate a sort of profanation. The horse of Mullá
27. [`Abdu'l-Bahá refers, in the "Memorials of the Faithful" (pp. 16-17) to the hardships and sufferings endured by the heroic defenders of the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí He pays a glowing tribute to the constancy, the zeal and courage of the besieged, mentioning in particular Mullá Sadiq-i-Muqaddas. "For eighteen days," He says, "they remained without food. They lived on the leather of their shoes. This too was soon consumed, and they had nothing left but water. They drank a mouthful every morning and lay famished and exhausted in their fort. When attacked, however, they would instantly spring to their feet, and manifest in the face of the enemy a magnificent courage and astonishing resistance.... Under such circumstances to maintain an unwavering faith and patience is extremely difficult, and to endure such dire afflictions a rare phenomenon."]
28. [April 24-May 23, 1849 A.D.]
29. [See Glossary.]
30. [Reference to God, the word Rahman meaning "merciful."]
32. ["This stark and desperate bravery, this unquenchable enthusiasm gave grave concern to the leaders of the imperial army. Despairing to break through the fortification after repeated defeats, they thought of resorting to shrewdness. The Prince was naturally shrewd and Sulaymán Khan-i-Afshar, recently sent by the Sháh, was urging such a method, fearful that longer delays might endanger his prestige and his life." (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
33. [Qur'án, 7:88.]
34. [See Glossary.]
35. ["All the fortifications constructed by the Bábís were razed to the ground and even the ground was leveled to remove any evidences of the heroic defense of those who had died for their Faith. They imagined that this would silence history." (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
37. [
38. ["It was then, says Mírzá Jání, that Islám gave a shameful exhibition to the world. The victors, if they can be so called, wished to enjoy the intoxication of their triumph. They bound in chains Quddús, Mírzá
39. ["As to the other prisoners they were made to lie down on the ground and the executioners cut open their stomachs. It was noticed that several of these unfortunates had raw grass in their intestines. This massacre completed, they found that there was still more to be done and they assassinated the fugitives who had already been pardoned. There were women and children and even fifty were not spared and their throats were cut. It was indeed a full day with much killing and no risk!" (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," p. 189.) "On his arrival at Ámul, Mullá Ni'matu'llah was tortured with ruthless ferocity. Apparently, this scene threw Qa'ini into a fit of rage. In any case, when the executioner approached, Qa'ini, breaking his bonds, jumped upon him, snatched his sword and struck him with such violence that his head rolled about fifteen feet away. The crowd rushed upon him but, terrible in his strength, he mowed down all those who came within his reach and they had finally to shoot him with a rifle in order to subdue him. After his death, they found in his pocket a piece of roasted horse flesh proof of the misery that he had endured for his faith !" (Ibid., pp. 329-330.)]
40. ["The whole world marvelled at the manner of their sacrifice.... The mind is bewildered at their deeds and the soul marvelleth at their fortitude and bodily endurance.... These holy lights have for eighteen years, heroically endured the showers of afflictions which, from every side have rained upon them With what love, what devotion, what exultation and holy rapture they sacrificed their lives in the path of the All-Glorious! To the truth of this all witness. And yet how can they belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed such momentous happenings? If these companions be not the true strivers after God, who else could be called by this name? Have these companions been seekers after power or glory? Have they ever yearned for riches? Have they cherished any desire except the good pleasure of God? If these companions with all their marvellous testimonies and wondrous works be false who then is worthy to claim for himself the truth? By God! their very deeds are a sufficient testimony, and an irrefutable proof unto all the peoples of the earth, were men to ponder in their hearts the mysteries of Divine Revelation. `And they who act unjustly shall soon know what a lot awaiteth them!'" (The "Kitáb-i-Íqán," pp. 189-91.)]
41. [1847-8 A.D.]
43. ["The Bábís call attention to the fact that shortly afterwards a strange disease afflicted Sa'idu'l-'Ulama'. In spite of the furs which he wore, in spite of the fire which burned constantly in his room, he shivered with cold yet, at the same time, his fever was so high, that nothing could quench his intolerable thirst. He died, and his house, which was very beautiful, was abandoned and finally crumbled into ruins. Little by little, the practice grew of dumping refuse on the site where it had once so proudly stood. This so impressed the Mazindaranis that when they quarrel among themselves, the final insult frequently is, `May thy house meet the same fate as the house of Sa'ídu'l-`Ulamá!'" (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
44. ["At all events it appears that after the martyrdom of Jináb-i-Quddús a pious divine
45. ["He who knew Quddús and who made the pilgrimage with him is the one upon whom `eight unities' have passed and God honored him among His angels in the heavens, because of the way in which he had withdrawn himself from all and because he was without blame in the sight of God." ("Le Bayán Persan," vol. 2, p. 164.) "Yet more wonderful than the events above described is the account of them given by Abbás-Qulí Khán, with many expressions of admiration to Prince
46. [1844 A.D.]
47. [November-December 1888 A.D.]
48. [Literally "The Last Name of God."]
50. [Qur'án, 3:93.]
51. [Literally "The Last Point."]
52. [Refer to note 2, p. 413.]
53. [Refer to note 1, p. 383.]
55. [Qur'án, 9:94.]
56. [See Glossary.]