HE
forces under the command of Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza 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 occupant s of the fort of Tabarsi. The
latter found themselves again encompassed by a numerous host, at the head of which
marched Abbas-Quli Khan-i- Larijani and Sulayman 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.
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 Rabi'u'l-Avval,(1) Mulla Husayn, who was watching his companions perform
this task, remarked: "To-day we shall have all the water we require for our bath.
Cleansed of all earthly defilements, we shall seek the court of the Almighty,
and shall hasten to our eternal abode. Whoso is willing to partake of the cup
of martyrdom, let him prepare himself and wait for the hour when he can seal with
his life-blood his faith in his Cause. This night, ere the hour of dawn, let those
who wish to join me be ready to issue forth from behind these walls and, scattering
once again the dark forces which have beset our path, ascend untrammelled to the
heights of glory." That same afternoon, Mulla Husayn performed
his ablutions, clothed himself in new garments, attired his head with the Bab's
turban, and prepared for the approaching encounter. An undefinable joy illumined
his face. He serenely alluded to the hour of his departure, and continued to his
last moments to animate the zeal of his companions. Alone with Quddus, who so
powerfully reminded him of his Beloved, he poured forth, as he sat at his feet
in the closing moments of his earthly life, all that an enraptured soul could
no longer restrain. Soon after midnight, as soon as the morning-star had risen,
the star that heralded to him the dawning light of eternal reunion with his Beloved,
he started to his feet and, mounting his charger, gave the signal that the gate
of the fort be opened. As he rode out at the head of three hundred and thirteen
of his companions to meet the enemy, the cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!"(2) again broke forth, a cry so intense and powerful that
forest, fort, and camp vibrated to its resounding echo. Mulla Husayn first charged the barricade which
was defended by Zakariyyay-i-Qadi-Kala'i, one of the enemy's most valiant officers.
Within a short space of time, he had broken
 |
through that barrier, disposed of its commander, and scattered his men. Dashing forward with the same swiftness and intrepidity, he overcame the resistance of both the second and third barric ades, diffusing, as he advanced, despair and consternation among his foes. Undeterred by the bullets which rained continually upon him and his companions, they pressed forward until the remaining barricades had all been captured and overthrown. In the midst of the tumult which ensued, Abbas-Quli Khan-i-Larijani had climbed a tree, and, hiding himself in its branches, lay waiting in ambush for his opponents. Protected by the darkness which surrounded him, he was able to follow from his hiding place the movements of Mulla Husayn and his companions, who were exposed to the fierce glare of the conflagration which they had raised. The steed of Mulla Husayn suddenly became entangled in the rope of an adjoining tent, and ere he was able to extricate himself, he was struck in the breast by a bullet from his treacherous assailant. Though the shot was successful, Abbas-Quli Khan was unaware of the identity of the horseman he had wounded. Mulla Husayn, who was bleeding profusely, dis mounted from his horse, staggered a few steps, and, unable to proceed further, fell exhausted upon the ground. Two of his young companions, of Khurasan, Quli, and Hasan, came to his rescue and bore him to the fort.(1) |
I have heard the following account from Mulla
Sadiq and Mulla Mirza Muhammad-i-Furughi: "We were among those who had remained
in the fort with Quddus. As soon as Mulla Husay n, who seemed to have lost consciousness,
was brought in, we were ordered to retire. `Leave me alone with him,' were the
words of Quddus as he bade Mirza Muhammad-Baqir close the door and refuse admittance
to anyone desiring to see him. `There are c ertain confidential matters which
I desire him alone to know.' We were amazed a few moments later when we heard
the voice of Mulla Husayn replying to questions from Quddus. For two hours they
continued to converse with each other. We were surprised to see Mirza Muhammad-Baqir
so greatly agitated. `I was watching Quddus,' he subsequently informed us, `through
a fissure in the door. As soon as he called his name, I saw Mulla Husayn arise
and seat himself, in his customary manner, on bended kne es beside him. With bowed
head and downcast eyes, he listened to every word that fell from the lips of Quddus,
and answered his questions. "You have hastened the hour of your departure," I
was able to hear Quddus remark, "and have abandoned me to th e mercy of my foes.
Please God, I will ere long join you and taste the sweetness of heaven's ineffable
delights." I was able to gather the following words uttered by Mulla Husayn: "May
my life be a ransom for you. Are you well pleased with me?"' "A long time elapsed before Quddus bade Mirza
Muhammad-Baqir open the door and admit his companions. `I have bade my last farewell
to him,' he said, as we entered the room. `Things which previously I deeme d it
unallowable to utter I have now shared with him.' We found on
our arrival that Mulla Husayn had expired. A faint smile still lingered upon his
face. Such was the peacefulness of his countenance that he seemed to have fallen
asleep. Quddus at tended to his burial, clothed him in his own shirt, and gave
instructions to lay him to rest to the south of, and adjoining, the shrine of
Shaykh Tabarsi.(1) `Well is
it with you to have remained to yo ur last hour faithful to the Covenant
No less than ninety of the companions were
wounded that night, most of whom succumbed. From the day of their arrival at Barfurush
to the day they were first attacked, which fell on the twelfth of Dhi'l-Qa'dih
in the year 1264 A.H.,(1) to the day of the death of Mulla Husayn, which took
place at the hour of dawn on the ninth of Rabi'u'l-Avval in the year 1265 A.H.,(2) the number of martyrs, according to the computation
of Mirza Muhammad-Baqir, had reached a total of seventy-two. From the time when Mulla Husayn was assailed
by his enemies to the time of his martyrdom was a hundred and sixteen days, a
period rendered memorable by deeds so heroic that even his bitterest foes felt
bound to confess their wonder. On four distinct occasions, he rose to such heights
of courage and power as few indeed could attain. The first encounter took place
on the twelfth of Dhi'l-Qa'dih,(3) in the outskirts of Barfurush;
the second, in the immediate neighbourhood of the fort of Shaykh Tabarsi, on the
fifth day of the month of Muharram,(4) against the forces of Abdu'llah Khan-i-Turkaman; the
third, in Vas-Kas, on the twenty-fifth day of Muharram,(5) directed against the army of Prince
So c omplete 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-Ruz, 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, Quddus instructed Mirza Muhammad-Baqir to distribute
among his companions the rice which Mulla Husayn had s tored for such time as
might be required. When each had received his portion, Quddus summoned them and
said: "Whoever feels himself strong enough to withstand the calamities that are
soon to befall us, let him remain with us in this fort. And whoev er perceives
in himself the least hesitation and fear, let him betake himself away from this
place. Let him leave immediately ere the enemy has again assembled his forces
and assailed us. The way will soon be barred before our face; we shall very so
on encounter the severest hardship and fall a victim to devastating afflictions."
The very night Quddus had
given this warning, a siyyid from Qum, Mirza Husayn-i-Mutavalli, was moved to
betray his companion s. "Why is it," he wrote to Abbas-Quli Khan-i-Larijani, "that
you have left unfinished the work
He had just risen from his bed when, at the hour
of sunrise, the siyyid brough t him the letter. The news of the death of Mulla
Husayn nerved him to a fresh resolve. Fearing
The day had just broken when he hoisted his standard
(1) and, marching at the head of two regiments of infa ntry
and cavalry, encompassed the fort and ordered his men to open fire upon the sentinels
who were guarding the turrets. "The betrayer," Quddus informed Mirza Muhammad-Baqir,
who h ad hastened to acquaint him with the gravity of the situation, "has announced
the death of Mulla Husayn to Abbas-Quli Khan. Emboldened by his removal, he is
now determined to storm our stronghold and to secure for himself the honour of
being its sole conqueror. Sally out and, with the aid of eighteen men marching
at your side, administer a befitting chastisement upon the aggressor and his host.
Let him realise that though Mulla Husayn be no more, God's
No sooner had Mirza Muhammad-Baqir selected his companions than he ordered
that the gate of the fort be flung ope n. Leaping upon their chargers and raising
the cry of "Ya Sahibu'z- Zaman!" they plunged headlong into the camp of the enemy.
The whole army fled in confusion before so terrific a charge. All but a few were
able to escape. They reached Barfurush ut terly demoralised and laden with shame.
Abbas-Quli Khan was so shaken with fear that he fell from his horse. Leaving,
in his distress, one of his boots hanging from the stirrup, he ran away, half
shod and bewildered, in the direction which the army had taken. Filled with despair,
he hastened to the prince and confessed the ignominious reverse he had sustained.(1)
Mirza Muhammad- Baqir, on his part, emerging together with his eighteen companions
unscathed from that encounter, and holding in his hand the
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 Quddus; 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 t he 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.
Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza, who was stationed
in Sari, welcomed with keen delight the news of the defeat that had overtaken
the forces under the immediate command of his colleague Abbas-Quli Khan. 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.(1)
He wrote immediately to Tihran 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 t he complete subjugation of its obstinate occupants. Whilst their enemies were preparing for yet another
and still fiercer attack upon their stronghold, the companions of Quddus, utterly
indifferent to the gn awing distress that afflicted them, acclaimed with joy and
gratitude the approach of Naw-Ruz. 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 nig ht-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. All that remained of the cattle they had brought
with them to the fort was a cow which Haji Nasiru'd-Din-i- Qazvini had set aside,
and the milk of which he made into a pudding every day for the table of Quddus.
Unwilling t o
I have heard Mulla Mirza Muhammad-i-Furughi
testify to the follo wing: "God knows that we had ceased to hunger for food. Our
thoughts were no longer concerned with matters pertaining to our daily bread.
We were so enraptured by the entrancing melody of those verses that, were we to
have continued for years in th at state, no trace of weariness and fatigue could
possibly have dimmed our enthusiasm or marred our gladness. And whenever the lack
of nourishment would tend to sap our vitality and weaken our strength, Mirza Muhammad-Baqir
would hasten to Quddus and acquaint him with our plight. A glimpse of his face,
the magic of his words, as he walked amongst us, would transmute our despondency
into golden joy. We were reinforced with a strength of such intensity that, had
the hosts of our enemies appeared suddenly before us, we felt ourselves capable
of subjugating their forces." On the day of Naw-Ruz, which fell on the twenty-fourth
of Rabi'u'th-Thani in the year 1265 A.H.,(1) Quddus 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,(2)
commanded by Prince Mihdi-Quli
So powerful an appeal could not fail to breathe
confidence into the hear ts 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.(1)
The army of Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza 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 muadhdhin,(1) the chanting of the verses of the
Qur'an, and the chorus of gladsome voices intoning hymns of thanksgiving and praise
reached their ears without ceasing. 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 Khan erected a tower, upon which
he stationed his cannon,(2) and from that eminence directed his fire into the heart
of the fort. Quddus immediately summoned Mirza Muhammad-Baqir and instructed him
to sally again and inflict upon the "bo astful newcomer" a humiliation no less
crushing than the one which Abbas-Quli Khan had suffered.
Mirza Muhammad-Baqir again
ordered eighteen of his companions to hurry to their steeds and follow him. The
gates of the fort wer e thrown open, and the cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!"--fiercer
and more thrilling than ever--diffused panic and consternation in the ranks of
the enemy. Ja'far-Quli Khan, with thirty of his men, fell before the sword of
their adversary, who rushed to th e tower, captured the guns, and hurled them
to the ground. Thence they threw themselves upon the barricade which had been
erected, demolished a number of them, and would, but for the approaching darkness,
have captured and destroyed the rest. 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.(1) 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.(2) 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
The month of Jamadiyu'th-Thani(2) had just begun when the artillery of the enemy was heard
again discharging its showers of balls upon the fort. Simultaneously w ith 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 Quddus to summon promptly his valiant lieu
tenant, Mirza Muhammad-Baqir, and to bid him emerge with thirty-six of his companions
and repulse their attack.
Mirza Muhammad-Baqir once
more leaped on horseback and, wit h the thirty-six companions whom he had selected,
confronted and scattered the forces which had beset him. He carried with him,
as he re- entered the gate, the banner which an alarmed enemy had abandoned as
soon as the reverberating cry of "Ya Sahibu' z-Zaman!" had been raised. Five of
his companions suffered martyrdom in the course of that engagement, all of whom
he bore to the fort and interred in one tomb close to the resting place of their
fallen brethren. Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza,
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 s peedy 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.
As the prince was waiting for the consummation of the plan he had conceived,
there arrived from Tihran a messenger
I have heard Aqay-i-Kalim
give the followi ng account, as related to him by that same messenger whom he
met in Tihran: "`I saw,' the messenger informed me, `Mulla Mihdi appear above
the wall of the fort, his countenance revealing an expression of stern resolve
that baffled description. He l ooked 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 wi ll 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 o f his infant child, Rahman, whom he had left behind
in the village, in his eagerness to enlist under the standard of Mulla Husayn.
In his great affection for the child, he had specially composed a poem which he
chanted as he rocked his cradle and lul led him to sleep. "Your beloved Rahman,"
I said, "longs for the affection which you once lavished upon him. He is alone
and forsaken, and yearns to see you." "Tell him from me," was the father's instant
reply, "that the love of the true Rahman,(2) a love that transcends all
earthly affections, has so filled my heart that it has left no place for any other
it love besides His." The poignancy with which he uttered these words brought
tears to my eyes. "Accursed," I indignantly exclaimed, "be those who consider
you and your fellow-disciples as having strayed from the path of God!"
As soon as he had joined his companions, Mulla
Mihdi conveyed the prince's message to them. On the afternoon of that same day,
Siyyid Mirza 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 exp licit assurances
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 Quddus and his companions. On Wednesday morning,
the sixteenth of Jamadiyu'th-Thani,(1) 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 ar riving at a peaceful settlement of the
issues outstanding between them.(2)
Accordingly, Quddus instructed
Mulla Yusuf-i-Ardibili and Siyyid Riday-i-Khurasani to act as his representatives,
and bade them inform the prince of his readiness to accede to his wish. Mihdi-Quli
Mirza courteously received them, and invited them to partake of the tea which
he had prepared. "We should," they said, as they decline d 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 prolonge d. 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'an
that lay beside him, and wrote, with his own hand, in confirmation of his statement,
the following words on the margin of the opening Surih: "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
He affixed his seal to his statement and,
delivering the Qur'an into the hands of Mulla Yusuf, 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 acce pt 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." Quddus received the Qur'an 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." (1)
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." As the hour of their departure
approached, Quddus attired his head with the green turban which the Bab had sent
to him at the time He sent the one that Mulla Husayn wore on the day of his martyrdom.
At the gate of the fort, they mounted the horses which had been placed at their
disposal, Quddus mounting the favourite steed of the prince which the latter had
sent for his use. His chief companions, among whom were a number of siyyi ds and
learned divines, rode behind him, and were followed by the rest, who marched on
foot, carrying with them all that was left of their arms and belongings. As the
company, who were two hundred and two in number, reached the tent which the prince
had ordered to be pitched for Quddus in the vicinity of the public bath
Soon after their arrival, Quddus 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 Cau se 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
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 assign ed to a group of thirty companions, was
poor and scanty. "Nine of us," those who were with Quddus 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, foll owing 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
At daybreak a messenger ar rived, summoning Mirza
Muhammad-Baqir to the presence of the prince. With the consent of Quddus, he responded
to that invitation, and returned an hour later, informing his chief that the prince
had, in the presence of Sulayman Khan-i-Afshar, reiterat ed the assurances he
had given, and had treated him with great consideration and kindness. "`My oath,'
he assured me," Mirza Muhammad-Baqir explained, "`is irrevocable and sacred.'
He cited the case of Ja'far-Quli Khan, who, notwithstanding his sha meless massacre
of thousands of soldiers of the imperial army, in the course of the insurrection
fomented by the Salar, was pardoned by his sovereign and promptly invested with
fresh honours by Muhammad Shah. To-morrow the prince intends to accompany you
in the morning to the public bath, from whence he will proceed to your tent, after
which he will provide the horses required to convey the entire company to Sang-Sar,
from where they will disperse, some returning to their homes in Iraq, and other
s proceeding to Khurasan. At the request of Sulayman Khan, who urged that the
presence of such a large gathering at such a fortified centre as Sang-Sar would
be fraught with risk, the prince decided that the party should disperse, instead,
at Firuz-K uh. I am of opinion that what his tongue professes, his heart does
not believe at all." Quddus, who shared his view, bade his companions disperse
that very night, and stated that he himself would soon proceed to Barfurush. They
hastened to implore him not to separate himself from them, and begged to be allowed
to continue to enjoy the blessings of his companionship. He counselled them to
be calm and patient, and assured them that, whatever afflictions the future might
yet reveal, they would m eet again. "Weep not," were his parting words; "the reunion
which will follow this separation
The prince failed to redeem
his promise. Instead of joining Quddus in his tent, he called him, with several
of his companions, to his headquarters, and informed him, as soon as they reached
th e tent of the Farrash-Bashi,(1) 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 Quddus 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 Sha ykh Tabarsi, who survived that
heroic struggle and were spared to transmit to their countrymen the woeful tale
of their sufferings and trials. Soon after, the prince's attendants brought
pressure to bear u pon Mulla Yusuf to inform the remainder of his companions of
the desire of Quddus 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 headqu arters. "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. From this savage act they turned their attention
to the fort, plundered it of its contents, and proceeded to bombard and demolish
it completely.(2) 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.(3) In the
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 Badi',(1) Mulla Mirza Muhammad-i-Furughi,
and Haji Nasir-i-Qazvini,(2) he charged his attendants to conduct to Tihran and obtain
in return for their deliverance a ransom from each one of them in direct proportion
to their capacity and wealth. As to the rest, he gave order s to his executioners
that they be immediately put to death. A few were cut to pieces with the sword,(3) others were torn asunder, a number were bound to trees
and riddled with bullets, and still other s were blown
This terrible butchery had hardly been concluded when three of the compa
nions of Quddus, who were residents of Sang-Sar, were ushered into the presence
of the prince. One of them was Siyyid Ahmad, whose father, Mir Muhammad-'Ali,
a devoted admirer of Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i, had been a man of great learning and
distinguish ed merit. He, accompanied by this same Siyyid Ahmad and his brother,
Mir Abu'l-Qasim, who met his death the very night on which Mulla Husayn was slain,
had departed for Karbila in the year preceding the declaration of the Bab, with
the intention of i ntroducing his two sons to Siyyid Kazim. Ere his arrival, the
siyyid had departed this life. He immediately determined to leave for Najaf. While
in that city, the Prophet Muhammad one night appeared to him in a dream, bidding
the Imam Ali, the Com mander of the Faithful, announce to him that after his death
both his sons, Siyyid Ahmad and Mir Abu'l-Qasim, would attain the presence of
the promised Qa'im and would each suffer martyrdom in His path. As soon as he
awoke, he called for his son Siyy id Ahmad and acquainted him with his will and
last wishes. On the seventh day after that dream he died. In Sang-Sar two other persons, Karbila'i Ali and
Karbila'i Abu-Muhammad, both known for their piety a nd spiritual insight, strove
to prepare the people for the acceptance of
These two sons of Karbila'i Abu- Muhammad were
the two companions who had been ushered, together with Siyyid Ahmad, into the
presence of the prince. Mulla Zaynu'l-'Abidin- i-Shahmirzadi, one of the trusted
and learned counsellors of the government, acquainted the prince with their story
and related the experiences and activities of their respective fathers. "For what
reason," Siyyid Ahmad was asked, "have you chosen to tread a path that has involved
you and your kinsmen in such circumstances of wretchedness and disgrace? Could
you not have been satisfied with the vast number of erudite and ill ustrious divines
who are to be found in this land and in Iraq?" "My faith in this Cause," he fearlessly
retorted, "is born not of idle imitation. I have dispassionately enquired into
its precepts, and am convinced of its truth. When in Najaf, I ven tured to request
the preeminent mujtahid of that city, Shaykh Muhammad-Hasan-i-Najafi, to expound
for me certain truths connected with the secondary principles underlying the teachings
of Islam. He refused to accede to my request. I reiterated my ap peal, whereupon
he angrily rebuked me and persisted in his refusal. How can I, in the light of
such experience, be expected to seek enlightenment on the abstruse articles of
the Faith
Meanwhile Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, accompanied
by seven of the ulamas of Sari, set out from that town to share in the meritorious
act of inflicting the punishment of death upon the companions of Quddus. When
they found that they had already been put to death, Mirza Muhammad-Taqi urged
the prince to reconside r his decision and to order the immediate execution of
Siyyid Ahmad, pleading that his arrival at Sari would be the signal for fresh
disturbances as grave as those which had already afflicted them. The prince eventually
yielded, on the express condit ion that he be regarded as his guest until his
own arrival at Sari, at which time he would take whatever measures were required
to prevent him from disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. No sooner had M irza Muhammad-Taqi taken the direction
of Sari than he proceeded to vilify Siyyid Ahmad and his father. "Why ill-treat
a guest," his captive pleaded, "whom the prince has committed to your charge?
Why ignore the Prophet's injunction, `Honour thy gue st though he be an infidel'?"
Roused to a burst of fury, Mirza Muhammad-Taqi,
As soon as his work was completed, the prince, accompanied by Quddus,
returned to Barfurush. They arrived on Friday afternoon, the eighteenth of Jamadiyu'th-Thani.(1) The Sa'idu'l-'Ulama', together with all the ulamas 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 Quddus.
H e 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 Tihran and, by delivering him into the hands of his sovereign, to relieve
himself of the responsibility which weighed upon him. The
Sa'idu'l-'Ulama''s unquenchable hostility, however, interfered with t he execution
of this plan. The hatred with which Quddus 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 so ught,
by inflaming their passions, to awaken the basest sentiments of revenge in their
hearts. The whole of Barfurush had been aroused by the persistency of his call.
His diabolical skill
No sooner had the ulamas assembled than the
prince gave orders for Qudd us to be brought into their presence. Since the day
of his abandoning the fort, Quddus, 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 b e 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'an and the traditions of Muhammad, by which means
alone you can demonstrate the truth or falsity of your contentions." "For what
reason," the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama' impertinently enquired, "have you, by choosing to
place a green turban upon your head, arrogated to yourself a right which only
he who is a true descendant of the Prophet can claim? Do you not know that whoso
defies this sacred tradition is accursed of God?" "Was Siyyid Murtada," Quddus
calmly replied, "whom all the recognised ulamas praise and esteem, a descendant
of
No one dared to contradict h im. 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 descenden t of the Imam
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 Sari. Intimidated by
the imprecations of the ulamas and forgetful of his oath, he abjectly surrendered
Quddus 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. No sooner had the prince freed them from the restraints
which he had exercised than the ulamas and the people of Barfurush, acting under
orders from the Sa 'idu'l-'Ulama',(1) arose to perpetrate upon the body of their victim acts
of such atrocious cruelty as no pen can describe. By the testimony of Baha'u'llah,
that heroic youth, who was still on the thre shold of his life, was subjected
to such tortures and suffered
Such were its circumstances that the Bab,
who was then confined in the castle of Chihriq, was unable for a period of six
months either to write or to dictate. The deep grief which he felt had stilled
the voice o f revelatio n 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 Tabarsi reached His e ars and was unfolded before His eyes! What pangs
of sorrow He must have felt when He learned of the shameful treatment which His
beloved Quddus had undergone in his hour of martyrdom at the hands of the people
of Barfurush; 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 spa t 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! Ami dst his torments, Quddus 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,
It would be appropriate at this juncture to
place o n record the names of those martyrs who participated in the defence of
the fort of Shaykh Tabarsi, 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 an d 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
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 Baha'u'llah. In it he relates, in addition,
his own story, as well as that of his two brothers, Siyyid Ahmad and Mir Abu'l-Qasim,
both of whom were martyred while defending the fort. "On the day on which Khusraw
was slain," he wrote, "I happened to be the guest of a certain Karbila'i Ali-Jan,
the kad-khuda(20) of one of the villages
in the neighbourhood of the fort. He had gone to assist in the protection of Khusraw,
and had returned and was relating to me the circumstances attendi ng his death.
On that very day, a messenger informed me that two Arabs had arrived at that village
and were anxious to join the occupants of the fort. They expressed their fear
of the people of the village of Qadi-Kala, and promised that they would amply
reward whoever would be willing to conduct them to their destination. I recalled
the counsels of my f ather, Mir Muhammad-'Ali, who exhorted me to arise and
The names of some of the officers who distinguished themselves among the opponents of the companions of Quddus are as follows:
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.
