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CHAPTER XXIV
THE ZANJAN UPHEAVAL
HE spark that had kindled the great conflagrations of Mazindaran
and Nayriz had already set aflame Zanjan(1)
and its surroundings when the Bab met His death in Tabriz. Profound as was His
sorrow at the sad and calamitous fate that had overtaken the heroes of Shaykh
Tabarsi, the news of the no less tragic sufferings that had been the lot of Vahid
and his companions, came as an added blow to His heart, already oppressed by the
weight of manifold afflictions. The consciousness of the dangers that thickened
around Him; the memory of the indignity He endured when He was last conducted
to Tabriz; the strain of a prolonged and rigorous captivity amidst the mountain
fastnesses of Adhirbayjan; the terrible butcheries that marked the closing stages
of the Mazindaran and Nayriz upheavals; the outrages to His Faith wrought by the
persecutors of the Seven Martyrs of Tihran--even these were not all the troubles
528
that beclouded the remaining
days of a fast-ebbing life. He was already prostrated by the severity of these
blows when the news of the happenings at Zanjan, which were then beginning to
foreshadow their sad events, reached Him and served to consummate the anguish
of His last days. What
pangs must He have endured
as the shadows of death were fast gathering about Him! In every field, whether
in the north or in the south, the champions of His Faith had been subjected to
undeserved sufferings, had been infamously deceived, had been robbed of their
possessions, and had been inhumanly massacred. And now, as if to fill His cup
of woes to over-flowing,
529
there broke forth the storm
of Zanjan, the most violent and devastating of them all.(1)
I now proceed to relate the
circumstances that have made of that event one of the most thrilling episodes
in the history of this Revelation. Its chief figure was Hujjat-i-Zanjani, whose
name was Mulla Muhammad-'Ali,(2)
one of the ablest ecclesiastical dignitaries of his age, and certainly one of
the most formidable champions of the Cause. His father, Mulla Rahim-i-Zanjani,
was one of the leading mujtahids of Zanjan, and was greatly esteemed for his piety,
his learning and force of character. Mulla Muhammad-'Ali, surnamed Hujjat, was
born in the year 1227 A.H.(3)
From his very boyhood, he showed such capacity that his father lavished the utmost
care upon his education. He sent him to Najaf, where he distinguished himself
by his insight, his ability and fiery ardour.(4)
His scholarship and keen intelligence excited the admiration of his friends, whilst
his outspokenness and the strength of his character made him the terror of his
adversaries. His father advised him not to return to Zanjan,
530
where his enemies were conspiring
against him. He accordingly decided to establish his residence in Hamadan,(1)
where he married one of his kinswomen, and lived there for about two and a half
years, when the news of his father's death decided him to leave for his native
town. The ovation accorded him on his arrival inflamed the hostility of the ulamas,
who, despite their avowed opposition, received at his hands every mark of consideration
and kindness.(2)
From the pulpit of the masjid which his friends
erected in his honour, he urged the vast throng that gathered to hear him, to
refrain from self-indulgence and to exercise moderation in all their acts.(3)
He ruthlessly suppressed every form of abuse, and by his example encouraged the
people to adhere rigidly to the principles inculcated by the Qur'an. Such were
the care and ability with which he taught his disciples that they surpassed in
knowledge and understanding the recognised ulamas of Zanjan. For seventeen years,
he pursued his meritorious labours and succeeded in purging the minds and hearts
of his fellow-townsmen from whatever seemed contrary to the spirit and teachings
of their Faith.(4)
When the Call from Shiraz reached him, he
despatched his trusted messenger, Mulla Iskandar, to enquire into the claims of
the new Revelation; and such was his response to
531
that Message that his enemies
were stirred to redouble their attacks upon him. Unable, hitherto, to disgrace
him in the eyes of the government and the people, they now endeavoured to denounce
him as an advocate of heresy and a repudiator of all that is sacred and cherished
in Islam. "His reputation for justice, for piety, wisdom, and learning," they
whispered to one another, "has been such as to render it impossible for us to
shake his position. When summoned to Tihran, in the presence of Muhammad Shah
was he not able, by his magnetic eloquence, to win him over to his side, and make
of him one of his devoted admirers? Now, however, that he has so openly championed
the cause of the Siyyid-i-Bab, we can surely succeed in obtaining from the government
the order for his arrest and banishment from our town."
They accordingly drew up
a petition to Muhammad Shah, in which they sought, by every device their malevolent
and crafty minds could invent, to discredit his name. "While still professing
himself a follower of our Faith," they complained, "he, by the aid of his disciples,
was able to repudiate our authority. Now that he has identified himself with the
cause of the Siyyid-i-Bab and won over to that hateful creed two-thirds of the
inhabitants of Zanjan, what humiliation will he not inflict upon us! The concourse
that throngs his gates, the whole masjid can no longer contain. Such is his influence
that the masjid that belonged to his father and the one that has been built in
his honour, have been connected and made into one edifice in order to accommodate
the ever-increasing multitude that hastens eagerly to follow his lead in prayer.
The time is fast approaching when not only Zanjan but the neighbouring villages
also will have declared themselves his supporters."
The Shah was greatly surprised at the tone
and language with which the petitioners sought to arraign Hujjat. He shared his
astonishment with Mirza Nazar-'Ali, the Hakim-Bashi, and recalled the glowing
tribute which many a visitor to Zanjan had paid to the abilities and integrity
of the accused. He decided to summon him, together with his opponents, to Tihran.
In a special gathering at which he himself, together with Haji Mirza Aqasi and
the leading officials of the government, as well as a number of the recognised
ulamas
532
of Tihran, had assembled,
he called upon the ecclesiastical leaders of Zanjan to vindicate the claims they
had advanced. Whatever questions they submitted to Hujjat, regarding the teachings
of their Faith, he answered in a manner that could not fail to win the unqualified
admiration of his hearers and to establish the sovereign's confidence in his innocence.
The Shah expressed his entire satisfaction, and amply rewarded Hujjat for the
excellent manner in which he had succeeded in refuting the allegations of his
enemies. He bade him return to Zanjan and resume his valuable services to the
cause of his people, assuring him that he would under all circumstances support
him and asking to be informed of any difficulty with which he might be faced in
the future.(1)
His arrival at Zanjan was the signal for a
fierce outburst on the part of his humiliated opponents. As the evidences of their
hostility multiplied, the marks of devotion on the part of his friends and supporters
correspondingly increased.(2)
Utterly disdainful of their machinations, he pursued his activities with unrelaxing
zeal.(3) The liberal principles
which he unceasingly and fearlessly advocated struck at the very root of the fabric
which a bigoted enemy had laboriously reared. They beheld with impotent fury the
disruption of their authority and the collapse of their institutions.
It was in those days that his special envoy,
Mashhadi Ahmad, whom he had confidentially despatched to Shiraz with a petition
and gifts from him to the Bab, arrived at
533
Zanjan and delivered into
his hands, while he was addressing his disciples, a sealed letter from his Beloved.
In the Tablet he received, the Bab conferred upon him one of His own titles, that
of Hujjat, and urged him to proclaim from the pulpit, without the least reservation,
the fundamental teachings of His Faith. No sooner was he informed of the wishes
of his Master than he declared his resolve to devote himself to the immediate
enforcement of whatever injunction that Tablet contained. He immediately dismissed
his disciples, bade them close their books, and declared his intention of discontinuing
his courses of study. "Of what profit," he said, "are study and research to those
who have already found the Truth, and why strive after learning when He who is
the Object of all knowledge is made manifest?"
As soon as he attempted to lead the congregation
in offering the Friday prayer, enjoined upon him by the Bab,(1)
the Imam-Jum'ih, who had hitherto performed that duty, vehemently protested, on
the ground that this right was the exclusive privilege of his own forefathers,
that it had been conferred upon him by his sovereign, and that no one, however
exalted his station, could usurp it. "That right," Hujjat retorted, "has been
superseded by the authority with which the Qa'im Himself has invested me. I have
been commanded by Him to assume that function publicly, and I cannot allow any
person to trespass upon that right. If attacked, I will take steps to defend myself
and to protect the lives of my companions."
His fearless insistence on the duty laid upon
him by the Bab caused the ulamas of Zanjan to league themselves with the Imam-Jum'ih(2)
and to lay their complaints before Haji Mirza Aqasi, pleading that Hujjat had
challenged the validity
534
of recognised institutions
and trampled upon their rights. "We must either flee from this town with our families
and belongings," they pleaded, "and leave him in sole charge of the destinies
of its people, or obtain from Muhammad Shah an edict for his immediate expulsion
from this country; for we firmly believe that to allow him to remain on its soil
would be courting disaster." Though Haji Mirza Aqasi, in his heart, distrusted
the ecclesiastical order of his country and had a natural aversion to their beliefs
and practices, he was forced eventually to yield to their pressing demands, and
submitted the matter to Muhammad Shah, who ordered the transfer of Hujjat from
Zanjan to the capital.
A Kurd named Qilij Khan was commissioned by
the Shah to deliver the royal summons to Hujjat. The Bab had meanwhile arrived
in the neighbourhood of Tihran on His way to Tabriz. Ere the arrival of the royal
messenger at Zanjan, Hujjat had sent one of his friends, a certain Khan-Muhammad-i-Tub-Chi,
to his Master with a petition in which he begged to be allowed to rescue Him from
the hands of the enemy. The Bab assured him that His deliverance the Almighty
alone could achieve and that no one could escape from His decree or evade His
law. "As to your meeting with Me," He added, "it soon will take place in the world
beyond, the home of unfading glory."
The day Hujjat received that
message, Qilij Khan arrived at Zanjan, acquainted him with the orders he had received,
and set out, accompanied by him, for the capital. Their arrival at Tihran coincided
with the Bab's departure from the village of Kulayn, where He had been detained
for some days.
The authorities, apprehensive lest a meeting
between the Bab and Hujjat might lead to fresh disturbances, had taken the necessary
precautions to ensure the absence of the latter from Zanjan during the Bab's passage
through that town. The companions who were following Hujjat at a distance, whilst
he was on his way to the capital, were urged by him to return and try to meet
their Master and to assure Him of his readiness to come to His rescue. On their
way back to their homes, they encountered the Bab, who again expressed His desire
that no one of His friends should attempt to
535
deliver Him from His captivity.
He even directed them to tell the believers among their fellow-townsmen not to
press round Him, but even to avoid Him wherever He went.
No sooner had that message been delivered
to those who had gone out to welcome Him on His approach to their town
than they began to grieve
and deplore their fate. They could not, however, resist the impulse that drove
them to march forth to meet Him, forgetful of the desire He had expressed.
As soon as they were met by the guards who
were marching in advance of their Captive, they were ruthlessly dispersed. On
reaching a fork in the road, there arose an altercation
536
between Muhammad Big-i-Chaparchi
and his colleague, who had been despatched from Tihran to assist in conducting
the Bab to Tabriz. Muhammad Big insisted that their Prisoner should be taken into
the town, where He should be allowed to pass the night in the caravanserai of
Mirza Ma'sum-i-Tabib, the father of Mirza Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Tabib, a martyr of
the Faith, before resuming their march to Adhirbayjan. He pleaded that to pass
the night outside the gate would be to expose their lives to danger, and would
encourage their opponents to attempt an attack upon them. He eventually succeeded
in convincing his colleague that he should conduct the Bab to that caravanserai.
As they were passing through the streets, they were amazed to see the multitude
that had crowded onto the housetops in their eagerness to catch a glimpse of the
face of the Prisoner.
Mirza Ma'sum, the former owner of the caravanserai,
had lately died, and his eldest son, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, the leading physician
of Hamadan, who, though not a believer, was a true lover of the Bab, had arrived
at Zanjan and was in mourning for his father. He lovingly received the Bab in
the caravanserai he had specially prepared beforehand for His reception. That
night he remained until a late hour in His presence and was completely won over
to His Cause.
"The same night that witnessed my conversion,"
I heard him subsequently relate, "I arose ere break of day, lit my lantern, and,
preceded by my father's attendant, directed my steps towards the caravanserai.
The guards who were stationed at the entrance recognised me and allowed me to
enter. The Bab was performing His ablutions when I was ushered into His presence.
I was greatly impressed when I saw Him absorbed in His devotions. A feeling of
reverent joy filled my heart as I stood behind Him and prayed. I myself prepared
His tea and was offering it to Him when He turned to me and bade me depart for
Hamadan. `This town,' He said, `will be thrown into a great tumult, and its streets
will run with blood.' I expressed my strong desire to be allowed to shed my blood
in His path. He assured me that the hour of my martyrdom had not yet come, and
bade me be resigned to whatever God might decree. At the hour
537
of sunrise, as He mounted
His horse and was preparing to depart, I begged to be allowed to follow Him, but
He advised me to remain, and assured me of His unfailing prayers. Resigning myself
to His will, with regret I watched Him disappear from my sight."
On his arrival at Tihran,
Hujjat was conducted into the presence of Haji Mirza Aqasi; who, on behalf of
the Shah and himself, expressed his annoyance at the intense hostility which his
conduct had aroused among the ulamas of Zanjan. "Muhammad Shah and I," he told
him, "are continually besieged by the oral as well as written denunciations brought
against you. I could scarcely believe their indictment relating to your desertion
of the Faith of your forefathers. Nor is the Shah inclined to credit such assertions.
I have been commanded by him to summon you to his capital and to call upon you
to refute such accusations. It grieves me to hear that a man whom I consider infinitely
superior in knowledge and ability to the Siyyid-i-Bab has chosen to identify himself
with his creed." "Not so," replied Hujjat; "God knows that if that same Siyyid
were to entrust me with the meanest service in His household, I would deem it
an honour such as the highest favours of my sovereign could never hope to surpass."
"This can never be!" burst forth Haji Mirza Aqasi. "It is my firm and unalterable
conviction," Hujjat reaffirmed, "that this Siyyid of Shiraz is the very One whose
advent you yourself, with all the peoples of the world, are eagerly awaiting.
He is our Lord, our promised Deliverer.
Haji Mirza Aqasi reported the matter to Muhammad
Shah, to whom he expressed his fears that to allow so formidable an adversary,
whom the sovereign himself believed to be the most accomplished of the ulamas
of his realm, to pursue unhindered the course of his activities would be a policy
fraught with gravest danger to the State. The Shah, disinclined to credit such
reports, which he attributed to the malice and envy of the enemies of the accused,
ordered that a special meeting be convened at which he should be asked to vindicate
his position in the presence of the assembled ulamas of the capital.
Several meetings were held for that purpose,
before each
538
of which Hujjat eloquently
set forth the basic claims of his Faith and confounded the arguments of those
who tried to oppose him. "Is not the following tradition," he boldly declared,
"recognised alike by shi'ah and sunni Islam: `I leave amidst you my twin testimonies,
the Book of God and my family'? Has not the second of these testimonies, in your
opinion, passed away, and is not our sole means of guidance, as a result, contained
in the testimony of the sacred Book? I appeal to you to measure every claim that
either of us shall advance, by the standard established in that Book, and to regard
it as the supreme authority whereby the righteousness of our argument can be judged."
Unable to defend their case against him, they, as a last resort, ventured to ask
him to produce a miracle whereby to establish the truth of his assertion. "What
greater miracle," he exclaimed, "than that He should have enabled me to triumph,
alone and unaided, by the simple power of my argument, over the combined forces
of the mujtahids and ulamas of Tihran?"
The masterly manner in which Hujjat refuted
the unsound claims advanced by his adversaries won for him the favour of his sovereign,
who from that day forth was no longer swayed by the insinuations of his enemies.
Although the entire company of the ulamas of Zanjan, as well as a number of the
ecclesiastical leaders of Tihran, had declared him to be an infidel and condemned
him to death, yet Muhammad Shah continued to bestow his favours upon him and to
assure him that he could rely on his support. Haji Mirza Aqasi, though at heart
unfriendly to Hujjat, was unable, in the face of such unmistakable evidences of
royal favour, to resist his influence openly, and by his frequent visits to his
house, and by the gifts he lavished upon him, that deceitful minister sought to
conceal his resentment and envy.
Hujjat was virtually a prisoner in Tihran.
He was unable to go beyond the gates of the capital, nor was he allowed free intercourse
with his friends. The believers among his fellow-townsmen eventually determined
to send a deputation and ask him for fresh instructions regarding their attitude
towards the laws and principles of their Faith. He charged them to observe with
absolute loyalty the admonitions he had received from the Bab through the messengers
he had
539
sent to investigate His Cause.
He enumerated a series of observances, some of which constituted a definite departure
from the established traditions of Islam. "Siyyid Kazim-i-Zanjani," he assured
them, "has been intimately connected with my Master both in Shiraz and in Isfahan.
He, as well as Mulla Iskandar and Mashhadi Ahmad, both of whom I sent to meet
Him, have positively declared that He Himself is the first to practise the observances
He has enjoined upon the faithful. It therefore behoves us who are His supporters
to follow His noble example."
These explicit instructions were no sooner
read to his companions than they became inflamed with an irresistible desire to
carry out his wishes. They enthusiastically set to work to enforce the laws of
the new Dispensation, and, giving up their former customs and practices, unhesitatingly
identified themselves with its claims. Even the little children were encouraged
to follow scrupulously the admonitions of the Bab. "Our beloved Master," they
were taught to say, "Himself is the first to practise them. Why should we who
are His privileged disciples hesitate to make them the ruling principles of our
lives?"
Hujjat was still a captive in Tihran when
the news of the siege of the fort of Tabarsi reached him. He longed, and deplored
his inability, to throw in his lot with those of his companions who were struggling
with such splendid heroism for the emancipation of their Faith. His sole consolation
in those days was his close association with Baha'u'llah, from whom he received
the sustaining power that enabled him, in the time to come, to distinguish himself
by deeds no less remarkable than those which that company had manifested in the
darkest hours of their memorable struggle.
He was still in Tihran when
Muhammad Shah passed away, leaving the throne to his son Nasiri'd-Din Shah.(1)
The Amir-Nizam, the new Grand Vazir, decided to make Hujjat's imprisonment more
rigorous, and to seek in the meantime a way of destroying him. On being informed
of the imminence of the danger that threatened his life, his captive decided to
540
leave Tihran in disguise
and join his companions, who eagerly awaited his return.
His arrival at his native
town, which a certain Karbila'i Vali-'Attar announced to his companions, was a
signal for a tremendous demonstration of devoted loyalty on the part of his many
admirers. They flocked out, men, women, and children, to welcome him and to renew
their assurances of abiding and undiminished affection.(1)
The governor of Zanjan, Majdu'd-Dawlih,(2)
the maternal uncle of Nasiri'd-Din Shah, astounded by the spontaneity of that
ovation, ordered, in the fury of his despair, that the tongue of Karbila'i Vali-'Attar
be immediately cut out. Though at heart he loathed Hujjat, he pretended to be
his friend and well-wisher. He often visited him and showed him unbounded consideration,
yet he was secretly conspiring against his life and was waiting for the moment
when he could strike the fatal blow.
That smouldering hostility was soon to be
fanned into flame by an incident that was of little importance in itself. The
occasion was afforded when a quarrel suddenly broke out between two children of
Zanjan, one of whom belonged to a kinsman of one of the companions of Hujjat.
The governor immediately ordered that child to be arrested and placed in strict
confinement. A sum of money was offered
541
by the believers to the governor,
in order to induce him to release his young prisoner. He refused their offer,
whereupon they complained to Hujjat, who vehemently protested. "That child," he
wrote to the governor, "is too young to be held responsible for his behaviour.
If he deserves punishment, his father and not he should be made to suffer."
Finding that the appeal had been ignored,
he renewed his protest and entrusted it to the hands of one of his influential
comrades, Mir Jalil, father of Siyyid Ashraf and martyr of the Faith, directing
him to present it in person to the governor. The guards stationed at the entrance
of the house at first refused him admittance. Indignant at their refusal, he threatened
to force his way through the gate, and succeeded, by the mere threat of unsheathing
his sword, in overcoming their resistance and in compelling the infuriated governor
to release the child.
The unconditional compliance of the governor
with the demand of Mir Jalil stirred the furious indignation of the ulamas. They
violently protested, and deprecated his submission to the threats with which their
opponents had sought to intimidate him. They expressed to him their fear that
such a surrender on his part would encourage them to make still greater demands
upon him, would enable them before long to assume the reins of authority and to
exclude him from any share in the administration of the government. They eventually
induced him to consent to the arrest of Hujjat, an act which they were convinced
would succeed in checking the progress of his influence.
The governor reluctantly consented. He was
repeatedly assured by the ulamas that his action would under no circumstances
endanger the peace and security of the town. Two of their supporters, Pahlavan(1)
Asadu'llah and Pahlavan Safar-'Ali, both notorious for their brutality and prodigious
strength, volunteered to seize Hujjat and deliver him hand-cuffed to the governor.
Each was promised a handsome reward in return for this service. Clad in their
amour, with helmets on their heads, and followed by a band of ruffians recruited
from among the most degraded of the population.
542
they set out to accomplish
their purpose. The ulamas were in the meantime busily engaged in inciting the
populace and encouraging them to reinforce their efforts.
As soon as the emissaries arrived in the quarter
in which Hujjat was living, they were unexpectedly confronted by Mir Salah, one
of his most formidable supporters, who, together with seven of his armed companions,
strenuously opposed their advance. He asked Asadu'llah whither he was bound, and,
on receiving from him an insulting answer, unsheathed his sword and, with the
cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!"(1)
sprang upon him and wounded him in the forehead. Mir Salah's audacity, in spite
of the heavy amour which his adversary was wearing, frightened the whole band
and caused them to flee in different directions.(2)
The cry which that stout-hearted defender
of the Faith raised on that day was heard for the first time in Zanjan, a cry
that spread panic through the town. The governor was terrified by its tremendous
force, and asked what that shout could mean and whose voice had been able to raise
it. He was gravely shaken when told that it was the watchword of Hujjat's companions,
with which they called for the assistance of the Qa'im in the hour of distress.
The remnants of that affrighted band encountered,
shortly after, Shaykh Muhammad-i-Tub-Chi, whom they immediately recognised as
one of their ablest adversaries. Finding him unarmed, they fell upon him and,
with an axe one of them was carrying, struck him and broke his head. They bore
him to the governor, and no sooner had they laid down the wounded man than a certain
Siyyid Abu'l-Qasim, one of the mujtahids of Zanjan who was present, leaped forward
and, with his penknife, stabbed him in the breast. The governor too, unsheathing
his sword, struck him on the mouth and was followed by the attendants who, with
the weapons they carried with them, completed the murder of their hapless victim.
As their blows rained upon him, unmindful of his sufferings, he was heard to say:
"I thank Thee, O my God, for having vouchsafed me the crown of martyrdom."
543
He was the first among the
believers of Zanjan to lay down his life in the path of the Cause. His death,
which occurred on Friday, the fourth of Rajab, in the year 1266 A.H.,(1)
preceded by forty-five days the martyrdom of Vahid and by fifty-five days that
of the Bab.
The blood that was shed on
that day, far from allaying the hostility of the enemy, served further to inflame
their passions, and to reinforce their determination to subject to the same fate
the rest of the companions. Encouraged by the governor's tacit approval of their
expressed intentions, they resolved to put to death all upon whom they could lay
their hands, without obtaining beforehand an express authorisation from the government
officials. They solemnly covenanted among themselves not to rest until they had
extinguished the fire of what they deemed a shameless heresy.(2)
They compelled the governor to bid a crier proclaim throughout Zanjan that whoever
was willing to endanger his life, to forfeit his property, and expose his wife
and children to misery and shame, should throw in his lot with Hujjat and his
companions; and that those desirous of ensuring the well-being and honour of themselves
and their families, should withdraw from the neighbourhood in which those companions
resided and seek the shelter of the sovereign's protection.
That warning immediately divided the inhabitants
into two distinct camps, and severely tested the faith of those who were still
wavering in their allegiance to the Cause. It gave rise to the most pathetic scenes,
caused the separation of fathers from their sons and the estrangement of brothers
and of kindred. Every tie of worldly affection seemed to be dissolving on that
day, and the solemn pledges were forsaken in favour of a loyalty mightier and
more sacred than any earthly allegiance. Zanjan fell a prey to the wildest excitement.
The cry of distress which members of divided families, in a frenzy of despair,
raised to heaven, mingled with the blasphemous shouts which a threatening enemy
544
hurled upon them. Shouts
of exultation hailed at every turn those who, tearing themselves from their homes
and kinsmen, enrolled themselves as willing supporters of the Cause of Hujjat.
The camp of the enemy hummed with feverish activity in preparation for the great
struggle upon which they had secretly determined. Reinforcements were rushed into
the town from the neighbouring villages, at the command of its governor and with
the encouragement of the mujtahids, the siyyids, and the ulamas who supported
him.(1)
Undeterred by the growing tumult, Hujjat ascended
the pulpit and, with uplifted voice, proclaimed to the congregation: "The hand
of Omnipotence has, in this day, separated truth from falsehood and divided the
light of guidance from the darkness of error. I am unwilling that because of me
you should suffer injury. The one aim of the governor and of the ulamas who support
him is to seize and kill me. They cherish no other ambition. They thirst for my
blood and seek no one besides me. Whoever among you feels the least desire to
safeguard his life against the perils with which we are beset, whoever is reluctant
to offer his life for our Cause, let him, ere it is too late, betake himself from
this place and return whence he came."(2)
That day more than three thousand men were
recruited by the governor from the surrounding villages of Zanjan. Meanwhile Mir
Salah, accompanied by a number of his comrades, who observed the growing restiveness
of their
545
opponents, sought the presence
of Hujjat and urged him, as a precautionary measure, to transfer his residence
to the fort of Ali-Mardan Khan,(1)
adjacent to the quarter in which he was residing. Hujjat gave his consent and
ordered that their women and children, together with such provisions as they might
require, be taken to the fort. Though they found it occupied by its owners, the
companions eventually induced them to withdraw, and gave them in exchange the
houses in which they themselves had been dwelling.
The enemy was meanwhile preparing for a violent
attack upon them. No sooner had a detachment of their forces opened fire upon
the barricades the companions had raised than Mir Rida, a siyyid of exceptional
courage, asked his leader to allow him to attempt to capture the governor and
to bring him as a prisoner to the fort. Hujjat, unwilling to comply with his request,
advised him not to risk his life.
The governor was so overcome
with fear when informed of that siyyid's intention that he decided to leave Zanjan
immediately. He was, however, dissuaded from taking that course by a certain siyyid
who pleaded that his departure would be the signal for grave disturbances such
as would disgrace him in the sight of his superiors. The siyyid himself
546
set out, as evidence of his
earnestness, to launch an offensive against the occupants of the fort. He had
no sooner given the signal for attack and advanced at the head of a band of thirty
of his comrades, than he unexpectedly encountered two of his adversaries who were
marching with drawn swords towards him. Believing that they intended to assail
him, he, with the whole of his band, was suddenly seized with panic, straightway
regained his home, and, forgetful of the assurances he had given to the governor,
remained the whole day closeted within his room. Those who were with him promptly
dispersed, renouncing the thought of pursuing the attack. They were subsequently
informed that the two men they had encountered had no hostile intention against
them, but were simply on their way to fulfil a commission with which they had
been entrusted.
That humiliating episode was soon followed
by a number of similar attempts on the part of the supporters of the governor,
all of which utterly failed to achieve their purpose. Every time they rushed to
attack the fort, Hujjat would order a few of his companions, who were three thousand
in number, to emerge from their retreat and scatter their forces. He
never failed, every time he gave them such orders, to caution his fellow-disciples
against shedding unnecessarily the blood of their assailants. He constantly reminded
them that their action was of a purely defensive character, and that their sole
purpose was to preserve inviolate the security of their women and children. "We
are commanded," he was frequently heard to observe, "not to wage holy war under
any circumstances against the unbelievers, whatever be their attitude towards
us."
This state of affairs continued(1)
until the orders of the
547
Amir-Nizam reached one of
the generals of the imperial army, Sadru'd-Dawliy-i-Isfahani by name,(1)
who had set out at the head of two regiments for Adhirbayjan. The written orders
of the Grand Vazir reached him in Khamsih, bidding him cancel his projected journey
and proceed immediately to Zanjan and there give his assistance to the forces
that had been mustered by the government. "You have been commissioned by your
sovereign," the Amir-Nizam wrote him, "to subjugate the band of mischief-makers
in and around Zanjan. It is your privilege to crush their hopes and exterminate
their forces. So signal a service, at so critical a moment, will win for you the
Shah's highest favour, no less than the applause and esteem of his people."
This encouraging farman stirred the imagination
of the ambitious Sadru'd-Dawlih. He marched instantly on Zanjan at the head of
his two regiments, organised the forces which the governor placed at his disposal,
and gave orders for a combined attack upon the fort and its defenders.(2)
The
548
contest raged in the environs
of the fort three days and three nights, in the course of which the besieged,
under the direction of Hujjat, resisted with splendid daring the fierce onslaught
of their assailants. Neither their overwhelming numbers nor the superiority of
their equipment and training could enable them to reduce the intrepid companions
to an unconditional surrender.(1)
Undeterred by the fire of the cannon with which they were deluged, and forgetful
of both sleep and hunger, they rushed in a headlong charge out of the fort, utterly
unmindful of the perils incurred by such a sally. To the imprecations with which
an opposing host greeted their appearance from their retreat, they shouted their
answer of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!" and, carried away by the spell which that invocation
threw upon them, hurled themselves upon the enemy and scattered his forces. The
frequency and success of these sallies demoralised their assailants and convinced
them of the futility of their efforts. They were soon compelled to acknowledge
their powerlessness to win a decisive victory. Sadru'd-Dawlih himself had to confess
that after the lapse of nine months of sustained fighting, all the men who had
originally belonged to his two regiments, no more than thirty crippled soldiers
were left to support him. Filled with humiliation, he was forced, eventually,
to admit his powerlessness to daunt the spirit of his opponents. He was degraded
from his rank and gravely reprimanded by his sovereign. The hopes he had fondly
cherished were, as the result of that defeat, irretrievably shattered.
549
So abject a defeat struck dismay into the
hearts of the people of Zanjan. Few were willing, after that disaster, to risk
their lives in hopeless encounters. Only those who were compelled to fight ventured
to renew their attacks upon the besieged. The brunt of the struggle was mainly
borne by the regiments which were being successively despatched from Tihran for
that purpose. While the inhabitants of the town, and particularly the merchant
class among them, profited greatly by the sudden influx of such a large number
of forces, the companions of Hujjat suffered want and privation within the walls
of the fort. Their supplies dwindled rapidly; their only hope of receiving any
food from outside lay in the efforts, often unsuccessful, of a few women who could
manage, under various pretexts, to approach the fort and sell them at an exorbitant
price the provisions they so sadly needed.
Though oppressed with hunger and harassed
by fierce and sudden onsets, they maintained with unflinching determination the
defence of the fort. Sustained by a hope that no amount of adversity could dim,
they succeeded in erecting no less than twenty-eight barricades, each of which
was entrusted to the care of a group of nineteen of their fellow-disciples. At
each barricade, nineteen additional companions were stationed as sentinels, whose
function it was to watch and report the movements of the enemy.
They were frequently surprised by the voice
of the crier whom the enemy sent to the neighbourhood of the fort to induce its
occupants to desert Hujjat and his Cause. "The governor of the province," he would
proclaim, "and the commander-in-chief too, are willing to forgive and extend a
safe passage to whoever among you will decide to leave the fort and renounce his
faith. Such a man will be amply rewarded by his sovereign, who, in addition to
lavishing gifts upon him, will invest him with the dignity of noble rank. Both
the Shah and his representatives have pledged their honour not to depart from
the promise they have given." To this call the besieged would, with one voice,
return contemptuous and decisive replies.
Further evidence of the spirit of sublime
renunciation animating those valiant companions was afforded by the behaviour
of a village maiden, who, of her own accord, threw
550
in her lot with the band
of women and children who had joined the defenders of the fort. Her
name was Zaynab, her home a tiny hamlet in the near neighbourhood of Zanjan. She
was comely and fair of face, was fired with a lofty faith, and endowed with intrepid
courage. The sight of the trials and hardships which her men companions were made
to endure stirred in her an irrepressible yearning to disguise herself in male
attire and share in repulsing the repeated attacks of the enemy. Donning a tunic
and wearing a head-dress like those of her men companions, she cut off her locks,
girt on a sword, and, seizing a musket and a shield, introduced herself into their
ranks. No one suspected her of being a maid when she leaped forward to take her
place behind the barricade. As soon as the enemy charged, she bared her sword
and, raising the cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!" flung herself with incredible audacity
upon the forces arrayed against her. Friend and foe marvelled that day at a courage
and resourcefulness the equal of which their eyes had scarcely ever beheld. Her
enemies pronounced her the curse which an angry Providence had hurled upon them.
Overwhelmed with despair and abandoning their barricades, they fled in disgraceful
rout before her.
Hujjat, who was watching the movements of
the enemy from one of the turrets, recognised her and marvelled at the prowess
which that maiden was displaying. She had set out in pursuit of her assailants,
when he ordered his men to bid her return to the fort and give up the attempt.
"No man," he was heard to say, as he saw her plunge into the fire directed upon
her by the enemy, "has shown himself capable of such vitality and courage." When
questioned by him as to the motive of her behaviour, she burst into tears and
said: "My heart ached with pity and sorrow when I beheld the toil and sufferings
of my fellow-disciples. I advanced by an inner urge I could not resist. I was
afraid lest you would deny me the privilege of throwing in my lot with my men
companions." "You are surely the same Zaynab," Hujjat asked her, "who volunteered
to join the occupants of the fort?" "I am," she replied. "I can confidently assure
you that no one has hitherto discovered my sex. You alone have recognised me.
I adjure you by the Bab not to withhold
551
from me that inestimable
privilege, the crown of martyrdom, the one desire of my life."
Hujjat was profoundly impressed by the tone
and manner of her appeal. He sought to calm the tumult of her soul, assured her
of his prayers in her behalf, and gave her the name Rustam-'Ali as a mark of her
noble courage. "This is the Day of Resurrection," he told her, "the day when `all
secrets shall be searched out.'(1)
Not by their outward appearance, but by the character of their beliefs and the
manner of their lives, does God judge His creatures, be they men or women. Though
a maiden of tender age and immature experience, you have displayed such vitality
and resource as few men could hope to surpass." He granted her request, and warned
her not to exceed the bounds their Faith had imposed upon them. "We are called
upon to defend our lives," he reminded her, "against a treacherous assailant,
and not to wage holy war against him."
For a period of no less than five months,
that maiden continued to withstand with unrivalled heroism the forces of the enemy.
Disdainful of food and sleep, she toiled with fevered earnestness for the Cause
she most loved. She quickened, by the example of her splendid daring, the courage
of the few who wavered, and reminded them of the duty each was expected to fulfil.
The sword she wielded remained, throughout that period, by her side. In the brief
intervals of sleep she was able to obtain, she was seen with her head resting
upon her sword and her shield serving as a covering for her body. Every one of
her companions was assigned to a particular post which he was expected to guard
and defend, while that fearless maid alone was free to move in whatever direction
she pleased. Always in the thick and forefront of the turmoil that raged round
her, Zaynab was ever ready to rush to the rescue of whatever post the assailant
was threatening, and to lend her assistance to any one of those who needed either
her encouragement or support. As the end of her life approached, her enemies discovered
her secret, and continued, despite their knowledge that she was a maid, to dread
her influence and to tremble at her approach. The
552
shrill sound of her voice
was sufficient to strike consternation into their hearts and to fill them with
despair.
One day, seeing that her companions were being
suddenly enveloped by the forces of the enemy, Zaynab ran in distress to Hujjat
and, flinging herself at his feet, implored him, with tearful eyes, to allow her
to rush forth to their aid. "My life, I feel, is nearing its end," she added.
"I may myself fall beneath the sword of the assailant. Forgive, I entreat you,
my trespasses, and intercede for me with my Master, for whose sake I yearn to
lay down my life."
Hujjat was too much overcome with emotion
to reply. Encouraged by his silence, which she interpreted to mean that he consented
to grant her appeal, she leaped out of the gate and, raising seven times the cry
"Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!" rushed to stay the hand that had already slain a number of
her companions. "Why befoul by your deeds the fair name of Islam?" she shouted,
as she flung herself upon them. "Why flee abjectly from before our face, if you
be speakers of truth?" She ran to the barricades which the enemy had erected,
routed those who guarded the first three of the defences, and was engaging in
overcoming the fourth, when, beneath a shower of bullets, she dropped dead upon
the ground. Not a single voice among her opponents dared question her chastity
or ignore the sublimity of her faith and the enduring traits of her character.
Such was her devotion that after her death no less than twenty women of her acquaintance
embraced the Cause of the Bab. To them she had ceased to be the peasant girl they
had known; she was the very incarnation of the noblest principles of human conduct,
a living embodiment of the spirit which only a Faith such as hers could manifest.
The messengers who acted as intermediaries
between Hujjat and his companions were one day directed to inform the guards of
the barricades to carry out the Bab's injunction to His followers and to repeat
nineteen times, each night, each of the following invocations: "Allah-u-Akbar,"(1)
"Allah-u-A'zam,"(2) "Allah-u-Ajmal,"(3)
"Allah-u-Abha,"(4) and "Allah-u-Athar."(5)
The very night the behest was received, all the
553
defenders of the barricades
joined in shouting those words simultaneously. So loud and compelling was that
cry that the enemy was rudely awakened from sleep, abandoned the camp in horror,
and, hurrying to the environs of the governor's residence, sought shelter in the
neighbouring houses. A few were so shocked with terror that they instantly dropped
dead. A considerable number of the inhabitants of Zanjan fled, panic-stricken,
to the adjoining villages. Many believed that stupendous uproar to be a sign heralding
the Day of Judgment; to others it signified the sending forth, on the part of
Hujjat, of a fresh summons which they felt would be the prelude to a sudden offensive
against them more terrible than any they had yet experienced.
"What," Hujjat was heard to remark, when informed
of the terror that sudden invocation had inspired, "if I had been permitted by
my Master to wage holy war against these cowardly miscreants! I am bidden by Him
to instil into men's hearts the ennobling principles of charity and love, and
to refrain from all unnecessary violence. My aim and that of my companions is,
and ever will be, to serve our sovereign loyally and to be the well-wishers of
his people. Had I chosen to follow in the footsteps of the ulamas of Zanjan, I
should, as long as I live, have continued to remain the object of the slavish
adoration of this people. Never shall I be willing to barter for all the treasures
and honours this world can give me, the undying loyalty I bear His Cause."
The memory of that night still lingers in
the minds of those who experienced its awe and terror. I have heard several eye-witnesses
express in glowing terms the contrast between the tumult and disorder that reigned
in the camp of the enemy and the atmosphere of reverent devotion that filled the
fort. While those in the fort were invoking the name of God and
praying for His guidance and mercy, their opponents, officers and men alike, were
absorbed in acts of debauchery and shame. Though worn and exhausted, the occupants
of the fort continued to observe their vigils and chant such anthems as the Bab
had instructed them to repeat. The camp of the enemy at that same hour resounded
with peals of noisy laughter, with imprecations and blasphemies. That night in
particular, no sooner had the invocation
554
pealed out than the dissolute
officers, who were holding their wine-glasses in their hands, dropped them instantly
to the ground and rushed out headlong, in bare feet, as if stunned by that stentorian
outcry. Gambling tables were overturned in the midst of the disorder that ensued.
Half dressed and bareheaded, a number ran out into the wilderness, while others
betook themselves in haste to the homes of the ulamas and roused them from their
sleep. Alarmed and overawed, these began to direct their fiercest invectives against
one another for having kindled the fire of such great mischief.
As soon as the enemy had discovered the purpose
of that loud clamour, they returned to their posts, reassured, though greatly
humiliated, by their experience. The officers directed a certain number of their
men to lie in ambush and to fire in any direction from which those voices might
again proceed. Every night they succeeded in this way in slaying a number of the
companions. Undeterred by the losses they were repeatedly sustaining, Hujjat's
supporters continued to raise, with undiminished fervour, their invocation, despising
the perils which the offering of the prayer involved. As their number diminished,
that prayer grew louder and acquired added poignancy. Even the imminence of death
was powerless to induce the intrepid defenders of the fort to give up what they
deemed the noblest and most powerful reminder of their Beloved.
The contest was still raging
when Hujjat was moved to address his written message to Nasiri'd-Din Shah. "The
subjects of your Imperial Majesty," he wrote him, "regard you both as their temporal
ruler and as the supreme custodian of their Faith. They appeal to you for justice,
and look upon you as the supreme protector of their rights. Our controversy primarily
concerned the ulamas of Zanjan only, and under no circumstances involved either
your government or people. I myself was summoned by your predecessor to Tihran
and was requested by him to set forth the basic claims of my Faith. The late Shah
was entirely satisfied, and highly commended my efforts. I resigned myself to
leave my home and settle in Tihran, with no other intention than that of abating
the fury that raged round my person and of
555
extinguishing the fire which
the mischief-makers had kindled. Though free to return to my home, I preferred
to remain in the capital, wholly relying upon the justice of my sovereign. In
the early days of your reign, the Amir-Nizam, while the Mazindaran upheaval was
still in progress, suspected me of treason and determined to destroy my life.
Finding no one in Tihran able to protect me, I determined, in self-defence to
flee to Zanjan, where I resumed my labours and strove with all my might to advance
the true interest of Islam. I was pursuing my work when Majdu'd-Dawlih arose against
me. I several times appealed to him to exercise moderation and justice, but he
refused to grant my request. Instigated by the ulamas of Zanjan, and encouraged
by the adulation they lavished upon him, he determined to arrest me. My friends
intervened and attempted to stay his hand. He continued to rouse the people against
me, and they in their turn have acted in a manner that has led to the present
situation. Your Majesty has until now refrained from extending his gracious assistance
to us, who are the innocent victims of such ferocious cruelty. Our enemies have
even sought to represent our Cause, in the eyes of your Majesty, as a conspiracy
against the authority with which you have been invested. Surely every unbiased
observer will readily admit that we cherish in our hearts no such intention. Our
sole aim is to advance the best interests of your government and people. I and
my principal companions hold ourselves in readiness to leave for Tihran, that
we may, in your presence as well as in that of our chief opponents, establish
the soundness of our Cause."
Not content with his own petition, he bade
his leading supporters address similar appeals to the Shah and stress his request
for justice.
No sooner had the messenger who was carrying
those petitions to Tihran set out on his way than he was seized and brought back
into the presence of the governor. Infuriated by the action of his opponents,
he ordered the messenger to be immediately put to death. He destroyed the petitions
and in their stead wrote the Shah letters which he loaded with abuse and insult,
and, adding the signatures of Hujjat and his chief companions, despatched them
to Tihran.
556
The Shah was so indignant after the perusal
of these insolent petitions that he gave orders for the immediate despatch of
two regiments equipped with guns and munitions to Zanjan, commanding that not
one supporter of Hujjat be allowed to survive.
The news of the Bab's martyrdom
had meanwhile reached the hard-pressed occupants of the fort through Siyyid Hasan,
brother of Siyyid Husayn, the Bab's amanuensis, who had arrived from Adhirbayjan
on his way to Qazvin. The news spread among the enemy and was welcomed by them
with shouts of wild delight. They hastened to ridicule and hurl their taunts at
the efforts of His adherents. "For what reason," they cried in haughty scorn,
"will you henceforth be willing to sacrifice yourselves? He in whose path you
long to lay down your lives, has himself fallen a victim to the bullets of a triumphant
foe. His body is even now lost both to his enemies and to his friends. Why persist
in your stubbornness when a word is sufficient to deliver you from your woes?"
However much they strove to shake the confidence of the bereaved community, they
failed, in the end, to induce the feeblest among them either to desert the fort
or to recant his Faith.
The Amir-Nizam was meanwhile
urging his sovereign to despatch further reinforcements to Zanjan. Muhammad Khan,
the Amir-Tuman, at the head of five regiments and equipped with a considerable
amount of arms and munitions, was finally commissioned to demolish the fort and
wipe out its occupants.
During the twenty days that
hostilities were suspended, Aziz Khan-i-Mukri, surnamed Sardar-i-Kull, who was
on a military mission to Iravan,(1)
arrived at Zanjan and succeeded in meeting Hujjat through his host, Siyyid Ali
Khan. The latter related to Aziz Khan the circumstances of a touching interview
he had had with Hujjat, when he had obtained all the information he required regarding
the intentions and proposals of the besieged. "Should the government," Hujjat
557
had told him, "refuse to
entertain my appeal, I am willing, with its permission, to depart with my family
to a place beyond the confines of this land. Should it refuse to grant even this
request and persist in attacking us, we should feel constrained to arise and defend
ourselves." Aziz Khan assured Siyyid Ali Khan that he would do all in his power
to induce the authorities to effect a speedy solution of this problem. No sooner
had Siyyid Ali Khan retired than Aziz Khan was surprised by the farrash(1)
of the Amir-Nizam, who had come to arrest Siyyid Ali Khan and to conduct him to
the capital. He was seized with great fear and, in order to avert any suspicion
from himself, began to abuse Hujjat and to denounce him openly before the farrash.
By this means he was able to ward off the danger that threatened his own life.
The arrival of the Amir-Tuman
was the signal for the resumption of hostilities on a scale such as Zanjan had
never before experienced. Seventeen regiments of cavalry and infantry had rallied
to his standard, and fought under his command.(2)
No less than fourteen guns were, at his orders, directed against the fort. Five
additional regiments, which the Amir had recruited from the neighbourhood, were
being trained by him as reinforcements. The very night he arrived, he issued orders
that the trumpets be sounded as a signal for the resumption of the attack. The
officers in charge of his artillery were commanded to open fire instantly upon
the besieged. The booming of the cannons, which could be heard distinctly at a
distance of about fourteen farsangs,(3)
had scarcely begun when Hujjat ordered his companions to make use of the two guns
they themselves had constructed. One of them was transported to a high position
commanding the Amir's headquarters. A ball struck his tent and mortally
558
wounded his steed. The enemy
was meanwhile directing, with unrelenting fury, its fire upon the fort, and had
succeeded in killing a large number of its occupants.
As the days-went by; it became
increasingly evident that the forces under the command of the Amir-Tuman, in spite
of their great superiority in number, equipment, and training, were unable to
achieve the victory they had fondly anticipated. The death of Farrukh Khan, son
of Yahya Khan and brother of Haji Sulayman Khan, one of the generals of the enemy's
army, aroused the indignation of the Amir-Nizam, who addressed a strongly worded
communication to the commanding officer, reprimanding him for his failure to force
the besieged to an unconditional surrender. "You have sullied the fair name of
our country," he wrote him, "have demoralised the army, and have wasted the lives
of its ablest officers." He was bidden enforce the strictest discipline among
his subordinates and cleanse his camp from every stain of debauchery and vice.
He was, moreover, urged to take counsel with the chiefs of the people of Zanjan,
and was warned that, failing to achieve his end, he would be degraded from his
position. "If your combined endeavours," he added, "prove powerless to force their
submission, I myself will proceed to Zanjan, and will order a wholesale massacre
of its inhabitants, irrespective of their position or belief. A town that can
bring so much humiliation to the Shah and distress to his people is utterly unworthy
of the clemency of our sovereign."
In a frenzy of despair, the
Amir-Tuman summoned all the kad-khudas(1)
and chiefs of the people, showed them the text of that letter, and by his earnest
entreaties succeeded in rousing them to immediate action. The next day every able-bodied
man in Zanjan had enlisted under the Amir-Tuman's standard. Headed by their kad-khudas
and preceded by four regiments, a vast multitude of people marched, to the sound
of a flourish of trumpets and the beating of drums, in the direction of the fort.
Undaunted by their clamour, the companions of Hujjat raised simultaneously the
cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!" then poured out of the gates and flung themselves
upon them. That encounter was the fiercest and most desperate engagement that
had yet
559
been experienced. The flower
of Hujjat's supporters fell on that day, victims to a ruthless carnage. Many a
son was butchered in circumstances of unbridled cruelty under the eyes of his
mother, while sisters gazed with horror and anguish upon the heads of their brothers
raised on spears and brutally disfigured by the weapons of their foes. In the
midst of a tumult in which the boisterous enthusiasm of the companions of Hujjat
faced the fury and barbarism of an exasperated enemy, the voices of women, who
were struggling side by side with the men, could be heard from time to time, animating
the zeal of their fellow-disciples. The victory that was miraculously achieved
on that day was, in no small measure, attributable to the shouts of exultation
which those women raised in the face of a mighty foe, shouts which acquired added
poignancy by their own acts of heroism and self-sacrifice. Disguised in the garb
of men, some had rushed forward, in their eagerness to supplant their fallen brethren,
while the rest were seen carrying on their shoulders skins full of water, with
which they strove to allay the thirst, and revive the strength, of the wounded.
Confusion reigned meanwhile in the camp of the enemy. Deprived of water, and distressed
by defection in their ranks, they fought a losing battle, unable to retreat and
impotent to conquer. No less than three hundred companions quaffed, that day,
the cup of martyrdom.
One of Hujjat's supporters was a man named
Muhsin, whose function it was to sound the adhan.(1)
His voice was endowed with a quality of warmth and richness that no man in the
neighbourhood could equal. Its reverberation, as he summoned the faithful to prayer,
could be distinctly felt as far as the adjoining villages, and penetrated the
hearts of those who heard it. Oftentimes did the worshippers in that vicinity,
in whose ears the voice of Muhsin was ringing, express their indignation at the
charges of heresy imputed to Hujjat and his friends. So loud grew their protestations
that they eventually reached the ears of the leading mujtahid of Zanjan, who,
unable himself to impose silence upon them, implored the Amir-Tuman to devise
some means of eradicating from the minds of the people the belief in the piety
560
and uprightness of Hujjat
and his companions. "Day and night," he complained, "I strive through my public
discourse, no less than by private converse with the people, to instil into their
minds the conviction that that wretched band is the sworn enemy of the Prophet
and the wrecker of His Faith. The cry of that evil man, Muhsin, robs my words
of their influence and nullifies my exertions. To exterminate that miserable wretch
is surely your first obligation."
The Amir refused at first to entertain his
appeal. "You and your like," he replied, "are to be held responsible for having
declared the necessity of waging holy war against them. We are but the servants
of the government, and our duty is to obey the orders we receive. If you seek,
however, to put an end to his life, you should be prepared to make the proper
sacrifice." The siyyid immediately understood the purpose of the Amir's allusion.
He had no sooner regained his house than he sent him, by the hand of a messenger,
the gift of a hundred tumans.(1)
The Amir promptly ordered
a number of his men, who were famed for their marksmanship, to lie in wait for
Muhsin and shoot him when in the act of prayer. It was the hour of dawn when,
as he raised the cry of "La Ilah-a-Illa'llah,"(2)
a bullet struck him in the mouth and killed him instantly. Hujjat, as soon as
he was informed of that cruel act, ordered another of his companions to ascend
the turret and continue the prayer from where Muhsin had left off. Though his
life was spared until the cessation of hostilities, he, together with certain
of his brethren, was made to suffer, eventually, a death no less atrocious than
that of his fellow-disciple.
As the days of the siege were drawing to a
close, Hujjat urged all those who were betrothed to celebrate their nuptials.
For each unmarried youth among the besieged he chose a spouse, and, within the
limits of the means at his disposal, contributed from his own purse whatever could
add to the comfort and gladness of the newly married. He sold all the jewels his
wife possessed, and, with the money, provided whatever could be obtained to bring
happiness and pleasure to those he had joined in wedlock. During more than three
months these festivities continued, festivities which were
561
intermingled with the terrors
and hardships of a long-protracted siege. How often did the clamour of an advancing
foe drown the acclamations of joy with which bride and bridegroom greeted each
other! How suddenly was the voice of merriment stilled by the cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!"
that summoned the faithful to arise and repulse the invader! With what tenderness
would the bride entreat the bridegroom to tarry awhile longer beside her ere he
rushed forth to win the crown of martyrdom! "I can spare no time," he would reply.
"I must hasten to obtain the crown of glory. We shall surely meet again on the
shores of the great Beyond, the home of a blissful and eternal reunion."
No less than two hundred
youths were joined in wedlock during those tumultuous days. Some a month, others
a few days, and still others for but a brief moment, were able to tarry undisturbed
in the company of their brides; no one among them failed, as the beating of the
drum announced the hour of his departure, to respond joyously to the call. Each
and every one ungrudgingly offered himself as a sacrifice for his true Beloved;
all drank, eventually, the cup of martyrdom. No wonder the spot that has been
the theatre of untold sufferings and has witnessed such heroism has been named
Ard-i-A'la(1) by the Bab, a
title that has remained for all time linked with His own blessed name.
Among the companions was
a certain Karbila'i Abdu'l-Baqi, the father of seven sons, five of whom Hujjat
joined in wedlock. The nuptial ceremonies were hardly at an end when cries of
terror suddenly announced the resumption of a fresh offensive against them. They
sprang to their feet and, forsaking their loved ones, instantly rushed out to
repulse the invader. All five fell in turn in the course of that encounter. The
eldest of them, a youth greatly esteemed for his intelligence, and of renowned
courage, was captured and conducted into the presence of the Amir-Tuman. "Lay
him upon the ground," cried the infuriated Amir, "and kindle upon his breast,
which dared nourish so great a love for Hujjat, a fire that shall consume it."
"Wretched man," burst forth the undaunted youth, "no flame that the hands of your
men are able to kindle, could destroy the love that
562
glows in my heart." The praise
of his Beloved lingered on his lips until the last moment of his life.
Among the women who distinguished
themselves by the tenacity of their faith was one named Umm-i-Ashraf,(1)
who was newly married when the storm of Zanjan broke out. She was within the fort
when she gave birth to her son Ashraf. Both mother and child survived the massacre
that marked the closing stages of that tragedy. Years afterwards, when her son
had grown into a youth of great promise, he was involved in the persecutions that
afflicted brethren. Unable to persuade him to recant, his enemies endeavoured
to alarm his mother and convince
her of the necessity of saving him, ere it was too late, from his fate. "I will
disown you as my son," cried the mother, when brought face to face with him, "if
you incline your heart to such evil whisperings and allow them to turn you away
from the Truth." Faithful to his mother's admonitions, Ashraf met his death with
intrepid calm. Though herself a witness to the cruelties inflicted on her son,
she made no lamentation, neither did she shed a tear. This marvellous mother showed
a courage and fortitude that amazed the perpetrators of that shameless deed. "I
have now in mind," she exclaimed, as she cast a parting glance at the corpse of
her son, "the vow I made on
563
the day of your birth, while
besieged in the fort of Ali-Mardan Khan. I rejoice that you, the only son whom
God gave me, have enabled me to redeem that pledge."
My pen is powerless to portray, much less
to render befitting tribute to, the consuming enthusiasm that glowed in those
valiant hearts. Violent as were the winds of adversity they were powerless to
quench its flame. Men and women laboured with unabating fervour to strengthen
the defences of the fort and reconstruct whatever the enemy had demolished. What
leisure they could obtain was consecrated to prayer. I very thought, every desire,
was subordinated to the paramount necessity of guarding their stronghold against
the onslaughts of the assailant. The part the women played in
these operations was no less arduous than that accomplished by their men companions.
Every woman, irrespective of rank and age, joined with energy in the common task.
They sewed the garments, baked the bread, ministered to the sick and wounded,
repaired the barricades, cleared away from the courts and terraces the balls and
missiles fired upon them by the enemy, and, last but not least, cheered the faint
in heart and animated the faith of the wavering.(1)
Even the children joined in giving whatever assistance was in their power to the
common cause, and seemed to be fired by an enthusiasm no less remarkable than
that which their fathers and mothers displayed.
Such was the spirit of solidarity that characterised
their labours, and such the heroism of their acts, that the enemy was led to believe
their number was no less than ten thousand. It was generally conceded that a continual
supply of provisions found its way, in an unaccountable manner, to the fort, and
that fresh reinforcements were being steadily despatched from Nayriz, from Khurasan,
and from Tabriz. The power of the besieged seemed to them as unshakable as ever,
their resources inexhaustible.
The Amir-Tuman, exasperated by their unyielding
tenacity
564
and spurred by the rebukes
and protestations of the authorities in Tihran, determined to resort to the abject
weapons of treachery in order to exact the complete submission of the besieged.(1)
Firmly convinced of the futility of his efforts to face his opponents
in the field honourably, he craftily called for the suspension of hostilities,
and gave currency to the report that the Shah had decided to abandon the whole
enterprise. He represented his sovereign as having, from the very beginning, discountenanced
the idea of extending his support to the forces that fought in Mazindaran and
Nayriz, and of having deplored the shedding of so much blood for so insignificant
a cause. The people of Zanjan and the surrounding villages were led to believe
that Nasiri'd-Din Shah had actually ordered the Amir-Tuman to negotiate a friendly
settlement of the issues between him and Hujjat, and that it was his intention
to put an end, as speedily as possible, to this unhappy state of affairs.
Assured that the people had been deceived by
his cunning plot, he drew up an appeal for peace, in which he assured Hujjat of
the sincerity of his intention of achieving a lasting settlement between him and
his supporters. He accompanied that declaration with a sealed copy of the Qur'an,
as a testimony of the sacredness of his pledge. "My sovereign," he added, "has
forgiven you. You, as well as your followers, I hereby solemnly declare to be
under the protection of his Imperial Majesty. This Book of God is my witness that
if any of you decide to come out of the fort, you will be safe from any danger."
Hujjat reverently received the Qur'an from
the hand of the messenger, and, as soon as he had read the appeal, bade its bearer
inform his master that he would send an answer in the course of the following
day. That night he gathered together his chief companions and spoke to them of
the misgivings he entertained as to the sincerity of the enemy's declarations.
"The treacheries of Mazindaran and of Nayriz
565
are still vivid in our minds.
That which was perpetrated against them, the same they purpose to perpetrate against
us. In deference to the Qur'an, however, we shall respond to their invitation,
and shall despatch to their camp a number of our companions, that thereby their
deceitfulness may be exposed."
I have heard Ustad Mihr-'Aliy-i-Haddad, who
survived the massacre of Zanjan, relate the following: "I was one of the nine
children, none of whom were more than ten years old, who accompanied the delegation
sent by Hujjat to the Amir-Tuman. The rest were men of over eighty years of age.
Among them were Karbila'i Mawla-Quli-Aqa-Dadash, Darvish-Salah, Muhammad-Rahim,
and Muhammad. Darvish-Salah was a most impressive figure, tall of stature, white-bearded,
and of singular beauty. He was greatly esteemed for his honourable and just conduct.
His intervention on behalf of the downtrodden invariably received the consideration
and sympathy of the authorities concerned. He renounced, after his conversion,
all the honours he had received, and, though far advanced in age, enrolled himself
among the defenders of the fort. He marched before us carrying the sealed Qur'an
as we were led into the presence of the Amir-Tuman.
"Reaching his tent, we stood at its entrance
awaiting his orders. To our salute he gave no response, and treated us with marked
contempt. He kept us standing half an hour before he deigned to address us in
a tone of severe reprimand. `A meaner and more shameless people than you,' he
cried in haughty scorn, `has never been seen!' He had hurled his denunciations
at us when one of the companions, the oldest and feeblest among them, begged to
be allowed to say a few words to him, and, on obtaining his permission, spoke,
unlettered though he was, in a manner that could not fail to excite our profound
admiration. `God knows,' he pleaded, `that we are, and will ever remain, loyal
and law-abiding subjects of our sovereign, with no other desire than to advance
the true interests of his government and people. We have been grievously misrepresented
by our ill-wishers. No one of the Shah's representatives was inclined to protect
or befriend us; no one was found to plead our Cause before
566
him. We repeatedly appealed
to him, but he ignored our entreaty and was deaf to our call. Our enemies, emboldened
by the indifference which characterised the attitude of the ruling authorities,
assailed us from every side, plundered our property, violated the honour of our
wives and daughters, and captured our children. Undefended by our government and
encompassed by our foes, we felt constrained to arise and defend our lives.'
"The Amir-Tuman turned to his lieutenant and
asked him what action he would advise him to take. `I am at a loss," the Amir
added, `as to the answer I should give this man. Were I at heart religious, I
would unhesitatingly embrace his cause.' `Nothing but the sword,' replied his
lieutenant, `will deliver us from this abomination of heresy.' `I still hold the
Qur'an in my hand,' interposed Darvish-Salah, `and carry the declaration which
you, of your own accord, chose to make. Are the words we have just heard our reward
for having responded to your appeal?'
"The Amir-Tuman, in a burst of fury, offered
that Darvish-Salah's beard be torn out, and that he, with those who were with
him, be thrown into a dungeon. I and the rest of the children were scared, and
attempted to escape. Raising the cry of `Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!' we hurried in the
direction of our barricades. Some of us were overtaken and made prisoners. As
I was fleeing, the man who was pursuing me laid hold of the hem of my garment.
I tore myself away from him and managed to reach the gate that led to the approaches
of the fort, in a state of utter exhaustion. How great was my surprise when I
saw one of the companions, a man named Iman-Quli, being savagely mutilated by
the enemy. I was horrified as I gazed upon that scene, knowing as I did that on
that very day the cessation of hostilities had been proclaimed and the most solemn
pledges given that no acts of violence would be committed. I was soon informed
that the victim had been betrayed by his brother, who, on the pretext of desiring
to speak with him, had handed him over to his persecutors.
"I straightway hastened to Hujjat, who lovingly
received me and, wiping the dust from my face, and clothing me with new garments,
invited me to be seated by his side and bade
567
me tell him the fate of his
companions. I described to him all that I had seen. `It is the tumult of the Day
of Resurrection,' he explained, `a tumult such as the world has never seen before.
This is the day on which "man shall fly from his brother, and his mother and his
father, and his wife and his children."(1)
This is the day when man, not content with having abandoned his brother, sacrifices
his substance in order to shed the blood of his nearest kinsman. This is the day
when "every suckling woman shall forsake her sucking babe; and every woman that
hath a burden in her womb shall cast her burden. And thou shalt see men drunken,
yet they are not drunken; but it is the mighty chastisement of God!"'"(2)
Seating himself
in the centre of the maydan,(3)
Hujjat summoned his followers. On their arrival, he arose and, standing erect
in their midst, spoke to them in these words: "I am well pleased with your unflinching
endeavours, my beloved companions. Our enemies are bent upon our destruction.
They harbour no other desire. Their intention was to trick you into coming out
of the fort, and then to slaughter you mercilessly after their hearts' desire.
Finding that their treachery has been exposed, they have, in the fury of their
rage, ill-treated and imprisoned the oldest and the youngest among you. It is
clear that not until they capture this fort and scatter you, will they lay down
their arms or cease their persecutions against us. Your continued presence in
this fort will eventually cause you to be taken captive by the enemy, who will
of a certainty dishonour your wives and slay your children. Better is it, therefore,
for you to make your escape in the middle of the night and to take your wives
and children with you. Let each one seek a place of safety until such time as
this tyranny shall be overpast. I shall remain alone to face the enemy. It were
better that my death should allay their thirst for revenge than that you should
all perish."
The companions were moved to their very depths
and, with tears in their eyes, declared their firm resolve to remain, to the end,
by his side. "We can never consent," they exclaimed, to abandon you to the mercy
of a murderous enemy! Our lives are not more precious than your life,
568
neither are our families
of a more noble descent than that of your kinsmen. Whatever calamity may yet befall
you, is what we shall welcome for ourselves."
All except a few remained true their pledge.
These, unable to bear the ever-increasing distress of a prolonged siege, and encouraged
by the advice Hujjat himself had given them, betook themselves to a place of safety
outside the fort, thus separating themselves from the rest of their fellow-disciples.
Nerved to a resolve of despair, the Amir-Tuman
ordered all able-bodied men in Zanjan to assemble in the neighbourhood of his
camp, ready to receive his commands. He reorganised the forces of his regiments,
appointed their officers, and added them to the host of fresh recruits that had
massed in the town. He ordered no less than sixteen regiments, each equipped with
ten guns, to march against the fort. Eight of these regiments were charged to
attack the fort every forenoon, after which the remainder of the forces were to
replace them in their offensive until the approach of evening. The Amir himself
took the field, and was seen in the forenoon of every day directing the efforts
of his host, assuring them of the reward awaiting their success, and warning them
of the punishment which, in the event of defeat, the sovereign would inflict upon
them.
For one whole month the siege continued. Not
content with attacks by day, the enemy several times attacked them by night also.
The fierceness of their onslaughts, the overwhelming force of their numbers, and
the rapid succession of the onsets, thinned the ranks of the companions and aggravated
their distress. Reinforcements for the enemy continued to pour in from all directions,
while the besieged languished in a state of misery and hunger.(1)
The Amir-Nizam meanwhile decided to strengthen
the hands of the Amir-Tuman by the appointment of Hasan-Ali Khan-i-Karrusi, who
was commanded to march at the head of two sunni regiments to Zanjan. His arrival
was the signal for the concentration of the enemy's artillery on
569
the fort. A tremendous bombardment
threatened the structure with immediate destruction. It lasted for a number of
days, during which the stronghold stood firm in spite of the increasing fire which
was directed against it. The friends of Hujjat displayed, during those days, a
valour and skill that even their bitterest foes were compelled to admire.
One day, while the bombardment
was still in progress, a bullet struck Hujjat in the right arm, as he was performing
his ablutions. Though he ordered his servant not to inform his wife of the wound
he had received, yet such was the man's grief that he was powerless to conceal
his emotion. His tears betrayed his distress, and no sooner had the wife of Hujjat
learned of the injury inflicted on her husband than she ran in distress and found
him absorbed in prayer in a state of unruffled calm. Though bleeding profusely
from his wound, his face retained its expression of undisturbed confidence. "Pardon
this people, O God," he was heard to say, "for they know not what they do. Have
mercy upon them, for they who have led them astray are alone responsible for the
misdeeds the hands of this people have wrought."
Hujjat sought to calm the agitation that had
seized his wife and relatives at the sight of the blood that covered his body.
"Rejoice," he told them, "for I am still with you and desire you to be wholly
resigned to God's will. What you now behold is but a drop compared to the ocean
of afflictions that will be poured forth at the hour of my death. Whatever be
His decree, it is our duty to acquiesce and bow down to His will."
No sooner had the news that he had been wounded
reached the companions than they laid down their arms and hastened to him. The
enemy, meanwhile, taking advantage of the momentary absence of their adversaries,
redoubled their attack upon the fort and were able to force their passage through
its gate.(1) That day they took
captive no less than a hundred of the women and children, and plundered all their
570
possessions. Despite the
severity of that winter, these captives were left exposed in the open for no less
than fifteen days and nights to a biting cold such as Zanjan had rarely experienced.
Clad in the thinnest of garments, with no covering to protect them, they were
abandoned, without food and shelter, in the wilderness. Their only protection
was the gauze that covered their heads, with which they sought in vain to shield
their faces from the icy wind that blew mercilessly upon them. Crowds of women,
most of whom were inferior to them in social position, flocked from the various
quarters of Zanjan to the scene of their sufferings and poured upon them contempt
and ridicule. "You have now found your god," they scornfully exclaimed, as they
danced wildly around them, "and have been rewarded abundantly by him." They spat
in their faces and heaped upon them the foulest invectives.
The capture of the fort,
though robbing Hujjat's companions of their chief instrument of defence, failed
either to daunt their spirit or discourage their efforts. All property on which
the enemy could lay its hands was plundered, and the women and children who were
left defenceless were made captives. The rest of the companions, together with
the remaining women and children, crowded into the houses that lay in the close
vicinity of Hujjat's residence. They were divided into five companies,
each consisting of nineteen times nineteen companions. From each of these companies,
nineteen would rush forth together and, raising with one voice the cry of "Ya
Sahibu'z-Zaman!" would fling themselves into the midst of the enemy and would
succeed in scattering its forces. The uplifted voices of these ninety-five companions
would alone prove sufficient to paralyse the efforts, and crush the spirit, of
their assailants.
This state of affairs continued for a few
days, bringing in its wake both humiliation and loss to an enemy that had believed
itself capable of achieving immediate and signal victory. Many were killed in
the course of these encounters. Officers, to the distress of their superiors,
were beginning to desert their posts, the captains of the artillery were abandoning
their guns, whilst the rank and file of the army was demoralised and completely
exhausted. The Amir-Tuman
571
was himself weary of the
coercive measures to which he had been compelled to resort in order to maintain
the discipline of his men and to keep unimpaired their efficiency and vigour.
He was drive against to take counsel with the remainder of his officers, and to
seek a desperate remedy for a situation that was fraught with grave danger to
his own life no less than to that of the inhabitants of Zanjan. "I am weary,"
he confessed, "of the grim resistance of this people. They
are evidently animated by
a spirit which no amount of encouragement from our sovereign can hope to call
forth in our men. Such self-renunciation surely no one in the ranks of our army
is able to manifest. No power that I can command is able to arouse my men from
the slough of despair into which they have fallen. Whether they triumph or fail,
these soldiers believe themselves doomed to eternal damnation."
Their mature deliberations
resulted in the decision to
572
dig out underground passages
from the site which their camp occupied to a place underneath the quarter in which
the dwellings of Hujjat's adherents were situated. They determined to blow up
these houses and by this means to force them to an unconditional surrender. For
one whole month they laboured to fill these underground passages with all manner
of explosives, and continued, at the same time, to demolish with fiendish cruelty
such houses as remained standing. Wishing to accelerate the work of destruction,
the Amir-Tuman ordered the officers in charge of his artillery to direct their
fire upon Hujjat's residence, as the buildings that intervened between that house
and the camp of the enemy had been razed to the ground, there remaining no further
obstacle in the way of its ultimate destruction.
A section of his dwelling
had already collapsed when Hujjat, who was still living within its walls, turned
to his wife Khadijih, who was holding Hadi, their baby, in her arms, and warned
her that the day was fast approaching when she and her infant might be taken captive,
and bade her be prepared for that day. She was giving vent to her distress when
a cannon-ball struck the room which she occupied, and killed her instantly. Her
child, whom she was holding to her breast, fell into the brazier beside her, and
shortly afterwards died of the injuries he had received, in the house of Mirza
Abu'l-Qasim, the mujtahid of Zanjan.
Hujjat, though filled with grief, refused
to yield to idle sorrow. "The day whereon I found Thy beloved One, O my God,"
he cried, "and recognised in Him the Manifestation of Thy eternal Spirit, I foresaw
the woes that I should suffer for Thee. Great as have been until now my sorrows,
they can never compare with the agonies that I would willingly suffer in Thy name.
How can this miserable life of mine, the loss of my wife and of my child, and
the sacrifice of the band of my kindred and companions, compare with the blessings
which the recognition of Thy Manifestation has bestowed on me! Would that a myriad
lives were mine, would that I possessed the riches of the whole earth and its
glory, that I might resign them all freely and joyously in Thy path."
The tragic loss their beloved leader had sustained,
and the grievous wound inflicted upon him, distressed the companions
573
of Hujjat, and filled them
with burning indignation. They determined to make a last and desperate effort
to avenge the blood of their slaughtered brethren. Hujjat, however, dissuaded
them from making that attempt, and exhorted them not to hasten the issue of the
conflict. He bade them resign themselves to the will of God and to remain calm
and steadfast to the end, whenever that end might come.
As time went on, their number diminished,
their sufferings multiplied, and the area within which they could feel secure
was reduced. On the morning of the fifth of the month of Rabi'u'l-Avval,
in the year 1267 A.H.,(1) Hujjat,
who had already, for nineteen days, endured the severe pain caused by his wound,
was in the act of prayer and had fallen prostrate upon his face, invoking the
name of the Bab, when he suddenly passed away.
His sudden death came as a severe shock to
his kindred and companions. Their grief at the passing of so able, so accomplished,
and so inspiring a leader, was profound; the loss was irreparable. Two of his
companions, Din-Muhammad-Vazir and Mir Riday-i-Sardar, straightway undertook,
ere the enemy was made aware of his death, to inter his remains in a place which
neither his kindred nor his friends could suspect. At midnight the body was borne
to a room that belonged to Din-Muhammad-Vazir, where it received burial. They
demolished that room in order to ensure the safety of the remains from desecration,
and exercised the utmost care to maintain the secrecy of the spot.
More than five hundred women
who survived that terrible tragedy were, immediately after the death of Hujjat,
gathered together in his house. His companions, in spite of the death of their
leader, continued to face, with undiminished zeal, the forces of their assailants.
Of the great multitude that had flocked to the standard of Hujjat, there remained
only two hundred vigorous men; the rest either had died or were utterly incapacitated
by the wounds they had received.
The knowledge of the removal of so inspiring
a leader nerved the enemy to resistance and decided them to wipe
574
out what still remained of
the formidable forces they had been unable to subdue. They launched a general
attack, fiercer and more determined than any previous one. Animated by the beating
of drums and the sound of trumpets, and encouraged by the shouts of exultation
raised by the populace, they threw themselves upon the companions with unbridled
ferocity, resolved not to rest until the whole company had been annihilated. In
the face of this fierce onset, the companions raised once more the cry of Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!"
and rushed forth, undismayed, to continue the heroic struggle until all of them
had been either slain or captured.
That massacre had scarcely been perpetrated
when the signal was given for a pillage, unexampled in its scope and ferocity.
Had not the Amir-Tuman issued orders to spare what remained of the house and belongings
of Hujjat, and to refrain from any acts of violence against his kindred, even
more dastardly attacks would have been made by his rapacious army. His intention
was to inform the authorities in Tihran and to seek from them whatever advice
they wished to give him. He failed, however, to restrain indefinitely the spirit
of violence which animated his men. The ulamas of Zanjan, flushed with the victory
that had cost them such exertion and loss of life, and which had involved to such
an unprecedented degree their reputation and prestige, endeavoured to incite the
populace to commit every imaginable outrage against the lives of their men captives
and the honour of their women. The sentinels who guarded the entrance to the house
in which Hujjat had been living, were driven from their posts in the general tumult
that ensued. The populace joined hands with the army to plunder the property and
assail the persons of the few who still survived that memorable struggle. Neither
the Amir-Tuman nor the governor was able to allay the thirst for plunder and revenge
which had seized the whole town. Order and discipline no longer existed in the
midst of the general confusion.
The governor of the province
was, however, able to induce the officers of the army to gather together the captives
into the house of a certain Haji Ghulam and to keep them in custody until the
arrival of fresh instructions from Tihran.
575
The entire company were huddled
together like sheep in that wretched place, exposed to the cold of a severe winter.
The enclosure into which they were crowded was roofless and without furniture.
For a few days they remained without food. From thence the women were removed
to the house of a muJtahid named Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, in the hope that he would
induce them to recant, in return for which they would be offered their freedom.
The greedy mujtahid, however, had, with the aid of his wives, his sisters and
daughters, succeeded in seizing all they had been allowed to carry with them;
had stripped them of their garments, clothed them in the meanest attire, and appropriated
for himself whatever valuables he could find among their belongings.
After suffering untold hardships, these women
captives were allowed to join their relatives, on condition that these would undertake
full responsibility for their future behaviour. The rest were dispersed throughout
the neighbouring villages, the inhabitants of which, unlike the people of Zanjan,
welcomed the newcomers with treatment that was at once affectionate and genuine.
The family of Hujjat, however, was detained in Zanjan until the arrival of definite
instructions from Tihran.
As to the wounded, they were placed in custody
until such time as the authorities in the capital should send directions as to
how they were to be treated. Meanwhile the severity of the cold to which they
were exposed and the cruelties they underwent were such that within a few days
they had all perished.
The rest of the captives were delivered by
the Amir-Tuman into the hands of the Karrusi, the Khamsih, and the Iraqi regiments,
with orders that they be immediately executed. They were conducted in procession,
to the accompaniment of drums and trumpets, to the camp where the army was stationed.(1)
All these regiments combined to add
576
to the horror of the abominations
perpetrated against the poor sufferers. Armed with their lances and spears, they
flung themselves upon the seventy-six companions who still remained, piercing
and mutilating their bodies with a savage ruthlessness that excelled the dark
deeds of even the most refined torture-mongers of their race. The spirit of revenge
which that day dominated those barbarous men passed all bounds. Regiment vied
with regiment in committing the foulest atrocities which their ingenious minds
could devise. They were preparing to swoop afresh upon their victims when a certain
Haji Muhammad-Husayn, father of Aba-Basir, sprang to his feet and, raising the
call of the adhan,(1)
thrilled the multitude that had gathered about him. Though in the hour of his
death, such were the fervour and majesty with which he pealed out the words "Allah-u-Akbar,"(2)
that the entire Iraqi regiment immediately proclaimed their refusal to continue
participating in such shameful deeds. Deserting their posts, and raising the cry
"Ya Ali!" they fled from that place in horror and disgust. "Accursed be the Amir-Tuman!"
they were heard to exclaim, as they turned their backs on that scene of bloodshed
and horror. "That wretch
577
has deceived us! With devilish
persistence he sought to convince us of this people's disloyalty to the Imam Ali
and to his kindred. Never, though we all be slain, will we consent to assist in
such criminal deeds."
A number of these captives were blown from
guns; others were stripped naked, ice-cold water was poured upon their bodies,
and they were lashed severely. Still others were smeared with treacle and left
to perish in the snow. Despite the shame and cruelties they were made to suffer,
not one of these captives was known either to recant or to utter one angry word
against his persecutors. Not even a whisper of discontent escaped their lips,
nor did their countenances betray a shadow of regret or grief. No amount of adversity
could succeed in darkening the light that shone in those faces; no words, however
insulting, could disturb the serenity of their expressions.(1)
No sooner had the persecutors finished their
work than they began to seek for the body of Hujjat, the place of whose burial
the companions had carefully concealed. The most inhuman tortures had proved powerless
to induce them to disclose the identity of that spot. The governor, exasperated
by the failure of his search, asked that the seven-year-old son of Hujjat, whose
name was Husayn, be brought to him that he might attempt to induce him to disclose
the secret.(2) My son, he said,
as he gently caressed him, "I am filled with grief at the knowledge of all the
afflictions that have been the lot of your parents. Not I, but the mujtahids of
Zanjan,
578
should be held responsible
for the abominations that have been committed. I am now willing to accord the
remains of your father a befitting burial, and wish to atone for the shameful
deeds that have been perpetrated against him." By his gentle insinuations, he
succeeded in getting the child to reveal the secret, and thereupon sent his men
to fetch the body. No sooner had the object of his desire been delivered into
his hands than he ordered that it be dragged with a rope, to the sound of drums
and trumpets, through the streets of Zanjan. For three days and three nights,
unspeakable injuries were heaped upon the body, which lay exposed to the
eyes of the people in the
maydan.(1) On the third
night, it was reported that a number of horsemen had succeeded in carrying away
the remnants of the corpse to a place of safety in the direction of Qazvin. As
to Hujjat's kinsmen, orders were received from Tihran to conduct them to Shiraz
and to deliver them into the hands of the governor. There they languished in poverty
and misery. Whatever possessions still remained to them the governor seized for
himself, and condemned the victims of his rapacity to seek shelter in a ruined
and dilapidated house. Hujjat's youngest son, Mihdi, died
579
of the privations he and
his family were made to suffer, and was buried in the very midst of the ruins
that had served as his shelter.
I was privileged, nine years after the termination
of that memorable struggle, to visit Zanjan and witness the scene of those terrible
butcheries. I beheld with grief and horror the ruins of the fort of Ali-Mardan
Khan, and trod the ground that had been saturated with the blood of its immortal
de-
fenders. I could discern on
its gates and walls traces of the carnage that marked its surrender to the enemy,
and could discover upon the very stones that had served as barricades, stains
of the blood that had been so profusely shed in that neighbourhood.
As to the number of those who fell in the
course of these encounters, no accurate estimate has as yet been made. So numerous
were those who participated in that struggle, and
580
so prolonged the siege which
they withstood, that to ascertain their names and number would be a task that
I would hesitate to undertake. A tentative list of such names, which readers might
do well to consult, has been prepared by Ismu'llahu'l-Mim and Ismu'llahu'l-Asad.
Many and conflicting are the reports as to the exact number of those who struggled
and fell under the banner of Hujjat in Zanjan. Some have estimated
that there were as many as a thousand martyrs; according to others, they were
more numerous. I have heard it stated that one of the companions of Hujjat who
undertook to record the names of those who had suffered martyrdom, had left a
written statement in which he had computed the number of those who had fallen
prior to the death of Hujjat to be a thousand, five hundred and ninety-eight,
whilst those who had suffered martyrdom afterwards were thought to have been in
all two hundred and two persons.
For the account I have related
of the happenings of Zanjan I am primarily indebted to Mirza Muhammad Aliy-i-Tabib-i-Zanjani,
to Aba-Basir, and to Siyyid Ashraf, all martyrs of the Faith, with each of whom
I was closely acquainted. The rest of my narrative is based upon the manuscript
which a certain Mulla Husayn-i-Zanjani wrote and sent to the presence of Baha'u'llah,
in which he recorded all the information he could glean from different sources
regarding the events connected with that episode.
What I have related of the struggle of Mazindaran
has been similarly inspired, to a very great extent, by the written account sent
to the Holy Land by a certain Siyyid Abu-Talib-i-Shahmirzadi, as well as by the
brief survey prepared here by one of the believers named Mirza Haydar-'Aliy-i-Ardistani.
I have, moreover, ascertained certain facts connected with that struggle from
persons who actually participated in it, such as Mulla Muhammad-Sadiq-i-Muqaddas,
Mulla Mirza Muhammad-i-Furughi, and Haji Abdu'l-Majid, father of Badi' and martyr
to the Faith.
As to the events relating to the life and
deeds of Vahid, I have obtained my information regarding what took place in Yazd
from Rida'r-Ruh, who was one of his intimate companions. As to the later stages
of that struggle in Nayriz, my narrative is mainly drawn from such information
as I
581
could gather from the detailed
account sent to the Holy Land by a believer of that town, named Mulla Shafi, who
had carefully investigated the matter and had reported it to Baha'u'llah. Whatever
my pen has failed to record, future generations will, I hope, gather together
and preserve for posterity. Many, I confess, are the gaps in this narrative, for
which I beg the indulgence of my readers. It is my earnest hope that these gaps
may be filled by those who will, after me, arise to compile an exhaustive and
befitting account of these stirring events, the significance of which we can as
yet but dimly discern.
