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NOTE I.
THE BÁB'S ESCAPE FROM SHÍRÁZ TO
ISFAHÁN.
According to the
Táríkh-i- Jadíd the Báb, after his examination before Huseyn Khán
on Ramazán 21st, A.H. 1261 (Sept. 23rd, A.D. 1845), was confined, not, as
stated in this history (p. 6), in the house of his uncle Hájí Seyyid 'Alí, nor,
as asserted by the Musulmán historians, in prison, but in the house of
'Abdu'l-Hamíd Khán the Dárúghá or chief constable of Shíráz. That
for some portion of the six months which elapsed between his arrest and his
escape to Isfahán the Báb was an inmate of the house of this official would
appear certain, for Subh-i-Ezel, whom I questioned on the subject,
affirmed this to have been the case, adding, in answer to further questions as
to how strict was the custody in which he was kept, that the rawza-
khwáns or religious recitations, of which the constable's house was
frequently the scene, afforded opportunities to the Bábís of seeing and
conversing with their Master.
That some
attack on the Báb's house such as that described at p.10 of the present work did
take place appears to be proved by the following passage from one of the Báb's
works, for which I am also indebted to
Subh-i-Ezel:-
[two lines of Persian/Arabic
text]
"His party entered in
unto my house on the 'Night of Worth'1 and took
what they could of that which my Lord hath caused me to possess, at the command
of the ruler of Fárs, upon whom be the curse of God!"
1 The Leylatu'l-kadr ("Night of
Worth" or "Decrees") is generally supposed to be the night between the 23rd and
24th of Ramazán. (See Sale's translation of the Kur'án, note on
sura xcvii.)
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The account of the
Báb's escape from Shíráz contained in the Táríkh-i-Jadíd differs somewhat
from that here given, and is in substance as follows. When the plague broke out
in Shíráz the son of 'Abdu'l-Hamíd Khán was amongst those stricken by the
awful malady. 'Abdu'l-Hamíd Khán in his distress and anxiety appealed to
the Báb, entreating him to pray for the youth's recovery. This shortly took
place; whereat the grateful father sought out his illustrious guest, and, with
profuse expressions of thankfulness, assured him that he might consider himself
free to go where he pleased. According to the Musulmán accounts (which, together
with a note containing a very pertinent criticism on their intrinsic
improbability, will be found in Kazem-Beg's first paper, pp. 348-349) Minúchihr
Khán Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla, the governor of Isfahán, sent horsemen to Shíráz
expressly to deliver the Báb from his captivity and bring him to Isfahán. It is
but fair to add that Subh-i-Ezel also attributed the Báb's release
directly to Minúchihr Khán's efforts.
Of the
Báb's journey to Isfahán in company with Áká Huseyn of Ardistán
and Áká Seyyid Kázim of Zanján (who died shortly after reaching
Isfahán) the Táríkh-i-Jadíd gives a detailed account on the authority of
Hájí Mírzá Jání of Káshán, who had heard it from the above-mentioned Áká
Muhammad Huseyn himself. The most noteworthy feature of this
account is its evident tendency to invest in the Báb's slightest actions with a
miraculous character.
The Báb probably
reached Isfahán early in the summer of A.D. 1846, since, according to both the
Musulmán historians, his captivity at Shíráz lasted six months, and since,
according to the present history (p. 11), the hot weather (which seldom sets in
till the beginning of May at the earliest) had already begun ere he left Shíráz.
On approaching Isfahán he addressed a letter to the governor Minúchihr Khán
asking permission to enter the city and craving protection. Of this letter
Kazem-Beg (i. p. 352 and note) gives a translation, which, as it appears to be
derived from authoritative sources, I here reproduce:- "Poursuivi par tous,
persécuté, j'accours me placer sous
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votre égide; j'attends votre réponse au seuil
de la capitale, et n'y entrerai pas avant d'avoir obtenu l'assurance de votre
protection."
During the first forty days of
his sojourn in Isfahán the Báb was, as stated at p. 11 of the present work and
also in the Táríkh-i-Jadíd, the guest of the Imám-Jum'a, who at first
treated him with great respect, and at whose request he wrote the Commentary
on the Súratu'l-'Asr. Of this work I have been fortunate enough to
obtain a MS. quite recently. [See infra at the end of Note
U].
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