Ch.XXVI, p.612, f.2
"His Excellency resolved to divide the execution of the victims among the
different departments of the state; the only person he exempted was
himself. First came the Shah, who was entitled to Qisas, or legal
retaliation, for his wound. To save the dignity of the crown, the steward
of the household, as the Shah's representative, fired the first shot at
the conspirator selected as his victim, and his deputies, the farrashes,
completed the work. The Prime Minister's son headed the Home Office, and
slew another Babi. Then came the Foreign Office. The Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, a pious, silly man, who spent his time in conning over
the traditions of Muhammad, With averted face made the first swordcut, and
then the Under-Secretary of State and clerks of the Foreign Office hewed
their victim into pieces. The priesthood, the merchants, the artillery,
the infantry, had each their allotted Babi. Even the Shah's admirable
French physician, the late lamented Dr. Cloquet, was invited to show his
loyalty by following the example of the rest of the Court. He excused
himself, and pleasantly said he killed too many men professionally to
permit him to increase their number by any voluntary homicide on his part.
The Sadr was reminded that these barbarous and unheard-of proceedings were
not only revolting in themselves, but would produce the utmost horror and
disgust in Europe. Upon this he became very much excited, and asked
angrily, `Do you wish the vengeance of all the Babis to be concentrated
upon me alone?' The following is an extract from the `Tihran Gazette' of
that day, and will serve as a specimen of a Persian `leader': `Some
profligate, unprincipled individuals, destitute of religion, became
disciples of the accursed Siyyid Ali-Muhammad Bab, who some years ago
invented a new religion, and who afterwards met his doom. They were unable
to prove the truth of their faith, the falsehood of which was visible. For
instance, many of their books having fallen into our hands, they are found
to contain nothing but pure infidelity. In worldly argument, too, they
never were able to support their religion, which seemed fit only for
entering into a contest with the Almighty. They then began to think of
aspiring to sovereignty, and to endeavour to raise insurrections, hoping to
profit by the confusion, and to pillage the property of their neighbours.
A wretched miserable gang, whose chief, Mulla Shaykh Ali of Turshiz,
styled himself the deputy of the former Bab, and who gave himself the
title of High Majesty, collected round themselves some of the former
companions of [the] Bab. They seduced to their principles some dissolute
debauchees, one of whom was Haji Sulayman Khan, son of the late Yahya
Khan of Tabriz. In the house of this Haji it was their practice to
assemble for consultation, and to plan an attempt on the auspicious life of
his Majesty. Twelve of their number, who were volunteers for the deed,
were selected to execute their purpose, and to each of them were given
pistols, daggers, etc. It was resolved that the above number should
proceed to the Shah's residence at Niyavaran, and await their
opportunity.' Then follows an account of the attack, which I have already
given in sufficient detail. `Six persons, whose crimes were not so clearly
proved, were condemned to perpetual imprisonment; the remainder were
divided among the priesthood, the doctors of the law, the chief servants of
the court, the people of the town, merchants, tradesmen, artisans, who
bestowed on them their deserts in the following manner: The mullas,
priests, and learned body slew Mulla Shaykh Ali, the deputy of [the]
Bab, who gave himself the title of Imperial Majesty, and who was the
author of this atrocity. The princes slew Siyyid Hasan, of Khurasan, a
man of noted profligacy, with pistol-shots, swords, and daggers. The
Minister of Foreign Affairs, full of religious and moral zeal, took the
first shot at Mulla Zaynu'l-'Abidin of Yazd, and the secretaries of his
department finished him and cut him in pieces. The Nizamu'l-Mulk (son of
the Prime Minister) slew Mulla Husayn. Mirza Abdu'l-Vahhab, of
Shiraz, who was one of the twelve assassins, was slain by the brother and
the sons of the Prime Minister; his other relations cut him in pieces.
Mulla Fathu'llah, of Qum, who fired the shot which wounded the royal
person, was killed thus: In the midst of the royal camp candles were
placed in the body (by making incisions) and lighted. The steward of the
household wounded him in the very place that he had injured the Shah, and
then the attendants stoned him. The nobles of the court sent Shaykh
Abbas of Tihran to hell. The Shah's personal attendants put to death
Mulla-Baqir, one of the twelve. The Shah's master of the horse and the
servants of the stable horse-shod Muhammad-Taqi of Shiraz, and then sent
him to join his companions. The masters of the ceremonies and other
nobles, with their deputies, slew Muhammad of Najaf-Abad with hatchets
and maces, and sent him to the depths of hell. The artillerymen first dug
out the eye of Muhammad-'Ali of Najaf-Abad and then blew him away from a
mortar. The soldiers bayoneted Siyyid Husayn, of Milan, and sent him to
hell. The cavalry slew Mirza Rafi'. The adjutant-general, generals, and
colonels slew Siyyid Husayn.'" (Lady Sheil's "Glimpses of Life and
Manners in Persia," pp. 277-81.)
..."On that day, a spectacle was witnessed in the streets and bazaars of
Tihran which the people can never forget. Even to this very day, it
remains the topic of conversation; one still feels a shocking horror which
the years have not been able to lessen. The people saw marching, between
executioners, children and women with deep holes cut into their flesh in
which lighted wicks were inserted. The victims were dragged with ropes and
goaded on with whips. Children and women went forth singing this verse:
`In truth, we come from God and unto Him do we return.' Their voices were
raised triumphant above the deep silence of the crowd, for the citizens of
Tihran were neither mean nor great believers in Islam. When one of the
victims fell to the ground and they prodded him up with bayonets, if the
loss of blood which dripped from his wounds had left him any strength, he
would begin to dance and to cry out with even greater enthusiasm: `In
truth, we come from God and unto Him do we return!'
"Some of the children expired on the way. The executioners would throw
their bodies under the feet of their fathers and sisters, who proudly
walked over them without giving it a second thought. When the cortege
reached the place of execution near the New Gate, the victims were given
the choice between life and abjuration of their faith; they were even
subjected to every form of intimidation. One of the executioners conceived
the idea of saying to a father that, unless he yielded, he would cut the
throats of his two sons on his very breast. The sons were quite young, the
oldest about fourteen. Covered with blood, their flesh scorched, they were
listening stoically to the threats. The father replied, while laying
himself down, that he was ready and the older of the boys, claiming a prior
right, requested to be the first to die. It may be that the executioner
denied him even that last comfort.
"At last, the tragedy was over and night fell upon a heap of formless
bodies; the heads were tied in bundles to the posts of justice and the dogs
on the outskirts of the city were crowding about. That day won for the
Babis a larger number of secret followers than much exhortation could have
done.
"As I have said above, the impression caused by the terrifying
impassibility of the martyrs was deep and lasting. I have often heard eye
witnesses describe the scenes of that fateful day, men close to the
government, some even holding important positions. While listening to
them, one could easily have believed that they were all Babis, so great
was their admiration for the events in which Islam played so inglorious a
part, and so high a conception did they entertain of the resources, the
hopes and the means of success of the new religion." (Comte de Gobineau's
"Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," pp. 248-250.)
"These executions were not merely criminal, but foolish. The barbarity of
the persecutors defeated its own ends, and instead of inspiring terror,
gave the martyrs and opportunity of exhibiting a heroic fortitude which has
done more than any propaganda, however skilful, could have done to ensure
the triumph of the cause for which they died.... The impression produced
by such exhibitions of courage and endurance was profound and lasting; nay,
the faith which inspired the martyrs was often contagious, as the following
incident shows. A certain Yazdi rough, noted for his wild and disorderly
life, went to see the execution of some Babis, perhaps to scoff at them.
But when he saw with what calmness and steadfastness they met torture and
death, his feelings underwent so great a revulsion that he rushed forward
crying, `Kill me too! I am also a Babi!' And thus he continued to cry
till he too was made a partaker in the doom he had come out only to gaze
upon." (E. G. Browne's "A Year amongst the Persians," pp. 111-12.)