- 1848-10-12 — The band of 72 Bábís took refuge in the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí which was located about 14 miles southeast of Bárfurúsh (now called Babol) and prepared it for siege. [B173; BBRSM26; BW18:381; DB344–5]
- 1848-12-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh set out from Tihrán with 11 companions to reinforce the Bábís at Shaykh Tabarsí. Nine miles from the fort they were arrested and taken to the town of Ámul, where they were held prisoner in the home of the deputy governor. This was Bahá'u'lláh's second imprisonment. He intervened to spare His companions the bastinado and He alone received it. See Light of Faith: A collection of stories by Paris Sadeghzadeh and Behnam Golmohammadi p82-83.
- When the governor returned to his home he ordered that Bahá'u'lláh and His companions be released and arranged a safe conduct for them to Tihrán. [Bab174; BBD44; BKG56–60; BW18:381; DB369–376; GPB68; SB7]
- See BKG57 and DB70 for pictures.
- 1848-12-15 —
The siege of the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí
- See BBD217, BW18:381, DB345–413 and MH221–85 for chronicle of events.
- The episode lasted seven months. [BBRSM26; BW18:381]
- See BBRSM26 for the Bábís' intentions.
- See DB343–5 for pictures and DB348, MH217–18 for sketches.
- See MH212 for a diagram of the fortifications.
- Bahá'u'lláh visited the fortress and approved the fortifications. [BKG51, DB347–9; MH227] See note below.
- He advised Mullá Husayn to seek the release of Quddús. Mullá Husayn set out immediately and secured the release of Quddús, who had been in detention for 95 days. [Bab173; BKG51; DB349–50; MH227]
- Quddús arrived towards the end of the year. Some sources say October 20. [Bab173]
- See DB352–4 for the entry of Quddús into Shaykh Tabarsí. His arrival brought the number of Bábís in the shrine to 313. [DB354]
- During the siege Quddús composed an extensive commentary on the word "samad" (lit. eternal), which appears in Qur'an 112:2: 'In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Say: He is God alone; God the eternal! He begetteth not, and He is not begotten; And there is none like unto Him.' ['Abdu'l-Baha's First Thousand-Verse Tablet: History and Provisional Translation by Ahang Rabbani and Khazeh Fananapazir p120]
- Note: BBRSM26 and MH233–4 say that the number of defendants rose to 500–600 individuals.
- 37 per cent of the identified participants were of the `ulamá class. [BBRSM50]
- The siege began with the arrival of `Abdu'lláh Khán's forces on 19 December.
- it is said that 2,000 soldiers were involved in the siege.
- See PG116-117 where 'Abdu'l-Bahá recounts the story of the heroism of the defenders of Shaykh Tabarsí.
Note: Moojan Momen in Two Episodes from the Life of Bahá'u'lláh in Iran (first published in Lights of Irfan, 20, pages 139-160) suggests that Bahá'u'lláh's itinerary was:
"Badasht, Núr, Tehran (where He met with Hujjat); He then set out for Jaz (with Mírzá Masíh Núrí and Mirza Majíd Áhí); in Jaz, Mírzá
Masíh Núrí died and Muhammad Sháh's decree arrived, then Bahá'u'lláh' set out for Núr, visiting the Bábís at Shaykh Tabarsí on
the way. There would just about have been enough time for this sequence of events to occur but it seems contrary to Bahá'u'lláh's statement that He came to Jaz from Shahrúd (i.e. Badasht), unless we assume two visits to Jaz (one on the way from Badasht and then one coming from Tehran with Mírzá Masíh)."
- 1848-12-15 —
The siege of the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí As compiled by Moojan Momen the main events were:
- 12 October: Mullá Husayn and his companions entered the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsf and were attacked that night by a body of horsemen from Qádi—Kulá.
- 19 December: Arrival of 'Abdu'lláh Khan's forces and the start of the siege.
- 21 December: Major sortié led by Quddús dispersed besiegers.
- early January, 1849: Arrival of Mihdi-Quli Mirzá and 3,000 royal troops.
- 11 January: Night sortie led by Quddús upon the headquarters of Mihdi-Qulf Mirzá at Vaskés dispersed the camp.
- 27 January: Arrival of reinforcements for the besiegers under 'Abbás-Quhi Khan-i-Larijani.
- 2 February: Major sortie led by Mullá Husayn dispersed the camp of their enemy but resulted in martyrdom of Mulla Husayn himself and some forty of his companions.
- 27 March: Mihdi-Quli Mirzá built fortifications and started bombardment of the Shrine.
- early April: Arrival of Sulayman Khan-i-Afshar with more troops.
- 26 April: Sortie led by Mirzá Muhammad-Béqir-i-Bushru'i routed forces of Sulayman Khan.
- 9 May: Quddús, receiving promises of safety written on the Qur'án, left the Shrine and entered the Prince's camp.
- 10 May: Quddús' companions tricked into leaving the Shrine; they were then set upon and killed. End of Shaykh Tabarsi upheaval.
- 16 May in Bárfurush, the martyrdom of Quddús.
[BW19p381]
- 1848-12-19 —
The siege of the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí began in earnest with the arrival of `Abdu'lláh Khán's forces. [BW18:381]
- DB361 says this was 1 December.
- There were about 12,000 troops. [MH245]
- The supply of bread and water to the fort was cut. A rainfall replenished the water supply and ruined the munitions of the government forces. Snow further hampered the army's movement. [DB361, MH243]
- 1848-12-21 —
The Bábís, led by Quddús, made a mounted attack on the army. All of the officers were killed including `Abdu'lláh Khán. A number of soldiers were drowned as they retreated into the Tálár River. About 430 soldiers were killed but no Bábís; one Bábí was wounded. [BW18:381; DB361–3; MH243–6]
- For the next 19 days the defenders dug a moat. [DB363]
- 1849-01-00 —
Arrival of Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá and 3,000 royal troops in the vicinity of the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí. [B173–4; BW18:381; DB363]
- He set up camp and his headquarters in the village of Vás-Kas. [DB363]
- 1849-01-11 —
Quddús and Mullá Husayn led a night attack on the encamped army. Two hundred and two Bábís dispersed the camp. [BW18:381; BD365; MH254]
- DB 368 says this occurred on 21 December 1848.
- Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá fled barefoot. [DB366]
- Mullá Husayn's sword was broken in the attack and he used that of Quddús. His companions brought him the abandoned sword of Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá. [DB367; MH257]
- At daybreak the soldiers mounted a counter-attack. [DB367; MH258–9]
- In this encounter Quddús was wounded in the mouth and was rescued by Mullá Husayn who dispersed the enemy using the sword of Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá in one hand and that of Quddús in the other. [B174; DB367; MH258–9]
- 1849-01-27 —
Reinforcements arrived for the besiegers under the leadership of 'Abbás-Qulí Khán-i-Láríjání. [BW18:381; DB378–9; MH263]
- This was the third army to be mustered.
- The water supply was again cut off and Mullá Husayn ordered that a well be dug and a bath constructed. [DB379; MH263]
- 1849-02-01 — The well was completed. Mullá Husayn performed his ablutions and put on clean clothes and the turban of the Báb. [DB379; MH264–6]
- 1849-02-02 —
Soon after midnight, Mullá Husayn led a charge of 313 men that again routed the king's army. He was struck in the chest by a bullet and died. His body was carried back to the fort and buried. Ninety other Bábís were also wounded, about 40 of whom died. [B174; BW18:381; DB379–82; MH266–70]
- Mullá Husayn was 36 years old at the time of his death. [DB383; MH272]
- See DB382–3 for an account of his life.
- See DB415–16 for an account of the heroics of Mullá Husayn.
- See DB381–2 and MH265–70 for an account of the death and burial of Mullá Husayn.
- See SDH13–14 for an account of his death by Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá.
- Seventy–two of the original 313 inhabitants of the fort had been martyred by this time. [DB382]
- It took the army 45 days to re-assemble its forces. [DB384; MH277]
- 1849-03-11 —
On learning through a traitor of the death of Mullá Husayn, 'Abbás-Qulí Khán launched a fresh attack on the fort. [DB384–6]
- DB386 says this was 10 days before Naw-Rúz.
- Nineteen Bábís led by Mírzá Muhammad-Báqir overcame the attackers. [DB386–8]
- 1849-03-27 —
Renewed forces under Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá encamped in the neighbourhood of the fort, built fortifications and began to bombard the shrine. [BW18:381; DB390–3]
- DB391 says this was the ninth day after Naw-Rúz.
- 1849-03-31 — The army continued to fire on the shrine for a few days. Mírzá Muhammad-Báqir and 18 others attacked the new fortifications and destroyed some of them. [DB393–4]
- 1849-04-00 — Sulaymán Khán-i-Afshar arrived with more troops. [BW18:381]
- 1849-04-26 —
A charge by the forces of Sulaymán Khán was repulsed by 37 Bábís led by Mírzá Muhammad-Báqir. [BW18:381; DB3956]
- A few days later some of the Bábís left the fort on the promise of Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá that they will be returned to their homes. As soon as they are outside the fort they were put to death. [DB396–9]
- 1849-05-09 — Mihdí-Qulí Mírzá sent an emissary to the fort to invite two representatives to his camp to conduct negotiations. On the strength of assurances written on a Qur'án, Quddús left the fort and entered the Prince's camp. [B175; BW18:381; DB399–400]
- 1849-05-10 —
The end of the siege of the fort at Shaykh Tabarsí. Two hundred and two Bábís were tricked into leaving the shrine. [BW18:381]
- DB400 says they accompanied Quddús.
- They were not conducted to their homes as promised but were set upon by the Prince's soldiers. Some are killed, others sold into slavery. The fortifications around the shrine were razed to the ground. [DB403–4; MH283]
- See DB414–29 for a list of the martyrs of Tabarsí.
- Among those who gave their lives at Fort Tabarsi was Mullá Ja'far, the sifter of wheat and the first to embrace the Faith in Isfahan. [AY58]
- 1849-06-00 —
|
Site Map
