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| Tihran, circa 1808 |
A remarkable event, which may be unique in religious
history, took place in the very early years of the Bábí-Bahá’í Faith. It
happened while the Báb, escorted by government soldiers, was being exiled from
His native city of Shiraz to the Fortress of Mah-ku, in the northwestern corner
of Persia (Iran). This event took place about 10 miles south of the capital
city of Tihran in the year 1847. We’ll review a brief background to the
incident, the event itself, as well as an amazing episode that occurred shortly
thereafter.
In the spring of 1847, Gurgin Khan, the nephew and successor
of Isfahan’s friendly Governor, Manuchihr Khan, became aware of the secret
arrangements that his uncle had made to allow the Báb to stay in Isfahan for
the previous four months, instead of sending Him to Tihran. When he discovered this, he immediately
brought the situation to the attention of the Shah in Tihran. The Shah, who was
firmly convinced of the loyalty of Manuchir Khan, realized, when he received
this message, that the late governor's sincere intention had been to await a
favourable occasion when he could arrange a meeting between him and the Báb,
and that his sudden death had interfered with the execution of that plan. He
issued an imperial mandate summoning the Báb to the capital.
On the afternoon of the eighth day after Naw-Ruz 1847, the
Báb and His mounted escort arrived at the fortress of Kinar-Gird, which lies
about 30 miles to the south of Tihran. They had decided to spend the night in
the neighbourhood of that fortress and proceed to the capital the next day,
when a messenger arrived with a written order from Haji Mirza Aqasi, the Prime
Minister for the head of the escort, Muhammad Big, instructing him to proceed
to the village of Kulayn, and there await further instructions. The village of
Kulayn, a hamlet owned by Aqasi was situated some ten miles southwest of the
capital. The Báb remained there for a period of twenty days. Nearing the end of
that period, He dispatched a letter to the King requesting an audience to set
forth the truth of His condition and expecting this to be a means for the
attainment of great advantages for the country.
