from the forthcoming study Nayriz: the first
century
Introduction:
Among the important eyewitness accounts of the Nayríz-II event
is the one narrated by Hájí Muhammad Nayrízi, a survivor
of both the 1850 and 1853 episodes. At the age of fourteen, Hájí
Muhammad and his father, Hájí Qasim Nayrízi, had stood
with Vahíd at fort Khájíh and fought fearlessly for their
new found Faith. At the conclusion of that event and following the general
massacre of the believers, Hájí Qasim was seized and for a year
subject to every manner of torment and torture in the prison, including being
thrown in the ice-filled pool in the middle of winter and while still wet being
flogged with sticks until he lost consciousness. These afflictions were
intended to, and succeeded in, extracting from him his entire estate. At long
last one of his friends, Haydar, was able to secure his freedom by the payment
of one hundred tumans, a considerable sum at that time.
Once freed from captivity, Hájí Qasim left the region quickly
and proceeded to Tihrán to revenge the wrongs that he was subjected to,
as he considered the person of the Shah the source of all evil in the despotic
regime of Qájár.
[1] In
Tihrán, he joined forces with a group of Babi dissidents who had
gathered for the express purpose of eliminating the monarch, and on 15 August
1852, he, Sadiq Tabrizi and Mullá Muhammad Nayrízi, attempted
their ill-conceived plot of killing Nasiri'd-Din Shah. Tabrizi was killed on
the spot, while Mullá Muhammad was slain some days later after extensive
introgression and torture. The same fate awaited Hájí Qasim. The
following is reported in Waqayi' Ittifaqiyya Newspaper, issue no. 81:
His [Mullá Muhammad Nayrízi's] work was not
finished when a third evil-one, much like his two comrades, suddenly appeared
and fired upon the exalted one [i.e. the Shah]. Those in company of the monarch
at first thought that his bullet had also missed the mark as there was no
change in the countenance of the King, however when at the request of the prime
minister and the Mustufi'l-Mamalik and some others, the monarch arrived at the
nearby gardens of Sanduq-Khanih, it was determined that a few pellets had
penetrated the skin above the collarbones and only caused a superficial scratch
and a slightly deeper cut.
And the following week, on 26 August 1852, the same newspaper reported:
Hájí Sulayman Khán, the son of Yahyá Khán
Tabrizi, whose situation was described earlier, together with
Hájí Qasim Nayrízi who was the successor of Siyyid
Yahyá [i.e. Vahíd] were brought [from Niavaran] to the city by
Áqá Hasan, the vice-general. Their bodies were pierced with lit
candles and to the sound of trumpets were paraded in the streets for the people
to see, but were prevented from being stoned. At the gate leading to [the
shrine of] Shah 'Abdu'l-'Azim, the executioners cut their bodies into four
pieces, each piece being displayed by one of the city's gates.[2]
It is reported that when they wanted to slay Sulayman Khán, he had
said, "First martyr Hájí Qasim Nayrízi and let him attain
unto this exalted bounty, as he is eminent over me."
[3]
Hájí Qasim was survived by two sons, Hájí
Muhammad and Mullá Husayn.
Having weathered the storm of Nayríz-I, Hájí Muhammad was
once again caught in the midst of the second interlude, where he and his family
were made prisoner.
The oral memoirs left by Hájí Muhammad describe the events
through the time that the captives, himself among them, were taken to Shiraz.
He was fortuitously released from captivity at that time, but decided to stay
in that city for a while. A few years later, he moved to Dariyun
[4], but some time later returned to his native town of
Nayríz as the new governor, Fath-'Alí Khán, had taken a
solemn oath to remedy the past misdeeds of his father.
In Nayriz, Haji Muhammad was occupied with farming and raising sheep, and as
he was a robust man, often was engaged in working the fields himself. Soon
Fath-'Alí Khán, having explicit faith in the trustworthiness of
Bahá'ís, asked Hájí Muhammad to supervise his personal properties
in the Rastaq region. The house of the Hájí at both Rastaq and
Nayríz was the abode of all Bahá'í teachers passing though the region
and he served the Cause with great distinction and devotion. He married a niece
of the renown 'Alí Sardar
[5], who was a
daughter of Mullá Husayn, and she brought him six children: Fadlu'llah;
Muhammad-Qasim; Faraju'llah; Habibu'llah; Qudratu'llah; and Sakinih. His
descendents suffered bitterly in the course of Nayríz-III in 1909 - this
family is one of the chains that connect the believers of Nayríz across
the span of several generations in this panorama of suffering and
steadfastness. In all his days, Hájí Muhammad was fond of
recalling the events of his youth, particularly the 1853 episodes. He lived to
be nearly a hundred years old and passed away in 1935 in Nayríz
[6]. A Tablet revealed in his honor by
'Abdu'l-Bahá immortalizes his memory.
The value of his memoirs lies foremost in the fact that it is told by one who
participated in the events. Though in many ways it does not convey the rich
detail of the narrative of Mullá Muhammad Shafi', it is nevertheless an
independent description which closely collaborates the account of the former,
and in a few instances provides some additional amplifications. However, one
must note that by the time this narrative was committed to paper,
Hájí Muhammad was at a relatively advanced age and the passage of
time has taken its toll, so that a few of the minor details are conflated, (see
footnotes below). The original of this recollection was published in
Muhammad-'Alí Faizi,
Nayríz-i Mushkbiz, pages 108-116.
This account begins in the spring of 1853 when once more the
Bábís commenced reorganizing and re-emerging as a distinct
community and tells of the brutal response that awaited them.
Memoirs of Hájí Muhammad Nayrízi
After the arrival of soldiers, they launched an attack against us and
while doing so were aided by many from the town. This resulted in the believers
retreating from Nayríz and taking refuge at the foot of the mountains at
a location known as Bid Najviyyih, famous for its fresh air and vivifying
nature. The attackers continued to pursue us to that spot and with increased
intensity and severity, continually assaulted our camp. For that reason, we
proceeded further up the mountain to an area known as Darb Shiguft, and raised
a number of makeshift dwellings commonly referred to as yurd constructed from
wood and tree branches and roofed by twigs and leafs.
Each day witnessed a considerable increase in the number of besiegers who had
surrounded us from all sides and we were placed in dire need and grave
hardship. In response, led by Mírzá 'Alí Sardar, our group
put forth defensive measures and pushed back the attackers who beseeched Shiraz
to augment their number with additional forces. At this time,
Mírzá Na'im went forth to Shiraz and in his reports exaggerated
the scope of the events which resulted in a large number of artillery pieces,
ammunition and cannons being sent back with him, supplemented by several groups
of tribal gunmen. Soon a large camp was raised, surrounding us from all
directions, and they launched a massive offensive. A devastating battle took
place between the opposing sides that resulted in our dwellings (yurds) being
burned completely. Even though our numbers were relatively few in comparison to
the armed camp, by spectacular bravery, coupled with undaunted fortitude and
steadfastness, the believers were able to deliver a decisive defeat to the foes
resulting in complete disarray and flight of the attackers. In the course of
their retreat, the soldiers left behind a large cache of arms including a
cannon that was brought up to the mountain and used thereafter.
[7]
At that time, we proceeded to another section of the mountain known as
Bala-Taram and stayed there for a while. This was beneficial as it allowed us
relative safety and tranquility, and we even organized several weddings during
this period. On the instructions of Mírzá 'Alí Sardar, our
group constructed nineteen fortifications in the number of
vahíds
[8] of the Bayan. Each was
named after a certain participant, such as, one was named after 'Alí
Sardar, and another after Khájíh Qutba and yet another that was
defended by the womenfolk was known as Madar Sami' [mother of Sami']. The
remains of these fortifications stand to this day.
During this time a number of clashes took place, until Mírzá
Na'im was once again able to gather a considerable number of soldiers and
gunmen, and from the direction of Darb Shiguft entered the region and raised
his camp. Mírzá 'Alí Sardar organized two groups of
nineteen men each to rush and surprise the camp, one attacking from the higher
elevations while the other was to circle and attack from beneath the camp.
However, in the dark of the night and having frail eyesight, Siyyid Husayn, the
leader of one of the two groups, tripped over a rock that was dislodged and
rolled down the hill. This caused the camp to become aware that a night attack
was underway and eliminated the element of surprise. A fierce battle was waged
between the two sides that witnessed great many gallantries by
Mírzá 'Alí Sardar who at each instance, single-handedly,
would raise the cry of "Ya Sahib Zaman" as he fearlessly rushed the soldiers
with his saber and scattered their forces. The other believers and companions
also manifested exceptional courage, fortitude and self-sacrifice in their
efforts, and even the womenfolk joined in by throwing rocks and stones at the
enemy. All of this resulted in a bitter defeat for the camp and flight of the
soldiers from the field of battle. Even the camp's leader, Mírzá
Na'im, was so overwhelmed with trepidation that he was unable to escape on his
own and soldiers had to carry him away on their backs to save his life. Fearing
for their very being, every person in the soldiers' camp escaped and scattered
throughout the countryside.
After this defeat, Mírzá Na'im wrote to the Prince
Mu'ayyi'd-Dawlih, the governor of Fars, explaining the pathetic condition of
his own and his fallen men and yet again asked for military assistance, a
request that was awarded with four regiments of men. That is, orders were
issued that gunmen from all villages, hamlets and tribes in the neighboring
regions were to be gathered at [Mírzá Na'im's] camp so that once
and for all the Bábís would be eliminated. Lutf-'Alí
Khán Qashqa'i came accompanied with both foot and cavalry forces, and
they were joined with Ahmad Khán Bahárlu who brought five hundred of his
well-known sharpshooters. The enemy's camp was rapidly growing in number and
each day their encompassing increased in intensity.
Prior to this, Sardar assembled and informed us that our remaining days were
but a few, and said that if anyone wished not to suffer at the hand of the
enemy, it would be best for them to leave at once. None among the believers
preferred to abandon him and all remained faithful and steadfast. The number of
our group at that time was four hundred men and six hundred women.
This time the battle was particularly severe. Sardar, in accordance with his
usual practice, raised the cry of "Ya Zahib Zaman" and riding high on a mount
charged the enemy. In this campaign, a number of Bahárlu gunmen had hidden
behind the rocks and trees and from there were able to severely shoot Sardar,
who dragged himself to our fortification where the bird of his spirit was
released from the prison of self. He was buried next to the fortification named
after him.
After Mírzá 'Alí Sardar was slain, his companions
remained steadfast until the last breath, even though a number of them were
killed and the rest seized by the soldiers and tribal gunmen, who perpetrated
uncountable cruelties upon their prisoners. Of the captives, all men aged
twenty and older were slain and their heads piled in large baskets which,
together with the women and children and some remaining elderly men, were
paraded back to Nayríz in the company of an exuberant army. Upon
arrival, the prisoners were confined to the Madrisih Khán and guards
ensured that no one contacted us.
After we were kept in such miserable conditions for a few days, together with
the basket of heads, we were sent to Shiraz. En route, because of the
sufferings and hardships, a number of the captives expired and they too were
decapitated and their [severed] heads added to the piles. One such case was
Mullá 'Abdu'l-Husayn, the judge and the soothsayer of Nayríz, who
had stood with the illustrious Vahíd and had survived the first episode
and was among the baqiyatu's-Sayf, and now was included in the company of the
captives. As the incarcerated believers were being conducted from Shiraz to
Tihrán, upon reaching the village of Siyyidan, a distance of two days
journey to Abadih, having endured immeasurable afflictions, Mullá
'Abdu'l-Husayn passed away and the soldiers beheaded his body, taking the head
with them and burying the remains in that locality.
Proceeding under such heart-wrenching conditions, when our caravan of
captives reached Tang Sa'di, news was sent to the governor of Fárs and
inquiry was made about the manner of entry into the city. The governor sent
long spears equal to the number of the severed heads and instructed that each
be raised above these lances, and in the company of the drums and cymbals to
enter Shiraz. In such sorrowful and tormented state, the women, children and
elderly men walked bare footed in the midst of columns of soldiers, who each
carried a spear bearing the severed head of one of the loved ones of our
pitiful band. By order of the governor, a number of noble and distinguished
citizens of the city had come forth to observe this sad spectacle. On seeing
their condition, many of the citizens were moved to tears over the miserable
state of the prisoners and sobbed loudly, while others were bewildered by the
cruelty of the armed men, and yet others tormented the wronged captives by
assaulting them verbally and heaping abuse upon them and indeed some even spit
on their faces. It was in the course of this agonizing scene, where every
observer was profoundly moved with deep emotions of regret, that the
Qavamu'l-Mulk Shirazi, who was among the onlookers, was moved to cry out to
Mírzá Na'im, reproaching him with such words: "O Na'im! Have you
sought to recreate Karbila? Even the plane of Karbila did not witness such
misery!"
[9]
In such poignant and pitiful state, our band of wronged ones was
brought forth to the city and placed in Shah-Mir Hamzih caravansary. One day
the governor of Fárs called a number of the captives to his presence and
in the course of interrogation instructed some to repudiate their faith [in the
Bab], and as they remained steadfast, issued orders for their execution. These
included: Sadiq, son of Salih; 'Alí Garmsiry; Husayn, son of Hadi;
Hájí, son of Asghar; and Muhammad, son of Muhsin.
Soon, instructions were received from Tihrán to send the severed heads
to that city and to free the women and children and so the baskets of heads and
the elderly men were sent forth towards Tihrán. However, when they
reached Abadih, further orders were received to bury the heads in that spot.
The captives were taken to Tihrán though, and there some were freed
while others were martyred.
Notes
[1] Lama'atu'l-Avar 1:155 reports that he
participated in Nayríz II events and survived that event as well. The
information provided by Mullá Muhammad Shafi' and Tarikh Shuhaday Amr
3:254-6, as well as other sources consulted by the author, indicate that he was
among the Bábís who went to Tihrán to assassinate the
Shah.
Haqayiqu'l-Akhbar Nasiri 116-7 reports that Hájí
Qasim claimed to be the successor to Vahíd. The same is noted in
Mu'inu'd-Din Mihrabi's
Quratu'l-'Ayn 126.
[2] The two newspaper extracts appear in
Tarikh Shuhaday Amr 3:255. For other details on the failed assassination
attempt see
Haqayiqu'l-Akhar Nasiri 113-7 and the Dawn-Breakers chapter
26.
[3] Muhammad-Rida Fishahi,
Vapasin
Junbish Qurun Vusta Dar Duran Fu'adali 131.
[4] A village at a distance of 180
kilometers from Nayríz and 42 kilometers from Shiraz and had been on the
path of the caravan leading the Babi captives to Shiraz.
[5] Babi leader during Nayriz-II battles.
[6] Nayriz Mushkbiz 116 suggests that he
lived to the age of 115. However since it is known that he was 14 years old at
the time of Vahíd's arrival in 1850, that suggests his birth took place
circa 1836, placing his age at the time of passing at about 100.
[7] Most sources indicate that the
capture of this cannon occurred at the next battle.
[8] Vahid has the numerical value of 19.
[9] Lam'atu'l-Anvar 1:196 reports that
afterwards, the indignant Qavam sought an audience with the governor of
Fárs and stated, "With these heinous deeds, Mírzá Na'im
has indeed recreated the field of Karbila and the taking of the Holy Household
to Damascus. The only thing lacking is decorating the city; and once that is
accomplished, then the scene is completely recreated!"
