'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎112r] (228/610)

for 7 months, from December 1848 to July 1849, until tHey
were subdued and their leaders put to death.
The revolt at Zinjan under the leadership of Mulla Muham
mad Ali Zinjani broke out in May 1850 and the town was
beseiged until the following December, when the defending
Babis were finally all exterminated by house to house fighting.
Simultaneously a rising occurred at JSfiriz in Ears. In the
risings and during the persecutions subsequently instituted
by the Government, the Babis were inspired by a bravery and
unflinching readiness to die of which the ordinarily pusillani
mous Persian might well be thought incapable.
While the Zinjan and Pars revolts were still in progress the
Bab was taken from Chihriq to Tabriz for public execution
in the hope that his death would end the movement. An acci
dent, which occurred at his execution, might well have proved
disastrous to the Shah’s Government, for the volley fired by
the soldiers cut the ropes which bound the Bab and left him
unscathed. Had he seized his opportunity and appealed to
the assembled populace they would probably have acclaimed
his escape as a miracle and the Government have been power
less to withstand him. As it was, weakened by imprisonment
and privations, he lost his presence of mind, attempted to escape
and was killed.
The death of the Bab and suppression of the rebellions ended
the efforts of the Babis to offer armed resistance to the Govern
ment, but a last attempt against the Government was made
by three Babis to assassinate Nasir-ud-Din Shah in 1852 and
led to a fierce outbreak of persecution, and the execution in
Tehran on 31st August of some 30 Babis after terrible
tortures. From this time the Babis adopted a policy of con-
■cealment and secret propagandism.
The Bab before his death nominated as his successor Mirza
Yahya, a young man of Nur in Mazandaran, who escaped to
Baghdad, where, under the title of Subh-i-Azal (Dawn of eter
nity), he was the leader of the sect. In 1855, at the insti
gation of the Persian Government who were alarmed at the
successful propaganda of the sect among the Persian pilgrims,
passing through Baghdad in great numbers on their way to' the
Shi’ah holy places of Najaf and Kerbela, the Sultan of Turkey
removed the Babis from Baghdad via Constantinople to Ad-
rianople.
Meanwhile Subh-i-Azal, although their nominal leader,
had been leaving the management of affairs in the hands of hig
snore active half brother Mirza Husain Ali entitled Baha’ullah