Translation of French Foot-Notes of the Dawn-Breakers/Chapter XXII
CHAPTER XXII[edit]
Page 467, Note 1 “Carried away by his zeal and overflowing with the love of God, he was eager to reveal to Persia the glory and joy of the one eternal Truth. ‘To love and to conceal one’s secret is impossible,’ says the poet; so our Siyyid began to preach openly in the Mosques, in the streets, in the bazaars, on the public squares, in a word, wherever he could find listeners. Such an enthusiasm brought forth fruit and the conversions were numerous and sincere. The Mullás, deeply troubled, violently denounced the sacrilege to the governor of the city.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb,” p. 390.)
Page 475, Note 2 “When Áqá Khán had verified the disappearance of the rebel, he gave a sigh of relief. Besides, he felt that to pursue the fugitives would involve some peril and that, therefore, it would be infinitely more practical, more beneficial, more profitable and less dangerous to torture the Bábís, or those presumed to be Bábís—provided that they were wealthy—who had remained in the city. He sought out the most prosperous, ordered their execution, and confiscated their possessions, avenging thus his outraged religion, a matter perhaps of little concern to him, and filling his coffers, which pleased him immensely.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb,” p. 391.)
Page 477, Note 1
“The Nayrízís welcomed Siyyid Yaḥyá with the greatest enthusiasm. Barely two days after his arrival, a large number came to see him by night out of fear of the government, says the Fárs-Námih, and offered their services, for they hated their rulers. Others, mostly residents of the district of Chinár-Súkhtih, were converted in great numbers. Their example was contagious and soon the Bábís could count, in their midst, the ṭullábs of Chinár-Súkhtih who numbered about one hundred, their chief Ḥájí Shaykh ‘Abdu’l-‘Alí, father of the wife of Siyyid Yaḥyá, the late Ákhúnd Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Ḥusayn, an aged gentleman well versed in religious literature, Ákhúnd Mullá Báqir, Písh-namáz of the district, Mullá ‘Alí Kátib, another Mullá ‘Alí with his four brothers, and the kad-khudá, and the Rísh-Safíd, and other citizens from the quarter called ‘Bázár’, such as the late Mashhadí Mírzá Ḥusayn called Quṭb, with all of his family and his relatives, Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim who was the nephew of the governor, Ḥájí Muḥammad-
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Taqi surnamed Ayyub and his son-in-law Mirza Husayn and many others from the quarter of the Siyyids, and the son of Mírzá Nawrá, and Mirzá ‘Alí-Riḍá, son of Mirza Husayn, and the son of Hájí ‘Alí, etc., etc. All were converted, some at night in deadly fear, others openly and fearlessly." (A. L. M. Nicolas’ "Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb," p. 393-)
Page 478-479, Note 2[edit]
"He ascended the pulpit and cried out: 'Am I not he whom you have always considered your shepherd and your guide? Have you not always depended on my teaching for the direction of your conscience in the path of salvation? Am I not he whose words of counsel you have always obeyed? What has happened that you should treat me as though I were your enemy and the enemy of your religion? What lawful deeds have I forbidden? What illicit action have I permitted? With what impiety can you charge me? Have I ever led you into error? And behold! That because I have told you the truth, because I have loyally sought to instruct you, I am oppressed and persecuted! My heart burns with love for you and you persecute me! Remember! Remember well, whosoever saddens me, saddens my ancestor Muḥammad, the glorious Prophet, and whosoever helps me, helps him also. In the name of all that is sacred to you let all those who love the Prophet follow me!"" (A. L. M. Nicolas" "Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb," p. 395-)
Page 485, Note I[edit]
The author of Násikhu’t-Tavárikh affirms without the least sorrow that the imperial troops were poorly trained and not at all eager to fight, so, with no thought of attacking, they established a camp which they hastened to fortify immediately." (A. L. M. Nicolas’ "Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb," p. 401.)
Page 488, Note I[edit]
"Although the losses were almost even this time, the imperial troops were none-the-less frightened; things were dragging on and might moreover end in the general confusion of the Mussulmans, so they resolved to resort to deceit." (A. L. M. Nicolas’ "Siyyid ‘All-Muḥammad dit le Báb," P. 403.)
Page 494, Note I[edit]
"He took hold of the green belt of Yabyá, symbol of his holy ancestry, tied it in a knot about his neck and began to drag him on the ground.
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TRANSLATION OF FRENCH FOOT-NOTES[edit]
Then came Şafar whose brother Sha'bán had fallen during the war, then Ágá Ján, son of ‘Alf-Asghar Khán, brother of Zaynu’l-‘Abidin Khán, and the Muḥammadans, aroused by the scene, stoned and beat to death the unfortunate man. They then severed the head, tore off the skin, stuffed it with straw and sent that trophy to Shíráz!" (A. L. M. Nicolas’ "Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad dit le Báb," p. 406.)
Page 495, Note 2[edit]
Bahá’u’lláh refers to him as "that unique and peerless figure of his age." (The "Kitáb-i-Iqán," p. 188) "The Báb, in the ‘Dalá’il-i-Sab’ih,’ refers to him in the following terms: ‘Behold again the number of the name of God (Siyyid Yaḥyá)! This man was living a holy, peaceful life in such a way that no one could deny his talents or his sanctity, all admired his greatness in the sciences and the heights he had attained in philosophy. Refer to the commentary of the Súratu’l-Kawthar (Qur’án: S. 108) and to the other treatises written for him, which prove how high a place he occupies in the sight of God!’" ("Le Livre des Sept Preuves," translated by A. L. M. Nicolas, pp. 54-55-)
Pages 495-496, Note 3[edit]
. . . "This day was a fête day, so an eye witness tells us. The inhabi- tants were scattered about through the countryside, bringing with them their food and many among them drinking, on the sly, whole bottles of wine. The air was filled with musical strains, the songs of musicians, the screaming and laughter of the lewd women. The bazaars were adorned with flags joy was general. Suddenly there was absolute silence. They saw coming thirty-two camels, each carrying an unfortunate prisoner, a woman or a child, bound and thrown crosswise over the saddle like a bundle. All around them were soldiers carrying long lances and upon each lance was impaled the head of a Bábí who had been slain at Nayríz. The hide- ousness of the sight deeply affected the holiday population of Shíráz and they returned, saddened, to their dwellings.
"The horrible caravan passed through the bazaars and continued to the
palace of the governor. This personage was in his garden where he had
gathered in his kiosk (called Kuláh-i-Farangi) the rich, the eminent citizens
of Shíráz. The music ceased, the dancing stopped and Muhammad-‘Ali-
Khán as well as Mírzá Na’ím, two small tribal chiefs who had taken part
in the campaign, came to tell of their brave deeds and to name one by one
the prisoners." (A. L. M. Nicolas’ "Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad dit le Báb,"
P. 407.)
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Page 496, Note 1[edit]
"It would seem, alas, that all this bloodshed would have been sufficient to appease the hatred and the lust of the Muhammadans. Not at all! Mírzá Zaynu’l-’Ábidín Khán, finding himself threatened with a desire for revenge on those he had betrayed and vanquished, gave neither truce nor rest to the surviving ones of the sect. His hatred knew no bounds and it was to last as long as he lived. It was actually the very poor that had been sent to Shíráz, the rich had been kept back. Zaynu’l-’Ábidín Khán had entrusted them to a guard who was ordered to walk them through the city beating them as they went. The people of Nayríz were greatly entertained that time. They hung the Bábís by four nails and everyone came to gloat over their anguish. They placed burning weeds under the nails of these unfortunate martyrs, they branded them with hot irons, they deprived them of bread and water, they cut holes through their noses, and running through them a cord they led them as one would a bear!" (Ibid., p. 408.)
Page 498, Note I[edit]
"Áqá Siyyid Ja’far-i-Yazdí saw the executioners burn his turban and then they took him from door to door making him beg for money." (A. L. M. Nicolas’ "Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad dit le Báb," p. 408.)
Page 499, Note I[edit]
"Áqá Siyyid Abú-Tálib, who was very wealthy, was bound with chains and sent by the governor of Nayríz to Ma’dan, and there poisoned by Hájí Mírzá Nasír, the same man who had ordered the Báb to kiss the hand of Shaykh Abú-Turáb. Two Bábí women, rather than be taken prisoners, threw themselves in a well and perished. Some Bábís, eager to see Mírzá Zaynu’l-’Abidin Khán punished, started for Tihrán to protest to his Majesty against the atrocities which had been committed. They were but two or three stations away from the capital and, after the fatigue of the journey, were enjoying a little rest, when a caravan of Shírází people went by and recognized them. They were all arrested except Zaynu’l-’Ábidín who succeeded in reaching Tihrán. The others were taken to Shíráz where the Prince immediately ordered them executed, and so these men, Karbilá’í Abu’l-Hasan, a dealer in crockery, Áqá Shaykh Hádí, uncle of the wife of Vahíd, Mírzá ‘Ali and Abu’l-Qásim-ibn-i-Hájí-Zayná, Akbar-ibn-i-’Ábid, Mírzá Hasan and his brother Mírzá Bábá all died for their faith at this time. (Ibid., pp. 408-409.)