Chapter 9: The Antichrist of the Bábí Revelation

No! by heav'n, which He
Holds, and the abyss and the immensity
Of worlds and life, which I hold with Him--No!
I have a victor, true, but no superior.
Homage he has from all, but none from me.
I battle it against Him, as I battled
In highest heav'n. Through all eternity
And the unfathomable gulfs of Hades
And the interminable realms of space
And the infinity of endless ages,
All, all, will I dispute. And world by world
And star by star and universe by universe
Shall tremble in the balance, till the great
Conflict shall cease, if ever it shall cease....
--Lucifer in _Cain_ by Lord Byron

Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí, the Grand Vizier and the spiritual guide of Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh, has been called the Antichrist of the Bábí Revelation.[1] He was a man bankrupt of ideas and bereft of graces. A native of Íraván[CU] in the Caucasus, his real name was Mírzá `Abbás. From the day he learned of the advent of the Báb, he bore Him intense enmity which never abated. It was he who prevented a meeting between the Báb and Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh, when, by the direct order of the [_Sh_]áh himself, the Báb was moved from Iṣfahán and it seemed that the cherished hope of Manú[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]án for their meeting would at last be realized.

[Footnote CU: Yerevan or Erivan, today the capital of the
Armenian Socialist Soviet Republic.]

Following the instructions of Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh, Gurgín [_Kh_]án gave the custody of the Báb to Muḥammad Big-i-[_Ch_]ápár[_ch_]í (the chief courier). Muḥammad Big belonged to the sect of Ahl-i-Ḥaqq (the People of Truth), commonly known as the `Alíyu'lláhí, who have had a long tradition of tolerance, liberalism and rectitude.[2] `Abdu'l-Bahá states in _A Traveller's Narrative_ that the guards who escorted the Báb, on this journey to the north, were Nuṣayrí horsemen. Nuṣayrís and `Alíyu'lláhís are almost identical.

The first town on their road to the capital was Ká[_sh_]án. Ḥájí Mírzá Jání, the Bábí merchant of that town, had dreamt that he beheld the Báb approaching Ká[_sh_]án by the `Aṭṭár (Druggist) Gate. Keeping watch by that gate, on the eve of Naw-Rúz, he saw his dream fulfilled, for there was the Báb on horseback coming towards Ká[_sh_]án. As he went forward to kiss His stirrup, the Báb told him: 'We are to be your Guest for three nights.'[3] This was exactly what he had heard the Báb say to him in his dream. Muḥammad Big, noticing the warmth of their greeting, thought that the young Siyyid in his charge and the citizen of Ká[_sh_]án were friends of long standing, and he readily agreed to let the Báb stay in the house of Ḥájí Mírzá Jání. A colleague, however, refused to give his consent; he had been told, he said, not to allow the Báb to enter any city _en route_. After a lengthy argument Muḥammad Big succeeded in persuading this colleague to withdraw his objection. Ḥájí Mírzá Jání was prepared to invite the whole escort to be his guests, but the Báb did not permit it. Siyyid Ḥusayn-i-Yazdí, who had already proceeded to Ká[_sh_]án as bidden by the Báb, that night attained His presence. While the Báb was dictating a Tablet to Siyyid Ḥusayn, in honour of Ḥájí Mírzá Jání, a friend of the Ká[_sh_]ání merchant was announced. His name was Siyyid `Abdu'l-Báqí, and he was reputed for his erudition; he sat and listened to the Báb, but failed to be moved by what he heard and noticed. Some days after the Báb left Ká[_sh_]án he learned who that young Siyyid was. He was sorrow-stricken that he had not recognized the powers of the Báb and withdrew from society for the rest of his life.

On the second day after Naw-Rúz the Báb rejoined His escort to journey towards Qum,[CV] the next city on the road to Ṭihrán. They did not enter Qum but went on to the village of Qumrúd, where the entire population was `Alíyu'lláhí. Nabíl-i-A`ẓam writes:

At the invitation of the headman of the village, the Báb
tarried one night in that place and was touched by the
warmth and spontaneity of the reception which those simple
folk had accorded Him. Ere He resumed His journey, He
invoked the blessings of the Almighty in their behalf and
cheered their hearts with assurances of His appreciation and
love.[4]

[Footnote CV: Qum is the second holy city of Írán.
Ma[_sh_]had which holds the Shrine of Imám Riḍá has pride
of place.]

Two days later, in the afternoon of March 28th, they reached the fortress of Kinár-Gird, only twenty-eight miles from Ṭihrán. The long journey from Iṣfahán was almost over. But here Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí intervened and sent instructions to Muḥammad Big to take the Báb to the village of Kulayn, where the great [_Sh_]í`ah jurisconsult, Muḥammad ibn-i-Ya`qúb was born and is buried.[CW] Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí himself was the owner of Kulayn, and a tent which belonged to him was pitched outside the village to accommodate the Báb. It was a delectable spot with lush vegetation, orchards and running brooks. The Báb was delighted, but uncertainties of the future overshadowed Him. Days passed without further instruction from Ṭihrán. Siyyid Ḥusayn-i-Yazdí and his brother Siyyid Ḥasan, as well as Mullá `Abdu'l-Karím-i-Qazvíní and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí, came to Kulayn to attend the Báb. And from Ṭihrán came Mullá Mihdíy-i-[_Kh_]u'í accompanied by Mullá Muḥammad-Mihdíy-i-Kindí, the latter bearing a letter and presents from Bahá'u'lláh. Receiving them brought the Báb untold joy.[5]

[Footnote CW: Commonly known as al-Kulayní, he died in A.D.
941. He was the author of _Uṣúl al-Káfí_ (_Uṣúl-i-Káfí_
in Persian usage), one of the four books that form the
compendium of the belief and practice of
I[_th_]ná-`A[_sh_]arís ('Twelvers'). These are the
[_Sh_]í`ahs who believe in the major occultation of the
Twelfth Imám, Muḥammad ibn-i-Ḥasan al-`Askarí.]

According to _A Traveller's Narrative_ the Báb's sojourn in Kulayn was lengthened into twenty days.[6] During this time a remarkable incident occurred which Mullá `Abdu'l-Karím has thus related:

My companions and I were fast asleep in the vicinity of the
tent of the Báb when the trampling of horsemen suddenly
awakened us. We were soon informed that the tent of the Báb
was vacant and that those who had gone out in search of Him
had failed to find Him. We heard Muḥammad Big remonstrate
with the guards. 'Why feel disturbed?' he pleaded. 'Are not
His magnanimity and nobleness of soul sufficiently
established in your eyes to convince you that He will never,
for the sake of His own safety, consent to involve others in
embarrassment? He, no doubt, must have retired, in the
silence of this moonlit night, to a place where He can seek
undisturbed communion with God. He will unquestionably
return to His tent. He will never desert us.' In his
eagerness to reassure his colleagues, Muḥammad Big set
out on foot along the road leading to Ṭihrán. I, too,
with my companions, followed him. Shortly after, the rest of
the guards were seen, each on horseback, marching behind us.
We had covered about a maydán when, by the dim light of the
early dawn, we discerned in the distance the lonely figure
of the Báb. He was coming towards us from the direction of
Ṭihrán. 'Did you believe Me to have escaped?' were His
words to Muḥammad Big as He approached him. 'Far be it
from me,' was the instant reply as he flung himself at the
feet of the Báb, 'to entertain such thoughts.' Muḥammad
Big was too much awed by the serene majesty which that
radiant face revealed that morning to venture any further
remark. A look of confidence had settled upon His
countenance; His words were invested with such transcendent
power, that a feeling of profound reverence wrapped our very
souls. No one dared to question Him as to the course of so
remarkable a change in His speech and demeanour. Nor did He
Himself choose to allay our curiosity and wonder.[7]

Nearly three weeks had passed since His arrival at Kulayn when the Báb wrote to Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh to ask for a meeting. And now Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí made the move which consigned the Báb to prison for the rest of his days. According to _A Traveller's Narrative_, he persuasively told Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh:

The royal cavalcade is on the point of starting, and to
engage in such matters as the present will conduce to the
disruption of the kingdom. Neither is there any doubt that
the most notable doctors of the capital also will behave
after the fashion of the doctors of Isfahán, which thing
will be the cause of a popular outbreak, or that, according
to the religion of the immaculate Imám, they will regard the
blood of this Seyyid as of no account, yea, as more lawful
than mother's milk. The imperial train is prepared for
travel, neither is there hindrance or impediment in view.
There is no doubt that the presence of the Báb will be the
cause of the gravest trouble and the greatest mischief.
Therefore, on the spur of the moment, the wisest plan is
this:--to place this person in the Castle of Mákú during the
period of absence of the royal train from the seat of the
imperial throne, and to defer the obtaining of an audience
to the time of return.[8]

Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl states that Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí played on the fears of Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh by instancing in particular the rebellion in [_Kh_]urásán of Muḥammad-Ḥasan [_Kh_]án, the Sálár, and the earlier defiance of the central government by Ḥasan-`Ali [_Kh_]án, Aga Khan I.[CX] Whatever arguments the Grand Vizier used, he succeeded in preventing a meeting between the Báb and Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh in that spring of 1847. And it was never to take place.

[Footnote CX: In the opinion of the present writer, the
second revolt of the Aga Khan, in 1840, was entirely due to
the tortuous policies and the maladroitness of Ḥájí Mírzá
Áqásí himself.]

In April, the [_Sh_]áh sent a reply to the letter of the Báb which, according to _A Traveller's Narrative_, was couched in these terms:

Since the royal train is on the verge of departure from
Teherán, to meet in a befitting manner is impossible. Do you
go to Mákú and there abide and rest for a while, engaged in
praying for our victorious state; and we have arranged that
under all circumstances they shall shew you attention and
respect. When we return from travel we will summon you
specially.[9]

Nabíl-i-A`ẓam, in his narrative, gives this version of the contents of Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh's letter:

Much as we desire to meet you, we find ourself unable, in
view of our immediate departure from our capital, to receive
you befittingly in Ṭihrán. We have signified our desire
that you be conducted to Máh-Kú, and have issued the
necessary instructions to `Alí [_Kh_]án, the warden of the
castle, to treat you with respect and consideration. It is
our hope and intention to summon you to this place upon our
return to the seat of our government, at which time we shall
definitely pronounce our judgment. We trust that we have
caused you no disappointment, and that you will at no time
hesitate to inform us in case any grievances befall you. We
fain would hope that you will continue to pray for our
well-being and for the prosperity of our realm.[10]

Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án, the Governor of Fárs, was attending the [_Sh_]áh in the capital at the very time that Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí blocked the path of the Báb and prevented His entry into Ṭihrán.