Abstract:
Five brief newspaper reports, among the earliest known references to the Báb in an American publication.
Notes:
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Babi Attempt on the Life of the Shah, 1852:
Coverage in the New York Times
New York Times
Ralph D. Wagner, comp.
published in New York Times
1852
1.
New York Times, 22 October 1852, page 6 |
PERSIA.
Letters from Tauris, of Aug. 28, bring the news
of an attempt to assassinate the Shah of Persia. While he was hunting four men
approached him under the pretence of presenting a petition, which he refused to
accept. Two of the men then seized his horse by the bridle, while the others
discharged two double-barrelled pistols at the Shah, who received three shots,
in the thigh and in the mouth. He was able, however, to keep his assailants at
bay until his suite came up, by whom two of the assailants were literally cut to
pieces, while the other two were taken alive. They stated that they had no
accomplices, but they belonged to the order of Babis, and had sworn to avenge
their Chief, who perished some time since[.] At last accounts the Shah was
expected to recover, and two of the bullets had been extracted.
Cholera is making terrible ravages in Persia. |
2.
New York Times, 28 October 1852, page 6 |
PERSIA.
We learn by letters from Constantinople, that
in consequence of a rumor that the Shah had been assassinated, (an account of
which has already appeared in the Times,) the Curds, and other mountain
tribes, were in open insurrection. It is added, that the Shah is fast recovering
from his wounds, and intends to appear in public in Teheran as soon as possible.
We gather the following particulars of the
affair:
HAJEE SULEIMAN KHAN, accused as the instigator
of the crime, was seized, his body carefully drilled with a knife in parts which
would not at the moment cause death; pieces of lighted candles were then
introduced into the holes, and, thus illuminated, carried in procession through
the bazaar, and finally conveyed to the town gates, and then cleft in twain,
like a fat ram. The KURRET-IL-AIN, better known as Bab’s Lieutenant, or the
Fair Prophetess of Kazoeen, who, since the late religious outbreak had been kept
a close prisoner at the capital, has been executed, with some dozen others. His
Majesty received three slug wounds in the shoulders, but all of a very slight
nature.
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3.
New York Times, 2 November 1852, page 2 |
FROM THE LEVANT.
Attempt to Kill the Shah of Persia — Cholera in Ooromiah — American Trade
with Smyrna — Turkish Slave in Austria — Railroads to Euphrates.
Correspondence of the New-York Daily Times.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Saturday, Sept. 25, 1852.
Letters from Persia dated Aug. 28, speak of a
miraculous escape of the Shah from an attempt against his life, by four persons
belonging to the fanatical religious sect of Babis. He was out hinting, and
according to etiquette, his attendants remained at a respectful distance;
suddenly four men held up petitions for him to receive, and when the Shah
stopped his horse to read them, two of them seized his horse’s bridle, and the
other two fired their pistols at him. The Shah was wounded, but not mortally.
Two of the men were cut to pieces on the spot by the enraged attendants. The
other two, who only lost their hands, confessed that they wished to avenge the
death of their chief, who had been executed by order of the sovereign.
About the same time, the Turkish Ambassador to
Persia, on his way to Teheran, was attacked by brigands, who robbed him and his
suite of everything they possessed. To obtain the robbers and their plunder, the
Shah sent out a whole regiment from Teheran, and no wonder that they were
successful in their enterprise. This Ambassador, Ahmed Effendi, is a veritable
polyglott, equally fluent in speaking the European as the Oriental languages.
The cholera is occasioning the greatest alarm
in Persia. The ravages at the last dates were chiefly in the district of
Ooromiah, where several American families reside....
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4. New York Times,
8 November 1852, page 6 |
The Attempted Regicide in Persia.
A Mahommedan gentleman, resident in London,
furnishes the following elucidation on the latest news from Persia:
["]A person of the name of MOOLAH
SADIQUE,
dwelling at Sheeraz, made a public declaration in the year of the Hegira, 1255,
corresponding with the Christian era 1839, a prophet would make his appearance,
and that his name would be BAUB, which signifies that all the knowledge and
sanctity of prophecy would be possessed by him; that his mission would nullify
all the modes of faith set forth by the ancient prophets, and that the whole
world would embrace his religion. He further announced that BAUB
would receive a
heavenly book, and that all the treasures of the world, both what was already
discovered, and what was yet hidden in the bowels of the earth, would be put
into his possession.
"Shortly after this announcement, he
declared himself to be the prophesied BAUB, provided a book which he called
Heavenly, and obtained several followers, chiefly from amongst the ignorant and
uneducated class of people. On hearing of this, MAHOMED
SHAH, of blessed memory,
King of Persia, ordered the most learned men of his time to examine into and
decide upon the matter. An investigation accordingly took place, and the result
was that MOOLAH SADIQUE, calling himself the
BAUB, was found to be an impostor
and a false prophet, and, as such, was sentenced by his judges to be beheaded.
His Majesty, the late King of Persia, would not, however, consent to the
extreme penalty of the law being executed; but spared the life of the offender,
on condition of his destroying his pretended ‘Heavenly Book’ and making a
public declaration of his repentance.
"On the decease, however, of the late
King, and the accession of his present Majesty to the throne of Persia, the old
King being now dead, the time for his prophetic mission had arrived. He
accordingly sent letters in every direction within the limits of Persia;
despatched an agent to the city of Astrabad, to foment disturbances there; and
having assembled round his own person a band of between three and four thousand
infatuated and desperate followers, he straightway began to enforce his new
doctrines by means of fire and sword. Whoever refused to embrace his religion
was sentenced to be burnt in his own house, together with his family, and in
this manner several thousand persons were barbarously murdered. A body of these
fanatics, about the same time, made an attack upon the uncle of the present King
of Persia, but he succeeded in effecting his escape — while a younger brother,
who was so unfortunate as to fall into their hands, was burnt alive, according
to their custom.
"As this fanatic rebellion appeared to be
gaining strength, a body of the royal troops were now marched from the frontiers
of Mazindran and Astrabad, for the purpose of checking it. Every effort was
made, by way of exhortation, by the royal commanders to induce the rebels to
return to their duty, but to no purpose. The infatuated men were resolved on
enforcing their principle, and regaining power by bloodshed and rapine. A
sanguinary encounter took place between them and the royal troops, in which not
less than four thousand fell on both sides. Among the few of the rebels, who
were made prisoners, was the viceregent or principal agent of the impostor; but
even him the King did not put to death, but sentenced him, with eleven other
desperate fanatics, to be imprisoned for life.
"Some time after this, in the country of
Zunjaun, near Teheran, MOOLAH MAHOMED
ULLY, a leader of the fanatics, raised the
standard of rebellion, expelled the Governor of that place, took forcible
possession of the magazine and artillery, and, for nine months maintained
himself in a state of hostility to the royal authority, and did great injury in
that part of the country. At length, after about four thousand of the royal
troops had fallen, in the endeavor to suppress this this [sic] outbreak, the
fanatic leader, MOOLAH MAHOMED
ULLY, having been killed, the rebels were worsted
and dispersed.
"Upon this a representation was made to
the King of Persia on behalf of the great body of the people, showing that as
the most learned Mahommedans had proved the Baub to be an impostor and sentenced
him to death, it was necessary that the sentence should be enforced seeing that
as long as he should be permitted to live, the peaceable inhabitants of the
country would be in constant danger from the outbreak of his fanatical
followers. On this representation, and by the advice and recommendation of the
chief men of the kingdom, his Majesty ordered him to be beheaded. The freedom
from seditious fanaticism that the kingdom of Persia enjoyed for upwards of two
years, may be fairly cited in proof of the salutary effect of this decision.
"From the private letters of friends, as
well as the public intelligence from Persia, I am informed that a person named HANJEE
SOOLAIMAN KHAN, who was one of the Baubs [i.e. Baubis
(?)], or followers of the Baub, had
formed a design to kill his Majesty the king of Persia, persuading his adherents
and abetters that he was then to assume the Empire as prophet. This was the man
who attempted the life of the King, and who was put to death for the
crime."
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5. New York Times, 16 November 1852, page
6 |
THE LEVANT.
....The Semaphor de Marseilles of
the 26th ult. [i.e. October] contains a letter from Tabrez of the 27th of Sept.,
received via Trebizonde. It stated that upwards of 400 Babis were put to
death at Teheran, as accomplices in the recent attempt against the life of the
Shah of Persia. The execution took place with a formidable military display. The
unhappy sufferers were all tortured in the most cruel manner. The Shah is said
to have been seriously affected by that attempt at assassination. An infernal
machine, composed of twelve large gun barrels, has been seized in the bazaar of
Tabriz. It was not known, however, for what object it had been constructed. The
most contradictory suppositions circulated through the city, and the authorities
were in search of the authors of that engine of death, which was intended, no
doubt, to serve for the perpetration of some criminal act. The trade of Persia
had been greatly checked by a new ordinance of the Persian Government. Merchants
were forbidden hereafter to sell the smallest article to any of the civil or
military officers of the State, and as the latter generally form the principal
class of the population who purchase colonial goods — tea, arms, crystal,
hardware, &c. — trade suddenly came to a standstill, and was not considered
likely to recover the shock for some time. The British Commissary for the
determination of the boundary between Turkey and Persia, Major WILLIAMS,
arrived at Trebizonde on the 6th ult. [i.e. October], and was to embark for
Constantinople at the expiration of his quarantine. The Persian Commissary, MIRZA
DJAFFER-KHAN,
had parted with the other Commissaries at Bayasid, to
repair to Teheran. The Russian Commissary, after a short excursion to Teflis, on
his return from Erzeroum, had left for Trebizonde....
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