Indeed the turmoil raised in _Ch_ihríq eclipsed the scenes which Máh-Kú
had witnessed. Siyyids of distinguished merit, eminent ‘ulamás, and even
government officials were boldly and rapidly espousing the Cause of the
Prisoner. The conversion of the zealous, the famous Mírzá Asadu’lláh,
surnamed Dayyán, a prominent official of high literary repute, who was
endowed by the Báb with the “hidden and preserved knowledge,” and extolled
as the “repository of the trust of the one true God,” and the arrival of a
dervish, a former navváb, from India, whom the Báb in a vision had bidden
renounce wealth and position, and hasten on foot to meet Him in
Á_dh_irbayján, brought the situation to a head. Accounts of these
startling events reached Tabríz, were thence communicated to Ṭihrán, and
forced Ḥájí Mírzá Aqásí again to intervene. Dayyán’s father, an intimate
friend of that minister, had already expressed to him his grave
apprehension at the manner in which the able functionaries of the state
were being won over to the new Faith. To allay the rising excitement the
Báb was summoned to Tabríz. Fearful of the enthusiasm of the people of
Á_dh_irbayján, those into whose custody He had been delivered decided to
deflect their route, and avoid the town of _Kh_úy, passing instead through
Urúmíyyih. On His arrival in that town Prince Malik Qásim Mírzá
ceremoniously received Him, and was even seen, on a certain Friday, when
his Guest was riding on His way to the public bath, to accompany Him on
foot, while the Prince’s footmen endeavored to restrain the people who, in
their overflowing enthusiasm, were pressing to catch a glimpse of so
marvelous a Prisoner. Tabríz, in its turn in the throes of wild
excitement, joyously hailed His arrival. Such was the fervor of popular
feeling that the Báb was assigned a place outside the gates of the city.
This, however, failed to allay the prevailing emotion. Precautions,
warnings and restrictions served only to aggravate a situation that had
already become critical. It was at this juncture that the Grand Vizir
issued his historic order for the immediate convocation of the
ecclesiastical dignitaries of Tabríz to consider the most effectual
measures which would, once and for all, extinguish the flames of so
devouring a conflagration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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