the Persian Government was -obliged to take action. Mirza. Ali Muhammad, the Bah, was apprehended for his plan to create an armed revolution in Persia. He recanted and apologized three times, the last being in his own hand writing ar..d seal, w h ioh has been published by Prof. Browne in his "Material for the study of the Babi Religion", along with its translation. The Bah, however, did not stick to these recantations. Very likely they were made in accordance with the doctr ine of taqiy ya. The Babi movement was not a peaceful religious movement. According to them, all the Muslims who believed not in the Bab, should be put to the sword and annihilated. The famous Babi leader SyeJ Yahya Darabi used "to say that he would slay even his own father with his own hands if he should refuse to accept the Bab. They were too anxious to bring about a political revolution in Persia, and rose in armed revolt against that Government four times during less than two years. The Babis cherished the happy belief that the Bab would -overco me and overthrow his enemies. He had
assured them that ten Babis would be enough to overthrow a thousand of the enemy. The Babis played such a dangerous revolutionary role in Persia that the Government was obliged to take the final step, and give orders for the execution of the Bab. He was put to death on the 8th July 1850; and with him closed the first chapter of the movement in utter frustration and failure. The Bab-oum-Mahdi was writing a book, The Bayan, which he left unfinished on account of his execution. Mirza Jani, a well- known Babi historian writes: "The substance of the commandments of the religion of the Qaim (i.e, Imam Mahdi), on whom be peace, is the commandment of unity, viz, that all property is the property of His Holiness, and all the men are the slaves of His Holiness, and all the women are the handmaidens of His Holiness. He may give to anyone that which he chooses and he may take from anyone that which he desires, in accordance with the verse, 0 God, Lord of the Kingdom, Thou givest the Kingdom to whom thou pleasest and takest away thee Kingdom from whom Thou pleasesb. And there is a tradition that His Holiness wili interchange husbands and wives, like the master who give away his Own slave, and sureJy the right of
12 ownership of His Holiness among men is equal to the right of ownership of the master in his. handmaiden and slave, and the essence of the religion of His Holiness is unity and knowledge and love " A strong secret organization had existed from the very beginning to spread the movement ; and it carried on its propaganda, even after the execution of the Bab, under the direction of three well-known leaders, Mulla Hussain of Bushraweh (entitled the Bab-ulBab), Mulla Muhammad Ali of Barfurush iJanab-i-Oudduss, and Qurrat-ul-Ain (Tahira), the beautiful daughter of Mulla Salih of Qazwin,. Mirza Yahya (entitled Subh-i-Azal) succeeded the Bab ; and the Babis, two years after the execution of the Bab, made an attempt on the life of the Shah of Persia, Nasir-ud-Din, when he was outriding, but the shot miscarried. Subh-i-Azal fled to Baghdad, but his elder brother, Mirza Hasan Ali, later on Bahaullah, was arrested by the Persian Government and clamped behind the prison bars. The Bab had spoken of the advent of another spiritual luminary after him whom he called man yuzhirullah i.e. he whom God shall manifest. He would appear, the Bab said 1511 or 2001 years after him, and abrogate the
13 the previous law. But Bahaullah claimed in 1867 A. C. that he was the promised one, he whom God shall manifest. This caused a rupture between the two brothers, Subh.i-Azal and Bahaullah who tried to murder each other. The Government deported Bahaullah and his companions to Akka (Acre), and Subh-i-Azal to Cyprus, where he died on the 29th of April 1912. Bahaullah reached a good old age of 76 years, and had two wives and several ehildren. He wrote many books, the most important being Kitab al-Aqdas which is said to contain the new law which has abrogated the Bayan. Bab aullah saw with a keen eye that th