The Babis ========= Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-06-19 1 clipping 1. Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Charles William Heckethorn, The Babis, bahai-library.com. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── THE SECRET SOCIETIES OF ALL AGES AND COUNTRIES A Comprehensive Account of upwards of One Hundred and Sixty Secret Organisations — Religious, Political, and Social — from the most Remote Ages down to the Present Time Embracing the Mysteries of Ancient India, China, Japan, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Greece, and Scandinavia, the Cabbalists, Early Christians, Heretics, Assassins, Thugs, Templars, the Vehm and Inquisition, Mystics, Rosicrucians, Illuminati, Free masons, Skopzi, Camorristi, Carbonari, Nihilists, Fenians, French, Spanish, And other Mysterious Sects BY CHARLES WILLIAM HECKETHORN IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. II NEW EDITION THOROUGHLY REVISED AND GREATLY ENLARGED LONDON GEORGE REDWAY 1897 REESE LIBRARY UNIVEE CITY ANALYTICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS VOL . II . The numbers preceding analytical headings refer to the sections. PAGES AUTHORITIES CONSULTED xi BOOK XI FREEMASONRY I. THE LEGEND OF THE TEMPLE. — 383. Ancestry of Hiram Abiff. 384. Hiram , Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba. 385. Murder of Hiram . 3-7 II. ORIGIN AND TRADITIONS. —386. The First Masons. 387. Periods of Freemasonry. 388. Freemasonry derived from many Sources . 389 . True History of Masonry 8-12 III. RITES AND CUSTOMS. — 390. List of Rites. 391. Masonic Customs. 392. Masonic Alphabet 13-15 IV. THE LODGE. — 393. Interior Arrangement of Lodge. 394. Modern Lodge. 395. Officers. 396. Opening the Lodge 16-18 V. GENUINE AND SPURIOUS MASONRY. — 397. Distinction between Genuine and Spurious Masonry. 398. Some Rites only deserve Special Mention 19 VI, CEREMONIES OF INITIATION. -399. Ceremonies of Initiation - The Apprentice. 400. Ceremonies of Initiation - The Fellow - Craft. 401. Ceremony of Initiation and Story of Hirain's Murder – The Master Mason . 402. The Legend Explained. 403. The Raising of Osiris. 404. The Blazing Star 21-29 VII. TAE Holy ROYAL ARCH . -405. Officers. 406. Ceremonies. 407. Pass ing the Veils 30-33 VIII. GRAND MASTER ARCHITECT. —408. Ceremonial 34-36 IX. GRAND ELECT KNIGHT OF KADOSH . - 409. The Term Kadosh . 410. Reception into the Degree. 411. The Mysterious Ladder. 412. The Seven Steps : 37-39 9903 : 3 vi CONTENTS PAGES X. PRINCE OF Rose -Croix . — 413. Distinct from Rosicrucian, and has various Names. 414. Officers and Lodges. 415. Reception in the First Apartment. 416. Second Apartment. 417. Reception in the Third Apartment 40-43 XI. THE RITES OF MISRAIM AND MEMPHIS.—418. Anomalies of the Rite of Misraim. 419. Organisation. 420. History and Constitution. 421 . Rites and Ceremonies. 422. Rite of Memphis 44-46 XII. MODERN KNIGHTS TEMPLARS.—423. Origin. 424. Reviv al of the Order. 425. The Leviticon . 426. Ceremonies of Initiation 47-50 XIII. FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. — 427. Freemasonry in England. 428. Freemasonry in Scotland. 429. Modern Free masonry . 51-53 XIV.Chevalier FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE. — 430. Introduction into France. 431 . Ramsay. 432. Philosophical Rite. 433. The Duke de Chartres . 54-56 XV. THE CHAPTER OF CLERMONT AND THE STRICT OBSERVANCE. —434. Jesuitical Influence. 435. The Strict Observance 57 , 58 XVI. THE RELAXED OBSERVANCE.—436. Organisation of Relaxed Obser vance . 437. Disputes in German Lodges. 438. Rite of Zinzendorf. 439. African Architects 59-60 XVII. THE CONGRESS OF WILHELMSBAD . — 440. Various Congresses. 441. Discussions at Wilhelmsbad . 442. Result of Convention . 443. Frederick William III. and the Masons 61-63 XVIII. MASONRY AND NAPOLEONISM . — 444. Masonry protected by Napoleon. 445. Spread of Freemasonry. 446. The Clover Leaves. 447. Obse quiousness of Freemasonry. 448. Anti-Napoleonic Freemasonry 64-67 XIX. FREEMASONRY, THE RESTORATION AND THE SECOND EMPIRE. - 449. The Society of “ France Regenerated .” 450. Priestly Opposition to Masonry 451. Political Insignificance of Masonry. 452. Free masonry and Napoleon III. 453. Jesuitical Manæuvres 68–71 XX. FREEMASONRY IN ITALY. —-454. Whimsical Masonic Societies. 455 . Illuminati in Italy.456. Freemasonry at Naples. 457. Details of Document. 458. Freemasonry at Venice. 459. Abatement under Napoleon. 460. The Freemasonry of the Present in Italy. 461. Re form needed . 72–77 XXI. CAGLIOSTRO AND EGYPTIAN MASONRY. — 462. Life of Cagliostro. 463. The Egyptian Rite. 464. Cagliostro's Hydromancy. 465. Lodges founded by Cagliostro . 78-81 XXII, ADOPTIVE MASONRY. —466. Historical Notice. 467. Organisation. 468. Jesuit Degrees 82 , 83 XXIII. ANDROGYNOUS MASONRY. — 469. Origin and Tendency. 470. Earliest Androgynous Societies. 471. Other Androgynous Societies. 472. Various other Androgynous Societies. 473. Knights and Nymphs of the Rose . 474. German Order of the Rose. 475. Pretended Objects of the Order. 476. Order of Harmony. 477. Mason's Daughter 84-90 CONTENTS vii PAGES XXIV. SCHISMATIC RITES AND SECTS. – 478. Schismatic Rites and Sects. 479. Farmassoni. 480. The Gormogones. 481. The Noachites, or Noachidæ . 482. Argonauts. 483. The Grand Orient and Atheism. 484. Ludicrous Degree 91-95 XXV. DIFFUSION OF THE ORDER. — 485. Freemasonry in Spain and Portugal. 486. Freemasonry in Russia. 487. Freemasonry in Switzer land. 488. Freemasonry in Sweden and Poland . 489. Freemasonry in Holland and Germany. 490. Freemasonry in Turkey, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. 491. Freemasonry in America 96-99 XXVI. PERSECUTIONS OF FREEMASONRY. — 492. Causes of Persecution . 493. Instances of Persecution. 494. Anti -Masonic Publications 100-105 XXVII. FUTILITY OF MODERN FREEMASONRY. — 495. Vain Pretensions of Modern Freemasonry. 496. Vanity of Masonic Ceremonial. 497. Masonry diffuses no Knowledge. 498. Decay of Freemasonry. 499. Masonic Opinions of Masonry. 500. Masonic Literature. 5000. The Quatuor Coronati Lodge 106-110 BOOK XII INTERNATIONAL, COMMUNE , AND ANARCHISTS 501. Introductory Reinarks. 502. Socialistic Schemes. 503. History of the International. 504. Objects and Aims of International. 505. The International in England. 506. The International Abroad. 507. The International and the Empire. 508. The International and the War. 509. The International and the Commune. 510. Budget of the International. 511. Attempt to Revive the International. 512 . Anarchists III - 127 BOOK XIII POLITICAL SECRET SOCIETIES I. CHINESE SOCIETIES.-513 . Earliest Secret Chinese Societies. 514. More recent Societies. 515. Lodges. 516. Government. 517. Seal of the Hung League. 518. The Ko lao Hui . 128-138 II. The COMUNEROS. — 519. Introductory Remarks. 520. Earliest Secret Societies in Spain. 521. Freemasonry in Spain, the Forerunner of the Comuneros. 522. The Comuneros. 523. Clerical Societies 139-142 III. THE HETAIRIA. —524. Origin. 525. The Hetairia of 1812. 526. The Hetairia of 1814. 527. Signs and Passwords. 528. Short Career of Galatis. 529. Proceedings of the Grand Arch. 530. Ipsilanti's Pro ceedings. 531. Ipsilanti's Blunders. 532. Progress of the Insurrection. 533. Ipsilanti's Approaching Fall . 534. Advance of the Turks. 535. Ipsilanti's Difficulties. 536. Ipsilanti's Fall . 537. Ipsilanti's Manifesto. 538. Ipsilanti's Imprisonment and Death . 539. Fate of the Hetairists. 540. Georgakis' Death. 541. Farmakis' Death. 542. Final Success of the Hetairia . 143-156 viii CONTENTS PAGES IV. THE CARBONARI.–543. History of the Association. 544. Real Origin of the Carboneria . 545. The Vendita or Lodge. 546. Ritual of Initiation. 547. First Degree. 548. The Second Degree. 549. The Degree of Grand Elect. 550. Degree of Grand Master Grand Elect. 551. Sig. nification of the Symbols. 552. Other Ceremonies and Regulations. 553. The Ausonian Republic. 554. Most Secret Carbonaro Degree. 555. De Witt, Biographical Notice of. 556. Carbonaro Charter pro posed to England. 557. Carbonarism and Murat. 558. Trial of Carbonari. 559. Carbonarism and the Bourbons. 560. The King's Revenge. 561. Revival of Carbonarism. 562. Carbonarism and the Church. 563. Carbonarism in Northern Italy. 564. Carbonarism in France . 565. Carbonarism in Germany. 566. Carbonarism in Spain. 567. Giardiniere 157-177 V. MISCELLANEOUS ITALIAN SOCIETIES. — 568. Guelphic Knights. 569. Guelphs and Carbonari. 570. The Latini . 571. The Centres 572 . Italian Littérateurs. 573. Societies in Calabria and the Abruzzi. 574. Ciro Annichiarico. 575. Certificates of the Decisi. 576. The Calderari. 577. The Independents. 578. The Delphic Priesthood. 579. Egyptian Lodges. 580. American Hunters. 581. Secret Italian Society in London . 582. Secret Italian Societies in Paris. 583. Mazzini and Young Italy. 584. Mazzini, the Evil Genius of Italy. 585. Assassi nation of Rossi. 586. Sicilian Societies. 587. The Consistorials. 588. The Roman Catholic Apostolic Congregation. 589. Sanfedisti . 178-195 VI. NAPOLEONIC AND ANTI - NAPOLEONIC SOCIETIES. — 590. The Phila delphians. 591. The Rays. 592. Secret League in Tirol. 593 Societies in Favour of Napoleon. 594. The Illuminati. 595. Various other Societies. 596. The Accoltellatori 196-201 VII. FRENCH SOCIETIES . — 597. Various Societies after the Restoration . 598. The Acting Company. 599. Communistic Societies. 600. Causes of Secret Societies in France 202-206 VIII. Polish SOCIETIES. — 601. Polish Patriotism. 602. Various Revolu tionary Sects. 603. Secret National Government 207-209 IX . THE OMLADINA.-- 604. The Panslavists 210, 211 X. TURKISH SOCIETIES. - 605. Young Turkey. 606. Armenian Society 212, 213 XI . THE UNION OF SAFETY. — 607. Historical Sketch of the Society . 214-216 XII. THE NIHILISTS. — 608. Meaning of the term Nihilist. 6o9. Founders of Nihilism . 610. Sergei Nechayeff. 611. Going among the People. 612. Nihilism becomes Aggressive. 613. Sophia Bardina's and other Trials . 614. The Party of Terror. 615. Vera Zassulic. 616. Officials Killed or Threatened by the Nihilists. 617. First Attempts against the Emperor's Life. 618. Numerous Executions. 619. The Moscow Attempt against the Emperor. 620. Various Nihilist Trials. 621. Explosion in the Winter Palace. 622. Assassination of the Emperor. 623. The Mine in Garden Street. 624. Constitution said to have been Granted by late Emperor. 625. The Nihilist Proclamation. 626. The Emperor's Reply thereto. 627. Attempt against General Tcherevin . 628. Trials and other Events in 1882. 629. Coronation, and Causes of Nihilistic * CONTENTS ix PAGES PAGES en of Inactivity. 630. Colonel Sudeikin shot by Nihilists. 631. Attempt ion. against the Emperor at Gatshina. 632. Trial of the Fourteen . 633. of Reconstruction of the Nihilist Party. 634. Extension of Nihilism . Sig. 635. Decline of Nihilism . 636. Nihilistic Proceedings in 1887. 637 . ns . Nihilism in 1888. 638. Slaughter of Siberian Exiles, and Hunger ree . Strikes. 639. Occurrences in 1890. 640. Occurrences from 1891 to -ro Present Date. 641. Nihilistic Finances. 642. The Secret Press. of 643. Nihilistic Measures of Safety. 644. The Nihilists in Prison. g's 645. Nihilistic Einigrants. 646. Nihilistic Literature. 647. Trials of he Nihilists 217-256 in XIII. GERMAN SOCIETIES. — 648. The Mosel Club. 649. German Feeling En . against Napoleon. 650. Formation and Scope of Tugendbund. 651 . 157-177 Divisions among Members of Tugendbund. , 652. Activity of the Tugendbund. 653. Hostility of Governments against Tugendbund 257-262 9. XIV. THE BABIS . -654. Bab, the Founder. 655. Progress of Babism . . 656. Babi Doctrine. 657. Recent History of Babism . 263-269 i. n XV. IRISH SOCIETIES.-- 658. The White Boys. 659. Right -Boys and Oak Boys. 660. Hearts-of- Steel, Threshers, Break-of-Day-Boys, Defenders, United Irishmen , Ribbonmen . 661. Saint Patrick Boys. 662. The Orangemen. 663. Molly Maguires. 664. Ancient Order of Hibernians, 665. Origin and Organisation of Fenianism . 666. Origin of Name. 667. Fenian Litany. 668. Events from 1865 to 1871. 669. The Soi =8-195 disant General Cluseret. 670. Phenix Park Murders, and Conse quences. 671. Dynamite Outrages. 672. The National League. 673. Comic Aspects of Fenianism . 674. Events from 1888 to 1896. 675 . Most Recent Revelations 270-287 5-201 --- 206 BOOK XIV MISCELLANEOUS SOCIETIES 676. The A B C Friends. 677. Abelites. 678. Academy of the Ancients. 679. Almusseri. 680. Anonymous Society. 681. Anti-Masonic Party. 213 682. Anti -Masons. 683. Apocalypse, Knights of the. 684. Areoiti. 216 685. Avengers, or Vendicatori. 686. Belly Paaro. 687. Californian Society. 688. Cambridge Secret Society. 689. Charlottenburg, Order of, 690. Church Masons. 691. Congourde, The. 692. Druids, Modern. 693. Duk - Duk . 694. Egbo Society. 695. Fraticelli . 696. Goats , The. 697. Grand Army of the Republic. 698, Green Island. 699. rugari. 700. Hemp-smokers, African . 701. Heroine of Jericho. 702. Human Leopards. 703. Hunters, the. 704. Huséanawer. 705. Indian (North American ) Societies. 706. Invisibles, the. 707. Jehu , Society of. 708. Karpokratians. 709. Klöbbergöll. 710. Knights, the Order of. 711. Know -Nothings. 712. Ku -Klux -Klan . 713. Kurnai Initiation. 714. Liberty, Knights of. 715. Lion, Knights of the. 716. Lion, the Sleeping. 717. Ludlam's Cave . 718. Mad Councillors. 719. Magi , Order of the. 720. Maharajas. 721. Mano Negra . 722. x CONTENTS PAGES Melanesian Societies. 723. Mumbo - Jumbo. 724. Odd Fellows. 725. 0 -Kee - Pa . 726. Pantheists . 727. Patriotic Order Sons of America. 728. Phi -Beta-Kappa. 729. Pilgrims. 730. Police, Secret. 731. Portuguese Societies. 732. Purrah, the. 733. Pythias, Knights of. 734. Rebeccaites. 735. Redemption, Order of. 736. Red Men . 737. Regeneration, Society of Universal . 738. Saltpetrers. 739. Sikh Fanatics. 740. Silver Circle, Knights of the. 741. Sonderbare Gesellen, 742. Sophisiens. 743. Star of Bethlehem . 744. Thirteen, the . 745. Tobacco gical ety. 74 Tu ety of the. 747 Utopia. 748. Wahabees 288-326 ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA VOL I. Page 36 — Buddha's Image ; Work on Buddhist Religion ; Budda's Birth place recently discovered 327 Page 45— Temple of Hathor 327 Page 142 — Family of Waldo 328 Page 168—Vehm , Lindner's work on the 328 Page 169-Beati Paoli - John of Parma 328 Page 198— Astrological Society in London 328 Page 230 — Master Pianco and the Rosicrucians 329 Page 231 -Asiatic Brethren and their Custodian of Archives 329 Page 258 — Meaning of term Garduna . 329 Page 270 — The Camorra, Laws against the 329 Page 273—The Camorra, Grant's “ Stories of Naples and the Camorra ” 330 Page 315– The German Union : Bahrdt and his mysterious correspondents 330 VOL. II. Page 60—African Architects and their sections . 330 Page 132— Tae -ping-wang, the Chinese Artista 331 Page 139—Europe after the Congress of Vienna 331 Page 159– The Carbonari : the author of “ The Memoirs of the Secret Societies of the South of Italy, particularly the Carbonari ” . 331 Page 207—Polish Patriotism : Courrière's opinion thereof . 331 Page 259-Baron von Stein on the Tugendbund and secret societies - Baron von Stein, Privy Councillor to the Count Palatine of Cologne 332 Page 260—The Tugendbund and the German rising 332 Page 278–Fenians : O'Leary's “ Recollections of Fenians and Fenianism 333 Page 299 — Human Leopards ; why so called - many secret societies on West coast of Africa 333 Page 301 —Indian ( North American ) Societies : the legend of Manabozko and Chibiabos 333 XIV THE BABIS 654. Bab, the Founder. — His name—for Bab is a title—was Ali Mohammed, and he is said to have been a Seyyid, or descendant of the family of the Prophet. He was born in 1819 at Shiraz, where his father was a merchant. Ali at first engaged in trade himself, but in 1840 he began to preach his new doctrine, declaring himself to be the Bab,1 i.e. Door of Truth , the Mahdi. In 1843 he made the pilgrimage to Mecca, but on his return was arrested by order of the Shah, and from 1844 to 1849 kept in semi captivity at Ispahan and Tauris, at which latter place he was sentenced to be shot. He was suspended by cords from the walls of the citadel, and a dozen soldiers were ordered to fire at him . When the smoke from their discharges was dispelled the Bab had disappeared — a cleverly -managed manæuvre to establish a miracle. But he was soon after reapprehended, and again condemned to death. The details of his execution are not known ; it is reported that he was shot. His long captivity and mysterious death were favour able to the spreading of his doctrine, as also the fact that during his life he was subject to occasional fits of frenzy, and in the East — and sometimes in the West-- a madman is considered to be inspired. And the Bah, like all prophets, did not disdain availing himself of mundane means to pro pagate his new doctrines ; he was greatly assisted therein by the eloquence, combined with marvellous personal beauty, of Kurratu’l 'Ayn, a young lady of good family, who early em braced Babism, and suffered martyrdom for it (655). The Bab was examined as to his teaching in 1848 by Nasreddin, then Crown Prince of Persia, afterwards Shah , and a number of Mullahs, the result of which inquiry was that he was sentenced to the bastinado, in consequence of which it is 1 Bab in Arabic and Chaldean means door, gate, or court ; hence we have Babylon , the court of Bel ; Babel-Mandeb, the gate of sorrow, probably so called on account of its dangerous navigation and rocky environs. 264 SECRET SOCIETIES said he recanted and revoked all his claims ; but as we have none but Mussulman historians—his enemies—to rely on, as the examination was held with closed doors, we may doubt this statement . 655. Progress of Babism . — The Bab's teaching had not only theological, but also political aims. Persian rulers have always been conservative, but Babism was reformatory, and the common people readily embraced it, as it seemed favour able to the breaking down of the despotic powers exercised by provincial governors, by whom the country was fearfully oppressed. When, therefore, the Babis considered them selves strong enough they seized Mazanderan , about fourteen miles south - east of Barfurush ; but the Shah's troops having cut off all supplies, they had to surrender, and were all slain. This was in 1847. In 1848, on the accession of the late } Shah a thousand Babis rose against him ; they, however, were defeated by Mehdi Kouli Mirza, uncle of the new Shah, and the three hundred survivors who surrendered cruelly slaughtered , though they had been promised their lives. Moulla Mohammed Ali, a Bab leader, in 1849 converted seven thousand of the twelve thousand inhabitants of Zanjan, seized the town , and drove the governor from the citadel ; eighteen thousand royal soldiers were sent against him , and more than eight thousand of the combatants killed , and the surviving Babis had to surrender, and were put to death with horrible tortures. In 1850 a follower of Bab, ambitious rather than fanatical, Sayid Yahya Darabi, preached Babism at Niriz, and gathered round him two thousand followers, with whose help he hoped to hold the town. But the Shah's troops attacked him ; he was assassinated by being strangled with his own girdle ; the starved -out Babis had to yield, and were all cruelly butchered . In 1852 some Babis attempted to murder the Shah ; the inquiry following thereon proved that at Ispahan and in all the great towns of Persia there was a vast association of Babis and Loûtis, whose object was the overthrow of the reigning dynasty. All convicted of Babism were seized,and executed openly or in secret ; terrible scenes were enacted by the Shah's orders in many towns of Persia during a reign of terror, which lasted nearly two years. The Shah's anger at the attempt, but especially his alarm , was so great, that to test the loyalty of his subjects he devised the “devilish scheme," as one writer calls it, of making all classes of society share in the revenge he took on the Babis. Thus the man who had fired the shot which wounded the king was killed by the farrashes_literally, the THE BABIS 265 carpet -spreaders, but officially, the lictors of Eastern rulers. They first tortured him by the insertion of lighted candles in incisions made in his body. When the candles were burnt down to the flesh , the fire was for some time fed by that. In the end he was sawn in two. The Master of the Horse and the attendants of the royal stables showed their loyalty by nailing red -hot horse-shoes to the feet of the victim handed over to them, and finally « broke up his head and body with clubs and nails.” Another Babi had his eyes plucked out by the artillerymen, and was then blown from a gun. Another Babi was killed by the merchants and shop keepers of Teheran, every one of whom inflicted a wound on him until he died . Vambéry, in his “ Wanderings and Experiences in Persia ,” mentions one Kasim of Niriz, who was shod with red-hot horse-shoes, had burning candles inserted in his body, all his teeth torn out, and was eventu ally killed by having his skull smashed in with a club. These are but a few specimens of the cruelties inflicted by order of the amiable gentleman who, on his visits to this country, was so loudly cheered by the assembled crowds. Among the victims of that persecution was Kurratu'l 'Ayn (the Consola tion of Eyes), a beautifuland accomplished woman, who pro fessed and preached Babism. The manner of her death is uncertain ; some say she was burnt, others that she was strangled. Dr. Polak, who actually witnessed her execution , in his “ Persia, the Land and Its Inhabitants," simply says, “ I was a witness to the execution of Kurratu'l 'Ayn , which was performed by the Minister of War and his adjutants ; the beautiful woman underwent her slow death with super human fortitude.” He gives no details as to the manner of it. In spite of this persecution, or rather, in consequence of it, Babism spread with astonishing rapidity throughout Persia, even penetrating into India . Not only the lower classes, but persons of education and wealth have joined the sect. The only portion of the Persian population not affected by its doctrines appear to be the Nuseiriyeh and the Christians. 656. Babi Doctrine. — It is contained in the Biyyan , the “ Expositor,” attributed to the Bab himself, and consisting of three parts written at different periods. It is to a great extent rhapsodical, frequently unintelligible. It abounds with mysticism, degenerate Platonism , beliefs borrowed from the Guebres, vestiges of Magism, and in many places displays the influence of a transformed Christianity and French philosophy of the last century, propagated as far 266 SECRET SOCIETIES as Persia through masonic lodges, though they were never tolerated in Persia. We shall see further on how one recently established came to grief. The Babi Koran in culcates, among other superstitions, the wearing of amulets, men in the form of a star, women in that of a circle ; the cornelian is particularly recommended to be put on the fingers of the dead, all which implies a return to Aramean Paganism . The book maintains the divinity of the Bab ; he and his disciples are incarnations of superior powers; forty days after death they reappear in other forms. “ God ," says the Biyyan, “ created the world by His Will ; the Will was expressed in words, but words are composed of letters ; letters, therefore, possess divine properties. In giving their numerical value to the letters forming the words expressing God, they always produce the same total, viz. 19. Hence the ecclesiastical system of the Babis ; their colleges are always composed of 19 priests; the year is divided into 19 months, of 19 days each ; the fast of the Ramadan lasts 19 instead of 30 days. During his life Ali Mohammed chose eighteen disciples, called “ Letters of the Living,” who, together with himself, the“ Point ” (the Point of Revelation, or “ First Point," from which all are created, and unto which all return ), constituted the sacred hierarchy of nineteen, called the “ First Unity.” Now, Mirza Yahya held the fourth place in this hierarchy, and on the death of the “ Point,” which occurred, as already stated,in 1849, and the first two “ Letters,” rose to be chief of the sect ; but Beha, whose proper name is Mirza Huseyn Ali of Nur, was also included in this unity, and he asserted that he was the one by whom God shall , as Bab had prophesied, make His final revelation ; for, be it observed, the BabiKoran , which at present consists of eleven parts only, shall, when complete, contain nineteen , and when that revelation is made, Babism will be finished, and with it will come the end of this pre sent world ; for, according to the belief of his followers,the Bab was the forerunner of Saheb -ez -Zeman , the Lord of Ages, who resides in the air, and will not be seen till the day of resurrection . In consequence of the claim of Beha the sect was split up into two divisions, the Behais and the followers of Mirza Yahya Subh-i-Ezel (the Morning of Eter nity ), and after him called Ezelis. The majority of the sect are Behais, and the exiled chief Yahya lives at Famagusta, 1 I find this mentioned by one writer only, Professor de Filippi, in his Viaggio in Persia nel 1862," published in the Italian periodical Politecnico, vol. xxii. p. 252, where there is a lengthy account of the Babis. THE BABIS 267 in Cyprus, where Mr. Browne, the translator of the work OF “ A Traveller's Narrative," visited him in 1890, as he also visited Beha, at Acre, shortly after. The Babis are so far in ut advance of their Eastern brethren that they wish to raise the status of woman, maintaining that she is entitled to the same civil rights as man ; and one of their first endeavours to attain that end is that of abolishing the veil. Various charges, as against all new sects, are made against them ; they are accused of being communists, of allowing nine husbands to a woman , of drinking wine, and of other un lawful practices; but proofs are wanting. It is said that Jena they have special modes of salutation , and wear a ring of peculiar form , by which they recognise one another. They arrange their hair in a characteristic manner, and, as a rule, are clothed in white, all which practices, on the part of people who have to conceal their opinions, appears very strange to outsiders. The Bab forbade the use of tobacco, of the but the prohibition was withdrawn by Beha. Though only half a century old , the sect already possesses a mass of con troversial writings on points of faith — for in all ages men have disputed most on what they understood least. The ated Babis may yet become a great power in the East ; in the care meantime they afford us an excellent opportunity of watch Tabia ing within our own day the genesis and development of a 3th new religious creed , in which vast power and authority is conferred on the priests, greatly overshadowing that of the , ii hurt king himself, unless he is a member of the sect, which , in fact, if the creed becomes paramount, he must be to pre serve his dignity ; for, according to the teaching of the founder, he who is not a Babi has no right to any posses sion , has no civil status. To enhance the influence of the nica priests, divine service is to be performed with the utmost pomp ; the temples are to be adorned with the costliest productions of nature and art . But it is certain the doctrines of the Babis suit neither the Sunnites nor the Shiites , the latter of whom are the til the dominant religious party in Persia, and who particularly objected to the Bab's claim of being the promised Mahdi, Biche whose advent was to be ushered in by prodigious signs, di tahun which, however, were not witnessed in the Bab's case. The Eter latter also was opposed by the new Sheykhi school. Early According to the doctrine of the Sunnites , the Imamate , or vice regency of the prophet , is a matter to be determined by the choice and election of his followers ; according to the Shiites, it is a matter altogether spiritual, having nothing to do with popular choice or approval. 268 SECRET SOCIETIES in this century Sheykh Ahmad of Ahsa preached a new doc trine, considered heterodox by true believers ; still he found many adherents, and on his death , about the year 1827, was succeeded by his disciple Haji Seyyid Kazim of Resht. He died in 1844, prophesying the coming of one greater than himself. Then Mirza Ali Mahammad , who came in contact with some disciples of the deceased Seyyid Kazim, saw his opportunity, and proclaimed himself the Bab ; the old Shey khi party strongly supported him. But some of the followers of Seyyid Kazim did not accept the new prophet, and became, as the new Sheykhi party, his most violent persecutors. The Bab consequently called the leader of the latter party the “ Quintessence of Hell-fire ," whilst he, in his turn, wrote a treatise against the Bab, entitled, “ The Crushing of False hood .” From such mutual courtesies the transition to mutual recrimination and accusation of objectionable teaching and practice is easy, and consequently quite usual, and therefore not to be too readily believed. 657. Recent History of Babism . The fearful reprisals the late Shah in 1852 took on the sect of the Babis , whatever may be thought of their moral aspect, appear to have had the desired political effect. From that day till the recent assassination of the Shah , the outcome of old grievances, and of an uncalled - for renewal of a fierce persecution , they have committed no overt act of hostility against the Persian Government or people, though their number and strength are now double what they were in 1852. But this has not softened the feeling of the Shah or of the Mullahs against them . This was clearly shown in 1863. In that year a Persian who had travelled in Europe suggested to the Shah the establishment of a masonic lodge, with himself as the grand master, whereby he would have a moral guarantee of the fidelity of his subjects, since all persons of importance and influence would no doubt become members, and masonic oaths cannot be broken . The Shah granted permission, without, however, being initiated himself; a lodge, called the Feramoush -Khanek , the “ House of Oblivion " since on leaving the lodge the member was supposed to forget all he had seen in it — was speedily opened , and the Shah urged all his courtiers to join it. He then questioned them as to what they had seen in it, but their answers were unsatisfac tory ; they had listened to some moral discourse, drunk tea, and smoked. The Shah could not understand that the terrible mysteries of Freemasonry, of which he had heard so much , could amount to no more than this ; he therefore surmised THE BABIS 269 en die that a great deal was withheld from him, and became dis satisfied. This dissatisfaction was taken advantage of by some of his friends who disliked the innovation, and they suggested to him that the lodge was probably the home of the grossest debauchery, and, finally, that it was a meeting place of Babis. Debauchery the Shah might have winked at, but Babism could not be tolerated. The lodge was imme diately ordered to be closed, and the author of its establish CER ment banished from Persia. In quite recent times the Babis have undergone grievous persecutions. In 1888 Seyyid Hasan and Seyyid Huseyn were put to death by order of the then Shah's eldest son, Prince Zillu's Sultan, for refusing to abjure Babism . When dead their bodies were dragged by the feet through the street and bazaars of Ispahan , and cast out of the gate beyond the city walls. In the month of October of the same year Aga Mirza Ashraf of Abade was murdered for his religion, and the Mullas mutilated the poor body in themost savage manner. In 1890 the Babi inhabi mbio tants of a district called Seh-deh were attacked by a mob, and seven or eight of them killed, and their bodies burnt ‫من ب‬ arba with oil. But it appears that on various occasions the Shah restrained the fanaticism of would -be persecutors of the Babis ; it did not, however, save him from the vengeance sworn against him by the sect for former persecutions. On Park the Ist May 1896 Nasreddin Shah, the Defender of the Faith, was shot in the mosque of Shah Abdul Azim, near Teheran, and died immediately after he was brought back to the city. The assassin , who was at once arrested, was Mirza Mahomed Reza of Kirman, a follower of Jemal-ed-din, who was exiled for an attempt at dethroning the Shah in 1891 . After Jemal's departure Mahomed Reza was imprisoned ; after some time he was set free, but continuing to speak against the Persian Government, he was again imprisoned, but some time after obtained his release, and even a pension from the Shah. He confessed that he was chosen to kill the Shah, and that he bought a revolver for the purpose, but had to wait two months for a favourable opportunity. His execu tion, some months after the deed - has it inspired the Babis with sufficient dread to deter them from similar attempts in the future ? K I W — The Babis (Used by permission of the curator)