# The Babis

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Eustache de Lorey, The Babis, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> The Babis
> 
> Eustache de Lorey
> published in Queer Things about Persia pp. 307-317
> 
> Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1907
> 
> 1. PDF (see text below)
> 
> Download: lorey_queer_things_persia.pdf.
> 
> 2. Text (uncorrected text from archive.org)
> 
> CHAPTER XXX
> 
> THE BABIS
> 
> The Babi religion has spread widely in Persia, though
> its adherents have to conceal their faith, which is officially
> prohibited. Its tenets and history form too large, and
> perhaps too recondite, a subject to be treated in these
> pages. Readers can find what they require about them
> admirably handled in the pages of A. L. M. Nicolas 's
> Seyyed AH Mohammed dit le Bab (Dujarric, Paris) and
> Mr. E. G. Browne's various publications.
> 
> To show the inquisitorial vengeance to which the
> unhappy Babis have been subjected, I cannot do better
> than give a translation of an article which appeared in
> the Official Gazette of the Persian Government, relative
> to the attempt by the Babis upon the Shah's life.
> 
> The account, coming from an enemy of the Babis,
> tries to show them at their worst, but its naive admissions
> only serve to bring out the high ideals and heroism, of
> the Babi martyrs, and the cold cruelty and bigotry of
> their persecutors. The article convicts its authors.
> 
> " In our last number, in giving briefly an account of
> the attempt upon the life of the Shah, we have promised
> our readers to supply them with the after results of
> this lamentable affair, and to let them know the result
> of the inquiries made to discover the motives of this
> vast conspiracy, directed not only against the life of
> our beloved sovereign, but also against the public peace,
> and against the property and lives of true Mussulmans.
> For the real aim of these malefactors was, in getting
> rid of the person of the King, to seize the power, and
> by this detestable means to secure at last the triumph
> of their abominable cause, in forcing, by arms and
> violence, the good Mussulmans to embrace their in-
> famous religion, which differs from that sent down from
> Heaven, and which does not accord either with philo-
> sophy or human reason — which is, in fine, the most
> deplorable heresy that has ever been heard of, as may
> be gathered from certain of their books and pamphlets
> which we have been able to procure.
> 
> " The founder of this abominable sect, who began
> to propagate these detestable doctrines only a few
> years ago, and who, having fallen into the hands of
> the authorities, was immediately shot, was called Ali
> Mohammed, and had given himself the surname of
> Bab,^ wishing to give people to understand by this that
> the keys of Paradise were in his hands.
> 
> " After the death of the Bab, his disciples met soon
> under the orders of another chief, Sheikh Ali of Turshiz,
> who assumed the position of nayeb (vicar) of the Bab,
> and had imposed it on himself to live in complete
> solitude, showing himself to nobody, and granting
> audiences to his principal followers only at rare intervals.
> They regarded this favour as the greatest that Heaven
> could confer on them. He had given himself the sur-
> name of Hazret Azem, the Highest Highness.
> 
> " Among the people who were attached to him one
> may mention first Hadji Suleiman Khan, son of the
> late Yah- Yah Khan of Tabriz. It was in the house
> of this Suleiman Khan, in Teheran, in the quarter
> Sar-i-Cheshmeh, that the principal Babis used to meet
> to deliberate upon their hateful projects. Twelve
> amongst them, who appeared more zealous and deter-
> mined than the others, were chosen by Hazret Azem,
> who had the necessary arms given to them to execute
> the great act that he believed to be unavoidable. Pistols,
> daggers, cutlasses, nothing was spared, and, armed in
> this way, it seemed impossible for them to miss their
> prey.
> 
> " They were recommended to stand in the neigh-
> bourhood of Niavaran, and to wait for a favourable
> opportunity.
> 
> " We may refer our readers to our last number ; they
> will see in it how three of these madmen have taken
> advantage of the circumstance which presented itself on
> Sunday the 28th of Chavval, at the moment when
> His Majesty, having gone out of the town, directed
> himself, with his ordinary suite, towards the village
> where he was in the habit of going for his hunting
> parties. They will see how they flung themselves
> upon the King, one after the other, firing their pistols
> nearly point-blank at His Majesty; how one of them
> was immediately slain by people of well-known zeal
> and devotion, such as Assad Oullah-Khan, first equerry
> of the King, Mustofi-el-Memalek, Nizam-oul-Moulk, the
> Keshikchi-Bashi, and other persons who were near His
> Majesty ; how at last the two others were seized and
> thrown into the prison of the town.
> 
> " An inquiry was at once made into the case, and put
> into the hands of Adjutant Bashi Hadjeb-ed-Dowleh,
> the Kalentar (Minister of Police), and the Kedkhodas
> of the town (a sort of municipal councillors).
> 
> " Thanks to the zeal and the activity that they showed
> in their inquiries, they soon learned that the house of
> Suleiman- Khan was used as the place of meeting by
> these wretches. It was immediately surrounded on all
> sides ; but whether by the neglect of the men of Hadjeb-
> ed-Dowleh, or by the lack of cohesion in the execution
> of this enterprise, they succeeded in catching only twelve,
> amongst them Suleiman- Khan. The others effected
> their escape, one does not know exacdy how. But
> their accomplices having named several of them, the
> police, it may be hoped, will soon trace them.
> 
> " However, not a single day passed without the
> Adjutant- Bashi of the Kalentar and the ferrashes of
> the King capturing three, four, or even five Babis, whom
> they quickly brought before the Imperial divan or
> tribunal, which in such a case is held in public.
> 
> " They were interrogated at once, and condemned
> upon their own evidence, as well as on the denuncia-
> tions of their accomplices, whom they took care to
> confront with them.
> 
> " These interrogatories were made in accordance with
> the customs and forms laid down by the law.
> 
> " We must not omit here to recall the immense service
> that Hadjeb-ed-Dowleh has rendered to the Faith, to
> the State, and to Religion, in capturing Mollah Sheikh
> Ali of Turchiz, in spite of all the precautions that he
> took not to be seen in public, and in spite of the retired
> and secretive life which he did not cease to lead till the
> moment of his arrest. By his flight from the town he
> had expected to find a shelter against all pursuit ; he
> had hidden himself in a litde house at Evine in the
> Shimran.
> 
> ** He lived there, surrounded by some faithful disciples,
> who, like himself, had succeeded in escaping from the
> house of Suleiman Khan at the moment that it was
> surrounded.
> 
> " It is in this house that Hadjeb-ed-Dowleh, accom-
> panied by his men, succeeded in surprising them at the
> moment when they expected it least. The Babis were
> seized, manacled, and thrown into the prisons of the
> town.
> 
> " His Excellency the Grand Vizier, Mirza Aga Khan,
> had the satisfaction of interrogating himself the chief of
> this hateful sect. He made him appear before him
> with the disciples taken at the same time as this wretch,
> and questioned him in their presence. Mollah Sheikh
> Ali of Turchiz did not attempt to excuse himself. He
> avowed that he had become the chief of the Babis
> since the death of the Bab ; that he had given the
> order to his most devoted disciples to kill the King.
> He declared even that Mohammed Sadek, who had
> precipitated himself the first on the King, was his con-
> fidential servant, and that he had provided himself the
> necessary arms to execute the regicides' project. The
> number of these wretches who had fallen into the hands
> of justice does not exceed thirty-two. As for the others,
> the police have not been able to find them, and it is
> believed that they have crossed the frontiers of Persia
> and gone to lead a wretched life in a foreign land.
> 
> " We impose upon ourselves the task of pointing out to
> our readers the admirable conduct of His Excellency the
> Minister of Russia on this occasion.
> 
> " One of these damnable conspirators, Mirza Houssein
> Ali, had taken refuge at Zerghandeh in the summer
> quarters of the Russian Legation. The Prince Dol-
> gorouki, having learnt that this individual was amongst
> the conspirators, had him seized by his own people and
> sent to the Ministers of His Majesty, who, touched by
> an action so in conformity with the good relations that
> existed between Persia and Russia, evinced their pro-
> found gratitude to him. His Majesty himself had his
> thanks conveyed to the prince, and gave orders that
> the people who had been entrusted with conveying the
> culprit to custody should be worthily recompensed, which
> was done without delay.
> 
> " Amongst the Babis who have fallen into the hands
> of justice, there are six whose culpabiHty not having been
> well established, have been condemned to the galleys for
> life. The others have all been massacred in the following
> ways : —
> 
> " Mollah Sheik AH of Turchiz, the author of this
> conspiracy, has been condemned to death by the Ulemas
> or religious judges, and put to death by them.
> 
> " Seyyed Houssein Khorassani was killed by the
> princes of the blood, who massacred him with pistol-
> shots, scimitars, and daggers.
> 
> " Mustafi-el-Memalek took charge of the execution of
> Mollah Zeyine-el-Abedin, Yezdi, whom he killed with
> pistol-shots fired point blank, after which the Mustafis of
> the Divan, throwing themselves upon the corpse, riddled
> it with pistol-shots and stabs of sword, dagger, and
> cutlass.
> 
> " Mollah Houssein Khorassani was killed by Mirza
> Kassem Nizam Oul-Moulk and by Mirza Said Khan,
> Minister of Public Affairs. Mirza Kassem was the first to
> approach the condemned, and shot him with his pistol point
> blank. Then Mirza Said Khan approached in his turn
> and fired another pistol. At last the servants of these
> two high functionaries threw themselves on the corpse,
> which they hacked to pieces with knives and daggers.
> 
> " Mirza Abdoul Wahab of Shiraz, who during his
> sojourn in Kazemein had rendered himself guilty in the
> eyes of the authorities by inciting the inhabitants to
> revolt, was put to death by Jaffar Kouli-Khan, brother
> of the Grand Vizier, by Zulfe-Khar Khan, by Moussa
> Khan, and by Mirza Aly Khan, all three sons of the
> Grand Vizier, assisted by their servants and the guards
> of the King and the other people present at the execution,
> some using pistols, others rifles, others daggers of all sorts,
> so that the corpse of this wretched man was reduced to
> mincemeat.
> 
> " Mollah Fcthoulhah, son of Mollah Aly, the book-
> binder, the man who, shooting at the King with a pistol
> loaded with lead, slightly wounded His Majesty, had his
> body covered with holes, in which lighted candles were
> stuck. Then Hadjeb-ed-Dowleh received the order to
> kill him with a pistol-shot, which he did by shooting at
> the exact spot of the body where His Majesty had been
> wounded. He fell stone dead. Then the ferrashes of
> the King threw themselves on the body and hacked it to
> pieces and heaped stones upon it.
> 
> " Sheikh Abbas of Teheran has been sent to the bottom
> of hell by the Khans and other dignitaries of the State,
> who killed him with pistols and swords.
> 
> " Mohammed Taghi of Shiraz had horseshoes nailed
> to his feet first, like a horse, by Ased-oullah-Khan, first
> equerry of His Majesty, and by the employees of the
> Imperial stables. Then he was beaten to death with
> maces and with the great nails of iron which are used in
> the stables to fasten the horses to.
> 
> " Mohammed Aly of Nejef-Abad was handed over to
> the Artillery men, who first of all tore out one of his eyes,
> then bound him over the muzzle of a gun and blew him
> to pieces.
> 
> " As to Hadji Suleiman Khan, son of Yah-Yah Khan
> of Tabriz, and Hadji Kassem, also of Tabriz, they were
> marched through the town of Teheran with their bodies
> stuck with candles, accompanied by dancers and by the
> music of the Evening, which is composed of long horns
> and huge drums, and were followed by a crowd of the
> curious, who wished to stone them, but were prevented
> by th^ f err ashes.
> 
> " Suleiman Khan, when one of the candles fell, sank
> and picked it up, and restored it to its place. Somebody
> having cried, 'You sing, why don't you dance?' Suleiman
> began to dance.
> 
> " Once out of the town, the ferraskes, executing the
> orders which had been given them, cut them both into four
> pieces, which they hung over various gates of the town.
> 
> " Nejef of Khamseh was abandoned to the fury of the
> mob, who beat him to pieces with their fists and stones.
> 
> " Hadji Mirza Djami, merchant of Kachan, was killed
> by the Provost of the Merchants of Teheran, assisted by
> the merchants and shopkeepers."
> 
> The above is the official Persian account. Comte de
> Gobineau, who was Minister of France to the Court of
> Teheran at that time, tells us —
> 
> " One saw that day in the streets and bazars of
> Teheran a spectacle that the population will never forget.
> One saw, walking between staffs of executioners, children
> and women, with the flesh gaping all over their bodies,
> with lighted wicks soaked with oil stuck in the wounds.
> The victims were dragged by cords and driven with
> whips. The children and women walked singing a
> verse, which says, * In truth we come from God, and we
> return to Him.' Their voices rose piercingly in the
> middle of the profound silence of the mob ; for the
> population of Teheran is neither bad-hearted nor much
> devoted to Islam. When one of the tortured people fell,
> he was forced to rise with blows from whips and prods
> from bayonets. If the loss of blood which ensued from
> the wounds all over the body left him strength enough, he
> began to dance and shout with fervour, ' We belong to
> God, and we return to Him.' Some of the children
> expired en rotite. The executioners threw their bodies
> under the feet of their father and sister, who walked
> fiercely upon them, without looking.
> 
> " When they arrived at the place of execution near the
> new gate, life was again offered to the victims if they
> would abjure their faith, and, though it seemed difficult,
> means were sought to intimidate them. The executioner
> hit upon the device of signing to a father that if he did
> not abjure he would cut the throat of his two sons upon
> his chest. These were two small boys, the eldest being
> fourteen, who, red with their own blood and with flesh
> scorched by the candles, listened unmoved. The father
> answered by lying down on the earth that he was ready,
> and the eldest of the boys, claiming his right of birth,
> begged to have his throat cut first. It is not impossible
> that the executioner refused him this last satisfaction.
> At last everything was ended, and the night fell upon a
> heap of mangled human remains. The heads were
> strung in bundles to the Posts of Justice, and all the dogs
> of the suburbs made their way to that side of the
> town.
> 
> " This day gave to the Bab more secret partisans than
> many preachings could have done."
> 
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> — *The Babis (Used by permission of the curator)*