The Role Of Russia In Establishing Baha\'ism

[ Part   1 ]

By: Rajah Sinha

the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea

The Russian imperialism has no doubt, played an outstanding role in the formative years of Babi schism. Obviously, they would waste no opportunity to fish in troubled waters in a country where foreign forces could easily exhibit themselves. To this end, they would do their best to annihilate the only factor for the solidarity of the nation—religion. On the other hand, since the time of Peter the Great, the founder of imperialist Russia, the Russians in their drive to become the paramount colonial power far superior to their hegemonist rivals, they tried every strategem to get access to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. The basis for the Russian foreign policy in Asia, according to documentary evidence was grounded in Peter the great’s will who had recommended the following points to his successors:

“…Further approach towards Constantinopleand India. Those who get hold of these regions would be the owners of the whole world. Therefore, to achieve this goal, permanent wars should be launched not only in Turkeybut in Iran as well…”

After the overthrown of Czarist rule in Russia, Dolgorki, one of the suspicious Russian officials who later was appointed as the Soviet ambassador to Tehran, and who, as history bears witness, had made direct contacts with Bahai leaders, wrote articles titled ‘a clergyman politician’ in Sharq (East) magazine, the official publication of the Russian foreign commissariat in 1924 and 1925.(63) In his articles he has revealed that the first time he entered Iran in disguise as a clergyman and stayed for sometime in theological centers, he had collected the required information in this connection.

Seyyed Kazem Rashti

Since he knew that his real name would rouse suspicion among the people about him as an atheist Russian, he chose the forged name ‘Sheikh Ali Lankarani’ for himself. Later, he went to Iraq where, among all those religious personalities, he was attracted by Seyyed Kazem Rashti’s orations. He gradually penetrated the Sheikhiyeh and chose Mirza Ali Mohammad Shirazi as an appropriate person for his sinister objectives. At the beginning he would pretend that he had been impressed by Mirza Ali Mohammad and would be quite humble in front of him and would rush to see him on and off. He would implicitly inject the idea to Mirza Ali Mohammad that he was the Bab (gateway) to all divine sciences, that he was the Bab to the Awaited Imam, and that all should consider him as the Bab…!

A review of the ideology of Babism and Bahaism shows that they have always referred to Czarist Russia as their ultimate friend and refuge. The first signals of Russia‘s practical support for Bab was the case of the Christian governor of Isfahan, Manuchehr Khan Gorji, which was discussed earlier.

Mirza Ali Mohammad Shirazi

Abdolhussein Ayati on page 284 of his book Kavakeb-ud Dorriyeh fi Ma’aser-ul Bahaiyeh, volume 1, writes: “When he (Bahaullah) was in Dargaz, one of the villages of Mazandaran, the Russian government servants and border guards showed devotion towards him to the extent that they managed to pave the way for his escape but he did not accept…Later, they were informed about Mohammad Shah’s death which pleased the Russian admiral and resulted in BahaoUah’s rescue. On this trip, Seyyed Basir Hendi accompanied him.”(64)

On page 49 of his book Maqale Shakhsi Sayyah, Abbas Afandi while describing the execution of Ali Mohammad Shirazi and Mohammad Ali Tabrizi in Tabriz writes: “Then, they took the bodies away from the city square and placed them beside a ditch outside the city. The next day the Russian counsul inspected the bodies and drew a picture of the bodies as they were lying beside the ditch.”(65)

It should be noted that the writer of the book Kavakeb-ud Dorriyeh on page 249 of the first volume of his book has explicitly noted that Ali Mohammad Shirazi’s body had been hidden by Ahmad Milani Babi who had been under the patronage of the Russian government.

Meanwhile, the writer of   Noqtat-ul Kaaf on page 266 of his book writes: “The Byzantine and Russian ambassadors have blamed Amir on the murder of the two masters and have said that it would be meaningless if a number of deprived people say something and you, with all the power you have, intend to annoy them…” (66)

A report prepared by the Russian ambassador, Prince Dolgorki, and sent to the the Russian Foreign Minister says: “It would be excellent if Babism launches an opposition against Muslim ulema and accuses them of being deviated.” (67)

Showqi Afandi, the second successor to Bahaullah in his book Qarn-e Badi under the title of ‘Exile of the master Bahaullah to Iraq’ writes: “When the assassination attempt against Nassereddin Shah’s life occurred, Bahaullah was in Lavasan as a guest of the grand vizier. He was in Afjeh when he heard the news. The grand vizier’s brother Ja’afar Qoli Khan who was responsible for hosting Bahaullah, asked him to hide in one of the nearby places for a while until the situation is calm again. But the ‘blessed being’ not only did not accept the idea but dismissed even the trustworthy person assigned for his safety. The next day, he patiently proceeded towards the imperial camp in Niavaran. While in Zargandeh, Majid, Bahaullah ‘s brother-in-law, who was serving as a secretary at the Russian embassy met and invited him to his house which was next to the ambassador’s residence. Later, Haj Mohammad Ali Khan Hajeb-ud Doleh’s men reported Bahaullah ‘s arrival to him and he personally informed the Shah. The Shah was surprised by hearing such a news and dispatched his own reliable envoys to the embassy to demand his hand over since he was accused of being involved in the incident. The Russian ambassador declined to hand Bahaullah over and begged the master to move to the grand vizier’s house. He also explicitly and officially urged him to preserve and safeguard the trust they deposit with him…(68)

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References :

63- Translations of his notes have been reprinted for several times. Later, they  were  published   with   an            introduction  by  Khalessizadeh.  See    Mozdouran-e Este’mar, page 2, by Rowhani   .

64.See Bahaian, pages 617-618

65.ibid

66.ibid

67.Bahaian,   page   619.   From   Dalgorky’s  reports   Russian  government

ambassador  to   Iran  to   Russian   Foreign  Minister  Neselrud.  File  No.   133,

Tehran, June 10th,  1850, No. 48.

68,  Qarn-e   Badi,   vol.   1,   page   318,   by   Showqi,   translated  by

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