, as he recalled the
tragedy of Mazindaran, that their victory consisted solely in sacrificing
their all on the altar of the Cause of the Sahibu'z-Zaman, and his
declaration of the unalterable intention of his companions to serve their
sovereign loyally and to be the well-wishers of his people; the astounding
intrepidity with which these same companions repelled the ferocious
onslaught launched by the Sadru'd-Dawlih, who eventually was obliged to
confess his abject failure, was reprimanded by the _Sh_ah and was degraded
from his rank; the contempt with which the occupants of the Fort met the
appeals of the crier seeking on behalf of an exasperated enemy to inveigle
them into renouncing their Cause and to beguile them by the generous
offers and promises of the sovereign; the resourcefulness and incredible
audacity of Zaynab, a village maiden, who, fired with an irrepressible
yearning to throw in her lot with the defenders of the Fort, disguised
herself in male attire, cut off her locks, girt a sword about her waist,
and, raising the cry of Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!" rushed headlong in pursuit of
the assailants, and who, disdainful of food and sleep, continued, during a
period of five months, in the thick of the turmoil, to animate the zeal
and to rush to the rescue of her men companions; the stupendous uproar
raised by the guards who manned the barricades as they shouted the five
invocations prescribed by the Bab, on the very night on which His
instructions had been received--an uproar which precipitated the death of a
few persons in the camp of the enemy, caused the dissolute officers to
drop instantly their wine-glasses to the ground and to overthrow the
gambling-tables, and hurry forth bare-footed, and induced others to run
half-dressed into the wilderness, or flee panic-stricken to the homes of
the 'ulamas--these stand out as the high lights of this bloody contest. We
recall, likewise, the contrast between the disorder, the cursing, the
ribald laughter, the debauchery and shame that characterized the camp of
the enemy, and the atmosphere of reverent devotion that filled the Fort,
from which anthems of praise and hymns of joy were continually ascending.
Nor can we fail to note the appeal addressed by Hujjat and his chief
supporters to the _Sh_ah, repudiating the malicious assertions of their
foes, assuring him of their loyalty to him and his government, and of
their readiness to establish in his presence the soundness of their