The Rise of Baha
11. Baha’s Brief stay in Istanbul
11.2 The BÁBi Exiles in Istanbul
The BÁBi Exiles arrived in Istanbul from Baghdad on “Rabi’ Awal 1, 1280 A.H. (August 16, 1863)”. God passes by, P. 157.
11.2.5. Examination of the Accounts
It appears from these conflicting and contradictory accounts of Baha’s sojourn in Istanbul that as an Ottoman subject Baha gave ready obedience to the Sultan’s command and came to Istanbul. He also gave ready obedience to the Sultan’s command and proceeded to Edirne. In the accounts lame excuses are offered for Baha’s removal from Istanbul to Edirne. The presence of a large Iranian Colony domiciled in Istanbul, a fertile field for BÁBi propaganda, may have persuaded the Ottoman authorities, on the representations of the Iranian government, to have the BÁBis removed from Istanbul to Edirne.
Baha’s statement that he was unlike those who were wont, on their arrival to “solicit at every door such allowances and gifts as they might obtain” compares ill with his appeal to Count Gobineau that “Not a single farthing has so far been paid for expenses.”
As regards his statement that the Iranian government would see its way to adopt his suggestion for a new language and a new script, we are told in the Introduction to the Son of the Wolf, Shoghi Effendi’s translation, P. xvi, that “the language and script referred to on P. 138 were never communicated to anyone by Bahaullah.”
To read more about Baha's members of family, got to the main page, select 'Bahaism -> The Rise of Baha' and navigate through the index.