6.2. Baha’s Correspondences with Gobineau

6.2.1. From Edirne
As already explained, the minister through whom Baha’s first epistle from Edirne addressed to Napoleon III was forwarded was Count Gobineau. He was the one who wrote the reply referred to in the epistle to the son of the wolf as well as in the Dawn-Breakers, Nabil’s Narrative (the introduction).

Although the first epistle is not available save Shoghi Effendi’s cryptic reference thereto (France, epistle 1.), yet Baha’s covering letter, to the Epistle intended for Napoleon III, addressed to Count Gobineau is sufficient in itself to enable us to form a fairly clear idea of the contents of the first namely, whether it reflected “the cause of this wronged one that has been revealed for the sake of god, and has come from Him.” as alleged by Baha, or it was “a request for material assistance” as disclaimed by Baha.

Refer to facsimile of Baha’s covering lette.

The document is marked no “3534” and bears the following note: Letter des Sheykh Mirza Hussein Ali. Le BÁB.-“ “Husayn Ali’ is Baha’s original name. It is clear by whom this note was written presumably it was written by the keeper of the archives.
The document is in Parisian. It is not in his handwriting, It was written by one of Baha’s scribes.

Baha’s covering letter addressed to Count Gobineau was reproduced in the Yaghma serial no 109, issue no.5 year 10th, dated Mordad 1336 (22 July-22 August, 1957. see the text.

In his notice of the covering letter noted Iranian scholar late Abbas Iqbal states that affixed to the back of the letter of the covering letter is the seal of Baha bearing inscription “Husayn Ali”, Baha’s original name, with the following note above it “al-mashhur bi Ishan (known as ‘they’), which is a term made in polite conversation instead of ‘he’. [during the Baghdad period of the BÁBi exiles Baha acted as an intermediary between Subh-i-Azal and the BÁBis, who referred to Subh-i-Azal as ‘Ishan’. Baha identified himself with this term].
The seal with the note above it does not appear on the reverse of facsimile. The back surface of this exhibit was not photographed at the time they were requested. We are however satisfied that the covering letter, the exhibit, emanates from Baha; if necessary, the matter may be verified from the source.

Let us now proceed to notice the covering letter:
After placing on record the praiseworthy qualities” of Count Gobineau, whom he did not have the pleasure of meeting, and “the utmost favours done by him to the public in general, and to his partisans in Tehran in particular,” Baha gives a short account of himself and his partisans from the time of his expulsion from Iran up to his period of sojourn in Edirne, “per chance they may, under auspices of your Excellency, feel at ease, and find sanctuary under the Shadow of protection of Sovereign of the times, the Monarch of the age, the king of kings of the universe, the Emperor, the most great, the most noble, the most Illustrious.”

After the complimentary introduction, couched in adulatory terms, Baha says: “This servant set out from the capital [i.e. Tehran], with the leave and permission of the Shah, and with the knowledge of the ambassador of foreign powers [accredited to Tehran], for Iraq-i-Arab [i.e. Bagdad]. “For full twelve years this servant sojourned in Iraq-i-Arab, during which period, no improper and untoward act ever proceeded from this servant, to which [foreign] consul in Iraq bear witness and testimony.”
“The loving-kindness which a number of persons from the inhabitant of Iran had and have entertained towards this servant caused the Iranian government to set herself on the heeds of this servant and Iranian Consular authorities [in Iraq] kept up sending adverse report [against this servant] to the powers-that-be. As this servant noticed that the matter would eventually lead to mischief the whole case was laid before Marshal Namiz Pasha [governor-general of the Baghdad province].
His advice was the adoption of the Ottoman Nationality. Therefore a number of friends [i.e. BÁBi] opted for the Ottoman nationality, and the servant was summoned to Istanbul.”

“This servant obeyed the order of the government and proceeded to Istanbul, accompanied by his family, children and servants”.
“Arrived there it was noticed that the Iranian ambassador had his way with the Ottoman authorities, during my four months stay there I went no where and associated with no one. After four month, an edict was issued ordering my removal from Edirne. I inquired about the reason for it and certain considerations were pleaded. But it became known that it was activated by the ulterior motives of the Iranian ambassador.”
“This servant offered obedience and went to Edirne. We have been staying in Edirne for the past five years. There is not a single person who has any grievance against this servant or his partisans lest enquiries be made from the [foreign] consuls in this land [i.e. Edirne] and the truthfulness of this servant will be proved.”
Baha then refers to a visit paid to him in Edirne by a number of his partisans including one by the name of “Haji Abu-al-Qasim,” who on their return to their homes in Egypt were rounded up by the Iranian Consul there and then deported to the Sudan by the authorities at the instance of the Iranian Consul. Baha once again harps on the note of the Iranian ambassador’s having his way with the Ottoman authorities and concludes:

“It is prayed that you will kindly cause the petition of this servant to be laid at the foot of the throne of the Monarch of the age so that a favour may be vouchsafed that will conduce to the tranquillity of mind of a number of persons [i.e. Baha and his partisans] and all will have a sense of relief in the credible security and safety and under the shadow of grace of the Monarch of the universe.”
“God, the single, witnesses that this servant had, and has, no fancies of his own and is resigned to that which is recorded by the Most High Pen in the Tablet of predetermination [i.e. the Tablet on which according to Muhammadan belief, the transactions of all mankind have been written by god from all eternity; what is decreed by god shall come to pass.”
“From the very first day this servant came to recognize this truth, he forewent life and property; rather at all times I hope and crave to lay down my life in the path of the Beloved of the worlds.”
“It is prayed that no one is informed of this petition until the end in view is attained.”
“Your supreme command is to be obeyed.”
Sealed by “Husayn Ali”

Not a word is uttered in the covering letter by Baha about his “divine mission”. On the contrary, he states that he had and has no fancies of his own. In it, he airs his grievances against the Iranian and Ottoman authorities, pleads his innocence, interacts Count Gobineau to use his good offices with Napoleon III to become a French Protégé and implores Count Gobineau not to disclose the contents of the letter until his objective is achieved. In the covering letter Baha alludes to his epistle to Napoleon III as “the petition of this servant”. The reference to “Haji Abu-al-Qasim” in the covering letter, who visited Baha in Edirne in A.H. 1283 (1866-87), Materials, P.33, indicates that Baha’s epistle to Napoleon III with the covering letter was forwarded to Count Gobineau after that date and before Baha’s removal from Edirne in August 1868 (Materials, P.29).

The covering letter enables us to visualize the wording of Baha’s epistle or “the petition of the servant” addressed to Napoleon III.

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