Ch.XXVI, p.629, f.1
"Beauty and the female sex also lent their consecration to the new
creed and the heroism of the lovely but ill-fated poetess of Qazvin,
Zarrin-Taj (Crown of Gold; or Qurratu'l-'Ayn (Solace of the Eyes), who,
throwing off the veil, carried the missionary torch far and wide, is one of
the most affecting episodes in modern history." (Lord Curzon's "Persia and
the Persian Question," vol. 1, p. 497, note 2.) "No memory is more deeply
venerated or kindles greater enthusiasm than hers, and the influence which
she wielded in her lifetime still inures to her sex." (Valentine Chirol's
"The Middle Eastern Question," p. 124.) "The appearance of such a woman as
Qurratu'l-'Ayn is in any country and any age a rare phenomenon, but in
such a country as Persia it is a prodigy--nay, almost a miracle. Alike in
virtue of her marvellous beauty, her rare intellectual gifts, her fervid
eloquence her fearless devotion, and her glorious martyrdom, she stands
forth incomparable and immortal amidst her countrywomen. Had the Babi
religion no other claim to greatness, this were sufficient--that it
produced a heroine like Qurratu'l-'Ayn." ("A Traveller's Narrative," Note
Q, p. 213.) "Almost the most remarkable figure in the whole movement was
the poetess Qurratu'l-'Ayn. She was known for her virtue, piety, and
learning, and had been finally converted on reading some of the verses and
exhortations of the Bab. So strong in her faith did she become that
although she was both rich and noble she gave up wealth, child, name and
position for her Master's service and set herself to proclaim and establish
his doctrine... The beauty of her speech was such as to draw guests from a
marriage feast rather than listen to the music provided by the host. And
her verses were among the most stirring in the Persian language." (Sir
Francis Younghusband's "The Gleam," pp. 202-3.) "Looking back on the short
career or Qurratu'l-'Ayn, one is chiefly struck by her fiery enthusiasm
and by her absolute unworldliness. This world was, in fact, to her, as it
was said to be to Quddus, a mere handful of dust. She was also an
eloquent speaker and experienced in the intricate measures of Persian
poetry. One of her few Poems which have thus far been made known is of
special interest, because of the belief which it expresses in the
divine-human character of some one (here called Lord), whose claims, when
once adduced, would receive general recognition. Who was this Personage?
It appears that Qurratu'l-'Ayn thought Him slow in bringing forward these
claims. Is there any one who can be thought of but Baha'u'llah? The
poetess was a true Baha'i." (Dr. T. K. Cheyne's "The Reconciliation of
Races and Religions," pp. 114, 115.) "The harvest sown in Islamic lands
by Qurratu'l-'Ayn is now beginning to appear. A letter addressed to the
"Christian Commonwealth" last June informs us that forty Turkish
suffragettes are being deported from Constantinople to Akka (so long the
prison of Baha'u'llah): `During the last few years suffrage ideas have
been spreading quietly behind in the harems. The men were ignorant of it;
everybody was ignorant of it; and now suddenly the floodgate is opened and
the men of Constantinople have thought it necessary to resort to drastic
measures. Suffrage clubs have been organised, intelligent memorials
incorporating the women's demands have been drafted and circulated; women's
journals and magazines have sprung up, publishing excellent articles; and
public meetings were held. Then one day the members of these clubs--four
hundred of them--cast away their veils. The staid, fossilised class of
society were shocked, the good Musulmans were alarmed, and the Government
forced into action. These four hundred liberty-loving women were divided
into several groups. One group composed of forty have been exiled to
Akka, and will arrive in a few days. Everybody is talking about it, and
it is really surprising to see how numerous are those in favour of removing
the veils from the faces of the women. Many men with whom I have talked
think the custom not only archaic, but thought-stifling. The Turkish
authorities, thinking to extinguish this light of liberty, have greatly
added to its flame, and their high-handed action has materially assisted
the creation of a wider public opinion and a better understanding of this
crucial problem.'" (Ibid., pp. 115-16.)
..."The other missionary, the woman to whom I refer, had come to
Qazvin. She was without doubt, at the same time, the object of the Babis
highest veneration and one of the most strikingly fascinating
manifestations of that religion." (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et
les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," p. 136.)
"Many who have known her and heard her at different times have stated
that, for a person so learned and so well read, the outstanding
characteristic of her discourse was an amazing simplicity and still, when
she spoke, her audience was deeply stirred and filled with admiration,
often in tears." (Ibid., p. 150.) "Although the Muhammadans and Babis
speak in the highest terms of the beauty of `Consolation of the Eyes,' it
is beyond dispute that the intelligence and character of this young woman
were even more remarkable than has been related. Having heard, almost
daily, learned conversations, it seems that, at an early age, she had taken
a deep interest in them; hence it came about that she was perfectly able to
follow the subtle arguments of her father, her uncle, her cousin and now
her husband, and even to debate with them and frequently to astonish them
with the power and keenness of her mind. In Persia, one does not
frequently see women engaged in intellectual pursuits but, nevertheless, it
does sometimes occur. What is really extraordinary is to find a woman of
the ability of Qurratu'l-'Ayn. Not only did she carry her knowledge of
Arabic to an unusual degree of perfection, but she became also outstanding
in the knowledge of the traditions of Islam and of the varied
interpretations of the disputed passages of the Qur'an and of the great
writers. In Qazvin, she was rightly considered a prodigy." (Ibid., p.
137.)