- 1844-08-11 —
The Báb sent Mullá `Alíy-i-Bastámí to Najaf and Karbalá to proclaim His Cause among the Shaykhís. In Najaf Mullá `Alí delivered a letter from the Báb to Shaykh Muhammad-Hasan Najafí, the leading Shí`í divine and the keeper of the shrines in Iraq. [BBRSM15; DB87-91; SBBH20–1, HotD46]
- The Shaykh's rejection of the claim led to a violent debate. Mullá `Alí was taken to Baghdád and imprisoned there. After a public trial, a joint tribunal of Sunní and Shí`í `ulamá, he was sent to Istanbul. He was the first martyr of the Bábí Dispensation. It is significant that Mullá Hasan Gawhar, a leading figure of the Shaykhí school, participated in the condemnation as it marks the first major challenge to Bábism from a Shaykhí leader. [Bab27, 37–8, 58; BBR83–90; BBRSM17; BKG31; DB90–2; MMBA, BBR2p17, GPB10]
- See Alí Bastámí, Mullá by Denis MacEoin at Bahá'í Library Online.
- 1850-05-00 —
The start of the Zanján upheaval. Hujjat had converted a sizeable proportion of the town and tension mounted between the Bábís and the 'ulamá. [DB540–1, 527–81; Bab185–8, 209–13; BBD111, 245; BBR114–26; BBRSM28, 216; GPB44–5; TN245]
- See BW19p381 for this chronicle of events by Moojan Momen.
- 19 May: Mir Salah dispersed a mob sent against Hujjat by the Governor; the Governor sent to Ṭihrán for reinforcements; the town divided into two.
- 1, 13 and 16 June: Arrival of troop reinforce ments.
- 1 July: Capture of an important Bábi position.
- 25 July: Capture of an important Bábi' position.
- 4 August: Fierce fighting ending in Bábi victory and recapture of lost positions.
- 17 August: General assault on Bábi positions repelled, but Bábi's lost ground.
- 25 August: Arrival of 'Aziz Khan-i-Mukri, commander-in-chief of 1ran's army.
- 3 September: General assault ordered by 'Aziz Khan repelled.
- 11 September: Arrival of troop reinforcements.
- early October: Bombardment and assault took several Bábi' positions, leaving the Bábis confined to a small number of houses.
- mid-November: Arrival of further reinforcements.
- 29 December: Martyrdom of Hujjat.
- about 2 January 1851: General assault resulted in capture of remaining Bábi' positions and killing of several hundred Bábi men and women. End of Zanjan upheaval.
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