Analysis of the Relationship between Mirza Yahya Subh-i-Azal in Cyprus and His Followers in Iran (A Documentary Query)

Document Type : ..

Authors

1 Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University,

2 Professor of the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University

10.30465/hcs.2024.47669.2889

Abstract

After the execution of the Bab, Baha'u'llah claimed himself to be the person who has abolished the Babi Faith by introducing a new one and in turn he faced the opposition of Bab's successor, Subh-i-Azal, who insisted on the continuity of the Babi Faith. Eventually these two were banished to Acre and Famagusta, there, they spent the rest of their lives. With orders from Baha'u'llah, Baha'is propagated the Baha'i Faith out in the open; but Azalis, who concealed their faith and were known as Muslims, continued their efforts in a different way. They propagated their ideas secretly, but most of their struggles were in the political arena and in the opposition of the Qajar dynasty and they in fact did accomplish achievements in that case. Using an analytical method on sources and documents, this paper aims to provide an answer to this question: How well could Subh-i-Azal who lived in Cyprus, communicate with his followers in Iran and maintain his leadership over them? To answer such question, one can claim that Subh-i-Azal, who indeed had some peaceful and seclusive characteristics, was in fact well informed of the currents in Iran and very often ordered his followers accordingly despite being far away in Cyprus; This became possible through the consistency of their linkage by mailing. Moreover, some of his followers visited him by traveling to Cyprus; a voyage that, taking into account their Islamic figure and the fear of being exposed as Azalis, was covered as being a regular Islamic Hajj.

Keywords

Historical Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 April 2024

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