The Afghan Martyrs — Page 70
being led away from the Arnir's presence to be killed, the moullah prophesied that a great calamity would overtake the country, and that both the Amir and the Sirdar would suffer. About nine o'clock at night the day the moullah was killed, a great storm of wind suddenly rose and raged with violence for half an hour, and then stopped as suddenly as it came. Such a wind at night was altogether unusual so the people said that this was the passing of the soul of the moullah. Then cholera came, and, according to former outbreaks, another visitation was not due for four years to come, and this was also regarded as part of the fulfillment of the moullah's prophecy and hence the great fear of the Amir and the prince, who thought they saw in all this their own death, and it accounts also for the prince losing control of himself when his favourite wife died. The murdered moullah was a man with a large and powerful following, and the two moullahs who gave the verdict for his death lived in constant fear of the retaliation of his followers, who had sworn to avenge him. One of them got cholera, and almost ·died of it. From the three narratives mentioned above the following conclusions can be drawn. 1. It was the Sahibzada himself who suggested a debate. 2. The debate was in writing. 3. Contrary to general impression it is wholly incorrect to believe that the King was obliged to order death by stoning as a result of pressure from the narrow minded Mullahs. In fact the first jury, consisting of twelve divines, held the Sahibzada innocent. In spite of pressure from the government, even when the second board was fonned, with the exception of two Mullahs, all others held the Sahibzada to be innocent. It would appear that 70