The Babi and Baha'i Religion — Page 19
THE B Ā B Ī AND BAH Ā ’ Ī RELIGION 19 such as these cannot be overlooked. It is incontestable that the Government of Iran, to begin with, did not take up any attitude of hostility towards the move- ment 11 and this continued to be the policy of the Government until the B a b i s and Bah a ’ i s took to the path of rebellion, following which the Government, of course, had to adopt a severe line of action. There is also reason to believe that the movement had contact with some foreign powers. We read in Bah a‘i history that when some B a b i s fired at the Emperor in an attempt to assassinate him many of them were arrested, and "Mirz a H usain ‘Al i , Bah a ’ull a h, also was imprisoned, and in one district alone 400 villages belonging to him were confiscated. And if the British and Russian Embassies had not taken an interest in the case, world history might well have been deprived of the events of an illustrious life" 12. It is also known that when the B a b was executed, the Russian Council managed to take a photograph and sent it to his Government 13. Bah a ’ull a h himself writes: "When we started from Iran, we were accompanied by horsemen of Iranian and Russian Governments until we reached Iraq to be received with due respect. " 14 11 Maq a la Sayy ah , page 16. 12 Bah a ’ull a h ki Ta‘l i m a t , printed at Agra, page 18. 13 Al-Kaw a kib , page 446. 14 Nabdhatu min Ta‘l i mul Bah a , page 71.