The Last Wave of Attacks2

passages and to retreat thither. But the ground of Mázindarán lies near the water and is saturated with moisture, added to which rain fell continually, increasing the damage, so that these poor sufferers dwelt amidst mud and water till their garments rotted away with damp…. Whenever one of their comrades quaffed the draught of martyrdom before their eyes, instead of grieving they rejoiced. Thus, for instance, on one occasion bomb-shell fell on the roof of a hut, which caught fire. Shaykh Sálih of Shíráz went to extinguish the fire. A bullet struck his head and shattered his skull. Even as they were raising his corpse a second bullet carried away the hand of Áqá Mírzá Muhammad ‘Alí, the son of Siyyid Ahmad who was the father of Áqá Siyyid Husayn, ‘the beloved.’ So too, was Áqá Siyyid Husayn ‘the beloved,’ a child ten years of age slain before his father’s eyes and he fell rolling in mud and gore, with limbs quivering like those of a half-killed bird.

April 1849: They eat grass, leather, ground dead bones and Mullá Husayn’s buried dead horse

The siege had been going on for over four months. Conditions in the fort were now extreme. They had consumed all the horses and were now reduced to chewing the leather of the saddles. Whenever there was a lull in the bombardment, some of the companions would sneak out of the fort and gather whatever grass they could reach, which they brought back, boiled and ate.

One historian records:

Those who remained firm had already consumed not only their food supply, but such grass as they could find in the enclosure and the bark of all the trees. There remained only the leather of their belts and the scabbards of their swords. … they ground the bones of the dead and made flour with the dust thereof. At last desperate, they were reduced to perpetrate a sort of profanation. The horse of Mullá Husayn had died of the wound suffered during that fatal night that witnessed the death of its master. The Bábís had buried it out of regard for their holy leader … They held council and, … debated the question whether extreme distress could justify them to disinter the sacred charger and eat the remains. With deep sorrow, they agreed the deed was justifiable. They cooked the remains of this horse with the flour

391 / 803