Siege of Fort Shaykh Tabarsí Begins – Page 2

NOTE

Additional information on the design, construction and manning of the fortifications at Fort Shaykh Tabarsí

Initial construction of the Fort

Mullá Husayn had already made the initial plans for the construction of a simple fort around the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí by the end of the very first day of his arrival there. Under the charge of Muhammad Báqir-i-Qá’iní, the construction of the fort began as soon as the group was settled.

The shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí itself was a small construct. It was located on a plot of land about three to four thousand meters square, which is equal to about half a soccer field. One historian records:

The boundaries of the courtyard of the shrine were limited by a hedge originally planted to keep the animals out. A ditch had been dug around the shrine about one meter deep and one meter wide. The earth from the ditch was piled on the inside of the square, and the hedge was planted on the top of the pile of earth, along with sticks and canes tied together with straw. Of course, this hedge would not be sufficient to protect Mullá Husayn and his companions from their enemies, so they would reinforce and repair the walls many times while at Tabarsí.

During the first nights of their arrival at the shrine, Mullá Husayn ordered that each part of the wall be guarded by different groups of believers from the various provinces of Iran. The Bábís of Khurasan stood watch on one side, the believers from Shiraz on another, and so forth. They began to construct a new wall, and in some places added more land and enlarged the courtyard. Mullá Husayn himself supervised the project and Mírzá Muhammad-Báqir , who built the Bábíyyih in Mashhad, was the engineer of all the work.

Before the Bábís arrival, there had been one entrance to the grounds of the shrine. The companions build another on the western boundary, facing Báfurúsh. They build four small towers on four sides, then constructed a number of small buildings of wood and grass where the friends could lodge. The yard of the shrine had been over-grown with huge Siberian elms that served as building material.

As the fort was being constructed, the Bábís were continually attacked or harassed by the people of the neighbouring villages. These neighboring villages were being incited by the implacable, hate-ridden Sa‘ídu’l-‘Ulamá’ of Bárfurúsh. The companions withstood every attack, while continuing the construction of the fort.

When the work of initial construction was completed, Mullá Husayn began preparations for storage of food and water for the siege of the fort, which he knew lay ahead.

Additional construction of the Fort

As the siege proceeded, and the fort attacked with more advanced weapons such as cannons [see DB 19-20 Part A], the fort will be further fortified including addition of towers and an additional new gate. These additions and modifications will change the fort from a rectangle to an octagonal structure with addition of towers, gates and thickened walls to withstand cannons. One historian records:

Later when the Sháh’s army laid siege to the fort [see Act 9], the walls had to be constructed again. The initial fortifications were not strong enough to withstand the cannonballs and full, frontal attacks. And so, the fortifications were reinforced – again under the care of Mírzá Muhammad-Báqir. The grounds of the shrine were enlarged to include more land, and two gates built of bricks brought from the neighboring villages. Every companion was assigned to carry twenty bricks to the fort. Mullá Husayn took part in the work and carried his twenty bricks. When the two gates were finished, one was turned over to the believers of Mazandaran. The other was assigned to the Bábís from Shiraz. The new fort was octagonal and had eight towers. Each side was built by a group of companions who guarded it during the fighting.

A rendering of the design of the Fort at Shaykh Tabarsí based on various historical sources. Also indicated are the posts assigned to different groups of companions. With the exception of the original shrine itself at the centre, all the fortifications were destroyed by the army when the siege ended.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

End of DB 19: The Black Standard

364 / 803