Table of Contents
21 December 1848: The Prince and his mighty army fall
The messenger returned to the Prince, but the promise given by him to Mullá Husayn was not upheld by the Prince. Instead of calling a gathering of the ‘ulamá with Mullá Husayn to hear and discuss the Báb’s claims, the Prince lined up his forces for an attack.
The companions in the fort saw that three regiments of infantry and several regiments of cavalry were preparing to attack the fort. It was now the third day since the messenger had returned. It was still dark, as the sun had not risen. As they were getting ready to attack the fort, the Prince’s forces were shocked to hear the cry: “Mount your steeds, O heroes of God!”. With Quddús leading, Mullá Husayn and two hundred and two of his companions rode out of the fort. They broke through the ranks of the Prince’s forces, and undaunted by the overwhelming forces arrayed against them and undeterred by the snow and mud which had accumulated in the roads, they made headway to Vás-Kas, which was the Prince’s headquarters. Mullá Husayn was leading the charge to the Prince’s base. The Prince, who was watching the movements of Mullá Husayn, ordered his men to focus their fire on him. The bullets which they discharged were powerless to hold Mullá Husayn back. He forced his way through the gate of the Prince’s base and rushed into the private apartments of the Prince. The Prince was now so panicked that he threw himself from a back window into the moat and escaped barefooted. The Prince’s men at his base, deprived of their leader, were now confused and panicked as well. They fled in every direction.15_ACT9 At the Prince’s base, the companions also came across a group of prisoners which they released. To their surprise the prisoners included Mullá Yúsuf-i-Ardibílí [one of the Letters of the Living]. He had been on his way to the fort but been intercepted and taken prisoner by the Prince’s men. He now joined the companions in the fort. 16_ACT9
As the companions forced their way through the section of the base reserved for the Prince, two other princes of royal blood were also killed. The companions found coffers filled with gold and silver in these princes’ lodgings. They left all of these untouched. The only two things they took were a pot of gunpowder and the favourite sword of the Prince. Mullá Husayn’s own sword had been hit by a bullet, so when the companions presented the Prince’s sword to Mullá Husayn, he now used that. 17_ACT9
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