The Caravan Leaves Baghdad
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When in Bahá'í history
Baghdád (today: Baghdad, Iraq)
In 1863 Bahá’u’lláh was exiled from Baghdad to Constantinople. His daughter, Bahíyyih Khánum, described the setting out of the caravan, and the care her brother ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Abbas Effendi) gave their father on the journey, in the account recorded by Myron Phelps:
Many of the Blessed Perfection's followers decided to abandon Baghdad also, and accompany Him in His wanderings. When the caravan started, our company numbered about seventy-five persons. All the young men, and others who could ride, were mounted on horses. The women and the Blessed Perfection were furnished waggons. We were accompanied by a military escort. …
From the time when the declaration was made to Him at Baghdad Abbas Effendi seemed to constitute Himself the special attendant, servant, and body-guard of His father. He guarded Him day and night on this journey, riding by His waggon and watching near His tent. He thus had little sleep, and, being young, became extremely weary. His horse was Arab and very fine, and so wild and spirited that no other man could mount him, but under my brother's hand as gentle and docile as a lamb. In order to get a little rest, He adopted the plan of riding swiftly a considerable distance ahead of the caravan, when, dismounting and causing His horse to lie down, He would throw Himself on the ground and place His head on His horse's neck. So He would sleep until the cavalcade came up, when His horse would awake Him by a kick and He would remount.
Source: Myron Henry Phelps, Life and Teachings of Abbas Effendi (1903), ch. III, pp. 31–32 (the narrative of Bahíyyih Khánum).
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: ridvan-twelvth-day).
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