Banished from Adrianople
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When in Bahá'í history
Constantinople (today: Istanbul, Turkey)
Bahíyyih Khánum, the daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, recalled the day in Adrianople when the order came banishing the family from that city:
“This trouble broke with the suddenness of a tornado upon us. We were sitting quietly together at home when we heard a bugle-call. My brother looked out and saw a cordon of soldiers about the house presenting arms. Our first thought was that the life of the Blessed Perfection or of Abbas Effendi was threatened. The latter endeavoured to quiet our alarm, and went out to inquire the cause of this demonstration. He was given the Governor's letter. The family consulted and Abbas Effendi then told the officer in command that we would die rather than be separated, and asked at least for respite. The reply was, ‘No; you must go to-day, Beha Ullah and His family to different places, and neither can know the destination of the other.’ Abbas Effendi demanded permission to go to the Governor's palace and appeal to his representative. This was at first refused but finally granted, and He set out between two guards.
“My brother pleaded so eloquently with the officials that they consented to telegraph to Constantinople asking that the order be changed so that our family might remain together. A reply was received refusing the change. My brother persisted, and had such influence with the officials that they seemed unable to put the measure into execution, permitting Him to send despatch after despatch for a week.
“These were days of horror. The members of our family neither ate nor slept. No cooking was done in the house. When my brother left in the morning with the guards we feared that we might never see Him again, and watched hour after hour for His return.
“At length a telegram was received granting the concession that my father should be permitted to take with Him His immediate family, but directing that His followers should be separated from Him, without knowledge of His destination.”
Source: Myron H. Phelps, Life and Teachings of Abbas Effendi, ch. 3, “Constantinople and Adrianople,” pp. 48–49 (the account of Bahíyyih Khánum).
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: bahaullah-exile).
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