The Battle Begins

Welcome to Who was she? Podcast. I am your host, Tara Jabbari. 

Who was she? Podcast will focus on the stories of women throughout history that were active in the Baha’i Faith. This season is about Zaynab, a 19th-century village girl from Iran who fought for religious freedom.

In the previous episode, we learned of the beginning of the Baha’i Faith through the Prophet or Manifestation, the Bab, whose followers were known as Babis. In 1863, Baha'u'llah declared that He was the Divine Educator foretold by the Bab and in the years soon after Baha'u'llah's announcement, the followers of the Bab throughout Persia and Iraq gradually heard about Baha'u'llah's claim and embraced Him. Thereafter, they called themselves Baha'is, followers of the Baha'i Faith.

One early believer of the Faith was Hujjat from Zanjan. It is reported that two-thirds of the village accepted the Faith as well as nearby villages. One of those nearby villagers was a young woman named, Zaynab. 

In 19th century Iran, women did not have a lot of rights. Most women were secluded from the home. Very few were educated. The expected duty, from rural to urban areas of the country for centuries were women prepared the home and meals. Because there is not a lot of information or diaries that I could find from that time, particularly about women, I assume that Zaynab was expected the same. Coming from a rural area where women sometimes were given more responsibility, she might have been around the age of 20 when she became a Babi after speaking with travelers. 

As the Faith grew, the governing clergy was frightened and decided to take siege of Zanjan to stop the growing support of the Faith. 

In Edward Price’s Divine Curriculum, Volume 5, he explains that Zanjan is on the main road halfway between Tehran and Tabriz. It was, “surrounded by a crenelated mud brick wall about six meters high. The highway ran through the town parallel to the river. The town was thus longer from east to west than north to south. The Babis were mostly in the eastern half of the town. Officers were appointed for each barricade.”

At the beginning of the siege, there were about 1,800 fighting men in the Babi quarter.

Women had an important role during the battles. There were three thousand or more Babi women and children. Well organized, they worked together. As Price writes, “The women sewed, baked, nursed the wounded, built and repaired barricades, and gathered spent bullets and cannonballs for reuse” with the children as assistants. 

The Babis also had sympathizers among the besieging troops. Many of the officers resented being made to fight against civilians in a battle they blamed on the clergy. Therefore, It is believed they held back from the fighting. 

But the siege was still violent. Despite all the chaos and attacks, Hujjat reminded the Babis,  "We are commanded not to wage holy war under any circumstances against the unbelievers, whatever be their attitude towards us."

Though women played an important part during this siege, one woman decided to do more. An excerpt from Dawnbreakers explains: 

“Further evidence of the spirit of sublime renunciation animating those valiant companions was afforded by the behaviour of a village maiden, who, of her own accord, threw in her lot with the band of women and children who had joined the defenders of the fort. Her name was Zaynab, her home a tiny hamlet in the near neighbourhood of Zanjan. She was comely and fair of face, was fired with a lofty faith, and endowed with intrepid courage. The sight of the trials and hardships which her men companions were made to endure stirred in her an irrepressible yearning to disguise herself in male attire and share in repulsing the repeated attacks of the enemy. Donning a tunic and wearing a head-dress like those of her men companions, she cut off her locks, girt on a sword, and, seizing a musket and a shield, introduced herself into their ranks. No one suspected her of being a maid when she leaped forward to take her place behind the barricade. As soon as the enemy charged, she bared her sword and, raising the cry of "Ya Sahibu'z-Zaman!", (which means literally, “Oh Lord of Time”) flung herself with incredible audacity upon the forces arrayed against her. Friend and foe marvelled that day at a courage and resourcefulness the equal of which their eyes had scarcely ever beheld. Her enemies pronounced her the curse which an angry Providence had hurled upon them. Overwhelmed with despair and abandoning their barricades, they fled in disgraceful rout before her.”

Only Hujjat, who was profoundly impressed by her tone and manner recognized that she was a woman. She was nervous that others would find out but Hujjat assured her that he would keep her secret and gave her the name Rustam-’Ali, which means brave and is the lead character from a story by the Persian poet, Ferdowsi. He also told her, “Not by their outward appearance, but by the character of their beliefs and the manner of their lives, does God judge His creatures, be they men or women. Though a maiden of tender age and immature experience, you have displayed such vitality and resource as few men could hope to surpass." 

In the next episode, we will learn how the siege finally ended and the legacy of Zaynab’s death. 

You can also find more information on our Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest @whowasshe podcast. And please, rate and subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast. Logo was designed by script editor, Angela Musacchio. Music was composed and performed by Sam Redd. I am your host, Tara Jabbari.