Chihríq

چهریق Chihríq
City in Iran
The Castle of Chihríq
Location of Chihríq
Related media

Chihríq, referred to by the Báb as Jabál-i-Shadíd (the Grievous Mountain), was a fortress in Persia notable in Bahá’í history as a place the Báb was confined from 1848 to 1850.

History

Chihríq is the name of a rural district, village, and castle in the Persian province of Adhirbayjan. The castle and village are located near the town of Salmás with the castle being constructed on a rising rock formation. In the 1820's the area was briefly occupied by Russian troops during a war between Persia and Russia.

In April 1848 Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí, the Prime Minister of Persia, was informed that 'Alí Khán, the warden of Máh-Kú where the Báb was imprisoned, had become friendly with the Báb even proposing that the Báb marry his daughter. As a result Áqásí issued an order that the Báb be transferred to Chihríq, and the Báb arrived at the fortress on April 10, 1848. Yaḥyá Khán-i-Kurd, a brother-in-law of Muhammad Sháh, was the warden of the fortress and initially treated the Báb severely and prevented Him from receiving visitors.

Yaḥyá Khán-i-Kurd came to have a positive opinion of the Báb and relaxed the conditions of His confinement and began allowing all visitors permission to enter the castle to meet Him resulting in the Báb becoming popular among the people of Chihríq village. A large amount of visitors travelled to Chihríq to meet the Báb and the village was unable to accommodate them so visitors had to begin staying in Iski-Shahr, a town about an hour from Chihríq.

Government officials in nearby Khúy became Bábís and actively taught the religion while the Báb was in Chihríq causing significant traffic between the two, and an official who became a prominent figure in the religion, Mírzá Asadu’lláh, granted the title Dayyán by the Báb, came to Chihríq on foot to meet the Báb and became a staunch Bábí. After a few months a dervish from India, who the Báb granted the title Qahru’llah, came and settled in Iski-Shahr after reportedly dreaming of the Báb summoning him to Chihríq and he actively propagated the Bábí religion in the area and became popular.

The conversion of Dayyán and popularity of Qahru’llah in the local population prompted concern in Tabríz which was conveyed to Ṭihrán and an order was issued for the Báb to be taken to Tabríz. The Báb directed Qahru’llah to return to India shortly before the order was received and He was taken to Tabríz in July 1848. The Báb was interrogated in Tabríz and bastinadoed after openly proclaiming Himself to be the Qá’im and was returned to Chihríq after a short time.

The Báb was in Chihríq when the battle of Shaykh Tabarsí took place and concluded in May 1849 and He refused to receive any visitors for nine days and stopped revealing Tablets for a period of six months after the battle took place. In June 1850 the Báb was taken from Chihríq to Tabríz where He was martyred.

In 1944 Shoghi Effendi announced that part of the village of Chihríq had been purchased by the Bahá’í community. As of late 1954 negotiations were underway for the purchase of the castle itself, however all assets of the Bahá’í community were seized following the 1979 Revolution in Iran.