BahÃĄâ•Žuâ•ŽllÃĄh and the New Era - Knowledge Rush

Constantinople and AdrianopleThe journey to Constantinople lasted between three and fourmonths, the party consisting of Bahá’u’lláh with members ofHis family and twenty-six disciples. Arrived in Constantinoplethey found themselves prisoners in a small house in which theywere very much overcrowded. Later they got somewhat betterquarters, but after four months they were again moved on, thistime to Adrianople. The journey to Adrianople, although it lastedbut a few days, was the most terrible they had yet undertaken.Snow fell heavily most of the time, and as they were destituteof proper clothing and food, their sufferings were extreme. Forthe first winter in Adrianople, Bahá’u’lláh and His family, numberingtwelve persons, were accommodated in a small house ofthree rooms, comfortless and vermin infested. In the spring theywere given a more comfortable abode. They remained in Adrianopleover four and a half years. Here Bahá’u’lláh resumed Histeaching and gathered about Him a large following. He publiclyannounced His mission and was enthusiastically accepted by themajority of the Bábís, who were known thereafter as Bahá’ís.A minority, however, under the leadership of Bahá’u’lláh’s halfbrother, Mírzá Ya%yá, become violently opposed to Him andjoined with their former enemies, the Shí’ihs, in plotting forHis overthrow. Great troubles ensued, and at last the TurkishGovernment banished both Bábís and Bahá’ís from Adrianople,exiling Bahá’u’lláh and His followers to Akká, in Palestine,where they arrived (according to Nabíl) 15 on August 31, 1868,while Mírzá Ya%yá and his party were sent to Cyprus.15 Author of an early history of the Faith, The Dawn-Breakers, Nabíl was aparticipant in some of the scenes he describes and was personally acquaintedwith many of the early believers.