The relationship between the Russian diplomatic mission and the Babi and Baha'i movements according to a Russian scholar.

The relationship between the Russian diplomatic mission and the movement that evolved from Babism to Baha'ism was complex, shifting from initial political apprehension to a more nuanced involvement characterized by scholarly interest, personal sympathy, and occasional direct intervention,,.

Evolution toward a Nuanced Relationship

Initially, in the mid-19th century, the Russian and British missions were primarily concerned that the Babi uprisings would destabilize Iran and undermine their respective influences. Consequently, diplomats like Prince Dolgorukov encouraged the Shah’s government to take decisive measures to suppress the movement.

Over time, however, the relationship became more sophisticated as Russian diplomats and military officials began to study the movement in depth,.

• Scholarly Engagement: Many officials, such as A.G. Tumansky, N.V. Khanikov, and G.D. Batyushkov, became leading researchers of the movement, collecting manuscripts and corresponding with its leaders,,.
• Internal Divergence: Opinions within the mission varied. While Dolgorukov viewed Babism as a purely religious phenomenon, others—supported by diplomatic data—saw it as a political movement against the existing order. By the late 19th century, some officials like Batyushkov even argued that the spread of Baha'ism could benefit Persia because its ideals were "higher than Muslim, especially Shiite" ideals.
• Diplomatic Friction: By the 1890s, the presence of Baha'i refugees in Russian-controlled Ashgabat created tension,. While some Russian authorities favored the group, officials like V.I. Ignatyev worried that this protection "embittered the Shah" and harmed Russo-Persian relations.

Protection and Interventions

Diplomats frequently stepped in to protect followers or their interests, often at personal or political risk:

• Saving Lives through Records: In Tehran, G.D. Batyushkov intervened in a probate case regarding a Russian-subject Babi. He secured the deceased's papers and manuscripts, explicitly stating that he did so to "save from publicity" many individuals who would have suffered "substantially" if the government or clergy had discovered their identities.
• Asylum in Ashgabat: Under General Kuropatkin, the Russian administration in the Transcaspian Region showed great favor to the Baha'i community,. Baha'is in Ashgabat sought Russian citizenship to avoid being seized and executed upon returning to Persia. Despite the diplomatic strain, Russian officials like Ignatyev maintained that extraditing these refugees to Iran was impossible, as it would be beneath the "dignity of Russia as a great power".
• Protection of Agents: In Yazd, the head of the Baha'i community, Haji Mohammad Tagi Shirazi, was protected by his status as a Russian commercial agent, allowing the community to live relatively peacefully for a time under the shadow of Russian authority.

Secret Instructions and Safe Passage

The sources highlight specific instances where the Russian mission facilitated the movement of followers through archival and administrative means:

• Instructions for Akka: A.G. Tumansky, while searching the mission’s archives, discovered a "secret instruction" addressed to a Babi. This document detailed the specific measures required for the follower's "safe passage to Akka" (the residence of Baha'u'llah).
• Collection of Political Circulars: Tumansky also recovered a political circular from Abbas Effendi (Ghusn-i-Azam), the leader of the movement, titled "Lawh-i-Siyasi," which he used to characterize the contemporary political stance of the Baha'is.
• Information Gathering: Diplomatic officials like N.A. Anichkov in Tabriz were tasked with using all means to collect "the most reliable and closest information" about the movement, including obtaining original manuscripts from local governors to better understand the sect's goals and influence.

(N. A. Kuznetsova's 1963 article, "On the History of the Study of Babism and Baha'ism in Russia")

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