Bahá'í Communities of Iran, Vol. 2

1851 to 1921: The South of Iran
The early histories of all the Bahá’í communities of southern Iran are narrated here for the first time.

Drawing on original sources including manuscript histories, letters, family records and material previously published only in Persian, Dr Moojan Momen provides a panoramic yet detailed account of the largest and the smallest Bahá’í communities during the period 1851 to 1921. During this time they acquired characteristics that differentiated them from the rest of the population – their ethos and outlook, their system of administration and social institutions – and the persecution they faced as a result.

The study of the religious minorities in Iran is still at an early stage. In particular, the Bahá’í community has received relatively little attention, despite being the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran. Moojan Momen sets out to remedy this situation. Using a narrative style, he presents an account of the Bahá’í communities in the...Show More

The early histories of all the Bahá’í communities of southern Iran are narrated here for the first time.

Drawing on original sources including manuscript histories, letters, family records and material previously published only in Persian, Dr Moojan Momen provides a panoramic yet detailed account of the largest and the smallest Bahá’í communities during the period 1851 to 1921. During this time they acquired characteristics that differentiated them from the rest of the population – their ethos and outlook, their system of administration and social institutions – and the persecution they faced as a result.

The study of the religious minorities in Iran is still at an early stage. In particular, the Bahá’í community has received relatively little attention, despite being the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran. Moojan Momen sets out to remedy this situation. Using a narrative style, he presents an account of the Bahá’í communities in the southern half of Iran, province by province, during the early years of their formation and development. The starting point is the execution of the Bab in 1850 and the holocaust of 1852 when the shah gave orders for the extermination of the Babi community and thousands of Babis were killed. Set against the background of the turmoil in the social and economic conditions in Iran, the book stretches across the period of the leadership of the Bahá’í community by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

The book traces the developments in the Iranian Bahá’í community as it emerged from the Babi community and, under the guidance of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, became less parochial and more global in its outlook, seeking education and raising the position of women in its local communities. By the period of the leadership of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, these communities were making a notable difference, with the establishment of modern schools, the promotion of the education and social role of women, the development of health facilities and the building of modern public baths. In all these areas the Bahá’ís were at the forefront of modernity and development in Iran. However, each upsurge in the activities of the Bahá’í community resulted in an upsurge of persecution.

This book is an important contribution to the knowledge of the early days of the Bahá’í Faith, the development of the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran and the emergence of modernity in the Middle East.
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  • Contributors:: Moojan Momen (Author)
  • Format: Hardcover book | 536 pages
  • Dimensions: 156 x 234 x 35 mm | 1040 g
  • Publisher: George Ronald, 2015
  • Language: English
  • SKU: BKS-HIS-H.0478

About Moojan Momen

Moojan Momen was born in Iran but was raised and educated in England, attending the University of Cambridge. He has a special interest in the study of Shi'i Islam and the Bahá'í Faith, both from the viewpoint of their history and their doctrines. In recent years, his interests have extended to the study of the phenomenon of religion.

He has contributed articles to encyclopaedias such as Encyclopaedia Iranica and The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World as well as papers to academic journals such as International Journal of Middle East Studies, Past and Present, Religion, Baha'i Studies Review, and Iranian Studies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society.

Titles by Moojan Momen

The Bahá’í Community in Iran

Bahá’í History: Overviews

1844-1853: Ministry of The Báb

1853-1892: Ministry of Bahá’u’lláh

1892-1921: Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

1921-1957: Ministry of the Guardian

1957 onwards