Bahai Library Online

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

World Canada
any   all   exact phrase

Date 1863, descending sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1863 c.22 Dec - 22 Jun or 22 Oct
186-
Bahá'u'lláh and His family spent about six to ten months in another house in the Murádíyyih quarter near the Takyiy-i-Mawlaví. Those who were still in the caravanserai moved to the house thus vacated. Next door to this house a place was rented for Áqáy Ridá, Mírzá Yahyá and their families. [BW19p584; BKG221]

During this time He revealed the following:

  • Lawh-i-Sayyáh (Tablet of the Traveller. [BKG220] (Leiden list suggests "following Separation, February - June 1867]
  • Lah-i-Naqtih (Tablet of the Point). [BKG220]
  • Bahá'u'lláh, Houses of; * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey
    1863-1873
    186-
    During this period Bahá'u'lláh made His proclamation to the kings and rulers.

    Also during this period the decline and breakdown of the Ottoman Empire continued. It was often referred to as the "Sick Man of Europe." This decline was characterized by administrative inefficiency, territorial losses, and the rise of nationalist movements in many of its provinces.

  • Serbia had been taken steps to loosen the Ottoman control since the early 1800s. In 1867 the Turks had to evacuate their fortress there. In 1876, Serbia declared war on the Ottoman Empire, participating in the broader conflict known as the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). Following the war the Treaty of Berlin (1878) recognized Serbia's full independence. Its territory was further expanded in the subsequent years. Muhammad Ali Pasha was taking Egypt out of the Ottoman fold and his dynasty continued until 1952.
  • Moldavia and Walachia were united into the autonomous principality of Romania in 1861 or 1862. In 1877-1878, Romania played a significant role in the Russo-Turkish War, and after the Treaty of Berlin it was officially recognized as an independent nation. The country's independence was further solidified in 1881 when Carol I became the first King of Romania.
  • The Greek War of Independence (25 March 1821) laid the foundation for the modern Greek state and it was a significant chapter in the broader context of nationalist movements and the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.
  • Pan-Slavism, supported by Russia and its agents in the region, had become the prevailing ideology in the Balkans during Bahá'u'lláh's time in Adrianople (1863-68). A serious insurrection broke out in Herzegovina in 1875, followed by an uprising in Bulgaria in 1876 and a declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire by Serbia and Montenegro. Russian armies crossed the Ottoman frontiers and occupied Sofia and Adrianople, fulfilling Bahá'u'lláh's prophecy that:
      "the day is approaching when the Land of Mystery [Adrianople], and what is beside it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the king, and commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the hands of the hosts of oppression..." [The Summons of the Lord of Hosts p143]
    [Colonialism, Nationalism and Jewish Immigration to Palestine: Abdu´l-Bahá's Viewpoints Regarding the Middle East by Kamran Ekbal p16]
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Tablets to kings and rulers; Colonialism and imperialism; History (general); Moldavia
    1863 c. 12 - 21 Dec
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh and His family stayed for one week at a house in the Murádíyyih quarter of the city, in the north-eastern section near Takyiy-i-Mawlavi. The house was located on high ground with a good view of the city and close to the Muradiyyih mosque. The rest of the exiles remained at the inn. [BKG218] During this time He revealed:
  • Kitáb-i-Badí' (The Wonderous or Unique Book) .
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Bahá'u'lláh, Houses of; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 Dec
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh and His party spent three nights in the Khán-i-'Aráb caravanserai. [BKG218] Bahá'u'lláh, Houses of; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 12 Dec
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople

    Bahá'u'lláh and His companions arrived in Adrianople (the "remote prison") ("The Land of Mystery") (GPB174). It would be here where the sun of His revelation would ascend to its zenith, where He proclaimed the Message of His revelation to the whole world. [BKG206; GPB161; RB2:62]

  • Picture.
  • This was the furthest point from His native land that Bahá'u'lláh reached and the first time in known history that a Manifestation of God had lived on the European continent. [BKG217]
  • See BKG218–19, 221–2; GPB161–2 and MRHK179–96 for a description of the houses Bahá'u'lláh lived in during this period.
  • See BKG219–20 for the hardships of the first winter.

      "at a time when the forces of schism had rent asunder the ties that united the little band of exiles which had settled in Adrianople and whose fortunes seemed then to have sunk to their lowest ebb!" [BW5p175]
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Houses of; Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Firsts, other; * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Land of Mystery; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey; - Europe
    1863 1 Dec
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh and His companions left Constantinople for Adrianople. Carriages, wagons and pack animals were provided as well as ox-carts for their possessions. [BKG204; GPB161; RB2:427; ALM22]
  • His departure has been described by Shoghi Effendi as the event that "closes the opening scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in the ministry of Bahá'u'lláh". [GPB162]
  • The journey took twelve days and they passed through the following villages en route: [BKG204; GPB161; The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953 :Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
    • chik-Chakmachih Three hours from Constantinople - spent one night [N7N21]
    • Buyúk-Chakmachih Arrived about noon. [N&N23]
      • Picture of the bridge at Buyúk-Chakmachih (Büyükçekmece) which Bahá'u'lláh and His companions crossed on their way from Constantinople to Adrianople.
      • Map.
    • Salvarí The procession left at midnight in the pouring rain and intense cold.
    • Birkás
    • Bábás
    • Bábá-Iskí
  • See BKG204–5, GPB161 and RB2:62 for the rigours of the journey. The winter was extremely cold and the travellers were not clad for freezing weather.
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Winter; * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Exile (banishment); Istanbul, Turkey; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 Dec
    186-
    Prelude to the exile from Constantinople:
  • It was during Bahá'u'lláh's stay in Constantinople that the conciliatory attitude of the authorities changed to that of hostility as a direct consequence of the intrigues and misrepresentations of the Persian Ambassador. [ALM16]
  • News was brought to Bahá'u'lláh by Shamsí Big of the possibility that He would be transferred to Adrianople. [BKG199]
  • Bahá'u'lláh refused to leave, on pain of martyrdom, but Mírzá Yahyá and his comrades, cowardly and fearful, persuaded Him to go. [BKG201–3]
  • Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz issued an edict banishing Bahá'u'lláh to Adrianople. It was issued "less than four months after the arrival of the exiles." [GPB159–60; RB2:57]
  • The decision was taken to further exile Bahá'u'lláh in part due to the machinations of the Persian Ambassador Mírzá Husayn Khán and his accomplice, Hájí Mírzá Hasan-i-Safá whose government was continually pressing the Turkish forces to arouse hostility against HIm. [GPB159]
  • See BBIC:34, note 68, BKG201 and GPB159 for reasons for the edict.
  • On the same day Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-'Abdu'l-'Azíz-Va-Vukalá, a Tablet addressed to the Sultán. When the Grand Vizier perused it he turned pale. The text of this Tablet has been lost. [BKG206; GPB160]
  • "...Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz, the self-styled vicar of the Prophet of Islám and the absolute ruler of a mighty empire. So potent, so august a personage was the first among the sovereigns of the world to receive the Divine Summons, and the first among Oriental monarchs to sustain the impact of God's retributive justice." [GPB158]
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Lawh-i-`Abdu'l-Aziz-Va-Vukala (Tablet to the Sultan); Mírzá Husayn Khan; Hájí Mírzá Hasan-i-Safa; Mírzá Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Sultán `Abdu'l-Azíz; - Missing, lost or destroyed Writings; Istanbul, Turkey; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 Sep
    186-
    Because the Shamsi Big residence was too small Bahá'u'lláh and His family were moved to the house of Visi Pasha, situated near the mosque of Sultan Fatih Mehmet. They spend three months in this residence. [ALM21] Visi Pasha; Bahá'u'lláh, Houses of; Shamsi Big; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 16 Aug -16 Sep
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh was resident in the House of Shamsí Big near the mosque of Khirqiu-i-Sharifh. During this period He revealed:
  • The Subhánika-Yá-Hú (Tablet of the Bell). [BKG206; BW14:632; RB2:18]
  • See SDH41-43 for the story of Hájí Mirzá Haydar-'Alí and the use of this tablet during his imprisonment in Egypt.
  • He also revealed the Lawh-i-'Abdu'l-'Aziz Va-Vukalá. [BW19p583]
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Lawh-i-Naqus (Tablet of the Bell); Hájí Mírzá Haydar-`Alí (Angel of Carmel); Báb, Declaration of; * Bahaullah (chronology); * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey; Egypt
    1863 c. Aug - Nov
    186-
    Death of Sádhijíyyih, 18-month-old daughter of Bahá'u'lláh and Mahd-i-'Ulyá. Her body was buried in a plot of land outside the Ádirnih Gate of Constantinople. [BKG203] Sadhijiyyih; Bahá'u'lláh, Family of; Mahd-i-Ulya (Fatimih Khanum); Edirne Gate; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 16 Aug - 1 Dec
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh in Constantinople

    "spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas" [KA217]

    Upon arrival He and His family were driven to the residence of Shamsi Big near the Sharif Mosque. They stayed here about one month. His companions were given accommodation elsewhere in the city. [BKG197, 204; GPB157–61, HDBFXXVIII]

  • See BKG197–204 for an account of Bahá'u'lláh's stay.
  • His arrival in Constantinople and stay of about 5 years marked the first time in history that a Manifestation of God had set foot in the European continent. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 2 June 1982 addressed To the Friends gathered at the International Conference in Dublin.]
  • Among the works Bahá'u'lláh revealed in Constantinople was Mathnaví-i-Mubárak. [RB2:29–54]
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Mathnaviyi-i Mubarak; Shamsi Big; Mírzá Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Sultán `Abdu'l-Azíz; Lawh-i-`Abdu'l-Aziz-Va-Vukala (Tablet to the Sultan); - Grand Viziers; * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Istanbul, Turkey; Edirne, Turkey; Turkey first among the sovereigns to receive the Divine Summons.
    1863 16 Aug
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh and His party arrived at Constantinople at noon. He was received with great honour by a government official appointed. At that time it was a city of about 100,000 inhabitants. [BKG197; GPB157; RB2:1]
  • Picture.
  • The band of exiles had been augmented along the journey and now numbered about 70. At first the Governor allotted them space in an inn that was inadequate for their numbers and then 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked the governor that the family have a house apart. Mírzá Yáhyá and his family were invited to share the house. [CH59]
  • See The Bahá'í Faith in Turkey or Essays and Notes on Babi and Bahá'í History Chapter 4 by John Walbridge.
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Mírzá Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey first time a Manifestation of God had set foot on the European continent.
    1863 13 Aug
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh and His party departed from Sámsún by steamer for Istanbul. [BKG196; GPB157]
  • They touched in Sinope, a port of call on the 14 of August and in Anyábulí on the 15th. [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953: Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Ships; Samsun, Turkey; Sinope, Turkey; Anyabuli, Turkey; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 9 May
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh and His party left Firayját for Istanbul although at this point the destination was unknown to the exiles. [CH57, GPB156; SA235; BKG176-178]
  • On the day of His departure from Firayjat Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawḥ-i-Firáq (In 'Iráq it is known as Lawḥ-i-Firayját) [Tablet of Firayját (Lawḥ-i-Firayját) / Tablet of Firáq (Lawḥ-i-Firáq) compiled by Violetta Zein]
  • The journey took 110 days. [GPB156]
  • For the number of people on the journey see BKG179 (72), GPB156 (26 plus members of His family plus guards), RB2:5–6 (54) and SW13:277 (72).
  • The caravan consisted of fifty mules, a mounted guard of ten soldiers with their officer, and seven pairs of howdahs, each pair surmounted by four parasols. By virtue of the written order of Namiq Pasha Bahá'u'lláh was accorded an enthusiastic reception by the religious notables and government officials as the caravan wound its way northward. [ALM12]
    • Gawhar Khanum, Bahá'u'lláh's third wife whom He married in Baghdad before the declaration of His mission, remained in Baghdad with her brother, Mirza Mihdiy-i-Kashani. [MoF95] The dates of her birth, marriage and death are not known. For some years she was among the Bahá'í refugees in Mosul and later went to 'Akka at Bahá'u'lláh's instruction. She gave birth to one daughter, Furughiyyih; mother and daughter both became Covenant-breakers after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh. [CoC22]
  • For the details of the journey see BKG176–96; GPB1567; SW13:277.
  • See BKG180 for a map of the journey.
  • They passed through the following:
    • Judaydih
    • Dilí-'Abbás
    • Qarih-Tapih
    • Saláhíyyih (stay two nights)
    • Dúst-Khurmátú
    • Táwuq
    • Karkúk (stay two days)
    • Irbíl
    • By the River Záb
    • Bartallih
    • Mosul (stay three days)
    • khú
    • Jazírih
    • Nisíbín (Nusaybin)(On the boarder of Iraq, Syria, and Turkey)
    • Hasan-Áqá
    • Márdiín (three day halt)
    • Díyár-Bakr (after three days of travel) (stay two-three days) It was here that Mírzá Yahyá made himself known to the party after having travelled in disguise from Mosul. [ALM12]
    • Ma'dan-Mis (one night)
    • Khárpút (one day's travel) (stay two or three days)
    • Ma'dan-Nuqrih
    • Dilik-Tásh
    • Sívás
    • Túqát (Tokat)
    • Amasia (Amasya)(stay two days)
    • Iláhíyyih (the last day of the overland journey)
    • Sámsún on the Black Sea. (110 days after departure) [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953: Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
  • As the party drew close to Sámsún on the Black Sea Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Hawdaj. [BKG195; RB2:6]
  • Picture
  • The party remained in Sámsún for seven days. [GPB157]
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Journeys; Caravans; Howdahs; Black Sea; Lawh-i-Hawdaj (Tablet of the Howdah); * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Gawhar Khanum; Furughiyyih; Mírzá Mihdiy-i-Kashani; Lawh-i-Firayjat; Lawh-i-Firaq; Exile (banishment); Iraq; Turkey; Firayjat, Baghdad, Iraq; Samsun, Turkey; Istanbul, Turkey; Judaydih, Iraq; Dili-Abbas, Iraq; Qarih-Tapih, Iraq; Salahiyyih, Iraq; Dust-Khurmatu, Iraq; Tawuq, Iraq; Karkuk, Iraq; Irbil, Iraq; Bartallih, Iraq; Mosul, Iraq; Zakhu, Iraq; Jazirih, Iraq; Nisibin, Turkey; Hasan-Aqa, Turkey; Mardiin, Turkey; Diyar-Bakr, Turkey; Madan-Mis, Turkey; Kharput, Turkey; Madan-Nuqrih, Turkey; Dilik-Tash, Turkey; Sivas, Turkey; Tuqat, Turkey; Amasia, Turkey; Ilahiyyih, Turkey
    1863 3 May
    186-
    When Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdad for Constantinople, He bade Siyyid Mihdíy-i-Dahájí Ismu'lláh move into His house and become its caretaker. [RoB2p273-274]
  • For details of the life of this man see RoB2p274.
  • Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq; Caretakers; Siyyid Mihdiy-i-Dahaji
    1863 3 May
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh left the Garden of Ridván.
  • This initiated the holy day the Twelfth Day of Ridván, to be celebrated on 2 May. [BBD196]
  • As He was about to leave He revealed a Tablet addressed to Áqá Mírzá Áqá in Shíráz. It brought relief and happiness to those who received it. [EB222]
  • His leaving was accompanied by symbolic signs of His station: He rode a horse rather than a donkey and wore a tall táj. [BBD221; BKG176]
  • See BKG175–6, GPB155 and RB1:281–2 for descriptions of the scenes that accompanied His departure.

    Bahá'u'lláh and His party arrived at Firayját, about three miles away on the banks of the Tigris. [BKG176]

  • There they stayed in a borrowed garden for a week while Bahá'u'lláh's brother, Mirza Musa, completed dealing with their affairs in Baghdad and packing the remaining goods. Visitors still came daily. [SA235]
  • One of the loyal followers who was left behind was Ahmad-i-Yazdi. He would later make the journey to Constantinople where he received a Tablet from Bahá'u'lláh. [C3MT17]
  • Ridván Festival; Bahá'u'lláh, Declaration of; * Bahaullah (chronology); Ridván Festival; Aqa Mírzá Aqay-i-Afnan (Nurud-Din); Afnan; Horses; Donkeys; Taj; Tigris River; Rivers; Ridván garden; Najibiyyih Garden; Holy days; Baghdad, Iraq; Firayjat, Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq; Shíráz, Iran; Iran
    1863 30 Apr
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh's family joined Him in the Garden. [BKG175; RB1:281; SA235]
  • This initiated the holy day of the Ninth Day of Ridván, to be celebrated on 29 April. [BBD 196]
  • Ridván Festival; Bahá'u'lláh, Declaration of; Bahá'u'lláh, Family of; * Bahaullah (chronology); Ridván Festival; Najibiyyih Garden; Holy days; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1863 Apr
    186-
    Mírzá Yahyá fled Baghdád, travelling to Mosul in disguise. [BKG158; RB252–5]
  • Mírzá Yahyá had, since Bahá'u'lláh's return, concealed himself indoors ore, whenever danger threatened, would withdraw himself to Hillih or Basra where he disguised himself as a Jewish shoe merchant. [BKG224]
  • CH59 says that he left Baghdád about two weeks before the larger party.
  • Bahá'u'lláh advised him to go to Persia to disseminate the Writings of the Báb. [RB1:252–3]
  • Mírzá Yahyá abandoned the Writings of the Báb and travelled surreptitiously to Constantinople, joining the exiles when they passed through Mosul. He had obtained a passport in the name of Mírzá 'Alíh-i-Kirmánsháhí. [ESW167–8; RB1:255; BKG224]
  • See ESW167 and RB1:253–4 for Yahyá's movements.
  • Mírzá Yahya (Subh-i-Azal); Baghdad, Iraq; Mosul, Iraq; Iraq; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey; Iran
    1863 22 Apr
    186-
    Thirty–one days after Naw-Rúz, which in this year fell on 22 March, Bahá'u'lláh left His house for the last time and walked to the Najíbíyyih Garden, afterward known as the Garden of Ridván (Paradise). This garden was on an island in the Tigris River and belonged to the governor of Baghdad, Najib Pásha. The river has since changed its course and the island is now a park on the north bank of the Tigris. [C3MT15]
  • See BKG168, GPB149, RB1:260–1 and SA234–5 for details of His walk.
  • For the first time, He wore a tall táj as a symbol of His station. [BBD221; BKG176; GPB152]
  • Bahá'u'lláh entered the Garden just as the call to afternoon prayer was being made. [GPB149; RB1:261]
  • On this day Bahá'u'lláh declared His mission to a few of His disciples. [RB1:260, 262]
  • On the afternoon of Bahá'u'lláh's arrival at the Garden He revealed the Lawh-i-Ayyúb (Tablet of Job) (also known as the Súriy-i-Sabr (Súrat of Patience), Madínatu's-Sabr (City of Patience) and Súrat Ayyúb for Hájí Muhammad-i-Taqíy-i-Nayrízí whom He surnamed Ayyúb (Job). He was a veteran of the battle of Nayríz. The Tablet praised Vahíd and the believers of Nayríz. [SA239; Tablet of Patience (Surih Íabr): Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh and Selected Topics by Foad Seddigh]
  • He also revealed the Tablet of Ridván, an Arabic tablet beginning with "He is seated upon this luminous throne.... [SA239]
  • ...and Húr-i-'Ujáb (The Wondrous Maiden). [SA239]
  • ...as well as Qad atá Rabí'u'l-Bayán, ...The Divine Springtime is come.... [SA240]
  • and an Arabic Tablet that begins...When the gladness of God seized all else. [SA240]
  • 'Of the exact circumstances … we, alas, are but scantily informed.' [BKG173; GPB153]
  • For such details as are known, see BKG173–5 and GPB153. iiiii
  • For the import of the event, see BKG169–73; G27–35; GBP153–5.
  • This initiated the holy day of the First Day of Ridván, to be celebrated on 21 April. [BBD196]
  • This marked the end of the dispensation of the Báb and of the first epoch of the Heroic or Apostolic Age of the Bahá'í dispensation. [BBD72, 79]
  • On the same day Bahá'u'lláh made three important statements to His followers:
    1. He forbade the use of the sword.
    2. He stated that no other Manifestations will appear before one thousand years. This was later reiterated in the Kitáb-i-Badí' and in The Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
    3. He stated that, as from that moment, all the names and attributes of God were manifested within all created things, implying the advent of a new Day. [RB1:278–80]

    During the 12 days in the Ridván Garden Bahá'u'lláh confided to 'Abdu'l-Bahá that He was 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. [CH82]

  • See CH82–3 for the effect of this announcement on 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Ridván Festival; Naw-Ruz; * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Declaration of; Ridván garden; Najibiyyih Garden; Ages and Epochs; Heroic age; Lawh-i-Ayyub; Hájí Muhammad-i-Taqiy-i-Nayrizi; * `Abdu'l-Bahá (chronology); - Basic timeline, Condensed; - Basic timeline, Expanded; * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; Firsts, other; Taj; Holy days; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq First time Bahá'u'lláh wears tall táj as symbol of His station; First Day of Ridván; first epoch of Heroic or Apostolic Age
    1863 22 Apr - 3 May
    186-
    Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh in the Garden of Ridván.

    The garden was located in a large agricultural area immediately north of the walls of the city of Baghdad, about 450 metres (1,480 ft) from the city's northern Mu'azzam gate. Located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in what is now the Bab al-Mu'azzam neighbourhood of Baghdad's Rusafa District, it was directly opposite the district in which Bahá'u'lláh lived during his stay in the city, on the river's western bank. [Wikipedia]

    Extract from a Tablet of Baha'u'llah-Khadimu'llah. (Edited provisional translation below)

      "On the first day that the Ancient Beauty occupied the Most Great Throne in a Garden which hath been designated Ridván, the Tongue of Grandeur uttered three blessed verses.
      [1] The first of them was that in this Manifestation the use of the sword in holy war is put aside.
      [2] Secondly, prior to the completion of a millennium any theophanological claim put forward by any person must be considered baseless. In this respect the year should be considered a complete year.
      [3] Thirdly, the True One, exalted be His Glory, at that time manifested all the Divine Names upon all things.
        "Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted Attributes". [Kitab-i-Aqdas para75 p47]

      And the following choice verse was subsequently revealed but has been ordained to be of the same rank as the preceding three; namely, whatever personal designations are mentioned before the Face, whether living or dead, such have thereby attained the Presence of God by virtue of being mentioned by the King of Pre-Existence. [UCMERCED site]
    Ridván Festival; Bahá'u'lláh, Declaration of; Ridván garden; Najibiyyih Garden; Gardens; Holy days; * Bahaullah (chronology); - Basic timeline, Condensed; - Basic timeline, Expanded; * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1863 (Prior to the Declaration)
    186-
    See Bibliography for the Tablets of Baha'u'llah: List of citations and resources for Tablets revealed 1853-1863 compiled by Jonah Winters.
  • See also Notes and Commentary on the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh: Wilmette Institute study materials by Jonah Winters.
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1863 Between 1857 - 1863
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh revealed Lawh-i-Fitnih, "Tablet of the Test". The Tablet, as its title indicates, is about tests and trials which are associated with the Day of God. In it Bahá'u'lláh alludes to His own Revelation and states that through His advent the whole creation will be tried; no soul will be exempt. All those who are the embodiments of piety and wisdom, of knowledge and virtue, every accomplished man of learning, the servants of God and His sincere lovers, the angels that enjoy near access to God, the Concourse on high, every righteous man of discernment, every mature embodiment of wisdom, even the realities of the Prophets and Messengers of God -- all will be tested. [CoCp35]
    • There is a tradition in Islam quoted by Shoghi Effendi in his Persian writings which sets forth the difficulties and perils encountered by man on his journey to God. It describes how all men will perish and die except the believers; all the believers will perish and die except those who are tested, all who are tested will perish and die except those who are sincere, and those who are sincere will be in great danger. [CoCp35]
    * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; Lawh-i-Fitnih (Tablet of the Test); * Bahaullah (chronology); Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1863 18 Apr
    186-
    Birth of William Henry (Harry) Randall, Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Boston. William Harry Randall; - Disciples of `Abdu'l-Bahá; Births and deaths; Boston, MA; Massachusetts, USA; United States (USA)
    1863 27 Mar
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh met the deputy governor in a mosque opposite the Government House where the Farmán which had been sent by the Sultán was announced to Him and advised that He and His family were to be exiled to an unknown destination. Námiq Páshá, the governor of Baghdad, could not bring himself to meet Bahá'u'lláh and give Him this news in person. At first he summoned Him to the courthouse but when He refused to attend he asked Him to meet in the mosque. [CH81-82,BKG154–5; GPB147–8; RB1:229]
  • See BKG155–6 and GPB148 for the effect of this news on the believers.
  • Bahá'u'lláh and His family had been given Ottoman citizenship by this time. [BBRSM66]
  • See BKG156–8 for a list of those chosen by Bahá'u'lláh to migrate with Him.
  • See TN50–3 for the story of the sedition behind Bahá'u'lláh's removal from Baghdád.
  • Fearful of Bahá'u'lláh's growing influence in Baghdád, the Persian Consul-General, Mirza Burzurg Khan, had made representation to the Sultan to have Him delivered to the Persian authorities. The Sultan, although the Caliph of Sunni Islam, considered himself a mystical seeker and was no doubt intrigued with Bahá'u'lláh from the reports of the Governor of 'Akká, Námiq Páshá, and his own Prime Minister, 'Alí Páshá. This combination of sympathy and interest led the Ottoman government to invite Him to the capital rather than send Him to a remote location or return Him to Persia to an uncertain fate. [BBD196; BBIC13, 57note 68; RoB1p142-147]
  • * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; - Governors; Namiq Pasha; Ottoman citizenship; Ottoman government; Exile (banishment); Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 26 Mar
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Tablet of the Holy Mariner on the fifth day of Naw-Rúz. The Tablet was revealed to the friends present and Nabil wrote that they understood it portended to a new period and greater tests. His further exile was being foretold. Immediately after it was chanted Bahá'u'lláh ordered the tents to be folded and everyone to return to the city. The party had not yet left when a messenger arrived from Námiq Páshá summoning Bahá'u'lláh to the governorate the next day to receive the announcement that he was to be transferred to Constantinople. [RB1:228-229; SA163-165, 234; BKG154; GPB147]
  • The Tablet was recited by Mírzá Áqá Ján. [RB1:228]
  • See GPB147 and RB1:228 for the effect on those present.
  • See Tablet of the Holy Mariner (Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds): Study Compilations by Aziz Mboya. .
  • * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of; * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds (Tablet of the Holy Mariner, Arabic); Naw-Ruz; Mírzá Aqa Jan (Khadimu'lláh); Namiq Pasha; * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Mazraiy-i-Vashshash, Iraq; Iraq; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
    1863 Mar
    186-
    Bahá'u'lláh celebrated the two-week festival of Naw-Rúz at the Mazra'iy-i-Vashshásh, a farm along the river Tigris, not far from His house in Baghdád. [BKG154; GPB147; SA163] * Bahaullah (chronology); Naw-Ruz; Rivers; Mazraiy-i-Vashshash, Iraq; Tigris River; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1863 c. Jan 1863
    186-
    The governor of Baghdád, Námiq Páshá, received the first of 'five successive commands' from 'Alí Páshá, the Grand Vizier of Turkey, to transfer Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople. This order was ignored by the governor, who was sympathetic to Bahá'u'lláh. In the next three months, four more orders were received and similarly ignored before the governor was compelled to comply. [BKG154; GPB131] * Bahaullah (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Banishment of; - Governors; Namiq Pasha; - Grand Viziers; `Alí Páshá; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey First of ‘five successive commands' to transfer Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople
    1863 (In the year)
    186-
    The passing of Hájí Mubárak, the servant of the Báb. He was born in 1823 and died at the age of 40. He was buried in the grounds of the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq.
  • He had been purchased in Bushir at the age of 5 by Hájí Mírzá Abú'l-Qásím, the great-grandfather of Shoghi Effendi and brother-in-law of the Báb and was sold to the Báb in 1842, just prior to His wedding, at the age of 19 for fourteen tomans. [BP5, 18]
  • Hájí Mubarak; In Memoriam; Bushihr, Iran; Iran; Karbala, Iraq; Iraq
    1863 or earlier
    186-
    Colonel Sir Arnold Burrowes Kemball, the British Consul-General in Baghdád, offered Bahá'u'lláh the protection of British citizenship and offered Him residence in India or anywhere of Bahá'u'lláh's choosing. [BBR183, 234; BBRSM65; GPB131]
  • Bahá'u'lláh declined the invitation, preferring to remain in Ottoman lands. [GBP131]
  • See BBR183, 508 for details on Kemball; see BBR160–1 for a picture.
  • Arnold Burrowes Kemball; United Kingdom, History (general); * Bahaullah (chronology); Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    Home divider Site Map divider Tags divider Search divider Series
    Chronology divider Links divider About divider Contact divider RSS
    smaller font
    larger font