Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1899-0, descending — sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1899 Summer Ethel Jenner Rosenberg accepted the Bahá'í Faith, the first English woman to become a Bahá'í in her native land. [AB73–4; ER39; GPB260; SBR20, 33; SEBW55-64, SCU17]
  • For her biography see Rob Weinberg's, Ethel Jenner Rosenberg.
  • She visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá several times in the first decade of the century. [SCU17]
    		•  Ethel Rosenberg; First Bahá'ís by country or area; United Kingdom First English woman to become a Bahá'í in her native land
    1899 18 May – 28 Jul At the suggestion of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, the First International Peace Conference was held in The Hague. 26 nations attended. Although the conference failed to achieve its primary objective, the limitation on armaments, it did adopt conventions defining the state of belligerency and adopted the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes thus creating the Permanent Court of Arbitration. [Encyclopaedia Britannica]
  • This was the second attempt by a sovereign to call for some sort of international peace conference. The first such effort was made by Napoleon III in the 1860s. [Modernity and Millennium by Juan Cole p131-135]
    		• International peace conferences; Czar Nicholas II; Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes; Permanent Court of Arbitration; Peace; Central Organization for a Durable Peace; The Hague; Netherlands
    1899 c. 1 May (and period following) Kheiralla returned to the United States from `Akká. [BFA1:xxix, 158] (After his departure from Palestine he was abandoned by his British-American wife.) [SBBH1p239]
  • His ambitions to lead the Bahá'í Faith caused a crisis in the American Bahá'í community. [BFA1:158–84; CB247–9, GPB259–260; 319; SBBH194, 239; AY119; WOB82-83]
  • In the following months `Abdu'l-Bahá dispatched successive teachers to heal the rift:
    • Hájí `Abdu'l-Karím-i-Tihrání, who had taught Kheiralla the Faith, from c. 26 Apr to 5 Aug 1900. [BFA1:173–6; BFA2:17–29]
        See Addressess by Abdel Karim Effendi Tehrani Delivered before the New York & Chicago Assemblies translated by Anton Haddad.

        After négociations with Kheiralla failed and Kheiralla had left the community, Abdu'l-Karím stayed to explain the teachings but because of his own poor understanding of the Writings or his ability to grasp the American situation, he was unable to teach the American community very little. His talks stressed the statements about Àbdu'l-Bahá's authority and high spiritual station and he stressed the concept of the Bahá'í covenant but he spoke very little about the other teachings. When he left the American community was still confused about which of the teaching of Kheiralla were actually true.

        He did however, provide one significant contribution in the reorganization of the Chicago community. They had elected a ten-member Board of Council of men in March 1900, he encouraged them to replace it with a 19-member board of men and women which was elected in May or June of 1900. [TC157-158]

    • Hájí Hasan-i-Khurásání, from 29 Nov 1900 to Aug 1901. [BFA2:35, 389]
    • Mírzá Asadu'lláh-i-Isfahání, from 29 Nov 1900 to 12 May 1902. [BFA2:VI, 35–43ff]
    • Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, accompanied by the young poet and diplomat, Ali-Kuli Khan, from Aug 1901 to Dec 1904. [BFA2:XV-XVI, 80–7; BW9:855–60]
  • "...four chosen messengers of 'Abdu'l-Bahá who, in rapid succession, were dispatched by Him to pacify and reinvigorate that troubled community. ...were commissioned to undertake, the beginnings of that vast Administration, the corner-stone of which these messengers were instructed to lay... [WOB83-84; AY119]
  • See BFA1:177–8 for lists of believers who sided with Kheiralla, left the Faith or remained loyal to `Abdu'l-Bahá.
  • See SBBH1:98–101 for Kheiralla's teachings.
    • Note: GPB259 says that Kheiralla had returned from the Holy Land in December of 1899 but in fact it was in the month of May. [BFA1pxxix] iiiii
    		• Ibrahim George Kheiralla; Covenant-breakers; Hájí `Abdu'l-Karim-i-Tihrani; Hájí Hasan-i-Khurasani; Mírzá Asadullah-i-Isfahani; Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani; `Alí Kulí Khán; USA; Akka, Israel
    1899 May A council board of seven officers, a forerunner of the Local Spiritual Assembly, was established in Kenosha. [BFA1:112; GPB260]
  • Those elected were not so much members of a council but rather "community officers" who carried out the decisions made at a community meeting. [BFA1p112] iiiii
    		• Board of Council; Spiritual Assemblies; LSA; Kenosha, WI; Wisconsin, USA; USA
    1899 9 Apr Upheaval at Najafábád. [BBRXXX, 426; BW18:384–5]
  • Mírzá Báqir-i-Há'í was arrested, several Bahá'ís were beaten and Bahá'í homes were looted in Najafábád. [BBR426; BW18:384–5]
  • Some 300 Bahá'ís occupied the British telegraph office hoping that the Sháh would intervene on behalf of the Bahá'ís. [BBR427–8]
  • For Western accounts of the episode see BBR426–30.
    		•  Najafabad upheaval; - Upheavals; Najaf, Iranabad, Iran; Iran
    1899 Spring After May Bolles returned from pilgrimage in 1899 she was the lone Bahá'í in Paris but soon established the first Bahá'í group on the European continent. The list of those who enrolled in the Faith before 1902 include: Edith MacKaye (the first to believe), and by the New Year of 1900, Charles Mason Remey and Herbert Hopper were next to follow. Then came Marie Squires (Hopper), Helen Ellis Cole, Laura Barney, Mme. Jackson, Agnes Alexander, Thomas Breakwell, Edith Sanderson, and Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first French Bahá'í. Emogene Hoagg and Mrs. Conner had come to Paris in 1900 from America, Sigurd Russell at fifteen years old returned from 'Akká a believer, and in 1901, the group was further reinforced by Juliet Thompson, Lillian James, and "the frequent passing through Paris of pilgrims from America going to the Master . . . and then again returning from the Holy Land." These are but a few, for "in 1901 and 1902 the Paris group of Bahá'ís numbered between twenty-five and thirty people with May Bolles as spiritual guide and teacher. [BW8p634; BFA2:151–2, 154–5; GBP259-26/a>; AB159; BBRSM106; SBBH1:93] May Maxwell (Bolles); Thomas Breakwell; Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney; Laura Clifford Barney; Charles Mason Remey; Herbert Hopper; Marie Squires (Hopper); Helen Ellis Cole; Mme. Jackson; Agnes Alexander; Edith Sanderson; Emogene Hoagg; Mrs Conner; Sigurd Russell; Juliet Thompson; Lillian James; Paris, France; France First Bahá'í group on European continent. First Frenchman to embrace the Faith.
    1899 23 Mar Edward and Lua Getsinger departed Akká and arrived in New York City on the 20th of May. [LGHC30]
  • Prior to her leaving 'Abdu'l-Bahá took a piece of bread, put some honey on it and told her to eat it, saying as He did so, "let all of your words be as sweetly flavoured by kindness to al people as this bread is flavoured by honey". She wrote that at that moment she felt as she swallowed that bread as if she had received a great spiritual blessing. LGHC25]
  • For His parting address to them see [LGHC27-28]
  • They brought with them a photograph of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as young man, a copy of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in Arabic, a calligraphic rendering of the Greatest Name and a phonographic recording of the Master's voice. They left the record player in Akká for the Holy Family. [LGHC30]
    		• Edward Getsinger; Lua Getsinger; Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Pilgrims; Greatest Name; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Voice recordings of; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); Gifts; Akka, Israel; New York, USA; USA
    1899 13 Mar Near the end of the first Western pilgrims to Akka (8 December 1898 to 23 March 1899), government officials in Akka received word from Istanbul that they were to prevent all foreigner from visiting 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Only 5 of the group of Western pilgrims remained by this time but a group of Persian pilgrims were required to leave almost immediately after the start of their pilgrimage. [LWS150-151]

    One possible trigger was the conspicuous arrival of two American women and their retinue. One of these women, Margaret Bloodgood Peeke, had altered their travel plans by adding Akka so that she could meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [LWS151]

    		 Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Pilgrims; Margaret Bloodgood Peeke; Akka, Israel
    1899 12 Mar Margaret Peeke (b. 8 April 1838, d. 2 November 1908) and an unknown companion visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Akka. They had two interviews of two and three hours each. Mrs Peeke was a presenter at Green Acre and wrote several books on the Rosicrucians, the occult and psychic phenomena.. [SoW Vol 2 No 14 November 23, 1911 p16; LWS152-158]
  • See My Visit to Abbas-Effendi in 1899.
  • Robert H. Stockman wrote in his book The Baha'i Faith in America, that while Margaret B. Peeke had been raised as a strong Protestant church member, her interests changed, and she became a Martinist. Martinism is a form of mystical Christianity. Margaret was the author of Born of Flame, Numbers and Letters: or The Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom, and Zenia the Vestal (online here). [BFA2p156-157]
  • Find a grave.
  • Photo.
  • See a story about a tribute paid to her at her gravesite.
    		•  Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Pilgrims; Margaret Peeke; Occultism; Akka, Israel
    1899 16 Feb Birth of Hermann Grossmann, Hand of the Cause of God, in Rosario de Santa Fé, Argentina, into a family of German background. [Bahaipedia] Hermann Grossmann; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Rosario de Santa Fe; Argentina
    1899 16 Feb The third group of Western pilgrims arrived in the Holy Land after completing their six-week cruise on the Nile.
  • The group consisted of Anne Apperson, Julia Pearson and Robert Turner.
  • As the pilgrims prepared to depart May Bolles and Maryam Thornburgh-Cropper, Mrs Thornburgh's daughter, arrived in Port Said from Marseilles. The two women proceeded directly to Haifa. [BFA1:145]
  • See EP12-13 for May Maxwell's reaction to meeting 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the first time.
    		• Pilgrimage; Pilgrims; First pilgrims; Anne Apperson; Julia Pearson; Robert Turner; May Maxwell (Bolles); Maryam Thornburgh-Cropper; Haifa, Israel; Akka, Israel
    1899 c. Feb - Mar `Abdu'l-Bahá, accompanied by Kheiralla, laid the foundation stone for the Shrine of the Báb. [BFA1:XXVIII, 142; BBD209; GPB275; SBBH2:112; LWS148]
  • In spite of the honours 'Abdu'l-Bahá had heaped upon him, Kheiralla joined forces with the Covenant-breakers while in 'Akká and started to make false claims causing discord and distress among the Bahá'ís as soon as he returned to America. [LDNW]
    		•  `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); Báb, Shrine of; Foundation stones and groundbreaking; Ibrahim George Kheiralla; Haifa, Israel
    1899 Feb The first Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in America. [BFA1:143]
  • See BFA1:143 for the recipients.
    		•  * `Abdu'l-Bahá, Writings and talks of; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); Firsts, other; USA First Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá arrive in America
    1899 31 Jan The Remains of the Báb arrived in the Holy Land. [BBD209; DH66; GPB274; LWS147]
  • They were stored in the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf in the house of `Abdu'lláh Páshá until the Shrine of the Báb was completed. [DH66]
  • In the days before His confinement to Akka was re-imposed, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had rented a house, probably just north of the German Colony on the same street facing the sea. He used this as a base when He came to Haifa a few days each week to supervise the excavation work for the foundation of the Shrine of the Báb. When Ali Kuli Khan came to the Holy Land in 1899-1900 the house was used as an office for the construction as well as a place where 'Abdu'l-Bahá could receive pilgrims. Khan was assigned to this house to do his translation work. The room he used contained the sarcophagus sent by the Bahá'ís of Rangoon and a wooden crate. Years later he was told that the sarcophagus contained the Remains of the Báb. [SUR110-111, 285 (PDF]
    		• Báb, Remains of; Bahiyyih Khanum (Greatest Holy Leaf); Báb, Shrine of; House of `Abdu'lláh Páshá; Akka, Israel
    1899 mid Jan By mid-January Marion Kheiralla arrived in Akka. [BFA1p145] Pilgrimage; First pilgrims; Pilgrims; Marion Miller Kheiralla; Akka, Israel; Haifa, Israel
    1899 (In the year) Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí and others transported a marble casket to the Holy Land made by the Bahá'ís of Mandalay to accommodate the remains of the Báb. [BW10:517]

    Photograph of the sarcophagus in its transport crate after it reached Haifa. [Bahá'í Media Bank]

    		 Siyyid Mustafa Rumi; Báb, Shrine of; Báb, Sarcophagus for; Sarcophagus; Haifa, Israel; Mandalay, Myanmar
    1899 (In the year) A local spiritual assembly called "The Consulting Assembly of Tihrán", a forerunner of the National Spiritual Assembly was established. [EB175–6; 26 November, 2007]
  • Four Hands of the Cause were permanent members; nine others were elected by special electors appointed by the Hands. [EB175–6]
    		•  National Spiritual Assembly, formation; LSA; - Hands of the Cause; Appointments; Elections; Tehran, Iran; Iran first National Assembly of Iran
    1899 (In the year) The Serpent by Thornton Chase, an 18-page pamphlet on the image of the serpent in the Bible, was published in Chicago. This was probably the first published essay written by an American Bahá'í. [BFA2:26] Thornton Chase; - First publications; * Publications; Chicago, IL; USA First published essay written by American Bahá'í
    1899 (In the year) Miss Olive Jackson of Manhattan became the first black American woman Bahá'í. [BFA1:126–7] Race; Firsts, other; Olive Jackson; Manhattan, NY; New York, USA; USA First black American woman Bahá'í
    c. 1899 It is believed that the first Bahá'ís, a couple, were in Italy in 1899. [BN #43 Aug 1930 p8]
  • A Bahá'í group was established in Italy. [BBRSM:106]
    		•  Italy First Bahá'í group in Italy. First group in Italy.

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