Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1902, descending — sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1902 - 1903 C. One of the chief promoters of Mírzá Muhammad-'Ali in India was Mírzá Husayn-'Alíy-i-Jahrumí.
  • See LGHC57-58 for his encounter with Lua Getsinger.
  • Reference is made to this man in Memories of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Memoirs of Mírzá Habíbu'lláh Afnán edited and translated by Ahang Rabbani p96.
  • Also see CoB185 for more on the role played by Mírzá Husayn-'Alíy-i-Jahrumí in the plot by the Covenant-breakers to have Mírzá Áqá Ján incite an incident at the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh with a view to having those involved arrested and therefore discredited.
    		•  Mírzá Husayn-`Alíy-i-Jahrumí; Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí; Covenant-breakers; Mumbai, India; India; Akka, Israel
    1902 28 Nov Construction began on the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of `Ishqábád with the laying of its cornerstone. [BFA2:116-17; YSxvii]
  • BBRXXX says this was 12 December. The discrepancy may lie in the use of two different calendars.
  • The foundation stone was laid in the presence of General Subotich, governor-general of Turkistan. [BFA2:116–17; GPB300; see discussion of Krupatkin vs Subotich in The City of Love: Ishqábád and the Institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár by Bruce Whitmore] Also see BBR442-443 for the account of a Russian official, A D Kalmykov who says it was General Subotich.
  • `Abdu'l-Bahá commissioned Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqí, the Vakílu'd-Dawlih, son of Hájí Siyyid Muhammad, the uncle of the Báb for whom Bahá'u'lláh had revealed The Kitáb-i-Íqán, to be in charge of the project. He largely paid for it. [AB109]
  • `Abdu'l-Bahá Himself delineated the general design and a Russian architect, Volkov, planned and executed the details of the construction. [AB109–10; Universal House of Justice 20 June 1991 para 8]
  • A meeting hall and some of its dependencies had been built before 1900.
  • The dependencies included two Bahá'í schools, a travellers' hostel, a medical dispensary and Hazíratu'l-Quds. [BBD122; BBR442; BBRSM:91]
  • For a Western account of this see BBR442–3.
  • See jacket of BBR for a photograph of work on the Temple.
  • See the message of the Universal House of Justice dated 1 August, 2014 for more on the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in `Ishqábád.
    • Specifics
      Location: In the heart of the city of `Ishqábád
      Foundation Stone: Late 1902 by General Subotich, the governor-general of Turkistan who had been delegated by the Czar to represent him.
      Construction Period: Initial step had been undertaken during the lifetime of Bahá'u'lláh. Superstructure: 1902 – 1907. External Ornamentation: 1919
      Site Dedication: No record of a dedication ceremony on completion of the building can be found although the external ornamentation was completed in 1919 it is probable that the building had been in use for some years by this time.
      Architects: `Abdu'l-Bahá Himself delineated the general design. More specific design was by Ustad Ali-Akbar-i-Banna and a Russian architect, Volkov, planned and executed the details of the construction under the supervision of Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqí, the son of Hájí Siyyid Muhammad, the uncle of the Báb for whom Bahá'u'lláh had revealed The Kitáb-i-Íqán. [AB109]
      Seating:
      Dimensions:
      Cost:
      Dependencies: two Bahá'í schools, a travellers' hostel, a medical dispensary and Hazíratu'l-Quds
      Expropriation:1928
      Lease period: – 1938
      Seizure; the building was turned into an art gallery
      Earthquake: 1948
      Demolition: August 1963 the Universal House of Justice announced that it had been demolished by the authorities and the site cleared.
      References: AB109, BW14p479-481, GPB300-301, CEBF236, EB266-268, MF126-128
    		 * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Quick facts; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Ishqabad; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Dependencies of; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Design; Architecture; Architects; Foundation stones and groundbreaking; General Subotich; Krupatkin; Hájí Muhammad-Taqi Afnan (Vakilud-Dawlih); Afnan; Báb, Family of; Hájí Siyyid Muhammad; Ustad `Alí-Akbar-i-Banna; Volkov; Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); - Bahá'í inspired schools; - Basic timeline, Expanded; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); Ashgabat; Turkmenistan
    1902 12 Oct Birth of `Abdu'l-Hamíd Ishráq-Khávarí, Bahá'í scholar, author and translator, in Mashhad. `Abdu'l-Hamid Ishraq-Khavari; Bahá'í scholars; Births and deaths; Mashhad, Iran; Iran
    1902 10 Oct The Behais Supply and Publishing Board incorporates as the `Bahai Publishing Society', a non-profit company. It is the first Bahá'í institution to be legally incorporated. [BFA2:XVI, 74] Publishing Trusts; Firsts, other; USA First Bahá'í institution to be legally incorporated
    1902 15 Sep Mírzá `Azízu'lláh visited Count Leo Tolstoy, and spoke to him at length about the history and teachings of the Faith and of the station of Bahá'u'lláh. [EB185; RB3:172-3]
  • For Mírzá `Azízu'lláh's own account of the interview see EB186–9.
  • See BW10:569–70 for Tolstoy's response to the Faith.
    		•  Mírzá Azizullah; Leo Tolstoy (author); Russia
    1902 (In the year) Lua Getsinger spent over a year in the household of 'Abdu'l-Bahá teaching English to His grandchildren. During this time she began to wear an outfit that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had designed for her. It consisted of a simple dress and coat and a hat with a a long, cloak-like veil. It was in royal blue. [LDNW20] Lua Getsinger; Akka, Israel
    1902 (In the year) Since the assassination of the Sháh's father in 1896 the Bahá'í community in Iran had been scapegoated and the oppression was increasing. In 1902 Muzaffar al-Din Sháh and his prime minister were in Paris staying at the Elysèe Palace Hotel. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had a petition for him and Lua Getsinger was asked to deliver it. She and Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney requested an audience with the Sháh but they were refused by the prime minister. She was told that he was not receiving anyone as his son was gravely ill and likely to die. Lua asked if he would see her the following day should his son be healed and consent was granted. That night the Bahá'ís of Paris held a prayer vigil till dawn. As promised, Lua was granted access and put the petition directly in the Sháh's hand. She heard him say that he would do all that was within his power but in 1903 a savage rash of persecution broke out and, upon the advice of his prime minister, the Sháh did nothing believing that it was better to let the restless population vent rage on the Bahá'ís then on the rich and powerful foreigners who might have been victimized. The prime minister was replaced in mid-1903 and the persecutions eased. In 1907 the Sháh did intervene on behalf of the Bahá'ís. [Find a grave; LDNW18-19]
  • For other accounts see The Flame p66-70 and LGHC59-60.
  • See article by Mariam Haney entitled In Behalf of the Oppressed. [SoW Vol 15 No 8 November, 1924 p230]
    		• Persecution, Iran; Lua Getsinger; Muzaffarid-Dín Sháh; - Shahs; Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney; Petitions; Paris, France; France
    1902 Sep c. Kanichi Yamamoto, the first Japanese to accept the Faith, becomes a Bahá'í in Hawaii. [BFA2:160; BW13:932; SBR179]
    • He writes to `Abdu'l-Bahá in Japanese. [SBR179]
    • See also BW13:931–3 and SBR176–86.
    		 Kanichi Yamamoto; Hawaii, USA First Japanese to accept the Faith
    1902 13 Jun Thomas Breakwell died from tuberculosis in Paris. (b. 31 May, 1872 in Woking) [AB77; BBD46; SEBW70]
  • `Abdu'l-Bahá appeared to know this without being told. [AB78-9; SEBW70]
  • See AB79, SEBW71–2, SWAB187–9 and the Utterance Project for `Abdu'l-Bahá's eulogy.
  • Shoghi Effendi designated him one of three`luminaries shedding brilliant lustre on annals of Irish, English and Scottish Bahá'í communities', together with John Esslemont and George Townshend. [MBW174]
  • See wikipedia for an account of his life.
  • See Cimetière de Pantin for the location of his resting place c/w photos.
      Thomas Breakwell died in relative obscurity, a victim of tuberculosis in a poor quarter of the city of Paris. His earthly remains now lie in the communal charnel house at the cemetery of Pantin. It was not until the summer of 1997 that a dignified but suitably modest monument to mark his resting place was finally unveiled to the world. [The Life of Thomas Breakwell by Rajwantee Lakshiman-Lepain p10-11]
  • See The Life of Thomas Breakwell by Rajwantee Lakshiman-Lepain. iiiii
  • See the narration of the Tablet of Visitation for Thomas Breakwell by Àbdu'l-Bahá in Arabic with English subtitles. The transliteration and recitation of the Tablet was by Adib Masumiam with the design and editing of the video by Violetta Zein.
  • For the story of the revelation of the Tablet see Memories of Nine Years in Akká by Youness Afroukhteh as translated by Riaz Masrour, p. 132-137)
    		• Thomas Breakwell; In Memoriam; Woking, England; United Kingdom; Paris, France; France
    1902 12 May Mírzá Asadu'lláh-i-Isfahání left the United States. [BFA2:VI]
  • His contribution was to make the American believers aware of consultative assemblies and their functioning. See BFA2p25-53 for details.
    		•  Mírzá Asadullah-i-Isfahani; USA
    1902 10 May The Chicago House of Justice (or the Board of Council) changed its name to the House of Spirituality. Membership was restricted to men. [BFA2:XV; SYH64] House of Justice; Spiritual Assemblies; LSA; Chicago, IL; USA
    1902 8 May May Bolles married Sutherland Maxwell in London and moved to Montreal later in the year. [BW8:635; GPB260, BFA2:156 ] May Maxwell (Bolles); Sutherland Maxwell; London, England; United Kingdom; Montreal, QC; Canada
    1902 18 Mar Áqá Muhammad-Zamá-i-Sabbágh and Siyyid Ja`far were executed in Isfandábád and Abarqú, Fárs. Several Bahá'ís were expelled from the town and another Bahá'í was killed. [BW18:385] Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Deaths; - Persecution; Isfandabad, Iran; Abarqu, Yazd, Iran; Fars, Iran; Iran
    1902 (In the year) An extract from a Tablet to Mr. Howard MacNutt from 'Abdu'l-Bahá refers to New York as the "City of the Covenant". [Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p8] Howard MacNutt; City of the Covenant (New York); New York, USA; USA
    1902 (In the year) The publication of Le Livre des Sept Preuves in Paris by A. L. M. Nicolas. It was a French translation of the Báb's Dalá'il-i-Sab'ih. [BBR39]
  • It may be downloaded here.
  • English translation The Seven Proofs by Peter Terry.
    		•  * Báb, Writings of; Dalail-i-Sabih (Seven Proofs); A.L.M. Nicolas; Translation; * Publications; Paris, France; France
    1902 (In the year) Shanghai was re-opened to the Bahá'í Faith by the arrival of two Bahá'ís from`Ishqábád, Áqá Mírzá Mihdí Rashtí and Áqá Mírzá `Abdu'l-Baqí Yazdí, who opened a branch of the Ummi'd company, an import-export firm. [PH25] Aqa Mírzá Mihdi Rashti; Aqa Mírzá `Abdu'l-Baqi Yazdi; Shanghai, China; Ashgabat; Turkmenistan
    1902 (In the year) Bahá'í groups were established in Canada and in the Hawaiian Islands. [BBRSM:106-7; BFA2:160; SBBH1:135] First Bahá'ís by country or area; Canada; Hawaii, USA
    1902 (In the year) Joseph Hannen, future Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and Pauline Hannen became Bahá'ís in Washington DC. Joseph Hannen; - Disciples of `Abdu'l-Bahá; Pauline Hannen; Washington, DC, USA; USA
    1902 (In the year) Pilgrims from the East and the West were once again permitted to visit `Abdu'l-Bahá. [CB232] Pilgrims; Pilgrimage; Haifa, Israel; Akka, Israel
    1902 (In the year) In Shíráz, Hájí Abu'l-Hasan was beaten so severely on the order of the mujtahid that he died a few months later from the effects. [BW18:385] Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Deaths; - Persecution; Shíráz, Iran; Iran
    1902 (In the year) The house in Bandar Anzalí in which Hájí Mírzá Haydar-`Alí was staying was attacked and only the intervention of the governor saved the Bahá'ís. [BW18:385] Hájí Mírzá Haydar-`Alí; Bandar Anzali, Iran
    1902 (In the year) The publication of the fourth edition of The Revelation of Baha-ullah in a Sequence of Four Lessons by Isabella D. Brittingham. Bahai Publishing Society printed made a large number of printings of this book with small variations. [Collins7.587] Isabella Brittingham; * Publications; Chicago, IL; Illinois, USA; USA
    Two Persians from Ischabad, 'Aqá Mírzá Mihdi Rashti and 'Aqá Mírzá Abdu-i-Baki Yazdi arrived in Shanghi. Mirza Rashti passed away in Shanghi in 1924 [Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 5min10sec] China; Shanghai, China

    Try also a shorter date like 190

    try also the Chronology Canada — 1902 or 190

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