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Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1923, descending sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1923 20 Dec
192-
The Peace Court ruled in favour of giving the Bahá'ís possession of House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád, however, the Council of Ministers, with the approval of King Feisal, ordered that the property not be returned until ownership could be established. [SETPE1p26]
  • The Guardian sent 19 cables to various individuals and national bodies with instructions that the Bahá'ís should send cables to the British High Commissioner in Iráq, Sir Henry Dobbs, as well as to the British authorities in Iráq and in London as well as to King Feisal to protest the action of the Council of Ministers. In communities where the numbers are stronger, Persia and America, he instructed that every local assembly protest directly. The Guardian himself sent over 600 pieces of correspondence during the following six months concerning this issue. [PP94-6, GBF33-34 BA94-95]
  • The Iráqí government refused to bow to the pressure put upon them. [PP96]
  • House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Peace Court; Firsts, other; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq First time public opinion was rallied to support a miscarriage of justice against the Bahá'is
    1923 Dec
    192-
    The first local spiritual assembly in Australia was formed in Melbourne. Local Spiritual Assembly; Melbourne, Australia; Australia The first local spiritual assembly in Australia is formed in Melbourne.
    1923 14 Nov
    192-
    In a message addressed to "the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout America" Shoghi Effendi expressed the following: I cherish the hope that, from now on the Beloved may bestow upon me all the strength and vigour that will enable me to pursue over a long and unbroken period of strenuous labour the supreme task of achieving, in collaboration with the friends in every land, the speedy triumph of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. This is the prayer I earnestly request all my fellow-brethren and sisters in the Faith to offer on my behalf.

  • This came to be known as "The Guardian's Prayer" and was used by many of his co-workers in their prayers for him. [BA51-52]
  • The prayer book that was first published in the UK in 1941 included this prayer at the very end of the book. In that version they made two changes. The phrase "from now on" was removed and "Shoghi Effendi" was substituted for the word "me" in the first sentence. [TG157, 246n1]
  • Shoghi Effendi, Prayer for; Prayer; * Prayer texts; * Bahá'í World Centre
    1923 Nov (Sometime before 14 Nov)
    192-
    Shoghi Effendi returned from Switzerland. [PP73] * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Switzerland; Haifa, Israel
    1923 4 Nov
    192-
    The first recorded Bahá'í Feast in China was held in Beijing. [PH33]
  • Martha Root and Agnes Alexander were present. [PH33]
  • Nineteen Day Feast; Martha Root; Agnes Alexander; Beijing, China; China
    1923 18 Oc
    192-
    The Nairn Transport Company was a pioneering motor transport company that operated a trans-desert route from Beirut, Haifa and Damascus to Baghdad, and back again, from 1923. Their route became known as "The Nairn Way". The firm continued, in various guises, until 1959. [Wikipedia]
  • Lorol Schopflocher used this service for her trip from Baghdad to Beirut after one of her visits to King Faisal in Baghdad.
  • Beirut, Lebanon; Haifa, Israel; Damascus, Syria; Baghdad, Iraq
    1923 13 Oct
    192-
    The National Spiritual Assembly of Britain met for the first time, at the home of Ethel Rosenberg. [EJR228; UD13, 163]
  • It became the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles in 1930 and the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom in 1972.
  • Ethel Rosenberg; United Kingdom
    1923 Sep
    192-
    The Dawn began publishing in Burma, in Burmese, English, and Persian. [BWNS1289] Dawn, The (newsletter); - Periodicals; - Newsletters; - First publications; * Publications; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Myanmar first Baha'i periodical in Burma
    1923 Early Sep
    192-
    J. E. Esslemont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era was published in Britain by George Allen and Unwin. [DJEE28; RG77]
  • The American edition of the book was published by Brentano's Publilshers of New York.
  • Dr Esslemont had been in invited to Haifa by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to discuss the book he was writing. He spent two and on-half month during the winter of 1919-1920 as a guest of 'Abdu'l-Bahá who amended and corrected four chapters. [UC45]
  • Shoghi Effendi viewed this as a landmark in British Bahá'í history. [UD97]
  • Over the years he encouraged its translation into dozens of languages. [RG77]
  • See DJEE37-8 for the importance of this work.
  • For a list of publications in various languages and formats see The Story of J. E. Esslemont and his Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era: Bibliography by Jan Jasion.
  • Esslemont; Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (book); Introductory; * Publications; * Translation; United Kingdom
    1923 24 Jul
    192-
    The Treaty of Lausanne, signed on July 24, 1923, concluded the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) and was an important international agreement that officially ended the hostilities and conflicts stemming from World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. It is primarily known for recognizing the Republic of Turkey as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire and for defining the borders of modern Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is considered the founding father of the Republic of Turkey serving as its president from 1923 until his death in 1938.

    The treaty was significant because it prescribed for a population exchange between Turkey and Greece. It resulted in the forced relocation of around 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians from Turkey to Greece and about 500,000 Muslim Turks from Greece to Turkey. This exchange was intended to create ethnically homogeneous nation-states and minimize tensions between these groups.

    Another provision of the treaty is that it established the international status of the Turkish Straits, including the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. It guaranteed their neutral status and regulated the passage of ships through these strategically important waterways. This arrangement sought to prevent the militarization of the Straits and maintain freedom of navigation. [Colonialism, Nationalism and Jewish Immigration to Palestine: Abdu´l-Baha's Viewpoints Regarding the Middle East by Kamran Ekbal p6]

    Ethnic divisions; Lausanne, Switzerland; Switzerland
    1923 (In July or earlier)
    192-
    Lorol Schopflocher made a visit to King Feisel as reported in the Ottawa Citizen 13 July, 1923 p16 and The Winnipeg Tribune 31 July 1923 p16. She was accorded several audiences to discuss the question of the seizure of the keys to the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád. [Bahá'í Chronicles]
  • See Haifa Talks by Keith Ransom-Kehler and Lorol Schopflocher.
  • House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Lorol Schopflocher; King Faisal; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1923 Jul
    192-
    The Bahá'ís appealed to the Peace Court for possession of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád. [SETPE1p26] House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1923 Jun
    192-
    Shoghi Effendi left Haifa for Switzerland. [PP72; BBRSM116]
  • He returned to Haifa in November 1923. [BRRSM116]
  • * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Shoghi Effendi, Travels of; Switzerland; Haifa, Israel
    25 Apr
    192-
    Martha Root left Osaka for northern China. [PH31; [Film Early History of the Baha'í Faith in China 11 min 35 sec and 15 min 40 sec]
  • It was her second visit to China and lasted until March 1924. [PH31-2]
  • In June she was joined by Ida Finch. After an earthquake hit Japan she was joined by Agnes Alexander. On the 4th of November they held the first Feast in Beijing.
  • Martha Root; Beijing, China first Feast in Beijing 4 November 1923
    1923 Ridván
    192-
    The formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria. [GPB333] National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Stuttgart, Germany; Germany
    1923 Ridván
    192-
    The formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma.. It was incorporated in 1932. [GPB333; BW6p303] National Spiritual Assembly, formation; New Delhi, India; India; Myanmar
    1923 Ridván
    192-
    The formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of England. [GPB333]
  • The election was by postal ballot. [EJR228]
  • For the membership of the first Assembly see EJR228 and SBR71.
  • See also EJR223-31 for the election and functioning of the Assembly.
  • Prior to becoming the National Spiritual Assembly, the "All-England Bahá'í Council" was formed on the 6th of June, 1922. [Achievements and Victories of the Guardianship:Statistics, chronology, and bibliography compiled by Owen Battrick]
  • In 1930 the name was changed tothe National Spiritual assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles. [BCBI423]
  • In 1972 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland was formed, the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles was renamed the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom. [BW15:290]
  • National Spiritual Assembly, formation; London, England; United Kingdom
    1923 Ridván
    192-
    "...Ridvan messages: As early as 1923 Shoghi Effendi sent a letter of encouragement and greeting to the American national Bahá'í convention at Ridvan. It became his regular practice to write a Ridván letter to the Bahá'ís of the world summarizing the progress of the Faith in the previous year and setting out general directions for the coming year. The Universal House of Justice has continued this practice. Other Bahá'í institutions, especially national spiritual assemblies, also sometimes issue Ridvan letters." [SA241] * Ridván messages; * Bahá'í World Centre
    1923 12 Mar
    192-
    Shoghi Effendi wrote to Bahá'ís in America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Australasia about Bahá'í administration, outlining the process for annual elections of assemblies and calling for the establishment of local and national funds. [BA34-43; PP330]
  • See ER223-4 for the response of the British Bahá'ís.
  • In the same letter, as a Post Script, he included a list of the best known and most current Bahá'í terms transliterated with a recommendation that this be adopted as standard for all Western Bahá'ís with a promise that the Haifa Spiritual Assembly would provide a supplement. The transliteration scheme was mostly based on a standard adopted by the Tenth International Congress of Orientalists which took place in Geneva in September 1894. [BA43; PG208-209]
  • From the June 1923 issue of Star of the West, attempts were made to introduce the voting system although these are at first very patchy. The first books that appeared to be trying to put the system into use are Esslemont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era and Herrick's Unity Triumphant (the latter not entirely consistently), both published in 1923. Although some books appearing in 1924 did not follow the system, from this time on, books and other printed material published under Bahá'í auspices have followed it. [Transliteration by Mojan Momen]
  • A list of transliterated terms appeared in BW1p131 and expanded lists appeared in subsequent volumes.
  • * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); * Administration; - Transliteration and diacritics; Local Spiritual Assemblies; National Spiritual Assemblies; Elections; Funds; Haifa, Israel
    1923 Mar
    192-
    An article entitled `Bahai Organization: Its Basis in the Revealed Word' was published in Star of the West. [SW13, 12:323-8]
  • The purpose of the article was to convince those who were opposed to a structured form of Bahá'í administration. [BBRSM123]
  • * Administration; Local Spiritual Assemblies; National Spiritual Assemblies
    1923 23 Feb
    192-
    In a message to the Bahá'ís in America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and in Australia, Shoghi Effendi instructed that local assemblies must be established in localities where the number of believers, aged twenty-one and over, was nine or more and he delineated the responsibilities of those assemblies. [BA37-39]
  • In the same message he directed that, in countries where conditions are favourable and the number of believers merited it, that "secondary Houses of Justice" be established. He fixed the number of electors; in America-95, the Pacific Islands-95, Germany-95 and in Great Britain-19 and specified that they be elected annually. [BA39-41]
  • Local and National Funds were to be established because "the progress and execution of spiritual activities is dependent and conditioned upon material means". [BA41]
  • National Spiritual Assembly; National Assembly, election of; Local Spiritual Assembly; Local Spiritual Assembly, election; * Bahá'í World Centre
    1923 16 Feb
    192-
    Declaration of the first native Hawaiian Bahá'í, Mae (Mary) Keali'i Kahumoku Tilton Fantom. She was from Maui. [Native Bahá'í - Indigenous Bahá'í] Mae (Mary) Kealii Kahumoku Tilton Fantom; Maui, HI; Hawaii, USA first native Hawaiian Bahá'í.
    1923 12 Feb
    192-
    Bahai Scriptures, edited by Horace Holley, was published. [SBR231; Collins4.71-4.72]
  • It was the first comprehensive collection of Bahá'í writings made thus far in English. [SBR231]
  • Horace Holley; Bahá'í Scriptures (book); * Publications; - First publications; New York, USA; United States (USA)
    1923 8 Feb
    192-
    The keys to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh were returned to Shoghi Effendi. [GBF23; PP71] * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Bahá'u'lláh, Shrine of; Bahji, Israel
    1923 3 Feb
    192-
    Shoghi Effendi wrote to the editors and manager of the Star of the West Albert Vail Miss Edna True Dr. Zia M. Baghdádí Mírzá Aḥmad Sohrab. He reported that he had requested every Spiritual Assembly throughout Persia, Turkestan, Caucasus, India, Egypt, 'Iráq, Turkey, Syria and Palestine to contribute periodically carefully written articles to the magazine, and submit regularly for publication a special report on their spiritual activities and the progress of the Cause in their own province. [Uncompiled Published Letters p30 by Shoghi Effendi]
  • He sent a similar note of encouragement to the editor of the Indian Bahá'í News and to the editors of The Dawn in Burma. [PP347-348; Uncompiled Published Letters p36 by Shoghi Effendi]
  • Star of the West; Indian Bahá'í News; Dawn, The (newsletter); - Periodicals; - Newsletters; - First publications; * Publications; * Bahá'í World Centre; New York, USA; India; Myanmar
    1923 Feb
    192-
    Shoghi Effendi sent his early translation of The Hidden Words to America. [PP205] * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Shoghi Effendi, Translations by; * Translation; Kalimat-i-Maknunih (Hidden Words); * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; - Basic timeline, Expanded; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; * Bahá'í World Centre; United States (USA)
    1923 Jan
    192-
    The Guardian sent `Abdu'l-Husayn, Ávárih, to Europe to deepen the believers. [CB335; SBR68; EJR223]
  • For his life and eventual Covenant-breaking see CB334-42 and PP120.
  • * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); `Abdu'l-Husayn Ávárih; Covenant-breaking; - Europe
    1923 (In the year)
    192-
    After the passing of his wife, the eldest daughter and son-in-law of Mr. Uskuli arrived in Shanghai as pioneers. Also arriving were his mother, Sarah Khanum and his two younger daughters Rohani (Rawhaniyyih), and Jalalia (Jalaliyyih) as well as his son Goudrat (Qudrat). In 1934 these three younger children, accompanied by their grandmother, left to study at the American University at Beirut. Ridvaniyyih and 'Ali-Muhammad Suleimani returned to Iran in August of 1950 due to the difficult conditions in China at the time. [PH39; Video Early history of the Bahá'í Faith in China 7 min 57 sec] Uskuli; Shanghai, China
    1923 (In the year)
    192-
    The publication of Bahai Manuscripts. Suggestions for Their Preservation and Arrangement by Charles Mason Remey. This publication had the approval of the National Bahá'í Archives Committee of America and the National Bahá'í Reviewing Committee of America. Archives; Manuscripts; Charles Mason Remey; Newport, RI
    1923 (In the year)
    192-
    The first Bahá'í Feast was held in New Zealand in the home of Margaret Stevenson. It was attended by Hyde Dunn from Australia. [SoW Vol 14 p25]
  • For photo see Bahá'í Historical Facts.
  • Feast; Margaret Stevenson; Hyde Dunn; New Zealand first Bahá'í Feast held in New Zealand
    1923 (In the year)
    192-
    The keys for the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád were delivered to the Shi'as by the government. [PP94-5, GBF33] House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1923 (In the year)
    192-
    The publication of Bahá'í Indexes: Suggestions for the Arrangement of a Bibliography and Reference Indexes of the Bahá'í Teachings with Practical Explanations How to Build Up Baha'i Index Systems by Charles Mason Remey with the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly. - Indexes and catalogues; - Bibliography; Charles Mason Remey; East Lansing, MI
    1923 (In the year)
    192-
    Charles Mason Remey made preliminary plans for a monumental domed superstructure for the Shrine of the Báb. [BW6:723] Mason Remey; Báb, Shrine of; Haifa, Israel
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