In 1844, a young merchant from Shiraz called Sayyid ‘Ali-Muhammad declared himself the ‘gate’ (the Bab) to the Truth and, shortly afterwards, the initiator of a new prophetic cycle. His messianic call attracted a significant following across Iran and Iraq. Regarded as a threat by state and religious authorities, the Babis were subject to intense persecution and the Bab himself was executed in 1850. In this volume, leading scholars of Islam, Baha’i studies and Iranian history come together to examine the life and legacy of the Bab, from his childhood to the founding of the Baha’i faith and beyond. Among other subjects, they cover the Bab’s writings, his Qur’an commentaries, the societal conditions that underlay the Babi upheavals, the works of Babi martyr Tahirih Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, and Orientalist Edward Granville Browne’s encounters with Babi and Baha’i texts.

"[Resurrection and Renewal] reflects extensive research by the author in the numerous Babi and Baha'i manuscript histories. From these he has succeeded in extracting much useful information and presenting it in an interesting and informative manner."--The Middle East Journal In historical writing of rare power, Abbas Amanat conveys the elation and terror that attend the birth of a new religious faith. Amanat here tells the story of the emergence of Babism, the forerunner of the Baha'i religion, in the mid-nineteenth century; its rapid spread into various sectors of Iranian society; and its fatal confrontation with the clerical establishment and the Qajar state.

The early histories of all the Baha'i 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 Baha'i 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 Baha'i 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 Baha'i 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 Baha'i community by Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha. The book traces the developments in the Iranian Baha'i community as it emerged from the Babi community and, under the guidance of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, 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-Baha, 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 Baha'is were at the forefront of modernity and development in Iran. However, each upsurge in the activities of the Baha'i community resulted in an upsurge of persecution. This book is an important contribution to the knowledge of the early days of the Baha'i Faith, the development of the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran and the emergence of modernity in the Middle East.

For almost two centuries, followers of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority, have been persecuted by the state. They have been made scapegoats for the nation's ills, branded enemies of Islam and denounced as foreign agents. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Baha'is have been barred from entering the nation's universities, more than two hundred have been executed, and hundreds more imprisoned and tortured. Now, however, Iran is at a turning point. A new generation has begun to question how the Baha'is have been portrayed by the government and the clergy, and called for them to be given equal rights as fellow citizens. In documenting, for the first time, the plight of this religious community in Iran since its inception, Fereydun Vahman also reveals the greater plight of a nation aspiring to develop a modern identity built on respect for diversity rather than hatred and self-deception.

This book explores concepts of Cultural genocide, its definitions, place in international law, the systems and methods that contribute to its manifestations, and its occurrences. Through a systematic approach and comprehensive analysis, international and interdisciplinary contributors from the fields of genocide studies, legal studies, criminology, sociology, archaeology, human rights, colonial studies, and anthropology examine the legal, structural, and political issues associated with cultural genocide. This includes a series of geographically representative case studies from the USA, Brazil, Australia, West Papua, Iraq, Palestine, Iran, and Canada. This volume is unique in its interdisciplinarity, regional coverage, and the various methods of cultural genocide represented, and will be of interest to scholars of genocide studies, cultural studies and human rights, international law, international relations, indigenous studies, anthropology, and history.

An inspiring account of the brutal religious persecutions that took place in 1850, 1853, and 1909 in the town of Nayriz, Iran, against its Babi and Baha'i residents. During this time, the town's citizens, spurred on by a corrupt Muslim clergy and government, launched several waves of bloodshed against the Babis - and later Baha'is - who lived there. This type of persecution continues today in present-day Iran toward the Baha'is - on a more subtle level - and the history of the Babis and Baha'is in Nayriz serves as a reminder of what can happen when religious fanaticism and paranoia are allowed to replace rational thinking and tolerance.

Based throughout on original Persian and Arabic sources, most in manuscript, this is an exhaustive overview of Babi history and doctrine. Alongside Amanat's "Resurrection and Renewal," this distillation of a lifetime's work on the movement brings Babi studies into the twentieth century.

Tahirih's poems are well known among Persian Baha'is, but until now there has been no suitable translation of her work that would give English-speaking readers a sense of her genius. Now Amin Banani, Professor Emeritus at UCLA in Persian history and literature; Jascha Kessler, Professor of English at UCLA; and Anthony A. Lee, historian and award-winning poet, have teamed to produce this translation of her work. The poems are brilliant in emotional impact and prophetic in their themes. They should become familiar parts of Baha'i Feasts, Holy Day celebrations, and devotional gatherings. These poems are a monument to this remarkable woman.

An epistle addressed to the Muslim cleric, Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Najafi, known as Āqā Najafi. Contains Bahaullah's own summary of the history and teachings of his religion.

The religious movement known as B bism profoundly affected Iranian society during the 1840s. After a lengthy hiatus, academic study of the sect has entered a new phase with the appearance of several important books, articles, and theses.The present work surveys Persian and Arabic manuscripts relating to the history and doctrines of the sect. Part one examines the writings of the B b and his followers. Part two analyses primary and secondary sources for B b history, with a discussion of the controversial Kit b-i Nuqt at al-k f. Discussion of each title is followed by a comprehensive listing of known MS copies. An appendix contains an index of first lines and titles for works of the B b.This is the first study to examine the large corpus of B b writing and will help scholars identify texts and find manuscripts in Europe and the Middle East.