A Brief History of the Bahá'í Faith

First Epoch of the Heroic Age: 1844-1853: The Ministry of the Báb, the Forerunner

12 Nov 1817 Birth of Bahá'u'lláh [Mírzá Husayn-'Alí] in Tihrán, to one of the wealthiest families in Persia. Bahá'u'lláh, never having attended school, is taught calligraphy, riding, classical poetry and a good reading knowledge of the Qur'án which was customary for a nobleman's son at that time.
20 Oct 1819 Birth of the Báb [Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad] in Shíráz, Persia
1828 The passing of Mírzá Muhammad Ridá, the Father of the Báb. The Báb is placed in the care of His maternal uncle, Hají Mirzá Siyyid 'Alí, a merchant of Shíraz and later one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán.
pre-1844 Bahá'u'lláh becomes known as "The Father of the Poor" for His generosity and care of the needy. His father dies in 1839. Bahá'u'lláh was asked to take His father's place in the government but Bahá'u'lláh refuses the position.
22 May 1844 Declaration of the mission of the Báb in Shíráz to Mullá Husayn at 2 hours, 11 minutes after sunset (technically, 23 May - new day begins after sunset).

The upper room in the House of the Báb. This is were the Báb ( the Gate) first declared his mission to the Shaykhí disciple Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú'i on the eve of May 23, 1844 that he was the Qá'im, the Promised One of Islam and his mission was to prepare the way for another Prophet of God, "Him Whom God shall make manifest."

23 May 1844 Birth of 'Abdu'l-Bahá ['Abbás Effendi], eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh
Aug 1844 The Báb instructed Mullá Husayn to journey through Persia and Iraq and deliver a scroll to One Who is worthy. The reputation of Bahá'u'lláh convinces him that He is the intended recipient. Bahá'u'lláh reads the scroll and immediately becomes a follower of the Báb.
12 Dec 1844 The Báb, accompanied by His foremost disciple Quddús, undertakes a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
20 Dec 1844 The Báb stands at the Ka'bih (holiest shrine of Islam) and declared three times in the presence of 100,000 pilgrims that He was the Qa'im (the Promised One) awaited by Shi'ih Muslims.
16 Jan 1845 The Báb arrives in Medina, days after an edict was issued in Baghdad condemning Him as an unbeliever. He was aware of this and understood that returning to Persia would mean martyrdom.
June 1845 Quddús returns to Shíráz. Sounds the call to prayer with the addition of words from the Báb, causes commotion among the populace, especially the clergy.
7 July 1845 The Báb is publicly interrogated, struck in the face and released into the custody of His uncle.
July/Aug 1845 The Sháh commands the erudite Vahíd to investigate the Báb's claims. Vahíd becomes a leading disciple. Hujjat, another dignitary of the realm, also becomes a leading disciple. Several thousand townspeople join. The anxiety among the clergy increases.
23 Sep 1846 The Báb is arrested in Shíráz at the house of His uncle but released on the condition that He leaves the area.
Sept/Oct 1846 The Báb sojourns in Isfahán, is accorded honours by the people. Death warrant issued by the local high clergy. The Báb journeys to Kashan and Tabríz, receives enthusiastic reception by the people.
Dec 1846 Mullá 'Aliy-i-Bastámí dies in Istanbul naval dockyards - first martyr of the Bábí Dispensation.
1 Apr 1847 Bahá'u'lláh sends a letter and gifts to the Báb.
May/June 1847 The Báb arrives in Tabriz en route to Máh-Kú, stays for 40 days and is well received by the populace.
July 1847 The Sháh, prompted by his top advisor, Hájí Mírza Aqásí, has the Báb incarcerated at the fortress of Máh-Kú in the mountains of Adhirbayjan for nine months. The local populace, at first hostile, comes to revere Him. The Báb reveals one of His great works, the Bayán.
Dec 1847 Bahá'u'lláh is imprisoned for a few days for assisting in the escape of a Bábí prisoner. Shaykh Sálih-i-Karímí, an imprisoned Bábí, becomes the first Bábí martyr on Persian soil.
20 Mar 1848 Mulla Husayn arrives at Máh-kú to see the Báb.
10 April 1848 Due to the great influence He was having with the people of the area, the Báb is transferred to prison in Chiríq, a Kurdish area hostile to Persians. Here too many leading citizens become followers.
26 Jun-17 July 1848 Conference of Badasht. Organized, directed and hosted by Bahá'u'lláh and attended by 81 of the Báb's leading followers, the Bábí Faith for the first time becomes understood by It's followers as a religion distinct from Islam. Bahá'u'lláh bestows a new name upon each participant and with no contact, the Báb later confirms and uses those same names [note: the new names are the ones being used in this account]. Táhirih [the pure] pronounces the equality of women and publicly removes her veil. Bahá'u'lláh reconciles the participants following this great controversy, facilitating their understanding of this new religion.
July 1848 Interrogation of the Báb in Tabríz where He makes a dramatic public declaration of His Station. He is returned to Chiríq.
21 Jul 1848 Mullá Husayn hoists the Black Standard and marches from Mashad with 202 fellow disciples to assist Quddús in Mazindaran.
4 Sep 1848 Muhammad Shah, intending to order death of Bahá'u'lláh, dies, succeeded by 17-year old Násiri'd-Dín Sháh. Hájí Mírza Aqásí, chief antagonist of the Báb [the Antichrist of the Bábí Faith], is expelled from the capital.
10 Oct 1848 Mullá Husayn and 71 fellow disciples are besieged at Shaykh Tabarsí, eventually to be surrounded by twenty thousand soldiers.
Nov 1848 Quddús arrives at Fort Tabarsí after Mullá Husayn had secured his release from Sárí. The number of disciples besieged is now 202.
Dec 1848 Bahá'u'lláh imprisoned and tortured in Amul.
2 Feb 1949 Mullá Husayn is shot and killed.
19-20 Feb 1849 The famous Seven Martyrs of Tihrán are martyred.
10 May 1849 The siege at Shaykh Tabarsí ends in betrayal when a promise of "no harm", signed on a Qur'án, is broken. The Bábís are tortured, mutilated and massacred.
16 May 1849 Martyrdom of Quddús in Bárfurúsh after public torture.
soon after: A force of 5000 men begin extermination of Bábís, confiscating possessions, destroying houses, grizzly tortures, mutilations and executions - all inspired by religious fanaticism inflamed by the clergy.
13 May 1850 - 2 Jan 1851 1800 Bábís martyred in Zanján including men, women and children.
29 Dec 1850 Hujjat is martyred.
29 June 1850 Vahíd is mutilated and killed in Nayríz.
9 Jul 1850 Attempted execution of the Báb in Tabríz by a firing squad of 750 soldiers in front of 20,000 witnesses fails. The Báb vanishes in the smoke and is found later completing His final instructions to His amanuensis. The leader of the first firing squad refuses to try again. A second attempt is made using a new leader at noon, this time successfully. A gale force wind, earthquake, cholera and famine immediately follow. One third of the firing squad later die in an earthquake, the remainder are executed for mutiny. The bodies of the Báb and Anís are retrieved as directed by Bahá'u'lláh and years later interred at the Shrine of the Báb on the slope of Mt. Carmel, Israel. By this time, the Bábí Faith is in Irán and Iráq.
28 Aug 1851 Bahá'u'lláh arrives in Karbilá, Iráq - the start of a 10 month pilgrimage. Continues to spread the Báb's Teachings.
15 Aug 1852 Two crazed Bábís attempt to kill Násiri'd-Dín Sháh. They are executed on the spot. Nationwide reign of terror sweeps Persia. Anyone suspected of being Bábí are killed in unspeakably gruesome and inhumane manners. Many European diplomats witness and record the events. The nominee of the Báb, Mírzá Yahyá, half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh, flees [note: the Báb appointed him as His figurehead to deflect attention away from Bahá'u'lláh]. Upon hearing news of the assassination attempt, Bahá'u'lláh rides to the military post in Níyávarán. He is arrested and marched in chains, bare headed and bare footed to the Síyáh-Chál of Tihrán [literally meaning the Black Pit, it was "an abominable pit that had once served as a reservoir of water for one of the public baths" of Tihrán]. Here He was surrounded by criminals with His feet in mighty stocks and neck weighed done by a mighty chain, a chain so infamous that it had it's own name. Tahirih is executed. Her last words: "You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women". Bahá'u'lláh is now the sole survivor from among the leaders of the Bábí Faith. No one would sign His death warrant out of fear that His execution would spark riots throughout Persia. Instead, it was hoped that he would die in this loathsome prison. This was not to be.

Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel
in Haifa, Israel

A Brief History of the Bahá'í Faith
The Heroic Age: The first epoch: the Báb The second epoch: Bahá'u'lláh The third epoch: 'Abdu'l-Bahá
The Formative Age: The first epoch: 1921 to 1947 The second epoch: 1947 to 1963 The third epoch: 1963 to 1986 The fourth epoch: 1986 to 2001 The fifth epoch: 2001 to present
More information: Introduction to the Báb