One hundred and sixty-some years in six paragraphs
What follows is an extremely brief history of this faith. There are many books which give great detail on each of the Central Figures, disciples, and believers, and how the Bahá'í Faith has impacted world events from the beginning up to the present day.
The Bahá'í calendar begins with the Declaration of the Báb in 1844. "Báb" is Arabic for gate or door. He brought a Message to humankind that their Promised One of all ages was soon to be made manifest. This Declaration took place in Irán and, over the next few years, caused great turmoil among the Islámic clergy. He preached that a new Day had arrived, the next cycle of God had begun, and sent his message across the Middle East. Many who heard His message hastened to hear His words for themselves and became Bábís. This upset the clergy who saw this young Messenger as a heretic, leading the faithful down the road of damnation, and endangering the role of the clergy as spiritual leaders. After several massacres of Bábís which resulted in the death of around twenty thousand adherents, the Báb Himself was formally executed in Tabríz in 1851.
One of the Báb's adherents was soon to take the name Bahá'u'lláh, Arabic for "Glory of God". He carefully gathered the grieving Bábís, guiding them throughout the continuing persecutions. Once He was well knows as the new leader He was banished with his entire family to Iraq. It was after great hardship and a time of absence that the hour of His Announcement arrived. The year was 1863 when, in a garden in Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh revealed Himself as that long-sought Promised One of all ages just before His further banishment to Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally to Akká, the prison city, in what was then Palestine, now Israel.
Each banishment took place after Bahá'u'lláh's message of renewal, of the reunification of humankind, plus word of His honesty and humility had spread to all corners of the area and gained Him great respect and admiration from much of the population, again worrying clergy and government officials that He could undermine their authority. He, however, had absolutely no desire for earthly power or financial gain. This was repeatedly demonstrated through His words and deeds, yet the fears of the few caused them to whisper insinuations and implications, twisting words and meanings to suit their selfish claims. He continued His Divine Mission throughout the trials and tribulations which beset Him at all times, exhorting everyone to reflect the attributes of God and become a new race of men. He wrote and dictated over one hundred books, some small, some large, revealing the Will of God for this Cycle.
Bahá'u'lláh was still under house arrest in His home in Bahjí when He ascended in 1892. He had appointed His eldest son, `Abdu'l-Bahá (Servant of Glory) to be his successor in leading the Bahá'í Faith as the Centre of the Covenant, the Perfect Exemplar, and sole interpreter of the sacred texts. `Abdu'l-Bahá traveled much of the world, supporting and guiding the efforts of Bahá'ís as the faith rapidly expanded around the world. He ascended in 1921. He designated His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as Guardian in His Will and Testament.
Shoghi Effendi, a graduate of Oxford University in Great Britain, put into effect many of the plans laid out by his Grandfather and Great Grandfather in their texts. He translated many volumes into English himself and appointed committees to translate into other languages, making the sacred writings of the Bahá'í Faith available to most of the world's population. He passed suddenly in 1957, leaving no will and no offspring. The guidance of the Faith was taken up by the Hands of the Cause - those who had been designated as such by the Central Figures for their depth of knowledge, wisdom, and enthusiasm for the Cause. The Hands acted as stewards only, taking no action to put themselves in power, ushering in an instutution called for by Bahá'u'lláh and explained in detail by `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi - the Universal House of Justice.
The first election of the Universal House of Justice took place in the year of the one-hundredth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's Declaration, 1963. The elections take place every five years, and will continue that way until the next Messenger of God either confirms or reforms that institution in, roughly, one thousand years.
For further historical information check out books in your local library or order them online from you favorite book site, like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Talk to a live Bahá'í and find your nearest Bahá'í community by calling 1-800-22-UNITE.