Baháʼí Faith in India

The Baháʼí Faith in India is very small in proportion to the national population, but it is numerically large and has a long history culminating in recent times with the notable Lotus Temple, various Baháʼí schools, and increasing prominence. According to the 2016 World Religion Database, India had just over 2 million Baháʼís in 2015,[1] and according to the Association of Religion Data Archives data there were 1,898,000 Baháʼís in India in 2010;[2] however, the 2011 Census of India recorded only 4,572.[3][4]

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History

Establishment

Bábí period

The roots of the Baháʼí Faith in India go back to the first days of the Bábí religion in 1844.[5] Four Babís are known from India in this earliest period.[6] The first was Sa'id Hindi, one of the Letters of the Living, and a second was only known as Qahru'llah.[7] Two other very early Bábís were Sa'in Hindi and Sayyid Basir Hindi. Additionally, four other Indians are listed among the 318 Bábís who fought at the Battle of Fort Tabarsi.[8] There is little evidence of any contact from these early Indian Bábís back to their homeland.

Early Baháʼí period

During Baháʼu'lláh's lifetime, as founder of the religion, he encouraged some of his followers to move to India.[9] Some who settled in India including Hájí Sayyid Mírzá and Sayyid Muhammad who had become Bábís after meeting Baháʼu'lláh in Baghdad in the 1850s. Hájí Sayyid Mahmúd also traded in Bombay. These individuals were very successful as general merchants and commission agents but it was near another 50 years before native converts began.[8] A Baha'i teacher was asked for and Jamál Effendi was sent approximately 1875.[8] Still in these early years another member of the family of the Báb, Mírzá Ibrahím, helped establish the first Baháʼí printing and publishing company, the Násirí Press, in Bombay and began to publish Baháʼí books from about 1882-3 onwards.[8] The Book of Certitude and The Secret of Divine Civilization were both published in 1882.[10] Much later – in 1891 – Jamál Effendi was confused with a terrorist and reported on by British agents among the Indian population and those records have been found (though Indian government national archives.)[8] Following the passing of Baháʼu'lláh, as the leadership of the religion fell to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he in turn sent further emissaries in his stead – both Persian and American.[10]

Professor Pritam Singh is believed to be the first member of the Sikh community in India to accept the Baháʼí Faith, and the first to publish a Baháʼí weekly magazine in India. He learned of the religion from Mirzá Mahmud soon after his graduation from the University of Calcutta in 1904.[5] By 1908 the Baháʼí pioneers and representatives of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, had produced functioning communities in Bombay, Calcutta, Aligarh and Lahore.[10] Narayenrao Rangnath Shethji is believed to be the first convert from Hindu background. Better known as Vakil, he was born in a well-known Hindu family in Nawsari. He became a Baháʼí in 1909.[5] Representatives of the Indian Zoroastrian community had been sent to Persia to help their coreligionists. There they came into contact with the religion and supported its activities. Later, several Iranian Zoroastrian converts to the religion traveled to Bombay (notably Mulla Bahram Akhtar-Khavari) and actively promulgated their new religion among local Zoroastrians.[10]

As early as 1910 the national community in India was being urged to distinguish itself from Islam by Baháʼí institutions of America.[11] National coordinated activities began and reached a peak with the December 1920, first All-India Baháʼí Convention, held in Bombay for three days. Representatives from India's major religious communities were present as well as Baha'i delegates from throughout the country. The resolutions arrived at included the collection of funds to build a Baha'i temple, the establishment of a Baha'i school and the growth of teaching and translation work[10]—goals reached before the end of the century (see below).

Mahatma Gandhi famously commented, "The Baháʼí Faith is a solace to humankind."

Following the passing of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi was appointed head of the religion and he soon set about the formation of the first round of National Spiritual Assemblies in the world in 1923 and India's was in that first wave.[12] In 1930 notable Baháʼí and world traveler Martha Root made an extensive trip through India.[13][14] The first Baháʼí summer school was able to be held in Simla in 1938 and in 1941 three new local communities with functioning Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established: Hyderabad, Kota and Bangalore. These activities reached a peak with occasional awareness of the social leaders in India like Mahatma Gandhi.[15] In time his comment "The Baháʼí Faith is a solace to humankind" appeared in The Bombay Chronicle newspaper on May 24, 1944, during the centenary of the Baháʼí Faith and the Indian Baháʼí community consisted of twenty-nine Local Spiritual Assemblies.[10]

Through the first half of the twentieth century, the Baháʼís continue to grow with a focus away from the large cities. The Baháʼí Faith had the notable achievement of the conversion of Kishan Lal Malviya, a scheduled caste leader from Shajapur (a district northeast of Ujjain), and of Dayaram Malviya, another scheduled caste leader, setting the stage for a rural dynamic of growth called "mass teaching." Shirin Fozdar also rose to prominence and served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India from 1936 to 1951. Her main area of work from 1925 to 1950 was in a large community of Untouchables or Harijans in Ahmedabad.[16]

Growth

After more than a century the Baháʼí Faith in India had only reached around 1,000[10] and for a significant time there hadn't even been an Indian-based community in India. Various social and religious forces encouraged a broader outreach for the aims of the teaching activities of the religion. It was a time of "mass teaching".[10] The Baháʼí teachings were adapted for presentation to a clearly Hindu context familiar to the people of the countryside, using principles and language familiar to them:[10]

  • the presentation of Baháʼu'lláh as the Kalki Avatar who according to the Vishnu Purana will appear at the end of the kali yuga for the purpose of reestablishing an era of righteousness
  • emphasizing the figures of Buddha and Krishna as past Manifestations of God or Avatars,
  • references to Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita,
  • the substitution of Sanskrit-based terminology for Arabic and Persian where possible (i.e., Bhagavan Baha for Baháʼu'lláh), and the incorporation in both song (bhajan)[17] and literature of Hindu holy places, hero-figures and poetic images.
  • Hindi translations of Baháʼí scriptures and prayers that appeared during this period which are so heavily Sanskritized as to make it difficult to recognize their non-Hindu antecedents.

Together with the teaching of the unity of humanity these approaches attracted many of the lower castes.[18] In short order most of a tiny village of some 200 people converted to the Baháʼí Faith en masse.[10] The following year hundreds of people adopted the religion thanks to an open air conference where speeches could be heard. In two more years almost as many people converted as had been Baháʼís through regions of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. In 1961 there were a total of 78 Local Spiritual Assemblies and less than 1,000 believers and in 1963 there were some 65,000[19] and by 1970 these figures had risen to 3,350 Assemblies and 312,602 believers.[10] However, in contrast to the Neo-Buddhist movement, no effort was made to denounce Hinduism[10] and progress along Baháʼí ideals advanced: Assemblies formed in response to growing numbers of Baha'is, the House of Worship for India was built, and schools were established – all goals of the first All-India Baha'i Convention in 1920 (see above).

During this period of growth, six conferences held in October 1967 around the world presented a viewing of a copy of the photograph of Baháʼu'lláh on the highly significant occasion commemorating the centenary of Baháʼu'lláh's writing of the Suriy-i-Mulúk (Tablet to the Kings), which Shoghi Effendi describes as "the most momentous Tablet revealed by Baháʼu'lláh".[20] After a meeting in Edirne (Adrianople), Turkey, the Hands of the Cause travelled to the conferences, "each bearing the precious trust of a photograph of the Blessed Beauty, which it will be the privilege of those attending the Conferences to view." Hand of the Cause Abul-Qasim Faizi conveyed this photograph to the Conference for Asia at India.[21]

India became the largest Baháʼí community in the world in 2000 after less than a century of mass teaching, with an official Baháʼí population of between 1.7 million[22] and over 2 million.[23] The expansion of the numbers and organization of the community has helped grow the publishing agencies of the religion until the Indian Baháʼí Publishing Trust has an international reputation.[24] According to the 2005 Association of Religion Data Archives data there are close to some 1,880,700 Baháʼís,[25] and 1,898,000 in 2010,[2] though the 2011 Census of India recorded only 4,572.[3] The census has been under some criticism and scholars regularly use corrections.[26][27]

Emergence from obscurity

Lotus Temple
Main article: Lotus Temple
The Baháʼí House of Worship in New Delhi.

The Baháʼí House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, is a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles,[28] and CNN reported it as the most visited building in the world in 2001.[29] A few international dignitaries have also visited. Lists of prominent individuals are listed in an article[30] and updated most recently in 2004 addition.[31]

Baháʼí educational institutions

Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women,[32] promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern,[33] and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics.[32] The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.[34] Baháʼís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Baháʼí teachings, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Baháʼí socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1,482. There are some seven educational institutions the Baha'is of India have undertaken.[35] Two of the more well known are:

Prominence
Baha'i house in Chandigarh.

Following the successes in large scale growth in numbers and organization with commitment to raise up a Temple and schools, the Baháʼí Faith in India has awakened degrees of prominence.

  • Amongst other important engagements during his state visit to India from 5–7 November 1999, Pope John Paul II attended an inter-religious meeting. Against a backdrop of protests by various sectarian groups against ecumenism, this particular function had aroused interest. Distinguished representatives of nine religions, including Mrs. Zena Sorabjee of the Baháʼí community, shared the platform with Pope John Paul. Many ambassadors, high-ranking government officials, political and civic leaders and intellectuals, as well as cardinals, archbishops and other senior religious dignitaries, were present at this unique event.[40]
  • In 1994, the situation of the Babri Mosque was commented on by Members of the India Supreme Court highlighting the approach of the Baháʼís on multi-faith issues, quoting the statement Communal Harmony of the National Spiritual Assembly of India,[41][42][43] which had been distributed to ministers, bureaucrats, district county workers, the superintendent of police, NGO's, and faith communities, in most of the official languages of India.[44]
  • Zia Mody is a prominent Baháʼí[45] Indian legal consultant. She is a member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India's Standing Committee on Mutual Funds, and of the Capital Market Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. She is the daughter of noted Indian jurist Soli Sorabjee.

Recent events

Protest of persecution in Iran

The governments of India and Iran generally maintain good relations. In 2001, the government of India voted against the United Nations resolution Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran raised in response to the persecution of Baháʼís in Iran,[46] and it has voted against many such resolutions since that time. Despite this, many officials and prominent citizens of India have expressed serious concerns about the persecution of Baháʼís.

Former Chief Justice J. S. Verma, one of many prominent Indians who have called for the release of imprisoned Baha'is in Iran.

In June 2008 several leading jurists of India's legal system, journalists, and civil rights activist signed an open letter urging Iran to abide by international human rights conventions and calling for the immediate release of Baha'is detained in the country. Signatories included:[47] former Chief Justice of India Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma, former Supreme Court judge Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Rajinder Sachar, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, member, Law commission, Tahir Mahmood, former chairperson, National Commission for Women, Dr. Mohini Giri, editorial director, Hindustan Times, Vir Sanghvi, senior columnist Kuldip Nayar, president, World Council for Arya Samaj, Swami Agnivesh, among others.

A similar open letter was published in February 2009, and signed by more than 30 prominent Indians, including Justice Iyer, actor Aamir Khan, Maulana Khalid Rasheed, Swami Agnivesh, and many more. Calls for the release of imprisoned Baha'is have continued since that time, with many prominent Indians expressing their concern.[48][49]

Lotus Temple arrests

In 2006, some former employees of the temple made a complaint to the police that the trustees of the temple had been involved in various crimes including spying, religious conversion and producing false passports. The trial judge directed the police to arrest nine specific trustees, but the High Court later stayed the arrests.[50][51]

First local House of Worship

In 2012 the Universal House of Justice announced the first local Baháʼí House of Worship would be built. One of these was specified in Bihar Sharif, Bihar, India.[52]

Possible first instance of persecution

The Baháʼís of Jaipur registered a complaint, (technically a First Information Report,) with police that their community burial ground had been attacked by a mob of about 40-50 people "led by a sarpanch", or head of the local Gram panchayat, on Friday Oct 31, 2015 about 11:30am in Shri Ram Ki Nangal village.[53] The Hindu newspaper claimed the Sarpanch was Nathu Jangid, head of the village government, based on witness statement.[54] The security guard was injured and the guard's room and prayer house were damaged. The FIR was registered by the local assembly treasurer for the Baháʼís.[55] In a public meeting representatives of the Baháʼís stated that they believe this is the first such incident in the history of the religion in the country, named the sarpanch, and recalled that during elections about a year and a half ago he had promised to take away the burial site and make it a playground or school that had been theirs since 2002. The Baháʼís made no comment on the political statement then because "as it is in our religion to be apolitical.”[53] Indian newspaper The Wire published pictures of the site and damage and a claim by Sarpanch Jangid that the land had been illegally sold to the Baháʼís.[55] The People's Union for Civil Liberties of India has taken an interest in the case.[55]

gollark: You should probably first ask them to just not try and attack people because of that sort of thing.
gollark: Oh dear.
gollark: Go on, then.
gollark: Regulatory capture-type things are bad, we know that already.
gollark: Plus this way the military technology can get to civilians faster. There are lots of useful spinoffs.

See also

References
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  2. "Most Baha'i Nations (2010)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  3. "C-01 Appendix : Details of Religious Community Shown Under 'Other Religions And Persuasions' In Main Table C-1- 2011 (India & States/UTs)". Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  4. "Population Enumeration Data (Final Population)". Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  5. The Baháʼí Faith - Brief History Archived 2009-04-14 at the Wayback Machine National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India.
  6. Historical Accounts of two Indian Babis: Sa'in Hindi and Sayyid Basir Hindi By Sepehr Manuchehri, Research Notes in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies, Vol. 5, no. 2 (April, 2001)
  7. The Practice of Taqiyyah (Dissimulation) in the Babi and Bahai Religions by Sepehr Manuchehri, Research Notes in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies, Vol. 3, no. 3 (September 1999)
  8. Momen, Moojan (2000) [1999]. "Jamál Effendi and the early spread of the Baháʼí Faith in Asia". Baha'i Studies Review. 9.
  9. Baháʼí History by Moojan Momen and Peter Smith
  10. The Baha'i Faith in India: A Developmental Stage Approach by William Garlington, Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies, No. 2 (June, 1997)
  11. Letter from the House of Spirituality of Bahais, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A. to the Assembly of Bomday India.
  12. The Baháʼí Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Baháʼí Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963, Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land, pages 22 and 46.
  13. "Miss Martha Root in India (I)". Baháʼí News (45): 7–8 (continued...). October 1930.
  14. "Miss Martha Root in India (II)". Baháʼí News (46): 10–11. November 1930.
  15. Mahatma Gandhi and the Baháʼís - Striving towards a Nonviolent Civilization, by M. V. Gandhimohan, Copyright © 2000, Baháʼí Publishing Trust of India, New Delhi, ISBN 81-86953-82-5
  16. Sarwal, Anil (1989). "Shirin Fozdar: An Outstanding Pioneer". Baháʼí Digest. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  17. The Baha'i Bhajans: An example of the Baha'i Use of Hindu Symbols by William Garlington, Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1 (January, 1998)
  18. Notes on Baháʼí population in India by Charles Nolley and William Garlington, 1997-03
  19. Francis, N. Richard (1998). "Rahmatu'llah Muhajir - Hand of the Cause of God, the Treasure of All Humanity". Baháʼí Faith Website of Reno, Nevada. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. Effendi, Shoghi (1944). God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. p. 171. ISBN 0-87743-020-9.
  21. House of Justice, Universal (1976). Wellspring of Guidance, Messages 1963-1968. Wilmette, Illinois: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States. pp. 109–112. ISBN 0-87743-032-2.
  22. Source: Year 2000 Estimated Baha'i statistics from: David Barrett, World Christian Encyclopedia, 2000; Total population statistics, mid-2000 from Population Reference Bureau
  23. Baha'i Faith in India Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine, FAQs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India
  24. Baháʼí Publishing Trust - Publishing Division of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India
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  26. How reliable are India's official statistics?, by Ankush Agrawal, IEG, and Vikas Kumar, EastAsiaForum.org, 6 April 2012
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  30. An Architectural Marvel Archived 2003-09-07 at the Wayback Machine by Prof. Anil Sarwal, First published in The Tribune, Chandigarh
  31. Distinguished visitors praise Baha'i Temple
  32. Momen, Moojan. "History of the Baha'i Faith in Iran". draft "A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha'i Faith". Bahai-library.com. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  33. Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi (1997). "Education of women and socio-economic development". Baha'i Studies Review. 7 (1).
  34. Momen, Moojan; Smith, Peter (1989). "The Baha'i Faith 1957–1988: A Survey of Contemporary Developments". Religion. 19 (1): 63–91. doi:10.1016/0048-721X(89)90077-8.
  35. Socia-Economic Development Projects
  36. "Background statement of the school". Archived from the original on 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  37. Empowering Young Women to Improve Rural Lives - The Story of the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. A case study in Baháʼí Development. Prepared by The Baháʼí International Community for The World Faiths Development Dialogue (11 July 2003)
  38. bahaindia.org (2003-08-11). "Barli Development Institute for Rural Women". Archived from the original on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-15.
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  40. Pope Addressed by Baha'is in India
  41. One Country (Volume 7.1, April-June 1995). Supreme Court of India highlights Baha'i views on communal tolerance in Ayodhya decision
  42. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India. Communal Harmony: India's Greatest Challenge
  43. Dr. M. Ismail Faruqui Etc, Mohd. Aslam, Hargyan Singh, Thakur Vijay Ragho Bhagwan Birajman Mandir and Another, Jamiat-ulama-e-hind and Another. Vs. Union of India and Others - Court Judgment (24 October 1994)
  44. Bodakowski, Michael; Marshall, Katherine (2011). A Discussion with Farida Vahedi, Executive Director of the Department of External Affairs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Washington DC.
  45. "Zia Mody Profile, AZB & Partners - Mumbai". Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  46. Baháʼí International Community (2008). "UN General Assembly Resolution 2001". Baháʼí International Community. Archived from the original on 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
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  50. "HC stays arrest of Lotus temple trustees". webindia123.com. 18 August 2006. Retrieved Sep 22, 2017.
  51. "High Court stays arrest of Lotus temple trustees". The Hindu.com. March 22, 2016 [Aug 19, 2006]. Retrieved Sep 22, 2017.
  52. "Plans to build new Houses of Worship announced". Baháʼí World News Service. Baháʼí International Community. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
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  55. Sudhanshu Mishra (Nov 1, 2015). "Bahaʼi Burial Ground Vandalised, Hand of BJP Sarpanch Alleged". The Wire. Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved Nov 2, 2015.
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