DOI: 10.1080/14623520500127431

The Baha’i community of Iran has its origins in the Babi movement, a religion which began in Iran in 1844. Its founder, Sayyid ‘Ali Muhammad Shirazi, who took the title the Bab (1819–1850), was executed in 1850 in the midst of a general persecution of the Babis that culminated in a general massacre in 1852. In about 1866, Mirza Husayn ‘Ali Nuri (1817–1892), who took the title Baha’u’llah, openly claimed to be the religious leader prophesied by the Bab in his writings. Since more than 90% of the surviving Babis became followers of Baha’u’llah, Baha’is, at about this time, it is legitimate from the sociological and historical viewpoint to regard these two movements, the Babis and the Baha’is, as one movement and, hereinafter, for ease of reference, all phases will be referred to as persecutions of the Baha’is, although it should be born in mind that the first phase was in fact a persecution of the Babi community.