The Baha'i Faith in India: A Developmental Stage Approach

India has the largest Baha'i community in the world, claiming some two million believers. The origins of the community stretch back to the time of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. William Garlington's The Baha'i Faith in India: A Developmental Stage Approach is an important and groundbreaking study of how the Babi and Baha'i Faiths came to take root in India and how the Baha'i community has developed into an important player in the life of India with its myriad of religious traditions. It is the first book to offer a comprehensive history of these events. Garlington's book brings to life the activities and motivations of Baha'i teachers including Hands of the Cause, early pioneers, and native believers. This study suggests that there is a distinction to be made between conversion and declarations. Even though India is by far the largest Baha’i community in the world, most Indian Baha’is maintain many elements of their Hindu culture while also fully identifying as Baha’is.
An important and fascinating study.