The Promised Day is Come (Khan)/Text

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I CENTENARY 1967

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The Promised Day Is Come

Study Guide by Peter Khan

Approved by the Reviewing Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S.A.

BAHÁ’Í

Bahá’í Publishing Trust

Wilmette, Illinois

1967

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© 1967 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States of America

Printed in U.S.A.

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BWF

CF

ESW

GPB

MA

PUP

WOB

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS OF REFERENCES

Bahá’í Administration. Shoghi Effendi Bahá’í World Faith. Selected writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Citadel of Faith. Messages to America / 1947 - 1957. Shoghi Effendi.

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Bahá’u’lláh.

God Passes By. Shoghi Effendi

Messages to America / 1932 - 1946. Shoghi Effendi.

The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Discourses by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the United States, 1912 .

The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Shoghi Effendi.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

General Theme .................................................... 1

The Proclamation and the Response .................................... 2

Specific Tablets to the Kings ........................................... 7

Specific Tablets to the Religious Leaders ............................... 11

The World of Today and Tomorrow ..................................... 13

Discussion Questions ................................................. 16

Review Questions ..................................................... 17

Appendix ............................................................ 21

Notes ............................................................... 26

[Page 1]

THE GENERAL THEME

The meaning of this age in which the whole world is suffering turmoil and change is the grand theme of Shoghi Effendi's book, The Promised Day is Come. Writing in 1941, the late Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith turned the powerful searchlight of Bahá’u'lláh's divine Teachings on the unprecedented events "sweeping the face of the earth." He considered the general theme in its two great aspects, God's judgment on the waywardness of mankind, and ultimate salvation for the human race in a divine commonwealth .

Shoghi Effendi himself summarized the general theme of his book in the following passages, which are placed here as an introduction to this study:

I. "Titanic Upheaval" a Judgment of God (115—116)

"I have . . . attempted to represent this world-afflicting ordeal . . . as primarily a judgment of God pronounced against the peoples of the earth, who, for a century, have refused to recognize the One Whose advent had been promised to all religions . . . ." (See 2-3, 116—117, 120, 127)]

" . . . quoted certain passages from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb that reveal the character, and foreshadow the occurrence of this divinely—inflicted Visitation. " (See 1—2 22, 29, 37, 62, 72, 88—89, 91, 121)

" . enumerated the woeful trials with which the Faith, its Herald, its Founder, and its Exemplar, have been afflicted . . . (See 5 - 14)

" . exposed the tragic failure of the generality of mankind to protest against these tribulations, and to acknowledge the claims advanced by those Who bore them . " (See 5 — 6, 15, 117 —120)

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1

. indicated that a direct, an awful, an inescapable responsibility rested on the sovereigns of the earth and the world's religious leaders . . . ." (See 16 - 20)

" . . endeavored to show how, as a result of direct and active antagonism . . . and the neglect . . . to investigate . . . both kings and ecclesiastics have been, and are still being, subjected to the dire punishments which their sins of omission and commission have provoked . . . ." (See 49 - 72, 76 -77, 93 - 103, 107 - 111)

" . . . quoted extensively from the messages ,the exhortations and warnings addressed to them by the Founders of our Faith . . . ." (See 20 - 49, 78 - 93, 104 - 107)

II. God's Redemptive Plan (2 - 3, 120 - 121)

"The flames Which His Divine justice has kindled cleanse an unregenerate humanity, and fuse its discordant, its warring elements as no other agency can cleanse and fuse them ." (See 120)

"It is not only a retributory and destructive fire, but a disciplinary and creative process, whose aim is the salvation, through unification, of the entire planet." (See 120)

"God's other purpose is none other than to usher in . . . the Great, the Golden Age of a long-divided, a long-afflicted humanity." (See 120)

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THE PROCLAMATION AND THE RESPONSE

KINGS AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE WORLD

These were "the direct recipients of the Message proclaimed by both the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh” (1'8).

Bahá’u’lláh and the Bab "directed . . . the full force of Their Messages" at them because:

" . . they . . . were still, for the most part,wie1ding unquestioned and absolute civil and ecclesiastical authority over their subjects and followers‘ ,

and " . . . the masses . . . . dominated and shackled, were robbed of the necessary freedom that would enable them to either appraise the claims and merits of the Message proffered them, or to embrace unreservedly its truth " (18).

THE PROCLAMATION TO THE KINGS

"All the kings of the earth have been collectively addressed" by Bahá'u'lláh. The Tablet to the Kings is directed to "the entire company of the monarchs of East and West." (20)

In the Tablet to the Kings (20—24), Bahá’u’lláh: -describes the Báb as being "the Remembrance of God" (20) —discloses that His own call is "the Voice of God" (20) —calls upon them "to examine Our Cause" (22) and to ”follow . . . that which I speak unto you" (21) -urges them to "make ye amends for that which escaped you" (21) —enjoins them to “be vigilant", "tread ye the path of justice“, "compose your differences, and reduce your armaments" (21); "rule with justice", "safeguard the rights of the down-trodden, and punish the wrong-doers" (23)

—warns them that "if ye pay no heed unto the counsels . . . Divine chastisement shall assail you from every direction" (22) -reproves them that "though aware of most of Our afflictions ye . . . failed to stay the hand of the aggressor" (23) ~prophesies His "triumph upon earth" when "God will have exalted His Cause"(24)

In a passage from the Kitab-i ~Aqdas , (24-26) Bahá’u’lláh announces to the kings of the earth that "the Most Great Law hath been revealed" (25). He proclaims Himself to be "the Kings of Kings" before whom the kings of the earth "are but vassals" (25). He declares His Mission to be ”to seize and possess the hearts of men" but disclaims any intention "to lay hands on your kingdoms" (25) .

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Bahá’u’lláh addresses the kings of the earth in His Tablet to Queen Victoria, setting out principles for establishment of "the Lesser Peace" , and the responsibilities of kings toward their subjects . (26)

The kings and princes of the earth are addressed by the Báb in the Qayyum u’l-Asma'. He calls upon them to "deliver . . . the verses sent down by Us . . . to lands in both the East and the West" and to "seek ye grace from God" (27).

In addition to these general Tablets, "direct and specific messages" (48) were addressed by Bahá’u’lláh to “most of the preeminent embodiments of power in His day" (19).

(See also GPB 171—176, 206-207, 212—213; BWF 36-43; MA 91; PUP 427-428, 218-220)

THE PROCLAMATION TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Bahá’u’lláh addressed the followers of past religions, and "particularly" says Shoghi Effendi, "their responsible leaders who have intervened between Him and their respective congregations" (78).

To the Jewish people He proclaims that ”the Ancient Beauty ruleth upon the throne of David" and that His Call is "the Voice of God" heard from Jerusalem . He enumerates Old Testament prophecies which have been fulfilled in His Coming. (79)

Addressing the Zoroastrian priests , He identifies His Call with "the voice of the promised Shah—Bahram" and describes it as "that wherein lieth salvation" (79).

Bahá’u’lláh's proclamation to religious leaders of Islam and Christianity is considered in most detail in this book (81 -87) since these are "the two religious systems which are sustaining . . . the full impact of so tremendous a Revelation" (80).

In the Kitab-i-Iqan (81 -82), the Kitab-i-Aqdas (84-87), and elsewhere, He censures these leaders and appeals to them. He points out their responsibilities, for if they be corrupted, if they change, "most men will, likewise, Change" (86). He accuses them of misleading their people "for the lust of leadership" and "through want of knowledge and understanding" (81) and of inflicting "unspeakable cruelties" on "every Prophet of God” (81). He censures them as "the source and origin of tyranny" (82).

The people are also censured for disregarding the counsels of the Prophets "to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears" and for having "blindly followed . . . the leaders of their Faith" (81).

Bahá’u’lláh appeals to the leaders to "tear the veils asunder” and "purify your ears" (85) and to "peruse, with fairness and justice, that which hath been sent down" (87).

He prophesies seizure of power from those who "worship no God but their own desire" (84). (See also GPB 209, 211)

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THE RESPONSE TO THE CALL

The response (5) was:

—"unmitigated indifference" of "men of eminence and rank"

—"unrelenting hatred" of "ecclesiastical dignitaries"

-"scornfu1 derision" of the people

-"utter contempt" of ”kings and rulers"

-"Condemnations", "threats", and "banishments"; "distortion of its principles and laws"

-"a persecution" which "mowed down . . . no less than twenty thousand of its heroic adherents"

The Báb was subjected to (6):

-"sudden arrest and confinement" as well as "public affront in . . . Shíráz" -"prolonged incarceration in . . . Adhirbaijan” -"contemptuous disregard" and "cowardly jealousy" from government ministers -"farcica1 interrogatory" in Tabríz -"infliction of the bastinado" in Tabriz - and martyrdom in Tabríz

(See also GPB 3—60)

Bahá’u’lláh endured (7-12):

-"half a century" of "systematic and concerted conspiracy" (7) - incarceration in a "vermin-infested subterranean dungeon” in Tihran for four months (8 -9) -stoning in Niyala, incarceration in Mazindaran, the bastinado in Amul (10-11) -banishment to ‘Iráq "in the depth of winter" (10) -"forced and sudden retirement . . . to the mountains of Sulaymaniyyih " ( 11) -"incessant intrigues" of Shi'ih Muslim ecclesiastics (11) - banishment to Constantinople, Adrianople, and 'Akka -"unre1axing surveillance" and "insufferable imprisonment" in 'Akka (11) (See also GPB 61 -233)

‘Abdu’l-Bahá (13—14) :

— was "baptized with . . . fires of persecution" (13) -shared with Bahá’u’lláh "the ignominy, the perils , and rigors" of banishment (13) - received "continual assaults and insults" from Sultan (Abdu'l-Hamid and Jamal Pasha (13) - suffered over "the reception accorded by a faithless generation to His Father's Cause" and "the immediate destiny of God's wayward children" (14)

[Page 6] "Alas, a thousand times alas, that a Revelation so incomparably great, so infinitely precious, so mightily potent, so manifestly innocent, should have received, at the hands of a generation so blind and perverse, so infamous a treatment!” (14)

THE EFFECT UPON THE FORTUNES OF ROYALTY

There occurred "the catastrophic fall, and the extinction of the dynasties and empires of those monarchs Whose disastrous end He particularly prophesied" (73).

Also apparent were "the declining fortunes of the sovereigns of His Own generation, whom He generally reproved" (73).

THE FUTURE POSITION OF KINGSHIP

In the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (73 -76) :

-"the principle of kingship is eulogized" —"the rank and conduct of just and fair-minded kings is extolled" -"the rise of monarchs, ruling with justice and even professing His Faith, is envisaged" (See also GPB 224- 225)

THE EFFECT UPON THE STRONGHOLDS OF RELIGIOUS ORTHODOXY

There has been a "startling deterioration in the influence exercised by the world's spiritual leaders" and a "crumbling of the seemingly inviolable strongholds of religious orthodoxy" (76).

The ecclesiastics and particularly the Muslim divines, "sowed the seeds of the disintegration of their own institutions" by their "assaults" and "anathemas" against the Faith of God (77).

"This process of deterioration . . . is still operating with undiminished force" and "will . . . be further accelerated” "as the opposition to the Faith of God . . . gathers momentum" (77).

(See also GPB 230)

[Page 7] SPECIFIC TABLETS TO THE KINGS

THE TABLETS

”Most of the preeminent embodiments of power and sovereignty in His day became, one by one, the object of Baha'u'llah's special attention . . . (19)

Bahá’u’lláh , and to a lesser degree, the Báb (18) :

-" . . .directed at the world's supreme rulers and religious leaders the full force of Their Messages . . .

-" . . . invited them . . . to heed Their call."

- presented "the truths of Their respective Revelations"

-" . . . expatiated on Their woes and sufferings"

-" stressed the preciousness of the opportunities" before the rulers

-" . . . warned them in ominous tones of the grave responsibilities which the rejection of God's Message would entail . . .

~" . .. predicted, when rebuffed and refused, the dire consequences which such a rejection involved . "

EMPEROR NAPOLEON III

His Characteristics: "Emperor of the French, the most powerful ruler of his day on the European continent" (19); holding "the foremost rank" in the political sphere (50); "a dreamer, a conspirator, of a shifting nature, hypocritical and reckless" (50).

The Tablets : The first Tablet (51-52) was sent from Adrianople ( See GPB 173) calling on the Emperor "to inquire into the condition of such as have been wronged" (52).

The second Tablet (28—30) was sent from 'Akka, reproving him and prophesying that "for what thou hast done , thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands” (29 and 51).

The Result : Napoleon "flung down" the first Tablet "saying 'If this man is God, I am two gods !" (52). He did not reply to Bahá’u’lláh, but his government offered material assistance . (51) He made no reply to the second Tablet.

Napoleon 'Was soon himself engulfed by a catastrophe that hurled him into the dust“ and his army defeated in "the greatest capitulation hitherto recorded in modern history" (53). He was exiled until his death.

(See also BWF 48 - 52 ; ESW 45 -56 ; GPB 172, 207, 225)

[Page 8]POPE PIUS IX

His Characteristics: ”supreme head of the highest church in Christendom" , holding "temporal and spiritual authority" (19) ; proclaimer of the church doctrine of "the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin" and the "new dogma of Papal Infallibility" (54) ; "authoritarian by nature , a poor statesman, disinclined to conciliation" (54).

The Tablet: Bahá’u’lláh declared that ”He Who is the Lord of Lords is come" . . . . and called on the Pope to "turn towards thy Lord" (30). The Pope was commanded to drink from "the cup of Life" and "proffer it then to such as turn towards it" (31).

The Result: The Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh precipitated "the Virtual extinction of the temporal sovereignty of the Supreme Pontiff' (56). Pius IX "became the first prisoner of the Vatican" (53).

(See also 30 - 32 ; 54-56 and GPB 209,226)

CZAR ALEXANDER II

His Characteristics: "the omnipotent Czar of the vast Russian Empire" (19) ; "the inaugurator of a retrogressive policy which in the end proved fatal to both himself and his dynasty" (57).

The Tablet : Bahá’u’lláh called on the Czar to "incline thine ear unto the voice of God" (32) and warned him to "beware lest thy sovereignty withhold thee from Him Who is the Supreme Sovereign" (33).

The Result : The reactionary policy of Alexander II "ushered in a period of terrorism . culminating in his assassination" (57).The absolutism and orthodoxy of Alexander III and Nicholas II resulted in "a Revolution which . . . has scarcely a parallel in modern history" (57). (See also 32-34, 57-58 and BWF 50-52 ; ESW 56-59 and GPB 207, 226)

KAISER WILLIAM I

His Characteristics: ”the conqueror of Napoleon III" (19) ; "King of Prussia and . . . monarch of a unified Germany" (19) ; "a militaristic, autocratic ruler, imbued with antiquated ideas" (58).

The Tablet : Bahá’u’lláh addressed William I in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , warning him to "take heed lest pride debar thee from recognizing the Dayspring of Divine Revelation" (36) and prophesying the "banks of the Rhine . . . covered with gore" (37).

[Page 9]The Result: William I "sustained two attempts upon his life" (58). He was succeeded briefly by Frederick III and finally by William 11, the "wrecker of his own empire" (58), under whose rule "war indeed became a religion of his country" (59), leading to a "catastrophe that was to dethrone him and his dynasty" (59).

(See also BWF 54 - 55; GPB 208, 226 ; WOB 171)

gyEEN VICTORIA

Her Characteristics: "Her sovereignty extended over the greatest political combination the world has witnessed" (19).

The Tablet: Baha'u'llah called on her to "incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord" and to "cast away all that is on earth" (34). He praised her for having "forbidden the trading in slaves" and having "entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people" (35).

The Result: "Queen Victoria, it is said, upon reading the Tablet revealed for her remarked 'If this is of God, it will endure; if not, it can do no harm' (66) Queen Marie of Rumania, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, later accepted the Bahá’í, Faith. (See GPB 389) (See also BWF 52—54; ESW 59 -64; GPB 207)

EMPEROR FRANCIS JOSEPH

His Characteristics: "the autocratic king-emperor of the Austro—Hungarian monarchy" (19); "the Hapsburg monarch" (60); "the heir of the far -famed Holy Roman Empire" (19) ”a reactionary ruler" (60).

The Tablet: In the Kitab-i-Aqdas , Baha'u'llah urged Francis Joseph to "open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold this glorious Vision" (37) and chided him ”for having failed in his duty to investigate His Cause" (59).

The Result: The House of Hapsburg was "increasingly menaced by the forces of internal disintegration, and was sowing the seeds of an external conflict, to both of which it ultimately succumbed" (60). (See also GPB 208, 226)

SULTAN 'ABDU'L-‘AZTZ

His Characteristics: ruler of "the Turkish House of 'Ut_h_man" (61);"the embodiment of the concentrated power vested in the Sultanate and the Caliphate" (19). "He it was who, through his farmans , had thrice banished Baha'u'llah, and in whose dominions the Manifestation of God spent almost the whole of His forty years captivity" (61); "the first among the sovereigns of the world to receive the Divine Summons" (See GPB 158).

[Page 10]The Tablets: Baha'u'llah addressed 'Abdu'l-‘Aziz in the Sirius-i-Muluk (37-40), saying "Hearken, 0 King, to the speech of Him that speaketh the truth" and calling on him to "observe . . . with thine inmost heart and with thy whole being, the precepts of God,

and walk not in the paths of the oppressor" (37-38).

Bahá’u’lláh also transmitted verbal message to the Sultan (46), requesting a ten minute interview, to enable Him to produce whatever proof of His Mission the Sultan might require. The Sultan was also referred to in other passages: the Kitab—i—Aqdas (36, 63); the Lawh-i-Ra'is (62); the Lawh-i-Fu'ad (63) and elsewhere (62). In the Lawh—i-Fu'ad Bahá’u’lláh prophesied "Soon will We . . . lay hold on their Chief who ruleth the land . . . ." (63).The text of Bahá’u’lláh’s first Tablet to 'Abdu'l—Aziz is not available (See GPB 158).

The Báb addressed a Tablet to the predecessor of 'Abdu'l—‘Aziz , Sultan 'Abdu'l-Majid (See GPB 24).

The Result: "The Sultan's reaction . . . can be gathered from the recital of the sufferings he inflicted on Baha'u'llah . . . ." (63)

"Sultan 'Abdu'l-‘Azfz fell from power and was murdered soon after Bahá’u’lláh's banishment from Adrianople . . . ."(61) The Turkish Empire "fell a prey, during the reign of five successive sultans, all degenerate, all deposed, to a series of convulsions which, in the end, proved fatal . . . ."(64) ”The Ottoman sultanate . . . that had remained unbroken for six and a half centuries was extinguished . . . (66)

(See also GWB 232-240; ESW 123-126: GPB 174, 208-209,225,228)

NASIRI'D—DEN SHAH

His Characteristics: "the despotic ruler of Persia and the mightiest potentate of Shi’ite Islam" (19); "a selfish, capricious, imperious monarch" (68); a member of the Qajar dynasty that "usurped the Persian throne" (67) .

The Tablets : Bahá’u’lláh called on the Sháh (40—43,46, 67) to "look upon this Youth, O King, with the eyes of justice" (41) and commanded him to "decide, then, for Me or Against Me" (46). The shah was denounced by Baha'u'llah as the "Prince of Oppressors” . This Tablet was Bahá’u’lláh's lengthiest epistle to any single sovereign" (40).

The Báb addressed two Tablets to Muhammad Shah (43-44), the predecessor of Nasiri'd—Din shéh.

The Result: The Sháh wreaked his vengeance on Baha'u'llah "by arresting His messenger, a lad of about seventeen, by freighting him with chains , by torturing him on the rack, and finally slaying him " (67) .

"A triple darkness of Chaos , bankruptcy and oppression enveloped the country."(69)Later Nasiri'd-Din Shah succumbed to an assassin's pistol"(6l). This "assassination was the first portent Of the revolution which was to . . . depose the last two monarchs of the House of Qaja'r, and extinguish their dynasty"(69). (See also BWF 55-57, GPB 24, 173, 225)

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[Page 11]SPECIFIC TABLETS TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS

I "N0 less challenging and ominous is the Voice that has warned and called to account the Muhammadan divines and the Christian clergy." (81)

MUSLIM ECCLESIASTICS

The Tablets: The Báb "specifically revealed an Epistle unto the divines of every city" (87). He challenged the Muslim divines in Iṣfahán (87), and appealed to them and warned them in the Qayyfim'l—Asma1(88-89) .

Baha'u'llah condemned divines "who outwardly attire themselves with the raiment of knowledge, but who inwardly are deprived therefrom" (89 -90), and called upon them to "lay aside that which ye possess , and hold your peace, and give ear, then, unto that which the Tongue of Grandeur and Majesty speaketh" (91). He prophesied that "erelong will all that ye possess perish, and your glory be turned into the most wretched abasement" (92).

‘Abdu’l-Bahá also announced "the dire misfortunes which were to overtake . . . the ecclesiastical hierarchies of both Sunni and Sjfi'ih Islam" (93).

The Result - Shi'ih Islam: "The Shi'ih esslesiastical order in Persia is to be held primarily ansWerable'Tor the iniquities which resulted in the martyrdom of the Báb and anguish to Bahá’u’lláh. (93-94)

As a result there was set in motion an "impelling process which has subordinated to the civil authority the position and interests of muslim clericals"(97). The "sacerdotal hierarchy" has "now found itself the prey of a superior civil authority" (94). 'The pomp and pageantry of these princes of the church of Islam have already died out". (96) These ecclesiastics have "indeed merited the degradation in which" they have sunk (98).

"Devastating indeed has been the havoc wrought in the fortunes of the shi'ih hierarchy in Persia . . . (ill)

The Result - Sunni Islam: The Caliph had a sphere of spiritual jurisdiction which "extended to countries far beyond the confines of his own empire, and embraced the overwhelming majority of Muslims throughout the world " (99) .

The forces of Divine chastisement "effected . . . a revolution, culminating in the collapse and fall of the Muslim Caliphate, the most powerful institution of the whole Islamic world" (98). ”The disappearance of the caliph . . . brought in its wake . . . the annulment

of the Shari-‘ah canonical Law, the disendowment of the Sunni, institutions , the promulgation of a civil Code , the suppression of religious orders , the abrogation of ceremonials and traditions . . . (101)

ll

[Page 12]"cataclysmic indeed has been the collapse of the most preeminent institution of sunni Islam, and irretrievable the downfall of its hierarchy . . . (111) (See also GPB 210-211, 228 — 229; WOB 169-170, 172—179)

CHRISTIAN ECCLESIASTICS

The Tablets: Bahá’u’lláh has "directed particular messages ,some general, others precise and challenging, to the heads, as well as to the rank and file, of the ecclesiastical orders of Christendom" (104-107).

He proclaimed that "He, verily, is the One Whom ye were promised in the Books of God" and called upon them to "let the Breeze of God awaken you" (105). He promised that "if ye choose to follow Me, I will make you heirs of My Kingdom" (106).

The Result: The Christian clergy "that have failed to acknowledge the sovereignty" of Baha'u'llah as "King of Kings" are experiencing a "widespread and significant" crisis (107). Christian ecclesiastical orders are suffering a "steady deterioration of their influence . . . decline of their power . . . damage to their prestige . . . dwindling of their congregations" (107), a process which "appears to be leading to the rapid dechristianization of the masses" (108). The powerlessness of the Christian ecclesiastics to halt fratricidal warfare between Christian nations indicates the decline of their influence. (109-110) "Steady and relentless is the process which has brought such destruction, shame, division and weakness to the defenders of the strongholds of Christian ecclesiasticism, and black indeed are the Clouds that darken its horizon." (111)

(See also BWF 59 -63; GWB 246-249; GPB 209~210, 229-230; WOB 176-186)

THE VALIDITY AND CONTINUITY OF ALL REVELATIONS

" . . .Baha'u'llah inculcates the basic principle of the relativity of religious truth, the continuity of Divine Revelation, the progressiveness of religious experience. His aim is to widen the basis of all revealed religions . . . . (He) prophesies the inevitability of their unification . . . ." (112)

"As to Muhammad, the Apostle of God" . . . glowing tributes are "paid by Baha'u'llah in the Kitáb—i-Iqan to Muhammad and His lawful Successors" (112).

"As to the position of Christianity . . . its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged . . . the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus are fearlessly asserted . . . ." (113)

"The followers of Bahá’u’lláh" do not seek to degrade or even belittle the rank of the world's religious leaders, whether Christian, Muslim or of any other denomination,

should their conduct conform to their professions , and be worthy of the position they occupy" (115).

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[Page 13]THE WORLD OF TODAY AND TOMORROW

THE WORLD TODAY

The Judgment of God: "A tempest, unprecedented in its Violence . . . is at present sweeping the face of the earth." (1) "This judgment of God . . . is both a retributory calamity and an act of holy and supreme discipline (2)

The "world's supreme leaders , both secular and religious , are to be regarded as primarily answerable" for "this great retributive calamity" (116). It is "a punishment meted out by God to a world that Has, for a hundred years , persisted in its refusal to embrace the truth of the redemptive Message proffered to it by the supreme Messenger of God in this day" (116). To "a lesser degree" it is "a divine retribution for the perversity of the human race in general" (116).

It is also "a disciplinary and creative process, whose aim is the salvation, through unification, of the entire planet" (120). God "chastises (His children) because He is just, and He chastens because He loves "Indeed, by the very act of chastening them He prepares them for the mission for which He has created them (120)

Features of the World Today: This is the "adolescent stage" in the slow evolution of humanity (121).

"God Himself has indeed been dethroned from the hearts of men, and an idolatrous world . . . worships . . . . the triple gods of Nationalism, Racialism and Communism" (117). "These are the dark, the false, and crooked doctrines for which any man or people who believes in them or acts upon them, sooner or later, incur the wrath and chastisements of God." (118)

"The signs of moral downfall" are evident, "invading both the East and the West, per meating every stratum of society" (119). (See also WOB 170, 186-188, 193-194; BA 61-62; MA 52-53)

THE WORLD TOMORROW

Unification of Humanity: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written that: "In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God, and the distinguishing feature of His Law, is the consciousness of the oneness of mankind." (123-124)

The Revelation of Jesus Christ "focussed attention primarily on the redemption of the individual and the moulding of his conduct " (124). "The Faith of Islam . . . introduced . . . the conception of the nation as a unit and a vital stage in the organization of human

society . . . (124)

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[Page 14]The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh "will serve both as a pattern and a nucleus of that

world commonwealth which is the sure , the inevitable destiny of the peoples and nations of the earth " (122).

"The discord and separation of the Children of men will have given way to the world wide reconciliation, and the complete unification of the diverse elements that constitute human society." (122)

"This consummation will, by its very nature, be a gradual process . . . (128)

At the culmination of the process of unification, the planet will be "acclaimed as the earthly heaven, capable of fulfilling that ineffable destiny fixed for it, from time immemorial, by the love and wisdom of its Creator" (129)

(See also WOB 162, 202-206)

Baha'u'llah - the Divine Redeemer: "Acknowledgement of the claims of the Faith of

Baha'u'llah" is "the essential condition to that ultimate fusion of all races , creeds, classes, and nations" (128).

"The judgment of God, as Viewed by those who have recognized Baha'u'llah as His Mouthpiece and His greatest Messenger on earth, is . . . calamity . . .and discipline ."(2)

" . . .He, the Vice -gerent of God on earth, suffered Himself to be banished . . . till at

length He, in the Most Great Prison, offered up His Martyred son as a ransom for the redemption and unification of mankind." (4)

"A world . . . has, for a hundred years , persisted in its refusal to embrace the truth of the redemptive Message proffered it by the supreme Messenger of God in this day."( 116)

"Was it not He—the Bearer of a Revelation, Whose Day 'every Prophet hath announced' . .?" (8)

"Contrastng with . . . these war -engendering, world-convulsing doctrines, are the healing, the saving, the pregnant truths proclaimed by Baha'u'llah, the Divine Organizer and Saviour of the whole human race . . . ."(118)" . . . the Divine Physician . . . (119)

"The Revelation of Baha'u'llah has, in His own words , '1ent a fresh impulse and set a

new direction' to this vast process (of world unification) . . . ." (127)

With the spiritualization of the masses "consequent to the recognition of the Character, and the acknowledgement of the claims , of the Faith of Baha'u'llah . . . . then will the coming of age of the entire human race be proclaimed . . . the banner of the Most Great Peace be hoisted . . . the world-wide sovereignty of Baha'u'llah - the Establisher of the Kingdom of the Father foretold by the Son, and anticipated by the Prophets of God before Him and after Him — be recognized, acclaimed, and firmly established. Then will a world civilization be born . . . (128)

(See also GPB last two paragraphs 93)

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[Page 15]OUR DUTY

"Not ours . . . to attempt . . . to arrive at a precise and satisfactory understanding of the steps which must lead a bleeding humanity . . . from its calvary to its ultimate resurrection." (129)

"Not ours . . . to question . . . the ability of Bahá’u’lláh to forge . . . these scattered and mutually destructive fragments into which a perverse world has fallen, into one single unit ....” (129)

"Ours rather the duty . . . to labor serenely . . . to lend our share of assistance to the operation of the forces which, as marshaled and directed by Bahá’u’lláh, are leading humanity out of the valley of misery and shame to the leftiest summits of power and glory." (129)

The privilege , in knowing the claims of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, to: —"c1ear1y recognize" the genesis of the "titanic upheaval“ in the world - be "aware of its direction" -"acknow1edge its necessity" ~"observe confidently its mysterious processes" -"ardent1y pray for the mitigation of its severity” -"intelligent1y labor to assuage its fury" -"anticipate, with undimmed Vision, the consummation of the fears and the hopes it must necessarily engender" (See also BA 61 -62; MA 27-28)

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[Page 16]DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

. What are the evidences of the titanic upheaval in the world, and what is the cause?

. What is the purpose of this upheaval in the affairs of mankind? How is this purpose

being achieved?

. What are the evidences in the world today of the two -fold process of integration and

disintegration? (See also WOB 170)

4 .Describe contemporary world events which illustrate that "the forces of a blatant

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nationalism and racialism have usurped the rights and prerogatives of God Himself.” (15)

. Discuss the prophecies of Bahá’u’lláh which have already been fulfilled, and those

which pertain to the future .

. Discuss the meaning and implications of the "epigrammatic and momentous prophecy"

of Bahá’u’lláh that "from two ranks amongst men power hath been seized : kings and ecclesiastics" (l9).

. What are the several results of opposition to the Faith from a civil or ecclestiastical

institution? Illustrate with reference to recent events in the affairs of the Faith.

. Discuss the unmerited charges brought against the Faith by its detractors (5), and

show how they are "conclusively disproved by the tenets of the Faith itself” (5) .

. Identify the Biblical allusions contained in the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh to Pope Pius IX

and the Christian leaders of religion, and discuss the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy in the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.

Discuss the contrast between the themes of the Tablets Of Bahá’u’lláh to the Kings of Europe and the theme of His Tablet to Queen Victoria.

Compare the Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh to the Presidents of the Republics in America to the Tablets to the Kings of Europe. (See GPB 207, MA 90-91, CF 18 for the Tablet to the Rulers of America)

Discuss the present state of Christianity and recent Christian theological developments in the light of the survey of the fortunes of Christianity 011 page 107 of PDC .

What means are advocated by Bahái'u'lláh to ensure the security and well -being of the nations of the world?

What are the responsibilities and dangers associated with political or religious leadership?

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[Page 17]\l

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REVIEW QUESTIONS

What is the essential prerequisite for understanding the significance of the presentday convulsions in the world? (2)

. What are the dual purposes of the titanic upheaval in the world? (2)

. Describe the relationship between the Most Great Civilization, the Most Great

Justice, and the Most Great Peace. (4)

. What were the characteristics of the people of the land in which the Faith was born? (5) . List the principal persecutions inflicted on the Báb during His Ministry. (6)

. What was the persecution inflicted on Bahá’u’lláh when He arose to champion the

Cause of the Báb? (8-10)

.Describe the conditions in the subterranean dungeon of Ṭihrán in which Bahá’u’lláh

was imprisoned. (9)

. What were the principal features of the tribulations suffered by Bahá’u’lláh during the

period subsequent to His exile to Baghdád? (11)

. Describe the suffering endured by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. (13)

What were the characteristics of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá' s presentation of the Faith during His travels in Europe and America? (13)

What is the sole refuge of our civilization? (16) What are the dual phenomena occurring in this age? (16)

Who must primarily bear the responsibility for the trials which have afflicted the Faith? (16, 116) Why? (18, 116)

List the sovereigns specifically addressed by Bahá’u’lláh. (19)

What are the principal themes of the Tablet t0 the Kings? (20-24)

What is the significance of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas? (24)

What is the distinction between the Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace? (26, 128)

What is the Qayyl/imu'l-Asmá’? (27)

Around how many verses were addressed by Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb to individual monarchs in Europe and Asia? (28)

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[Page 18]20.What did Bahá’u’lláh promise Napoleon III, if he would arise to "serve God and help

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35

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37

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His Cause?" (29)

Of what fate was Napoleon warned, if he would not arise to help the Cause? (29 -30) What did Bahá’u’lláh call on Pope Pius IX to do? (30—32)

When was Baha'u'llah aided by a minister of the Czar of Russia? (33) (Also GPB 104-106) For what actions was Queen Victoria commended by Bahá’u’lláh? (35)

What was Bah’a'u'llah's remarkable prophecy concerning Germany? (37)

In what manner was Sultan 'Abdu'l-‘Azfz advised to express his praise of God? (38) What was Baha'u'llah's lengthiest Epistle to any single sovereign? (40)

When and how did the process of world upheaval have its inception? (49)

Who held the foremost rank in the political sphere at the time Baha'u'llah proclaimed His Message in Adrianople? (50)

How many times was Baha'u'llah banished by Sultan 'Abdu'l-‘Aziz? (51) How did Napoleon III respond to Bahá’u’lláh's first Tablet? (51 -52)

What was the catastrophe which hurled Napoleon III from his throne? (53) List the principal features of the pontificate of Pope Pius IX . (54)

Describe the humiliation which came to Pope Pius IX. (54—56)

. What was the significance of Czar Alexander II in the history of nineteenth—century

Russia? (57)

What was the fate of Czar Alexander II? (57)

. Of what nation does Shoghi Effendi say "war indeed became a religion"? (99)

In what area of Europe was the Hapsburg Monarchy located? (60)

List the disasters which befell the House of Hapsburg following its failure to heed the proclamation of Baha'u'llah. (60)

What event set in motion the process of decline of the House of 'U‘ghman? (63)

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[Page 19]41

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. What were the misfortunes which befell Sultan 'Abdu’l—‘Azfz subsequent to the initiation of his persecution of Baha'u'llah? (64)

What cruelty to the Faith did Jamal Pasha vow to inflict, and what was his fate? (65)

What was Bahá’u’lláh's prophecy concerning Constantinople , and how Was it fulfilled? (40,66)

How is Queen Victoria reported to have reacted upon receipt of the Tablet of Baha'u'llah? (66)

What was Nasiri'd—Din Shah's reaction toward the messenger who brought him the Tablet from Baha'u'llah? (67)

Who was described by Baha'u'llah as being the "Prince of Oppressors"? (67)

Who were the Qajars? (67,71)

.What was the duration of Nasiri'd-Din Shah's reign, and how did it end? (68—69) What is the Bahá’í attitude toward the institution of kingship? (73 - 75)

What is the prophecy of Baha'u'llah concerning a future king ruling from Tihran?(76) Which group of people first "hoisted the standard of revolt" against the Faith? (77)

What factors will produce an acceleration in the process of deterioration of the power of the ecclestiastical institutions in the world? (77)

Who is the Shah -Bahram? (79)

Recount the prophecy in the Zoroastrian Scriptures concerning their high priests in this age. (80)

What are the reasons for the present attitude of the leaders of religion toward the Faith? (81)

What was the Báb's challenge to the Muslim divines in Iṣfahán? (87)

In what form was a challenge issued to the Muslim divines by Baha'u'llah in Baghdad? (87-88)

In what manner did the virtual collapse of the Sh‘I'ih hierarchy in Persia occur?(94-5)

What was the most powerful institution in the Islamic world prior to the coming of Baha'u'llah? (98)

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[Page 20]60.

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Describe the opposition of the Caliph in Islém. (99, 101) Who were the Iméms? (100)

Compare the crises which have come to the Islémic and the Christian ecclesiastical institutions . (107)

What are the evidences of the decline in the fortunes of the Christian ecclesiastical orders? (107, 108)

Describe one of the ways in which the conversion of the masses could have been effected during the time of Bahá’u’lláh. (111)

What are the Bahá’í teachings concerning the Virgin Mary? (113, 114) (See lqén 56,57) What was the station of the Apostle Peter? (113,114)

List the three false gods of mankind described by Shoghi Effendi. (117)

What are the signs of moral downfall in the world? (119)

What are the dual purposes of the Divine Justice which has come to the world during the past century? (120)

What is the final stage in the organic evolution of mankind on this planet? (122)

Upon what theme did the Christian Revelation primarily focus attention? (124)

What was the contribution of Islém to the evolution of human society? (124)

What are "the seven candles of unity"? (125)

What are the Bahá’í teachings concerning patriotism and loyalty to one's country?( 127) What will come in the wake of the Lesser Peace? (128)

When will this planet become an earthly heaven? (128)

What is our duty at this time? (129)

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[Page 21]APPENDIX

A. THE PRINCIPAL TABLETS OF THE PROCLAMATION OF BAHA'U'LLAH:

In Constantinople , from August to December 1863:

Tablet to Sultan 'Abdu'l-‘Aziz

In Adrianople , from September / October 1867 to August 1868:

Tablet t0 the Kings First Tablet to Emperor Napoleon III Tablet t0 Nésiri'd-Din S__hah

In Kashanih, August 1868:

Tablet to Ra‘is ('Ali Pasha, Prime Minister of Turkey)

In 'Akka, from August 31, 1868 to 1873:

Kitáb-i-Aqdas , the Most Holy Book Second Tablet to Emperor Napoleon III Tablet to Queen Victoria

Tablet to Czar Alexander II

Tablet to Pope Pius IX

B. EXPLANATION OF SOME ISLAMIC TERMS:

Shi'ih:

Sunni:

The sect of Islam which holds that the succession to Muhammad occurred through a divinely-ordained line of Imams, commencing with the Imam 'Ali. The Bahá’í Faith upholds "the legitimacy of the institution of the Imémate" (114). The principal concentration of shi'ih Muslims is in Persia.

Karbila is a city in 'Iráq, the site of the martyrdom of the Imam Husayn,the third Imam, and the location of his sepulchre. The Imam Husayn was the son of the Imam 'Ali and of Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad. He succeeded his brother Hasan as Imam. Baha'u'llah pays him high tribute in The Kitab-i—Iqan. Mashad is a city in Persia which is a national center of pilgrimage . The Imam Rigié, eighth in the line of the Twelve Imams, is buried here .

The sect of Islam which holds that the line of Caliphs , elected by the people, constituted the legitimate succession to Muhammad. This is by far the largest sect of Islam . The Ottoman rulers of Turkey at Constantinople combined the spiritual authority of the Caliphate with the temporal authority of the Sultanate . The Sultanate was terminated in 1922, and the Caliphate abolished in 1924.

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[Page 22]C. SOME HISTORICAL DATA:

Emperor Napoleon III: Lived 1808-1873 Emperor of France 1852-1870

Nephew of Napoleon I. Attempted to overthrow the French monarchy in 1836 and 1840. Elected President of France in 1848. Overthrew the Constitution in 1851, and was proclaimed Emperor in 1852.

The Crimean War broke out between Turkey and Russia in September 1853 . The Turkish

Fleet was destroyed in the Black Sea in November 1853 . Britain and France sent warships into the Black Sea and joined in war against Russia in 1854. Peace was established at the

Congress in Paris,1856 .

Napoleon III was captured at the Battle of Sedan in 1870 during the Franco -Prussian War, and exiled to Kent, England, where he passed away. His only son was killed in 1879, fighting in the British Army during the Zulu War .

Pope Pius IX: Lived 1792—1878 Pope 1846—1878

Rome was the temporal possession of the Papacy until a popular insurrection in 1848 forced Pope Pius IX to flee . The Pope was restored in Rome in 1849 through the support of a garrison of troops provided by Napoleon 111. Rome remained outside the Italian Kingdom which was proclaimed in 1861 .

When Napoleon III was forced to withdraw his troops in 1870, because of the military requirements of the Franco-Prussian War, the Italian Army seized Rome . Successive Popes refused to recognize their loss of temporal sovereignty over Rome until the Lateran Treaty of 1929, under which the Vatican City was established as a sovereign state ruled by the Pope .

Pope Pius IX convened the first Vatican Council in December 1869,the first general assembly of the Roman Catholic Church for 300 years . The Council was terminated by the entry of the Italian Army into Rome in October 1870.

Count Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, known to be a liberal thinker before he was elevated to the Papacy, found himself, as a defender of dogmatic Catholicism, at odds with two great liberal movements of his century — the new nationalism and the new science, both of which seemed to strike at’the roots of revealed religion and the basic doctrines of Christianity. His Papal encyclicals , the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary which he promulgated, and the decree of papal infallibility solemnly announced by the Vatican Council which he convened, identified Pius IX with the reactionary and effete conservatism of his time . It was not until the Pontificate of later Popes that the Catholic Church became interested in the social questions arising out of the Industrial Revolution and the formation of new democratic nations.

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[Page 23]Papal Infallibility

The doctrine of papal infallibility subscribed to by the Vatican Council, with a few dissenters, was not new to the fathers of the Church, but in an age of rapid change and reform it met with immediate opposition not only from agnostics and Protestants, but from many a Catholic prelate and political leader as well. The latter, aroused by fear of papal power, organized campaigns against the Church. The doctrine was, in part, as follows:

"A dogma divinely revealed, that the Roman pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedrathat is , when in discharge of the office of pastor and doctor of all Christians , by Virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church - by the divine assistance promised him in Blessed Peter, is possessed of that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed that His Church should be endowed for defining faith or morals . . .

(Quoted from Carlton ].H. Hayes , A Political 8: Social History of Modern Europe Volume II, Macmillan 1924, p.228)

Immaculate Conception

Bahá’u’lláh's statements concerning the immaculacy of the Virgin Mary are to be found on pages 56 and 57 of The Kitab -i-Iqan.

In the papal hull of December 8, 1854, the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the immaculacy of Mary was defined specifically: "The doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first instant of her conception, was, by a most singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the human race , preserved from all stain of the Original Sin, is a doctrine revealed by God, and therefore to be firmly and steadfastly believed by all the faithful."

In addition to this doctrine the Church holds to belief in "the Virginal Conception" and "the Virgin Birth" which assert Mary's perpetual Virginity. (Taken from Britannica, "Immaculate Conception, The" , 1956)

Czar Alexander 11 Lived 1818—1881 Czar of Russia 1855-1881

Resisted overtures for constitutional reform, with the result that revolutionary societies developed at St.Petersburg and Kiev. The firm autocracy of his successor, Alexander 111, Czar from 1881 - 1894, resulted in political unrest and the formation of a Russian Marxist Group in St . Petersburg in 1883 .

Nicholas II, Czar from 1894 - 1917, endured national defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, 1904 ~ 1905, and an internal revolution in 1905, as a result of which he was forced to grant a constitution and convene the Duma, a legislative assembly. The 1917 revolution forced the abdication of the Czar, who was put to death, together with his family, in July 1918 .

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[Page 24]Kaiser William I: Lived 1797-1888 Emperor of Germany 1871-1888

A member of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which ruled Prussia 1701 -1918, and a unified Germany 1871-1918. Succeeded by Frederick, for 3 months in 1888, and by William 11 1888-1918 .

During the 19 years in which Bismarck was Chancellor of Germany, from 1871 until his dismissal by William 11 in 1890, he dominated European diplomacy.

Queen Victoria : Lived 1819-1901 Queen of England 1837—1901

Victoria is still remembered as England's greatest constitutional monarch. She believed her power was held in trust for the people , and she used it to win many reforms in a time of change . She gained the approval and loyalty of. her people during a fruitful reign. Of her ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: "Victoria, Queen of England, was really superior to all kings of Europe in ability, justness and equable administration. During her long and brilliant reign the British empire was immensely extended and enriched, due to her political sagacity , skill and foresight."

(Quoted from Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 276)

Queen Marie of Rumania, who accepted the Bahá’í Faith through the teaching efforts of Martha Root, was a granddaughter of Victoria.

During Victoria’s reign legislation was enforced and enacted for the abolition of slavery and for parliamentary reform . The British Parliament had passed an act abolishing the slave trade in 1807, and an act in 1833 for gradual emancipation of all slaves in the British possessions . In 1838 abolition was completed.

The Reform Acts of 1832, 1867 and 1884 successively extended the vote to a greater proportion of the adult population. The Ballot Act of 1872 introduced the principle of

secret ballot in parliamentary elections .

Emperor Francis Joseph: Lived 1830-1916 Emperor of Austria 1848-1916

A member of the Hapsburg dynasty, the Austrian imperial family until 1918 . He was crowned King of Hungary in 1867. His brother Maximilian became Emperor of Mexico in 1863, under French influence, and was executed by the Mexican leader Juarez in 1867 after Napoleon 111 had withdrawn his troops .

His son Rudolph suicided in 1889, and his wife Elizabeth was murdered in 1898 . The nephew of Francis Joseph, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie, were assassinated at Sarajevo in 1914. Francis Joseph passed away in 1916, and was succeeded by the Emperor Charles who ruled until 1918, when the Austrian Republic was proclaimed.

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[Page 25]Sultén 'Abdu'l—‘Aziz : Lived 1830-1876 Sultén of Turkey 1861 -1876

A member of the Ottoman dynasty, which was the reigning house in the Turkish Empire from 1453 until the abolition of the Sultanate in 1922. His successor, 'Abdu'l-Hamid II, ruled from 1876 until deposed in 1909 . The Young Turk movement in 1908 forced 'Abdu'l-Hamid to establish a parliament. Mustafé Kamél in 1920 set up a government which abolished the Sultanate two years later .

The Eastern Question was a collective term used for the problems raised in southeastern Europe by the weakness of the Ottoman Turkish Empire .

Nésiri'd-Di’n Shéh : Lived 1831 - 1896 Shah of Persia 1848-1896 A member of the Qéjér dynasty, a Turkoman tribe which usurped the Persian throne and reigned 1795-1925. Nésiri'd—Din Shah was assassinated, and his two sucessors

deposed. The reign of the Qéjér dynasty ended in 1925 with the accession of Rig‘la Shéh Pahlavi .

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