Contents of this page are somewhat of a miscellany, mostly primary source material that cannot be classifed as sacred texts or pilgrims' notes. The material here is not yet organized. To help sort and maintain this page, write to .

Those seeking actual histories of the Baha'i Faith can consult many items in the Academic articles section or specific histories such as the Brief History of the Baha'i Faith prepared by the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Boise, or Moojan Momen's general overview Overview of Baha'i History, the History of the Baha'i Faith in the United Kingdom, or the History of the Baha'i Faith in Iran. Also an overview of Babi history is contained in my thesis.

1. Abdu'l-Baha's Meeting with Two Prominent Iranians, trans. Ahang Rabbani, gives accounts of Muhammad Qazvini's and Siyyid Hasan Taqizadeh's descriptions of their 1911 meetings with `Abdu'l-Baha in Paris. Preceded by a brief biography of Abdu'l-Baha.
   
   
2. Anti-Baha'i Society, The, autobiographical reminiscences by Mehdi Abedi. Published in Debating Muslims: Cultural Dialogues in Postmodernity and Tradition, by Michael M.J. Fischer and Mehdi Abedi.
   
   
3. Appreciations of the Bahá'í Faith (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1941, reprinted from The Bahá'í World vol. VIII) includes many comments about the Baha'i Faith by historical figures.
   
   
4. Autobiographical Materials of Agnes Alexander, ed. Thomas Linard, includes her autobiography, a letter from May Ellis Bolles, and a short Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Baha. (offsite)
   
   
5. Bab's examination at Tabriz in 1848, The: five unpublished contemporary documents from E.G. Browne's Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion.
   
   
6. Bábí Attempt on the Life of the Sháh, 1852, The: Coverage in the New York Times compiles five brief reports of the incident from the New York Times in 1852.
   
   
7. Badi'u'llah's Epistle to the Baha'i World, by Mirza Badi'u'llah, the half-brother of `Abdu'l-Baha, details Badi'u'llah's exit from, return to, and then again exit from the Baha'i Faith. With introduction by Rob Stauffer. See also interview with Badi'u'llah.
   
   
8. Baha'i Martyrdoms in Persia in the Year 1903 AD, by Haji Mirza Haydar-Ali (Chicago: Baha'i Publishing Society, 1904). not proofread or formatted; please email to help
   
   
9. Center of the Covenant: an Interview with Badi'u'llah conducted by Howard MacNutt. Includes a tablet from Abdu'l-Baha to Mason Remey.
   
   
10. Dawn-Breakers, The: Nabíl's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Revelation. Includes these sections:
    • The Missions of Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i and Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti
    • The Declaration of the Bab's Mission
    • Mulla Husayn's Journey to Tihran; Baha'u'llah's Journey to Mazindaran; Mulla Husayn's Journey to Khurasan; The Bab's Journey to Mecca and Medina
    • The Bab's Stays in Shiraz, Isfahan, Kashan, and Tabriz
    • The Bab's incarcerations in the Castle of Mah-Ku and in the Castle of Chihriq
    • Mulla Husayn's Journey to Mazindaran
    • Tahirih's Journey from Karbila to Khurasan
    • The Conference of Badasht
    • Examination of the Bab at Tabriz
    • The Upheavals at Mazandaran, Nayriz, and Zanjan
    • The Seven Martyrs of Tihran
    • Martyrdom of the Bab
    • Baha'u'llah's Journey to Karbila and its Consequences
    • Attempt on the Shah's Life and its Consequences
    
    
11. An account of the Death of Subh-i-Azal, reported by his son Ridvan Ali, is from E.G. Browne's Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion.
    
    
12. Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia, by Lady Mary Shiel. London: John Murray, 1856. not proofread or formatted; please email to help
    
    
13. "Historical Account of two Indian Babis: Sa'en Hindi andSayyid Basir Hindi," trans. Sepehr Manuchehri, features excerpts from a number of Persian sources on these two individuals.
    
    
14. "If Walls Could Speak: An eyewitness account of the Babis of Nayriz," by Ibrahim, son of Aqa Siyyid Husayn Nayrizi, is an account of the 1853 Nayriz uprising. Translated and introduced by Ahang Rabbani.
    
    
15. Four documents on the "Imbrie Affair," the July 18, 1924, murder of American Vice Consul Robert Whitney Imbrie in Tehran, can be found in the section of Court Documents.
    
    
16. Interview with UN Secretary Kofi Annan, published in Yale International Forum 1:2 (Spring 1999), includes discussion of the Baha'is in Iran.
    
    
17. Juliet Remembers Gibran is Juliet Thompson's recollections of Kahlil Gibran, as related to Marzieh Gail. Originally published in World Order 12:4 (1978).
    
    
18. Shidan Fathe-Aazam's letter to the Geyserville, CA Baha'i Summer School is from June, 1953.
    
    
19. A List of Descendants of Mirza Buzurg (father of Baha'u'llah) is from E.G. Browne's Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion. (Note: certain information is incorrect; compare with a letter from the Universal House of Justice.)
    
    
20. Martyrdom of Haji Muhammad-Rida, The is Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani's firsthand account of the events leading up to and following the murder of Muhammad-Rida and the trial of his killers. Trans. Ahang Rabbani.
    
    
21. Martyrs of Manshad, by Siyyid Muhammad Tabib Manshadi: translation of an eyewitness account of martyrdoms in Iran in 1903. An edited version of this piece was published in World Order, 28:1 (Fall, 1996), 21-36. Trans. Ahang Rabbani and Naghmeh Astani.
    
    
22. The Martyrs of the Second Revolt at Nayriz is a list, compiled from three histories, of those the died in the 1852 revolt at Nayriz. Comp. Ahang Rabbani.
    
    
23. Materials for the Geneva Baha'i Bureau's History, letters to and from Laura Dreyfus-Barney. Collected and introduced by Thomas Linard. (offsite)
    
    
24. Memories of Haji Muhammad Nayrizi, introduced and translated by Ahang Rabbani, is a short account of events in the 1853 Nayriz uprising.
    
    
25. Nayriz: the first century, Appendix 5 of the forthcoming study "Nayriz: the first century," details a century of persecution and diffusion of the Babi and Baha'i community of Nayriz. Trans. Ahang Rabbani.
    
    
26. Persecutions of Babis in 1888-1891 at Isfahan and Yazd, accounts from E.G. Browne's Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion.
    
    
27. Persia and the Persian Question, by George N. Curzon (London: Longman and Company, 1892). not proofread or formatted; please email to help
    
    
28. Questions of Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali: four detailed questions about religion submitted to Baha'u'llah by Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali, the maternal uncle of the Bab, which occasioned Baha'u'llah's revelation of the Kitab-i-Iqan. Trans. Denis MacEoin.
    
    
29. Remains of the Bab in Tehran, The, an article by Ahang Rabbani, includes an extract from Khatirat Muhajiri Az Isfahan "Memoirs of a Refugee from Isfahan" discussing part of the history of these remains.
    
    
30. Remains of the Bab in Tehran: further extracts concerning, translated by Sepehr Manuchehri, includes passages from Fadil Mazandarani's Tarikh Zuhur-Al-Haqq volume 6 and Avarih's Kavakebu'l Dorriah.
    
    
31. Report to the Shah from Iranian ambassador at Istanbul on "the condition of the Babis of `Akka." Trans. Ahang Rabbani.
    
    
32. Shah Abdu'llah and the Baha'is of Abadeh, trans. and introduced by Sepehr Manuchehri, recounts persecutions in Fars in 1901.
    
    
33. The New History (tarikh-i-jadid) of Mirza Ali-Muhammed the Bab, by E. G. Brown (London: Cambridge University Press, 1893). not proofread or formatted; please email to help
    
    
34. The Trial of the Bab, an article by Denis MacEoin, includes four sections of translations of source documents preserved from the 1848 trial.