's work endures as a trustworthy
introduction to the history and teachings of the Baha'i Faith. Its
translation into some thirty different languages attests its appeal to
students in the East as well as the West.

It should be added that any further revision of the text in the future is
subject to approval by Shoghi Effendi. The Committee has no authority to
pass upon revisions which may be desired by Baha'is of other countries for
their particular need.

Baha'i Publishing Committee
December 1950

PREFACE TO 1970 EDITION

Since 1937 no revision has been made to the text of Dr. Esslemont's book,
although in 1950 some minor corrections were introduced. On the other
hand, the diffusion and development of the Baha'i Faith since that time
have been tremendous, and there has been added to Baha'i bibliography a
rich legacy of incomparable expositions, translations and historical
accounts from the pen of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Faith and the
appointed interpreter of its Sacred Writings.

It has therefore been deemed necessary to bring the book up to date in
order to maintain its usefulness for modern readers. This has been done
with a minimum of alteration to the text, and chiefly by the use of
footnotes and of an epilogue giving the current statistics and new
developments in the organic unfoldment of the Baha'i Faith.

Dr. Esslemont's book continues to be one of the most widely used
introductory books on the Baha'i Faith, as evidenced by the fact that
since 1937 the number of its translations has increased from thirty to
fifty-eight.

Baha'i Publishing Trust

INTRODUCTION

In December 1914, through a conversation with friends who had met
'Abdu'l-Baha, and the loan of a few pamphlets, I first became acquainted
with the Baha'i teachings. I was at once struck by their
comprehensiveness, power and beauty. They impressed me as meeting the
great needs of the modern world more fully and satisfactorily than any
other presentation of religion which I had come across--an impression which
subsequent study has only served to deepen and confirm.

In seeking for fuller knowledge about the movement I found considerable
difficulty in obtaining the literature I wanted, and soon conceived the
idea of putting together the gist of what I learned in the form of a book,
so that it might be more easily available for others. When communication
with Palestine was reopened after the war, I wrote to 'Abdu'l-Baha