The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout India and Burmah, Care of the members of the Spiritual Assembly.

Beloved co-workers in the Vineyard of God!

It has been my great pleasure and privilege to send you, since my return to the Holy Land, first my general message of confidence and of love addressed to all believers throughout the East, and later another letter wherein I appeal in particular to those faithful lovers of His Cause in that vast and distant dominion to labour whole-heartedly and to the very end for the diffusion of His Light and the spread of His Cause. Remembering, however, the few among my friends in that land who are as yet unfamiliar with the Persian Tongue, I have thought of sending these few lines to them in particular and through them to the rest of my brethren and sisters in those regions who, despite the diversity of tongue, of race and custom are all united at heart and animated by one common desire to uplift humanity and carry out His Divine Purpose for this world.

What an alluring field of service India with all its possibilities unfolds to our eyes at the present time and how vast are the opportunities of sowing the seeds of unity and loving kindness in the hearts of its divers peoples!

True, that land seems now unhappily to be plunged in the darkness of prejudice, hate and mistrust, yet however dark the immediate prospect may appear, our confidence remains unshaken that ere long these mists shall clear away, the dawn of a New Day shall break upon that land and the Rays of this Divine Revelation shall make of India a spiritually-quickened, peaceful and united country.

The universal Teachings of Baha’u’llah if declared and propounded with wisdom and judgement, determination, selflessness and sincerity, and above all if exemplified in our lives and dealings with our fellow-men, cannot fail to inspire and stimulate the mind of the enlightened seeker and win the admiration and allegiance of all mankind. Ours then is the duty and privilege to bring to the attention of this distressed and war-weary world this Message of Eternal Salvation and help to establish the Era of Peace and Brotherhood as purposed and foretold by Baha’u’llah.

The welcome news of the progress of the Third All-India Baha’i Convention as well as the favourable comment made upon it by the Press of that country have been fully shared with the pilgrims and resident friends in the Holy Land and we have all admired and rejoiced at the efforts you are exerting for the consolidation of the Movement in that ancient land.

May your endeavours in every sphere of your spiritual activities be crowned with brilliant success, that His glorious Promise regarding the future of that land may be speedily fulfilled!

It is my earnest hope that “The Baha’i News”, the representative organ of the Baha’i Community in India, may expand and develop, may widen the sphere of its correspondence, add to the number and quality of its articles in Persian as well as in English, report regularly in its columns the news of the spiritual activities of all Baha’i centres in India and elsewhere, and in general provide for the full, correct and dignified presentation of the Cause to the general public.

Assuring every one of you of my constant prayers on your behalf and wishing you success in your noble task,

I am your brother and co-worker, SHOGHI

January 9, 1923

As you mentioned India is a vast country and an excellent field of service. If the younger Baha’i generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation. May we all hope and earnestly pray that through God’s infinite grace, through the Master’s spiritual guidance and through Shoghi Effendi’s tender care we may do justice to this tremendous work and not fail to do the Master’s bidding.

As Shoghi Effendi has not yet taken up the tremendous work and responsibility of attending to the correspondence of the individual friends, he asked me to write you this note, acknowledge the receipt of your letter, and ask you to do the following things: (1) Change the name of your Executive Committee to “The National Spiritual Assembly”, because the corresponding Assembly in England and America bear the same name, and uniformity in such matters is most advisable. (2) He likes to receive regular and detailed reports of the position of the Cause as well as the activities of the friends in India drafted as well as sent by the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly. So as to be informed of the conditions there and administer to your needs. (3) He wishes to have the postal as well as telegraphic address of the secretary so as to send his communications to him.

Shoghi Effendi earnestly hopes and prays that this National Spiritual Assembly will be able to achieve a great deal and herald a new era of spiritual awakening in that land.

April 26, 1923

[From the Guardian:]

Regarding the position of the Baha’i women in India and Burma, and their future collaboration with the men in the administrative work of the Cause, I feel that the time is now ripe that those women who have already conformed to the prevailing custom in India and Burma by discarding the veil should not only be given the right to vote for the election of their local and national representatives, but should themselves be eligible to the membership of all Baha’i Assemblies throughout India and Burma, be they local or national.

This definite and most important step, however, should be taken with the greatest care and caution, prudence and thoughtfulness. Due regard must be paid to their actual capacity and present attainments, and only those who are best qualified for membership, be they men or women, and irrespective of social standing, should be elected to the extremely responsible position of a member of the Baha’i Assembly.

This momentous decision, I trust, will prove to be a great incentive to the women Baha’is throughout India and Burma who, I hope, will now bestir themselves and endeavour to the best of their ability to acquire a better and more profound knowledge of the Cause, to take a more active and systematic part in the general affairs of the Movement, and prove themselves in every way enlightened, responsible and efficient co-workers to their fellow-men in their common task for the advancement of the Cause throughout their country.

May they fully realise their high responsibilities in this day, may they do all in their power to justify the high hopes we cherish for their future, and may they prove themselves in every respect worthy of the noble mission which the Baha’i world is now entrusting to their charge.

December 27, 1923

[From the Guardian:]

Your long-awaited letter, penned by our dear and devoted brother, Mr. N. R. Vakil, has been received and read with profound interest. I note with deep satisfaction the vigour and earnestness with which you are conducting the affairs of the Movement throughout the length and breadth of that vast and distant land, and ardently pray that you may achieve, individually and collectively, the highest success in all your endeavours.

Regarding the Baha’i News, I strongly urge those responsible for its publication, and in particular, our beloved friends, Prof. Pritam Singh, Mr. Vakil, ... Mr. M. U. Abasi, Mirza Niku, Mr. Ardeshir Khodadad, and Haji Ahmad, to do their utmost that this Baha’i organ may increase in volume, widen in scope, broaden in its outlook, improve in style and general presentation, and reflect more extensively the activities of the friends in India, Burma, and elsewhere. As a magazine that has been established in the days of our departed Master, and been the recipient of His special favours and blessings, it ought, and I have no doubt it will, with your active support and under your constant and general supervision, carry out the great plan it is destined to fulfill in this world.

With regard to Burma and its Baha’i activities, I trust you realise that that province falls directly within the sphere of your activities, and although a Central Council for all Burma is in the process of establishment, that Council as well as all local Assemblies throughout Burma will have to be under the protection, care and direction of the All-India Spiritual Assembly.

I would indeed welcome regular, frequent and comprehensive reports from the National Assembly on the various branches of its manifold activities, and will spare no effort to contribute my humble share in consolidating and extending the Teaching Campaign throughout that vast Dominion.

I would be pleased to receive the permanent postal and telegraphic address of the Secretary of the National Assembly, and am confident that by the grace of Baha’u’llah and under the guiding Hand of our beloved Master, we shall all carry triumphantly the noble task entrusted to our charge to a speedy and successful conclusion.

June 1, 1923

[From the Guardian:]

It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to renew the bonds of fellowship and affection that have always united our hearts in the service of our beloved Master. I need not recall to your minds the warm and abiding place which that gifted Dominion has always occupied in our Beloved’s heart, and the high hopes he cherished for its future contribution towards the triumph of the Movement in those distant regions of the earth.

I am sure the hour has struck when those dearly-beloved pioneers of the Master’s Cause, scattered throughout the length and breadth of that vast and promising land, should unite, consolidate their forces, and effectively combine for the laying of a firm foundation for the future progress of their noble task. It is my earnest hope and my most cherished desire that at the forthcoming Convention the vigour and enlightened efforts of the Baha’i youth of India, coupled with the generous support and devotion of the old beloved Parsee friends, and reinforced by the vast numbers of the ardent followers of the Faith in Burma, may, by imparting power and brilliancy to its proceedings, herald an era of unprecedented activity for the ultimate recognition of the Cause by the peoples of that country.

I shall welcome with genuine satisfaction every effort which that talented and untiring servant of Baha’u’llah, our highly-esteemed sister Mrs. Stannard, may exert in this connection, and would feel truly gratified to learn of her determination to play a conspicuous part in the presentation of the Cause to the eyes of the enlightened public. May the sustaining grace of God, the power of Baha’u’llah, and the loving counsels of our beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá guide you and aid you in your mighty endeavours for the accomplishment of your task.

I shall eagerly await any particulars you might wish to send me regarding your various activities in the service of the Cause, and I trust that during the interval between now and Ridvan a complete and careful arrangement for the successful conduct of the coming Convention will have been drawn by all the friends and assemblies of India and Burma, and to which, I assure you, I shall be most pleased to contribute my humble share of cooperation and advice.

Hoping to hear from you, individually and collectively, and assuring you of my constant prayers on your behalf.

December 5, 1923

Nothing, I dare say, can be more encouraging and gladsome to Shoghi Effendi than the news of the activities of the friends in such a vast and promising field as India. In the last few years the harvest of the friends’ endeavours was not as rich and abundant as we all would wish and undoubtedly the political throes through which India has been passing and the general unrest which such conditions have brought about, account to a large measure for this comparative unfruitfulness in the self-sacrificing efforts of the Indian Baha’is. Yet nothing must damp our zeal and we cannot for a moment doubt the remarkable change that the Master said would take place in that country.

We have been all very much interested in the first-hand information which Mrs. Stannard has given us and we lament the formidable difficulties and obstacles with which the Baha’is must cope in their effort to imbue the individual with a new spirit and to bring new measures of reform in the social order. We shall, however, pray for you all and eagerly await every good news you have to share with us.

[From the Guardian:]

I always eagerly await detailed and frequent reports from the National Assembly and desire strongly its members to meet as often as possible and actively, efficiently and constantly direct, co-ordinate and reinforce the activities of the individuals and Local Assemblies throughout India and Burma. I thirst for more specific information and urge its secretary to ensure that every communication from the Holy Land or from any other Baha’i centre is promptly and widely distributed. I assure you of my loving prayers.

March 5, 1925

We were sorry to know of the state of tension that exists between India and Burma. Let us hope that Shoghi Effendi’s letter will draw both parties nearer together and so ease up the matter. It is very sad to see two sections of such a continent though closely connected together, unable to work in harmony. Let us pray and also try our best that all petty misunderstandings should be forgotten and that the work should start on a new basis firmer than before.

[From the Guardian:]

I do hope and pray that the Indians and Burmese friends will once the new N.S.A. is elected support their representatives and whole-heartedly unite in promoting the work of the Cause. An earnest, capable, energetic, loyal and experienced soul must discharge the responsible and arduous duties of a National Secretary. So much depends upon him. You will have my fullest and unqualified support in impressing upon the friends the supreme necessity of establishing forthwith and maintaining to the best of their ability the institution of the National Fund. I will pray for you all and assure you personally of my great affection.

April 1, 1925

By now the election of the new National Spiritual Assembly and of its office-bearers will probably be completed. The office of Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly is most important and the smooth and efficient working of the Baha’i organisation in India and Burmah will depend to a large extent on him. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the new Secretary of the National Assembly will send him as soon as possible a full list of the members and office-bearers of the Assembly with his own postal address. He would like him also, as soon as possible, to procure from each of the local assemblies in India and Burmah a full list of the members and office-bearers of the Local Spiritual Assembly with the address of the Secretary, and to transmit a copy of that list to Shoghi Effendi. This is to be done every year immediately after the election of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Further it is desirable that each local Assembly should have a register of the names and addresses of all declared Baha’is in their district and should be careful to keep the register up-to-date, promptly noting any changes in the address or number of the believers. It is also desirable that the National Secretary should have a list of all believers in India and Burmah who are living in districts where there is no Local Spiritual Assembly, with full postal address in each case, so that these believers may be kept in touch with the body of believers by letters, literature etc., and travelling Baha’is visiting these districts may be put in touch with the believers there. Shoghi Effendi would like to have a copy of this list also.

The National Secretary should keep in as close touch as possible with the Local Spiritual Assemblies, should urge the secretaries of these Local Assemblies to furnish regular reports of the progress of the movement in their respective localities, and should, by means of circular letters etc., keep these local assemblies and isolated believers informed of all matters of importance affecting the Cause, remind them of the importance of contributing as regularly and generously as possible to the National Fund, and so on.

It is obvious that to carry out these manifold duties efficiently, thoroughly and tactfully is no easy task and Shoghi Effendi greatly hopes that some one may be found who will be able to devote the necessary ability, time and energy to carry them out satisfactorily.

A Baha’i Year Book is now in course of preparation and Shoghi Effendi wishes to include in this Year-Book a complete list of the local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world, with the address of the Secretary in each case, also a complete list of those localities where there are resident Baha’is but where no local Spiritual Assembly exists. It will probably be impracticable to include the addresses of all isolated believers, but these should be known to the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly in each country, so that they may be available on application to him.

It will interest you to know that the Baha’is of Egypt have just elected their first National Spiritual Assembly.

[From the Guardian:]

Your past and present efforts are indeed worthy of the deepest admiration and the highest praise. Concentrate as much as you can at present on the consolidation of the foundations of the N.S.A. of India and Burma. This is the first and most essential step to further expansion in any direction. The institution of the National Fund is of vital importance and should be greatly stressed and emphasized in every circular or communication addressed to the friends. I will continue to pray for you from all my heart and assure you of my support and brotherly love.

May 12, 1925

Yesterday he ordered me to write a few words and acknowledge the receipt of your letter, conveying to you his love and greeting. He was much pleased to see that you have followed his telegraphic instructions concerning the Baghdad House promptly.

From other centres also telegraphic communications have been done to both the High Commissioner and to His Majesty King Faisal. We are hoping for a desirable result. Up to this time no definite information has reached us. We shall keep you informed as soon as we receive any.

[From the Guardian:]

The prompt and effective measures you have taken are worthy of the highest praise. I will inform you if further action is deemed necessary. I hope and pray your devoted efforts will yield abundant fruit in the near future.

November 18, 1925

Shoghi Effendi prays for all of you and hopes that through your practical devotion, you will all attract divine assistance more and more day by day and so this coming year the Cause of God will make unprecedented progress in that country. He sends you and all the members of the National Spiritual Assembly his affectionate greeting and expects your good news regularly.

[From the Guardian:]

I pray that your newly constituted National Spiritual Assembly may grow from strength to strength, may co-ordinate and consolidate the ever-expanding activities of the friends in India and Burma and inaugurate a fresh campaign of Teaching that will redound to the glory and power of the Most Great Name.

May the projected Congress at Cawnpore attract widespread interest and stimulate the work undertaken by the friends in that promising country. I assure you of my best wishes for your success.

November 24, 1925

It is always a source of immeasurable joy and encouragement to our dear Guardian to learn of your increasing activities in serving our dear Cause and also of the growing measure of success which you are meeting with in all your endeavours. The unity of the friends in India and Burma, the spread of the Cause in that vast country and especially among the real natives, intelligent connections with the universities and schools and the direction of the thoughts of the students to a proper understanding of the Cause and its great mission on earth, will not only be real accomplishment on the part of our dear fellow-workers but will relieve to a very large extent our dear Guardian of the stupendous task that he shoulders, and will give him the deepest joy and confidence. We earnestly trust that through the help of our dear Master from on high all your efforts will be crowned with success.

Shoghi Effendi is always interested to hear from you on the work in India and to help you in every possible way.

You are, I am sure, in touch with Mr. Horace Holley in America and you would be interested to know that they are publishing soon a Baha’i Year Book which will be of widespread interest not only to the Baha’is but also to many interested men and women in our dear Cause.

Mrs. Stannard is very successful in her work in Geneva and she has already started a fine center there. She is able to make many connections with influential men and learned people and this is in itself a great work.

[From the Guardian:]

I am very pleased and gratified to learn of your persistent efforts in advancing and consolidating the Cause. The establishment of a Central Office in Delhi is a great step forward and I await very eagerly the first issue of the publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of India & Burma. The Burmese friends are very satisfied and pleased with the consideration shown and the activity displayed by your Assembly and my prayer is that the relations of the National Body with the local Assemblies will grow firmer everyday. I will specially remember the friends who are promoting the Cause among the Qadiyani community whenever I visit the Shrines. I wish them the fullest success.

March 27, 1926

Shoghi Effendi received your letter dated June 11th and was very glad to see the result of the election of the National Spiritual Assembly. He sincerely hopes that this year will witness a great change and progress for the Cause in India. As the friends are sincere in their love and devotion, the members of the Assembly strong in their faith and unfailing in their services, there is full assurance of an ultimate victory and final settlement of the existing difficulties. Shoghi Effendi has great hopes in you personally and trusts in your wise judgment, watchful attentiveness and absolute assurance in the Cause you serve. He wants me to assure you of his prayers.

He also hopes that the friends in India will do their very best to bring together the Hindus and Mohammedans. In such cases the friends can show their good-will, devotion to humanity, and disinterestedness in the material result obtained. He will pray that ... Prof. Pritam Singh will be guided in this undertaking and ably represent the spirit of the Cause as well as its teachings. Being competent themselves and having the necessary divine blessing and guidance it is sure that they will achieve much. May be this will be a good chance for attracting the attention of some of the prominent leaders to the reality of the Cause.

[From the Guardian:]

I have written in person to the Bombay Assembly and urged them most emphatically to support morally and financially the National Assembly and the National Fund. ...We have to repeat and repeat over and over again until the truth, the necessity and the urgency of our Beloved’s instructions sink in the hearts and minds of the believers. I am sure you will continue to remind the friends of their primary obligations. Assuring you again of my prayers for your success in your high endeavours.

July 10, 1926

‘Abdu’l-Bahá used often to say that the difference between a prophet and an ordinary person is that the latter looks only to the present. He does not try to imagine the future victories and thereby forget the present trivial obstructions. The prophet, however, having a deep insight in the future condition of things sees his ultimate victory and does not get disheartened even though he sees a whole-sale massacre of his followers.

As Baha’is we should follow the prophet’s method. We know that the Cause will ultimately conquer and its ranks be fully united. We know that the Master’s promises will ultimately be realized, therefore why be discouraged by trivial oppositions we see on our way. We should rather add to our zeal and persist in our prayers and endeavours... It always takes time for a people to change from one administration to another. Up to the present they have been accustomed to think of the local assemblies as next only to the Center of the Cause, and it will take some time and training before they can admit another superior.

[From the Guardian:]

I have cabled to Bombay and will soon confirm it by letter. I have urged them to support consistently and whole-heartedly the very essential and vital institutions of the National Fund and the National Assembly. It must be made clear to them all that continuous support to these twin institutions is the corner-stone of all future achievements, the mainspring from which all future blessings will flow. Persevere in your heroic effort and remember that the end is glorious and bright.

September 7, 1926

I take pleasure in thanking you on behalf of our dear Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, for your letter...

As it announced the election of a new body to take up the responsible but lofty work of supervising and guiding the promulgation of the Baha’i Cause throughout India and Burma, Shoghi Effendi wishes me to take this opportunity and assure each and every member of that distinguished body not only of his heartfelt congratulations and prayers but also of the high hopes that he cherishes for you all. It is from you and through you that he expects to see emanating that glorious spirit for which our departed Master gave his entire life; and with your earnest endeavours, your consummate wisdom and your unflinching faith he awaits to see you lead the humble workers of that great country to an ultimate victory.

May I also take this opportunity and express the great desire of Shoghi Effendi that the National Assembly should try to be in close communication with him. To him it is a joy beyond words to try to do all in his power to help you in the noble work you have undertaken.

[From the Guardian:]

Now that the N.S.A. has been properly constituted and its officers duly appointed, it is incumbent upon each and all to introduce and promote such measures as will consolidate the work that you have so well begun. The institution of the National Fund, a Baha’i Bulletin similar to the News Letter issued by the American N.S.A., a rigorous and well-conceived campaign of Teaching, a continuous and purposeful endeavour to coordinate the activities of the local Assemblies and groups throughout India and Burma and the sending of detailed and frequent reports to the Holy Land are among the most primary and urgent requirements of the new day that has dawned upon India. I eagerly await your reports and assure you of my continued prayers for the success of your arduous labours.

October 28, 1926

The news that the difficulties, which for a time prevailed and threatened grave disturbances between the N.S.A. and the Local Assemblies, have vanished, was a source of great satisfaction and gratification to him. We were quite sure that it was all due to misunderstandings and that they would be easily overcome...

In a letter which I have lately written to Seyed Jenabe Ali on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, I intimated his desire that a special committee of the N.S.A. should be created to undertake the management of everything pertaining to the Kaukab. Furthermore, if a certain sum is offered to the National Fund with the expressed desire that it should be spent for the Kaukab, i.e., if the offer is labelled, then the N.S.A. should take into consideration the wish of the giver and spend it only for that purpose. Though the friends are advised to give unlabelled contributions they cannot in any way be prevented from using their choice in the way it should be spent.

Though the Local Assemblies should give the N.S.A. all the moral and financial support the latter needs, it is the duty of the N.S.A. to inspire the necessary confidence in keeping the management of its work as efficiently as possible.

In a cable recently sent to the N.S.A. Shoghi Effendi recommended the publication of the Kaukab. He desires this paper to play an important role in drawing the attention of the more thoughtful and seeking people to the potency of this divine Cause. I herein enclose a cheque for L19 which Shoghi Effendi desires to be spent for this all important organ of the Cause in India.

[From the Guardian:]

I am enclosing a general message, clearly worded, emphatically expressed, and vitally important in all its bearings, conveyed through Mirza Mahmood to the National Assembly for the information of all Baha’is in India and Burma. I am sure you will promptly and effectively take all necessary measures for its dissemination throughout India and Burma. The ‘Kaukab’ must, at all costs be continued, and I feel that its two editors ... are the most suitable to form a committee which will conduct its affairs under the direct supervision of the National Assembly. Whatever is contributed to the National Assembly for a specific purpose should be expended for that purpose only, but I would encourage the friends to send unlabelled contributions in order not to tie the hands of the National Assembly although I do not in the least require them to do so. I will pray for your success from all my heart.

November 16, 1926

It is most gratifying to him to hear that the difficulties that darkened the horizon of the Cause in India have vanished and the National as well as Local Assemblies are united to further the interests of the Cause. He hopes that Kaukab will become a Baha’i organ administered even better than before.

Shoghi Effendi hopes that Aqa Mirza Moneer will cause another stir in India and draw many individuals into a full understanding of the movement. His zeal as well as knowledge of the Cause stand to his credit and are sure to win him success wherever he goes. Please convey to him Shoghi Effendi’s loving greetings and assure him of his prayers.

[From the Guardian:]

I hope to hear soon of the re-establishment and circulation of the Kaukab. The matter of the publication of a Baha’i News Letter issued by the National Assembly is also of utmost importance. May the support to the National Fund be such as to render it a truly worthy and representative Baha’i periodical. Persevere in your splendid efforts and do not lose heart for I will continue to pray for you from the depth of my heart.

December 21, 1926

With the opening of this new Baha’i year our Guardian trusts that it will be marked by a new and greater effort, by a more intense cooperation among the friends in India and Burma and by an unsurpassed record of success.

Now that Mrs. Schopflocker has in many places broken the ground, it devolves upon the faithful workers in India to follow up the work, to seize every opportunity and to give to her hasty and in many places insufficient services a more permanent and lasting character.

I express the hopes of our Guardian without disregard to your many problems and difficulties, but the field is so vast and the ground so fresh and fertile that it cannot but evoke almost unreasonable expectations. This feeling and yearning, I am sure, is much more yours than ours could be.

[From the Guardian:]

I urge you to take every means at your disposal ... to follow up the work that has been so splendidly begun by Mrs. Schopflocker. I would also urge you to arrange for the preparation of an annual report by the National Assembly of the activities of the friends in India and Burma, to be forwarded to the American National Spiritual Assembly for insertion in the next issue of the Annual Baha’i Year Book. A representative group photograph of the Baha’is of divers races and creeds in that land would also greatly enhance the Year Book, if such a thing is possible.

April 25, 1927

He is very glad to learn of the good work of Nabilzadeh and Mrs. Schopflocker and hopes that the friends will follow up their work in order to obtain some definite and permanent results. For a teacher to fly from one end of India to another is not sufficient, there must be somebody who can stay long enough in one place and start regular gatherings.

The latter function naturally falls upon the friends in India and he earnestly hopes that the new year may bring fresh and lasting achievements.

Shoghi Effendi awaits eagerly the results of the election of the N.S.A. and he should like to see that body accomplish something more than routine work. They should take new steps and carry out a regular campaign in India and Burma.

[From the Guardian:]

It is my hope and prayer that the newly-elected National and Local Assemblies may widen the scope of their activities, initiate new and valuable measures, extend the circle of their correspondence with foreign Baha’i centres, and promote the independence and distinctiveness of the Baha’i Faith. I would urge you to inform the Year Book Committee through Mr. Holley of the results of all elections in India and to send if possible an annual report to that Committee. Wishing you success and happiness.

May 24, 1927

In the midst of his work and many responsibilities, it is a source of comfort for him to feel that the initiative and guidance of the Cause in India is in such able hands and he trusts to see in the near future greater and fuller results.

True, the minds of many are turned away from all that sounds religious, but it is only because they are ill-advised as to the meaning of true religion and it is just that mission that devolves upon us—to give a new viewpoint, to revive fresh hopes and to guide by the sacred utterances the thoughts and actions of mankind.

Perhaps India has not yet reached the high mark which our hopes have made us expect, but the time still remains and the hopes of our Guardian are anxiously turned to the educated, sincere and zealous fellow-brothers he so much loves in India and Burma.

[From the Guardian:]

I have received lately your second letter dated June 10th enclosing the list of the members of the newly-elected Indian Assemblies as well as the report of the receipts and expenditures of the National Fund. Your loyal and untiring attention to the pressing manifold requirements of our beloved and steadily expanding Cause is a thing never-to-be forgotten and worthy of unqualified praise. I trust you will continue to keep in touch with the American National Assembly whose Secretary is only too anxious to incorporate in the newsletter and the Year Book every bit of news regarding the progress of the Faith in India & Burma.

July 14, 1927

He is very glad indeed to hear of the interview of Mr. Nabilzadeh with the Governor of Burma. He will pray that the seeds he has sown will germinate in the course of time and will prove of great benefit to our beloved Cause.

Our Guardian hopes that henceforth the secretaries of all local and national Assemblies will immediately upon their election inform the American National Assembly of their membership and the address, that the results may without delay be published in the Baha’i Year Book.

Our Guardian will not cease to pray for you all that the Beloved may guide you to achieve that which will conduce to the consolidation and extension of the influence of the Cause.

[From the Guardian:]

I trust the newly-elected Assembly will endeavour to follow the example of the American National Assembly in method, action, and procedure. The American Newsletter will indicate clearly the lines along which Baha’i National Assemblies are to conduct their work in future and I earnestly urge you to encourage the friends to follow and adopt the method outlined in its columns.

August 19, 1927

For a country like India and also Burma where the Baha’i communities are so much scattered and are of varied extraction a common centre to coordinate the different efforts and to link up together both the Assemblies within India and in the various parts of the world, is also ... necessary, and our Guardian hopes and trusts to see in time great results from this new measure. Of course much depends upon how well this organ functions.

Shoghi Effendi is in good health having taken a good rest during the summer. He awaits as much as ever the good news of the friends in India and above all news of real accomplishment.

[From the Guardian:]

I hope that nothing has transpired of late that might have in any manner affected the expansion of the work in those regions. I fully realize your single-handedness in such a vast and varied field, but I assure you, dearest friend, that your reward is proportionately great, for He that watches over you is aware of the great devotion which animates you in the pursuit of your arduous and noble task.

November 1, 1927

Your frequent communications keeping him in close touch with your activities and the work in India, are deeply appreciated, and he relies much upon your efforts to coordinate the work in India and to have more direct and material results than we have been accustomed to lately. When compared to some other countries and remembering the many years since the Cause was first known there, India, I am afraid, does not come up to expectations. Are we going to accept this secondary position or has the future a surprise in store? At any rate we patiently wait.

November 16, 1927

He was greatly pleased with the news of the work of Prof. Pritam Singh in Karachi and Lahore and he read his well-worded lectures with interest. It gives him immense pleasure to keep in touch with his activities and he prays for the success of his efforts from the bottom of his heart. He is confident that when his plans are carried out and he does travel throughout the whole of India in the interests of the Cause, he will show a record of constant progress and would have rendered valuable services to the Baha’i Faith. Please assure him of our Guardian’s unfailing prayers and good wishes and also kindly convey to the Amritsar Baha’is the loving greetings of Shoghi Effendi...

I am sure it will interest you to know that we have had during the Ridwan festivals the first Baha’i pilgrim from Tunis. The representative of the Tunis Assembly is a young man full of hopes and schemes for the future.

[From the Guardian:]

I will specially supplicate, on behalf of my dear brethren in India & Burma, at the Beloved’s Shrine, that they may arise with heart and soul and in perfect harmony and understanding to extend the scope of their activities, to consolidate the foundations of their work, to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the Faith, and to carry out the Beloved’s explicit instructions for the establishment of Baha’u’llah’s undisputed sovereignty on this earth. May they be richly blessed and guided in their endeavours.

May 6, 1928

Among the subjects that the Guardian would expect your body to take are a coordination of the various efforts and endeavours throughout India and Burma, an acceleration and increase in the number of Baha’is and fellow-workers, ways and means to attract the attention of Indians from every class and creed to the message and vital dynamic spirit of the Baha’i Faith and as a cumulative and culminating step the final recognition of the Baha’i Community as a separate religious organization similar to what has been already achieved in America.

June 22, 1928

The news that we obtain from the various parts of the world are most gratifying, for though there are some great problems to solve, yet no one can fail to see the constant realization of those ideals we cherish. May that day soon dawn when the source of this spiritual power, which is permeating the whole of society, will be appreciated and venerated.

August 21, 1928

This is to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ... reporting the events of the Brahmo Samaj Centenary gathering to Shoghi Effendi. Such meetings are wonderful occasions for showing the spirit and teachings of the Cause.... Shoghi Effendi’s hope is that at such Conventions and gatherings the friends would present the teachings to persons otherwise inaccessible for individual contact.

[From the Guardian:]

I heartily approve the project of a Baha’i Convention and would leave the choice of the site and other arrangements to the National Assembly. The Cause in various countries is making a great headway and the reference of the case of the Baghdad House to the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations is a great step forward.

October 10, 1928

He was glad to hear from you and he has read with deep satisfaction the account of the good work of Syed Ilmi in Burma. Shoghi Effendi has always wondered as to the reasons why despite so many years of effort and activity, the Cause has not spread more rapidly either in India or Burma, perhaps the latter can be more proud of its results. He would in fact appreciate your own personal opinion, although God’s ways are often hard to understand. We have lately had a remarkable illustration in Turkey where the Baha’is were an insignificant little group. Suddenly accused of constituting a secret political society the members of the N.S.A. in Constantinople and the S.A. in Smyrna were dragged to the police and kept for one night pending the formation of the Board of Inquiry. The next day the court sat and the president of the N.S.A. was cross-examined for eight consecutive hours. The result was that they were all dismissed, with the members of the Court deeply influenced and impressed by the teachings and principles which the President boldly and eloquently described. They asked for literature and many of them carried from that session much food for thought. Furthermore every paper in Turkey filled its front pages with the incident and a repetition of the teachings and good many a Turk heard of the Cause in a way that Baha’is could never bring about.

[From the Guardian:]

I trust and pray that circumstances will be favourable and the means provided for the holding of a Baha’i convention this year representative of India and Burma. A closer touch and more frequent interchange of thought among the Baha’i Centres in those lands are absolutely essential. I am sending you a copy of the recently issued “Baha’i World”, and wish you to urge the National and Local Assemblies in India & Burma to order as many copies as they possibly can from America for distribution among the enlightened public as well as a means for the assistance and encouragement of the Baha’i Publishing Committee in New York which is doing excellent service at the present time.

November 15, 1928 Assemblies Must Endeavour to Inspire Confidence

Although I had never meant that my enquiry from you as to the reasons of lack of progress of the Cause in India, should be asked from every individual Baha’i, yet I am sure, our Guardian will be interested to know the ideas and opinions of various sections of the friends both in India and Burma.

The expression of our views in written form sometimes helps us to think better and deeper and often brings various matters into proper perspective, enabling us thereby to disregard what is extraneous and unimportant. The answers to the question put forth, would, I feel, be extremely valuable to the N.S.A. in India, and with the proper backing, respect and support of the entire friends, they should not lose a minute in an endeavour to remedy and inspire what ought not and what should be done, in an effort to spread the Cause.

[From the Guardian:]

I trust that the forthcoming Convention will remedy most if not all the present deficiencies in the Cause and lend an unprecedented impetus to the progress of the Faith. The Teaching work should be stressed as it is the Fountain-head from which all future blessings will flow. We must first and foremost add to our small numbers, and introduce fresh blood into the organic life of the community. I will specially supplicate this bounty for the representative delegates to be assembled at Convention this year.

December 19, 1928

He was very glad to hear of the success of the Convention. He hopes that such gatherings will become yearly and, like in other countries, lead to a better understanding among the friends. It is surely true that as the Cause progresses differences will more and more arise. So unless there be a meeting place where the different views are thrashed, true unity of purpose and activity will not be obtained.

Just as much as the result of the Convention made him happy he was sorry to hear of the differences that exist between the N.S.A. members. The real source of the difficulty is, I believe, the lack of constant intercourse between the different members. As the country is so very vast meetings cannot be very frequent and well attended, and this ultimately leads to misunderstandings and lack of faith in each other. Shoghi Effendi knows the different individuals involved, he knows their integrity and faith in the Cause and its spirit. He is sure that they, each and all, have no other purpose but to serve the progress of the movement and uphold its interests. And they will surely not commit an act that would retard the very Cause they are serving. What the solution is, I do not know. What Shoghi Effendi has been hoping during the last two or three years is a spirit of mutual trust that would overcome physical handicaps. But that seems to be impossible. A lurking dissatisfaction is sure to appear at the end.

[From the Guardian:]

Your subsequent letter dated Jan. 24 has also reached me. I will specially remember our dear and valued co-worker Prof. Pritam Singh when I visit the sacred Shrine that the spirit of Baha’u’llah may inspire, guide and sustain him in his great task. Regarding your last convention and the non-participation of the Burma delegates, I feel that the utmost effort must be exerted during the coming elections in April to elect those who are best fitted for this supreme and responsible position, and once elected, resignation is not to be accepted. The members must meet and consult in person. Persia is preparing for the holding of national elections, and for India and Burma to revert to a system that is being abandoned by the Persian believers would be a decidedly retrograde step. We must at all costs maintain and strengthen the unity of the National Assembly. Everything must be subordinated to this end. I will supplicate our Beloved to enable you to achieve His purpose.

February 12, 1929

It is his sincere hope and desire to see the newly-elected National Assembly during its term of office, infuse a new and fresh spirit into every Baha’i activity both in India and Burma, and while establishing perfect unity and harmony within its own ranks and the entire body of the believers, should take vigorous steps to teach the Cause and to establish a progressive and representative Baha’i community in both countries.

June 20, 1929

With regard to your proposal that the N.S.A. should meet once in Burma and once in India, the Guardian wishes me to record his hearty approval and to even suggest that if it should be feasible they should meet even more often than that in both places.

It is his sincere hope that in this manner and through the individual effort of every member the misunderstandings existing between India and Burma will be wiped out altogether and that a fresh start will be made in a spirit of true and whole-hearted accord.

July 8, 1929

He hopes that the new National Assembly will do its utmost to bring about unity in its group and among the friends. For, as he has often stated, the work of the Cause will remain cramped unless that unity is obtained. The petty differences that do exist are the result of misunderstandings and these can surely be eliminated.

August 20, 1929

I write on behalf of the Guardian to remind you that the next issue of the ‘Baha’i World’ will soon appear and its editors are already busy compiling material.

He has been asked by the editors in America to request you please to make a special effort to contribute as much material as you possibly can in the form of photographs, reports, accounts, and individual articles; and to send them as soon as possible to America in order that a work which the Guardian considers our foremost Baha’i publication in the world, may be as representative of the many countries and especially Eastern peoples as we would all wish it to be.

December 15, 1929

...As regards “Huquq”, it is really 19 per cent of one’s income payable to the Guardian. But it is not obligatory now.

December 19, 1929

He was very sorry to learn of the illness of Syed Jenab Ali and since the receipt of your letter, he has been extremely grieved to learn of his passing. His sudden departure throws a shadow of gloom upon all of us here and in India and while Burma loses a distinguished and truly earnest Baha’i leader, it must be especially unfortunate to you that just at a time when you were considering and preparing the ground for Government Recognition and a temporary consideration of Baha’i laws, you were deprived of his valued cooperation. The Cause in India is as yet in such a tender age that we can ill afford the loss of those few that keep the torch aflame.

[From the Guardian:]

The news of the passing of our dear and able friend and collaborator Syed Jenab Ali has brought profound sorrow to our hearts. He leaves a great gap behind him. I hope that the friends far from feeling disheartened and discouraged at such a great loss will arise and redouble their efforts in order to compensate for the loss which they have sustained. Kindly assure his relatives of my deep grief, and my prayers for his departed soul.

January 6, 1930

...Miss Root is at present in Tehran and she does not know just how long she will stay, but surely before leaving for India she would inform you of her plans in time.

It is such a pity that Mr. Vakil is unwell. He is a man we cannot spare just as the passing of Syed Jenab Ali leaves a serious gap in Burma.

[From the Guardian:]

Miss Root will soon be with you, and I trust her visit may lend a fresh impetus to your work of consolidation and spread of the Cause. I will continue to pray for your efforts and activities from the depths of my heart. Be not disheartened. Persevere in your labours and rest assured that the Beloved will richly reward those who stand firm in the Faith, and those who persevere in their endeavours.

March 1, 1930

Miss Root has been delayed by the enthusiastic reception she has received in Persia and she is now planning to visit southern and eastern Persia where she has not yet been. We hope her visit to India will prove of some value in attracting the attention of the intelligent classes among the non-Baha’is, but perhaps the political agitation will entirely defeat that purpose at the present time.

April 26, 1930

He was very glad to hear of the activities of Miss Martha Root in India and hopes that they will all bear some wonderful fruits for the progress of the Cause in India. It is sure that with the existence of the present political unrest in that country few are ready to pay any attention to religious matters, but among the very intelligent people there are undoubtedly people whose vision extends further than the present difficulties and desire a spiritual rebirth for that much divided and troubled nation. To these the Baha’i teachings should undoubtedly present a much desired reform movement. Anyhow Shoghi Effendi hopes that with the help of Miss Root you have been able to approach such eminent persons and have sown in their heart the seed of faith.

July 4, 1930

Concerning the trip of Miss Martha Root, we have already heard about her activities from many sources. Shoghi Effendi sincerely hopes that the National Assembly will undertake such measures as would keep up the work and produce some tangible result from her visit. It is very important to follow up the work that she started and keep in touch with the people she has been able to interest.

[From the Guardian:]

With the assurance of my deep appreciation of your many and highly successful endeavours in connection with the visit of Miss Root and of my fervent and loving prayers for your own happiness and spiritual advancement.

September 19, 1930

Concerning Baha’i representation at the All-Asian Women’s Conference; this is undoubtedly a most commendable thing to do especially as the Cause has so much concerning the position of women in society. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the National Assembly will do its best to win the admiration of all the assembled delegates for the teachings of the Cause along that line. We should always take such opportunities that present themselves. May be we would succeed to render some service to society and alleviate its ills.

November 10, 1930

Shoghi Effendi hopes that with the combined efforts of the friends and the Master’s infinite mercy a great success will be achieved at both of the conferences. While visiting the Blessed Shrines he will remember the delegates and ask for them divine guidance. If presented properly the position of women in the Baha’i teachings will surely attract much attention, for it is not only legal but also spiritual and educational. Our ideals are so high and at the same time so practicable that all other views will fall short if compared to them.

Shoghi Effendi hopes that many will be able to attend these conferences and render all the assistance they possibly can.

[From the Guardian:]

I trust that the message sent on behalf of the Greatest Holy Leaf and myself has reached in time and been conveyed to the members of the conference. May the Almighty Hand of Baha’u’llah guide your steps and sustain your efforts in the manifold services you are rendering to the Cause. I will continue to pray for you from the depths of my heart.

January 7, 1931

The Guardian has also received the account of the National Fund of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of India & Burma and he read it with careful attention and deep interest.

He was very pleased to learn with what self-sacrificing efforts our Indian brothers are toiling and he fervently prays that the Almighty may continually shower His blessings upon them that they may be able to spread the Cause in the most rapid and in the most efficient way.

Shoghi Effendi was particularly rejoiced at the perseverance with which our talented Baha’i brother, Dr. Pritam Singh, is carrying on his work in connection with the publication of the “Baha’i Weekly”, copies of which he has received and read with deepest interest.

You may have heard of the projected publication by the Baha’i Publishing Committee of the book entitled “The Dawn-Breakers” being Nabil’s narrative of the early days of the Baha’i revelation, recently translated by the Guardian. It is hoped that the Indian friends will order a few copies of this highly valuable book and that they will send a few others to some of the leading libraries in India and Burma.

[From the Guardian:]

My prayers will continue to be offered on behalf of the loyal and self-sacrificing friends in India and Burma. Prof. Pritam Singh’s notable and ever-increasing share in the administrative, literary and financial activities of the Faith in that land is a source of genuine and constant satisfaction. I would specially request your Assembly to prepare a comprehensive and detailed report on the activities and progress of the Faith in India and Burma during the last two years, 1930–32, for inclusion in the forthcoming issue of the Baha’i World. Will you kindly forward the report to Mr. Horace Holley as soon as possible, as he has been charged to draw up a survey similar to the one published in the last volume. I would also urge the friends in India and Burma to order as many copies of the “Dawn-Breakers” as they possibly can as I regard its circulation of vital importance to the Cause.

August 29, 1931

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to drop you these few lines to draw your attention to a general principle he has laid down for all the Baha’i periodicals, namely that they should be very careful in selecting the advertisements they accept to publish. It should be highly dignified, such as books for example, otherwise it would detract from the dignity of the periodical itself. This may cause certain difficulty in financially establishing the paper, but we should face the sacrifice and not endanger the prestige of our publications. He wishes you to take note of this general recommendation in accepting advertisements for the Baha’i Weekly.

January 7, 1932

Mrs. Ransom Kehler has informed us of her trip to India. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the friends will give her all the necessary facilities to make of her tour a real success. The report of her work in Australia and New Zealand has been brilliant. There is no reason why she should not do the same in India and Burma if she is given the chance, and be put in touch with really open-minded and interested people. In America she is considered among the first class national teachers and is well informed as to the progress of modern thought and the teachings of the Cause. May be she will be able to give a new impetus to the teaching work....

He trusts that through the efforts of you and the other members of the National Assembly the Cause will take a real lead in uniting the different elements existing in India and turn the face of its people to the light of God shining through Baha’u’llah.

[From the Guardian:]

Your most welcome letter interrupting a prolonged silence on your part, has brought joy and strength to my heart. I will most assuredly pray for your complete recovery, for in you the Cause in India has an invaluable asset which I, for my part, greatly value and prize. I trust and pray that Mrs. Kehler’s visit will lend a fresh impetus to the work which you are so ably conducting. I would certainly advise her to prolong her stay in your midst if it is practicable for her to do so. It is a splendid opportunity which the friends in India should utilize to the utmost possible extent. May the Beloved bless and reinforce your high endeavours, remove every obstacle from your path, and enable you at once to broaden and reinforce the foundations of the Faith in that troubled land.

February 11, 1932

Shoghi Effendi was very glad to hear of the arrangements you have made for the trip of Mrs. Ransom Kehler to India. Being thoroughly familiar with the teachings and a competent speaker, she should succeed to render wonderful services to the progress of the movement in India. She could be easily ranked as a first class teacher among the Baha’is of America and has been the cause of guidance to innumerable souls. Guided and helped by Prof. Pritam Singh she should be able to awaken many souls to the spirit and teachings of Baha’u’llah.

March 12, 1932

[From the Guardian:]

I wish to urge you to take as soon as you possibly can, the necessary and most effective steps to ensure the translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Urdu and Gujrati. I have already expressed the desirability to have these translations to a number of pilgrims, but so far my hopes have not materialized. This book has already been translated and printed into eight different languages, the latest being Russian, Hebrew and Chinese. The Persian, the Albanian, the Bulgarian, the French and the Swedish versions will be printed this year. I wish you to do all in your power to ensure the speedy and correct translation of this book into these two languages, and if necessary to hire the services of a competent non-Baha’i translator. I shall be only too pleased to assist financially both with regard to their translation and publication. May the Beloved guide and assist you in this vital and important task.

March 12, 1932

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated March 14th 1932 informing him about the arrival of Mrs. Ransom Kehler to Calcutta. He was very glad to know that her visit was successful and that it has very much stimulated the teaching work in that city. He sincerely hopes that as a consequence a number of souls will enter the Cause and be inspired by its divine teachings and ennobling spirit.

Such teachers of the Cause who, with all sincerity and determination, undertake such long trips, should be very much helped by the resident believers if real progress is to be achieved. They ought to be assisted to reach important people speak to intelligent and receptive audiences, and obtain interviews with persons whose heart is open to the light of God. Otherwise, during their short stay they would, like a helpless man in a strange country, be impotent to achieve their purpose.

Shoghi Effendi is very glad the friends have taken the necessary step to assist Mrs. Ransom Kehler by appointing Professor Pritam Singh to accompany her in her trip through India. May God help her and help you in proclaiming the Word of God through the length and breadth of that vast land.

March 28, 1932

He was very glad to learn of the plans you made for Mrs. Ransom Kehler. He sincerely hopes that in these meetings and public lectures delivered in so many cities, she has been able to attract some new souls to the Cause and confirm people who until now have been merely interested. We should admit, however, that the time at her disposal was too short to give her the chance of doing her best. A teacher ought to remain at least a few months in the same city if he wants to really confirm souls. Mere passing and giving a lecture or two is not sufficient unless there are resident Baha’is to continue the work that was merely started. Anyhow Mrs. Ransom Kehler is expected to reach Haifa in about 3 weeks and Shoghi Effendi will hear the report of her journey from herself.

The Guardian was very glad to learn of your quick response to his expressed desire in having Dr. Esslemont’s book translated into Urdu and Gujrati. As he comes to learn from one of the Parsee pilgrims here in Haifa, the book has already been translated by a competent Baha’i in India into Gujrati. So there remains only Urdu. So Shoghi Effendi wishes you to concentrate upon having the book translated only into Urdu.

[From the Guardian:]

I wish you to concentrate your efforts on the completion of the Urdu version of Dr. Esslemont’s book, and to take the necessary step for its early publication. I shall be only too glad to assist financially in its printing as soon as its translation is completed. I also desire to stress the paramount importance of following up the valuable work accomplished by Mrs. Kehler and which I hope other international Baha’i teachers will reinforce. How vast is the field and how small the number of competent teachers! Baha’u’llah will however bless and crown our efforts with success if we persevere and labour with unabated confidence and vigour.

April 5, 1932

He sincerely hopes that as a result of her (Mrs. Kehler’s) trip the Cause will make a great progress in India and many souls will be drawn into the Cause. It was surely very nice and wise on the part of the National Assembly to appoint Mr. Pritam Singh to travel with her and help her make openings into intellectual circles. It is unfortunate, however, that she cannot stay long in every centre and make really confirmed believers such as she did in certain centres in Australia. But perhaps the National Assembly will attend to that task and keeping in touch with persons she will interest, and gradually make them embrace the Faith and lend a help towards its progress. We need teachers in every part of the world, and as those who are in active service are few we should create some from the material we have. It is the work of the N.S.A. to attend to such matters and develop some of our young Baha’is into competent teachers. Baha’u’llah and the New Era to be Translated into Urdu & Hindi

In a previous letter I informed you on behalf of Shoghi Effendi that as we already have a translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Gujrati, you concentrate your efforts on having it rendered only into Urdu, so that the work may soon be completed and published.

[From the Guardian:]

I trust you have by now taken the necessary steps for a prompt and careful translation of the book into Urdu. This service will, I am sure, be an added blessing to the masses of India, whom you are striving so devotedly and energetically to arouse and teach. May it prove a prelude to an intensive and fruitful teaching campaign that shall bring in its wake enlightenment, peace and hope to the distracted multitudes of that agitated country.

April 12, 1932

Even though we can refer to a non-Baha’i when we have no one among the friends to undertake a proper work of translation, yet it is always preferable to have it accomplished by a person who is imbued with the spirit and is already familiar with the different expressions of Baha’i conceptions unfamiliar to a non-Baha’i. Shoghi Effendi wishes him success and will pray for his guidance.

Mrs. Ransom Kehler is now in Haifa taking some rest before starting for Persia, where she expects to stay a few months. Shoghi Effendi was very glad to hear of her great success in India. He hopes that she will after Persia pay another visit to that country and resume the work she has started. She is surely a very competent teacher and well versed in the Writings.

[From the Guardian:]

I trust and pray that you will be enabled to start promptly the publication of the Hindi translation on one hand, and to ensure, on the other, the early completion of the Urdu version, both of which, I feel are indispensable preliminaries to an intensive teaching campaign among the great masses of the Indian people. I am confident that the publication of the Gujrati version together with these and the Burmese translations, will reinforce the impetus which the projected visit of Mrs. Kehler to India next autumn will lend to the onward march of our beloved Cause in India. May the Almighty reinforce your labours and bless your high endeavours.

May 31, 1932

He is very glad to know that the different translations of Dr. Esslemont’s book, that you have undertaken to have made, are progressing rapidly. He sincerely hopes that before long they will be passed through the press and be ready for distribution.

Even though the book was written by a Christian and was meant to be for people of that Faith to read, yet it is a very fine presentation of the teachings as a whole and might prove interesting to other people as well.

Shoghi Effendi surely hopes that before long the Cause may produce scholars that would write books which would be far deeper and more universal in scope, but for the present this is the best we possess to give a general idea as to the history and teachings of the Faith to new seekers. After reading this they get the necessary introduction to delve more deeply into the fundamental tenets such as are explained in the Iqan.

Shoghi Effendi hopes that these books will greatly stimulate the teaching work in India and become the cause of guidance to many sincere souls.

The Guardian wishes me also to thank you for your kind words of sympathy in connection with the passing away of the Greatest Holy Leaf. This great loss will be felt by every Baha’i but especially the pilgrims to whom she used to be such a source of inspiration and joy. All those who met her left her presence with a new spirit and a firm determination to serve the Cause for which she suffered so much and whose progress was so near to her heart.

What the Guardian is glad about is that her passing is creating a new spirit among the friends and arousing them to greater effort. May her death do for the progress of the Faith as much as her life did.

[From the Guardian:]

I wish to emphasize afresh the vital necessity of speeding up the work of the translation and publication of the Gujrati, the Urdu and the Hindi versions of the ‘New Era’, a book that has already been published into 14 different languages and is being translated into sixteen additional tongues. I am deeply appreciative of what you have already achieved, and wish to assure you of my continued prayers for the success of your painstaking efforts and the realization of your dearest wish in the service of our beloved Faith.

October 19, 1932

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to communicate with you to inquire regarding the Hindi and Urdu translations of Dr. Esslemont’s book. It is sometime that he has had no definite word as to the progress of that work which you have so kindly undertaken to supervise. He sincerely hopes that gradually that task will be successfully achieved and that they will be ready to be submitted to the printers and then to the readers who may be anxiously awaiting to study them and benefit from their contents.

This work once completed will become a great stimulus to the teaching activities of the friends, for books can do infinitely more work than teachers. Sitting in a chair in a solitary corner one is infinitely more receptive to truth than in a lecture hall or in a discussion group. The public has learned the habit of reading. It is through that channel therefore that we have to approach them.

November 19, 1932

He was very glad to obtain some news regarding the translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Urdu and Hindi, for he feels deeply interested in the work. He feels that it is only when such books are accessible to the public that the Cause will begin to spread and its followers increase in number.

He, therefore, wishes you to exert your effort along that line so that the task may be achieved properly and without any needless delay. Also please keep him informed regarding any new development or any progress made.

We do not now have any pilgrims, but the news we receive from different parts of the world show great progress achieved by the friends. Even though material conditions in some instances hamper their activities to an appreciable extent, yet their devotion and self-sacrifice are daily winning for them the admiration and sympathy of the world around them. Every day a new group is formed and new souls attracted to the faith.

[From the Guardian:]

I grieve to learn of the delay in the translation and publication of the various translations of Dr. Esslemont’s valuable book, and I urge you to do all you possibly can to hasten the realization of our cherished hopes—hopes which when fulfilled will no doubt lend a great and fresh impetus to the advancement of the Faith in that land. I am enclosing a copy of my recent letter concerning the Greatest Holy Leaf and the measures which, I feel, must be taken by the friends in Persia preliminary to the formation of the House of Justice.

January 10, 1933

He sincerely hopes that through God’s infinite blessings the necessary sum will be forthcoming and that in time a Center worthy of the prestige and name of the Cause will be purchased or built.

Such institutions greatly help the spread of the Faith, for there will be a permanent place where the interested souls can go for information. It also operates as the center of the different activities of the Spiritual Assembly of that locality.

In his moments of prayer at the Blessed Shrines, the Guardian will think of you as well as of the other friends in that locality and ask for you all divine guidance and help.

He was also delighted to hear that three new souls have accepted the Faith in Calcutta. He hopes that before long we will have large groups, comprising hundreds of earnest and seeking souls, enter the Cause and take part in spreading the Message. Please assure the three of them of Shoghi Effendi’s loving greetings.

February 8, 1933 Translation of Baha’u’llah & the New Era into Burmese

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to write you this short note to enclose a check for thirty pounds.

This is his contribution towards the publication of the translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Burmese which has been made by Sayed Mustafa Rumi. Please inform the latter about its receipt because he has asked the Guardian to send this contribution through you and he may be anxious to receive this news.

March 1, 1933

He was very glad to learn that the Burmese translation has been completed and that it is now in the hands of the printers.

Now the translation into Burmese and Gujrati have been completed and the latter is even printed and circulated the Guardian feels we should concentrate upon the Hindi and Urdu translations. We should not permit so much unnecessary delay. If one way seems closed or difficult we could try another and strive for the speedy completion of those books. The more we see the crying need of the world for the spiritual teachings of our Faith the more restless we should feel in giving out the Message and improving the means of diffusing the precepts of the Cause.

In his moments of prayers at the Blessed Shrines the Guardian will think of you and ask God to guide and sustain your efforts. He knows fully how difficult it is these days to bring a task to a speedy and successful conclusion, but to a person who is determined and lays his trust in God nothing is impossible.

[From the Guardian:]

I rejoice to hear of the steps that are being taken for the printing of the Burmese edition of the ‘New Era’ but deplore the delay in the translation of the book into Hindi and Urdu. The Gujrati copies have already been placed in the library of the Mansion at Bahji, and I long with all my heart to witness these remaining translations in their final and printed form, side by side with the nineteen printed versions which have already been collected and distributed throughout the world. I would urge you to concentrate your energy on this important and essential preliminary to an intensive campaign of teaching among the masses in India. Persevere and rest assured that my prayers will continue to be offered on your behalf.

March 24, 1933

He was very glad to receive the Gujrati translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book, and he hopes that through your efforts the Hindi and Urdu translation of it will soon be ready for publication. As you may know, this work has already been translated into 19 different languages and its rendering into 11 others will be soon completed. This is really encouraging.

[From the Guardian:]

I long to hear from you and of the progress of your devoted and incessant activities in the service of our beloved Faith. I am also eager to receive the good news of the completion of the translation and early publication of the Urdu and Hindi versions of the ‘New Era’. The utmost effort should be exerted to ensure the consummation of this work which, I feel, must precede an intensive teaching campaign among the masses in India. I am arranging for Mrs. Kehler to visit southern Persia this autumn after which she is expecting to visit India, this winter.

June 8, 1933

He was particularly glad to learn that some of our Indian friends have encouraged you to start a fortnightly paper on the Cause. The idea is, undoubtedly, most genuine and meets with our Guardian’s wholehearted approval. He wishes you, however, not to act hurriedly, to take all the necessary steps which can insure its safety and development. Such projects are not so easy to carry out, especially in these days when the economic crisis is getting so acute. At any rate, if you find that your financial conditions allow you to undertake such an important work, you should persevere in your efforts and try to make your paper an indispensable adjunct to the teaching activities of the friends.

The Guardian hopes that you will be more successful in this, your second attempt. The unexpected death of the ‘Baha’i Weekly’, he feels, had badly affected the prestige of the Cause. It is hoped that your new fortnightly paper will enable all to appreciate more adequately the divine potency with which it is endowed.

Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, who has been doing such a fine work in Persia, is planning to leave for India at the beginning of winter. Her presence among you will be certainly appreciated. She is such a wonderful soul, so devoted, so active and so capable. The Guardian hopes that you will make the utmost use of her stay in India.

[From the Guardian:]

Your unswerving loyalty and inflexible resolve to carry on the work you have so nobly initiated are indeed worthy of the highest praise. I will pray for your success and the steady and uninterrupted progress of your activities whenever I lay my head on the sacred Threshold and will supplicate for you all the strength and guidance you need for the prosecution of your task. The friends in India and Burma should bestir themselves and, under the guidance and by the aid of the National Assembly prepare the way for the forthcoming visit of our able and brilliant international teacher Mrs. Kehler. May the Lord sustain and guide them in their endeavours and reward them for their acts of self-sacrifice in His Path.

June 13, 1933

As regards the Urdu translation of Dr. Esslemont’s book, Shoghi Effendi wishes you to make all the necessary effort to have it published as soon as possible. He is fully aware of the difficulties that have caused an inevitable delay in the publication of this highly important work, but he feels certain that, through your perseverance and through the kind and invaluable assistance of Prof. Pritam Singh ... the translation will be soon completed and be ready for publication.

The Guardian would like you also to take all the necessary steps for the Hindi translation of this same work. It is hoped that no delay will be caused this time.

[From the Guardian:]

The Serbian and Hungarian versions of “The New Era” have been recently published through the efforts of Martha Root. The Rumanian translation has been undertaken and the Greek version will soon be started. I long to see the Urdu, the Hindi and the Burmese versions in print and circulated among the masses of the Indian people. Persevere and redouble in your efforts.

August 6, 1933

Shoghi Effendi was deeply gratified to learn of the important steps you have taken for the translation and publication of Dr. Esslemont’s book into Hindi. He has greatly appreciated the assistance of Dr. Kaushal Kishore, and sincerely trusts that through your combined efforts the work will be soon completed and will be ready for circulation. In a recent communication to the Guardian, our devoted friend Siyyid, Mustafa Rumi, has given the news of the publication of this same book in Burmese. It is hoped that this will serve to encourage our Indian believers to follow his example.

[From the Guardian:]

I am so pleased and grateful to you for your incessant efforts in connexion with the translation and publication of the ‘New Era’, and I am deeply gratified to learn of the progress already achieved. I will continue to pray for the speedy realization of your hopes, plans and wishes in the service of this glorious Faith.

September 10, 1933

The sudden passing of that wholly-consecrated and brilliant teacher and international promoter of the Cause Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, has plunged Shoghi Effendi into deepest sorrow for in her he has lost not only a valuable co-worker but a dear friend. After more than a year of intense teaching work in Persia, where she was entrusted by the Guardian with the mission of acquainting our Persian brethren with the basic principles of the Administration and of liberating them from the appalling persecutions to which they have been lately subjected, our precious Keith left this world under so tragic circumstances that she was given by the Guardian the title of the first western martyr on Persian soil, and was raised by him to the station of one of the Hands of the Cause. Her deep-rooted and unshakable faith, her unqualified loyalty to the Cause of the Administration and her profound knowledge of the Teachings, all these fully entitle her to occupy such an eminent rank among the faithful.

Our Indian friends, who have been so appreciative of her last visit to them, must have been particularly affected by such an irretrievable loss. May the memory of her services inspire them to follow in her footsteps, and to tread the path of service as firmly and as successfully as she did.

[From the Guardian:]

I am so eager to receive the news of the completion and publication of the Hindi and Urdu versions of the “New Era”, and it will please and encourage you to know that we have already twentyfive different printed versions of this precious book translated into Eastern and Western tongues.

November 26, 1933

The Guardian was greatly pleased to read the minutes of the last meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of India and Burma and he wishes me to express his genuine appreciation of the important steps which your Assembly has taken for the further extension and consolidation of the administrative institutions of the Faith in that country. He would be very grateful if you send him regularly the minutes of the meetings of the N.S.A. and he would be only too glad to offer any suggestion or advice which may help its members to better discharge their manifold and delicate functions. He sincerely hopes that your Assembly will meet as regularly and as frequently as possible in order to maintain the efficiency of its functioning and to raise the standard and to widen the scope of its activities.

The important decision of the N.S.A. relative to the registration of the Bombay Assembly as a recognized religious body is, in the Guardian’s opinion, a leading step towards the official recognition of the Cause as an independent religious organisation by the Government authorities both in India and Burma. He would strongly urge, however, that the constitution to be adopted should not only be based on that which the New York Assembly has adopted for its own registration but should reproduce it identically without any change whatsoever but with due consideration to all local and geographical differences.

The Guardian wishes also to stress the necessity of completing the Urdu and the Hindi translations of Dr. Esslemont’s ‘New Era’. He has already, in several communications addressed to Mr. N.R. Vakil, requested him to take all the necessary steps in this direction. May the decision of the N.S.A. on this point hasten and insure the completion of this task to which the Guardian has so repeatedly drawn the attention of the friends.

December 27, 1933

The Guardian was very pleased to learn of the progress done by the Indian N.S.A. in its efforts to consolidate, widen and maintain the scope of its national activities. The difficulties in your way are tremendous. The differences of language and of social and intellectual background do, undoubtedly, render the work somewhat difficult to carry out and may temporarily check the efficient and smooth working of the national administrative machinery of the Faith. They, nevertheless, impart to the deliberations of the National Assembly a universality which they would be otherwise lacking, and give to its members a breadth of view which is their duty to cultivate and foster. It is not uniformity which we should seek in the formation of any national or local assembly. For the bedrock of the Baha’i administrative order is the principle of unity in diversity, which has been so strongly and so repeatedly emphasized in the writings of the Cause. Differences which are not fundamental and contrary to the basic teachings of the Cause should be maintained, while the underlying unity of the administrative order should be at any cost preserved and insured. Unity, both of purpose and of means is, indeed, indispensable to the safe and speedy working of every Assembly, whether local or national.

Another factor which, in the Guardian’s opinion, is essential to the development of your N.S.A. is the holding of frequent meetings. Although the members are stationed at great distances from one another, yet they can communicate through correspondence. It is not necessary that all the members should be present in all the sessions. Those who for some reason or another are unable to attend in person the meetings of the N.S.A., can express their views in a written form and send them to the Assembly. The main point is that your national activities should not be let to suffer in any way, and its work be retarded and postponed because of such necessarily unimportant and secondary considerations.

[From the Guardian:]

I wish to assure you in person of my prayers for the removal of the difficulties, domestic and otherwise, that beset your path in these days. I will supplicate the Almighty to guide you in your manifold and valuable activities in the service of His Faith, to cheer your heart, and to deepen your understanding of the fundamentals of His Faith. You should concentrate your efforts at the present time on whatever will, in your opinion reinforce the basis and extend the influence, of the administrative institutions and the teaching activities of the Faith. The Cause will, no doubt, surmount the obstacles that now hinder its growth and will establish its ascendency in the fulness of time and at the appointed hour. We should persevere and never feel disheartened.

January 2, 1934

The N.S.A. cannot refuse accepting a resignation when it is well justified, and when it is done not with the purpose of shirking responsibility but with the intention of giving a chance to others to prove themselves worthy of occupying responsible posts in the administrative field.

April 10, 1934

The resolutions passed by your N.S.A. at its recent meeting at Delhi have given him sufficient evidence of the new spirit that has come to animate its members. It is his hope that through the continued development of that same spirit your Assembly will be enabled to do more effective work for the Cause.

[From the Guardian:]

The splendid resolutions passed by the National Assembly at Delhi are admirable and indicate the revival of the spirit of fellowship and determination to consolidate the administrative basis of the Faith in India and Burma. I am eagerly anticipating to hear the news that these resolutions have been duly carried out, particularly regarding the incorporation of the Bombay Assembly and the translation and publication of the New Era into Urdu and Sindhi.

May 29, 1934

He fully agrees with the Bombay Assembly that they are in need of an English-speaking Secretary, in view of the increasingly large volume of correspondence they receive in English. But he feels that this emergency does not afford sufficient justification to any believer or Assembly to make the slightest departure from the recognized and duly established principles governing the election of the members of any Assembly, whether local or national. If the Bombay Assembly feels it necessary to have a Secretary for the English correspondence they can appoint an Assistant Secretary from outside the Assembly. It is only the body of Baha’i electors who can bring about any change in the membership of the Assembly, and this during the Ridvan feast which for all administrative purposes is the beginning of the Baha’i Year.

June 5, 1934

He notes with deep satisfaction the important steps taken by your N.S.A. for intensifying the spread of the Cause throughout India and Burma, and particularly values the encouragement and help which they have extended to dear Mr. Pritam Singh in his teaching tour in Northern India. He is praying from the depth of his heart for the success of this trip, as well as for the speedy and complete materialisation of the plans which you, in close collaboration with your fellow-members in the National Assembly, are initiating for the wider diffusion of the teachings throughout your country.

He fully appreciates, indeed, the suggestions you have offered him in this connection. The lack of competent teachers is no doubt a serious obstacle facing the Indian believers at present. But it is by no means the most difficult problem with which they have to deal. The essential is that all the friends, without any exception whatever, should realise the full measure of the responsibility which Baha’u’llah has placed on them for teaching far and wide His Message. It is only through such an awakened consciousness of their heavy and sacred responsibilities and duties that the believers can hope to effectively promote and safeguard the interests of the Cause. The Baha’i era is thus the age of individual responsibility—the age in which everyone is called to consider the spread of the Cause as his most sacred and vital obligation.

This is the point which the Guardian wishes your Assembly to emphasize in connection with the problem of teaching in India. He hopes that through their collective efforts a new zeal for teaching will come to animate the entire community of the believers throughout India and Burma.

Shoghi Effendi approves of your suggestion to utilize the fifty pounds which he sent to you, for the publication of the Bengali translation of the “New Era”. He hopes that this work will soon be ready for distribution.

November 25, 1934 “Kitab-i-Iqan” Translated in Many Languages

I am directed by the Guardian to request you to kindly mail to his address five copies of the Urdu translation of the “Kitab-i-Iqan” (Book of Certitude).

You will certainly be interested to know that the Iqan has already been translated and published into Russian, English, French, German, Chinese, Albanian, Urdu and Braille. Steps have also been taken for its rendering and publication into Arabic, Armenian, Swedish and Danish.

November 27, 1934

The persecutions from which the Persian friends are now suffering represent, indeed, the culmination in the long and nation-wide campaign which the authorities in that country have during the last two years launched against the Faith. In many of its aspects this campaign is reminiscent of the persecutions suffered by the early Babis,...

The first incident which led to this outburst of fierce antagonism on the part of the Government was in connection with the Tarbiat Schools in Tehran. The school authorities having, after due consultation with the N.S.A. and in strict conformity with the principle governing the observance of Baha’i holidays, decided to close the schools on the occasion of the celebration of the anniversary of Bab’s martyrdom, the authorities in the capital immediately issued orders that the schools be permanently closed, and that also no public meetings of any kind be held by the believers. This has been done in spite of the fact that other religious communities, such as the Muslims and the Zoroastrians, are allowed to celebrate their own feasts, and as such enjoy full religious freedom. Similar orders were issued to the believers in all other parts of Persia, with the result that today the friends find their activities in Persia completely paralyzed. Their schools have all been definitely closed, their meetings suspended, their correspondence intercepted, and their assemblies and committees for the most part dissolved.

The situation, as it stands at present, is highly disconcerting. The friends, however, faithful to the injunctions of the Master regarding obedience to government in all administrative matters as distinguished from those affecting their conscience and loyalty to the Cause strictly adhere to the laws and orders of the government. Their sole hope is the assurance that in due time all these restrictions are bound to disappear....

In the meantime, the Guardian would urge all the friends to patiently and prayerfully wait until these sad happenings take their due course. For the history of the Cause, particularly in Persia, is a clear illustration of the truth that such persecutions invariably serve to strengthen the believers in their faith, by stimulating the spiritual powers latent in their hearts, and by awakening in them a new and deeper consciousness of their duties and responsibilities towards the Faith. Indeed, the mere progress of the Cause, by provoking the hatreds and jealousies of peoples and nations, creates for itself such difficulties and obstacles as only its divine spirit can overcome. Abdu’l-Baha has emphatically stated that the enmity and opposition of the world will increase in direct proportion to the extension and progress of the Faith. The greater the zeal of the believers and the more striking the effect of their achievements, the fiercer will be the opposition of the enemy.

Many are the passages in the Writings of Baha’u’llah wherein He foreshadows the persecutions awaiting His Faith. But side by side with such emphatic predictions is the assurance that out of these sufferings and trials His Cause will emerge triumphant and purified. May we not, therefore, gather strength from such an assurance, and with hearts filled with confident and joyous hope arise to fulfil our part in the establishment of His Cause?

January 20, 1935

With regard to the teaching outline you had enclosed, Shoghi Effendi has read it with interest and appreciation and wishes me to assure you of his whole-hearted approval. The method you have adopted for the training of Baha’i teachers is, indeed, very similar to the one used by the American friends. It is very thorough, yet clear and highly effective. The Guardian trusts that the believers in India and Burma will make full use of your Assembly’s suggestions and directions, and in this way help in inaugurating a new and effective teaching campaign throughout India and Burma.

July 8, 1935

He has been particularly pleased and encouraged to receive the copy of the Certificate of Registration of the Karachi Baha’i Assembly, and is eagerly awaiting for the registration papers of the Delhi and Rangoon Spiritual Assemblies. He hopes that the N.S.A. will expedite the matter of legalizing all the Local Assemblies of India and Burma and in this way insure the stability of the administrative institutions of the Cause in these two countries.

August 12, 1935

He is pleased to learn of the possibility of establishing an Assembly in Lahore in the near future. He would urge you, and through you your fellow-members in the N.S.A., to make a special effort to bring about such a formation as soon as conditions are found to be favourable. He hopes that the establishment of a local Assembly in so important and central a town in India will greatly help the expansion of the Faith, and will consolidate the foundations of its institutions throughout that country.

October 17, 1935 Historic Step in Development of Administrative Order

He wishes me to congratulate you, and through you your fellow-members in the N.S.A., for the steps you have taken for the registration of the Delhi, Calcutta, Rangoon and other local Assemblies. He hopes that by the end of the year six out of the eight Assemblies will be duly registered. Needless to say that the obtention of such an official recognition from the authorities is an historic step in the development of the Administrative Order of the Faith throughout India and Burma, and one which shall greatly enhance its prestige, and consolidate its position in the eyes of the public. May Baha’u’llah continue to guide and assist your efforts for the fulfilment of this task.

The Guardian is also very much gratified to learn that the N.S.A. is considering the possibility of establishing a local Assembly in Lucknow. He trusts that in Jaunpur too an Assembly will be formed very soon, and that through these two valuable additions to the list of local Baha’i Assemblies, the administrative work of the Cause in India will make further and steady advancement.

In connection with the Teaching School which the N.S.A. is planning to start, the Guardian wishes me to express his approval, as well as his appreciation of this important action taken by your Assembly for the extension of their teaching work. He is also very pleased at the news of the teaching tour undertaken by Prof. Pritam Singh throughout Northern India and Bengal. He is praying for the success of this trip, and cherishes the hope that it may serve to bring into the Cause people of capacity and of true spiritual vision.

Regarding the use of Abdu’l-Baha’s photographs; Shoghi Effendi sees no objection to their circulation. He would, however, suggest that the Paris photograph be used, as well as the American reproduction of it, printed on yellow paper with a quotation from the Kitab-i-Ahd at the bottom.

[From the Guardian:]

My heart swells with pride and gratitude as I witness, in rapid succession and with ever-increasing dearness, the evidences of the splendid initiative, the unwavering determination and solidarity which have characterized your accomplishments in recent months. The National Assembly of India and Burma may be said to have resuscitated our Cause and its institutions throughout the length and breadth of that land. A mighty power whose source is centred in Baha’u’llah Himself is copiously flowing through and permeating the various organs of the Administrative Order of His Faith in both India and Burma. You and your collaborators stand on the threshold of unparalleled achievements. I cannot but congratulate you on the start you have made and on your choice of the path, which, after so many trials and vicissitudes, you are so confidently treading. Persevere, and be happy and thankful to Baha’u’llah.

November 15, 1935

The Guardian ... feels truly delighted at the news of the splendid meetings that were held in Bombay in honour of the anniversary of the birthday of His Holiness Baha’u’llah. This fresh evidence of the loyalty and devotion with which the Bombay friends are upholding the institutions of the Faith is highly gratifying and encouraging to him, indeed.

But he cannot but deplore the fact that some of the believers are reluctant to observe, as strictly as they should, the Feasts and anniversaries prescribed by the Cause. This attitude, which may be justified in certain exceptional circumstances, is fraught with incalculable dangers and harm to the community, and will, if allowed to persist, seriously endanger its influence and prestige in the public eye. Unity of action, in matters of so vital an importance as the observance of Baha’i holidays, is essential. It is the responsibility of the N.S.A. to remind and urge the friends to faithfully carry out all such laws and precepts of the Cause, the enforcement of which does not constitute an open violation of the laws of their country.

[From the Guardian:]

The striking evidences of renewed Baha’i activity throughout India and Burma, the recent manifestations of loyalty, solidarity and self-sacrifice on the part of individuals, groups and Assemblies in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Baha’i service, rejoice my heart and revive and enliven my hopes for the future of that land. The friends in India and Burma have made a splendid start. They have laid a firm foundation within the framework of the administrative order of our Faith. They have weathered manifold and distressing difficulties and successfully surmounted formidable obstacles. A new era is opening before them. I have no doubt that they will rise to the height of the occasion, and will prove themselves worthy of their high destiny.

November 22, 1935

He feels greatly rejoiced at the important steps you have taken for giving the Cause a wide and effective publicity throughout India. He has read with much interest the newspaper clipping which you had enclosed, and sincerely hopes that your masterly sketch of the history and teachings of the Cause will serve to attract leading personalities among the Indian public to the Faith.

Regarding the publication of the Hindi, Sindhi and Bengali translations of “Baha’u’llah and the New Era,” the Guardian very much appreciates your N.S.A.’s response to his call for speeding up the printing of these works which, he hopes, will, when widely circulated throughout the country open a new era of unprecedented teaching activity not only in India and Burma, but also in Ceylon and other neighbouring countries.

January 3, 1936

He feels really proud of you and of your distinguished and able co-workers in the National Assembly for the unity, efficiency and zeal with which you are labouring for the consolidation of the Administration throughout India and Burma. He is convinced that your sustained and collective efforts in this connection will soon result in ushering in a new era in the history of the Cause in that country.

The N.S.A. should, indeed, advise the believers to lessen their correspondence with the Guardian. But under no circumstances it can prevent them from writing to him. For this is a sacred right and a supreme privilege which every believer can rightly claim to possess, as through it alone he can get in direct touch with his Guardian. If individuals feel, after the advice of the N.S.A. to lessen correspondence, an inner urge to write to the Guardian they should not be prevented or discouraged.

Shoghi Effendi is delighted to learn that the Sindhi and the Bengali translations of the “New Era” have been already sent to the press. He hopes that the Hindi version will also be completed very soon. He is also very pleased that the N.S.A. is taking the necessary steps for presenting to the authorities the pamphlet regarding various laws and ordinances of the Cause on matters of personal status. He sincerely hopes that the bill you are planning to submit to the government will be approved. He is eagerly awaiting to read the text himself.

...the possibility of securing union with his beloved in the next world is one which the Baha’i Teachings are quite clear about. According to Baha’u’llah the soul retains its individuality and consciousness after death, and is able to commune with other souls. This communion, however, is purely spiritual in character, and is conditioned upon the disinterested and selfless love of the individuals for each other. Effort in the Field of Teaching Urgently Required

[From the Guardian:]

The evidences of the rise, the consolidation, and expansion of the Administrative Order of our beloved Faith in India and Burma are highly significant and most encouraging. The incorporation of several local Assemblies is of historic importance. Reproduction of all the Certificates of Incorporation will adorn the pages of the forthcoming Biennial. Now that the basis of Baha’i institutions has been firmly laid, an unprecedented effort in the field of teaching is urgently required. Such an effort is of vital and paramount importance. May the Almighty sustain, inspire and guide you in this meritorious endeavour.

March 10, 1936

...He would also appeal to all the friends to lend full and continued support to the Cause of teaching throughout India. He would suggest that those believers who have the means and the necessary physical requirements, to settle in those localities where the light of the Cause has not yet penetrated, with the view of establishing a new group. This, he feels, is a very effective way of spreading the Cause in a vast and exceptionally varied country like India.

Regarding voting; it is not only the right but the sacred obligation of every member of any Baha’i administrative body, whether permanent, or temporary like the Convention, to fully and freely exercise this function. Abstention from voting is, as a rule, not advisable, as it implies a shirking of responsibility which every loyal and conscientious believer should consider it a privilege to shoulder.

[From the Guardian:]

The work thus far achieved, in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Baha’i service, is highly reassuring and truly meritorious in the sight of God. It is but a beginning however. Much remains to be achieved. A systematic effort, aiming at the settlement of individual believers in those states and provinces of India where the banner of the Faith has not yet been hoisted, must be deliberately exerted and vigorously sustained. Southern India particularly, the island of Ceylon and other outlying centres on the fringe of the Indian Empire as well as within its very heart should be won over, through your strenuous, constant and devoted labours, to the ever-advancing Cause of Baha’u’llah. To extend the outposts of our far-flung Faith should be your immediate objective.

May 31, 1936

Much as he realizes the heavy and ever-increasing expenses which your Assembly is incurring, particularly in these hard times, he feels nevertheless the urge to impress upon you the vital necessity for the Indian and Burmese believers to help in maintaining this Baha’i school in Daidanaw which, in addition to the educational advantages it offers to the Baha’is, can be of great help in promoting the cause of teaching throughout Burma.

In view of that the Guardian wishes you to lay this matter before the N.S.A. and to urge them to give it their careful consideration. He himself is sending through the care of Siyyid Mustafa Roumie, thirty pounds as his contribution towards the upkeep of the school at Daidanaw.

July 10, 1936

With regard to the problems confronting the believers; these, the Guardian fully realizes, are by no means easy to solve. But the friends should be confident that the very progress of the Cause will enable them to find the necessary solution to the difficulties which appear now to so seriously puzzle their minds.

There are two main principles which the Guardian wishes the friends to always bear in mind and to conscientiously and faithfully follow. First is the principle of unqualified and whole-hearted loyalty to the revealed Word. The believers should be careful not to deviate, even a hair-breadth, from the Teachings. Their supreme consideration should be to safeguard the purity of the principles, tenets and laws of the Faith. It is only by this means that they can hope to maintain the organic unity of the Cause. There can and should be no liberals or conservatives, no moderates or extremes in the Cause. For they are all subject to the one and the same law which is the Law of God. This law transcends all differences, all personal or local tendencies, moods and aspirations.

Next is the principle of complete, and immediate obedience to the Assemblies, both local and national. It is the responsibility of these Baha’i administrative bodies to enable the community to acquire, and increasingly deepen in the knowledge and understanding of the Cause. Doctrinal unity and administrative unity, these are the two chief pillars that sustain the edifice of the Cause, and protect it from the storms of opposition which so severely rage against it.

September 5, 1936