After Abbas Effendi’s death in 1301 S.H. (1340 A.H.), the Bahaism organization was transformed basically during Shogi Effendi’s statesmanship period of time and became a formal organization. The Baha’i heads needed financial resources across the world to expand and develop the 5-year pogroms’ activities and executions. For this reason, the activities of commercial, industrial and agricultural sections were paid attention.
During Shogi Effendi’s statesmanship’s period of time and due to the incomes resulted in the economic activities and financial aids of the Baha’is entitled God’s emoluments, undertaking, and donations and etc., their financial resources were expanded.
Concerning endowment issue, creating the economic organization of endowment was paid attention to provide the organization’s requirements. After collecting 287 minion dollars, the Baha’i officially established trustees’ foundation and entered into commerce domain and great economic activities.[1] [1]
The identification and registration of Bahaism properties started from America and the American Baha’is succeeded to cancel the taxes of the Baha’i endowments.[2] [2]
For this reason, the Baha’is could transfer their material investments such as the endowed estates, assets, installations and stocks by establishing companies like trustees and juvenile bank.[3] [3]
Trustees company
The Baha’i heads and leaders established and registered joint-stock company of trustees having semi-hidden nature in Washington, America in 1308 S.H. (1929 A.D. which was immediately recognizes by Hendry L. Stephen, the then minister of foreign affairs.
This company was responsible for concluding economic contracts, accepting wills and endowments, doing commercial deals, accepting gift endowment and confiscating the Baha’is heritage who are without offspring and grandchildren.
After forming the joint-stock company of trustees in the continent of America, the Baha’i heads registered similar companies in Asian continent (India, Burma,1933 A.D.), Africa (Egypt, Sudan 1834 A.D.), Europe (Britain 1934 A.D.) and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand 1938 A.D.).
According to American statistics, the total amount of the Baha’is endowments has been estimated as 26646697 dollars, by the year 1950 A.D. in this continent.[4] [4]
The leaders of the organization of Bahaism cult were continually introducing Iran as the cradle of God’s faith. Rouhieh Maxwell, the Canadian wife of Shoghi Effendi and the leader of the Baha’is specifies that according to Shoghi Effendi and her, Iran is “the cradle of God’s faith”, but America is “the cradle of Baha’i discipline”, “the cradle of administrative discipline”, and ” the center of gravity of managing Bahaism faith in the world”.[5] [5]
Field Marshal Fardoust mentions in his memoirs that the universal Bahaism thought Iran is the very promised land which must be shared with the Baha’is.[6] [6]
The Baha’is who had active presence in the election and introduction of Reza Khan for 3rd of Isfand 1299 S.H. coup, played a key role in changing Qajar dynasty [7] and for Pahlavi government to gain power alongside with other interior and exterior factors in a 5-year extensive planning.
When Reza Khan gained power, the members of Bahaism cult gradually could influence on governmental positions and posts helped by Reza Khan.
Shoghi Effendi, the leader of the Baha’is says about the importance of estates and properties of the Baha’is in the book Qarn-e-Badi’a:
“In Iran, the cradle of God’s faith, the faith properties which are existent in the form of lands and administrative buildings, schools and other institutes have remarkable increased the expansion and majesty of the local endowment circle of Bahaism across the earth and have caused validity and chastity for them… .”[۷] [8]
Bahaism organization wasn’t formally recognized as a religious minority in Iran since Mirza Hussein Ali Baha announced the one whom God will manifest. It was so during Pahlavi period of time; so it was impossible for great estates to be registered by the name of companies, institutes, and two trustees and Taraneh banks.
The mere way to register the properties was registering them by the name of Shoghi or people whom he trusted.
When Shoghi Effendi died in 1336 S.H. gaps and differences were created among the Baha’i heads over confiscating his properties and estates. After a while, they decided to register and establish the joint-stock trustee company under the supervision of national assembly of estates and the trusted person of the fund.
The company was registered on Ordibehesht 24, 1337 S.H. by the number of 6088 aiming the execution of civil duties with the superficial investment of 30 million Rials participated by retired major general Shoaullah Alaee as the chairman of the board of directors, Hadi Rahmani Shirazi (managing director), Zekrullah Khadem and Abbas Qخli Shah Qoli (the member of board of directors in registering companies office) located at Manoudehri St. Arbab alley.
According to, SAVAK document, the trustee company elected Habib Sabet, Houshang Houshmand and Amanati as the members of board of execution in Tehran. Also; in cities, this duty was done by a 9-people board.[8] [9]
According to SAVAK report, this company confiscated all Baha’is estates and real estates which had been registered by the name of Shoghi Effendi contrary to his will which had been announced as belonged to public endowments by deluding the employees of registry office and colluding with tax office employees in favor of himself.
The joint-stock company of the juvenile:
One of the other economic institutes of the Baha’is which played a key and influential role in the economy domain of Iran during Pahlavi government was the juvenile joint-stock company. As a matter of fact, this company was considered as the main institution for economic activities of the Baha’is.
Before the establishment and registration of trustee company during Rea Shah’s government, Shoghi Effendi ordered for joint-stock company of the juvenile to be established and registered in 1313 S.H. In 1298 S.H., Abbas Effendi [10] sent a telegraph to three prominent Baha’is of Iran to do an important task and called them to come to Acre, the center of the Baha’is in Palestine. Then, he ordered for a company to be established aiming the development of the Baha’is economically and its progress in all countries to the stage of creation a universal bank be longed to all Baha’is.
For this reason, he selects the following members as the board of directors of the company: 1) Mrs. Moody from America, 2) Miss. Kebs Liliyan from America, the teacher and encourager of the Baha’i education plan, 3) Mrs. Qodsiyeh Ashraf, 4) Norruddin Fath Ázam, the treasurer of Reza Khan’s troops.
Source: Reza Qaribi, the Baha’i wealthy people and the Pahlavi regime, pp. 89-98.
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[۱] [12] Ismased Raeen, the Branches of Bahaism, p.264.
[۲] [13] Ibid, p.263.
[۳] [14] Ibid, p.246.
[۴] [15] Ibid, p. 248.
[۵] [16] Farhadi Fadheli and Ahmad Rahdar, the imperialism of America and Bahaism; the ancient bond full-scale, the Iranian contemporary history periodical, year 13, No.50, 1388 S.H., p. 15.
[۶] [17] Hussein Fardoust, the emergence and falling of Pahlavi, vol.1, p. 375.
[۷] [18] Shoghi Effendi, Qarn-e-Badia’, part 4, translated by Nasrullah Mavaddat, the national institute of the faith press, 123 Badia’, р. ۵۴٫
[۸] [19] Jawad Kamvar Bakhshayesh, “Habib Sabet Pasal”, the historical studies periodical, No. 24, 1388 S.H., p. 137.