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The first Western account of Babism in a book "Religions et Philosophies Dans L'Asie Centrale" by Gobineau a French traveller and writer


Count Gobineau, writing as far back as the year 1865, testified as follows:

"The general opinion is that Bábís are widespread in all the classes of the population and among all the religionists of Persia, except Núsayrís and the Christians; but they are especially the literary classes, the scientific men of the country, who are viewed very suspiciously. One thinks, and with reason, this seems, that many mullás, and among them the important mujtahids, the magistrates of an elevated rank, the men who occupy important functions at the court and who approach closely the person of the King, are Bábís. After a calculation made recently, Tihrán would have about five thousand of these religionists out of a population of eighty thousand hearts." Furthermore: " … Bábísme had a considerable influence on the intelligence of the Persian nation, and, being recaptured even beyond the limits of the territory, it overflowed into the Pachalik of Baghdád, and also passed into India." And again: " … A religious movement with which any private individual of Central Asia, that is to say Persia, some parts of India and a part of Turkey in Asia, and around Baghdád, is today highly preoccupied, a remarkable and worthy movement to be studied in all aspects. The circumstances allow for witnessing the development of occurrences, events, and catastrophes such as one is not accustomed to imagining, except in remote times when the great religions occurred."

English Translations of French Passages in God Passes By