page_title: Baháʼí Faith in Azerbaijan
section_title: Beginnings
hierarchical_section_title: Baháʼí Faith in Azerbaijan / Beginnings
context_page_description: The Baháʼí in Azerbaijan crosses a complex history of regional changes. Through that series of changes the thread of the Baháʼí Faith traces its history in the region from the earliest moments of the Bábism religion, accepted by Baháʼís as a predecessor religion, in that one of its most prominent figures, Tahirih, was an Azerbaijani. Followers of the religion formed communities in Nakhichevan before 1850. By the early 20th century the community, now centered in Baku, numbered perhaps 2000 individuals and several Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assemblies and had facilitated the favorable attention of local and regional, and international leaders of thought as well as long-standing leading figures in the religion. However under Soviet rule the Baháʼí community was almost ended though it was quickly reactivated as more than 30 years later when perestroyka loosened controls on religions. The community quickly rallied and re-elected its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1992.
context_section_description: The history of the religion in Azerbaijan covers a time of power struggles between Russian (through Empire, Soviet and finally Russian Federation periods) and Iranian (from its Qajar dynasty, Pahlavi dynasty, and The Islamic Republic), and regional independence movement both early Pro-independence movements in Russian Civil War, continuing Prometheism efforts and more recently since the Dissolution of the USSR. The region of Azerbaijan remains divided between an independent state including the semi-autonomous state of Nakhchivan, and of northern-western provinces of Iran.
caption: Geopolitical map