Knights of Bahá'u'lláh

The title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh was given by Shoghi Effendi, head of the Bahá'í Faith in the period, to Bahá'ís who arose to open new territories to the Faith starting in the Ten Year Crusade.

Those pioneers who succeeded in establishing the Faith's first foothold in a country or territory were designated "Knights of Baha’u’llah", and their names inscribed on a Roll of Honour destined, in time, to be deposited, as called for by the Guardian, under the threshold of the entrance to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah. Nothing testified quite so dramatically to the foresight embodied in Shoghi Effendi's successive Plans than the fact that, within each of the new nation-states born after the second world war, Bahá'í communities and Spiritual Assemblies were already a part of the fabric of national life.” (Commissioned by The Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, p. 78)^[1]

Shoghi Effendi kept a Roll of Honour of all the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. While inaugurated during the Ten Year Crusade, local restrictions caused some of the goals to remain unfilled. The final Knight of Bahá'u'lláh arrived at Sakhalin Island in December 1990. There were 254 total Knights of Bahá'u'lláh that settled in 121 localities, they had been sent to open 131 nations and territories of which 10 had already been opened. On 28 May 1992, during the commemoration of the centenary of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, the Roll of Honour was deposited by Amatu'l-Baha Rúhiyyih Khanum at the entrance door of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.^[2]

List of the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh^[3]

Africa

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Ashanti Protectorate

• Benedict Eballa, April 1954

Basutoland

• Frederick Laws, October 1953
• Elizabeth Laws, October 1953 (b. 20 September 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri - d. 24 June 1977 in Washington State)

Bechuanaland

• John Robarts, February 1954
• Audrey Robarts, February 1954
• Patrick Robarts, February 1954

British Cameroons

• Enoch Olinga, October 1953 (b. 24 June 1926 - d. 16 September 1979)

British Togoland

• Edward Tabe, April 1954
• Albert Buapiah, April 1954

Cape Verde Islands

• Howard Menking, January 1954
• Joanne Menking, January 1954

Comoro Islands

• Mihribán Suhailí, 1954

French Cameroons

• Samuel Njiki, April 1954
• Meherangiz Munsiff, April 1954

French Equatorial Africa

• Max Kenyerezi, October 1953

French Somaliland

• Fred Schechter, August 1953
• Fahimah Elias, May 1954
• Sabri Elias, May 1954

French Togoland

• David Tanyi, April 1954
• Mavis Nymon, May 1954
• Vivian Wesson, May 1954

French West Africa

• Labíb Isfahání, November 1953
• Habíb Isfahání, April 1954

Gambia

• Faríburz Rúzbihíyán, February 1954

Italian Somaliland

• Suhayi Samandarí, March 1953
• Mihdí Samandarí, November 1953
• Ursula Samandarí, November 1953

Mauritius

• Otillie Rhein, November 1953 (b. 1903 - d. 29 October 1979 in San Mateo, California)

Morocco, International Zone

• Manúchihr Hizárí, September 1953
• Hurmuz Zindih, September 1953
• Helen Elsie Austin, October 1953
• Muhammad `Alí Jalálí, October 1953
• Husayn Ardikání, November 1953
• Nusrat Ardikání, November 1953
• 'Alí Akbar Rafí'í Rafsanjání, November 1953
• Sháyistih Rafí'í, November 1953 (b. 1882 in Kirmán, Iran - d. 27 27 June 1965 in Meknes)
• `Abbás Rafí'í, November 1953
• Richard Walters, April 1954
• Evelyn Walters, April 1954
• Richard Suhm, April 1954
• Mary Suhm, April 1954

Northern Territories Protectorate

• Julius Edwards, September 1953
• Martin Manga, April 1954

Réunion Island

• Opal Jensen, October 1953
• Leland Jensen, March 1954

Rio de Oro

• Amín Battáh, October 1953

Ruanda-Urundi

• Rex Collison, May 1953 (b. 1892 - d. 1970)
• Dunduzu Chisiza, June 1953

Seychelles Islands

• Abbás Kamil, November 1953
• Abdu'l Rahman Zarqani, January 1954

Southern Rhodesia

• `Izzatu'lláh Zahrá'í, June 1953
• Claire Gung, October 1953
• Kenneth Christian, January 1954
• Roberta K. Christian, January 1954 (b. 1913 - d. 1971)
• Joan Powis, February 1954
• `Aynu'd-Dín `Alá'í, December 1955
• Táhirih `Alá'í, December 1955

South West Africa

• Ted Cardell, October 1953

Spanish Guinea

• Elise Schreiber, May 1954

Spanish Morocco

• Fawzí Zaynu'l-`Ábidín, October 1953 (b. 28 January 1911 in Cairo - d. 23 March 1975 in Glendale, California)
• Bahía Zaynu'l-`Ábidín, October 1953
• Luella McKay, October 1953
• John Fleming, October 1953
• Erleta Fleming, October 1953
• Alyce Barbara May Janssen, October 1953 (b. 1900 - d. 10 December 1964 in Santa Rosa, California)

Spanish Sahara

• Muhammad Mustafá Sulaymán, October 1953 (b. 1898 in Egypt - d. 14 August 1981)

St. Helena Islands

• Elizabeth Stamp, May 1954 (b. 1887 - d. 1970)

Swaziland

• Bula Mott Stewart, April 1954
• John Allen, April 1954 (b. 16 May 1907 in Auburn, California - d. 1 September 1980 in Stanford, California)
• Valera Allen, April 1954

Americas

---

Aleutian Islands

• Elaine Caldwell, July 1953
• Jenabe Caldwell, July 1953
• Elinore Putney, May 1954

Anticosti Island

• Mary Zabolotny, April 1956

Bahamas Islands

• Gail Curwin, October 1953
• Gerald Curwin, October 1953
• Leeanna Curwin, October 1953
• Maurice Holmes, October 1953
• Ethel May Bowman Holmes, October 1953 (b. 1904 - d. 1972)
• Andrew F. Matthisen, January 1954 (b. 1885 - d. 1961)
• Mina B. Matthisen, January 1954 (b. 1895 - d. 1972)

Baranof Islands

• Helen Robinson, October 1953
• Gail Avery, February 1954
• Grace Bahovec

British Guiana

• Malcolm King, October 1953 (b. 1885 - d. 19 October 1966 in Jamaica)

British Honduras

• Cora Oliver, September 1953
• Shirley Warde, October 1953

Cape Breton Island

• Frederick Allen, October 1953
• Jeanne Gwendolin Allen, October 1953 (b. 1911 - d. 1969)
• Irving Geary, October 1953
• Mabel Grace Geary, October 1953 (b. 1888 - d. 1965)

Chiloé Island

• Zunilde de Palacios, October 1953
• Louise Groger, June 1954

Dutch Guiana

• Elinor Wolff, October 1953
• Robert Wolff, October 1953

Dutch West Indies

• Matthew W. Bullock, November 1953 (b. 1881 - d. 1972)
• John Kellberg, April 1954
• Marjorie Kellberg, April 1954

Falkland Islands

• John Leonard, February 1954

Franklin

• Gale Bond, November 1953
• Jameson Bond, November 1953

French Guiana

• Eberhard Friedland, October 1953

Galapagos Islands

• Gayle Woolson, April 1954
• Haik Kevorkian, May 1954 (b. 1916 - d. 1970)

Grand Manan Island

• Doris Richardson, November 1953 (b. 1901 - d. 13 May 1976)

Gulf Islands

• Catherine Huxtable, September 1959 (b. 6 January 1932 in England - d. 25 October 1967 in St. Helena)

Keewatin

• Dick Stanton, September 1953

Key West

• Arthur Crane, July 1953
• Ethel Crane, July 1953
• Howard J. Snider, September 1953 (b. 1884 - d. 1970)

Kodiak Island

• Jack Hoffman, July 1953
• Rose Perkal, July 1953
• Bernard Guhrke, February 1954

Labrador

• Bruce Matthew, April 1954
• Howard Gilliland, April 1954

Leeward Islands

• Benjamin Weeden, October 1953 (b. 1892 - d. 1970)
• Earle Render, October 1953
• Gladys Anderson Weeden, October 1953 (b. 1906 - d. 13 September 1979 in Hebron, New Hampshire)
• David Schreiber, February 1954
• Charles Dayton, February 1954
• Mary Dayton, February 1954

Magdalen Islands

• Kathleen Weston, October 1953
• Kay Zinky, April 1954

Margarita Island

• Katharine Meyer, October 1953

Miquelon Island & St. Pierre Island

• Ola Pawlowska, October 1953

Portuguese Guiana

• Jose Xavier Rodrigues, September 1953
• Hilda Xavier Rodrigues, September 1953

Queen Charlotte Islands

• Edythe MacArthur, August 1953

St. Thomas Island

• Elise Schreiber, February 1954

Windward Islands

• Esther Evans, October 1953
• Lillian Middlemast, October 1953

Yukon

• R. Ted Anderson, September 1953
• Joan Anderson, September 1953

Asia

---

Andaman Islands

• K. Fozdar, November 1953

Bhutan

• Shápúr Rawhání, June 1954
• Ardishír Furúdí, June 1954

Brunei

• Harry Clark, February 1954
• Charles Duncan, February 1954
• John Fozdar, April 1954

Chagos Archipelago

• Poova Murday, May 1957

Daman

• Ghulám-`Alí Kurlawala, June 1953 (b. 1896 - d. 1978)

Diu Island

• Kaykhusraw Dahamobedi, December 1953
• Bahíyyih Rawhání, December 1953
• Gulnár Áftábí, December 1953

Dutch New Guinea

• Elly Becking, October 1953

Goa

• Rawshan Áftábí, July 1953
• Fírúzih Yigánigí, July 1953

Hadhramut

• Adíb Baghdádí, December 1953
• Husayn Halabí, February 1954

Hainan Island

• John Z.T. Chang, August 1959

Karikal

• Salisa Kirmání, August 1953
• Shírín Núrání, August 1953

Kuria-Muria Islands

• Munír Vakíl, January 1954 (b. 1900 in Baghdád - d. 14 February 1976)

Macao Island

• Frances Heller, October 1953
• Loretta and Carl Scherer, December 1953

Mahé

• Lionell Peraji, October 1954
• Qudratu'lláh Rawhání, March 1954
• Khudá-Rahm Muzhgání, March 1954

Mentawai Islands

• Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, February 1954 (b. 1923 - d. 1979 in Ecuador)
• Írán Muhájir, February 1954

Mongolia

• Sean Hinton, December 1988

Nicobar Islands

• Jeanne Frankel, July 1957
• Margaret Bates, July 1957

Pondicherry

• Sa'íd Nahví, July 1953
• Shawkat Nahví, May 1954
• Shiyam Behari Lal, August 1953

Portuguese Timor

• Harold Thomas Fitzner, June 1954 (b. 1893 - d. 1969)
• Florence Fitzner, June 1954
• Jose Marques, July 1954

Sakhalin Island

• Abbas Katirai, December 1990
• Rezvanieh Katirai, December 1990

Socotra Island

• Mirzá Áqá Kamálí Sarvistání, March 1955 (b. June 1924 in Sarvistán, Iran - d. 1 February 1983)

Tibet

• Udai Narain Singh, September 1955

Australasia & Oceania

---

Admiralty Islands

• Violet Hoehnke, July 1954

Caroline Islands

• Virginia Breaks, January 1954

Cocos Islands

• Frank Wyss, June 1955

Cook Islands

• Edith Danielson, October 1953
• Dulcie Dive, January 1954

Gilbert & Ellis Islands

• Roy Fernie, March 1954 (b. 20 January 1922 - d. 21 October 1964)
• Elena Fernie, March 1954

Juan Fernández Islands

• Salvador Tormo, October 1953
• Adela Tormo, October 1953

Loyalty Islands

• Daniel Haumond, October 1955

Mariana Islands

• Robert Powers, Jr., April 1954
• Cynthia Olson, May 1954

Marquesas Islands

• Greta Jankko, March 1954 (b. 1902 - d. 1973)

Marshall Islands

• Marcia Steward de Matamores Atwater, August 1954 (b. 1904 in Pasadena, California - d. 1966)

New Hebrides Islands

• Bertha Dobbins, October 1953

Samoa Islands

• Lilian Wyss, January 1954

Society Islands

• Gretta Stevens Lamprill, October 1953 (b. 1890 - d. 1972)
• Gladys Irene Parke, October 1953 (d. 1969)

Solomon Islands

• Gertrude Blum, March 1954
• Alvin Blum, March 1954 (b. 1912 - d. 1968)

Tonga Islands

• Stanley Bolton, Jr., January 1954
• Dudley Blakely, July 1954 (b. October 1902 - d. 19 December 1982 in St. Simons Island, Georgia)
• Elsa Blakely, July 1954

Tuamotu

• Jean Sevin, January 1954

Europe

---

Andora

• William Danjon, October 1953

Azores

• Richard Nolen, October 1953 (b. 14 March 1914 in Almont, Michigan - d. 5 May 1964 in Washington State)
• Lois A. (Warner) Nolen, October 1953 (b. 23 July 1917 in Michigan - d. 2 Dec 1997 In Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States of America)

Balearic Islands

• Virginia Orbison, August 1953 (d. 20 November 1985)
• Jean Deleuran, December 1953
• Tove Deleuran, December 1953
• Charles Ioas, January 1954

Canary Islands

• Gertrude Eisenburg, November 1953
• George True, October 1953
• Marguerite True, October 1953
• Shawghí Rawhání, June 1954

Channel Islands

• Diá'u'lláh Asgharzádih, September 1953
• Evelyn Baxter, September 1953 (b. 1883 - d. 1969)

Crete

• Rolf Haug, October 1953

Cyprus

• Abbas Vakil, August 1953
• Robert McKinley, September 1953
• Violet McKinley, November 1953
• Samira Vakil, November 1953

Faroe Islands

• Eskil Ljungberg, July 1953

Frisian Islands

• Elsa Maria Grossman, November 1953 (b. 19 July 1896 in Rosario, Argentina - d. 6 August 1977)
• Geertrui Ankersmit, October 1953
• Ursula von Brunn, October 1953

Greece

• Amín Banání, August 1953
• Sheila Banání, August 1953
• Carole Allen, November 1953
• Dwight Allen, November 1953

Hebrides Islands

• Geraldine Graney, October 1953

Liechtenstein

• Amír Húshmand Manúchihrí, August 1953

Lofoten Islands

• Mildred Clark, August 1953 (b. 24 May 1892 in Manchester, Illinois - d. 27 May 1967 in Turku, Finland)

Madeira Islands

• Ada Schott, November 1953
• Elizabeth Hopper, November 1953
• Sara M. Kenny, November 1953 (b. 1900 - d. 1968)
• Ella Duffield, November 1953

Malta

• Una Townshend, October 1953
• Mary Olga Katherine Mills, November 1953 (b. 24 October 1882 - d. 2 May 1974)
• John Mitchell, July 1954

Moldova

• Annemarie Krüger

Monaco

• Mellie French, September 1953
• `Azízu'lláh Navídí, February 1954
• Shamshí Navídí, February 1954
• Olivia Kelsey, March 1954 (b. 9 February 1889 in Delaware County, Ohio - d. 13 October 1981 in Yellow Springs, Ohio)

Orkney Islands

• Charles William Dunning, October 1953

Rhodes

• Elizabeth Bevan, January 1954

Romania

• Fereidun Khazrai, November 1968

San Marino

• Tábandih Paymán, November 1953
• Suhráb Paymán, April 1954

Sardinia

• Marie Ciocca Holmlund, October 1953 (b. 1929 - d. 1968)

Shetland Islands

• Brigitte Lundblade (née Hasselblatt), September 1953 (b. 1923 - d. 17 May 2008)

Sicily

• Emma Rice, October 1953
• Stanley Bagley, October 1953
• Florence Bagley, October 1953
• Carol Bagley, October 1953
• Gerrold Bagley, October 1953
• Susan Bagley, October 1953

Spitsbergen

• Paul Adams, June 1958

White Russia

• Helmut Winkelbach, December 1978

See also

• Letters of the Living
• Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh
• Disciples of `Abdu'l-Bahá
• Hands of the Cause
• Bahá'í Faith by continent

References

1. Century of Light. The Universal House of Justice. 2001. p. part VI p.78.
2. Cameron, G.; Momen, W. (1996). A Basic Bahá'í Chronology. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. p. 483. ISBN 0-85398-404-2.
3. Bahá'í World, v. 20

External links

• Roll of Honor listing the names of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh