ter that date the Babis divided into
two sects, Ezelis and Baha'is, of which the former steadily lost and the
latter gained ground, so that in 1908 there were probably from half a
million to a million of the latter, and at most only a hundred or two of
the former. In 1863 the Babis were, at the instance of the Persian
government, removed from Bagdad to Constantinople, whence they were shortly
afterwards transferred to Adrianople. In 1868 Baha and his followers were
exiled to Acre in Syria, and _Subh-i-Ezel_ with his few adherents to
Famagusta in Cyprus, where he was still living in 1908. Baha'u'llah died at
Acre on the 16th of May 1892. His son 'Abbas Efendi (also called
'Abdu'l-Baha, "the servant of Baha") was generally recognized as his
successor, but another of his four sons, Muhammad 'Ali, put forward a rival
claim. This caused a fresh and bitter schism, but 'Abbas Efendi steadily
gained ground, and there could be little doubt as to his eventual [v.03
p.0095] triumph. The controversial literature connected with this latest
schism is abundant, not only in Persian, but in English, for since 1900
many Americans have adopted the religion of Baha. The original apostle of
America was Ibrahim George Khayru'llah, who began his propaganda at the
Chicago Exhibition and later supported the claims of Muhammad 'Ali. Several
Persian missionaries, including the aged and learned Mirza Abu'l-Fazl of
Gulpayagan, were thereupon despatched to America by 'Abbas Efendi, who was
generally accepted by the American Baha'is as "the Master." The American
press contained many notices of the propaganda and its success. An
interesting article on the subject, by Stoyan Krstoff Vatralsky of Boston,
Mass., entitled "Mohammedan Gnosticism in America," appeared in the
_American Journal of Theology_ for January 1902, pp. 57-58.

A correct understanding of the doctrines of the early Babis (now
represented by the Ezelis) is hardly possible save to one who is conversant
with the theology of Islam and its developments, and especially the tenets
of the Shi'a. The Babis are Muhammadans only in the sense that the
Muhammadans are Christians or the Christians Jews; that is to say, they
recognize Muhammad (Mahomet) as a true prophet and the Qur'an (Koran) as a
revelation, but deny their finality. Revelation, according to their view,
is progressive, and no revelation is final, for, as the human race
progresses, a fuller measure of truth, and ordinances more suitab