The Kitáb-i-Aqdas was revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in 1873 during a period of profound political transformation across the world. Empires, monarchies, and newly independent republics coexisted in a rapidly changing global order, providing the historical context in which the laws and principles of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas were first addressed to humanity.
Table: Political Leaders Of the Americas
United States
Independent
1776
Ulysses S. Grant
President
Haiti
Independent
1804
Michel Domingue
President
Paraguay
Independent
1811
Salvador Jovellanos
President
Venezuela
Independent
1811
Antonio Guzmán Blanco
President
Argentina
Independent
1816
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
President
Chile
Independent
1818
Federico Errázuriz Zañartu
President
Colombia
Independent
1819
Manuel Murillo Toro
President
Mexico
Independent
1821
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
President
Peru
Independent
1821
Manuel Pardo y Lavalle
President
Guatemala
Independent
1821
Justo Rufino Barrios
President
El Salvador
Independent
1821
Santiago González
President
Honduras
Independent
1821
Carlos Céleo Arias
President
Nicaragua
Independent
1821
José Diriangén Dávila
President
Costa Rica
Independent
1821
Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez
President
Brazil
Independent
1822
Pedro II
Emperor
Ecuador
Independent
1822
Gabriel García Moreno
President
Bolivia
Independent
1825
Adolfo Ballivián
President
Uruguay
Independent
1825
Tomás Gomensoro
Interim President
Dominican Republic
Independent
1844
Ignacio González
President
United Kingdom
Colonial Power
N/A
Queen Victoria
Queen
Spain
Colonial Power
N/A
Emilio Castelar
President
Netherlands
Colonial Power
N/A
William III
King
France
Colonial Power
N/A
Patrice de MacMahon
President
Denmark
Colonial Power
N/A
Christian IX
King
Table: Political Leaders Of Europe
German Empire
Empire
Wilhelm I
Emperor (Kaiser)
Austria Hungary
Dual Monarchy
Franz Joseph I
Emperor King
United Kingdom
Monarchy
Queen Victoria
Queen
Russian Empire
Empire
Alexander II
Emperor (Tsar)
French Republic
Republic
Patrice de MacMahon
President
Ottoman Empire
Empire
Sultan Abdülaziz
Sultan Padishah
Kingdom of Italy
Monarchy
Victor Emmanuel II
King
Spain
Republic*
Emilio Castelar
President*
Kingdom of Portugal
Monarchy
Luís I
King
Kingdom of Sweden
Monarchy
Oscar II
King
Kingdom of Greece
Monarchy
George I
King
Kingdom of Belgium
Monarchy
Leopold II
King
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Monarchy
William III
King
Table: Political Leaders Of Africa
Ethiopian Empire
Independent Empire
Yohannes IV
Emperor (Nəgusä Nägäst)
Republic of Liberia
Independent Republic
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
President
Egypt Khedivate
Autonomous State under Ottoman suzerainty
Isma’il Pasha
Khedive
Sultanate of Morocco
Independent Sultanate
Hassan I
Sultan
Tunis Beylik
Autonomous State under Ottoman suzerainty
Muhammad III as Sadiq
Bey
Oman and Zanzibar Sultanate
Independent
Sayyid Barghash bin Said
Sultan
Asante Empire
Independent Empire
Kofi Karikari
Asantehene
Merina Kingdom Madagascar
Independent Kingdom
Ranavalona II
Queen
Table: Political Leaders Of Asia
Qing Dynasty China
Empire
Tongzhi Emperor
Emperor
Meiji Japan
Empire
Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito)
Emperor
Persia Qajar Dynasty
Empire
Nasser al Din Shah Qajar
Shah (King of Kings)
Siam Thailand
Kingdom
Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
King
Afghanistan
Emirate
Sher Ali Khan
Amir
Vietnam Nguyễn Dynasty
Empire under increasing French pressure
Tự Đức
Emperor
British India
Colonial Crown Rule
Queen Victoria
Empress of India
Dutch East Indies Indonesia
Colony
William III
King Sovereign Power
Joseon Korea
Kingdom
Gojong
King
Khivan Khanate
Khanate conquered by Russia in 1873
Muhammad Rahim Khan II
Khan