The son of Bahaullah, the founder of the Bahai sect. When Bahaullah died, in 1892, he nominated his eldest son Abbas also called Abdul Baha, his successor. He was eight years old when his father was thrown into prison, and Abdul Baha lived under strict supervision of the Turkish government at Akka. After the Turkish revolution, he was set free. In 1911 Abdul Baha undertook tours of Europe and America, delivering lectures, answering questions and expounding the doctrines of his 'religion'. At the heart of Bahai's belief is the conviction that humanity is a single people with a common destiny and in the words of Bahaullah, the founder of the faith, 'the earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.' Bahaullah taught that there is one God who progressively reveals His will to humanity. Each of the great religions brought by the Messengers of God - Moses, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad - represents a successive stage in the spiritual development of civilisation. Bahaullah the most recent 'Messenger' is this line, has brought teachings that address the moral and spiritual challenges of the modern world. Abdul Baha appealed to the people of the West as it included all the noble aspirations of the age and that this can be achieved by reduction in the production of weapons. The British Government conferred on him a Knighthood of the British Empire. Bahai world's independent 'religion' spread all over the world claim some 5 million followers.