 The Baháʼí community was mostly confined to the Iranian and Ottoman empires until after the death of Baháʼu'lláh in 1892, at which time he had followers in 13 countries of Asia and Africa.Under the leadership of his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the religion gained a footing in Europe and America, and was consolidated in Iran, where it still suffers intense persecution.After the death of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in 1921, the leadership of the Baháʼí community entered a new phase, evolving from a single individual to an administrative order with both elected bodies and appointed individuals.