Mirza Ali Muhammad

Mirza Ali Muhammad or The Bab (1819?-1850), founder of Babism, a religion that developed out of the Shia branch of Islam. Babism grew in Persia from its founding in 1844 until the reign of Shah Nasr-ed-Din in 1848, when the government and the Babis came into conflict. Although he had not taken part in the conflict, the Bab was executed in 1850.

For information on:

• the Bab and his founding of Babism, see Babism
• relation of Babism and the Baha’i faith, see Baha'i
• persecution of Babis and execution of the Bab, see Babism; Baha'i
• shrine dedicated to the Bab, see Haifa