Bâbi

Bâbi, the name of a modern Persian sect, derived from the title, Bâb-ed-Dîn ('gate of the faith'), assumed by its founder, Mirza Ali Mohammed, a native of Shiraz, who in 1843, after a pilgrimage to Mecca, undertook to form a new religion from a mixture of Mohammedan, Christian, Jewish, and Parsee elements. His con- troversies with the mollahs shortly led to his confinement to his own house, where he formulated his doctrines, privately instructed his disciples, and increased his pretensions. He now laid aside the title of Bâb, assuming that of Nokteh ('point'), and claimed to be the focus to which all preceding dispensations converged. He sent out missionaries in various directions, the most famous of whom was a woman, Gurred-ul-Aîu ('consolation of the eyes'), remarkable for beauty and intelligence, who preached against polygamy. The sect soon became numerous, and were not molested by the reigning shah; but on the accession of Nasir-ed-Din in 1848, apprehending persecution, they took up arms, proclaiming the advent of the Bâb as universal sovereign. Several Persian armies were routed, but finally the insurgents were reduced by famine, and most of them executed (1849-50). The Bâb had held aloof from the revolt, but he was arrested and put to death, after a long imprisonment, in 1850. His successor was recognised in the youthful son of the governor of Teheran, who retired to Bagdad, where he afterwards lived quietly. An attempt of three believers to assassinate the shah in 1852 led to a terrible persecution of the sect; numbers were tortured and burned, among them Gurred-ul-Ain. Bâbism has nevertheless gained in strength, and is at present widely diffused in Persia; its members live in apparent conformity to orthodox Mohammedanism, but privately holding the Bâb's doctrines, which are contained in an Arabic treatise, Biyan ('the exposition'), written by the founder himself. They form essentially a system of Pantheism, with Gnostic and Buddhistic additions. All beings are emanations from the Deity, by whom they will ultimately be reabsorbed. Bâbism enjoins few prayers, and those only on fixed occasions; encourages hospitality and charity; prohibits polygamy, concubinage, and divorce; discourages asceticism and mendicancy; and directs women to discard the veil, and share as equals in the intercourse of social life. See A Traveller's Narrative, illustrating the Episode of the Bâb, by E. G. Browne (2 vols., 1892), and A Year amongst the Persians, by the same author; also SUFISM.