 `Alí-Muḥammad Shírází (1819-1853), known as the Báb, founded a new religion (Bábism) in 1844 and progressively expounded a claim to be the Mahdi.He and his followers came under intense persecution by the clergy and government of Iran and the Báb was publicly executed in 1850 for expounding a new sharia, making a claim to divine revelation, and inspiring resistance to the state.Groups of his followers were killed before and after his execution.