The Religious figure known to followers (Babists) and in the Baha'i Faith as the Bab, Shiite merchant Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, who inspired Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Faith (a role sometimes described as similar to that of John the Baptist in Christianity). In the mid nineteenth century, Ali-Muhammad announced himself as the 'gateway' (Bab) of divine revelation, and that through him, a second divine messenger would manifest. This messenger was widely believed to be Bahá'u'lláh, one of the Bab's disciples, who eventually assumed the mantle of leadership.

The Bab's claims, and his teachings against slavery, sexism, and polygamy were considered nothing short of blasphemy by the Shiite establishment, and Ali-Muhammad was tortured and publicly executed just six years after his revelation*, and thousands of followers subsequently exterminated. One follower was spared execution on account of nobility; this was Hussein Ali (Baha'u'llah), whose own revelation came during his imprisonment, six years after the death of the Bab.

*This brief period is referred to in Bahai writings as "the Dispensation of the Bab."

Related Resources:

Baha'i
Baha'i Faith at Alternative Religions.

Elsewhere on the Web:

Baha'i History
A thorough history of the Baha'i faith, including early Babism