BABER (or "The Tiger"), the histori cal surname of Zehir-ed-din-Mohammed, the conqueror of Hindustan and founder of the so-called Mogul dynasty. Baber was of mixed Turkish and Mongol origin, being descended from Timour the Great on the father's side, and from Genghis Khan on the mother's. Baber was born on Feb. 14, 1483, and at the age of 12, on his father's death, ascended the inse cure throne of Ferghana in Turkestan; soon after he was attacked on all sides by his uncles and other neighboring princes. Accordingly, at the age of 15, Saber seized on Samarcand, the capital of Timour, but, while thus engaged, a revolution at home deprived him of his sovereignty. After many years of an ad venturous career, he raised an army, entered Hindustan, and was met by Ibra him, the ruling Sultan of that country. The two armies fought the battle at Paniput, which decided the fate of India, on April 21, 1525. Baber, with his army of 12,000 men, completely overthrew that of Ibrahim, numbering 100,000, and en tered Delhi in triumph. In the battle of Sakri, in February, 1527, Baber ut terly defeated the opposing Hindu princes, and then proclaimed himself Padishah, or Emperor of Hindustan. After a rule of four years, he died near Agra, Dec. 26, 1530.
BABI (ba-be'), the name of a modern Persian sect, derived from the title, Bash ed-Din (gate of the faith), assumed by its founder, Mirza Ali Mohammed, a na tive of Shiraz, who, in 1843, after a pil grimage to Mecca, undertook to form a new religion from a mixture of Moham medan, Christian, Jewish, and Parsee elements. The sect soon became numer
ous, and were not molested by the reign ing Shah; but on the accession of Nasir ed-Din in 1848, apprehending persecu tion, they took up arms, proclaiming the advent of the Bab as universal sovereign. Several Persian armies were routed, but finally the insurgents were reduced by famine, and most of them executed (1849-1850). The Bab had held aloof from the revolt, but he was arrested and put to death in 1850. His successor was recognized in the youthful son of the Governor of Teheran, who retired to Bagdad. An attempt of three believers to assassinate tl-e Shah, in 1852, led to terrible persecution of the sect. Babism has nevertheless gained in strength, and is at present widely diffused in Persia. Their doctrines form a system of Pan theism. Babism enjoins few prayers, and those only on fixed occasions; en courages hospitality and charity; pro hibits polygamy, concubinage, and di vorce; discourages asceticism and mendi cancy; and directs women to discard the veil, and share as equals in the inter course of social life.
BABIROtTSSA (bab-i-res'a), a species of hog, sometimes called the horned hog and the hog deer, from the fact that its upper tusks, which are of great length and curved in form, piercing through the upper lip, grow upward and backward, like the horns of a ruminant.